My Taste Buds are Spoiled

My taste buds are spoiled . . . I'm telling you . . . and my grocery bill is paying dearly for this.

I swear, I try, I really try to be very conscious of what I put in my shopping cart for groceries each week. However, I always end up spending over $200 a week. Am I the only one with this issue? Clearly I have no clue how to shop. I have been very diligent this year with coupons. I scour the papers and online sites, I clip and cut and make lists and double coupon when I can. But still, my grocery total is always high. I read wonderful posts on numerous blogs on "how to" coupon and how to save and only spend .12 cents in the end? Seriously? How is this possible? I can't do it. I also 'see' what other people are purchasing and I can say now, that I am not purchasing the same things!

I'm too picky. My kids are too picky. I don't buy brands that I don't like. I have tried this before and ultimately that food ends up down the disposal because no one liked the 'cheaper' version. I don't like beef too much. My children and myself do not eat ground beef (bleck). Therefore, no tacos, hamburgers or that area are consumed at my table. I do not like casseroles at all. All food mushed together, makes me gag. Makes my son vomit on his plate. My husband loves casseroles and beef and pork and all the things that I don't (and my children).

I'm a fresh food kind of gal . . . and thus, so are my children. Each meal my kids will polish off one container of fresh strawberries and one container of fresh grape tomatoes. Each meal. I cook almost every night of the week. I want my kids to eat a protein, a fruit, a vegetable and a starch each meal. My husband and I each have a freshly made salad with each meal. I love a salad with my meal . . . yum! I'm somewhat spoiled in the fact that I purchase salad in the bags. Ready to go. Right from the bag. No cutting, no washing, no drying. Just open the bag.(I'm lazy like that) We eat one bag a day. Right here, $10 a day with strawberries, tomatoes and salad. At least $50 a week just on these three items.

Could I cut these out. I am sure that I could. Do I want to? Absolutely not. Should I? I just don't know. My kids won't eat any other tomatoes and I have never served them fruit out of a can. The thought actually makes me throw up a bit in my mouth. What are my alternatives? None that I can think of. Aside from purchasing a head of good leaf lettuce (oh, I forgot to say that I refuse to eat leaf lettuce, and if you don't know this already, it is actually not very healthy for you), washing it, drying it, making sure there are no bugs or sand on it, cutting it . . . see . . . that alone just seems like such a time waster to me. I'm lazy, I admit it, and spoiled by convenience.

I don't see how to make my monthly grocery bill any cheaper because I am such a picky eater. My children are picky eaters because of me. I've ruined their taste buds I do believe! Anyone have any clues or hints to help me out? I don't see the cost of food going down anytime soon.