How much do you spend on food?
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I spend about $30 - $50 a week-ish (if I don't need anything more, I don't go to the store every week), depending on what I need, at the grocery store, for just myself. This typically includes hygienic items, cleaning stuff, etc that I might have run out of. I never run out of everything all at once, which is probably why I never have to spend much. Plus, I used to be purely Wal-Mart, but my college town has a HEB, which always has coupons hanging around for cents and dollars off stuff, or buy-this-get-that free kind of stuff, which saves a lot of money. So my weekly total also varies on what coupons they have hanging around0
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I spend about 250 a week in New England for a family of 4. So your estimate sounds right to me!0
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$75-$100 a week in Chicago, at Mariano's supermarket, just food and some cleaning supplies.0
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Reading through this thread makes my head spin... I'm spending maybe $30/week... including protein powder (Lean1 Choc PB.) How are some of you spending so much??? LOL
Let's see. One week = 14 meals (I usually skip breakfast, but will eat dessert).
One pork shoulder (enough for 12 meals) costs ~$30. That's probably the cheapest cut of meat available where I am.
I still have to spend for vegetables for all meals, and beans/legumes for 2 meals. That's probably $10-$15.
I like to have eggs around - I often eat a poached egg with spicy foods. Add $2.
And some kind of dessert - pint of ice cream, ingredients for cake/cookies/brownies, etc. Add $5.
So, around $50 for the minimum of what I'd normally buy. And forget it if I add tea at $7-9 per box (I go through the stuff like crazy), or prepared foods, or a splurge like smoked salmon ($9 for 4oz) or sushi ($11 single meal) that I'll get maybe once a month.
I can cut costs significantly if I stretch the meat out by making soup or with beans, etc. But if I do that it does start getting difficult to get enough protein. I lift and don't want to be short on it.0 -
I feel like I need to start making a stronger effort to save in the grocery department after reading all of these responses. I spend on average, $200-$250 a week (including miscellaneous toiletries) for myself, husband and son (6 years old, not a big eater). I usually prep one dinner and daily lunches for both my husband and myself on Sunday (protein, veggie and brown rice for 5 days for each of us), we typically eat egg sandwiches for breakfast, and I make a few more dinners throughout the week that typically don't require a ton of ingredients. My husband is constantly hungry, even after dinner as he works a physically demanding job and works out 5-6 times a week so I tend to buy cereal, protein bars, turkey jerkey, etc. every week as well. Any suggestions on keeping the house pretty well stocked, but cutting down on the bill?0
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We spend about $75 a week for a family of two adults. However, we also purchase from the local butcher a quarter of a cow and a whole pig once a year which is no included in this weekly amount.0
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Hello from Omaha, Nebraska!
I usually spend anywhere from $30-100 a week. Mondays I cook for myself and a friend, Tuesdays are date nights so either my boyfriend cooks or we eat out, Wednesdays are potluck game nights, Thursday and Friday I usually cook for myself, Saturdays are date night so either the bf and I cook together or eat out, and Sundays I cook for myself. Occasionally I cook for and eat with my roommate and sometimes her boyfriend, but they're usually doing their own thing.
For breakfast and lunch, I bring something to work. I used to eat out a lot more, but I've been saving SOOOO much by cooking more often.
Grocery list staples for me include but are not limited to pasta, fruits (usually apples), canned tuna/chicken breast, fresh chicken breasts, and salad. Not a ton of variety, but it works for me.0 -
Reading through this thread makes my head spin... I'm spending maybe $30/week... including protein powder (Lean1 Choc PB.) How are some of you spending so much??? LOL
My question to you: what are you eating that you're spending so little?
In all seriousness, though. This is my meal plan for the week, and grocery list. I am feeding 2 adults (myself and husband). The recipes I make for dinner have 4 servings, so the left overs get packaged up and eaten for lunch the next day.
