Food/Grocery Budget

[pixiedustaholic]

I'm curious to see whay everyone budgets for thier weekly food/grocery budgets? We have a family of 4: myself, DH, DD11, DS8

I'm trying to budget more in 2009 and any tips for saving on food would be greatly appreciated. Eating out seems to be our downfall. Thanks

 

[Catrin]

I budget around $150.00 weekly.
and then another $100.00 per month on bulk items.

We are a family of five - me, DH, 13 yr old boy, 10 yr old boy, and 3 yr old girl.

I spend around $125.00 at the Grocery Store - this includes lots of coupons, planning, stockpiling, etc. Then $25.00 per week for Misc (including a couple school lunches for the boys), refils on milk, etc.
Once a month, I will go to BJ's and buy bulk items like CHeese Sticks, Small Bags of Chips, etc.

Catrin

 

[KKB]

$125-150/wk. (DH, me, DS13, DD10, DS8)
Meats are mostly all natural chicken breasts & 90%+ground beef.
Fresh fruits/veggies, supplemented with frozen and canned a bit.
VERY few convenience foods; soda only for DH & I (one/day each, usually)
Snacks are generally pretzels, cheese, fresh fruit.
I watch the sales carefully & plan meals around them.
My children are active, hearty eaters.
We RARELY eat fast food, but we do eat at a sit down restaurant a couple times a month (with a coupon or a night we know they have specials) This typically runs us $50, so if our budget is tight, it is the first to go.

 

[mombare]

I am going our very first budget this month! For our family of 4 (self, DH, DD6, DS4), I have $100 per week budgeted. I didn't really have a starting point, but we'll see how it goes. I also have $100 budgeted for entertainment, which is usually eating out. I had a bunch of stuff stockpiled, but stopped for next week's groceries tonight and spent $48! That was exciting!

 

[stahshee]

we are a family of 6 and I do 200.00 per week, and thats with a lot of home made and grown stuff

 

[dislvr74]

I just got back from the store and I spent $50 at Aldi and $35 at Walmart. This includes toliet paper and some cleaning supplies. My menu for the week for our family of four is:

Sat: Beef empanadas. I will cook a roast in the crockpot tonight and shred the beef for empanadas. I will set some aside for later in the week and some will go in the freezer.

Sun: homemade chicken pot pie

Mon: sloppy joes

Tues: chicken quesadillas made with leftover chicken from tonight

Wed: bourbon chicken and rice

Thurs: tacos with beef from Sat night

Fri: pizza night!

 

[stahshee]

I spend a lot of money on quick snacks for my kids(granola bars 100 calorie packs ect). I would love to make some home made snacks that they would eat that would not break the bank.

 

[delmar411]

family of 6 (DH, myself, almost 11yr old DD, 5yr old DD, 4yr old DS, and almost 3yr old DS)

$150 every 2 weeks (food only) that amount includes the 10-11 gallons of milk the kids go through but does not include my soda or any household/diaper costs. I have $70/mth budgeted for that.

eating out budget is $15 every 2weeks, DH is a restaurant manager and we eat for a buffet tip of $5..so no magic wand to lower cost just a perk of his job.

in a standard month the whole thing adds up to $400 total. In a 3 paycheck month I add in an extra $150 for those 2 weeks of groceries and an additional $15 for eating out.

We don't eat boxed junk just regular fresh stuff. I tend to shop the outer rim of the grocery store these days and buy things like rice in bulk at Costco.

 

[NiftyJ88]

Wow, I thought I did pretty well on my budget, but now I'm thinking maybe we spend too much. Although we used to spend much more.
We primarily buy fresh fruits and veggies and dairy products and meats. Very little processed foods.
When we looked at budgeting, we started making weekly menus so I knew what we needed. Now when we go to the store, we only buy the things we need for the week.
It is DH, DD3 and me and we do $60 a week.

 

[bettyann29]

I tend to budget $125 per week for me, DH, DSS18, DD17, DS15 and DD11.. and I ALWAYS go over.. This includes about $20 on animal food, toilet paper as needed, cleaners, etc..

