A Gallon of Milk Costs More Than a Gallon of Gas
Today my teenage son made an earth-shattering discovery about life here in America: “A gallon of milk costs more than even a gallon of gas!” This epiphany came swiftly on the heels of his realization of just how much milk he consumes on his own. As y’all may recall, last night at the grocery store he only bought a half gallon of milk for himself (details of the teenager’s first shopping trip on his own personal food budget here) and I wondered just how long that half gallon would last him.
Apparently, he realized this morning a half a gallon of milk will not last him long at all. He poured himself about 6 ounces in a glass, then filled his super-sized cereal bowl up just as he usually does. He now only has a quarter of a gallon left! That’s right: his half gallon carton of milk is now half empty. For those feeling witty, the teenager will not be persuaded it is actually half-full.
It was an interesting (and for me, amusing) conversation as he held the milk carton up for me to see. I think he is beginning to understand why I was so strict about how much milk he could drink when we all shared a gallon.
“I didn’t think I drank THAT much milk by myself! I thought you two were drinking it too!”
“No, son, I usually don’t get any milk to drink. If I am lucky there will be some left for cooking most weeks.”
“This isn’t good, Mom … a gallon of milk costs more than a gallon of gas…” (pausing for thought) “…and I ain’t getting any more grocery money til next week, right?”
I think the first lesson of this experiment just hit home! After months and months of trying to tell the boy about how grocery prices are rising and how he just can’t eat everything in the pantry and refrigerator unrestrained, I think he has learned the concept on his own in less than 16 hours. I think he will no longer fill the super-sized cereal bowl to the rim with milk (these cereal bowls are barely smaller than mixcing bowls - only because I refuse to let him use the small mixing bowl for cereal). I think the tall glasses of milk for each meal and every snack in between may fall by the wayside as well.
I also predict next week the teenager will buy a full gallon, and keep about $5 back from his grocery budget for a midweek milk run. Of course, I also think my hubby will pour some of our milk into the teenager’s half gallon carton when I’m not looking … but as long as it’s only this week I won’t fuss about it.
This experiment is working out better than I dared to hope!
Related posts about my teenage son and just how much he eats:
- My decision to put the teenager on his own food budget (and why)
- The economics of feeding a teenage boy (be sure to read the comments on this one!)