We are a family of three (2 adults and an always hungry, high metabolism, eats more than me every day child) and we spend $335 per month (averaged over the year) for all purchased food (not dining out and not household supplies). Plus, we feed our cat a raw food diet and her food comes out of the $335 every month, too.<br><br>
I have to give kudos to my DH. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love"> He does most of the cooking and most of the food shopping. He goes into the store and gets what he needs and gets out of the store. He is far faster and more efficient than I am with groceries. (I excel with non-food shopping.) He also goes along with my desires to better our food quality as long as I initiate the changes and do the research for him...basically make it easy for him to get into a store, buy the stuff we need, and get out....same routine for him, just a different place and different quality food.<br><br>
The key for us staying in budget (and still eating healthy) is to shop at different stores for different things. DH generally goes grocery shopping once a week and his max is two stores and they must be near each other. It isn't the same 1-2 stores each week and that is how we get the various foods at the best prices.<br><br>
We also have a year-round CSA (organic, local produce) that I pick up once every two weeks and split with another family. That cost is included in the $335 per month average. We pay once a quarter, so that month is over $335 which means other months must be under $335.<br><br>
Most of our veggies and some of our fruit now come from the CSA and we fill in at our local hfs and farmer's markets, as needed (specific veggies for certain meals or if we run out or if we just want something not grown at the farm). We also grow a bit of our food (three varieties of lettuces, broccoli, beets, blueberries, and random other things--mostly herbs). We have a teeny, tiny townhome yard that is more like a large patio with two small garden areas, we also trade with neighbors and friends who grow organically.<br><br>
We buy fish and dairy and eggs mostly at Trader Joe's. Some convenience frozen food (just a few very specific items). Other random things, too, including certain snacks and canned food (not much of either of these which is why I lumped them in with random things).<br><br>
Rice and beans typically come from our local hfs in the bulk bins.<br><br>
DH does 90% of the above shopping. I may be in the store with him, but he is on his own agenda and I either follow along or focus on the non-food items at break-neck speed to finish at his pace! <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"> Mostly, though, I use these times for researching our best options (quality/price points). DD almost always goes with DH whereas I opt to do something else about half the time. It is good daddy-daughter time. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love"> I do the above shopping 10% of the time on my own or with DD, as needed, when I am running other errands.<br><br>
We buy most of our meat (for us and the cat) and cheese at Costco and a few random other food items (along with some non-food items and nearly all gas for the cars). We also get our bread and tortillas here (locally made). It is almost always a family "event" due to location. The closest Costco (5 miles away) has Ikea, Lowes, and a great library in the same parking lot. Another Costco is in a general area where we can get nearly all our shopping done in a short period of time. (It is 10 miles away in the opposite direction, but saves gas overall because we can go to a dozen places -- including a library in a different system, as needed, in one swoop.)<br><br>
We buy baking soda, vinegar, syrup, toilet paper, and paper towels at Smart & Final due to price. Every time I price it out, S&F comes out the lowest per unit price on these items and the highest quality for most (the vinegar is for cleaning, so I don't care if it is the best). Well, syrup is because of the brand and DH simply likes that particular brand and I don't care either way. We never see it elsewhere, so price comparison is not possible. We only need these items a few times a year, so this store gets worked into rotation as needed. I will pick up frozen raw fish for the cat here, too.<br><br>
We will stop into either of our neighborhood typical grocery stores for certain things or if we need something in a hurry (both are walking distance and one or the other is on the way home no matter which direction we come into our neighborhood). One store has better meat and DH will find random reduced-for-quick-sale meat for the kitty and/or us once in awhile. These places have sales around the clock on <i>something,</i> so if we're having a party I choose from the sale items before meal planning and filling in elsewhere.<br><br>
I get most of our random organic foods (and non-food items) from a local discount store at the best prices in this area usually (I keep track in my head), which is located near the Costco 10 miles away and across the street from a great hfs and more... Whenever I need to run a bunch of errands, I almost always choose to drive this direction and hit the discount store FIRST and then fill in with the other dozen+ places nearby (including two thrift stores to drop off and/or browse). The catch is you never know what they will have, so you cannot rely on them to have anything specific. I call it treasure hunting and enjoy it once a month. I typically check the website for coupons and specials the night before I go and try to only go the last week of the month (so I know how much of our budget I have to work with) as soon as they open (because the good stuff goes fast). Nothing there is refrigerated or frozen, so it works well to have it be the first stop even if I have a lot of other shopping to do. DH has only been here once (with me). It doesn't work well for his way of shopping.
