How much money do you spend on food?

nicailyzee

I live in NYC food is super expensive especially in local grocery stores. I have a family of 6 including myself. I do a once per month shopping in a big club like BJ's, Costco, etc. Anywhere from $300-$450 depending on how many things we need. Then the weekly stuff that my run out like bread, milk, orange juice, fruits and veggies I can end up buying once or twice per week $20-$30 dollars each time and the local stores are much more expensive. My kids eat out about once per week and as a family which can cost anywhere from $30-$75 depending on if its McDonald's or a local diner/big chain restaurant. Food is expensive and currently I am a stay at home mom who tries to budget when I go back to work I will be making more trips to Whole Food stores especially for produce. Its all about where you are in your life. I think you are doing well.

mrsjb1984

Im in the uk, we spend on average £320 p/month or $450 usd. Thats for a family of 2 adults and 1 starving 7 year old! But we tend to buy things like cleaning chemicals, soap and deodorant all in the same shop, so the food itself would come in at $50 less a month ish i guess.

Seems alot. We get take away perhaps once a month and very rarely go out for a meal as a family.

It is more expensive to eat healthily than it is to buy rubbish-this cant be right surely!

jkwolly

elsie_fair wrote: »

HA, yeup.

Alidecker

RosieWest8 wrote: »

I probably spend around $50-$70/wk. It's kind of hard because I don't go shopping every week. I usually go for the main things once/month and then I'll stop and get things like lunch meat or produce (the stuff that doesn't last too long). It's just me, though. Doesn't include meals out (which isn't that often) and I'm in the Midwest.

I am very similar. I probably spend $40 -$50 every Sunday when I do the main shopping, but always end up going back for other items. I usually eat lunch out once a week and dinner out once a week.

stillwagon6539

Around $400 a month for my wife and I. We live in Houston, TX. Food is very expensive, especially fresh, I cook every night and we rarely eat out. I suggest simply looking up stuff you like to eat (kale, carrots, cabbage, etc..) and see what recipes pop up and interest you. As soon as you say "maybe I'll cook that" print the recipe and build a book. Slowly start to cook the recipes and once you find out whether you really like the meal / food or not you throw the recipe out and never buy that specific food item again or you expand your recipes through that favorite food item.

We cook tons of things ranging from stir fry, baked vegetables, tofu ($1.50 a pack for organic!!), soups to shakes and smoothies.

No joke though, I spend a lot of time browsing the internet for recipes that I really like so it does take time to fine turn your taste buds with what's on sale / available in stores. I try to buy organic but sometimes it's absurdly expensive.

What also helped us was to participate in a food co-op which forces you to cook / eat with what they had in season.

Springfield1970

£86 per week me and my boy who's 10. That's without meals out. I pack lunches, and eat some tinned fish which can be cheap, but also a lot of steak, greek yoghurt and eggs. Things are expensive in London, but I get everything reduced or in a deal if I can.

fbmandy55

About $400 a month for our family of 3. We don't eat out much. We buy bulk a lot: Buy 10lbs of shredded cheese at Sam's and divided it out to 8oz or 16oz baggies saves us $60 buck on the cheese we would be buying. Buy whole pork loins and cut it up into chops and roasts.

sjdowhower

I'm a family of 4 (me and 3 young boys who seem to eat EVERYTHING in sight) I shop sales, coupon, eat meatless, and whatever I can get on sale that helps keep it down. I spend between 300-400 a month. Right now, our grocery store is doing spend $25 on certain frozen foods get $15 off automatically. I will do that deal probably 2 or 3 times or more depending on what I can fit in my freezer, that will give me frozen pizza, veggies, breakfast and whatever else is included for a while. I also buy meat from our local store that is marked down because it needs used or frozen that day. I tend to get most our meat from there depending if I can get cheaper at like Walmart. It takes time but I have to for my budget with 3 young kids.

Hornsby

I would say I spend 100 per week on the standard stuff that is always in my fridge (drinks, snacks, kid's lunch stuff..etc), but I go to the store and buy food to make dinner 3-4 times per week at about 30.00 per time I would guess. Then out to eat on the other days so another 20-50 per day depending.

All in all, too much. It's looking like 300 per week. Ouch.

Asher_Ethan

Serah87 wrote: »

We spend about $600 a month on food, hubby and I, 20 year old son and 16 year old son, not including going out to eat. Florida here.

How do you spend that little?! Maybe Colorado is different, but I swear my family of 4 spends $900 a month on food (and I think that's underestimating).

musclegood_fatbad

Around $750 a month for two.

