How much do you spend each week on groceries?

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  • sandyb
    sandyb Posts: 4 Member
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    150-200 for family of 5 (husband, myself and 3 young men)!
  • Val_from_OH
    Val_from_OH Posts: 447 Member
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    I spend about $160/week for 4 people, including any paper goods, cleaning products, etc. that we might need. I think $100/week for 2 is on the high end, but not unreasonable. Some tips for saving would be to buy your meats in bulk from BJ's or Sam's and freeze them in the portions you need, and make a menu at the beginning of the week so you know how much produce you will need. Also, make plans for your leftovers so that food doesn't get thrown out. The more you can cook from scratch, the less you will spend, so try to substitute fresh foods for processed as much as you can. Limit the number of trips you make to the store. Every time you walk into the store, you have the potential to impulse-buy, so if you only go in the store 1 time rather than 3 or 4 times per week, you limit that impulse spending.
  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member
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    Geez for me it is ridiculous :) Averaging 150-200 per store trip (weekly) not counting the out of stock runs to the farmers market which results in about 20-30 per run.

    I did find a butcher close to here where I can get 50lbs of meat (different types) for $89.99 and since we are measuring that should last a few months. That should take out at least $50/week in my grocery bill..woohoo :)

    Speaking of... need to type up my grocery list :\

    ETA: 0 processed foods....
  • devan33
    devan33 Posts: 177 Member
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    I shop every 2 weeks (with the exception of picking up some fresh fruit, milk or bread in between) and budget $300...so roughly $150 a week for a family of 6..Myself, hubby, 2 teenage sons, 6 year old daughter and 2 year old son.

    We usually eat out on Saturdays since we are on the go with sports. I cook, what I would say are 85-90% healthy dinner every night. Hubby and daughter pack lunch, boys eat at school. We don't buy a lot of snack type things. Kids snack on yogurt, string cheese or fruit usually...I make a list for 2 weeks worth of meals, and stick to it when I shop. It's tough!
  • primal7
    primal7 Posts: 151 Member
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    Around $150-$200 for two a week.
    We eat organic. seasonal and local.
    It is expensive, but our bodies are better for it!
  • katy_trail
    katy_trail Posts: 1,992 Member
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    i don't go weekly i go about every 2 or 3 weeks. when we are out of most of the perishable food.
    3-400 per trip so it works out to 700-800 per month that's for 2 adults, 3 grade school kids,
    2 bunnies, a fast growing puppy, and partridge in a pear tree.
    that also includes cleaning products i routinely buy like laundry detergent.
    almost everything is eaten at home too.
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,124 Member
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    I get paid every 2 weeks and go shopping right after payday... I typically spend about $200 every 2 weeks (just me and my hubby). So - that's about right. We eat alot of fresh produce - no processed foods and all natural/organic whenever possible - it's expensive eating healthy!
  • kluedesigns
    kluedesigns Posts: 72 Member
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    between me, my husband, 2 dogs, and 4 cats i spend about $700 a month on food.
  • Justkeepswimmin
    Justkeepswimmin Posts: 777 Member
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    Too much.
  • sarahDickson501
    sarahDickson501 Posts: 87 Member
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    Dang. I spend AT LEAST $200 (but as much as $300 some weeks) a week! and that's using coupons and "Ad Matching" anything that's on sale anywhere else. I have myself, hubby and 4 kids, two of them are in school and I send lunch and snacks every day.(that $ includes paper goods, diapers, vitamins, ect.) Price of food is outrageous!
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
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    What's an Aldi?

    A cheap uk shop

    I spend £10 on fresh fruit and.veg, £10 on meat, £15 ish on other items.
  • realmilk4me
    realmilk4me Posts: 22 Member
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    I spend about $160/week for 4 people, including any paper goods, cleaning products, etc. that we might need. I think $100/week for 2 is on the high end, but not unreasonable. Some tips for saving would be to buy your meats in bulk from BJ's or Sam's and freeze them in the portions you need, and make a menu at the beginning of the week so you know how much produce you will need. Also, make plans for your leftovers so that food doesn't get thrown out. The more you can cook from scratch, the less you will spend, so try to substitute fresh foods for processed as much as you can. Limit the number of trips you make to the store. Every time you walk into the store, you have the potential to impulse-buy, so if you only go in the store 1 time rather than 3 or 4 times per week, you limit that impulse spending.

