What's your monthly food budget?

[SandrA9810]

Here's another link. For ideas.

http://5challenge.tumblr.com/

SlowFoods is pretty much about eating fresh, eating local, and eating healthy. On the main site page, they have lists of local farmers and farmer's markets. So it's people from all over this country, which will help you find ideas for the area that you live in.


Personal tastes are also a big part of what drives up or down your grocery bill. But I think most people can agree that processed foods are expensive, and not always that great for you. So you have to change how you look at food, and what you like to eat.

The biggest saver, is eating when things are in season, and there is produce for every season of the year. A deep freezer can be especially helpful for stockpiling. Now I'm wishing I had bought more alaskan salmon over the summer when it was $7.99/lb (in California, and $8.99/lb when I was in Texas).

 

[leight]

Groceries, toiletries & pet supplies total around $450 a month-with coupons- but FL doesn't double/triple coupons -this is for a family of 4 and a dog & cat. We probably spend $150 a month on eating out- usually pizza and dh will get the kids fast food during soccer season as a quick meal. I'm including the $ I give my kids to hang out with their friends and grab a drink/snack on an outing with the other families. That happens at least a few times a month. ( but its cheaper than babysitting and dh & I get some quick 'date' time. Tonite we grabbed a meal and went to Home Depot! )

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I am embarrassed to say.

It is high--last month was horrible! So this month started, I just did by big Costco trip and big grocery trip. Then for the rest of the month it is as needed only. It worked for the month before last. We never did figure out exactly where the grocery money and overruns went last month.

I do know that shopping off list is my biggest downfall.

And I am going through veggies like crazy. I keep frozen as prep is better. But it isn't necessarily cheap.

 

[pigletto]

It can vary widely in this house. It's all about what I buy/cook and how often I eat out. A good conservative budget for us is 500 a month. That's myself, hubby, dd and ds. Plus I do daycare but it's mostly before and after school kids so I do breakfast for anyone who didn't eat before coming (some get here really early) and a snack for everyone after school. Typically things like cereal, fruit, toast in the am and cheese and crackers/juice/ fruit /veggies after school for example.

Now.. if I don't bake muffins and cookies etc, and buy prepackaged everything, my grocery bill skyrockets. If I get in the habit of chicken fingers from a box, and premade lasagnas etc.. I spend way more.
The very best way for us to keep that grocery bill down is to buy fresh foods and cook mostly from scratch. I've never understood healthy eating being more expensive. I really find it to be the complete opposite. I can make a pot of soup with veggies and chicken way cheaper than the equivalant would cost me in cans for example.

 

[tavettava]

Last month we spent $290 for groceries and $40 eating out. There are 3 of us:dd16 (allergic to gluten), me, and ds13 (eats enough for 3) and a dog and hamster. Money was tight last month so we ate out of the pantry a lot to help with the groceries I bought. I don't count dh's groceries since he is gone most of the month (he comes home 4 to 6 days a month, he is pretty good about going frugal with groceries.)

I have really been planning what we have. We eat at my dad's almost every Wed., so no cooking that day. I have started going to Aldie's (thank god for the limited selection so I cant go overboard,) and making sure I hit the stores with the sale items I need.

 

[decaff38]

Try not to think about how much we spend of food, etc. monthly. Our milk is 9.99 a gallon, eggs are 7.00 for 18 and basic off brand bread is 5.00 a loaf, bananas are 2.99 a pound. We live in remote Alaska. Tough to budget this. We just buy what we need and ship in the rest. Add 25 cents per pound for shipping. Yes, this is true. Thank goodness we are only 2.

 

[DawnM]

I think it is the $400/mo for eating out that really is the OP's problem.

Dawn

I don't think that $600/month is particularly high for someone who is feeding 5 people, especially if you are also including diapers and other baby supplies for the toddler in that total.

When the kids are home from college, I easily spend $1000/month to feed 2 boys (18, 19) and my vegetarian daughter (21). The kids do eat a lot more "junk" than my husband and I do. That "junk" - sugary cereals, chips, breakfast bars, frozen pizzas, etc. - is off of the grocery list when it's just the 2 of us and I'm only spending around $75/week for us.

 

[DawnM]

I will post a great e-book resource again that I was able to at least get some ideas out of.

http://www.budget101.com/budget101-free-ebook/free-ebook-groceries-200-month-2547.html

Scroll down to the free e-book and download it.

Also, as far as eating out, we bought one of these:
http://www.target.com/p/Igloo-Black-Soft-Sided-Cooler-18-Can/-/A-13465885

We bought it originally for Disney, but have found that we use it for EVERYTHING! We pack it up for a day out in the car, DH takes it golfing for snacks and cold drinks, etc.....it is sold only at Target and has saved us thousands!

Dawn

 

[java]

Try not to think about how much we spend of food, etc. monthly. Our milk is 9.99 a gallon, eggs are 7.00 for 18 and basic off brand bread is 5.00 a loaf, bananas are 2.99 a pound. We live in remote Alaska. Tough to budget this. We just buy what we need and ship in the rest. Add 25 cents per pound for shipping. Yes, this is true. Thank goodness we are only 2.

I hope there is some benefit like fantastic jobs to make up for this.

 

[blackdogg]

About $550-$600 a month. And we rarely eat out. Maybe $60 a month eating out? I would rather eat out less and vacation more.

Family of 4 - 2 kids under the age of 10.