I decided to set it at $150 to be more realistic and see how it goes.. I started a spiral notebook to keep track of everything and I will adjust as needed realistically.. I think $150 will work though..

DSS is only with us Monday- Thursday and my 3 kids are with us every other weekend and during the workweek..

I went grocery shopping for this week and spent $138 so far.. I will need to go back and get about $5-$10 worth of cat/dog food before next weeks grocery trip.. but other than that I think Im good to go.. Me and DH did go out and eat tonight -$23 down the tubes .. so the meal I had planned for tonight will get put towards the next weeks groceries, so I think it will all work out in the end.. and I did make a run to Bath and Bodyworks and spent $37 and change there.. I was doing so good until today.. I did stockpile up on my lotions, bath gels, hand soap and body sprays, so Im good to go for quite some time.. I'll just have to take these 2 experiences as a loss this week and will make it up before the end of the month as far as in my budget..

I did start cvsing again this week and have $16 in cvs bucks that I will use to start stocking up shampoo, toothpaste, household items.. Im reading over that thread to see what deals are coming up in the next few weeks so I can use those wisely and build up my stockpile.. I also have a separate spiral notebook to keep up with my cvsing thru the year..

Im really trying to get ahold of this..

 

[ZPT1022]

I'll admit that I don't pay attention, I just buy what I need when I need it. I think I'm the odd one out though. My family is me, DH, DD 7, Dtwins 4, and I watch my cousins three kids during the week. We also regularly contribute snacks to the twins preschool classrooms.

I buy what we need when we need it. Some weeks I might spend $300 but then not really need anything but milk, eggs and bread for a week and a half.

I think part of my problem of nailing down a budget is that we shop in so many places. Milk and eggs come from a farm. In the summer we buy ice cream there too and if we need honey that also comes from there. When they have yogurt we will buy that there as well. It's more expensive than the grocery store but there's nothing weird in it and it's fresh and out of this world taste wise. DH and I literally fought over the last raspberry yogurt

I buy bulk stuff like tp, flour, sugar, cheeses, silk soymilk (for our lactose intolerant family members), etc... at BJ's.

We like Trader Joe's but it is about 20-25 minutes away depending on traffic so we probably only go there once a month, but when we do go we have two carts full. We get coffee and snacky stuff and also a lot of gluten free stuff there.

We like Whole Foods too, again, great for the food allergy/gluten free stuff, but a bit of a hike so we only go maybe once a month or so.

In the summer we like to go to farmers markets and next summer I intend to buy a lot more and freeze it or can it while it's in season. It'll cost more up front but when I'm pulling out cheap frozen in the summer blueberries in winter instead of buying expensive imported ones, it will be worth it.

I think it would probably be easier to keep track of if we just shopped at one conventional grocery store and that was it but with all the food allergies and intolerances, this is what works for us, even if it is a PITA sometimes.

The biggest things I do to save some money are to shop in bulk for things we use a lot of, make as much as possible from scratch (safer with the food allergies too!), and when I catch a good sale I stock up. The flip side of stocking up is making sure you purge the freezer and shelves once in a while because it's not a savings if you throw away a ton of out of date stuff.

Oh and we try to make a menu and stick to it to avoid eating out. The key for us is to be realistic about our schedules. If I watch the extra kids for 10 1/2 hours and then have to chauffer kids to ballet and stuff, as much as it may sound good, I will not be making a gourmet meal. Grilled cheese and soup night is much more feasible on a crazy day. I know it sounds really obvious but setting realistic goals has made a big difference between actually sticking to it and saying the heck with it, let's go out

 

[stahshee]

family of 6 (DH, myself, almost 11yr old DD, 5yr old DD, 4yr old DS, and almost 3yr old DS)

$150 every 2 weeks (food only) that amount includes the 10-11 gallons of milk the kids go through but does not include my soda or any household/diaper costs. I have $70/mth budgeted for that.

eating out budget is $15 every 2weeks, DH is a restaurant manager and we eat for a buffet tip of $5..so no magic wand to lower cost just a perk of his job.

in a standard month the whole thing adds up to $400 total. In a 3 paycheck month I add in an extra $150 for those 2 weeks of groceries and an additional $15 for eating out.

