How much do you spend a month? - Page 2

[flminivanmama]

Originally Posted by riaketty

Maybe I'm just lucky but I've never understood how some people's grocery bills can be so high! Are we just in a lower COL area or something?

your kids are still young

[riaketty]

Originally Posted by mellowyellowmama

Thanks for posting. We are officially off food stamps. I don't know if you all want me to tell you about my experience last time I went, but I walked out. It was sad. Anywho, so this week I am starting on our own! I am going to make a meal plan for the week for dinners, buy a crockpot off craigslist and I LOVE YOUR CASH IDEA! That way you can only spend what you take! Love it!

An awesome crockpot resource is http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/. It's a woman who made a new year's pledge to crockpot for a whole year - and she did it. She posted all her recipes. Some of them can be pricy but often you can substitute with lower-priced ingredients and still get the same result. Sometimes I think I live on that site, I crockpot cook so much...

[riaketty]

Originally Posted by flminivanmama

your kids are still young

Ugh, that's very true. . Does that mean I should start saving up now so I can afford grocery bills in a few years?

[Benji'sMom]

What is your monthly food budget?
It's supposed to be $400/month but I hit a little snag when I first became single and I was actually spending about $600 due to convenience items, but I'm getting back on track now.

How many people are you feeding?
1 adult, 2 preschoolers

Do you meal plan for dinners? What about breakfast or lunches?

Breakfasts are all the same every morning, and lunches for the kids are through the schools, my lunches are leftovers or convenience foods. I do meal plan for dinners, but their going through their picky phases right now so there's really not a lot of variety they'd be willing to eat anyway, so "planning" is not that hard.

Any special dietary needs, i.e. GF, DF, Organic, no soy, etc?
No

Where do you shop?
Super One, Super Evil Walmart


ETA: Any tips?

make a price book, always check sales before buying anything.

[flminivanmama]

Originally Posted by riaketty

Ugh, that's very true. . Does that mean I should start saving up now so I can afford grocery bills in a few years?

[gromero]

What is your monthly food budget? $750/month

How many people are you feeding? 6-2 adults, 4 kids, and I sometimes babysit

Do you meal plan for dinners? Yes. Every Thursday I start for the next week (dh gets paid on Fridays and I usually go on Saturdays to the store).

What about breakfast or lunches? Yes....I try to do cereal about 1-2 a week (only because it is so darn expensive!)

Any special dietary needs, i.e. GF, DF, Organic, no soy, etc? Nope

Where do you shop? Our local Stater Bros.

ETA: Any tips? I usually go through our store ad to see what kind of meat is on sale, and make my meals from that. Homemade snacks (banana bread, muffins, etc.) Take only cash with you!!!! Only buy whats on sale (easier said then done, but our store usually has lots on sale so I really luck out).

[kellid]

Originally Posted by riaketty

What is your monthly food budget? $200/mo grocery, $50/mo meat

How many people are you feeding? 2 adults, a 20-month-old, and a 2-month-old (through nursing).

Do you meal plan for dinners? What about breakfast or lunches? Dinners, yes. Breakfast, no. Lunch is leftovers first, whatever you want next.

Any special dietary needs, i.e. GF, DF, Organic, no soy, etc? Not really.

Where do you shop? 90% Aldi, 5% our local butcher, 5% Wal-mart. However, a lot of things we just make here at home, including bread, tortillas, soups, broth, etc.


I take cash. That way I can't possibly spend more than I have. I've had to put things back before (and man, is that embarrasing) but I never go over. We do not buy soda, chips, cookies, etc. We do a LOT of soups, stews, casseroles... and a LOT of crock pot meals (like, 6 out of 7 days a week is crock pot.).

However, even on only $250/mo, I think we eat awesome. We're never lacking. There's always veggies, at least a little meat, etc. We don't do organic though... it really doesn't appeal to me. We do do whole grain, pretty traditional-food diet stuff.

