Random topic: Grocery Bill

CassieR6
CassieR6 Posts: 280 Member
Ok, so I have a family of 3. My Boyfriend, my 4 year old, and me. Some how we manage to spend just about $640 a month at Target/Vons. Is that normal for a family this size? I don’t know why but it seems high to me to be spending about $200 to $120 every week on food and stuff for the house. If am wrong let me know, I am dying to figure out a way to drop this bill and save some money! Thanks!! :angry: :frown: :sad:
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Replies

  • AlysonG2
    AlysonG2 Posts: 713 Member
    Sounds normal to me. I spend that much on me, hubby, and my 1 year old who doesn't really eat much.
  • LassoOfTruth
    LassoOfTruth Posts: 735 Member
    We spend about $300 every two weeks with me, my bf, cat & dog.
  • _Tink_
    _Tink_ Posts: 3,845 Member
    That's high for me. When my daughter was still at home there were 4 of us (and she was a ravenous teenager) and I rarely spent over $400 in a month.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    When I planned my meals out for the week and only shopped for those meals, my bill was a lot lower. For reference, it's me and 3 kids.
  • wardamnirish
    wardamnirish Posts: 395
    About $700-$800 every two weeks for a family of six (plus a daughter's BF who eats with us a lot).
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    Really it depends on where you live... for me, it's about $400-$500 a month... but I have so many grocery stores in my area they are almost as abundant as churches are... I usually go to Aldi's, then what I can't find there I go to Safeway (which is across the highway from a Walmart (which never has what I want) so the prices for most things are comparible). But we have so many grocery stores in our area that if you can't find good wholesome food for not a lot of money, you are doing it wrong.... for reference I live in the DFW area.

    ETA: It's me, my husband, our little one, and three furballs.
  • Platform_Heels
    Platform_Heels Posts: 388 Member
    I spend $200-$250/ A WEEK and it's just my husband and I.
  • EddieHaskell97
    EddieHaskell97 Posts: 2,227 Member
    Christ in a shopping cart, that makes the national debt look like pocket change! Cut down on the lobster and caviar, Ri¢hie Ri¢h!

    Kidding, depending upon where you are, that could be totally normal. For where I live, that's kinda' high for three people.
  • ScorpionQwean
    ScorpionQwean Posts: 1,013 Member
    Me and my 2 teens (and my son who is 6'3" and still growing); I NEED to budget. I spend $500 / month. Ya, they get cranky towards the end when all the good ish is gone, but they never go starving.
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
    I spend $200-$250/ A WEEK and it's just my husband and I.

    What on earth are you eating that costs $35 a day?

    Or do you live somewhere where food is really expensive?
  • KatesBadAss
    KatesBadAss Posts: 38 Member
    That's normal for us. Family of 3 with a husband who eats like a horse. But we also prepare all of our meals and it's usually fresh and not boxed stuff. That includes stuff for the house too. I say your "normal".
  • CMB1979
    CMB1979 Posts: 588 Member
    I spend about $400/month for just myself. But I live in South Korea and food prices here are pretty high - especially for any (land animal) meat or fruit or dairy product.
  • dj59lane
    dj59lane Posts: 52 Member
    to me those stores are high price. Try shopping in bulk for thing you use often, buying store brands over national.
  • Platform_Heels
    Platform_Heels Posts: 388 Member
    I spend $200-$250/ A WEEK and it's just my husband and I.

    What on earth are you eating that costs $35 a day?

    Or do you live somewhere where food is really expensive?

    Vegetables, fruits, meat (chicken/pork), deli meats, cheese, milk . . . things like that. However in the summer time there is a different store we go to for our fruits and veggies that is a LOT cheaper. Plus this year we are starting a garden (with any luck it grows), and at some point we are going to go in on half a cow with someone and pay for the raising and slaughter which is fairly inexpensive.

    I really get excited when we go to the store and the bill is $100-$150
  • fourfancy
    fourfancy Posts: 4
    I spend $800-$1000 a month for a family of 4, but we don't make an effort to shop sales at all. Also, we like and buy some pricer things - more expensive cuts of steak, good cheese, etc.
  • MissKalhan
    MissKalhan Posts: 2,282 Member
    Right now there's only myself and my boyfriend, lately we've been spending around 150 to 200 a week but that's mainly because he eats ALL the freaking time. I also have a soft spot for the local market meat, which can be a bit more expensive. Oooops. Lol
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
    It's usually right at $310 per month for myself, and my daughter, and my boyfriend eats over about three nights a week, and he eats a ton of food.

    My goal is $250 and the closest I've got to it all year was $275, at which point I took my family to a restaurant to celebrate and knocked the bill back up to $310.

    Love these threads~!

    I live in Norman, OK!

