but we have to eat...

good gracious, but food is expensive! since i started back to school, i’ve fallen behind on my big shopping trips, where i try to knock out a couple of weeks at a time & stock the pantry, freezer, etc. the necessities have been, instead, broken into several back & forths. what we need for that day or the next. this can be a more costly way of shopping & sometimes results in still not getting what is actually needed.

but friday was my day…i was back & organized & ready to be better about making sure meals were planned ahead. i could get caught up.

i had scoured my local grocery’s latest sales ad; with list in hand & some coupons (because why the heck not), i headed out. now, i’m not totally naïve when it comes to the obviously pricier snacks & general fancy cuisines that one can find in the market…& these things are usually not on my list, unless, there’s a special event. but, i was shocked! how come some of my fave buys had gone up? i didn’t understand. i mean, we eat pretty good. i try to buy organic, or close to, but within sensibility, so i do rely on the faithful stand-bys. i do my best to overlook the “bad” stuff for the sake of not creating yucky habits for the monkey, but that seems to be the cheaper avenue. or so i thought. the “organics” have gone up & the regular brands are right behind them.

everything is high these days. even the bologna with the red plastic tape thingy around it, spam, vienna sausages, etc…you know, po people food; i checked. no offense, if you eat these things & like them…i am only referring to it as “po” because these were the only foods that my family could afford at times when i was a kid. the one constant cheapy that we love around here & is almost always in the cabinet…ramen noodles. (i know, but we loveth them)

meats are off the charts ridiculous. i wanted to make sure my guys had plenty of non-veg options to choose from. i bought a pork loin (on sale), & several fishes (frozen & non). i had planned on buying chicken because it was on sale, but from what i could observe amidst the huge crowd around that particular section, was that the selection was less than desirable. i think i’ll send the hubs out for a more thorough investigation, as the cuts & blood seeping packaging causes me to have a physical reaction.

trust me, i have plenty of hearty meals planned. canned black beans rinsed & pureed make killer burgers, for example (& save almost $3 over the frozen variety). there are like a bazillion meals that pasta & rice can make or side with; add fish, add veggies…eggplant parmesan, soups…oh, & go ahead & grab that whole wheat kind; it’s about the same as the regular in cost anymore.

but still, i wonder…why has food gone up so much. the basics; milk, bread, sugar, & don’t even get me started on cereals…even the generics in the plastic bags are more, unless there’s a close-out or store special.

i was absolutely sick that i spent $120, even though i saved over $40 with coupons…yes, i did! wow, that makes me sound really cheap, huh?! i’m not…i’m on a budget. & i used to think that it was worth an extra buck or two to buy the “healthy” stuff for my family. that the food/grocery industry was doing the leg work for me. i felt bad for families potentially in harm’s way by giving them no other options than what was affordable when it came to eating well. because most families are pinching pennies & time, but essentially want to serve balanced dinners, right? but dang, even the people who never paid attention to their shopping receipts before are beginning to feel the hit (because i hear things); we’re all in this boat together. not to mention that while the labels on items seem to be more descriptive, i still have no clue what the heck half of the ingredients are; some i can’t even pronounce…no thank you!

i'm glad that i have gone back to basics. planning meals ahead of time, using simple staples to create the pricier pre-made store buys; spaghetti sauce, hummus, pita chips, french fries; to name a few. attempting to grow my own veggies & herbs; buying vegetables from little old men locally & purchasing spices at dollar stores while my garden grows.

it is easy to be smart about savings or is it? even i can use new suggestions; just when you think you’ve got it figured out, the economy is there with a sneaky little wrench…still cheaper to supersize at a “drive thru,” but not worth it to this momma!

i’m hoping that the squirrels will leave my veggies alone long enough to pick, that my gorgeous basil will be a hit on the next homemade pizza, & that even jell-o (yes, jell-o…cheapest snack around) might go down a cent or two. & in the meantime, i’m learning how to make my own mayo, bake my own bread, & whatever else comes to mind to save for my home & as a plus, insure where some of our food is coming from. cheaper, nutritional living…it really should be a no brainer that doesn't cost a large percentage of one's income...sheesh.

seriously, going to build that sustainable farm one day…who’s with me?