How much is your grocery bill running weekly?

[bdcp]

We used to spend $300/month for DH and me on food. (Restaurants are "entertainment" not "grocery" in our budget.)

My parents just moved to a retirement community 1.5 miles from us. Having them over is definitely raising that total. Not sure what the new average is going to be.

I don't include restaurants in our food budget either. It's only what we spend at grocery stores/Costco.

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

We spend about $1,200 a month on food - lots of Whole Foods shopping and organic.

 

[ilovepete]

$50 a week. Family of 4. My kids eat more than I do, they are very active and they are home all day. Anyway, my budget is $50 a week, sometimes I only spend $30, sometimes $60, but usually it is between $40 and $50. We coupon, and it used to be less (I had the same budget, actually, but I usually spent less than $20 a week total, sometimes $0, because I couponed more) but I got tired of making the same foods from what we had so now I spend a little more and have a lot more variety in ingredients instead of just always what is on super sale. We eat A LOT of produce and lean meats. I don't give the kids anything with dyes/HFCS/or hydrogenated oils so I'm picky in that regard. I spend less than an hour each week doing my coupons while making my grocery list and meal plan, and I only use the kind you print. I used to do the ones from the paper but I got sick of doing it. So, I still coupon, but not as much as I used to (though I never spent more than a couple of hours a week on it), and I still have significant savings. It is worth it to me for the savings.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

$50 a week. Family of 4. My kids eat more than I do, they are very active and they are home all day. Anyway, my budget is $50 a week, sometimes I only spend $30, sometimes $60, but usually it is between $40 and $50. We coupon, and it used to be less (I had the same budget, actually, but I usually spent less than $20 a week total, sometimes $0, because I couponed more) but I got tired of making the same foods from what we had so now I spend a little more and have a lot more variety in ingredients instead of just always what is on super sale. We eat A LOT of produce and lean meats. I don't give the kids anything with dyes/HFCS/or hydrogenated oils so I'm picky in that regard. I spend less than an hour each week doing my coupons while making my grocery list and meal plan, and I only use the kind you print. I used to do the ones from the paper but I got sick of doing it. So, I still coupon, but not as much as I used to (though I never spent more than a couple of hours a week on it), and I still have significant savings. It is worth it to me for the savings.

I can't even imagine spending so little. That is great if you can. Would you mind posting a sample menu? I am always looking at cost cutting ideas as my food bill is way more than that. Thanks!

 

[ilovepete]

Yeah I just posted the one for this week in the "Eat at Home" thread. I'll see if I can find it...

 

[ilovepete]

I can't even imagine spending so little. That is great if you can. Would you mind posting a sample menu? I am always looking at cost cutting ideas as my food bill is way more than that. Thanks!

OK I just copied and pasted this from the Eat at Home thread. I posted this on Saturday.

Today:
Breakfast - Yogurt & Apples
Lunch - Burritos (ones that I made and put in the freezer)
Dinner - Shrimp Alfredo Pasta, Broccoli

Sunday:
Breakfast - Waffles (DH made a big batch one day and the extras went into the freezer, so we just have to take them out and defrost) with Fruit
Lunch - Out (we were out of town for the day)
Dinner - Mom's Night Out for me, the family will have leftovers or they can make something simple we have like grilled cheese, hot dogs, etc. Dad is in charge!

Monday:
Breakfast - Blueberry Pancakes (DH makes them)
Lunch - Mac N Cheese w/ Hot Dogs, Peas
Dinner - Balsamic Pork Tenderloin, Creamy Polenta, Lima Beans

Tuesday:
Breakfast - Oatmeal w/ Blueberries
Lunch - Packed Lunch (Co-Op), Egg Salad, Baby Carrots, Chips, Applesauce
Dinner - French Bread Pizza (kids making it) & Side Salad

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Eggs, Toast, Sausage, Grits
Lunch - Carrots & Hummus, Side Salad, Grapes
Dinner - Sloppy Joes (I made the mix up earlier, it is in the freezer, so I just have to heat up and serve), Corn & Broccoli

Thursday:
Breakfast - Yogurt & Fruit
Lunch - Leftover Sloppy Joes, Corn, & Broccoli
Dinner - Tacos & Side Salad

