Thanks for the input. I do some batch cooking however we don't have a chest freezer as we don't have the space. I am curious how you cook and freeze potatoes though. I have made and froze sheppard's pie and the potatoes were still great. I have also froze cooked quinoa, rice etc for fast side dishes.

My kids here are all big eaters. I have kids who could easily eat 1-1.5 bananas during snack in addition to the other food I serve. I have started limiting the fruit a little more to watch costs but also to decrease the amount of fruit they are eating as it was crazy.

I guess I was also getting a sense if my food costs are inline with others. The $150 a wk I spend on DC food is in addition to the $150 I spend a week on my family's food. That being said, we never eat out aside from ordering pizza 1-2 times a month and all the food is unprocessed for the most part.

I agree with watching the scanners but it can be hard, especially if the store is busy. I already have 2 orders from an over flowing shopping cart, price matches etc...sometimes I am just trying to pack as quickly as I can to free up the belt. Plus I shop on my own.