We don't eat boxed junk just regular fresh stuff. I tend to shop the outer rim of the grocery store these days and buy things like rice in bulk at Costco.

wow thats great please share some ideas

 

[tonilea]

Family of three. We budget $75 per week. That includes paper goods, toiletries, etc, but not pet food or kitty litter. I buy very little that is processed. I even prefer to debone my own chicken - the less that is done to it, means fewer people have touched it.

I also buy lots of fresh fruits/veggies and make my own bread. I try to serve at least one meatless meal each week.

 

[delmar411]

wow thats great please share some ideas

I'll be honest, if you don't stockpile food when it's free or cheap it's not a realistic goal for a family my size. So what I make may be items that I got last month or 6mths ago on sale for pennies and bought tons. We've got a fully stocked deep freezer plus an overflowing regular fridge/freezer. I try to hit up Costco once a month and buy the basics that will get us through to the next.

I've got enough lemonade for the kids to last them the next year and half too, that was bought this past spring. Can't remember the beginning totals (it is in the old No Buy threads if you look through those) but we've barely made a dent! LOL Those don't expire until mid 2010. Anyway each of those was .09 each. So approx 2 gallons of lemonade from each container. Makes for some cheap drinks.

Milk is only $2.50/gallon here so that helps. I can get 100% whole wheat bread for .99 or less per loaf and I stock up when I get a good deal so we're not running out and buying it when it's not on sale.

The kids prefer bananas/apples/oranges instead of other fruits so that helps keep costs down for fresh produce. The boys will eat other fruits if they are canned so I buy the giant cans of pineapples and fruit cocktail from Costco for less than $5 per can (serves like 20).

I'll buy meat/chicken when it's marked down or on super sales and buy a lot and break it out into meal sized portions when I get home then freeze.

I'm not the best teacher but I'm a great learner so my best advice is to head over to www.hotcouponworld.com , they have all the grocery stores and drug stores broken out and down to each region too. Reading there on the grocery deals and how to work them to your advantage and savings would be a great start to lowering your food budget.

 

[rentayenta]

I just got back from the store and I spent $50 at Aldi and $35 at Walmart. This includes toliet paper and some cleaning supplies. My menu for the week for our family of four is:

Sat: Beef empanadas. I will cook a roast in the crockpot tonight and shred the beef for empanadas. I will set some aside for later in the week and some will go in the freezer.

Sun: homemade chicken pot pie

Mon: sloppy joes

Tues: chicken quesadillas made with leftover chicken from tonight

Wed: bourbon chicken and rice

Thurs: tacos with beef from Sat night

Fri: pizza night!

I do a weekly menu too and find it's the ONLY way I can stay my budget of $100 per week for the 5 of us. I'll include yesterday as I shop on Fridays:

Sat: burritos, homemade yummy ones, not frozen

Sun: turkey. Turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry, and stuffing.

Mon: lemon, caper, chicken

Tuesday: fish

Wed: pasta

Thurs: chili and bread bowls

Fri: not sure but I have a few ideas

 

[stahshee]

I stock up to and freeze alot of stuff, but I am still spending alot of money on snacks, juice boxes and meat.


We went berry picking and I froze about 20 freezer bags filled with berrys. I also did that with Broccoli .. Those are some ways that I can get a head, but I am spending to much on school snacks.. also dd 16 goes through shampoo and hair products like crazy

 

[SnowWhite607]

I try to do $300 a month ($75 per week) for a family of 3 - me, DH and DD7. BUt I always go over by a little. I would like to get that down even more. That total includes pet food and toilet paper, paper towels, etc. Also lunches for everyone at school/work.

 

[delmar411]

I stock up to and freeze alot of stuff, but I am still spending alot of money on snacks, juice boxes and meat.