    Yes, cooking from scratch and making a menu works great! Then you can buy ingredients and use them in several dishes.
  • greentart
    greentart Posts: 411 Member
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    Where do you guys shop? Holy cow. I bought 2 weeks of groceries, with all my meals completely planned out, and spent only $140. This is for me, my boyfriend, and our cat (kitty litter is expensive!). I don't buy pre-packaged meals, I try my best to make everything from scratch. This trip also included necessities such as dishsoap, dishwasher soap, tin foil, and toilet paper.

    The time before, I spent $270, on an entire month. And I only go grocery shopping when I go to buy big (because I don't have a car), so that's only once or twice a month.
    So really I spend about $70 for 2 people and a cat, per week.
  • kimdawnhayden
    kimdawnhayden Posts: 298 Member
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    Way too much! But we only eat out once a week. Around 250 for 4 people a week.
  • nicarey19
    nicarey19 Posts: 126 Member
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    I spend maybe 60 a week on groceries for my husband and I. But I also don't have to buy meat as we have venison to eat. (I don't factor in the cost of an elk/deer tag.) And we cut up our own meat so that is no cost. I budget everything and I shop all sales and coupon too. I do as much as I can from scratch. But sometimes it just doesn't happen. I also try to get things from the Hutterite colony. It also depends on where you live, food costs more in different areas. I live in a small town and try to buy very little from our little grocery store and buy most things from the bigger town. That helps to save money.
  • Rachickidee
    Rachickidee Posts: 1,632 Member
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    I spend $100-150 every 2 weeks for a family of 3 and 2 pets. I used to spend closer to $100 a week, but then I started making 2 week menus and looking at sales. Then I only buy what's on the menu and I only go to the store 2x a month. It has helped.
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,124 Member
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    Where do you guys shop? Holy cow. I bought 2 weeks of groceries, with all my meals completely planned out, and spent only $140. This is for me, my boyfriend, and our cat (kitty litter is expensive!). I don't buy pre-packaged meals, I try my best to make everything from scratch. This trip also included necessities such as dishsoap, dishwasher soap, tin foil, and toilet paper.

    The time before, I spent $270, on an entire month. And I only go grocery shopping when I go to buy big (because I don't have a car), so that's only once or twice a month.
    So really I spend about $70 for 2 people and a cat, per week.

    I get all my meats from Harris Teeter because they are better quality than say Walmart, Sam's Etc. I pay extra to get the good stuff. Again, getting the Organic and All-Natural options are always more expensive - most of my Groceries come from HT because they have the all natural options. I own a Holistic Pet store so i'm not about to feed my animals better than I eat myself :) Not too many farmers markets or local butchers where I live... so that's not really an option for me. We did start our garden though so will hopefully save on produce in the coming months.

    We also eat alot of seafood - which is much more expensive than hamburger, chicken, etc.
  • fromnebraska
    fromnebraska Posts: 153 Member
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    I definitely think menu planning really helps keep our grocery budget low. Also, I rarely follow recipes. I'll just throw something together that sounds good. I make what I call "Hippie Bowls" which is beans and rice with various roasted veggies (normally sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, carrots, kale) and topped with hummus or avocado. It's fairly cheap and tastes good. Oh, and I'm a vegetarian and my husband is pretty flexible about not eating meat at every meal, so that helps keeps costs low too.
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,124 Member
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    Besides.. $100/week divided by 2 people is only $7/day per person for 3 plus meals. That's pretty cheap if you ask me! Most people spend an average of $50.00 for 4 people to eat dinner at a restaurant - that's $10/person for 1 meal!
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
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    I am geussing we spend around $100 for two of us (plus pets), including eating out about once a week. I don't think it has changed that much with eating healthier...but we spend a bit more time cooking, and that's ok.

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