Sunday: Asian-Glazed Chicken Thighs, Mirin braised bok choy, pureed turnips
Monday: Southwestern pinto bean burgers with chipotle mayonnaise, garlic roasted beet greens (original recipe was for kale, but I wanted to use up my beet greens)
Tuesday: Beet, blood orange, kumquat, and quinoa salad
Wednesday: Spicy basil chicken, brown rice with sesame, sauteed snow peas and peppers
Thursday BLT pasta, roasted broccoli
Friday: Turkey burgers with cranberry-apple relish (will use chicken I have in the freezer), Caesar salad
Shopping list:
Bananas (bunch of 5)
Apples (3 lb pag)
1 red pepper
1 navel orange
1 lemon
5 blood oranges
Fresh Express Lite Caesar Salad Kit
1 pint grape tomatoes
Snow peas, 12 oz
1 bunch basil (2 oz)
1 bunch beets
1 pint kumquats
1 avocado
1 bunch green onions
1 jalapeno pepper
1 bunch cilantro
turnips (2 lbs)
1 bok choy
1 jar minced garlic
2 shallots
Pecorino Romano cheese, 8 oz
Muenster cheese, 1 lb sliced in deli (for the hubby)
Roast beef, 1 lb sliced in deli (for the hubby)
1 package chicken thighs (family pack contained 10 thighs)
1 small can corn (8.5 oz)
1 can pinto beans (15.5 oz)
1 jar strawberry jelly (for the hubby)
1 box cereal (store brand Special K, 12 oz)
1 bottle lower sodium soy sauce, 10 oz
1 box Mini penne pasta, 16 oz
1 bag hamburger rolls (bag of 8 rolls)
1 box quinoa, 12 oz
Half gallon organic skim milk (this is my splurge)
Frozen broccoli florets, 16 oz
Edy's Outshine pomegranate bars (box of 6)
Weight Watchers Giant Latte bars (box of 6)
3 12-packs Diet Coke, 12 oz cans (Diet Coke is my vice, and it was on sale so I stocked up)
1 Box white tea, 40 bags (this will last a while)
1 jar multi-vitamins
1 bottle Systane eyedrops, 1 oz (my eyes get super dry, especially in the winter)
Total spent: $160.78
Do you buy food just for the week? Or do you stock up when things are on sale? I try to only buy things on sale or when/if I have a coupon. If I can pair a sale with a coupon (or two), even better. For example, last night I bought 4 roaster chickens between 5-6 lbs each for a total of $20.93 (somewhere around $.95 per pound). I went for their $.59/lb drumstick sale (while supplies last), but I'm sure those were completely sold out a half hour after the store opened. We will get at least 12 meals out of those guys plus several quarts of bone stock for soups, rice, beans, slow cooker meals, pressure cooker meals, etc. I plan my weekly meals almost exclusively around what I already have in the fridge, freezer, and pantry or what I can grab on a good deal that week.
Your shopping list looks very much like the types of things I buy, though last night we went shopping and my boyfriend added about 6 items of junk food to the trip. I like when he goes shopping with me, but we always end up with a handful of items I didn't plan on purchasing, which is fine. It might happen once every other month, and he eats most of the junk. He can't have a sandwich (his favorite lunch food) without some sort of chips to go with it.
Two weeks ago, I spent about $150 on groceries (mostly produce). Because it was such a large trip for us, I only spent about $12 last week to fill out what we needed/wanted for meals. Yesterday's trip was about $110 total, and I probably won't need to go shopping, again, for another couple weeks because I stocked up on things like flour, beans, spices (and a variety of chips) for us. We are also going away this weekend, and I am making dinner for Saturday night for about 20 people, so I bought what I needed for that. We are picking up a case of beer for this weekend, too, but I count alcohol into my "entertainment" budget since Pennsylvania laws are weird and we cannot buy alcohol with our groceries and I consider alcohol more of an entertainment/luxury item rather than a food/household/personal care item.0 -
Since I stopped buying junkfood, I've been withdrawing 50€ (ca 55$) per week for groceries and toiletries. Most of the time I do ok with that. I try not to eat too much meat and I bulk-buy fish filets. If I don't watch out, I tend to spend too much on eating out. I know next month and March will be horrible because I have several work-related dinners to attend but I'll need to pay for them myself. I'm lucky though, I only restrict my budget because I prefer to save than spend and I know that by many standards my budget isn't restrictive at all. I manage to buy loads of fresh fruit and veg, so i'm a happy bunny.0
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Oh, I definitely stock up where I can. Fresh produce and milk I buy weekly based on what we'll use. Meat I buy while it's on sale, and also based on the meal plan. I tend to buy large packs of meat, because they are usually less expensive per pound. Extra meat is easily frozen for future use. A lot of staples I only buy when we need them, things like cooking oil, spices, and condiments. I'll stock up on things with a long shelf life, like canned beans and tomatoes, when they go on sale. I save veggie scraps, bones, and shrimp shells in the freezer to make stock.0
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Oh, I definitely stock up where I can. Fresh produce and milk I buy weekly based on what we'll use. Meat I buy while it's on sale, and also based on the meal plan. I tend to buy large packs of meat, because they are usually less expensive per pound. Extra meat is easily frozen for future use. A lot of staples I only buy when we need them, things like cooking oil, spices, and condiments. I'll stock up on things with a long shelf life, like canned beans and tomatoes, when they go on sale. I save veggie scraps, bones, and shrimp shells in the freezer to make stock.
