Brand Name Wars

The problem that continues between my husband and I is simply; off brand food or name brand. Which is best?

I am in favor of Aldi. A smaller store where everything is off brand so it's a sure thing to save money. Some of the food I would even say, taste good. My husband on the other hand does not think we should have to suffer off brands. We should for example, really eat a Dorito not a imitation chip with a peculiar cheese after taste. Making our children eat off brand food is somehow in his mind, damaging their growing up experience and possibly their taste buds.

I became desensitized to this at a very young age. My parents were always on a very tight budget. I remember coming home from school and my mom announcing she had just been to the store for a big grocery trip. Walking to the pantry and opening up it's big wooden doors you would see yellow from top to bottom. Yellow boxes of cereal, yellow bags of chips, and many many yellow boxes of hamburger meals. Value Brand everything. So, in my mind for my own children to actually see food inside the box or on the outside of the can is a benefit all its own.

Getting used to the idea of being a larger family I broke down and went shopping at, you guessed it Sams. It was a good compromise for my husband and I. It is supposed to be cheaper and it is mostly name brand. I was a little overwhelmed at the thought of having to buy there for most of our groceries. I mean, is this really me shopping somewhere that large gathered boxes are needed not bags for my groceries? However, we are home all the time and go through plenty of food.

Walking through the isles I began to get a little excited. "Look! A whole box of granola bars. Oh, and there is a giant block of cheese."

The idea of not having to make multiple trips to the store in between big shopping trips took over. I was feeling the money we were saving going to something more meaningful like going out to eat.

The children were with me and the excitement soon spread. We made it to the condiment isle were I met my down fall. Three gallons of salad dressing. The kids thought we needed it. "But, we will never eat all that." I said

"Yes, we will mommy. We love salad."

"We never eat salad."

"We will." They pleaded.

Not only was Sams solving the grocery store issues between my husband and I, but quickly conforming us all into daily salad eaters. What a great place!

I brought my booty home feeling very satisfied with myself. "Look at all this stuff," I said to my husband. "I really think I saved us some money this time."

"Really? What's this?" he asked pointing to the two three gallons of dressing?

"Dressing. We are going to start eating more salad." Looking at his face even I no longer believed this line of reasoning.

Needless to say it's been almost two weeks and we haven't eaten any salads. What can I say? We got carried away in the moment. If it's between a whole cabinet of yellow boxes and some old dressing in the freezer I guess for the sake of peace I'd go with the dressing and maybe just maybe a little self-control.

copyright 2009