Grocery Shopping and Diet Coke

First, I love diet coke. I drink way too much of it. But, I am feeling very much like I might need to give up my dc. I have never really paid all that much attention to my shopping habits. I go in and out of organized periods when I have meals planned, organized lists, etc. But, honestly, I kind of wing it a lot. I have a great husband who doesn't mind running the 1/4 of a mile to the store for items I need, or he willingly pick things up on the way home. When kids came along, shopping was much more difficult. I remember going through the aisles with Bryant as a toddler. By the time I got to frozen foods, he was done and started tossing things out of the cart! We got over that, but it made me realize shopping was no longer an easy, stroll through the store activity. It is still expensive to take kids shopping with me, so in the summer my very slack habits return. I even try to shop online some during the summer. The $5 fee is well worth the money I save by not having kids with me in the store. (Those of you who haven't tried it, should try it. Once you do it, it is easy!)

Anyway, with my kids back in school, it is back to more planned meals, lists, etc. I'm even trying to pay attention to grocery ads and do some comparison shopping. In so doing, I see how much diet coke must be costing my family. So, now in addition to knowing that the aspartame and other chemicals are bad for me, I realize the cost is ridiculous. Plus, I guess I could help the planet out by not using as many bottles/cans. But, can I live in a world without diet coke? Of all the people I know, my brother-in-law probably gets this more than most. What to do. . .