According to MarketWatch, a gallon of milk could soon reach $5 a gallon, but it's easy to misinterpret that info. The current average price for a gallon of milk nationwide is $3.50. If you're buying Kemp's Select, you're paying about $3.49 to $3.89 a gallon, according to a price check today at Rainbow, Cub, Target and Walgreens in south Minneapolis. I forgot to check Aldi's prices, which vary from store to store, but usually its prices are lowest.

Many shoppers are already paying close to $5 a gallon if they buy organic milk or lactose-free. But some budget shoppers who buy store brand milk pay far less. Rainbow has its Roundy's brand on sale for $2.29 per gallon (1%, 2%, skim, reg. $2.79) with a coupon (limit one) through Saturday. Target has its Market Pantry brand on sale for $2.49 this week.

Maybe milk is one of those staples that you will find yourslef buying regardless of the price, but paying more can be a good time to re-evaluate. You may have heard that milk's nutritional benefits have been in question by some nutritionists. A new documentary called "Got the facts on Milk?" examines the research on the connection between dairy consumption and cancer, osteoporosis, weight gain, asthma, acne and hormones.

It might be worth considering milk alternatives, nutritionist Matthew Kadey gives thepros and cons of soy, rice, almond, oat and hemp milk. Bottom line: watch the sugar and protein content. Many milk alternatives have less protein and more sugar than milk.

I gave up milk about five years and now drink organic soy or almond milk. When I can find it, I like to buy unsweetened organic soy milk or almond milk instead of vanilla-flavored, but they're difficult to find. When I buy them I try to pay less than $3 for a half-gallon with a coupon. That's still more expensive than milk, at least for now. I can pay even less by buying 3-half gallons of organic Silk with vanilla at Costco for about $7.

Anyone else have some milk alternatives or strategies for paying less? I suppose there is always powdered milk if you have a family that drinks milk like water. There's juice too, but the sugar content poses a problem. What's a family or a person a budget to do?