How much do you spend on groceries monthly?

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Replies

  • justcat206
    justcat206 Posts: 716 Member
    about $150/week for two adults and three small kids. That includes lots of "speciality" foods, though because I can't have gluten and dairy (so splurge on 'fake' substitutes) and I buy organic meat.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    Im single and I have tons of ingredients already in the house. Flour, salt, rice, potatoes, baking powder, sugar, coffee, garlic, butter - these things only need to be replenished every few months.

    I spend about $15 on meat for the month (chicken, round steak and ground turkey), which I divide up to cover about 15 meals, and about $35 on fresh veggies (brooklyn is mad cheap for super fresh food on every corner - think 3 avocados for a dollar, .75 for a bunch of bananas, .50 for green onions, $1 for a couple squashes or a bag of grapes, $2 for a gargantuan bunch of spinach ) pasta, cheese, eggs, canned chickpeas/olives, stuff like that and milk or half n half.

    Sometimes I want to make a big new meal for fun, but I use money from my entertainment budget for that and it doesn't happen every month. If I want to order delivery, I have to take money from a different budget.

    Go to the movies or order chinese? -weighs-
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    KylaDenay wrote: »
    For those of you with a budget of less than $150 a month....please share? Is it because you only by the staples like rice, potatoes, onions, meat, eggs, bread...etc?


    I think it's cause we probably always have large quantities of the staples on hand and only buy the perishables or the 'stars of the meal' at the beginning of the week.

    This week I got:
    2 boneless skinless chicken breasts for $5.50 - that's for 4 meals.
    can of chickpeas - $.85
    baby spinach - $2
    frozen brussels sprouts $1.89

    I already have rice, seasonings, potatoes and feta cheese leftover from week before last. I still have eggs and coffee too.

    So Im good for the week and will probably have left over spinach to roll over to next weeks foods.
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    yoovie wrote: »
    KylaDenay wrote: »
    For those of you with a budget of less than $150 a month....please share? Is it because you only by the staples like rice, potatoes, onions, meat, eggs, bread...etc?


    I think it's cause we probably always have large quantities of the staples on hand and only buy the perishables or the 'stars of the meal' at the beginning of the week.

    This week I got:
    2 boneless skinless chicken breasts for $5.50 - that's for 4 meals.
    can of chickpeas - $.85
    baby spinach - $2
    frozen brussels sprouts $1.89

    I already have rice, seasonings, potatoes and feta cheese leftover from week before last. I still have eggs and coffee too.

    So Im good for the week and will probably have left over spinach to roll over to next weeks foods.
    Okkkk gotcha. That is what I was thinking. I think my 13 year old son would eat me out of my house if he could.
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
    yoovie wrote: »
    Im single and I have tons of ingredients already in the house. Flour, salt, rice, potatoes, baking powder, sugar, coffee, garlic, butter - these things only need to be replenished every few months.

    I spend about $15 on meat for the month (chicken, round steak and ground turkey), which I divide up to cover about 15 meals, and about $35 on fresh veggies (brooklyn is mad cheap for super fresh food on every corner - think 3 avocados for a dollar, .75 for a bunch of bananas, .50 for green onions, $1 for a couple squashes or a bag of grapes, $2 for a gargantuan bunch of spinach ) pasta, cheese, eggs, canned chickpeas/olives, stuff like that and milk or half n half.

    Sometimes I want to make a big new meal for fun, but I use money from my entertainment budget for that and it doesn't happen every month. If I want to order delivery, I have to take money from a different budget.

    Go to the movies or order chinese? -weighs-
    Sounds like you got budgeting in the bag!
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    edited December 2014
    About $250-300/month for my husband and I - that includes breakfasts at home/packed lunches for work/dinner. We only go out to eat a couple times a month.

    I shop really carefully - lots of sales and store brands.
  • amcook4
    amcook4 Posts: 561 Member
    Depending on the month, and how fancy or frugal we are with our food, it is anywhere between $150 - $600 a month for two of us. When I was unemployed last year we were down really low in our groceries and ate a lot differently than we do now.

    This doesn't include eating out a couple times a week, and because my family are farmers and my parents are awesome, we get most of our meat for free. (Yep, free meat is the best meat)
  • yellowlemoned
    yellowlemoned Posts: 335 Member
    edited December 2014
    about $160-$200 a month for my boyfriend and I, but we're super frugal.
  • skullshank
    skullshank Posts: 4,324 Member
    3 of us (wife and i, and our 12yo son).
    NH
    we tend to get the exact same stuff every week. we average around 500/mo. more when i need to buy supps, but maybe only around $70 or so.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    edited December 2014
    About $600 for my husband and me, plus $200-300 eating out.

    Oh, and that doesn't include any protein powders, Quest bars, or any other supplements. Tack on another $200 for all that.
  • sheepotato
    sheepotato Posts: 600 Member
    edited December 2014
    yoovie wrote: »
    Im single and I have tons of ingredients already in the house. Flour, salt, rice, potatoes, baking powder, sugar, coffee, garlic, butter - these things only need to be replenished every few months.

    I spend about $15 on meat for the month (chicken, round steak and ground turkey), which I divide up to cover about 15 meals, and about $35 on fresh veggies (brooklyn is mad cheap for super fresh food on every corner - think 3 avocados for a dollar, .75 for a bunch of bananas, .50 for green onions, $1 for a couple squashes or a bag of grapes, $2 for a gargantuan bunch of spinach ) pasta, cheese, eggs, canned chickpeas/olives, stuff like that and milk or half n half.

