How much $$$ on groceries?

leotardbanshee

I have a feeling I spend anywhere from 400 - 600 dollars a month on food for my boyfriend and I. Is this an obscene amount? How can I go about saving money on all the healthy foods I love? I try to eat mostly plant based try to eat pretty clean and it's getting expensive. I justify it to myself because I quit drinking and don't really go out to restaurants, so I'm saving there hahaha!

Hi_Im_Jess

Have you found a local farmers market? They seem to have really good prices and they don't only have produce now.

Machafin

Eating healthy is def more expensive but I try no to worry about the cost as I know its worth it. But 400-600 a month for two people does seem a little high. Where do you shop at? I try to get most of my healthy foods from places like Walmart as they are cheaper but the places such as Whole Foods are MUCH more comparing the two.

concordancia

It really depends on where you are!

We spend about the same as you for the two of us, and that is with coupons, buying what little meat we eat on sale...

Around here, farmer's markets are more expensive than grocery stores.

ETA: We aren't spending any more now that we are eating healthier, though.

montana_girl

I have a feeling I spend anywhere from 400 - 600 dollars a month on food for my boyfriend and I. Is this an obscene amount? How can I go about saving money on all the healthy foods I love? I try to eat mostly plant based try to eat pretty clean and it's getting expensive. I justify it to myself because I quit drinking and don't really go out to restaurants, so I'm saving there hahaha!

For just husband and I, we spend about $400 to $450 a month on groceries... So, no, that doesn't seem like an obscene amount to me. And most of our grocery money goes toward produce. We try not to buy too many processed foods if it can be avoided.

taimih

400-600 sounds about right.

I budget about 125/week for my husband and I. That does include toiletries and paper products, but not dog food.

Good ways to save on healthy stuff:

- farmers markets
- small local produce stores
- buy meat in bulk on sale and package individually & freeze (I go to Costco for chicken/beef)
- shop the sales (although I only do this in one store - not worth the time/gas to go to more than just the grocery store and Costco)
- meal plan - this is REALLY important. I have very little waste because I plan out what I'm going to buy and what I'm going to use before it goes bad
- coupons
- try to make 1-2 dinners per week vegetarian
- if you have space to store things, buy in bulk (things like oatmeal, dried beans, pasta, etc don't go bad quickly)

palmerar

My boyfriend and I spend about $350 a month for groceries, we both pack our lunces for work every single day and we rarely eat out and that also includes toilet paper, cleaning supplies, toothpaste, floss all of it. If you want to cut back, start keeping a record of any spoiled food that you have to throw away and adjust the quantity of things you buy accordingly. We split down the middle so it's only about 170-180 for me a month to eat so that's not so bad. Also try buying generics and any produce or meat that is on sale.

breyn2004

$100 - $150 every week for my husband and I. I feel like it's insane. But I haven't found a way around it. Coupons evidently don't exist for healthy choices (I won't start on this rant :mad: ) so I just go with it. However, if anyone has tips, I'm all ears because this cleaner lifestyle is taking a toll on my wallet!

Edit: After reading these other posts (should've done that first, I know), I definitely must be doing something wrong. The $100 - $150 is just my grocery bill. I do toiletries, etc. separate. Sighhh....

erickirb

I would say for just me I spend in a given week anywhere from $35-$60. Depends if I need to get any bulk items that last for weeks or months. I would say a normal week would be $45-$55 though.

boggsmroz

I average about $80 for my husband, 2 year old, and myself and live in the Chicago suburbs. Now I'm questioning the quality of foods I'm buying...
The only processed foods I buy are cereal and an occasional package of crackers for my son...
We do eat out once a week, but I'm still spending half of what others are and that's with an additional person...

taimih

Coupons evidently don't exist for healthy choices (I won't start on this rant :mad: ) so I just go with it.

Maybe not - but sales do - if you want raspberries but strawberries are on sale, just switch it up and get the strawberries this time. There is usually at least one type of apple and one type of other fruit on sale - go with that one instead of the one that you may "normally" buy. Same with veggies. There is always something on sale. Buy and use that.

Mom4Liz

I think it's a little high too. Are you buying a lot of organic foods? I remember reading that certain foods that have thick peels don't have to be organic to be just as healthy an non organic.

sunnyhlw77

I budget between the same $400 and $500 every month for my husband and I. I like to average about $77/week BUT when purchasing meat its always an added cost for us, I don't always purchase meat every week, I do it every couple to few weeks. I've read a few articles that have said that groceries in the last year or two have increased in some areas about 5% and from looking at past receipts, I agree that they have. I also have a rule of thumb when grocery shopping, always take a list. I also only do the inside aisles once a month otherwise I do the outside aisles (ie: produce, meat, dairy) so I skip going through the junky aisles full of processed, prepackaged, high fat/sodium foods.

