What do you spend on groceries?

[NurseLau84]

The "grocery list" thread made me wonder how much people spend to feed their families. So, how much do you spend per week or per month and how many people are you feeding? Do you have any money saving tips that you can share?

DH & I: approx $550/month plus Wellness dog food for our two boys, a $30 bag usually lasts about 5 weeks.

[Jacobs_Girl]

We spend approx at the MOST $300 per month on groceries, its me and my husband and our 2 year old dog. I mostly clip coupons and wait for sales.

I get every Sunday's newspaper and use those coupons. I also shop at the farmers market for fruits, veggies, cheese and bread. They are fresh and its always cheaper than the grocery store.

[NurseLau84]

Wow, 300/month is excellent. I am going to have to find out if there's a farmers market around here....that sounds like a great idea.

[WebLady]

DH and I were talking a while back and realized we spend $300-$400 a month on groceries. I feel like that is pretty high since it is just the two of us; well we have dogs too ;)

A few weeks back I spent like $250+ in one trip; I made that last about 3 weeks (minus a couple of little things) though. Over the weekend we went to the store again and we were pretty much out of everything and spend about that again. Hopefully this will last 3-4 weeks too.

[NurseLau84]

Just did a search. They actually have a farmers market on my college campus every wednesday! Pretty cool. The only bad thing is that every FMarket in my state only sells food until November.
I think I will have to start cutting coupons also, because I feel like this is one bill that we have that I can't keep under control. :bbeek:

[Scrwballsgrl]

I don't live w/ Fh yet so maybe I shouldn't even post in this thread:bbredface:
But when we do get into our apartment we intend to make use of the coupons, and sales, and buy some things in bulk or things that can be frozen.

[Jacobs_Girl]

I remember seeing on TV this lady bought 2 shopping carts full of food for like $50 just using all COUPONS! I dunno where she got those coupons but I want it! LOL

[NurseLau84]

OMG $50?!?! My electric bill is more than that......

[mitch]

OMG $50?!?! My electric bill is more than that......

My Petrol (Gas) a WEEK is more than that. :bbeek:

So i wont even go into how much is spent on food in the UK.

Lets just say i've started Carol Singing and One of My Kidneys is for sale on eBay :rofl:

[sweetvenus]

We spend probably around $200-$300 a month for us and our two cats.

[acidcookie]

When I lived by myself I spent about $80/mth on groceries. Now for the two of us I would guess about $120-150/mth.

I really need to keep track of exact monthly grocery costs again.

[spuls5]

I remember seeing on TV this lady bought 2 shopping carts full of food for like $50 just using all COUPONS! I dunno where she got those coupons but I want it! LOL

Coupon Mom. She had a cart full of groceries that totaled around $121. She then used coupons and brought it down to like $37. She uses coupons and doubles them. Some stores will double coupons, depending on the store and how much they will double up. Some stores will double up to $.99 so if you have a coupon for $.35 off they will double it and you now get $.70 off.

I haven't tried the doubling coupons yet. My sunday paper has coupons but it's not much of the stuff I use. I have printed some off online as well but someone said their store won't take printed coupons from online.

Last night I went to the store and spent $80 all on food. I got a few things double because it was on sale so I stocked up on that. I still need to go back to a different store to grab a few things that they were out of last night.

Last month I spent $358. I saw that number and knew it was too much. So I am looking to lower that. But that did include a trip to costco for things like paper towels, kleenex and other bulk items that I won't be buying for awhile.

[RosieAngel]

We have survived on as little as $160 a month during harsher times, but when the going is good, both of us have a weakness for luxury items like blood oranges, imported cheese, imported aged balsamic, portobello mushrooms, yellow bell peppers, asparagus (to list the budget-killers for this week). This generally costs us $320-$400 a month, depending. But it's so worth it.

[NurseLau84]

I buy those sorts of items too. I'm also addicted to Sabra brand hummus....it's almost $5 for a very small container but it's so good that I don't care, lol:bbeek:
Other money-hog food items that I religiously buy is filet mignon and fresh salmon. We are suckers for good food....

[RosieAngel]

I buy those sorts of items too. I'm also addicted to Sabra brand hummus....it's almost $5 for a very small container but it's so good that I don't care, lol:bbeek:
Other money-hog food items that I religiously buy is filet mignon and fresh salmon. We are suckers for good food....

I do that with pesto, because I'm waaaay too lazy to make my own.

I love fresh salmon and ahi tuna! Those are sooo addicting! I've been trying for a long time to go vegetarian, but those keep me from fully transitioning.

[SerendipityCrafts]

Oh my ... I don't know how much we spend! LOL DH and I were ordering out a lot before we bought the house but now that we have a mortgage to pay (and a spare freezer in the basement), we have started buying groceries again.

