Weekly Amount Spent on Groceries? - Page 2

[Boernemama]

Originally Posted by amydawnsmommy

How do you ever feed your family for $50-$60 per week?
Do you buy meat in that amount? Does your dh hunt or fish?

What kinds of things do you serve for meals? I'm curious.

Well, right now it is just my DH and I and we live in Texas. We can't afford to buy a lot of organic so I search for the fruit and veggies that are on sale, as well as the meat that is on sale. Being Italian, I make a lot of Italian food...a big pot of homemade sauce and then use it to make pasta one night, homemade pizza one night, chicken parm. one night. Sometimes, I will make a roast and then use that to make different meals also. However, the $50 doesn't include our personal items we need....just food.

[crissei]

We spend $50 max a week on groceries for a family of three, including cleaning supplies, personal care items ect. We do grow/raise some of our own food though. We spend about $50 a month in feed for our dairy goats, sheep, and poultry, and about $50 a year on seeds and plants. In the future, when the farm gets off its feet we hope to spend much less at the grocery store.

We usually stick to buying from the store;
grains and beans
fruits and veggies, fresh and frozen
a small amount of meat
olive oil
cat food
seventh gen, detergent, dish soap. We wait until it's on sale, and stock up.
toilet paper
spices/herbs that I can't grow

[Mama Dragon]

We spend about $800/month for 7 of us (one's a baby, so really 6), so about $200 a week.

[bwylde]

We spend an average of $50 a week for the 4 of us (some weeks $25, some as high as $75). We don't drink milk, which is our biggest savings as our grocery spendings would more than double if we did. I am super frugal though and try to make as much as I can from scratch, although we do rely more than I'd like on convenience food (trying to move away from that). I load up and only buy things on sales and shop from the reduced racks as much as I can. When I shop, I do it thinking ahead for the long term, not just for the week I'm shopping for, except for fresh veggies and fruit.

I'm so glad to see some recognition for the fact Canadian food prices are much higher than in the US. I feel twinges of jealousy when I see how cheap people can get things, especially when their organic products are a lot cheaper than our regular things. I wonder if things will ever even out with the dollars getting close in value.

[amydawnsmommy]

Originally Posted by Benji'sMom

Another thing, how is this estimate being done by your DH? Are you keeping reciepts? Actually keeping our reciepts for a couple of months was key for us to really find out how much we spent on food vs. other little things we might pick up at the store. This would also help your DH see how much food items actually cost, so he'll stop underestimating the normal cost of food.

Probably just in his head. Or by looking at the credit card bill, in other words, mine and he's likely not including his.

Good idea about keeping the receipts! I should do that. It might help.
Then again when I buy supplements or health food products he often considers them a waste of money even though I know we feel better for eating them. Sometimes I feel like he is a natural born grouch!

[amydawnsmommy]

Originally Posted by bwylde

I'm so glad to see some recognition for the fact Canadian food prices are much higher than in the US. I feel twinges of jealousy when I see how cheap people can get things, especially when their organic products are a lot cheaper than our regular things. I wonder if things will ever even out with the dollars getting close in value.

It would be nice if it did but somehow I doubt it. There are a lot less people in Canada compared to the number in the States which would make a difference to the cost. Also our minimum wage is higher than theirs so producing food here is going to cost more and since there are less people here and we are very spread out, the transportation costs are higher too.

[lmonter]

We aim for our grocery/food bill (includes eating out usually - except this month when dh and I are splurging at a very fancy restaurant as a belated anniversary thing - we do this once or twice a year) to be $400-$450/mo in USD. But household stuff like occasional shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet paper, new phone, etc. I throw into a different category (household stuff), so if you added that it our "grocery" bill would be higher.

Originally Posted by nina_yyc

ETA: If your DH doesn't like the price, maybe he should do the shopping and the meal planning...to the same high standards I'm sure you're up to.

: And don't forget to have him do some of the from-scratch cooking that saves money (but not necessarily time). But I'm evil like that...