What does your grocery budget include?

[mommy2abigail]

So, a few weeks ago, dh and I decided that instead of me using the debit card I would just pull out $100 per week for groceries, and fill my gas tank (about $30-$40) once a week. When we made the agreement, it was my understanding that the $100 was to be for our families FOOD groceries, pet food, and small household necessities (dish soap, CitraSolv to clean, sponges, ect). I am really trying to be more frugal with foods, making things from scratch and using whole ingredients rather than convenience foods. We do not use paper products like paper towels or napkins, and we use cloth diapers most of the time. DH only uses sposies, so I do have to buy those.

I did NOT plan to use that $ for vitamins, towels, a coffee maker, shoes for dd2, or enough steak and beer to feed us and 5 friends.: This is what my dh thinks I should be able to buy with 'my' money. He doesn't understand that I'm not just planning for dinners, but the kids and I eat breakfast and lunch and snacks here too! I feel like $100 a week for 2 adults and 2 kids (who EAT) and 2 big (65#) dogs and a cat is pretty darn good! He doesn't get why I spend that much on groceries. I've tried sending him to the store, but since he is only picking up a few things for dinner, his total is always under $20. He doesn't generally pick up all the groceries for the week, like milk, yogurt, fruit, veggies, ect.

So, my question is, am I being unreasonable? Is $100 per week way too much? We live in Orlando, ftr, so COL is on the higher side. I am no longer buying organics, since everything is so expensive. I usually buy one to two snacky/convenience type foods a week, which I could cut out. I know I could be saving a bit more if I baked/made yogurt from scratch...and I will try to make a bigger effort to do that as well.

[zacharysmom]

i have almost that for my family of 2 for food only every thing else is from a diffrent budget

[Mrs.Oz]

Wow, sticking to $100 a week for a family of four plus pets is REALLY good. When I do shopping on a weekly basis my total is about $90 and that's just for two adults and a toddler (I haven't done weekly shopping since DD was born, but then again she doesn't really add much to the bill at this point). While I don't have a budget per se I definitely think only regularly purchased grocery items should be a part of one. Things like shoes, appliances, and food for special events should NOT be a part of it, IMO. There should be a special budget for those one-time purchases.

[Purple Sage]

I agree that he's being unreasonable. Beer and steaks for five people could easily cost more than a quarter of your weekly budget.

Can you save your reciepts and write down where the money goes and show him? I mean really spell it out - these are the meals we eat, this is how much pet food costs, this is how much each dinner costs, etc, etc.

I'd also tell him that if he refuses to use cloth diapers, then the cost of disposables should come out of his money, not yours. Only seems fair.

Good luck!

[tricia80]

that seems very little... we do $50 a wk for 2 ppl and 3 animals... but we also have small animals and buy the big bags of food at walmart so we don't spend on them weekly... the thing is though i don't buy produce at the store and we save alot that way... we buy our produce off the farms...

I definately wouldn't add shoes, vitamins, etc.. those would be under there own budgeted amount...

[Om Girl]

$400.00 a month for groceries/small household items seems reasonable. (especially if you live in a high COL area) I could see beer/steaks for 5 in this category.

*This shouldn't include: shoes, coffee maker or towels.

[Norasmomma]

That is our budget with all household, pet and food. WE also get WIC though.

I buy steaks on sale and freeze them. Right now my store has top sirloin for 1.98 a lb. I'd buy on sale like I always do.

His friends should BYOB.

[soccermama]

We spend anywhere from $75 to $90 a week on groceries for 2 adults and a toddler/preschooler. We buy pet food (for 2 dogs) probably once a month in the largest size possible and that's $35. We visit Target at least once a week and that can range anywhere from $15 to $70 - depending on what we need and how many coupons I have at the time.

[mnnice]

We just don't have as many categories. We have set monthly amount for food, pet food, toileries, gas/oil changes, haircuts, all entertainment (except for the satalite bill), toys/book , OTC meds, dr. copays, gifts, minor household stuff (paint, furnance filters, towels) clothes and shoes.

