How much do you spend on food?

smcrimmon84

We are a family of 4 - myself, my husband, a 6 year old and 3 year old. I spend about $100/week. I do not buy organic, I buy a lot of store brand, we have 1-2 meatless meals per week, I do not coupon, I do not buy any drinks other than 1/2 gallon of milk a week.

We all eat breakfast and dinner at home. We eat out maybe one dinner a week. Lunches for all but the 3 year old.

janjunie

This is an interesting thread. I'm on the west coast of Canada. We are a family of 5, but my youngest is 15 months old, so eats very little. For just groceries, not including takeout, cleaners or toiletries we spend about $450.00 a month. We eat semi organic (milk and most seasonal fruit and veg), buy frozen veg when fresh is out of season or insanely expensive. We buy 50% off food (usually dairy like cheese and yogurt) with expiry dates longer than 3/4 days and for a treat buy bakery items that are on clearance and eat them that day. The family are all omnivores, but aren't big meat eaters, we tend to eat fish and chicken and dh has lamb a couple times a month.

We eat out 3-4 times a month and it's usually sushi or occasionally red robins (6 and 7 yr old in the family). We rarely coupon and mostly shop the sales.

KenziesFrenzies

I spend $40-50 a week for breakfasts, lunches & dinners, just for myself. I shop at Sprouts or Homeland, and buy the produce that's on sale.

shaumom

Two people in my family have severe food allergies, and one has to be gluten free, as well. We spend an insane amount on food just because we have to buy certain brands to keep foods uncontaminated. And not 'pre-made' brands, but just the right brand of dried beans, or eggs, or even salt (they bleach salt to a white color with a chemical she reacts to!).

So for the worst allergic person in the family, cooking everything from scratch (because she can't eat out or buy pre-made anything), if we buy at the store or order online, that's about $150 a week. For the next allergic, it's about 100 a week just for her. And the other two in the family can have foods that cost maybe 150 altogether.

So for the month, for a family of four - it's more than our mortgage. Which is the reason that we've started gardening a lot the last few years and planted some fruit trees!

robot_potato

Vancouver Island here, I spend about $600 month for a family of 5 (2 adults, 2 kids and a baby who doesn't eat solids yet). One kid has specific dietary needs and food aversions. I watch for sales and stock up on nonperishables. We also do a lot of big batch cooking and grow some fruits& veg ourselves.

seltzermint555

It's just me and my husband, and we only spend $40-70 per week on groceries which includes some (not all) cleaning supplies, toilet paper, etc. I know that sounds crazy low but I really don't even feel like we're that super-frugal. There are almost never coupons on anything we buy. We each have our little extras too like premade veggie burgers, Perrier for me and protein bars he likes. We have breakfast & lunch at home every weekday and dinner 4-5 nights per week on that. Also, for lunches and dinners we don't do leftovers or repeats. Both of us are disgusted at the idea of prepping and reheating a week of meals and other "cost effective" ideas like that but I think we just have cheap taste!?

My husband doesn't eat meat but we do buy some frozen seafood items from time to time. We eat a ton of (fresh and frozen) fruits and vegetables, lentils, beans, tofu, rice, etc. I am sure that helps keep our costs low but we're just really used to how we eat. I typically also bake one "treat" item and we DO portion that out through the work week. We buy some items in bulk and shop almost exclusively at Aldi, another discount supermarket, and a small ethnic/whole foods store (not a chain). Maybe part of it is living in a mid-sized city in the middle of the USA where the cost of living is crazy low? I'm sure that is a bit part of it.

We DO eat out though -- not M-F, but on Saturdays & sometimes Sundays -- so we spend anywhere from $40-100 (occasionally more when traveling) per week on dining out. I realize that could be cut too but it's what we enjoy, and we take road trips and weekend trips almost every Sat. so it's just a part of our entertainment.

Noreenmarie1234

seltzermint555 wrote: »

It's just me and my husband, and we only spend $40-70 per week on groceries which includes some (not all) cleaning supplies, toilet paper, etc. I know that sounds crazy low but I really don't even feel like we're that super-frugal. There are almost never coupons on anything we buy. We each have our little extras too like premade veggie burgers, Perrier for me and protein bars he likes. We have breakfast & lunch at home every weekday and dinner 4-5 nights per week on that. Also, for lunches and dinners we don't do leftovers or repeats. Both of us are disgusted at the idea of prepping and reheating a week of meals and other "cost effective" ideas like that but I think we just have cheap taste!?