Jetta1492

I agree that it is more expensive to buy healthier food. But when I eat healthier, I actually end up spending less on groceries because I'm not eating out as much, nor do I eat as much food, especially junk. I spend probably $75 a week for my daughter & I, including toiletries & pet food. I buy what I can @ Walmart & then go to Whole foods only for things Walmart doesn't sell. I also pack my lunch every day & limit take out food to once per week. I buy toiletries in bulk when I can, which seems to help. If I can find coupons , I use them!

thisismeraw

My husband and I spend on average about $250 a month on groceries. I couldn't imagine spending anywhere close to what you spend.

Shop sales. Plan your meals around what is on sale that week. My husband and I tend to not buy produce that isn't on sale as it can get quite pricey in the winter. All our produce is based on sales that week so we plan around that. We don't buy a lot of meat but when we do we go to the store shortly before close. Our store marks down the meat shortly before closing (some do it in the mornings). Still great quality but less than half the original price. We also don't buy brand name foods unless it is either on sale and cheaper than the generic or they don't have a generic version.

When farmers markets are open shop there for produce. Not only are you supporting local farmers but you can get great deals. We normally go about an hour or two before they close up for the day. The selction may not be as good but they greatly reduce their prices so they don't have as much to take back with them. You can also inquire about buying large quantities of meat from local farmers. They would normally give mcuh cheaper prices ... that is provided you have freezer space to store it.

Lower your grocery bill by buying generic, shopping sales, and buying cheaper cuts of meat. We also stock up on frequently used items when they are on a really good sale. Look around at the various grocery stores in your area and shop at the one that is cheapest. We shop at Walmart because they price match (saves us from going to a few different stores) and they are the cheapest in the area for regular priced items. I only go elsewhere if Walmart doesn't have what I need.

Also, make a list and stick to it. Best thing we have done since it cuts down on stuff you don't need making your bill go up. We sit down once a week and make a meal plan than shop based on that. And we make our meal plan after I have gone through the flyers and written down all the sales from the various stores.

olDave

It's hard to compare what people pay for food in different areas.

That said...here is some food for thought...pun intended.

Food as grown is invariably less expensive (pound for pound) than processed food. For example, compare the cost of a pound of potatoes to a pound of potato chips. Big difference!

Good luck.

WendyTerry420

We knocked our grocery bill down to $80/week for a family of four by simply eliminating processed foods. We only buy meat, dairy, grains/cereals, veggies/fruits. We have actually saved quite a bit of money by eating "healthy" versus eating things out of a box.

PolkaDot88

My boyfriend and I have a $200 a month budget for groceries. Our basic strategy is NO prepared foods - no frozen lasagnas, no cookies, no canned soups, no baked goods other than a loaf of bread each week (we make our own tortillas), that sort of thing. We go grocery shopping together to stop each other from splurging on things (or so we can agree on what we will splurge on that week) and we shop at the cheapo discount stores here (No Frills for other Canadians). We check the flyer every week and only buy meat if it's on sale. We try to buy most of our produce at the produce markets that are here but sometimes it's more convenient not to make 2 trips.

I would say about half our meals are vegetarian, partly to save money (meat's more expensive than, say, tofu) and partly because it's healthier. We do eat out a few times a week (one weekday dinner, one weekend lunch, and one weekend dinner or breakfast usually) and I don't count that in my grocery budget so if you're eating every meal at home you might spend a bit more.

I keep very careful track of grocery prices because I'm a spreadsheet nerd, so I know when there's a good deal on something and then we stock up. Last week bananas went down to 50 cents a pound (they're usually 70) so we bought more than we usually do, and pork ribs were on sale for $1/pound, so we got 4 racks of ribs for under $10!!

clynnm1

Something that has really helped our budget is Bountiful Baskets - amazing!! It is $15 every two weeks and you get about $50 or more of fruits/veggies each time. The nice thing is that we get to try new items that our local store would never have like kale - love this made into chips! You can do some additional items and we almost always get the bread. The bread is amazing and nearly always costs less and is healthier than what I can get at our store.

dwh77tx

We spend anywhere from 250-300 a week on our family of four. We do not eat any meals out at all and have 2 very hungry growing boys. I know it's alot, but....

bethlaf

that seems really high for 2 people, considering I feed 5 adults and 4 children 3 meals a day
2 adults take food from home for work lunch ,
2 adults are home full time
2 school age kids take home lunch to school
Twins are 3 but are little snack machines... "mommy can i have a tiny orange?"((they love clementines))

and thats 1k per month

EXCLUDING toiletries, cleaning supplies ,trash bags, dog and cat food, etc.