    :flowerforyou:
  • kdcj17
    kdcj17 Posts: 73 Member
    I have a family of four; me, my husband, 7 y/o son and 13 y/o daughter. We manage to spend $270-370 every two weeks, but that is also including household items, toiletries, cat food, etc. Of course we frequently have to 'stop and pick up something' we either ran out of or forgot.
  • arenad
    arenad Posts: 142 Member
    For a family of 5, I spend about 500 a month. Aldi's is my best friend, couldn't do that without being able shop there for most of my groceries.
  • wolfsbayne
    wolfsbayne Posts: 3,116 Member
    I spend about $800 (sometimes more) per month for our family of 5 (3 growing boys and an SO that eats a lot). This includes Sam's trips also.
  • Alidecker
    Alidecker Posts: 1,262 Member
    I spend $50 - $60 a week on myself for just food. I do cook most all my meals and go out maybe 1 dinner a week. There are sometimes when I can spend very little because I so many leftovers in the freezer :)
  • dancingj2
    dancingj2 Posts: 4,572 Member
    When all three kids were home we would spend $80 to $120 a week so I would say the amounts you mentioned are high. I would buy very little prepared foods. I would say half of my items were store brand, I used coupons occasionally and would review the ads and shop at a couple of different stores.
  • jkwolly
    jkwolly Posts: 3,049 Member
    Around $300 every two weeks for my husband and I.

    It's expensive buying fresh produce and meat, but it's worth it!
  • Pipsg1rl
    Pipsg1rl Posts: 1,414 Member
    Is that JUST food?

    I know when I go get groceries at places that aren't specifically for FOOD that I spend more.

    Expensive items that aren't food that wind up in the cart:
    Laundry detergent and bleach
    House cleaning items
    Foil, baggies, wax paper, etc
    Shampoos and other body care items like Razors and deodorant

    We put frozen and boxed items up first (not together so the boxes don't weaken) so I know the cost goes up at the end when they scan our:
    Alcohol
    Sodas
    Meat

    We can go to Sam's and spend a few hundred but then don't need meat for at least 1-2 months, so this evens out. I think we are at on average 6-800 a month.
    We live in the greater Houston, Texas area, so in California we'd probably be spending what you spend.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    I can easily spend $200-300 on groceries just for myself, but it seems that probably 10% of it goes to waste in meats and veggies that don't get eaten in time and have to be thrown out. I try to stick with local meats and veggies as much as possible, and they tend to be pricier.
  • AusAshMommy
    AusAshMommy Posts: 845 Member
    WOW! Seriously ya'll..how do you do it? I spend somewhere around $160 - $200/week on Groceries for my Family of Four (myself, hubby, and two kids, my 11yr old son and 9yr old daughter)

    That includes - meals - we meal plan and ONLY buy what we need for those meals, supplementing what we may already have in the house; lunch stuff - for me a normal week is Pita Chips, 1 Small Container of Hummus that'll last about 2 weeks, 2 Kinds of Fruit, 4 Cup Container of Greek Yogurt, a Bag of Granola that'll last me roughly 2 weeks, My Low Fat butter (that I buy a container of and lasts me roughly a month), and a loaf of my 15 Grain Bread; And then lunch stuff for the kids - again bread, fruit, snacks and juice boxes; and then breakfast items

    BUT it also includes those essentials we need around the house
    -Paper Towels/Toilet Paper
    -Laundry Detergent/Dryer Sheets
    -Cleaning Supplies
    -Any and all HBA Items
    -Cat Litter

    And those semi non essential food items we buy every week
    -Milk, 1/2 Gal Skim and 1 Gal 2% for the kids
    -Coffee
    -Creamer - My Sugar Free Creamer
    -Sodas for the hubby

    Average bill @ Wal-Mart Super Center $160 - $200/week Depending

    And I keep a separate budget item for Cat/Dog/Bearded Dragon Food as we buy all that on my hubby's discount @ PetsMart...
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Ok, so I have a family of 3. My Boyfriend, my 4 year old, and me. Some how we manage to spend just about $640 a month at Target/Vons. Is that normal for a family this size? I don’t know why but it seems high to me to be spending about $200 to $120 every week on food and stuff for the house. If am wrong let me know, I am dying to figure out a way to drop this bill and save some money! Thanks!! :angry: :frown: :sad:

    120-200 for 3 people? Seems pretty cheap to me. My groceries cost more than that just for me
  • PennyM140
    PennyM140 Posts: 423 Member
    I try to keep mine to $500 a month for two adults and a 4yo. I could go cheaper but it would be more work than it's worth. I try to do two larger shopping trips a month with two smaller ones between.
    I try to stock up on things when they are on sale. My son uses a lot of ranch dressing so I always get them when they are BOGO even if we already have some.
    Also, meal planning is great if you have the time for it but if not, just buy whatever kind of meats and veggies are on sale that week and work your menu around it.
  • kaaaaylee
    kaaaaylee Posts: 398
    My mom used to spend $120 for 2 weeks for me and her, and I went out to eat a lot.

    I spend about 60 a week, and there's 4 of you..seems legit.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Sounds extremely high to me but maybe it's related to where you live. I don't know. I do think my best friend spends close to that amount but she has a husband and 3 kids ages 14, 11, and 8, as well as a niece & nephew in their teens who eat there a couple of nights per week.

    We're just a married couple, no kids, but we spend maybe $200-250 per month. Most weeks we spend around $40 and then maybe 1 week out of the month we stock up so it's closer to $70-ish.

    We do go out to eat once or twice each week, and I don't include that in the grocery total...so of course it would be a bit higher if we didn't (not that drastically).