    Sometimes I want to make a big new meal for fun, but I use money from my entertainment budget for that and it doesn't happen every month. If I want to order delivery, I have to take money from a different budget.

    Go to the movies or order chinese? -weighs-

    Wow that's crazy I think we've been eating organic for so long I've lost touch with how much more it costs. We spend $30 a week at the vegetable store (for 2). We buy meat in bulk when it's on sale but it's $3-$9 a pound (on sale) depending on if it's chicken or steak. I buy dry beans and grains in bulk and those are never very much but there are some things that just add up. Like meat and milk (we go through several boxes of almond milk and 2 gallons of cow milk a month.) Or eggs, a box or two a week.

  • ruqayyahsmum
    ruqayyahsmum Posts: 1,514 Member
    im in the UK

    i spend under £300 ($470) a month for one adult and a 9 year old all the time with a second adult thrown in half the time. this covers food, drinks and all toiletry's and household products which is probably between a third and half of the budget as i like us to be clean.

    i like to shop at the market for meat and fruits and veg when possible and if for some reason i dont have money one month we wont starve as i keep the 2 freezers full and have a stock cupboard for bulk buys/ over stocking etc
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
    sheepotato wrote: »
    yoovie wrote: »
    Im single and I have tons of ingredients already in the house. Flour, salt, rice, potatoes, baking powder, sugar, coffee, garlic, butter - these things only need to be replenished every few months.

    I spend about $15 on meat for the month (chicken, round steak and ground turkey), which I divide up to cover about 15 meals, and about $35 on fresh veggies (brooklyn is mad cheap for super fresh food on every corner - think 3 avocados for a dollar, .75 for a bunch of bananas, .50 for green onions, $1 for a couple squashes or a bag of grapes, $2 for a gargantuan bunch of spinach ) pasta, cheese, eggs, canned chickpeas/olives, stuff like that and milk or half n half.

    Sometimes I want to make a big new meal for fun, but I use money from my entertainment budget for that and it doesn't happen every month. If I want to order delivery, I have to take money from a different budget.

    Go to the movies or order chinese? -weighs-

    Wow that's crazy I think we've been eating organic for so long I've lost touch with how much more it costs. We spend $30 a week at the vegetable store (for 2). We buy meat in bulk when it's on sale but it's $3-$9 a pound (on sale) depending on if it's chicken or steak. I buy dry beans and grains in bulk and those are never very much but there are some things that just add up. Like meat and milk (we go through several boxes of almond milk and 2 gallons of cow milk a month.) Or eggs, a box or two a week.

    Yeah 18 eggs lasts me 2/3 weeks.

    Can of beans can go in two salads, pasta and/or greens.

    2 minced large mushrooms is a third of a cup, so a container of those are good for like 6 meals. Feta and white tropical cheeses last longer. Half a chicken breast, shredded, with left over tomatoes, green onions, garlic and olives over pasta. 2 Egg and avocado/ spinach omelettes. Egg salad wraps. Ground Turkey lasagne, I can eat off for a week. Potato chicken casseroles. Tomato and spinach fetuccini. Bread puffs with brocolli inside. Chili. Tacos. Egg drop soup. All these things cost almost nothing here if you always have main ingredients on hand :)
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    $200 for just me.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    KylaDenay wrote: »
    For those of you with a budget of less than $150 a month....please share? Is it because you only by the staples like rice, potatoes, onions, meat, eggs, bread...etc?

    I shop the sales. I plan my weekly shopping the day the ads come out (usually on a Thursday) and plan the main meals around what meat is on sale. I buy produce based on what is on sale and stock up when frozen veggies are $1 a bag. I get my bread at the day old bread outlet and my pantry staples at Aldi. I buy my spices and seasonings at Penzeys (which is, on average 1/2 the price of grocery store stuff). I make my own mixes for things like like Taco seasoning, etc. from spices and herbs. I get my milk, eggs, and butter from the local gas station/convenience store because they are always fresher and cheaper.
  • dieter1200
    dieter1200 Posts: 56 Member
    $400-$500 a month for grocerys for 4 adults. I spend about $50 a month eating out. I don't know what everyone else in the family spends eating out.
  • taryninoly
    taryninoly Posts: 45 Member
    I budget 50 bucks per week - not always easy (for 2). He spends too much on beer and processed lunches (I refuse to buy that crap)
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,287 Member
    If I've gone over $120/month, it's a special occasion and I've had to allocate from other funds. I wonder how many of the folks with expenses over $500/month are in the 'eating healthy isn't more expensive' camp.

    I don't think eating healthy is expensive, I know it's my shopping habits - I shop where is convenient to my home, I don't shop sales or cut coupons, I like brand name stuff and not store brands, some things I just like and that's that, organic milk is over 5 bucks a gallon and we go through 3 gallons a week easily, the yogurt we prefer is suaully about 4.45 for a container that lasts us about 3 or 4 days..... I usually hit costco, safeway, farmer's market in that order and I get what we want regardless of it being in season or whatever. we had a baby in 2013 and one in 2014 so our bill has gone up a lot with the addition of the extra formula, milk, cheese, just food in general as the one year old eats more and more of what we're having. I also think my 12 year old has a hallow leg. As for baby food I make it all so my veggie/fruit cost is about doubled.

    I seriously can't believe how little some of you manage to get food on! I'm impressed and it almost makes me want to get a sunday paper to look at ads.......almost.
  • lngbrd
    lngbrd Posts: 279 Member
    1000-1200/mo 4 of us including 2 older teenage boys
  • Zohar94
    Zohar94 Posts: 25 Member
    dumpsterdiving is the best :) think i spend something like 100 euro's/150 euro's a month on food :)