Back to school costs start to add up quickly between gear, new clothes, and more. Cut some of the costs and save money with easy homemade lunchables. They’re super cheap to make and easily customizable. I like to add in fresh fruit or vegetables to help round out the meal but kids love them on their own too.

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[bctt tweet=”It’s time to save money in your budget during the school year easily. You can’t beat these easy homemade lunchables when it comes to budget school lunches!” username=”diyadulation”]

Admittedly, I love Lunchables just as much as the kids do. I’ve always preferred the off-brand but let’s be fair, is meat and cheese topped crackers ever a bad idea? Not in my book. With 3 kids in school this year, however, it’s simply not in the budget to buy Lunchables for the kids to pack each day. These homemade lunchables are the perfect solution!

They’re super easy to make but still totally delicious and best of all they’re budget-friendly. While peanut butter and jelly is also great for your budget, the kiddos get tired of it after a while. These let you mix it up without ruining your grocery budget.

Easy Homemade Lunchables Ingredients

1 Box Round Crackers
Small Round Salami Pieces
Sliced Cheese of Choice
Small, Individually Packaged Candies

Note: You also need divided lunch containers for these because you want to keep the components separated for freshness. If you mix it all together then the crackers will get soggy.

Step 1

First, lay out your divided lunch containers with the lids off. I like to do this assembly line style because it saves time and energy.

Step 2

Next, add 6 crackers to each container. You can add more if you have older kids and don’t think that 6 will be enough.

Step 3

Add 6 pieces of salami to one of the divided areas of each container.

Step 4

Then cut your cheese slices into 4th’s and add 6 squares of cheese to each container.

Step 5

Lastly, add one small piece of individually packaged candy to the section of the divided lunch container with the crackers. I like to use up our old candy in these. With 3 kiddos we end up with tons of candy from all of the holidays.

Step 6

Return your lids to the containers and stack in the fridge for easy packed lunches during the school year.

These save so much money. 1 box of crackers makes up to 15 homemade lunchables (with salami left over for more). That makes these less than $.50 each which is an absolute bargain. Plus, it makes it easy to customize for your kiddos with their favorite crackers and cheese. For example, my oldest loves pepperjack cheese whereas my youngest won’t touch anything but the processed American singles. No matter what you kiddos love, you can’t beat these easy homemade lunchables when it comes to budget school lunches.

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State fairs are a great way to enjoy a weekend away with your kiddos. There are shows, rides, shopping, art, and of course delicious food. Seriously, you can’t ask for a more budget-friendly mini-vacation. Before you head out, check out these 5 can’t miss foods at the Ohio State Fair to save you time and money on disappointing treats.

This is a sponsored post written on behalf of the Ohio State Fair. All opinions are my own and I personally tried each and every one of the foods on this list. Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

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Before you head to the fair, keep in mind that you can bring your own food and non-alcoholic drinks into the fair. I totally recommend doing this because eating all of your meals at the fair gets expensive really quick. Pack some sandwiches and trail mix along with water for when the kiddos start getting hangry.

Use the foods below as a fun treat to top your trip with. When you’re trying to stay on a budget, there’s no room for buying a new food that you totally hate. These 5 can’t miss foods at the Ohio State Fair take the guesswork out for you so that you know you’re ordering something that’s totally delicious. That’s worth every penny.

Flamin’ Hot Cheeto Corn Dog

If you love Flamin’ Hot Cheetos then you’ll definitely love these corn dogs. The only con for me was that the breading isn’t crunchy which I prefer but the flavor more than makes up for it. If you find yourself craving that crunch simply grab a Flamin’ Hot Cheeto to eat with each bite.

Where to Find It: Tracey Companye

Deep Fried Mini Gummy Burger

The name makes this sound like it totally shouldn’t work but oh my gosh, it’s freaking amazing. Of course, gummies are my favorite candy but these are more like biting into a delicious donut. Definitely a great sweet to top your fair trip with.

Where to Find It: Bulk Candy Store

Pork Butt Tots

Pork butt tots are a seriously yummy mix of tater tots, pork butt, jalapenos and more that is a totally satisfying dish. Keep your energy up for all of the fun with this awesome dish or the equally delicious Philly Tots. Definitely don’t miss this awesomeness while you’re at the Ohio State Fair!

Where to Find It: Donut Burger (Dickerson and Kenna Concessions)

Turkey Leg

When you’re trying to stretch your money the turkey legs from Ohio Roast Corn are perfect. The meat is tender and flavorful plus its size makes it enough to feed multiple people easily. Pair it with a roasted ear of corn for a well-rounded meal while you take in the fair.

Where to Find It: Ohio Roast Corn

Gator on a Stick

I have loved gator ever since I traveled to New Orleans and tried it at the market near Bourbon Street. Now I have to give it a try any time I see some new take on it. This was absolutely delicious especially when paired with Big G’s Sriracha Sauce.

Where to Find It: Big G’s Food Service

Bonus Food: Muddy Pigs

Bacon is delicious on its own but this turns it into a decadent treat. These chocolate covered bacon skewers are the perfect sweet and savory treat for your family to enjoy. Even better, you can enjoy it in the air conditioning which is a nice break after spending hours in the sun.

Where to Find It: Sweet Shop (Inside the Bricker MarketPlace Building)

Wash these 5 can’t miss foods at the Ohio State Fair down with an iconic fair staple like a Lemon Shake-Up. The best part about them is that the large can totally be refilled with water after it’s empty so you stay hydrated while out in the heat. If you want to treat yourself, I highly recommend a Wolf’s Ridge Daybreak Coffee Cream Ale! This is easily the most delicious beer I’ve ever had especially for coffee fanatics. So many coffee beers are heavy stout beers but that is so not the case with this one. It’s full of that coffee flavor (and smell) but in a light, refreshing ale.

Check out the Ohio State Fair website for more information and to plan your visit!

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School mornings are totally hectic, especially at the beginning of the year when you’re still getting into the swing of the new routine. That’s why it’s important to have easy breakfasts ready to go. These mini strawberry pancake muffins are the perfect recipe to stock your freezer with before school starts. Pop them in the microwave for a couple minutes and you have a delicious hot breakfast ready to go!

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

[bctt tweet=”Start your day on the right foot. These freezable mini strawberry pancake muffins are a delicious poppable breakfast that’s perfect for busy school morning!” username=”diyadulation”]

Even though I’ve been getting up earlier, like 5:30 am, I’m still not a morning person. My husband was convinced that I’d grow to love it but after 2 months, I’m no closer to enjoying it than I was when it started. It’s just not for me.

That makes school mornings that much harder for me. One of the greatest days for me was when all of my kiddos could make their own breakfasts without any help from me. Unfortunately, over the summer I got super lax and it was pretty much cold Pot Tarts every day. I wanted to make sure that they had something a little more substantial for school mornings, especially since it is my baby’s first year.

These delicious breakfast muffins are the perfect easy breakfast for my kiddos that require little to no effort on my part. Score! Now we can focus on getting out the door on time with everything we need instead of worrying about meals!