Food: A Basic Need

Monday I made a Cost-Co run with eight kids. It was a little out of the ordinary to go around the lunch hour, but I had to pick up Sarah from her driving class so we continued on to Cost-Co for the much needed milk. (Josh heads to work with Paul on Mondays, hence the 8 kids.)

What struck me about this trip was not dragging 8 kids through Cost-Co but the amount of food we are consuming. It struck me - will Paul and I look back in five years (when Josh is 18 and Jon is 17) and laugh that we only drank 6 gallons of milk a week?! By then, the second fridge on my "want" list will no doubt be a need.

I try to only go to Cost-Co every other week. I find the food court too alluring and a fairly inexpensive way to feed a large family. Cost-Co will cut their cheese pizzas into 18 slices if asked. Anyone with small children knows that it's the number that you get that's important :). So if you hear one of my kids saying that ate four slices of pizza - it was probably a "normal" two. With Josh eating a polish dog (Paul and I eating only crusts and cast-offs), we can still get by with one pizza. Especially if we can hit the "examples" prior. :) On the "off" week Paul usually makes a stop for the milk. (Yes, we have a considered a cow. While I would love the raw milk, I just am not ready to take that plunge yet. . .)

In addition to six gallons of milk, my cart held: 25 lbs of sugar, 25 lbs of flour and 50 lbs of rice (hopefully that will last the month). We also had 5.5 lbs of apples, pears and 6 lbs of bananas, a 6 pk of romaine, two bags of rolls, croissants, 2 pack of bread (had picked up four loaves the week prior), 15 pk yogurt, 12-15? pk mac-n-cheese as some of the basic staples. (No, I have not reached my goal of making all our bread yet. . .hopefully Hannah is in training!)

I realize Cost-Co is not always the cheapest on every item, but it is convenient and keeps me from several trips a week to the store. I also hit Win-Co once a month to stock up on items I find more cost effective. With Vons and Save-Mart stores on every corner, it's easy to stop and grab a sale item or two for Paul.

I am pretty sure we would be a leaner bunch if all the food consumption was based on what we picked, grew, or shot like the pioneers. Thankfully, there's Cost-Co.