We pick up milk and bread and fresh bagels etc. at the small, local store, fresh fruit and veggies at the smaller grocery store but we save the majority of our buying for Costco. Two weeks ago we blew $400 stocking up the house for the first time.

[NurseLau84]

Two weeks ago we blew $400 stocking up the house for the first time.

When we bought our house, I spent the same amount for our first shopping trip. It was horrible.....we had absolutely nothing, so we were sort of forced to buy all the basics, etc.

[gwenshack]

FH makes me fun of me because I'm a coupon clipper. My mother did it and I do it too - I mean, the grocery store I go to doubles the coupons and everything. I try to use a coupon when the item is on sale - so, say, if the cereal is on sale for $2.50 and I have a .50 coupon that's doubled that's $1.50 for cereal. To me, it's silly to not use coupons. I get the paper to read anyway!

As for the amount I spend per month for the two of us? No clue...that's terrible. It depends I guess on what we need and what we're out of!

[SerendipityCrafts]

When we bought our house, I spent the same amount for our first shopping trip. It was horrible.....we had absolutely nothing, so we were sort of forced to buy all the basics, etc.

Yep - when you have to unplug your fridge in preparation for the move and you aren't supposed to turn it on for 4 hours after .... pretty much nothing can be salvaged.

The good thing is that we had $150 worth of store cards that I got with points from my credit card.

[lize566]

I'm awful and only go to the grocery store like every 6-8 weeks. I would stop in between to get milk and a few staple items, but needless to say by the end of that time we are eating a lot hamburger helper! We are trying to go more often so we can get more fresh fruits and vegetables. Usually we spend about $300, so it averages out to around $150-175 a month. I clip coupons and analyze almost every price to make sure I get the best deal. I know I could do better though, b/c sometimes we buy it just because we have the coupon or just because we want it. I kind of make it a game to see how little I can spend.

[katrina7875]

I usually spend about $60-80 on groceries per week and it's just FH & myself. But there have been times where we have been so short on money that I have gotten groceries for the week and only spent $25.

[brendalin]

For the two of us and the puppy we spend ~400 a month, but that includes daily life things as well; tp, kleenek, paper towel, cleaning supplies, deoderant, shampoo, razors, etc.......

it seems like a lot but when you break it down it really isn't
30 (average days per month x 3 meals = 90 meals
At MOST we eat out twice a week, wether it be starbucks for breakfast orgoing out to eat soemwhere together so we will say that we are down to 80 meals per month (jsut to round down)

$400.00 /80 meals = $5.00 and then you split that up between the two of us and it is less then 2.50 per meal because of all the extras that we pay for as well.

We also feed our neighbor quite often because he helps us out so much, and I have a hard tiem cutting my recipies down.

[FFC]

Unfortunately we probably spend about $100 a week between groceries and fast food. With being full time students and employees, it's hard to take the time to cook. So we pick up food on the way home a lot :urgh: So for the 2 of us, probably between $350 and $400 a month.... and reading this thread made me feel a little bit better about it :)

However, unfortunately, 75% of that money probably goes to fast food... I go grocery shopping maybe once every 2 weeks when I really have to cuz I don't like grocery shopping.

[Katie-ryn]

We have budgeted $260 for food, toiletries, cat food, kitty litter, etc. and $60 for eating out (obviously we really only eat fast food).

I watch sales, use coupons, buy what's on sale in bulk (as much as we will use before it either goes bad, or will be on sale again), and I really don't have expensive tastes. Well I do, but know I can't afford them and also pay my bills, while saving for my future. So yes I do like nice foods, but if it affects the rest of my life I don't need itand wont buy it.

[NurseLau84]

Yeah, I gotcha. We don't eat out at all so our entire food "budget" goes to the grocery store. I wouldn't buy the foods that I buy if it affected paying the bills, though.
I have to say I miss going to restaurants, though. But it's one thing we gave up in order to buy a home.

[MrsDM]

We spend probably $300-400 a month for two people. Its a lot, but we also shop at Wal-Mart so that includes extra household things. When just going for food, its around $75/week.

[ikkin510]

I think for us it's about $200 a month for me, DH and my son (9months old.) That's not including diapers, soap, or those other no-essentals.
Like a lot of you other ladies, I always cut coupons. Every week we get flyers for the 3 grocery stores in the area and seeing that it's not a far drive to any, I buy whats on sale at each store. Even if it means making a trip to each store at some point within the week.
We also buy in bulk whenever we can. I also found that most generic foods don't taste that different from name brands. Some even taste better. So I buy a lot of generic/store brands too.
I also found a lot of companies you can sign up for a mailing list on their website and they e-mail or mail coupons every so often. So I created a seperate e-mail account just for those things.
It also helps that DH hunts and we both like deer meat. We save so much money eating that for the majority of our red meat then if we were to buy all our meat in the store.

