I have a nosy question

[JDarling]

For DH and I - we've REALLy learned to shop around! Here's our monthly:

Gas (we only have 1 car, my 2000 Ford Focus, that is paid off, that he drives) - $100 (and we live in Southern California - one of THE most expensive places to buy gas in the nation)
Grocerys - (worst case, including pet food and supplies for our 2 cats and puppy)$240.

Here's the trick we've learned for grocerys. Buy what's on sale. Buy fresh and cook. Staying away from prepackaged foods can help you eat healthier and cheaper! For example, lately strawberries have been on sale. Yes! So we've had strawberries as snacks and desserts instead of cookies or something like that. We also cut down on our alcohol consumption. We buy 1 bottle of wine under $8 a week. Thankfully, we can get a pretty good one for that price out here in Cali (Aka wine country USA). As long as you're not hung up on brands, you can do things much cheaper without sacrificing quality. Most generics have a quality garuentee or it's free.

Another way we save for the animals - we feed our dog only human-grade dog food. He's got a very sensetive stomach after being neglected and abused as a puppy (before we rescued him). He's on Canidae. It's pretty pricey stuff - at a pet store. But we don't shop at a pet store. We shop at a feed store! 40lbs of food for $27.

As for gas - we shop and get the cheapest gas in town. That helps big time.

 

[disneychrista]

Gas $80 - $100 a month ($2.5/gallon)
Food ONLY - $50 - $75 a week (or $200 - $300 a month)
Household items (TP, Cleaners etc) $25 a month

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Gas: $75 a month (I'm a SAHM and DH doesn't work far from home)

Groceries: $600 a month for me, dh, dd-8, ds-7, ds-5, ds-3, ds-1 (includes paper products, diapers, toiletries, cleaners, etc. I coupon religiously and stock up on sale items)

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

3 of us and a dog...

For March:

Groceries - $450 (I saved $20 using coupons and put that in ING) could easily have been$500, but I was cautious this past week)

Lunch for DD & Me - $80 (plus whatever we spend thru Wed. this week)
I don't usually spend more than $3-4/day and DD gets $2/day. DH packs most of the time.

Dining Out - $60. Usually take-out, average once a week even though we might order twice one week and skip another.

Gas - $95 We have one car. I drop off DD at school and DH at work. She walks home and I pick up DH at the end of the day. 10 miles one-way.

 

[txgirl]

Hi. I usually spend about 120 month for gas for my minivan. I usually spend about 800 - 900 month for food. We usually eat out about once a week. There are five of us myself, DH, DS 11, DD 9, and DD 4. It does amaze me how expensive everything is. It also amazes me when people spend so much less than me. Sometimes I wonder what they are eating. I find that the day or two before my shopping for the next week it is hard to find something to eat and I seem to spend some much more than other people?

I'm with ya! We eat what I buy and I don't buy too many conveniece foods either (pre-packaged, individiual containers, etc.)

 

[PamNC]

I'll share. If we didn't have to eat or gas up the cars, wouldn't that be great??? But eating is so much fun.

It's just me and my DH. We spend about $260 a month on gas and about $500 on groceries (which is food, paper products, soap products). That doesn't include going out to eat which we do about once a week..dinner that is. I eat lunch out about 3x a week.

PamNC

 

[oogieboogie]

Keep in mind we only have 1 car:

biweekly we put aside $300 for gas, groceries, eating out, spending money. If we need more gas, then we cut back on groceries/eating out or vice versa if we need more spending money, then something gets cut back.

We've been on this $300 biweekly for a few years now and it really does help in budgeting because we know we have this constant.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

For a family of 5 I think $700/month on food is pretty good. We are a family of 5 and we spend about $800 on food $250 on gas(we drive a lot) and about $300 on eating out. This includes diapers and other Walmart things like detergent and paper products. Although our milk budget keeps going up. We have it delivered and it is about $80/ month including my parents milk(they live next door). I guess the best way to save is by clipping coupons and getting a store card. With our card at Stop & Shop I stock up on meats when they are on sale, you can't beat $1.99/pound on pork chops.
I watched a guy at the grocery store buy $400.00 worth of groceries with the card, coupons, and coins(Big Y has redeemable coins) and he only spent $5 and some change. I wish I could do that but I'm to picky about name brands on some things, although my kids love the store brand granola bars. Store brand stuff is always on sale, it's just trial and error to see if you like it.
Also try planning a long term menu or some meals that are cook once eat twice. I make a pot roast that you can eat off of 2-3 times. I also try to limit repeat trips to the store, once I'm in there I tend to buy more and I never bring my kids or DH unless I absolutely have to.

 

[NeedaVacation03]

There are 6 of usH,DD11,DD8,DD5,DD9mths. and me.