This is our family exactly

 

[mello]

Our grocery budget is $600 a month for 5 of us: me, dh, two teenage boys and dd8 plus 2 dogs. We eat as much natural / organic as possible and I cook about 90% from scratch. So, even though our meat & produce costs are higher, it's offset by bulk staples like rice, beans, oats etc. instead of so much prepackaged stuff. Once in awhile I go over budget when we go to Costco and stock up on snack food items for the boys - they eat a lot.

We've had this same food budget for the last 4 years, and I used to have a fair amount left over for other things, but not so much anymore. I've definitely been using the whole amount and sometimes more in the last year.

I don't really have a budget for eating out - I just try to avoid it as much as possible! But we do spend too much at Starbucks, mostly because it makes a cheap date lol.

 

[kirstenb1]

I'm sure it's at least $250 a week, eekk!! That does include paper goods, shampoo, soap etc. We eat a lot of expensive produce. I'm also weak and buy the kids lots of their favorites. We also like to entertain.

We eat out maybe once a month....

 

[neatokimmo]

I recently bumped it to $60 a week from $40. But I just tossed a whole lot of stuff that went bad so we might be going back to $40. It is me and a kid that eats as much as me. I eat lunch out once a week and we eat out someplace inexpensive once a week for dinner. I pack her lunch everyday. We live in a medium COL area, milk is $4 but I can get meats for under $2pp all the time and fruits/veggies for $1 or less.

 

[MomToOne]

These days I allow $45/week for myself and DD11. That does not include paper products, cat food or anything other than people food for the two of us (all that other stuff comes out of other budgets). We only rarely eat out, but when we do, that also comes out of a different budget. I take lunch with me to work most days, so that is included in the budget, but my daughter has lunches at school included in her tuition, so that cost isn't in my budget.

If there are good meat sales, any given week may be higher than the $45, but that will be offset by lower weeks where I am not buying lots of meat because my freezer is stocked. I've kept the numbers for quite awhile, and know I definitely hit my $45/week average (last year it was only $40/week, but I had to up my budget due to inflation)

At least half my budget goes to in-season fresh fruits and veggies. Otherwise, I buy as few prepared foods as I can manage, and we don't eat lots of junk. I try to live by the rule "if your Grandmother wouldn't recognize the food, then it's probably over processed and not good for you!" and let that guide my buying. I'm not always succesful (how did that bag of Cheetos get in my cart?), but I try.

 

[neatokimmo]

"if your Grandmother wouldn't recognize the food, then it's probably over processed and not good for you!" .

 

[decaff38]

Yes, highest wages in the US. I believe. Limited job types though. Very limited housing and only accessible by air. Dark for about 5 months of the year and total light for 4 months. Temps below 32 for 5 months, below 0 4 months and about -30 for a couple. Doesn't usually get above 50ish. No trees or bushes and minimal grass. Many sacifices by living here. Plus is we will be out of debt and retirements should be fat by the time we return to our family. ( kids are grown)
We all are doing extrodinary things to survive this down turn. This was our solution. Works for us.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

I spend between $100 and $150 a week for me, my adult son, his girlfriend and our two large dogs. I also have another son, his wife, and their four kids over for dinner once a week. We are vegan, so no meat, dairy or eggs, which I think helps keep costs down, but I buy a lot of fresh vegetables and fruit, and we do buy some specialty vegan foods (Manna bread, Earth Balance spread, Daiya "cheese," almond milk and soy milk, etc.) which can be expensive. We rarely eat out (one of the benefits of being vegan - reduces the temptation, since most places don't have vegan options or if they do, it's the usual pathetic veggie burger). (Makes us look forward to the good meal options at Disney - will be there in four weeks!)

One thing I'd like to do to help save is to buy more dried beans, and cook them myself, rather than relying on canned beans. I'm also planning to start making my own almond milk (my daughter always makes it herself) which would also save some money and reduce the preservatives.

Teresa

 

[stargazer2892]

I guess ours is high, 300$ for the month. However, that includes eating out and the occasional time we went out for drinks with friends. We know if we want an expensive dinner out then we have to save on other food for the rest of the month. However that budget is also kind of gone out the window with my cravings!

 

[groovygirl927]

Try not to think about how much we spend of food, etc. monthly. Our milk is 9.99 a gallon, eggs are 7.00 for 18 and basic off brand bread is 5.00 a loaf, bananas are 2.99 a pound. We live in remote Alaska. Tough to budget this. We just buy what we need and ship in the rest. Add 25 cents per pound for shipping. Yes, this is true. Thank goodness we are only 2.

I won't be complaining about the cost of milk anymore (or at least I will try and remind myself how much you pay if I start complaining again)

It is just me and DS15 (DD18 left for college last month so she will still be around 4 months out of the year)

I give myself 120 a week for groceries, going out to eat and walmart household trips. With any extra left (which now with just two I hope is more) I put into an envelope and use it for family events (going out to a nice dinner, movies)

What I do is plan my meals for the week using the grocery store adds (they don't double coupons here but I will use coupons on occasion) This helps us save lot on our grocery bill.

 

[JamesMom]

I had to laugh when I read the OP. Our family is me, DH, DS8 and DS6. We have cut down our groceries to $600 a month (includes paper goods, hygiene, cleaning and DH beer) from a previous average of $800-900. We also lowered our eat-out budget from around $400 a month to $200. And I think we are doing great by paying off our debt an extra $400 a month! I don't know really how to cut it down anymore and we are eating better and healthier than ever.