[mommaof5]

I would love to have some large families share with me your budget for food and extras.

I have a family of 7 soon to be 8 and I spend
The ages are 14, 10, 8, 5, 2.
500.00 on groceries (includes all household items)
600.00 on extras (does not include piano lessons or any other bills)

I am curious if others are making it on less. I try to trim but this tends to be where it always stays.

 

[FillingMyQuiver]

What are your extras?? We're a family of 6: 2 adults, 5yo, 3.5yo, 1.5yo, and 3mo.

$540 for groceries, this includes all household items, toiletries, and our share of a side of beef we split w/ my parents and DS2's formula costs.

$100 for "extras", includes DH's allowance for eating out a few times at work, gifts, and entertainment (eating out for the family, movie rentals, etc)

We have sink funds for house maintenance, car stuff, medical stuff, etc.

I wanted to add that we don't have a clothing budget right now. For the kiddos, we have so many hand me downs that we're working through them and when DH needs clothing, we use gift cards we get for birthdays or holidays or just take it from savings. I tend to make quite a bit of my own clothing or I use birthday/ holiday gift cards.

 

[Drummer's Wife]

I think $500 for groceries is really good for a family your size! We spend twice that and have 6 people.

We don't spend $600 on extras/non-bills, so I'm not sure exactly what that figure includes for your family.

ETA: I'm trying to figure out what "extras" we had to budget for this month-- though, I realize it's only half way over

. All four kids got new shoes, so that was $150; Easter cost us close to $100; We went to an indoor amusement park where we spent $75; DH got a new pair of pants and tie, which I am guessing cost around $100; We've gone out to eat, but I tend to take that out of our grocery/food budget and then spend less at the store that week. We have family coming for a visit the last week of the month, so I am planning for this and any extra cost associated.

So, I guess we do spend some money on extra stuff, but it's not every month (like Easter, or new shoes).

Now, March was pretty high because all four kids have birthdays within 32 days of each other. But it's something we know is coming, though we always end up spending way more than what we planned.

 

[mommaof5]

Extras is everything not budgeted...

Car maintenance
date nights with hubby (100.00)
if husband eats out for lunch (2 times a week when he has school in the evening)
this month included easter
birthdays
I guess it is everything you have to pay for that you don't know is coming or does not come on a regular basis.

 

[Denvergirlie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mommaof5 Extras is everything not budgeted... Car maintenance date nights with hubby (100.00) if husband eats out for lunch (2 times a week when he has school in the evening) this month included easter birthdays I guess it is everything you have to pay for that you don't know is coming or does not come on a regular basis.

But they really are things you know are coming, so re-name the money for what it really is, that might help so you can see where the money really does go.

If you have a car, it will always need maintenance.
If you have date night - then it will always need money allocated to it
Birthdays occur every year
DH allowance to include eating out.

Granted you say it's working for you now, but it might be easier in the long run to see where you really are spending you money if you're having issues trying to figure out what your budget really is.

However, if it works for you now, then just stay with it. I guess it will depend on why you are asking this question. Are you asking to see where you can trim expenses? Are you asking just to get a feel for other's budgets?

large family size really won't affect the car maint line, or the DH allowance/ eating out line, etc, etc.

good luck

 

[Drummer's Wife]

I'm trying (just now) to budget in DH's lunches out. He eats out pretty much every day, so I know it's coming and would like to set a limit for it (and make him follow it!) Our problem has been him using cash and having issues with figuring out the real cost-- so this month, I am making him use the debit card for every single thing so I can budget accordingly for next month.

If I could get him to take lunch and stop buying soda/candy from the vending machine, I'd be oh so happy.

 

[Drummer's Wife]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denvergirlie large family size really won't affect the car maint line, or the DH allowance/ eating out line, etc, etc.

that's true. I think food and housing maybe is the biggest cost of larger families.... and to me, your grocery budget seems pretty low for 7 people.

 

[mommaof5]

I guess I am asking to get a feel for others. I guess we need to track our extra expenses to see where it all goes. I just thought of some other things that came up this month.

colloidal silver 120.00 (this will last a few years)
Getting yard in order 50.00
30.00 new shoes for two daughters
80.00 calculator for daughters math class
20.00 sams club membership
15.00 for baby shower in another state that could not give my 2.00 clearance gift.
20.00 for new cloth baby wipes and 3 used cloth diapers for new baby.
10.00 for daughters field trip
140.00 for car maintenance (it was only suppose to be 40.00)
Planned a friends shower spent 15.00 on paper goods, table cloth and food (had six other women help out to keep cost low)

It is all the little things that drive me crazy. I try to cut back at every turn but these little things add up fast and I am not sure how families don't have an extra budget.

 

[Drummer's Wife]

ah, field trips is one I never budget for, but need to. That and snack day: DS brings snack for his class every 3 weeks. Can't imagine how it will be when all four kids are in school! Which reminds me, I need to check their lunch accounts online and make sure they have enough for the rest of the year.