Maybe I'm just lucky but I've never understood how some people's grocery bills can be so high! Are we just in a lower COL area or something? I can't imagine spending $800/month on groceries! Heck, that's half our monthly pay.

i would LOVE to know how you do this. even with young kids. what does a week of meals look like for you? what do you make at home? tia........cuz i need a 250 food budgette, 500 would even be fine. sorry no imput to the op. in a similar but different boat.

[mommariffic]

We spend a disgusting amount of money on food. My husband has no concept of saving, or coupon cutting, and he goes food shopping a few times a month and will blow an ungodly amount on FROZEN junk that only he eats. It really makes me angry, and after reading this I'm banning him from the market.

Food Budget: 1,000 roughly.
Feeding: Two adults, 1 toddler.
Do you plan meals: We work from home, so all meals are eaten here. I plan dinners, and breakfasts but lunch everyone is on their own. I stock up on cheeses, wraps, carrots, soups, and other quick foods.
No dietary needs
We shop at: Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and A&P. I try to get all organic, and locally grown. When the farmers market opens we will go there!

[crunchymomofmany]

Hi!

Our food budget is $350.00 ish per month (a little more if there are special b-day dinners involved)
We feed: 8 people: 3 teens; 1 10yo; a preschooler; a toddler; a preggo mama; and dad
Yes! We plan meals!
We have a bit of a dietary issue as one son is a Type 1 diabetic.
We shop at: Aldi, Walmart, Festival Foods & Copps (for produce when there are no farmer's markets around), Bakery thrift store and Salvage (dented can) stores.

tip? Don't buy any pre-made desserts, snack cakes, etc - home make anything you want for a treat - it's cheaper, healthier and keeps kids from getting used to it being around.

I have lots of tips on eating organically and frugally on my blog and there are other great ones like stretcher.com and frugalvillage.com!

[UUMom]

:)

Edited by UUMom - 6/11/12 at 7:41pm

[425lisamarie]

We spend about $1200

I don't eat 100% organic at all, as much as I can though. I shop from local people, and costco a lot.

Not really any specific dietary needs I guess....I eat mostly vegan, kids and DH eat everything

I bake my own bread, and literally cook everything from scratch. My bill is pretty high though because I often cook for my mom and dad during the week and try to find someone in need during the month to cook for. This month I've made a few things for a dear friend who's boy is allergic to everything and she doesn't know how to bake, so I make a few snacks for her to keep in the freezer for their lunches, and that can be expensive buying extra vegan chocolate, etc.

Food is basically my hobby though so it's justifiable and i'm not spending more than we can. That's the big thing I think. I could myself eat for pennies a day and often do just to see how cheap I can eat.

[holothuroidea]

Our budget is 65$/week for grocery and household items so that's about 260$/month. This budget also includes things like light bulbs, toiletries, toilet paper, etc.

This is for 2 adults and one infant in New Jersey (very high COL area).

I buy ONLY fruits, vegetables, meats and grains.
The only processed food I buy are dairy products (and dairy substitutes for me) like cream, butter, yogurt and cheese, pasta, and bread. I would take a nice cheese over a box of cookies for the same price any day. Because we do this, our grocery bills are very small. I also buy very large, cheap cuts of meat. They take longer to cook but it's worth it for half the price.

We eat very well, very healthfully and very cheap. It's a hard diet to get used to when you are accustomed to convenience foods but if you are motivated it is very rewarding.

We also have 15$ a week each for spending money, so if we want to get junkfood (I have a weakness for chocolate covered raisins and Fritos, haha) it comes out of our spending money.

TIPS: Use CASH, that way you don't spend more than you have. When I was using the debit card to buy groceries it was like... free food. If I dont SEE the money than the money doesn't exist in my head and I'm less careful about my spending.

[Sk8ermaiden]

What is your monthly food budget? I am working it down. It has been $450-500. This month $400. I am aiming for $350 next month due to a few key changes and would LOVE to get down to $300 without sacrificing our quality or variety.

How many people are you feeding? Just 2. My husband eats as much as my whole family of 4 did growing up (and never gains a pound. ).