I spend around $100 a month on gas. We are very lucky DH has company car with pd. gas, or else we would be sunk as he drives around for his job.

We spend $600 a month on groceries,eating out etc. $150 of that is diapers and formula. I will be glad when it is time to go to regular milk. The formula is getting very expensive. But I wouldn't trade her for the world.
We try not to eat out very often especially now that we are saving for WDW.

It is nice to see that others spend as much as I do. I feel like I am always buying food or gas.

Crystal

 

[Aidensmom]

Gas - $120 a month for two cars (one of which is diesel)

Groceries/toiletries/paper goods/cleaning supplies/pet food/supplies - $280 month (Me, DH, DS3, a dog and a cat). You can save a lot of money on groceries by using coupons, stocking up on things that have a really good sale (B1G1, etc), and shopping at a store with the lowest prices. If I shop at Walmart Supercenter, I can buy a lot more for the same money than if I shop at one of the popular grocery stores such as Publix or Kash n Karry.

 

[MemoryMakers2669]

I use $100-150 on gas per month, depending on how many times I go over to Maryland, and sometimes even less than the $100.

Food, we spend about $300 a month if that and that includes everything, even diapers. DH, me and DD 4 and DD 17 months.

 

[teribell]

family of 5. we spend about $200 a month for gas 2 - vehicles. and about $800 - $1,000 a month on groceries, including paper products, cleaning supplies, cat food, dog food. i'm sure i could cut back some. but i also think it depends on where you are living. it seems food is expensive here in michigan.

 

[MAGGIED]

Well here goes: gas is about $400 a month ( I am a realtor - spend lots of time in the car and my DH drives a big truck) and groceries are about $450 for a family of 4 - but we eat out alot so thats probably about $75 per week - so food would be closer to $750/month

 

[EthansMom]

Gas: roughly $150/month for two vehicles. DH commutes 20 mi. each way for work in the Corolla & I use the Forester to drive my errands and take DS3 to preschool and swim lessons.

Groceries: roughly $600-$700/mo for 2 adults, 1 child, and one infant, including food, toiletries, snacks, formula, diapers... Looking forward to getting the baby off formula in the next few weeks as the soy formula runs about $13/week.

Out to Eat: roughly $150/mo.

We do try to put about 20% of DH's net income (I'm a SAHM) into retirement and/or college savings accounts. Also, try to save to pay for everything in advance -- vacations, furniture, cars, etc... So, don't have a lot of disposable income to spend as we are busy saving so much.

 

[Southern4sure]

Family of 4 DH, me, DS 15 and DS 9

Im a SAHM with boys who eat and eat and eat.

Gas for my minivan $100 roughly..going up with the gas prices!
Groceries $500 incl all toiletries, cleaning and paper. We dont go out to eat about twice a month.

Southern4sure

 

[Bugsmom73]

I would say gas is about $120/ mos for a van and a honda civic, if we are not travelling any where.

Food for us is about 200-250 per mos and toiletries diapers etc, no more than 100.

We try to limit eating out to once a week.

 

[Tinkerbelle32]

I don't really know about my gas because I'm a stay at home mom as well! Do take DD to Kindergarten every day but we only live a few block away. As for the food, my DH, myself, and two DD's spend about $200 a month. We eat very well! But we are blessed enough to be able to shop at the commissary(my DH is in the military). I wouldn't know what I would do if I had to shop for food at a Super Wal-Mart, grocery store, etc. I'm sure my bill would double.

 

[CrazyDisneyMom]

We spend about $400.00 in gas per month for both a 3/4 Ton Truck and Neon. My husband has about a 45 min. comute to work. And that is Canadian, where gas would work out to be about $2.70 a gallon. We spend about $400.00 a month on food and toiletries. We are a single income family. I make menu plans each week and buy what I need for those and lunch for my DD 6, plus a few extras. We are a family of 4 , DW, DH, DD 6 & DS 4.

 

[CinderellasMama]

For DH, DD4 and myself we probably spend about $400-$500 month on groceries, toletries, paper, etc and DH eating lunch out every day.

We live 20 miles from where we work but I only work 3 days a week and do all my errands/shopping on those days. I usually stay around the house the other days. I drive a Buick Le Sabre that is hard on gas. DH drives the Saturn to work 5-7 days a week (great gas milage). The big Ford F-150 is parked right now and only used for small local trips. Our gas runs $120-$150 month.

Brenda

 

[crazelion]

Gas Me and Mom 150.00 dollars month now. Use to be less until gas prices went through the roof. I have 30 minute commute to work.

Food and Etc. 150.00 dollars.

What really helps the food budget get food from the Angel Food Minstry for 25.00 dollars month save big dollars. Box have fruit, veggies, and meat that comes huge packs of food.

Baseballs season is coming up so my food budget will be going down because eat at work for free.