When my kids were little, I couponed, planned meals around the weekly specials, and tried to keep a tight rein on our grocery budget. But as they grew, I began working more. We all got busier, and I let some of those habits go. Slowly, without really realizing it, our grocery costs inched up. A few months ago, I tracked every grocery expenditure for the entire month and discovered our bill totaled $2,300. I about had a heart attack.
My daughter and her two kids (boys, 7 and 9) recently moved in with us until she can get back on her feet. Her and the kid's dad (not married) had an acrimonious break up, and because she was working for his family business, she is now without a job. But she should be starting one in the next week or so. The house she was living in with him is owned by the business, so she had to move. The dad isn't paying much for child support and doesn't plan on paying more until "the courts decide the amount."
To determine just how much these rising grocery prices is going to cost parents, the company examined the past three years of lunch-related food prices. While noting that the contents of each kid's lunch will obviously look different, it used classics like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich alongside a "contemporary lunch featuring a chicken and avocado quesadilla, a health-and-wellness lunch centered on a salad, and a convenience lunch built around a prepackaged meat, cheese, and crackers kit."