Then it definitely sounds like you're doing everything I'm doing! Your grocery prices must just be a bit more expensive than ours, which definitely stinks.0 -
Family of four, U.S. Pacific NW.
I spend $250-$350 a month, with an extra $100/month budgeted in November & December.0 -
Less than $10.
Can't beat $0.50/lb chicken.0 -
Probably too much. I work at a grocery store so pretty much every night when it's slow I basically get paid to walk around the store putting stuff away. And in the process I pick some stuff out for myself. I do try to buy more in bulk if I find something i like though (amazon prime ftw).0
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meganridenour wrote: »I'm glad my boyfriend and I are not the only ones spending $150-$200 a week. I feel like less of a freak now. Last time I mentioned that in a thread, I felt like people were jumping down my throat for spending so much.
We weren't jumping down your throat, we were wondering how you managed to do that. You explained that a lot of it went to proteins, fish, and organic fruits and vegs, and that you shop at Whole Foods (and Costco).
Personally, I balk at the price of humanely-raised red meat and wild fish, so I don't buy it very often. I eat a lot of chicken. I use canned salmon like canned tuna.0 -
My husband and I don't have children so we splurge more on eating out. We are also not big drinkers so we save a lot on buying alcohol. What I do notice is that he tends to spend more when we run out of things during the week and he picks up stuff in a rush. We save way more money when we plan our grocery shopping ahead and budget in. For sure we also save money when we buy specific items at specific stores, for the best price. We spend $300 a month for a household of two men and that includes lots of snacks and fresh organically grown foods. But we for sure spend $100 a week on eating out for two.0
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I eat 3000 calories per day and spend $50 / week ($200/month). This includes paper towels / dish soap stuff you get at the grocery store. I realize you are shopping for two but you and your husband probably don't eat quite that much so it sounds like you are spending almost TRIPLE the amount on food.
I also live in new england. I shop at market basket, they really do have noticeably lower prices than Hannaford and Shaws.
1. get the bulk of your calories from basic staples. Rice, beans, lentils, or potatos make up the base of my meals. These first three also happen to offer a lot of protein! Sometimes I eat pasta, but not too often.
2. I eat a lot of meat, but admit I very rarely spend the money on Fish (especially good stuff like salmon), which is far more expensive. However, you might deem this a worthy expense. I try not to spend more than $2-3/lb on chicken or $4/lb on beef; usually I shop sales and eat cheaper cuts. Sometimes a really good cut will be on sale and then I stock up and freeze.
3. Shop the store brands, they are often (not always, but often) made in the same factory as the name brands and get a different label stuck on.
4. Don't pay for packaging convenience such as single-serve yogurts, cheese sticks, etc. Buy a small tupperware container and re-use it if you need single servings. This is less wasteful, and food is usually cheaper in larger quantities.
5. Almost nothing from the "center aisles" of the store. e.g. no cereals, cookies, canned soups, frozen meals. Not only is this stuff usually less healthy than what you would make yourself, if you think about what the cost per calorie this stuff is usually way higher than what you could accomplish on your own. Not to say I never eat cookies - if I'm in the mood, I make a batch out of sugar, flour, and butter + whatever cookie ingredients I want (vanilla, chocolate chip, etc) which is far less expensive, and homemade is tastier.
6. you can even make a lot of sauces. For example, most people pay $4 for a jar of mayo that sits in the fridge for a month. you can make mayo in 5 minutes with a whisk, an egg yolk, vinegar, and a cup of canola oil (30 cents worth of ingredients). it will last a week+ in the fridge. Plus - you control the preservatives and dyes that go in! If you are planning say sandwiches (or what I use it for - coleslaw!) that week, it doesn't take much time to whip up a batch while your rice is boiling.0 -
After realizing we waste too many fruits and veggies buying them at Costco and not able to eat them, I started buying most of them at target in smaller quantities. Been able to cut down to $600 per month on groceries for the two of us, including toiletries and dog/cat food.0
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I'm feeding myself, my two adult sons who are still at home, and my husband for around $150-160 a week. I cook every night and pack lunches. We go out to dinner once a week. We are also meat-eaters. I think with a larger family, the per person cost is lower because larger size packages and larger quantities of meat have a lower unit or per lb. price. I'm also good at crock pot meals, so I did a roast last week in the crockpot that became stew and fed us for a couple of days. By the way, grocery prices have been lower in the past six months, probably due to lower gas and transportation costs. A year ago, I was spending closer to $175-$200, but eating the same things.0
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My question to you: what are you eating that you're spending so little?
