How much do you spend on groceries each week?

Tisha247

WOW, I've heard that Australia's cost of living is high compared to the rest of the world and now I believe it. On average I would say I'd spend at least $250 per week on groceries for my family of 4. I cook six out of seven nights and pack lunches for our two children on week days. Our take-away food is expensive so that's normally only once a week.

New_Atti2ude

This came up in a thread last night and a guy called BS on me spending less than $122 per week on a family of 3. I can EASILY do that and in fact spend no more than $100 per week.
Another guy thought I was full of BS too saying he spent $60 on some veggies and a tub of dip. Not organic. But when I compared the cost of the same items where I shop, it was $26.
I shop at Safeway and don't bother buying "name" or "popular" brands. I always look at club card savings and refer to weekly coupons and use that as my decisions to purchase what I need that week. Meat stays the same week in and week out.

So how much do you spend and do you think you could do better?

New_Atti2ude

I can so relate. I have a few cousins and aunts who swear I spend a fortune at the grocery store. Well I don't. I go big shopping two times a month, ranging from 150 to 175 dollars and in between I go to the store to pick up odds and ends making sure that I only bring 30 bucks tops, and I do this the week after my shopping trip to refresh or replace items. I feed 3 including myself but I cook enough to feed 6, I was raised with tons of siblings and cousins so we always have left overs.

New_Atti2ude

That's just groceries I'm also learning how to stock pile with coupons and I have a little "bodega" in my utility closet stocked with household needs and cosmetics and I spend 150 once a month on that sometimes less depends on sales and coupons.

ninerbuff

Whatever the store is called. I never heard of it here on the east coast or the gulf coast. I said that because you made a post in here acting like me and some other user were trying to push Shakeology. I made a post in a thread called "SHAKEOLOGY" about how I like it and drink it. (1st reply in the thread) Another user made a post comparing the cost to food. Then you are the one who went on about how it's a rip off, comparing to other products and comparing it to how you only pay $122 a week for food..blah blah

Then once I said fine and tried to drop the subject, you came here and created a whole new thread! I am bigger then you are, therefore I probably eat more. So I probably spend more in food. I also live across the country. Where prices are different... But once again... who really cares? I made a simple comment and you fill the need to try and prove me wrong.

Let's get it right. The whole debate started because I mentioned for the $122 a month being spent on shakes, I could get a cart full of food for a week. You called BS and said I either shopped at mom and pop stores or I was LYING. By inferring that I was "lying" about grocery cost isn't a "simple" comment, but an actual slap in the face on my integrity. Then I was curious about if I was the only one who spent $100 or less on food. I mentioned no names, nor the thread the comments originated from. Apparently there are many people who shop like I do an feed a family for under that $122.
And prices aren't that much different and are actually even cheaper in the Safeway I used to shop at on the east coast in VA (lived there for 11 years and moved back to CA in 2009), especially with HALF the cost in sales tax.
Anyway, the point was for you to just see what other people spent. Some are over $100, but there are lots that do it under that amount.

ninerbuff

$100 a week for a family of 3??? I'd like to know what you are buying! Are you one of those couponers?? We spend about $150-$180 every week and a 1/2....about?

Flanken ribs, pork ribs, steak, chicken, a box of cereal, milk , juice, eggs, mozzerella cheese sticks, hearts of romaine, bell peppers, tomatoes, avocados, nectarines, apples, bananas, deli meat, wheat bread, raw almonds and frozen lunches.
I buy deals of the week by whomever is offering. Many times they have "buy one get one free" and I take advantage of it. Who wouldn't? And if there is an instant coupon (I don't do rebates) I'll use it.

leilani♥

About $150 /wk ... for a family of four... BECAUSE --- my family hates the food I eat and I have to cook separate meals. I've tried MULTIPLE times to cook them some of my stuff but they refuse to eat it.. boo!

CindyWarner

About $150 /wk ... for a family of four... BECAUSE --- my family hates the food I eat and I have to cook separate meals. I've tried MULTIPLE times to cook them some of my stuff but they refuse to eat it.. boo!