[kgvettegirl]

Fresh veggies from my brother from about April to the first hard frost and a little after. Fresh beef, free range chicken, pork all raised on my families farm. I get a family discount for the meat, veggies are pick your own and free.

We hit Costco about once a month and spend about $250. Milk and bread from the local Food Lion.

Next year we will have free range eggs! No plans for dairy cattle yet, too much work.

[tha_mrs]

we spend about 250.00. we have a 6yr old and a 5mth old.

[Ties-necktie]

I recommend buying all the things that will last at costco! We usually do a trip twice per month. For all groceries (without eating out) we spend about $400 per month for the two of us. I probably eat $250-300 of that. =)

[Ohio888Bride]

We spend around $700 a month for a family of six. That includes groceries, school lunches (the kids buy every day) and eating out a few times a month. We have a fairly large amount of "extra" food in the upstairs and downstairs pantries and the freezer that's in the basement, so I try to cook the "old" and store the new. I hate running out of stuff!

The good news about spending that much money, is that for every $100/month I spend on groceries at Kroger, I get 10 cents off/gallon of gas. Since gas is down to $1.89 today, when I fill up tomorrow, I'll be able to get it for $1.79/gallon. Yeah!

The last time I bought a Sunday paper (for the coupons), I didn't find a single one that I could use. :( I used to be a coupon queen, but not these days.

[Nekochanpurr]

Heck if i know!!!

Stupid Kroger. I seem to walk out of that store with a bag every time my shift ends. I know, thats bad.. But we don't hardly ever do big grocery shopping trips because of it! And i use coupons... Specially the ones Kroger sends me. Yes and Thank You!

I totally wish there was a Kroger gas station near my work.. Holy cow i'd go nuts.

[NurseLau84]

The grocery store here (Stop & Shop) has a gas station also...but it's nowhere near my house. Bummer. Gas has come down quite a bit though, it was over $4/gallon at the end of the summer and now it's $2.30/gallon.

[FutureKelley]

I try to only go to the grocery store once a month and try to get out under $150. We do make side trips here and there to pick up one or two things we may need, but really our grocery bill isn't ever that high! I guess we don't eat that much, lol.

[Goin2thechapel]

For two of us it's usually around 150.00 per week....It's obnoxious really, to think about some of the stuff that we don't REALLY need but buy anyways

[Dani]

I just spent $133 at the store today. i have no idea what i even bought, we usually eat out during the week cause of Doug's schedule!

[ktmb34]

my life would be SO much cheaper with out the boyfriend, haha. We spend like 150 every 2 weeks on our big runs, then about 50 worth in between, so like 400 a month. WOW, thats ridiculously too much. But, it is for EVERYTHING. Medicines, paper towels, EVERYTHING, not just food.

[Danielle9608]

For two of us it's usually around 150.00 per week....It's obnoxious really, to think about some of the stuff that we don't REALLY need but buy anyways

Not sure what part of MA you are from but if you have a market basket by you, go there. You can save almost 20-50 per week, depending on the things you buy. I have one a couple of towns over. I try to go once a week and get milk and eggs and such from some place closer. For the 2 of us it is about 100 per week and we don't have to skimp on name brands.

[SarahPearl]

Ideally it's between $300 and $450 a month. We cook a lot of book based recipes so we take regular trips to the supermarket to get food..

Maybe it's the asian/filipino in us..but it seems like we go for every meal that we actually "plan" on cooking.. :grinhappy:

[NurseLau84]

They opened a new Trader Joe's up the road from us 2 weeks ago. I can't stay away from that place...ugh, so much for trying to cut spending on groceries!:bbeek:

[SarahPearl]

They opened a new Trader Joe's up the road from us 2 weeks ago. I can't stay away from that place...ugh, so much for trying to cut spending on groceries!:bbeek:

Yeah, FH and I have that problem where we are ALWAYS eating out...trying to cut back on that..
We especially love Mexican fooooood...and we found this awesome place down the street from his place.. :chimp:

Money is soooo evil.

[Docsgirl]

We're right around $300/mo. It's usually just the two of us and one of his friends from the barracks that moved into our spare bedroom. The roomie helps with groceries too.

I cook every night and very different foods. We have everything from sushi to pita bread and homemade hummus. I love trying out new recipes! :D

[Whitewater]

We spend $100 on the 'big' once-a-month meat and bread and milk staples blowout (which can also include things like light bulbs, batteries, toilet paper and shampoo . . .). Then I'm estimating that together we spend another $100 or so throughout the month on stuff that we need for various recipes or stuff we missed or forgot about during the 'big' run.

We only go out to eat 2-3 times a month, and that's not part of the grocery budget, that's part of the entertainment budget.