We went berry picking and I froze about 20 freezer bags filled with berrys. I also did that with Broccoli .. Those are some ways that I can get a head, but I am spending to much on school snacks.. also dd 16 goes through shampoo and hair products like crazy

You should really check out CVS for hair products/shampoo/ etc. I haven't paid for that stuff in forever. We've got everything right down to feminine needs covered for years and years.

I've stopped shopping CVS because really I have no more room for the stuff I already have and I'm tired of shopping (seriously) and I could go years w/o purchasing any HBA stuff again and be just fine.

We also do not buy juice boxes/snack type foods, rarely anything like lunch meat. Sandwiches are not a hit here so it would be wasted money. And I can just pour a glass of juice or make one when the kids want it. It would be cheaper even for sending to school to buy a re-useable small bottle for juice/water and send that in everyday instead of buying boxes.

 

[mjantz]

I spend about $400/month for a family of four. That is just food purchased at grocery stores for consumption in the house or in lunches. It does not include eating out. My tips & thoughts:

-I spend about $60-$100/month on Angel Food. I usually get 2 of the boxes ($60) but this month I'd like to try their fruit & veggie box as well as a chicken box they're offering so probably closer to $100 this month. I plan my meals around what Angel Food has & buy according to those guidelines.
-I rarely make a hard & fast weekly or monthly menu. Instead I write out possible meals based on what we have in the pantry/freezer & what we like. This seems to work much better as if I try a hard & fast menu by Wednesday I want Friday. I usually decide what to fix the night before. This allows time for meat to thaw & for me to prepare in case something has to go in the crockpot in the AM.
-The protein & starch is set but the fruit or veggie is individual for each person. So, for example, last night we had chicken cooked in the crockpot with some cans of cream soup & seasonings, white rice and DH&DD had broccoli & carrots, DS had a banana & I had applesauce.
-I pack my kids lunches every day & I find doing it the night before saves me money. I'll actually remember that little bit of grilled chicken that's in the fridge & can be sent with DD instead of throwing in what's easy in a sleep-induced haze first thing in the AM.
-While I do think fresh fruits & veggies are important I do supplement with frozen veggies & canned fruit. I don't think having a banana on Mon, some canned peaches on Tues, an apple on Wed & some frozen broccoli on Thurs is going to wreck my kids health (they are getting more fruits & veggies than just that)
-Look for unusual places to buy groceries. We get our bread & tortillas from bakery outlets & lots of my staples come from Big Lots. Tom Thumb & Kroger have great managers specials on meat, produce & other items that can really stretch a grocery budget. I've found the big trays of sliced apples & cheese at Kroger for $5 (over half off) & bags of fresh broccoli for $1.
-Use the internet to expand your recipe collection. I use to be lost as to what to do with the steaks we would get from Angel Food (they're usually not the most tender). I found a great crockpot steak recipe that the family loves & I can even get 2 meals out of it (I freeze the leftover sauce & reheat it later adding a lb of hamburger meat)

I hope these help.

 

[ZPT1022]

I stock up to and freeze alot of stuff, but I am still spending alot of money on snacks, juice boxes and meat.


We went berry picking and I froze about 20 freezer bags filled with berrys. I also did that with Broccoli .. Those are some ways that I can get a head, but I am spending to much on school snacks.. also dd 16 goes through shampoo and hair products like crazy

we find it to be much less wasteful, both money wise and in an eco conscious way too, to buy in bulk and portion things off into smaller sizes. Buy a few reusable containers and reusable drink containers and portion off from big things of snacks. In other words, my kids never go to school with individual snack sized things- they get a muffin in a tupperware, or some pretzels from a larger container in a tupperware. No uncrustables, I make a sandwich and pack it in a tupperware (doesn't get smooshed and no using/paying for baggies either). Actually, my kids like warm stuff for lunches so I bought thermoses and will pack pasta or oatmeal or other warm foods for them. I know some mornings it would be easier to just open the cabinet and grab a few snack packs, a juice box and an uncrustable from the freezer but my kids are eating healthier foods, and we aren't creating as much waste.