My husband doesn't eat meat but we do buy some frozen seafood items from time to time. We eat a ton of (fresh and frozen) fruits and vegetables, lentils, beans, tofu, rice, etc. I am sure that helps keep our costs low but we're just really used to how we eat. I typically also bake one "treat" item and we DO portion that out through the work week. We buy some items in bulk and shop almost exclusively at Aldi, another discount supermarket, and a small ethnic/whole foods store (not a chain). Maybe part of it is living in a mid-sized city in the middle of the USA where the cost of living is crazy low? I'm sure that is a bit part of it.

We DO eat out though -- not M-F, but on Saturdays & sometimes Sundays -- so we spend anywhere from $40-100 (occasionally more when traveling) per week on dining out. I realize that could be cut too but it's what we enjoy, and we take road trips and weekend trips almost every Sat. so it's just a part of our entertainment.

Wow that is so low. What do you guys eat for your meals in an example week? Trying to get ideas of how people who spend so little eat.

angelamichelle_xo

40 a week.

Lextmg86

Were spending about $75/week for a family of 3 (me, wife and toddler). We have many cheap grocery stores near us thankfully (Price rite and Aldi's are the main ones we go to).

mean_and_lean

Too much. Typically it's about $150-$200/week. And that's just for my husband and I.

DanyellMcGinnis

$150-200 a week for two adults. About half at Whole Foods (some stuff, especially bulk items and nuts, is actually cheaper there, the eggs are better quality, and it's the only place around here I can get beans in BPA-free cans). The other half at Publix (mostly produce). We take our lunches every day unless they are provided free by our offices (about 2x a month for me). We eat out once a week and we do not buy any meat, poultry, or fish (I am a vegetarian and my fiance eats very little meat).

This does not include toiletries or household cleaning items -- cleaning items are generally bought at Target as needed and beauty products are a whole separate issue for me (I'm a beauty product junkie and I do some blogging). It also does not include pet food, which probably costs more per week than the human food due to my pets' medical conditions.

Meganthedogmom

I'm glad my boyfriend and I are not the only ones spending $150-$200 a week. I feel like less of a freak now. Last time I mentioned that in a thread, I felt like people were jumping down my throat for spending so much.

rubyweapon8503

I spend about $75 a week on groceries for me and my husband. However, we also spend about $50-$70 on restaurants every weekend, and have dinner with family every other weekend.

jessicaeccles

I spend $50-$70 about every week and a half. I try to eat most meals at home. Also I'm shopping just for myself and this does not include toiletries. I am also doing most of my shopping at super target (I'm a college student and the town I'm in doesn't have a trader joes or any nice grocery store).
I do find that I will spend a little bit more $70-$100 if I am making some fancy new recipes that week. This week I made chicken enchiladas and spent about $80 because I had nothing for them. But if I am sticking to my usual list (36 eggs, veggies, fruits, and meats) it is about $50-$70.

serenitywsu

For me, as a college student I spend about $60 a month. I'm a vegetarian and before I moved into my college apartment I stocked up(soymilk, peanut butter, noodles). So mostly what I buy every month is veggies and bread and tofu. Im in WA.

jnmrie

$80/week for my girlfriend and I, plus our two cats.

stealthq

I used to be somewhere in the $100 per week ballpark for just myself. I do shop at Whole Foods - it's about a mile away. I usually buy 365 brand stuff that's pretty close in price to regular grocery store stuff.

Lately, I've been having fun experimenting with my new pressure cooker, so meals have shifted to fewer convenience foods, and less meat - more dishes using beans and lentils from dried which I've never cooked before, dishes with cheaper (i.e. tougher) cuts of meat, and vegetable dishes that would normally take hours on the stove or in a slow cooker. My food bill has plummeted even without changing stores.