Do you meal plan for dinners? What about breakfast or lunches? Yes. Now that I am SAM I am working the budget and meal plan dinner 2 weeks at a time. I have all next month's planned out though, as we're going to join Costco.

Breakfast and my lunches I just always keep certain things on hand - I don't really "plan". DH I plan to pack him sandwiches/apple/yogurt 3 times a week and leftovers the other 2.

Any special dietary needs, i.e. GF, DF, Organic, no soy, etc? No.

Where do you shop? Used to be Randalls, and superHEB when budget wasn't an issue (man, back in the day I might spend $600/ month on the two of us), but recently it's been Walmart and our Farmer's Market (which, luckily, is on the unbelievably cheap side).

Starting Next Saturday it will be Costco once a month, farmer's market twice a month, our local meat market/butcher shop once every 4 months and WalMart once a week (milk/bananas/bagged salad)

We also budget $100/mo for eating out, which can be two nights or 10 depending on how we feel.

[Baby Makes 4]

What is your monthly food budget? $800

How many people are you feeding? 2 adults, one teenage boy and one preschooler plus I am breastfeeding.

Do you meal plan for dinners? What about breakfast or lunches? We meal plan for dinners and have the same standard breakfast and lunch foods around all the time.

Any special dietary needs, i.e. GF, DF, Organic, no soy, etc? We are Feingold so most of our packaged foods are organic to avoid the artificial ingredients.

Where do you shop? Costco and Superstore

ETA: Any tips?

We meal plan in 2 week chunks and shop once every two weeks. If we forget something or run out then we do our best to make do without it unless it's really, really important.

[at_the_hip]

What is your monthly food budget?
400-500 Canadian...much less converted to USD, LOL

How many people are you feeding?
6

Do you meal plan for dinners? What about breakfast or lunches?
yes - breakfast is flexible, This is the only way I can strictly maintain the budget.

Any special dietary needs, i.e. GF, DF, Organic, no soy, etc?
organic for high risk items like apples, berries, etc.
low-fat due to reflux in dh and I

Where do you shop?
local big box grocery store - except for meat which I get from the butcher (free range unmedicated)

[cville-rn]

What is your monthly food budget? 450, down from 600, down from 800! I am seeing how low we can go

How many people are you feeding? 2 adults, one baby, I am breastfeeding.

Do you meal plan for dinners? What about breakfast or lunches? We meal plan for all dinners. Lunches I just eat whatever is around, usually egg salad sandwiches because we have chickens. Breakfast is the same every day.

Any special dietary needs, i.e. GF, DF, Organic, no soy, etc? We try to buy as much organic and local stuff as possible.

Where do you shop? The local butcher, farmers markets, Kroger, and Whole Foods

ETA: Any tips?

We eat a lot of repeats. A typical week looks like this: pasta, tacos, quiche or pizza, tuna casserole or chicken, and soup. The other two nights are usually something "special". But that is our typical week.

I buy all of our meat at the beginning of the month from the butcher, and freeze it. Then I grocery shop every 2-3 weeks at Kroger and Whole Foods. In between I run to the local grocer for bananas and anything else small we may need.

I think we eat really well for that amount of money.

[Caneel]

What is your monthly food budget? $700 to $900, which is crazy high.

How many people are you feeding? 2 adults and a small child

Do you meal plan for dinners? Yes

What about breakfast or lunches? Weekend breakfast, yes. During the week, I eat breakfast and lunch at my desk. DS has breakfast and lunch at pre-school.

Any special dietary needs, i.e. GF, DF, Organic, no soy, etc? Not special needs but I avoid snack foods, sodas/bottled juices and packaged food.

IMO, we eat a lot of seafood and red meat.

Where do you shop? Local (geography and ownership) down the street for everything but meat, local butcher shop for meat and occasionally visit farm stands in season.

[mamaof5boys]

OP- thank you so much for posting this!! I have often wondered what other people spend on food. Especially when you're trying to eat healthier.

I have to say, my jaw dropped when I read everyone's responses!!

I am embarrassed to say that for our family of 7, I spend over $2,000 on groceries, plus probably a couple of hundred on eating out!! It just seemed out of control, so I am trying really hard to cut back.