 

[FillingMyQuiver]

Ahhh... so then my sink funds would be included in your "extras" number. Well, here's our monthly budget for you, DH brings home $4594/mo and we have 2 "extra" paychecks/yr that we put towards debt snowballing right now, and eventually savings once the cc is paid off. Our medical insurance is comes out pretax.

savings $150
tithe $550
mortgage (including taxes, insurance, etc) $1515
electric $200 (usually less, the extra gets saved)
water $75 (usually less, the extra gets saved)
house maintenance (sink fund) $100
cell phone $75
cable/ internet/ home phone $125
groceries $440
suburban payment $260
gas $400 (actually MUCH less, but this was what it was at the height last yr so we kept the number JIC. The extra gets saved)
auto insurance $74
lic/ auto taxes (sink fund) $50
car maintenance (sink fund) $100
CC $350
entertainment $60
medical $30
DH allowance $20
gifts $20

The $150 we put into savings sometimes gets used for needed things like shoes for the kiddos or clothing. We also use 1 of the "extra" paychecks to cover our bulk meat order.

Does that help??

 

[Chicky2]

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...5&postcount=16

This is from another thread. It is myself, my dh, MIL,
our 20 yo dd, 10 yo dd, 8 yo ds, and 2 yo dd. MIL recently had her long term disability end and that was an additional $600/mo we had to put in the bank. I'm trying to make that up in rabbit sales, but am really just getting started there so it'll be awhile...

 

[tryingforbaby]

Hi I was lurking for ideas. How do you do your funds? do you have multiple bank accounts for each? For example.. general checking, car savings, savings, etc.?

 

[FillingMyQuiver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tryingforbaby Hi I was lurking for ideas. How do you do your funds? do you have multiple bank accounts for each? For example.. general checking, car savings, savings, etc.?

nak

not sure who this was directed to, but i'll answer. we use the cash envelope system for groceries, house and car maintenance funds, lic/auto taxes, entertainment, medical, DH's allowance, and gifts.

our normal savings goes to a savings acct linked to our checking acct. we use our cc to pay for gas, but pay it off each month so that we don't have to go inside the gas station when we fill up.

DH bucked on the cash envelope system for so long, but we honestly couldn't properly track our money. we were leaking from all over the place and had a hard time seeing what was what. with cash, we know where the money is going AND if need be, we can move it between funds w/ no problem.

 

[BetsyS]

We have a bunch of those little categories, too, and I have it set up in Microsoft Money. Each envelope is set up as a separate account, and I can see the balances at any time.

I only use cash for groceries right now, though it is helpful, and I might move towards more categories being in cash.

 

[holidaymama]

Well we are not a big family by any means (only the 4 of us) but we budget everything out into envelopes.

We bring in $5500/month

Mortgage: $1045
Savings: $500
Daycare: $650
Car: $500 (we are snowballing to pay off in one year)
Car Ins: $90
HOA $63
Water: $90
Electric: $250 (only in the summer so we use that extra for whatever "extra" comes up)
Cell Phones: $150 (ridiculous but had to add another line when son dropped phone in cup of water...will lower in June)
Cable/Int.: $100
Gas: $400 (always extra that we save for something else)
Food: $500 (always go over and use other extras...need to rework!)
Entertainment: $200 (divided between hubby and I...this usually pays for any school events that come up like my son's lunch account and fieldtrips or trips to Starbucks!)
Clothing: $175
House: $200
Car Main.: $50
Med: $50
Dog: $50

Our budget will be drastically changed this year though when I start daycare...there will be a lot less entertainment/clothing/car payment/daycare...but less money coming in as well!

 

[KariM]

I don't think we qualify as we're just a family of 5 (3 kids, 2 parents), but I'll be watching closely to learn!

 

[mommaof5]

Seeing your budgets totally helps. Keep them coming! It is always interesting to see how others manage their money. I think we need to have more categories in our budget.

 

[Thystle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drummer's Wife If I could get him to take lunch and stop buying soda/candy from the vending machine, I'd be oh so happy.

Have you tried buying these by the case (like at Sam's Club or Costco) so that he can bring them from home, keep some in his car and take some to stash at work?

It doesn't get him off of "junk" but it would cut down the cost alot!

 

[Thystle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by holidaymama Well we are not a big family by any means (only the 4 of us) but we budget everything out into envelopes. ... Clothing: $175 ... Our budget will be drastically changed this year though when I start daycare...there will be a lot less entertainment/clothing/car payment/daycare...but less money coming in as well!

I was just curious how much clothing you all buy? $175 a month = $2100 a year... or $525 per person. Do you have school uniforms? Not knocking... just curious!

 

[annethcz]

We have a family of 6. 2 adults, 9yo, 8yo, 7yo, 5yo.

Our budget changes monthly, based on what's going on, and honestly I have a really hard time staying within the limits I set. So the numbers I'll post are mostly accurate, but can vary.

Groceries: $450
Eating out/entertainment: $250 (more like $300)
Household/misc: $250-450, depending on the month. (this includes things like toiletries, home decor, clothing, stamps, donations to the kids' school for yet ANOTHER fundraiser, water softener salt, fees for kids' activities, gifts, etc.)
Gas/car maintanance: $400
Basement: $100 (we're finishing our basement ourselves, so this is currently used for lumber, drywall, paint)
Kids allowance: $58
Savings: minimum of $1000 (to emergency fund and house fund)