how much do you spend on groceries

_VoV

I spend around $600 a month to feed 3 adults. We also have 2 cats which cost us about $120 a month.

Twice a year, I have a huge box of Seventh Generation paper towels and toilet paper delivered from Amazon. I also make my own cleaners with baking soda, vinegar, salt, lemon juice and hydrogen peroxide.

We are vegetarians, I cook mostly from scratch, buy mostly organic, shop the farmers market or local farms, and try to live without generating waste which means buying as package-free as possible. That means a lot of fresh produce and buying from bulk bins at the natural food store. (I have washable bags for all this stuff).

We have a college-aged daughter living away from home, and her meal plan costs us $157 a week!! That's roughly what it costs me to feed 3 people very well at home.

Edit: No coupons here either. And, I might add that I cook a lot, but avoid buying ingredients for a one-time recipe. I buy two types of oil (canola and EVOO), two types of vinegar (apple cider and balsamic), and keep my sauce recipes simple.

Bentley2718

On groceries for two adults, I spent about $150 a week. We don't eat meat at home, but I do buy organic dairy and eggs for my husband. We eat mostly organic produce, and lately more frozen/convenience food than I care to think about. Our three adult cats probably run close to $170 a month (but we also have two fosters, and a feral colony I'm not including in this number). I really don't want to do the math on everything else (eating/drinking out, toiletries).

trophywife24

About $500-525/month for two adults and two small children, one that is still in diapers, an old dog and 1 annoying cat.

veerichie

It seems like every time we go, no matter how big or small or order is, it's ALWAYS $100. Usually we go once a week.

Bentley2718

On average I'd say just over $200/week for My husband, our three children and myself. Sales, coupons, farmers markets and really careful planning are the keys to success in this area.

I spend at least twice as much on produce at the farmer's market. I currently live in TX, but it was even worse when I lived in So Cal. I'd love to know where these cheap farmer's markets everyone talks about are as we eat a ton of produce.

lilacsun

We spend about $600 a month for everything. Including food and litter for a big cat. There are four of us- hubby,myself, teen daughter, preteen (growing way to quickly) son.

bmqbonnie

I just bought $200 worth in groceries to make a bunch of homemade freezer meals that should feed us for almost two months. Stuff to add to spaghetti sauce, nachos, meals for the crock pot, etc. With the little trips for things like milk and eggs, it probably comes to about 3-400/month for two people. The less often you go shopping the more money you save because you waste less food and you're less prone to impulse buys. For HUGE trips I go to WalMart but for smaller ones I go to a local store, which is a little more expensive but it's better quality and I loathe going to the Walmart here. We eat out maybe once a week if that so that totally feeds us.

AlbaAngel25

well, its just my hubby,myself and my 11 month old girl. We spend on average between 350-450 a month.

I cook a lot of homemade dishes that can last a day or two before preparing another meal so that helps out sometimes!

breza262

Family of 5: our budget is $750/month for all groceries and personal items, but we usually go over. I barter with a farmer for meat and milk and I belong to a co-op where we get organic foods/produce at cost, but the cost still is high. I really believe the saying that you can either spend your money now on quality "real" food or you can spend it later at the doctor's office. I'd rather eat good (albeit more expensive) food now!

HerBravado

I have to stretch about 400$ per month in a family of four. Which isn't impossible, just difficult when one of the family members is a teenage boy. lul.

ItsCasey

On average, I spend about $75 a week on everything (food and other household products like shampoo, toilet paper, etc.). I really don't know what the food-only portion of my grocery bill is, but I would guess it's a good $60 a week (for just me). One thing I noticed when I went to a mostly grain-free diet (by choice, not because I think it's is some weight-loss miracle diet) is that nearly everything I buy has to go in the fridge ... meats, fresh fruit and vegetables, yogurt, etc.

And I do not shy away from quality meat and produce just because of the expense. As a single woman with a good job, the idea of skimping on groceries is depressing to me. I don't shop at Whole Foods on a regular basis or anything (though a lot of their organic produce is cheaper than my local grocer's), but I don't see the point of going to college and working hard to establish a career only to go home and eat 70/30 ground beef at night.

snoopytwins

For five of us (two adults and two five years olds and an almost four year old) plus two dogs, I spend $125-$200 per week for everything. The last three weeks I've averaged $142 to $165 (I was just going through my grocery bills...I've been working to reduce it). So, I'd say about $700/month. I've been working on meal planning and making my lists based on that and what personal care/cleaning/etc items are needed or are on sale that I know we'll need.

jessicae1aine

My household consists of: 2 adults, 7 birds. Our shopping breaks down like this:

Pet supplies: $6 every 6 weeks.
Hygiene: $15 every 2 months.
Cleaning supplies: $20 every 6-8 months, including laundry soap, because we make all our own.
Paper products: The /only/ paper product we buy is toilet paper (we use cloth napkins, etc,), so maybe $5 a month.
Wine/Beer: We don't drink, so $0.
Food: Approximately $75/week, though I'm working on cutting that down. We bought 2 weeks worth of groceries for $61.29 last weekend.
Dining out: This is probably $50/mo, namely because I sometimes work 13+ hour shifts, and I just get delivery.
Prescriptions: $85/mo, approximately. This kind of varies a little bit, while they're doing labwork to see what's working for me.

We don't buy: premade cleaning supplies, any paper products other than toilet paper, most processed foods, disposable hygiene products other than razor blades.

In October, I'm doing a "plastic-free" month, so anything purchased then can't be plastic or come in a plastic container - including things that are plastic-coated, like cardboard cartons, with the exception of milk because it's illegal to sell farm-fresh milk in Montana.

_VoV

On average I'd say just over $200/week for My husband, our three children and myself. Sales, coupons, farmers markets and really careful planning are the keys to success in this area.

I spend at least twice as much on produce at the farmer's market. I currently live in TX, but it was even worse when I lived in So Cal. I'd love to know where these cheap farmer's markets everyone talks about are as we eat a ton of produce.

Totally agree. I shop the farmer's market as much to support local economy, as I do get fresh produce. It's very expensive.

christimw

we are a family of 4, we budget $300 every two weeks. we have a cat and two small dogs and a 20lb bag of food will last them for months. i make most of our cleaning products, so maybe $10 every few months for that. maybe $10 every few months for things like soap, shampoo, things like that we don't budget we just buy when it run out (we use all the cheapest stuff we can find). i never use coupons, i never find any for anything i use! now that i've found aldi, i can get TONS more food, about three times what i normally get so i'm stocking up, especially on meats.

Darkskinned88

about 175-200 a month....i live alone but i buy a lot of produce

jehuster

Roughly $350a month...I am a single person and I still think that is too high.