What does your family spend on groceries per week?

[mcnuss]

I just had a conversation with a friend who can't figure out how I spend so little on my groceries. I'm also inspired by a random comment about healthy food being so expensive in another thread.

We are a family of three and I spend under $100 per week on average on groceries. The only time it seems to creep up is a) if I buy convenience or prepared foods or b) if I need cleaning supplies and I can't get to BJs.

Two of us take lunch to school/work everyday. DH either skips lunch or buys. We all eat breakfast and dinner at home, and we eat out less than 2x per month, so most of our food is provided for with that $100. I buy the same basic items every week: dairy, juice, cereal or frozen waffles, deli meats, cheese, bread, crackers, pasta, veggies, chicken, fish, beef and any staple ingredients I need for my dishes for the week. I do not buy soda and I buy one boxed snack item per week (eg: Wheat Thins) for DD's lunch box. On occasion, I will buy a bottle of wine or a bakery dessert at the grocery store. My cupboards are definitely not bare, but I confess that I really don't do any meal planning, either. I just keep a lot of ingredients on hand so I can make things on the fly.

What are other people spending???

 

[HayGan]

We do most of our shopping at Aldi's and for our family of 4 we average between $50 ans $75 per week.

 

[monkeyboy]

What are other people spending???

Not counting bacon and beer.....................$150

 

[Snow Brite]

4 kids and one mom and we spend $60 a week or less. One kid eats breakfast and lunch at school and the other three eat lunch at school. I take mine with me to school.

We almost NEVER eat out. Maybe three times a year.

 

[Nancy]

I only shop in one store, since I don't have time or the energy to run all over. I spend about 150.00 a week on food only, then another $20.00-25.00 on paper products, cleaning, personal care, etc. there are 5 of us. Buying fresh fruit and veggies is so much more expensive than buying frozen or canned. I hate canned veggies, so I buy frozen, but I have to have fresh fruit, none of that canned stuff for me. The store I shop in has the lowest prices around this area, even on their paper stuff and personal care items. I don't feel that I spend an outrageous amount on food compared to what I see others spending in the store.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

I spend $160-$200 a week on food. That doesnt include the dog food or the paper goods. Fresh fruit and vegetable prices are outrageous here in the winter but I still buy them. It kills me to buy raspberries and blackberries for $5-6 a pint! Thankfully warmer weather is here and prices have been going down....a bit.

 

[SunFloridaDisney]

I do the 'big' grocery shopping every two weeks, and it is usually around $300, so I guess that's $150 per week - for 6 people. This is everything - food, paper products, cat food, toiletries, etc.

 

[MamaLema]

We are a family of 5 and spend $160-$180 a week (Canadian $)

I have 3 boys, if that makes a difference. We get takeout about twice a month. The reason it's pretty high is like PP stated, produce is expensive here. You can pay $2 for 1 tomato or $7 for a pineapple when its out of season. My kids love fruit and I don't mind paying for it for them.

Just tonight, the 3 of them ate 9 oranges at one sitting. Me and DH each had one...so that's 11 oranges just for one snack. Yep, the food goes quick in our house

 

[tiggerlover]

About $125 a week. On the weeks that I buy more meats and fish about $150.

 

[DaisyD]

We are a family of 5. We spend around $250-300 a week. It was a little less but ever since we decided to eat healthier it now costs us a small fortune!

 

[Shugardrawers]

It's just Dh and I. When he's working overtime and budget isn't a concern I average $100 a week. When things are tight I can do it for about $60.

 

[JennyMominRI]

ABOUT 200 a week for 7 of us..Including cat food . Cleaning stuff etc.. On a Good week I may spent 250...Bad week 150

 

[aprilgail2]

Three of us and I spend about 100 a week. But we eat dinner out at least twice a week and I eat lunch out 4 out of 5 days a week.

 

[Samandmom]

I do a big shopping about every 3 weeks and spend about $150.00. That is canned food, frozen veggies, meats, milk, eggs. That last about 3 weeks. But I will still go to a store and buy fresh fruit and a few other things during the 3wks. I then spend another $20.00-$30.00. We are a family of four. We eat out about once a week for dinner and couples lunches out.

 

[Papa Deuce]

Not that much, but only because we eat out far too much.

 

[tigercat]

We spend between $130-175.00/wk Canadian. Fruits and vegetables are expensive up here. I have my dh as well as 2 26 yr. olds. Also, my 2 dgrdd's are here Mon. to Fri and the older one eats more than the rest of us put together. Also, my oldest dd comes usually once or twice a week and stays for supper. Right now though it is really difficult because one of the 26 yr olds is away Mon. to Thurs. and my dh isn't coming home for supper. That really leaves just me and the one 26 yr. old. I don't feel like cooking for the 2 of us. The 2 dgrdd's still eat but I don't cook supper for them, I have left overs or they eat other various foods.
tigercat

 

[jimmalru80]

DS is now out on his own, so for the four of us, it's about $200-225 per week. WE are NOT overweight and our DD's are very athletic. I will never compromise when it comes to food for my family.