I'd suggest seeing if there are convenience foods you can drop.

lisalsd1

About $150/week for a family of 4. I buy most of my groceries from BJs (wholesale club); it's cheaper for staples (milk, bread, eggs). I cook/make almost ALL of our meals (pack lunches for kids/husband). We usually only go out to eat once/twice a week.

scolaris

Also I popped back in to say we have almost zero food waste. I clean, cut & vacuum pack all veggies, freeze leftovers, make stock from bones, etc etc. About all that gets composted are the tail ends of a bundle of cilantro, or something that came damaged like one avo out of the bag from Costco.

seltzermint555

Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »

seltzermint555 wrote: »

It's just me and my husband, and we only spend $40-70 per week on groceries which includes some (not all) cleaning supplies, toilet paper, etc. I know that sounds crazy low but I really don't even feel like we're that super-frugal. There are almost never coupons on anything we buy. We each have our little extras too like premade veggie burgers, Perrier for me and protein bars he likes. We have breakfast & lunch at home every weekday and dinner 4-5 nights per week on that. Also, for lunches and dinners we don't do leftovers or repeats. Both of us are disgusted at the idea of prepping and reheating a week of meals and other "cost effective" ideas like that but I think we just have cheap taste!?

My husband doesn't eat meat but we do buy some frozen seafood items from time to time. We eat a ton of (fresh and frozen) fruits and vegetables, lentils, beans, tofu, rice, etc. I am sure that helps keep our costs low but we're just really used to how we eat. I typically also bake one "treat" item and we DO portion that out through the work week. We buy some items in bulk and shop almost exclusively at Aldi, another discount supermarket, and a small ethnic/whole foods store (not a chain). Maybe part of it is living in a mid-sized city in the middle of the USA where the cost of living is crazy low? I'm sure that is a bit part of it.

We DO eat out though -- not M-F, but on Saturdays & sometimes Sundays -- so we spend anywhere from $40-100 (occasionally more when traveling) per week on dining out. I realize that could be cut too but it's what we enjoy, and we take road trips and weekend trips almost every Sat. so it's just a part of our entertainment.

Wow that is so low. What do you guys eat for your meals in an example week? Trying to get ideas of how people who spend so little eat.

Breakfasts (all with coffee)
steel cut oats with dried cherries & pecans
egg tacos with salsa, fresh pineapple
cereal with almond milk
avocado & egg on English muffin
regular oatmeal with peanut butter & jam

Lunches (all with water and/or hot tea)
tuna melts, homemade cole slaw & pears
pasta salad with chickpeas & peppers, 2 small ginger cookies
lentils with tons of spices, shredded lettuce, cottage cheese, apples
veggie burgers on toast, homemade sweet potato fries
black beans, hummus, toast, celery & carrots, fresh pineapple

Dinners (all with water)
thin crust veggie pizza (all from scratch) & salad
Sriracha mac n' cheese with lots of green onion, fresh pineapple
tomato zucchini frittata with mozzarella
crustless onion pie (from scratch) and apple-lemon oatmeal crumble
BBQ-sauced seared tofu, salad, homemade cole slaw & corn
black beans done "soupy", zucchini cornbread

I also baked walnut shortbread, topped with strawberries and whipped topping, which we had for dessert 3 times and have one serving left for each of us.

seltzermint555

scolaris wrote: »

Also I popped back in to say we have almost zero food waste. I clean, cut & vacuum pack all veggies, freeze leftovers, make stock from bones, etc etc. About all that gets composted are the tail ends of a bundle of cilantro, or something that came damaged like one avo out of the bag from Costco.

We don't buy meat but I agree on the no waste thing. In our house just about the only thing getting tossed is banana peels or other bits of produce meant to be tossed. I think we had some cheese go bad ONE time 6 months ago and it was totally foreign to me...I can't stand wasting and throwing away food.

HTECHS

Reading through this thread makes my head spin... I'm spending maybe $30/week... including protein powder (Lean1 Choc PB.) How are some of you spending so much??? LOL

PiSquared

aps11090 wrote: »

Reading through this thread makes my head spin... I'm spending maybe $30/week... including protein powder (Lean1 Choc PB.) How are some of you spending so much??? LOL

My question to you: what are you eating that you're spending so little?

In all seriousness, though. This is my meal plan for the week, and grocery list. I am feeding 2 adults (myself and husband). The recipes I make for dinner have 4 servings, so the left overs get packaged up and eaten for lunch the next day.