Friday:
Breakfast - Oatmeal w/ Blueberries
Lunch - Taco Leftovers & Side Salad
Dinner - Hawaiian Chicken w/ Pineapple, Rice, Green Beans

Saturday:
Breakfast - French Toast, Grapes
Lunch - Sausage Crescent Rolls & Broccoli
Dinner - Hummus & Carrots, Side Salad, Grapes

Sunday:
Breakfast - Blueberry Pancakes
Lunch - Out
Dinner - Spaghetti & Meatballs, Side Salad

Snack choices for the week that the kids can pick from - Grapes, Bananas, Goldfish, Apples, Applesauce, Yogurt, Chips & Salsa, Hummus & Carrots, or Crackers & Cheese

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Sounds like a great menu. I can definitely take some ideas from it. Thanks!
I find that fresh produce is the biggest part of the budget. Of course meat is right up there. I do try and buy the meat in bulk but the fruit comes in and leaves in a blink of an eye. lol! I probably spend about $50-$100 a week on fruit and fresh veggies. I don't know where you live but it is expensive here imo. I paid .79 a lb for bananas this week, $5 for a bag of apples, and I believe $6 for 2lbs of strawberries as an example ( I buy more than that). With 5 kids that doesn't go very far. I am going to start making much more stuff from scratch than I have been. I am hoping that will cut costs.

 

[ilovepete]

Sounds like a great menu. I can definitely take some ideas from it. Thanks!
I find that fresh produce is the biggest part of the budget. Of course meat is right up there. I do try and buy the meat in bulk but the fruit comes in and leaves in a blink of an eye. lol! I probably spend about $50-$100 a week on fruit and fresh veggies. I don't know where you live but it is expensive here imo. I paid .79 a lb for bananas this week, $5 for a bag of apples, and I believe $6 for 2lbs of strawberries as an example ( I buy more than that). With 5 kids that doesn't go very far. I am going to start making much more stuff from scratch than I have been. I am hoping that will cut costs.

Yes! Making from scratch helps a lot! I also do a lot of freezer cooking. I have a ton of stuff in my freezer right now because I found a big sale on ground turkey. I bought a bunch of it and I made so.much.stuff. Burritos to heat up for lunches or for DH to take to work, sloppy joe mix, chili, meatballs, and just cooked ground turkey with garlic and onions and it can go into almost anything to make a quick meal. We often use it for tacos. Obviously, that is money I spent before (still on the budget), but I'm using it this week and it all evens out because then I don't have to buy that meat this week. I do that a lot and I think that is a big reason I can stick to the budget. Most of what I buy each week is produce, a few basics, and then a few sale items in with it, only things we use, to stock up on.

As far as prices, I'm in FL. Those prices are typical for here for items when they are NOT on sale. On sale I can get the apples for $3, 2 lb strawberries $4, Target has bananas for 52 cents a pound but at the store I normally shop at they are 69 cents a pound. I only have 2 kids, they do eat a lot of produce, but still, I'm sure buying for 5 kids requires a lot more! One thing I do is buy frozen veggies. Cheaper, they don't go bad, and I can often find different brands for 50% off or BOGO at our store. I won't buy them otherwise, only at half price. So we always have those. The blueberries in the pancakes and oatmeal are frozen as well. The other stuff is fresh, though. I should go to the farmer's market more, I could get a lot of it even cheaper, but it takes a full morning for me to do that so not worth it most of the time for me. But I can get cantaloupe for $1, huge watermelons for $3, etc. I really should go more often!

It sounds like you are doing a good job, especially with 5 kids to feed! I'd be lucky to even get to the store at all.

 

[mefordis]

Wow, how did you get a week's worth of ingredients for the menu below for only $50? Just curious, where do you shop?

OK I just copied and pasted this from the Eat at Home thread. I posted this on Saturday.