I do coupon, we eat a LOT of fruit and veg, and very little in the way of meat, a "chunk" of meat is served about 1x a week
crock pot, casseroles, etc . not much for pasta , a LOT of brown rice

ETA : please look in your area for a SHARE program or similar, its often a GREAT benefit you can use !! its a great program encouraging volunteerism and helping others! and providing good food

ehrenlynae

I spend about 400-500 a month for two adults and two toddlers. I shop at Aldi for a lot of our food but go to a local grocery store for produce when farmers markets don't have much. We are planning to plant some of our own this season so that will help too.

I plan our meals and I cook in bulk and freeze meals. I don't coupon but I do shop sales.

honeybadgegirl

I average about $80 for my husband, 2 year old, and myself and live in the Chicago suburbs. Now I'm questioning the quality of foods I'm buying...
The only processed foods I buy are cereal and an occasional package of crackers for my son...
We do eat out once a week, but I'm still spending half of what others are and that's with an additional person...

I am single and just for me alone, I spend over $50-60 a week. You need to teach us your tricks because that is amazing! ;-)

NursRatchett

Fresh foods cost more, but think of it this way, medical bills from eating bad food cost even more than the good, fresh foods I built my first box garden this weekend...hopefull it will help with the insane prices for fresh vegetables and I can control the quality, and what is added to the soil, etc.

erinlibke

I spend about $500 a month for my husband, myself and our 2 year old son. Mostly fresh produce and meats but some pre-packaged snacks for the little man and frozen lean cuisines for busy nights or lunches at work.

I do think it depends where you are. I currently live in Canada and find it to be the most expensive for groceries. Lived in London England and spent way less, but I find the US even cheaper! I love grocery shopping when we go to our holiday home in Vegas because everything is soooo cheap! Steak and lobster, shrimp and scallops almost every night. I don't understand why Canada is sooo much more expensive?

felice03

Wow...maybe I am better than I thought. I spend less than $400 a month and there is anywhere between 2-6 people to feed. I start my list on what is on sale and build meals around that. I don't by many packaged snacks, usually one or two small things and that is usually only every other week when we have all four kids. I do not use coupons as it leads to me buying stuff I wouldnt normally buy.

leotardbanshee

i forgot to mention i am stocking up for my new gluten free "vegan" lifestyle right now, so a lot of expensive things (gluten free flour, gluten free ketchup etc) are things I have bought recently to stock my pantry. it will probably level out to 350 and this is including all toiletries etc. thank you for all of the amazing tips! i appreciate it!

changejen2013

My husband and I are lucky. We live next to a grocery store, a cheaper grocery store, and a dollar store.
Our dollar store has a produce and frozen food section as well. So we sometimes get lucky with fresh veggies and fruit and canned goods. We try to stay away from unhealthy frozen meals due to gluten issues. They even have fresh milk and eggs.

Although for most it probably isn't an option, check out your local dollar stores and/or bargain grocery stores.

leotardbanshee

also i live in a really rural area so everything is going to be way more expensive, i was wondering about buying health foods on the internet, but then there's the guilt of not buying it at the local food co-op

ElizabethKalmbach

I spend about $350/month on all groceries for two adults, a toddler, and two doberman pincers. I shop primarily at Costco and the local grocery store.

1. I do all my own baking, thereby paying only $.71 per loaf for whole grain bread. I don't eat as much bread as I used to because I have to take the time to make it first.
2. I make all my legumes from dried rather than canned. It takes a little longer, but I do all my prep on weekends.
3. I buy my meats bulk and re-cut and freeze them myself.
4. I tend to buy only fruits and veggies that are "in season." I have had to learn more recipes to accommodate things like squash that I didn't previously cook with.
5. For whatever reason, Walgreens charges $.75/gallon less for milk consistently than any other grocery store in my area... We drink a lot of milk.

abramos913

Honestly, it depends on where you live. That sounds about right for my husband and I b/c we live in a HCOLA (high cost of living area). However, the reason for this is that I buy alot of things on sale and in bulk, esp meat/chicken/fish and it is organic.
I would definitely get fruits and veggies in season.