To think these lunches are too expensive?

[EssieTregowan]

My two teenagers are currently spending around £5 a day on lunch from the school canteen.

It's a cashless system and unfortunately £5 is the minimum you can set the limit to.

We've said they're not allowed to buy drinks from now on and take water in, so that should help a bit, but I wondered if I'm being tight. We can sort of afford £200 a month on lunches but it means making cutbacks elsewhere.

Do we need to just suck this up, or is this crazy money? It's only recent as DD was taking a packed lunch until a couple of weeks ago and DS has for some reason started eating more at school.

How much do your secondary lunches cost you? Is this about right or am I raising a pair of gannets?

Seems very expensive for a schòol lunch. Give them the "extras" from home e.g. water, snack if they still want to buy something for lunch but cut down the allowance. Not many working adults I know spend £5 a day on lunch!

Darklydreamingdexter
3 cokes a day! Is your son buying these at school. Think I would be organising a campaign to have them banned, all soft drinks really, from being sold on school premises. If he is buying them off site he needs to learn the value of money and the issue of healthy eating although he is probably well aware of this already being at secondary school but chooses to ignore it.

I agree school lunch prices are too much. On my daughters account the minimum top up for lunch at school is £10 which she uses within a couple of days. I have suggested she takes in a lunch from home but she's not keen as wants to be with her friends who go to the canteen at break and lunch times together.

Cokeboy could at least buy his coke from the supermarket or a discount store where it is always available for around a third of the canteen price or less. He's currently paying an awful lot of his parents money for convenience.

I too live in Scotland like an earlier poster. Reading the menu that was provided I am appalled at the choices available. Nothing but carbohydrate quick sandwich bar stuff. No mention of hot food other than snacks again. No wonder we are the fattest nation in Europe

My DS used to spend £3 on subway lunch (school does not provide lunch).now he says he needs £5 because he still feels hungry after the £3 option. I think its alot to spend £5 each day but he has to eat. If insist on packed lunch, he makes it (just two slices of bread, no filling because he is a fussy eater) but brings it back uneaten! 🙉

I pay for my sons lunches termly. It is a set amount and everyone who has school lunches pays the same. It works out at £3.55 per day and for that they can choose any hot meal and a dessert and a drink or alternatively they can choose a sandwich, chocolate bar, crisps and a drink. £5 per day seems a lot.

I work in a school finance office and we are able to set a child-specific daily limit on cashless catering system if parents request it, I would suggest ring or email school and ask for this to be done.

The miminum top up on ParentMail/parentpay is usually £5 due to the transaction fees school have to pay, but that's a separate issue & not related to daily spend.

The lunches at my school are too expensive & I cringe when I have to defend it to parents; especially FSM families who get a £2.20 daily allowance & that doesn't even cover a meal deal. One of the many reasons I'm looking for another job!

Good luck x

Wow, yes that's way too much! Ask them how much each item they are buying costs, and set them a budget. Or bring a packed lunch?

I'm the same op, 2 children in comprehensive school have £5 per day and still take a drink from home, there are no set meals. A salad counter, pizza counter everything separate prices. 1 more child in primary £11 per week for 2 courses and drink. How can the council justify the difference in prices. Nearly £250 per month could buy a holiday per year. Outrageous 🤔

The school deal of the day at our local highschool comes in at £3.50.

On my TA salary, DD and DS get packed lunches 4 days a week and can choose which day they have a school dinner once a week( our weekly food budget for our family is £59 and that includes all meals including packed lunches)
PS They make their own lunches too...so they eat what they have chosen...

That is way too much- my DD is in year 12 and they put their money on their "finger" and she only ever spends £2 at most - she knows I would be horrified if she spent much more!

£5 each?? That would be a fair amount of food where I am in london. Ours are £2.10 a day. Has your LA got a school lunch menu/price list on their website?