Today:
Breakfast - Yogurt & Apples
Lunch - Burritos (ones that I made and put in the freezer)
Dinner - Shrimp Alfredo Pasta, Broccoli

Sunday:
Breakfast - Waffles (DH made a big batch one day and the extras went into the freezer, so we just have to take them out and defrost) with Fruit
Lunch - Out (we were out of town for the day)
Dinner - Mom's Night Out for me, the family will have leftovers or they can make something simple we have like grilled cheese, hot dogs, etc. Dad is in charge!

Monday:
Breakfast - Blueberry Pancakes (DH makes them)
Lunch - Mac N Cheese w/ Hot Dogs, Peas
Dinner - Balsamic Pork Tenderloin, Creamy Polenta, Lima Beans

Tuesday:
Breakfast - Oatmeal w/ Blueberries
Lunch - Packed Lunch (Co-Op), Egg Salad, Baby Carrots, Chips, Applesauce
Dinner - French Bread Pizza (kids making it) & Side Salad

Wednesday:
Breakfast - Eggs, Toast, Sausage, Grits
Lunch - Carrots & Hummus, Side Salad, Grapes
Dinner - Sloppy Joes (I made the mix up earlier, it is in the freezer, so I just have to heat up and serve), Corn & Broccoli

Thursday:
Breakfast - Yogurt & Fruit
Lunch - Leftover Sloppy Joes, Corn, & Broccoli
Dinner - Tacos & Side Salad

Friday:
Breakfast - Oatmeal w/ Blueberries
Lunch - Taco Leftovers & Side Salad
Dinner - Hawaiian Chicken w/ Pineapple, Rice, Green Beans

Saturday:
Breakfast - French Toast, Grapes
Lunch - Sausage Crescent Rolls & Broccoli
Dinner - Hummus & Carrots, Side Salad, Grapes

Sunday:
Breakfast - Blueberry Pancakes
Lunch - Out
Dinner - Spaghetti & Meatballs, Side Salad

Snack choices for the week that the kids can pick from - Grapes, Bananas, Goldfish, Apples, Applesauce, Yogurt, Chips & Salsa, Hummus & Carrots, or Crackers & Cheese

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Yes! Making from scratch helps a lot! I also do a lot of freezer cooking. I have a ton of stuff in my freezer right now because I found a big sale on ground turkey. I bought a bunch of it and I made so.much.stuff. Burritos to heat up for lunches or for DH to take to work, sloppy joe mix, chili, meatballs, and just cooked ground turkey with garlic and onions and it can go into almost anything to make a quick meal. We often use it for tacos. Obviously, that is money I spent before (still on the budget), but I'm using it this week and it all evens out because then I don't have to buy that meat this week. I do that a lot and I think that is a big reason I can stick to the budget. Most of what I buy each week is produce, a few basics, and then a few sale items in with it, only things we use, to stock up on.

As far as prices, I'm in FL. Those prices are typical for here for items when they are NOT on sale. On sale I can get the apples for $3, 2 lb strawberries $4, Target has bananas for 52 cents a pound but at the store I normally shop at they are 69 cents a pound. I only have 2 kids, they do eat a lot of produce, but still, I'm sure buying for 5 kids requires a lot more! One thing I do is buy frozen veggies. Cheaper, they don't go bad, and I can often find different brands for 50% off or BOGO at our store. I won't buy them otherwise, only at half price. So we always have those. The blueberries in the pancakes and oatmeal are frozen as well. The other stuff is fresh, though. I should go to the farmer's market more, I could get a lot of it even cheaper, but it takes a full morning for me to do that so not worth it most of the time for me. But I can get cantaloupe for $1, huge watermelons for $3, etc. I really should go more often!

It sounds like you are doing a good job, especially with 5 kids to feed! I'd be lucky to even get to the store at all.

Those are great ideas for chop meat. I always get stumped for some reason thinking of what I can make in bulk. I think I am just tired from the actual food shop so the thought of cooking it all makes me want to go to bed. lol! I buy frozen veggies a lot too. When they go on sale for a dollar a bag I stock up. I usually use 2-3 bags of veggies a night with dinner.
Any ideas for chicken breasts? I make cutlets and fajitas and veggie stir fry etc. but I am running out of ideas. I also have to make gluten free dairy free meals for my dh. So I am still learning to make new things there. I try to just stick to whole foods.