In all seriousness, though. This is my meal plan for the week, and grocery list. I am feeding 2 adults (myself and husband). The recipes I make for dinner have 4 servings, so the left overs get packaged up and eaten for lunch the next day.
Sunday: Asian-Glazed Chicken Thighs, Mirin braised bok choy, pureed turnips
Monday: Southwestern pinto bean burgers with chipotle mayonnaise, garlic roasted beet greens (original recipe was for kale, but I wanted to use up my beet greens)
Tuesday: Beet, blood orange, kumquat, and quinoa salad
Wednesday: Spicy basil chicken, brown rice with sesame, sauteed snow peas and peppers
Thursday BLT pasta, roasted broccoli
Friday: Turkey burgers with cranberry-apple relish (will use chicken I have in the freezer), Caesar salad
Shopping list:
Bananas (bunch of 5)
Apples (3 lb pag)
1 red pepper
1 navel orange
1 lemon
5 blood oranges
Fresh Express Lite Caesar Salad Kit
1 pint grape tomatoes
Snow peas, 12 oz
1 bunch basil (2 oz)
1 bunch beets
1 pint kumquats
1 avocado
1 bunch green onions
1 jalapeno pepper
1 bunch cilantro
turnips (2 lbs)
1 bok choy
1 jar minced garlic
2 shallots
Pecorino Romano cheese, 8 oz
Muenster cheese, 1 lb sliced in deli (for the hubby)
Roast beef, 1 lb sliced in deli (for the hubby)
1 package chicken thighs (family pack contained 10 thighs)
1 small can corn (8.5 oz)
1 can pinto beans (15.5 oz)
1 jar strawberry jelly (for the hubby)
1 box cereal (store brand Special K, 12 oz)
1 bottle lower sodium soy sauce, 10 oz
1 box Mini penne pasta, 16 oz
1 bag hamburger rolls (bag of 8 rolls)
1 box quinoa, 12 oz
Half gallon organic skim milk (this is my splurge)
Frozen broccoli florets, 16 oz
Edy's Outshine pomegranate bars (box of 6)
Weight Watchers Giant Latte bars (box of 6)
3 12-packs Diet Coke, 12 oz cans (Diet Coke is my vice, and it was on sale so I stocked up)
1 Box white tea, 40 bags (this will last a while)
1 jar multi-vitamins
1 bottle Systane eyedrops, 1 oz (my eyes get super dry, especially in the winter)
Total spent: $160.78
to answer your question of what do you eat on a <$50/week budget, here are the differences:
taking a critical eye to this (it sounds delicious, but it is costly).
1. you have more or less only bought food for dinner! what about the other 2 meals of the day?
2. you have only purchased 6 dinners worth! saturday?
3. a lot of $$$ are leaking out of your budget and into: diet coke (zero nutrition for money), snack bars.
4. deli sliced meats are usually a lot more expensive than just cooking a steak and cutting it up, but i admit it's "not quite the same."
5. produce, especially specialty produce, is where most of the expense is coming from. you have multiple specialty ingredients in each meal. i buy a head of cabbage and an onion and it gets me through 5 or 6 meals. with usually one or two specialty ingredients for that meal, such as jalapenos, cilantro, or blood oranges.
6. what happens to the leftovers? (maybe that is your lunch the next day?)
basically, if you'll excuse me being crass, that is some gourmet *kitten* and not everyone can afford it. I cook about 2 meals a week with fewer and cheaper ingredients and eat leftovers most days.0 -
2 adults 2 toddlers in NC, USA and we spend about $75/week on groceries. We have breakfast, lunch, and dinners prepared for the house and eat at home 6 days a week on average. We shop at Aldi's where their milk, eggs, bread, fresh fruit and vegetables are just so cheap. I don't know what I'd buy with $200/week. lol.0
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We spend tons...and go through tons of food. Typically up to 1000 a month (Canadian so currency exchange makes that about 700 US...many foods are more expensive here than the US). I typically cook most meals from scratch or fresh ingredients--some spice pastes or sauces are from a jar.0
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Now I feel ridiculous, lol. I spend around $150 a week just for myself. I shop at Kroger and only buy organic, humanely raised meat, and no processed foods. But I am new to this. I don't eat out at all though.
I spend minimum $100 (upwards to $150) per week in groceries for just myself also.0
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