Before we moved in together I would shop 3-4 times a week and buy what I needed, fresh, for that day and the next 1 or two days, then go out again and do it all over again. He, on the other hand, would STOCKPILE stuff -- his apartment looked like he was getting ready for Armegeddon! He had bought a whole separate baker's rack (a big metal one) just for his 'staples' which was stuffed to the brim with cans and boxes of rice and so on.

Now, our styles have merged and we've come up with a collective compromise. We still buy fresh stuff, but we also have a pantry that has staples and cans and boxes and so on -- but only about a month's worth!

Fiance *really* likes to stockpile food. Currently our freezer is so full I've declared that nobody is allowed to buy another frozen food item until we start getting rid of what's in there already.

I've been helping him resist the urge to stockpile. Our budget just can't afford it!


Whitewater

[tootsie]

We spend around $200/month on groceries. We're on a tight budget now. In a couple of years, that will change, I hope!

[LoveHim08]

We spend approx. $150/month for the two of us :)

[NurseLau84]

We spend approx. $150/month for the two of us :)

Ok.....share your tips please! LOL! :)
That's excellent. Since we bought our house just under 1 year ago, I haven't been under $400/month ever...and that's being tight with spending. How do you do it??

[acidcookie]

We spend approx. $150/month for the two of us :)

We spend about this much for the two of us as well.

Some key things (in reply to NurseLau84) that we do:

-Make a meal menu for the week and make a list just for the things you need for the week. (The less often you go grocery shopping the less chance you will throw extra things in the cart, but for us going each week for a new menu works best.)

-Look at circulars and buy according to what's on special.

-Then see what coupons you can match from the newspaper or online to what's on sale.

-Buy in season (you won't catch me buying strawberries in November).

-Buy less packaged food, make more yourself (this is probably the biggest money-saver for us).

-Buy the biggest unit you will use up before it goes bad. Generally things are cheaper per unit/pound/ounce the more you buy at once.

-Frozen veggies for cooking. Just as healthy, and often cheaper.

-Keep a record of prices for frequently purchased items at your main store(s). For example, I don't buy grapes unless they're $.99/lb because that's a price I see them marked to sometimes, we're all over celementines right now since they are currently $4/box instead of $7/box, and we eat lots of bananas because they're always the same price.

-Buy more when it's on sale to avoid buying it when it's not on sale. So when Wegmans sells their blocks of cream cheese for $.89 rather than $1.19, or their pasta sauce for $.99 rather than $1.29 I buy several because we use a lot of these things.

-Buy generic!

-Look up and down. The most expensive things are at eye-level, but you can often find less expensive brands or substitutes higher up or at the bottom shelves.

Ok, that was certainly more than anyone asked for ...

[Nekochanpurr]

The generic thing is SO TRUE!! Guys, don't go by brand!! Most of the time, the store brand is the EXACT same.. Read the back of the boxes.. lol

[kgvettegirl]

When you can and if you have the room buy in bulk. The best purchase that we made was to buy one of those vacuum savers. We purchase meat in bulk and then since RC used to work as a butcher in a grocery store, We cut them into individual serving sizes and vacuum seal and freeze. I also buy big bags of frozen vegetables and once we open them I break it up in to normal serving sizes and freeze.
During the growing season I go over to my brothers and pick fresh veggies and again using the vacuum saver I prepare servings which I freeze. We have two refrigerator/freezers and a up right freezer so far we have the room.

[KMS]

-Look up and down. The most expensive things are at eye-level, but you can often find less expensive brands or substitutes higher up or at the bottom shelves.

Gosh, we buy a generic brand of organic canned beans that is cheaper than nearly all of the other beans and only a few cents more than the regular generic brand. All too worth it for organic. Of course, I never noticed it until a couple of months ago when I looked waaaay up on the very top shelf!

[rainbow]

Wow we spend on the low scale about 600.00 and the high scale 800.00 a month on groceries for a family of 6.

[JJsWifey08]

We spend 200 every two weeks for a family of 5. We try to shop every two weeks so it doesnt get eaten up too fast

[ChristineLS]

We spend 200 every two weeks for a family of 5. We try to shop every two weeks so it doesnt get eaten up too fast

WOW. We spend $150 per two weeks ON TWO PEOPLE. You guys must be brilliant at the grocery store!

[JJsWifey08]

WOW. We spend $150 per two weeks ON TWO PEOPLE. You guys must be brilliant at the grocery store!

LOL I try to keep it at simple cheap stuff that the kids can eat which is cereal, sandwhiches, noodles and etc. Then I get like chicken,hamburger and etc to make big meals with so there can be leftovers. By doing that I can stretch it two weeks lol

[ChristineLS]

LOL I try to keep it at simple cheap stuff that the kids can eat which is cereal, sandwhiches, noodles and etc. Then I get like chicken,hamburger and etc to make big meals with so there can be leftovers. By doing that I can stretch it two weeks lol

That makes sense. But even so :)

[NOTKT]

We spend about $40-$60 every week, on average.