How much do you spend at Grocery?

humptydumpty · #1 (**permalink**) 10-16-2009, 05:25 PM

I shop twice a month.
I average $150 per trip. This is for 2 adults and a kindergartner. Is this alot? DD eats lunch at school and I pay for lunch at work. So I guess 90 breakfast, 30 lunches and 90 suppers plus snacks for the month. Mathematically I am spending roughly $1.42 a meal, not including snacks. I do plan meals and shop with a list. I do buy the loss leaders and stock on meat and pantry items if my list is short for the trip.
I am just curious if this is normal.

Cooked · #2 (**permalink**) 10-16-2009, 08:53 PM

Wow, I think you do really well. I do not know what your prices are like in the US where you are, but you seem to be doing really well. I spend about $500 a month on food and necessities. This includes all drug store type items along with food etc. This is for 3 adults and one hormonal preteen. We usually seem to be feeding more than us though. It seems that we have elastic walls at dinner time with friends and such here almost daily. It is not unusual to have 7 here any given day.

RobertaD · #3 (**permalink**) 10-16-2009, 09:31 PM

You might want to check out the Grocery Challenge forum at Grocery Challenge 2009

I spend $300 for my family of 4, 2 dogs, and inlaws that eat with us several times a month. The kids do eat breakfast & lunch at school on the reduced plan and I include that in the monthly total.

Roberta

**happymomof4** · #4 (**permalink**) 10-17-2009, 01:00 PM

I spend about $500 a month. We have 3 and 1/2 people. Dh and myself, 1 teenage girl full time my 1/2 is my college daughter that comes home and takes food back with her!!
We have 1 dog and 1 cat. This includes all food, pet, paper, cleaning and beauty items.

We do get a 1/2 of steer 1 time a year and that helps alot with my food budget. I pack my lunch for work. Dh is unemployed. Dd#2 eats at school which is an extra $25 a week. We don't eat out much.

KSJEn6891 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-23-2009, 12:29 PM

We also spend about $150. every 2 weeks at the grocery store, and an additional $150. at the end of the month / every other end of month (depending on what needs restocking). The first $150. goes to every day use: frozen foods, bread, milk, fruits and vegetables, etc. The larger purchase at the end of the month is bulk purchases: toiletries; laundry (maybe once every 2 months); steaks, hamburger, chicken, family dinners (things that can keep frozen longer). The difference is that the bi-weekly bill keeps us from "buying" lunches away from home, because we purchase stuff that we would normally want to have during the lunch hour at work, things that are easily stored, reheated, and edible away from the desk /cafeteria. We also purchase pet supplies (where as the list inquirer specified a small child) which can be bought in bulkier amounts for less price and coupon usage at the grocery store vs. Warehouse / Specialty pet store.

sandieluvsbears · #6 (**permalink**) 10-23-2009, 12:57 PM

I think you do well spending what you spend. There is just dh and I, for the most part, and I spend about $90 a week , I do shop the sales, buy store brands, etc. If we have to go to 3 different stores to save, we will (they are all close by)so not using alot of gas. I usually will stock up (for ex. this week split chicken breasts are .98lb, I will buy enough to freeze until they go on sale again usually, in 3 to 4 weeks
My neighbor receives food stamps for just her and hubby, ($364month) so looking at what the government allows for 2 people for food per month, and what we spend (which is about the same) we do ok I guess, lol, I really try not to splurge too much, especially on pre made things, thats where you tend to spend alot, when you can make it at home for alot less.

**bluebird** · #7 (**permalink**) 10-23-2009, 07:29 PM

I spend about $600 a month. I have to buy certain brand names because of food allergies. I think I am spending too much so I am watching it.

**Sammi1961** · #8 (**permalink**) 10-30-2009, 09:17 AM

I spend about $170 a week on groceries but I have 4 people still at home plus one more when ds1 is home from college and I have dc children that I provide lunch and snacks for. I think I spend a lot. With two teenaged boys around they eat me out of house and home. I don't buy a lot of junk food at all but do buy lots of fresh fruits and veggies which can be expensive.

collgwg · #9 (**permalink**) 11-02-2009, 03:58 AM

i would spend up to 250 bucks for grocries a week that is even useing coupons i live in canada and i find that i cant get coupons for the stuff i buy
oh i get coupons in the mail but usually for stuff that i dont normally buy so i dont end up useing them
now that my household has decreased i can spend aprox 100 a week on grocries now that really makes it nice

**AnnaInOhio** · #10 (**permalink**) 11-02-2009, 04:19 AM

We spend at least $80 to $120 a week for 2 people and 3 dogs this includes toiletries and dog food. No matter how hard I try I can't get much below the $80 and we don't buy processed food other than 1 frozen pizza a week which is usually $4. I do use coupons when I can but we have restricted diets (low sodium, no beef, no filler meats as a rule, low sugar) so I have to be careful about what I put in the cart. And yes, I too feel like I'm spending too much for the little I get.

I just found a recipe for making your own pasta and drying it so that is something I'm going to be experimenting with soon as we buy quite a bit of pasta like spaghetti and egg noodles.

Anna