How much dinner money is normal for teen

[Babybel81]

My DS is 14 and uses pre-pay card for school dinners. He's always needing it topping up and I worked out he gets through just over £4 a day/£80 a month. I looked at what he's been buying and he's getting two dinners a day e.g pizza slice or panini twice at lunch. He says they get one have a walk around then get another. I'm not convinced he's not buying for someone else but he says they all get two as the dinners are small. What do others spend on school dinners it seems a lot to me?

Ask school to set a limit

They don't advertise this - but you can limit their spends to whatever you like

I have 2dc at primary and 2 at secondary. I base the older dc's top ups on the set primary prices (2.25), so around 2.25-2.50 a day and top up on a Sunday night for the week ahead.

Dc1 never gets close to spending it all but dc2 would (and did) spend double until I stopped topping up mid week and told him to start budgeting!

Some schools do really small helpings/pizza slices etc. A meal designed to get pre-pubertal 11yos in the school to eat up may be pathetically small for a 16yo who is already the size of a man and does regular sessions down the gym or plays rugby for the school. Our food costs have really shot up since ds realised he would have to pass fitness tests if he wanted to join the police. .

Mine went to London independents. School lunch was £4.50. Each. DS had school lunch. DD has a packed lunch from choice.

Mine get £2.50 on the odd occasion they have dinners (usually sandwiches but sometimes I forget to buy bread!). They take a sports bottle of squash or water with them.

I give 12 year old 20 a week on the Monday and up to him to budget. No top ups ever.
Home Economics couple of pounds need paid out his 20 and this teaches him to budget I think.

Prices will vary between schools and he goes out school to shops with whatever money left on a Friday to eat.