We joined Costco, and so far I think I've been able to spend about $500 for two weeks of meals, and then we end up going to Whole Foods for about $200 dollars worth of other stuff. So I haven't calculated yet, but I think we may have cut our groceries down to $1200 per month. But the thing that really bothers me is that I've only been able to cut expenses by not buying all organic food. I used to buy only Whole Foods meat and mostly organic produce.

I would LOVE any help you all have!! How do you eat healthy without spending a ton? I really don't buy too many processed things, and we try to make our own stuff. I'm hoping to do more of that now that the twins are two. BTW- did I mention I have 5 boys!?! I am desperate to get the food costs down. Everyone keeps telling me how much teenage boys eat, and I'm thinking if I'm already spending $2,000 now, what's it going to be in a couple of years?!

[limabean]

What is your monthly food budget? We didn't have one until recently, when I noticed that we were spending about $700/month at the grocery store and was horrified. That includes non-food items like toiletries and cleaning products, but still! Now we have a budget of $500, and I've been able to stick to it the past two months -- last month's grocery spending ended up at $430.

How many people are you feeding? Four, but one is a baby -- it's myself, DH, a 4yo, and an 11mo.

Do you meal plan for dinners? What about breakfast or lunches? Yes, all dinners are planned. Breakfasts and lunches aren't systematically planned, but I always make sure there's sandwich stuff, crackers, fruit, pancake stuff, oatmeal, etc. in the house. We can make four typical weeknight dinners using one good-sized roast chicken and some basic staples -- common dinners are chicken/potatoes/broccoli, chicken tacos/beans/rice, chicken pasta/garlic bread/salad, and BBQ chicken pizza/salad. We'll eat stuff like that Monday through Thursday, then eat out on Friday, then eat something frozen on Saturday (so I don't have to worry about ingredients staying fresh that long, and so I don't end up having to go back to the grocery store later in the week and possibly spending extra money I didn't intend to spend) -- this week on Saturday we're having potstickers, fried rice, and edamame, all purchased frozen at Trader Joe's.

Any special dietary needs, i.e. GF, DF, Organic, no soy, etc? No, none.

Where do you shop? Mostly Trader Joe's, with a few things purchased from the supermarket or Target.

[rhiOrion]

Okay, this thread has been asleep for a while, but I just wandered over to this part of MDC and I am suddenly appalled at myself!

What is your monthly food budget? $500-600, including household items bought at the grocery store, and including eating out.

How many people are you feeding? 2

Do you meal plan for dinners? What about breakfast or lunches? I try to plan out what we're going to eat for the week, and only go to the grocery store one time. I try to make my lunches for the week during the weekend. My husband eats a sandwich every day, so that's easy. We eat the same things for breakfast every day, too.

Any special dietary needs, i.e. GF, DF, Organic, no soy, etc? Nope, though I do tend to buy almond milk for myself, as well as free-range, cruelty free eggs, and some organic/healthier stuff.

Where do you shop? Usually Harris Teeter. I try to go to Food Lion because it's cheaper, but it is just so painful to shop there. Our Harris Teeter is so much nicer.

But seriously, what the heck is wrong with me?! You guys with two kids are spending half as much as I do.

Actually, I think I know some problems:

1. We drink beer, and although we can settle for Yeungling sometimes... we way prefer good beer.

2. I am horrible at coupon clipping. One time a friend came by and we went through a ton of coupons and then went to the store together. I ended up spending twice as much as I normally do (though, to be fair, I did buy some stuff in bulk)

3. I tend to overcook, and I am not always very good at eating leftovers after about day 2-3. I especially have trouble with meat leftovers.

4. I tend to forget about food in the freezer until it's freezer burned and my brain/stomach just can't handle the thought of eating it.

5. Cooking is my hobby. Planning ahead is great most of the time, but if I get a recipe in my head, I end up breaking down and going to the store. But hey... at least my hobby feeds us! What has my husband's gaming and snowboarding done for me lately?