Sunday: Asian-Glazed Chicken Thighs, Mirin braised bok choy, pureed turnips
Monday: Southwestern pinto bean burgers with chipotle mayonnaise, garlic roasted beet greens (original recipe was for kale, but I wanted to use up my beet greens)
Tuesday: Beet, blood orange, kumquat, and quinoa salad
Wednesday: Spicy basil chicken, brown rice with sesame, sauteed snow peas and peppers
Thursday BLT pasta, roasted broccoli
Friday: Turkey burgers with cranberry-apple relish (will use chicken I have in the freezer), Caesar salad

Shopping list:
Bananas (bunch of 5)
Apples (3 lb pag)
1 red pepper
1 navel orange
1 lemon
5 blood oranges
Fresh Express Lite Caesar Salad Kit
1 pint grape tomatoes
Snow peas, 12 oz
1 bunch basil (2 oz)
1 bunch beets
1 pint kumquats
1 avocado
1 bunch green onions
1 jalapeno pepper
1 bunch cilantro
turnips (2 lbs)
1 bok choy
1 jar minced garlic
2 shallots
Pecorino Romano cheese, 8 oz
Muenster cheese, 1 lb sliced in deli (for the hubby)
Roast beef, 1 lb sliced in deli (for the hubby)
1 package chicken thighs (family pack contained 10 thighs)
1 small can corn (8.5 oz)
1 can pinto beans (15.5 oz)
1 jar strawberry jelly (for the hubby)
1 box cereal (store brand Special K, 12 oz)
1 bottle lower sodium soy sauce, 10 oz
1 box Mini penne pasta, 16 oz
1 bag hamburger rolls (bag of 8 rolls)
1 box quinoa, 12 oz
Half gallon organic skim milk (this is my splurge)
Frozen broccoli florets, 16 oz
Edy's Outshine pomegranate bars (box of 6)
Weight Watchers Giant Latte bars (box of 6)
3 12-packs Diet Coke, 12 oz cans (Diet Coke is my vice, and it was on sale so I stocked up)
1 Box white tea, 40 bags (this will last a while)
1 jar multi-vitamins
1 bottle Systane eyedrops, 1 oz (my eyes get super dry, especially in the winter)

Total spent: $160.78

wife2joaquin

I spend about $4-500 a month for our family of 5 (dh, myself, ds15, ds10, and dd9) including our cat here in NJ. I do not use coupons. I plan what we're going to eat according to the weekly sales. That includes all our food, toiletries, cat food, etc. I grocery shop at Aldi's, Dollar Tree, and Trader Joe's. Occasionally, if there's a good sale then I'll go to 2 other stores (a local store and Shoprite). I can't stress this enough, shop sales. In addition, to save money my husband and I go one full week every month where we do not spend any money on groceries. This allows us to use up what's in our pantry and fridge and reduces waste. Our meals get really creative during this time lol but nonetheless delicious. Also, we buy certain things in bulk such as rice, potatoes, meats, pasta, cat food/litter, toilet paper, cereal, oatmeal, and eggs. Hth!

yirara

Wow, is food so expensive in the US? With the two of us we spend aboyt 300-350 Euro (320-380 USD) per month. We're in the UK.

kportwood85

2 adults (one SAHM, one husband who mainly works from home) 2 preteen boys, and a large dog. We spend about $150/week. I shop around, last week I went to 4 stores! Luckily, they were all right in a row. I mainly shop around the edges of the store, dairy, meat, produce.

puffbrat

My husband and I average $80/week not including eating dinner out one night a week. All other meals are made at home. We do live in the Southwest which is generally inexpensive in terms of cost of living. We buy most of our packaged food including yogurt at Target, and use the Cartwheel app to get as many discounts as possible. We then buy all of the fresh food and some packaged food at Sprouts including bulk nuts and oatmeal, deli meat, bagels and sandwich bread, and milk.

We only make two, maybe three, dinner meals per week and eat leftovers the remaining nights. My husband eats bagels for breakfast, and sandwiches and fruit for lunch during the work week. I eat oatmeal or a smoothie for breakfast, and a salad for lunch with some snacks in between meals.

adawson55510

£800 ( $1200 ) month a disgrace i know

CinderellaDaisy

I'm from western Canada and for my husband (3000-3600cal a day) myself (1900-2300cal a day) and our 11 month old who is a big eater. Plus company about 2x a week we spend about $200 a week including toiletries and cleaning supplies. I usually shop a few stores and build my meal plans around what is on sale and work to get extra points (never on things I will not use or do not need just items that I can store for later. sometimes I will get items I don't use but know the food bank or winter packs for the homeless in our area) for store credit to help our budget go a long way. I'm hoping when we move we find a place where I can grow a garden so I can get our veggies from the garden and help cut down cost.

1961dublin

We spend about 200 euro per week for a family of 4 adults. That includes toiletries and cleaning stuff and alcohol. Ireland is very expensive, but Im surprised that some people in the USA seem to be spending nearly as much!!