NewMeSM75

I'm married and have 3 kids (ages 3, 12 and 17). I spend about that much ($600). I live in Mississippi. I will buy whole chickens to roast in oven with lemon. Pork Tenderloin. We have a breakfast night. We have homemade pizza night. I make crust in a bread machine. I cook fresh frozen vegetables as well as fresh broccoli, zucchini, etc.

I try to find a protein that's versatile and not outrageously priced.

DawnieB1977

We spend around £100 (probably $175?) a week for 2 adults and 3 kids, although they're young, 5, 3 and 10 months. We rarely eat out and make most meals from scratch. I'm still on maternity leave but I'll take lunch from home when I go back to work, and my 2 youngest will eat at the childminder's. My eldest has lunch at school, which is free. Every child in England gets free school lunch in reception, year 1 and year 2

DawnieB1977

Serah87 wrote: »

nortonsmom wrote: »

I would be afraid to add up what we spend on food...we are like you ( 2 adults) We seldom go out and cook real food , nothing that is prepared from a box/frozen etc. If you are doing it for 150 I would like to see your menu!! Food is just expensive!

I eat real food, I don't know anyone who eats plastic food.

We spend about $600 a month on food, hubby and I, 20 year old son and 16 year old son, not including going out to eat. Florida here.

My 10 month old was chewing on a plastic strawberry yesterday

TheVirgoddess

$200 a week for a family of four.

Shalaurise

I spent $287 and change last week, then I had to go to the store to get another $40 worth of things and I still need milk, brown sugar and molasses... who knew I was out of that? Not me. I only anticipate that this will last us a total of two weeks. I feed myself, my husband and one child (age 6). This includes breakfast (mostly) and dinner. Only lunches that would come out of it are on the weekends. We also eat out at least once a week, though usually twice.

TLDR: Over $300 in groceries every two weeks plus eating out expenses for 2 adults and 1 child.

katherinemab

We're in the NYC Metro area and spend about $180 for 2 people per week. We cook nearly every meal and eat out maybe once a week.

Bj0223

I'm in southern AZ and spend about $500 a month for 2 adults and a teenage daughter. I also have a college kid that comes home a couple times a month to grocery shop out of my cabinets and fridge. I'm waiting for the day he shows up with a grocery cart.

vivmom2014

$600 to $700 a month in Northern Virginia, 2 kids (teen & 20-something) currently at home, plus my husband and myself. We just got an Aldi nearby and I'm so happy! I know that I can lower my monthly food bill shopping there, and it's right next to a Trader Joe's.

jayla73

I usually can spend 40 to 70 a week if I don't have that much. But if I had some extra money I can easily spend upwards around close to 100. But I also eat vegan so I buy a ton of fruits and veggies and buy all the dry foods in bulk. It has saved me so much money.

47Jacqueline

elsie_fair wrote: »

Ha Ha! I wouldn't want to look too closely.

FitPhillygirl

2 active adults + 2 active teenagers = $300/week. We only go out to eat about once a month or so. I prefer home cooked meals over eating out.

FatFreeFrolicking

$300-350 a week for a family of 4 in Connecticut.

belimawr

LolBroScience wrote: »

about $500 a month for me

Same here, I was thinking that was high for one person but I'm seeing here it's about par with some others.

callsitlikeiseeit

vivmom2014 wrote: »

$600 to $700 a month in Northern Virginia, 2 kids (teen & 20-something) currently at home, plus my husband and myself. We just got an Aldi nearby and I'm so happy! I know that I can lower my monthly food bill shopping there, and it's right next to a Trader Joe's.

fyi aldis and trader joes are the same company

Katgan

Probably $600+ per month for two active adults. We prefer quality over quantity.

HTECHS

About $100/month for myself in Connecticut.

wyattj99

Average about 120.00 weekly for 2 adults..Illinois here!

ivoluntas

Just spent 175 yesterday for two weeks worth (me and boyfriend). It's usually over 200 but we cut out alcohol. I would say its mostly due to us not eating as much as we did and there are some good deals going on (Publix). It's a game I like to play each time I go -- seeing how much healthy food I can get under 200 bucks.

Altagracia220

Me and my bf purchase our own food. I usually spend about $50-60 every 10 days or so. I don't really have a set grocery shopping day. Mostly I buy chicken breast which is $7- for 16 ounces, amy's light and lean frozen dinners, snacks for the week (pre-packaged), silk milk, greek yogurt, eggs, and bread for breakfast which is usually light thomas english muffins. I've been trying to finish everything I have before I go back to Target to shop.