I would never cook two separate meals! I don't buy junk so if they think they can do better with the food that has been supplied then they can cook it them selves.

iheartyarn

We spend 160-200 a week, we are gluten free, vegetarians with vegan tendancies and lately have been eating about 50-60% raw, I pretty much only shop bulk and produce, nothing I buy CAN be couponed! I have never been able to walk into a store like safeway and find the things I am looking for, so I shop at whole foods, a local grocer, a bulk buying group, and we go down to the bobs red mill store and buy our grains in 25 lb bags ( and save over 50% )

Edited to add we are a fam of 5

ninerbuff

About $150 /wk ... for a family of four... BECAUSE --- my family hates the food I eat and I have to cook separate meals. I've tried MULTIPLE times to cook them some of my stuff but they refuse to eat it.. boo!

Sad. If I were you, I'd still cook it for them and leave them no options. Get all the junk out of the house. People will eat just about anything if hungry enough. Like anything else, it takes time to learn to like something you're unaccustomed too.

phlumpet

Average $150-$200 for family of four. I try to cook at home and save money but when it comes down to it, I'd rather spend more money on healthy food.

not including diapers or cat food.

phlumpet

We spend 160-200 a week, we are gluten free, vegetarians with vegan tendancies and lately have been eating about 50-60% raw, I pretty much only shop bulk and produce, nothing I buy CAN be couponed! I have never been able to walk into a store like safeway and find the things I am looking for, so I shop at whole foods, a local grocer, a bulk buying group, and we go down to the bobs red mill store and buy our grains in 25 lb bags ( and save over 50% )

A Bob's Red Mill store?!!

iheartyarn

Yup!! A bobs store, I am about 20 mins from the mill, so they have an amazing store right next to it, bulk, 25 lb bags of everything, a resturaunt, bakery etc, its awesome

supermom1114

Yup!! A bobs store, I am about 20 mins from the mill, so they have an amazing store right next to it, bulk, 25 lb bags of everything, a resturaunt, bakery etc, its awesome

I'm completely jealous of you right now!!!! ggrrrrr....

Forneil

$150 bucks every week for two, it seems. Though I shop at New Seasons, and Trader Joes for Organic choices.

Teliooo

Family of three here and I spend maybe 50-70 pounds a week. I buy a lot of fresh food which actually works out so much cheaper if you do not shop at supermarkets.

AimingHighWeighingLow

£150 - £200 a week

LilMissFoodie

I very much think that your spend depends a lot on how much work you put into it and what you are willing to sacrifice (when I was a uni I often lived on $30 Australian per 2 weeks by cooking bulk meals with vegetarian protein and freezing! These days we often spend over 100 pounds each week (2 of us in London) but that's only because we don't pay any attention to price at all, we just get what we want and sometimes stuff goes off before we get a chance to use it!

asyouseefit

Our family (2 adults, one toddler, one cat) spends $100-150 per week on groceries but I think life's slightly more expensive here than in the US. This includes my lunches but not my OH's and my kiddo's.

xraychick77

for two adult people on 'healthy' diets...about 100 or so a week.

emergencytennis

WOW, I've heard that Australia's cost of living is high compared to the rest of the world and now I believe it. On average I would say I'd spend at least $250 per week on groceries for my family of 4. I cook six out of seven nights and pack lunches for our two children on week days. Our take-away food is expensive so that's normally only once a week.

Me too. We spend about $280 a week for a family of 3 adults 2 kids. Eating out or takeaway is extra.

otr12

Yup!! A bobs store, I am about 20 mins from the mill, so they have an amazing store right next to it, bulk, 25 lb bags of everything, a resturaunt, bakery etc, its awesome

Ah, Bob's Red Mill store,..... I used to like jogging on the paths along International Way but now I feel like I'm slushing through goose poo there.

Diapers - I swear it costs more to catch the food coming out than to put the food in.

I hit up the grocery stores almost every morning to catch the meat and produce markdowns. I never spend more than $2 a pound on meat. When I catch boneless skinless chicken breast for $1.69 or less I will buy as much as I can stuff in my freezer. That's about $50 - $60 a pop and I'll do it 2 or 3 times during the week that it's on sale for that price.

I have a 6'3" seventeen year old son that can easily eat 4 pounds of chicken in a day. We eat a LOT of chicken!

Whenever I go to the grocery store I scan every aisle for coupons on the packages. I frequently peel them off and use them at different stores. I've found that if I use several coupons at Safeway and they all say "do not double", I can hand the double coupon to the cashier and he/she will take off $2 without even checking.

