the rising cost of getting by.....

in the first exciting days of our marriage we cheerfully went forth to the grocery store, frivolously tossing into our cart whatever tickled our fancy. it was common place for us to grab a wedge of brie and some smoked gouda for a snack with a baguette. without a second thought organic yogurt was nestled into the cart next to harris ranch beef, and we never lacked for exotic spices. we are now approaching our third year of wedded bliss and i can't remember the last time i bought brie. i'm spending more now than i ever have before and getting less and less. we're scrambling around for places to cut our spending and the grocery store tends to come to the top of the list, but i wonder why? when a movie lasts two hours but you're stuck in this body for the entirety of your time on earth, why should your diet (and therefor health) take the hit? there has to be a better way! my husband, in what i can only think of as a sick joke, often tells me to quit wal-mart, as if i only go there for kicks. oh, but honey, i just love being judged by strangers and waited on my morons, don't take my wal-mart away! if i could get what i need for a reasonable price anywhere else on earth, i would. but i'm sorry to say that i can't. these days i can barely afford to get what i need even when i compare down to the tenth of a penny per ounce on every item. i need to go where the prices are best. so not only is the variety and quality of our diet taking a down turn, our shopping is taking the same slope. things are just too darn expensive. it used to be that because i cook mostly from scratch, and we love our veggies i could get out of the store for 80-100 dollars a week. and we were living pretty well on that. now i'm good to get out for less than 150 and our situation hasn't changed much. in fact with the beef in the freezer and staying home full time i buy less meat and less convenience foods than ever, yet i still spend more! and i feel terrible about it! why oh why should i regret doing the best i can to take care of my family's health? what is happening in the USA that an average person in our society feels no problem forsaking good quality nutrition for the sake of toys, falling back on fast food? why should i be feeling guilty for not buying my kids a Wii when every day they eat a healthy balanced diet? in short, what the heck is wrong with us? good nutrition is not an unattainable goal. kids that eat veggies, and like them, are not out riding unicorns, they do exist. there is the feeling in the air that a balanced diet is a herculean task and that even if you did manage it, your kids would never go for it. not so. if only the proper priorities are set, it can be done. you just have to put your thumb firmly to your nose in the face of mainstream media to get off to a good start.