Ok, this already has been eye opening - way to go Andrea by the way! We shopped the ads last night and cut coupons and I meal planned (lunches and dinners - with only 2 options for breakfast) and sent my husband on his merry way to the store. He came back minus one ingredient (says he couldn't find it) and that particular ingredient is on the menu 2 times this week (pasta - WackyMac to be exact). I have toast with jam (a condiment in my book we take forever to go through it) and yogurt as options for breakfast - which my husband complained about and my 4 year old this morning had an absolute outrageous fit about! He must have repeated in an elevated voice the same words for at least 2 minutes - "I will not eat toast or yogurt" - not that he doesn't like those things, but he wanted different options and of course, this morning and every morning this week, he really won't have other options. I couldn't afford a variety of cereals (and won't use the ones I have in the cupboard) and no waffles or elaborate breakfast sandwiches that he is accostomed to. I realized also as I was planning my meals that variety is a thing of the past this week and it is really hard to eat the way we are used to. Not that I have an elaborate cooking style, but we eat pretty healthy with a good variety (like recommended). I will still be able to make a few healthy things, but they won't take us as far and I found that to the end of the week it is going to be looking bleak! As I dropped my daughter off late today at daycare and my son had already finished lunch (which my husband always packs so I am pretty out of the loop on that) his teacher was putting out their lunch bags and I stopped to talk to her. She says "what was up with Evan's lunch today - it was pretty wierd"! Shamefully, I asked what was wierd and she said it was really small and usually he has a plethora of options. Today, pea pods (coupon), apple (accounted for what we had), ham and cheese sandwich (coupons). He didn't eat the pea pods (which he usually loves) leaving him just a sandwich and apple - he is going to be so hungry! So I told her why and she laughed and imagined how hard that would be as she spends about $55 a week on herself and I said I would tell my husband to pack a few more options for tomorrow. All in all, it is already hard to maintain and it is only the first day.