It can be an adventure food shopping when I take all the kids with me. They are really good and helpful but I can't lie- it seems we do end up with things like toaster strudels when they come.

 

[ilovepete]

Wow, how did you get a week's worth of ingredients for the menu below for only $50? Just curious, where do you shop?

Publix & Target. And no I didn't get them all this week but that is what we are eating this week. In my last post I mention a little bit how I do it. I buy the stuff when it is on sale. I utilize the freezer a lot! I DID only spend $50 this week, actually $49 and some change, but it was mostly produce (all kinds), bread, cheese, hummus and a few other things I don't remember off hand. It is kind of confusing for people that don't buy that way, but it works for us! I have a pantry full of staples (not overboard like extreme couponers or anything LOL I hate that show) and a freezer full of meat and veggies that I have picked up at low prices (also within the weekly budget), so I don't have to buy much except the fresh things and whatever is on sale that I need to stock up on each week and anything special that isn't in our normal rotation or that we run out of. Like this week, I ran out of peanut butter and there was no good sale and no coupon and I had to pay full price for it and it about killed me. I never do that! I usually only buy when it is at its rock bottom price and I buy enough that we will actually use before it goes bad or until the next sale comes around (you get used to the sale cycles and know how long it will be before the next one). Like I know I should buy 4 jars of spaghetti sauce every time it is BOGO and I have coupons to last me until the next sale, etc. And with the peanut butter, there have been sales, but not on the brand we buy that is the only one I'll give my kids because of the ingredients, so I had to spend more for that. Next time there is a sale and I have coupons, I'll probably buy 4 jars of it since I know that one doesn't go on sale as much.

If that doesn't make sense LMK, I'll try to explain it better.

 

[mefordis]

Okay. But I still say you need to add "$30" to your amount spent for your time. Since as they say time is money.

No one would be paying her for that time anyway, it sounds like. Only if the opportunity cost was $30 would she need to tack that onto her food bill. For example, if she cleaned houses but gave up a couple of hours cleaning houses to do the couponing. Then we could say it cost her x amt of money in lost opportunity. If she doesn't work anyway, it isn't costing her.

Also, a lot of people who coupon have fun doing it so for those people I would not necessarily consider it "work".

 

[mefordis]

Thank you for clarifying! Very inspirational!

Publix & Target. And no I didn't get them all this week but that is what we are eating this week. In my last post I mention a little bit how I do it. I buy the stuff when it is on sale. I utilize the freezer a lot! I DID only spend $50 this week, actually $49 and some change, but it was mostly produce (all kinds), bread, cheese, hummus and a few other things I don't remember off hand. It is kind of confusing for people that don't buy that way, but it works for us! I have a pantry full of staples (not overboard like extreme couponers or anything LOL I hate that show) and a freezer full of meat and veggies that I have picked up at low prices (also within the weekly budget), so I don't have to buy much except the fresh things and whatever is on sale that I need to stock up on each week and anything special that isn't in our normal rotation or that we run out of. Like this week, I ran out of peanut butter and there was no good sale and no coupon and I had to pay full price for it and it about killed me. I never do that! I usually only buy when it is at its rock bottom price and I buy enough that we will actually use before it goes bad or until the next sale comes around (you get used to the sale cycles and know how long it will be before the next one). Like I know I should buy 4 jars of spaghetti sauce every time it is BOGO and I have coupons to last me until the next sale, etc. And with the peanut butter, there have been sales, but not on the brand we buy that is the only one I'll give my kids because of the ingredients, so I had to spend more for that. Next time there is a sale and I have coupons, I'll probably buy 4 jars of it since I know that one doesn't go on sale as much.

If that doesn't make sense LMK, I'll try to explain it better.

 

[ilovepete]

Those are great ideas for chop meat. I always get stumped for some reason thinking of what I can make in bulk. I think I am just tired from the actual food shop so the thought of cooking it all makes me want to go to bed. lol! I buy frozen veggies a lot too. When they go on sale for a dollar a bag I stock up. I usually use 2-3 bags of veggies a night with dinner.
Any ideas for chicken breasts? I make cutlets and fajitas and veggie stir fry etc. but I am running out of ideas. I also have to make gluten free dairy free meals for my dh. So I am still learning to make new things there. I try to just stick to whole foods.

