by Hope
For the last 5-6 months, I have really been limited in what I ate. What I purchased. I’ve lived on sandwiches, eggs, bacon, and some fruit and veggies. This is not a complaint at all. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my food. Chosen it as my staples of choice. I didn’t feel denied. And it’s really helped me keep my food spending under control.
But the last couple of weeks, I was craving cereal. (Yes, I know, not a healthy choice at all.) But just sometimes…well, I had my grocery budget for the month and with this week in Texas (where I am now,) I had a little room to splurge.
Another aspect of this is that I rarely go grocery shopping. I rarely go into stores anymore. I order my food for pick up for the most part. (No charge for pick up.) This means I’ve not had much exposure to how things had changed in the last couple of years.
After I picked up Beauty from work one evening, we ran to Walmart to pick up some groceries. And wow, it’s the cereal aisle that opened my eyes to how things have changed. With five kids, we always bought family size everything. It just made sense pricewise and quantity wise.
So when I went to pick up my treasured cereal, I was shocked to find that “Family Size” is now what regular size used to be, i.e. much, much smaller. And the price…still higher. That’s so crazy.
I’ve not been immune to the cost of food rising discussions, but since I went from buying for a family of 6 to 3 and now to 1 so rapidly, my food budget has gone down rapidly. I didn’t really notice the individual prices going up.
The visit to the cereal aisle was eye-opening in many ways.
These boxes of cereal will last me months. And I will thoroughly enjoy them. And I’m very grateful to have been able to “splurge” this month. But, I’m even more grateful that I am not a mom struggling to feed her 5 kids at this time.
Hope is a resourceful and solutions-driven business manager who has spent nearly two decades helping clients streamline their operations and grow their businesses through project management, digital marketing, and tech expertise. Recently transitioning from her role as a single mom of five foster/adoptive children to an empty nester, Hope is navigating the emotional and practical challenges of redefining her life while maintaining her determination to regain financial control and eliminate debt.
Living in a cozy small town in northeast Georgia with her three dogs, Hope cherishes the serenity of the mountains over the bustle of the beach. Though her kids are now finding their footing in the world—pursuing education, careers, and independence—she remains deeply committed to supporting them in this next chapter, even as she faces the bittersweet tug of letting go.
Since joining the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015, Hope has candidly shared her journey of financial ups and downs. Now, with a renewed focus and a clear path ahead, she’s ready to tackle her finances with the same passion and perseverance that she’s brought to her life and career. Through her writing, she continues to inspire others to confront their own financial challenges and strive for a brighter future.