We don't do my money and his money. It all our money regardless of who was the actual wage earner.

[amandaleigh37]

We have a similar cash/envelope system. I have $50 cash each week for groceries. That's just for DH, myself, and a toddler. (We also do get WIC which helps too).
But we don't buy cleaning stuff or other household items with that. I think for your family size and what you described, $100/week sounds just right.

I'd have him help you plan meals for one week, then go to the store with you to see exactly how much is spent. If he wants "extras" like steaks/beer for entertaining, etc., maybe start taking out seperate cash each week just for that. But just like the grocery money, he needs to understand that once it's gone it's gone!

[Delicateflower]

I think $100 a week is frugal. I have $150 for groceries, $100 for small/frivolous things. Shoes and beer come under the second category, eating out or entertaining comes under normal groceries.

But really, if you're in charge of buying and managing the household, he needs to defer to your judgement. If he's like my husband, he hasn't done normal weekly shopping since you've been at home with the kids, and he's going on what you used to spend as a couple or as singles, only home for breakfast and dinner.

Have him plan and shop and cook next week. No pantry usage allowed. Then he'll understand.

[Knittin' in the Shade]

Beer and steaks for five people could easily cost more than a quarter of your weekly budget.

Heck, beer and steak for 5 people could cost the entirebudget, if my DH were buying it - delmonico steaks and microbrew beer, LOL!

I think $100 is perfectly reasonable for the mouths you are feeding. There's no way I could stretch that to include the non-food incidentals you mentioned.

You mentioned that DH doesn't think about lunch, etc that you're eating at home. Is he buyign food out every day for his breakfast/lunch? If so, I think that you might need to sit down and have a frank talk, if he's careless about the money he's spending on his own food, but giving you a hard time about the home grocery budget.

[WC_hapamama]

I think he's being unreasonable.

Around here, that 3/4 of that $100 would have been eaten up by the shoes, coffee maker, towels, vitamins, disposable diapers and beer and steak, let alone actual groceries, and that's working under the assumption that you're buying the cheapest possible items.

Here's an example.

cheapest coffee maker at Target- $18 (on sale)
toddler shoes- $7 for cheap sandals, $10 for sneakers
vitamins- $8 for cheap multivitamins
disposable diapers- $7 for store brand
towels- $2 each for the cheapest bath towels at Target
beer- $7 for the cheapest 12 pack of domestic beer
steak- $15-$20 for enough top sirloin for 5 (I wouldn't serve round steaks to guests) the cost for round steak would probably be $10-$15.

We grocery shop as a family, so my DH is well aware of how much a cart full of groceries for a week costs us. He doesn't bitch about grocery costs because he knows that I try to make every penny count.

[PJJ]

Answer

You are doing well for the number of folks in household and your budget.

Good luck with convincing your DH.


Perhaps have him go with you at least once.

[Chicky2]

Originally Posted by WC_hapamama

I think he's being unreasonable.

Around here, that 3/4 of that $100 would have been eaten up by the shoes, coffee maker, towels, vitamins, disposable diapers and beer and steak, let alone actual groceries, and that's working under the assumption that you're buying the cheapest possible items.

Here's an example.

cheapest coffee maker at Target- $18 (on sale)
toddler shoes- $7 for cheap sandals, $10 for sneakers
vitamins- $8 for cheap multivitamins
disposable diapers- $7 for store brand
towels- $2 each for the cheapest bath towels at Target
beer- $7 for the cheapest 12 pack of domestic beer
steak- $15-$20 for enough top sirloin for 5 (I wouldn't serve round steaks to guests) the cost for round steak would probably be $10-$15.

We grocery shop as a family, so my DH is well aware of how much a cart full of groceries for a week costs us. He doesn't bitch about grocery costs because he knows that I try to make every penny count.

I could have written every word of this post. He is definitely being unreasonable.

[lmonter]

Originally Posted by mommy2abigail

So, my question is, am I being unreasonable? Is $100 per week way too much?

Nope. That's actually really good.