It can be an adventure food shopping when I take all the kids with me. They are really good and helpful but I can't lie- it seems we do end up with things like toaster strudels when they come.

Hmmm for chicken breasts... some of my favorites are teriyaki chicken, cashew chicken with broccoli, hawaiian chicken, shredded bbq chicken, (all of those are dairy free so far!), southwest crockpot chicken, chicken & cheese quesadillas, skillet chicken pot pie, chicken stuffed with spinach & feta, etc. Those are the ones we eat the most I'd say! And I only buy chicken breast when it is $1.99 a pound. Though, there was a bulk place coming through here selling it for $1.69 a pound. I tried it, but the breasts were HUGE and they just did not cook the same, and weren't as good so I stopped that. I have seen a lot of crockpot chicken recipes where you put all the ingredients in a bag in the freezer and then just throw it in the pot and cook it. Those seem like they'd be easy, too.

 

[disneychrista]

No one would be paying her for that time

I never said that anyone was paying her. I was meaning more "figurative" adding $30 to the budget for her time. Not saying she lost money due to coupon cliping. But anyway. . . it doesn't matter. The OP feels she is making $50/hr clipping coupons but no one is giving her that money either. We agreed to disagree and I will do the same here.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Hmmm for chicken breasts... some of my favorites are teriyaki chicken, cashew chicken with broccoli, hawaiian chicken, shredded bbq chicken, (all of those are dairy free so far!), southwest crockpot chicken, chicken & cheese quesadillas, skillet chicken pot pie, chicken stuffed with spinach & feta, etc. Those are the ones we eat the most I'd say! And I only buy chicken breast when it is $1.99 a pound. Though, there was a bulk place coming through here selling it for $1.69 a pound. I tried it, but the breasts were HUGE and they just did not cook the same, and weren't as good so I stopped that. I have seen a lot of crockpot chicken recipes where you put all the ingredients in a bag in the freezer and then just throw it in the pot and cook it. Those seem like they'd be easy, too.

Thanks for the great ideas! I usually get my chicken breasts for about $1.09 a pound so I stock up on them. Now I am excited! I am feeling very motivated. Thank you again for the great ideas!

 

[ilovepete]

Thanks for the great ideas! I usually get my chicken breasts for about $1.09 a pound so I stock up on them. Now I am excited! I am feeling very motivated. Thank you again for the great ideas!

Wow I wish I could get them that cheap here! I usually get leg quarters. My DH prefers them to chicken breasts and I've just tried to adapt some of our recipes to use them. I'm starting to like them more as well.

 

[LuLuO]

We average about $175 on food each week. Add in another $250 per month for pet food and household products.

 

[Purrrrfecta]

We average about $175 on food each week. Add in another $250 per month for pet food and household products.

That's a lot of household and pet food. What type of pet food do you buy? Do you have large dogs?

I think I need to start purchasing better food for my dog. Recently, I purchased the Pedigree dog food for the dogs. I would have never done this for my dogs years ago. I am thinking of cooking for my one dog for she is 16, and I am worrying her kidneys are not doing so well.

 

[FLmomof6]

I never said that anyone was paying her. I was meaning more "figurative" adding $30 to the budget for her time. Not saying she lost money due to coupon cliping. But anyway. . . it doesn't matter. The OP feels she is making $50/hr clipping coupons but no one is giving her that money either. We agreed to disagree and I will do the same here.

Rofl.......sometimes they do give me money. I leave the grocery store with $50 worth of groceries and they give me the overage back in change. I do most of my shopping at Publix and they are GREAT about coupons. Overage doesn't happen all the time for me. When it does, I typically use it towards non sale items in my cart. I know some people get money back every week, but they pursue sales/coupons for items that they won't use, because they can make a profit on the purchase. I don't have time for that. My goal is to keep as much of our money as I can, while feeding my family a balanced diet and maintaining a decent stockpile. My point is........ using my time to keep my money is the same thing as using my time to earn money at a paying job. If I worked outside the home for financial compensation and paid full price for our groceries........ my bottom line is still the same.