DoriLuke

My husband and I have 8 kids and have to be frugal, because we would rather have extra money to go do fun things with our kids as much as possible! We have one off at college and one lives with her mom, so I feed a household of 8 on about 400 a month. 5 kids eat lunch at school during the week though, and we make cold lunch for one. We are MAJOR planners - we budget everything and meal plan for 2 weeks at a time. We shop in bulk and separate meat into meals and freeze. We watch for big sales on meat at a variety of stores so we always get more bang for our buck. The 400 doesn't include household cleaning items, TP, stuff like that.

To save money we -

We try to use leftovers to incorporate into the next night's dinner. For example, if we have mexican night and have left over taco ground beef or shredded beef - we use that in the homemade chili for BBQ/Chili dogs the next night.

We always have fresh veggies on hand, celery sticks, carrots sticks - they are both CHEAP. I don't buy much fruit and usually have some in a can or maybe some apples. I'd way rather my kids eat raw veggies which I feel are healthier.

We do not buy "snack" items (fruit snacks, granola bars, etc.) and we only do dessert on Sundays, which will be a cake or something similar.

We don't buy soda - we sometimes buy juice for with dinner. Usually its milk or water only.

We cook from scratch whenever possible.

We don't buy single serve packets of anything - buy the biggest packages possible (including 25# of rice at a time) and have invented storage systems and separate as needed.

We avoid name brands and go with store brand except certain items like Kraft Singles, Kraft mayo, and I can't Believe its Not Butter, which I just can't go generic on.

We do the bulk of our shopping at Winco - and scour sales ads for other stores and usually find great deals.

cacraft

My husband and I have 8 kids and have to be frugal, because we would rather have extra money to go do fun things with our kids as much as possible! We have one off at college and one lives with her mom, so I feed a household of 8 on about 400 a month. 5 kids eat lunch at school during the week though, and we make cold lunch for one. We are MAJOR planners - we budget everything and meal plan for 2 weeks at a time. We shop in bulk and separate meat into meals and freeze. We watch for big sales on meat at a variety of stores so we always get more bang for our buck. The 400 doesn't include household cleaning items, TP, stuff like that.

You rock! Seriously!

pain_is_weakness

See! I knew that $100 dollars was about the average! One of the guys said I must live in a small town with a lot of mom and pop stores that sell generic food.
Oh BTW, these 2 were Shakeology proponents. One was a distributor. The debate was how a $3-$4 shake was cheaper than many meals.

I also have a family of three and spend about 100 a week, it can be done and I actually buy good stuff. People are blown away but I go to farmers market or a produce store here that sell for local farmers, I get a ton of stuff and never spend over 20 bucks a wekk on produce. I would love to try shakeology but 3-4 dollars a meal is like ouch!!! I can feel my whole family a meal for that much!

girlygirlnicole

I spend £25-£30 a week on myself, somethings last 2 weeks, i dont know if thats good or bad.

ultrachill

I spend about $60-80 per week for two of us plus two kitties (and sometimes step kids). We also do a monthly costco run that costs around $200 which includes most of our meat, paper products, and a few odd and ends.

Missylydia

I spend £25-£30 a week on myself, somethings last 2 weeks, i dont know if thats good or bad.

Me too! I think it could be a lot cheaper if I ate processed junk but it's all good whole food. And I've discovered that the vegan diet is seriously cheap! My first 'vegan shop' was a weeks worth of fruit and veg and a months worth of breakfast cereals, lentils and beans and soya milk and it came to just £33, I was one happy bunny!

Jacole18

I spend anywhere between $50-$70 a week on groceries....it depends on how much seafood I buy lol

DoriLuke

Thanks! We just do what works for us.

My husband and I have 8 kids and have to be frugal, because we would rather have extra money to go do fun things with our kids as much as possible! We have one off at college and one lives with her mom, so I feed a household of 8 on about 400 a month. 5 kids eat lunch at school during the week though, and we make cold lunch for one. We are MAJOR planners - we budget everything and meal plan for 2 weeks at a time. We shop in bulk and separate meat into meals and freeze. We watch for big sales on meat at a variety of stores so we always get more bang for our buck. The 400 doesn't include household cleaning items, TP, stuff like that.

You rock! Seriously!