Originally Posted by Delicateflower

But really, if you're in charge of buying and managing the household, he needs to defer to your judgement. If he's like my husband, he hasn't done normal weekly shopping since you've been at home with the kids, and he's going on what you used to spend as a couple or as singles, only home for breakfast and dinner.

Have him plan and shop and cook next week. No pantry usage allowed. Then he'll understand.

Exactly. Not like you call him up every 30 minutes at work and tell him he's doing something wrong and needs to do it this way and for less money.

Originally Posted by Knittin' in the Shade

You mentioned that DH doesn't think about lunch, etc. that you're eating at home. Is he buying food out every day for his breakfast/lunch? If so, I think that you might need to sit down and have a frank talk, if he's careless about the money he's spending on his own food, but giving you a hard time about the home grocery budget.

Yes.


Can you sit down with him one night when the kids are in bed, make an entire menu plan for the week for everybody including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, make a grocery list, and then send him shopping by himself? Knowing there's most likely going to be an overage as most guys don't seem to pay attention to prices (it's taken a few years, but hubby will get generic canned beans if they're cheaper, that kind of thing). And I know the guys I've been around are suckers for impulse buying, which adds something like 20% to the bill, right?

But maybe I'm spoiled because hubby and I work as a team. He trusts my judgment, so when I come home with 300lbs of apples from the farmers market, he just smiles and nods and maybe giggles at me a little. But he's happy when we have frozen or canned apple cider to crack open in March and yummy applesauce all year long. There's also no "his" or "my" money except our monthly fun money (which tends to swap wallets half the time anyway!) or in talking when we refer to our investment account that I had before we got married (just because it's habit, he's on the account and all that jazz). It's all joint since our marriage is a joint effort, and it's what works for us.

[mommy2abigail]

Thanks for the replies. I guess he just doesn't realize how much groceries cost! I lost my debit card and haven't called to get a new one because he is always teasing me about using it too much. Granted, there are times I buy stuff for the kids they don't need, so I could use some improvement in that area. But if I buy stuff in bulk or what not, he usually teases me about it or says we don't need it. I try to buy on sale, but that sometimes means buying something we don't need RIGHT NOW in order to buy it at a cheaper price.

[yeahwhat]

I would just save the grocery receipts, hand them to him, and ask what he doesn't want the kids or you both to eat that week.

With recent price increases and growing kids, I'm up to $120-$140/week for our family (2 adults, 4 kids) and I hate to spend that much, but when I look at what I spent it on, none of it is steaks and beer for friends, let alone diapers, coffee makers, etc.

[WC_hapamama]

We're a family of 6 in a high COL area... we're easily spending $800-$1000/month on groceries including paper products, cleaning products, diapers and other personal care items.

I could shave about $150 off of that pretty easily, but not much more than that. Part of the problem is having to deal with food allergies.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by lemongrass

I agree that he's being unreasonable. Beer and steaks for five people could easily cost more than a quarter of your weekly budget.

More than that, at least around here. I can't see buying steak and beer for 5 for under $35...depending how much beer, of course.

My grocery budget would include vitamins, but it doesn't include pet food or bedding (one hedgehog).

It includes:

Real food (staples, meat, dairy, produce, etc.)
Snack food (mostly nuts and dried fruit, very occasional crackers or something)
Luxury items (Coffee, dark chocolate)
Small household items and toiletries (toothpaste, shampoo, dish soap, sponges, bar soap, toilet paper)
Occasional incidentals (pack of needles, shoelaces, toothpicks)
ummm....think that covers everything.

Once in a while, I might pick up a new dish towel or oven mitts or a popsicle tray or something. That gets paid for at the same time as groceries, but if I were operating on a "this much cash" basis, I wouldn't count it. I certainly wouldn't include a coffee maker! (Nor do/would I count some other things we sometimes buy at the BIG BOX grocery store...an iron, a handmixer, a Rubbermaid toy box, clothes hangers, etc.)

We spend about $200/week, for a family of five (including one teenage male). We do operate on debit card, but I monitor it pretty closely. I think $100/week is really good, especially including pets.

OP: Have you showed him your grocery receipts?