I've been...

thinking.

I try really hard to lower the costs of living for my family. Really hard. I'm the light turner offer in my house. I get a twitchy when I see a light on and it not being used. I know I'm bad about leaving my computer on and so even though it has a sleep mode, I still try to turn it off if I'm not going to use it for an hour. I turn the water off when I'm washing my hands or brushing my teeth, etc.

Basically I do all the little things that they tell you to do. Which reminds me, I need to call US Cellular and get them to turn the internet off of my cellphone. I never use it. :/

So food. It costs A LOT. So I try to think of ways to get those costs down as well. But you know, the rules have changed. It used to be, when I was a kid, that you could make a meal for less than you could buy one. I remember apples used to be $.25. Now they cost $1. And I can get a box of mac n cheese for $.57. I mean, money-wise, what are you going to buy to save money? But what's healthier?

I don't like buying the crappy food anymore than anyone else but dang, healthy food is getting more and more expensive. Or so it seems.

When I project how much a dish will cost, it almost always seems cheaper to buy the manufactured item. When did that happen??? I know some crops in the states are heavily subsidized, like corn. I hate it. I mean the whole food system seems to be forcing people to buy the crappy processed food, or to grow their own. Well, I'm going out to buy pots and soil today and I'm going to try my hand at gardening. We've tried before, halfheartedly. But now, as they say, it's on.

Maybe I just have no idea what I'm doing. But I try to find cheap but healthy meals to make and when I go to get ingredients... whew! I feel like I'm competing against an industry with a Dollar Menu. Well, I can't compete. Even with vegetarian meals!

So, I don't know. Am I the only one with this problem? Sugar and flour and expensive so even baking my own treats costs more.

I find this all very frustrating. Aside from growing my own food, does anyone else have any ideas??

Addendum:

I did save almost $110 on our last shopping trip which makes you wonder how much they mark everything up....