So what expense took the largest chunk out of my gross income since October 1, 2004? Check the chart at left.

Groceries.

Rounding out the Top Five, of course, was "Household Items." I should also note that any monies spent on dining out have their own category in my system. So really, if I were to have a big category called simply "Food," it'd stand burgers 'n' fries above all others.

I suspect that many families' spending patterns mirror mine above — meaning that groceries and food rank ultra-high on the list of their largest expenses, percentage-wise. But that doesn't mean I have to like the situation.

My earnest attempt to make some headway in the Food Spending Wars is detailed in an article on my main site.

That guy you see at Sam's, Wal-Mart, and Target — the one dutifully scribbling down products and prices on a couple sheets of college-ruled notebook paper — that will be me. Swing by and say hi, and maybe distract my kid for a minute or two.

That should buy me just enough time to write down the prices of three or four different dishwashing liquids.