Frugal Confession...

So here goes.  I'm actually admitting this to you, Internet.  

Well, see, the thing is, ummm...

I SHOP AT ALDI!

There.

I said it.

So how did I go from an all organic diet to generic food from an oversees company?

Simple.  I quit my job.

Oh, alright, there's more to it than that.

Just after Rhys was born and I was staring down a year's worth of formula and another bum to diaper, I took a look at my grocery budget and my grocery purchases and realized...things are not equal here.  

Let's say I was stressed.  Aubrey Kate, up until that point, lived a pretty organic life.  Minus the formula because, honestly, the hospital started her on one kind and we didn't want to mess with her system by changing it.  

One afternoon, God released me from the stress.  I know, that sounds crazy but yes, I was actually telling God about the stress I was feeling because we were going to have to start buying conventional food.  And God, gently, cause He probably wanted to bop me over the head, said, "They're mine.  I can take care of them."

Look, I know what's in conventional food.  I know all about the hormones and antibiotics and animal parts and pesticides and GMO's and...and....and.

I get it.

Really.

If I had my choice, we would live a totally organic life.  I want to be the crunchiest of crunchy girls.  Local meat and veggie co-op.  Supplementing with weekly trips to the Farmer's Market.  Mixing up essential oils in my kitchen like my own little organic, hippie meth lab.

Someday.

For now, I have to be a good steward of the money God provides and that means buying the freshest, healthiest foods I can at the best price I can find.

Thus, we shop at Aldi.  

I tell you all that to share this week's haul.  

In case you aren't aware, May is Celiac's Awareness Month.  A whole month when gluten-free foods are at relatively affordable prices.  

Here's an example and I'll use spaghetti:

Barilla (which is by far the best tasting):  $2.50 a box (Tom Thumb because they're the only ones who are selling it currently)

Heartland (Wal-mart brand):  $2.18

Aldi LiveGfree:  $1.89

By comparison, if I were buying regular gluten-filled spaghetti...even at Aldi...it would be $.99.

Let's just say we don't eat spaghetti a whole lot around here.  Once a month, maybe.  The kids love it and, honestly, so do I.  Chris, not so much.  The corn pasta (what the g-free pasta I buy is made out of) doesn't fill him up.  

Then, let's talk brownie mix.

Pamela's (the best tasting ANYTHING):  $5.64 (Target)

Betty Crocker (not bad at all):  $4.84 (Walmart)

Aldi LiveGfree:  $2.99

How often do we have brownies?  Rarely.  They're super rich (as are all g-free baked goods because they replace the flour with lots of sugar and fat so put that in the back of your brain the next time you even briefly consider going on a g-free diet for weight loss) so it's not something I make unless I am WILDLY craving chocolate.  Otherwise a pack of Peanut M&M's fills the need.  

However, I keep the mixes around for those times when I need to bring something to a potluck or for some one's birthday.  If I do potluck, I have to pretty much eat whatever it is I bring.  And if I'm gonna be THAT girl, then I'm eating dessert.

So I stocked up today.  And I am WAY PUMPED!  

I already baked some chocolate chip cookies this afternoon.  That should suffice my baked goods craving for a while.  Aldi's baking mix (like Bisquick) is amazingly fabulous!  Tastes like what I remember regular Bisquick stuff tasting like.  Sorry to the real g-free Bisquick (which is almost $6 a box), but this stuff kicks it's tail.  

Aldi only does these once a year.  And I've been looking forward to it since last year!  They taste good and they are CHEAP.  At least for g-free stuff.

The only thing Aldi didn't have that I sure would love...bread.  I buy Udi's hamburger buns instead of regular sandwich bread because it tastes the best.  One package of Udi's hamburger buns...four in a package...is $4.94 at Walmart.  Compare that to regular hamburger buns at Aldi, eight for $.99.  

I don't have bread that often.  

So now you have my deepest darkest budget secret.  It may not be a big deal to y'all but in my little world, where I literally know a co-op owner (and she's awesome BTW) and I feel most of my friends are selling essential oils, well, admitting to Aldi is HUGE.  

I might just get myself voted off Hippie Island.

But if I do, I'll go down waving my BUT I SHOP AT THRIFT STORES flag!