Just added up my monthly grocery expenses - I'm sick

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inertiastrength
inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I kept wondering why me and my bf had to inject extra money into our joint account regularly so I re-did our budget and I looked back on the last 2 months of expenses. We spent 900.00 on groceries alone in June and that doesn't even include the takeaway or couple dinners out we do. I'm scared to tally those items on top of. I feel ill.
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  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,943 Member
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    Most months I eat at about the level of $135-160. Maybe you are getting to be too much of a good cook? Did you have to replenish a lot of staples? Are one or both of you drinkers? I don't buy alcohol, and when I stopped doing that I saved a LOT of money.

  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
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    We don't drink alcohol but my BF is bulking and I swear it's like feeding a pony. He eats about 5K/day. I'm cutting I eat max 1800. We need to stop buying nuts and red meat LOL
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    edited July 2017
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    To be fair I include things like laundry soap and household maintenance (windex, paper towels, toilet paper etc) items but wow... I'm still shocked!
  • Old_Cat_Lady
    Old_Cat_Lady Posts: 1,193 Member
    edited July 2017
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    Editing. NV, those household products added up. Did you buy salmon? Are you shopping at walmart or Whole Foods?
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
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    TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »
    Time to visit walmart instead of Whole Foods or Publix?

    I shop at Walmart and use the Flipp app to price match.. or other grocery stores that price match. Costco meat and fish tho... ugh
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Yeah, what have you been eating? Or did you throw a lot out?
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Yeah, what have you been eating? Or did you throw a lot out?

    we eat a lot of chicken which isn't too bad but lately a lot more red meat since the BF is bulking. I usually buy chicken breasts, thighs and ground chuck and occasionally some steaks if they're on special. Salmon is expensive af. I'm going to cut out some convenience items or just not needed items.
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
    edited July 2017
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    Dang, that would make me a bit ill as well! I have a monthly grocery budget of $400 for 5 people, which includes all the non-food stuff like you listed, as well as cat food for 2 cats. What were the high priced items you bought? Can you find lower cost substitutions for those? Do you have an Aldi around? What about farmers markets/local options?

    Ah, Costco is evil lol. We used to have a membership and it ended up costing us so much more because we could never stick with our list there. Canceling it saved us a lot of money :p
  • PatanjaliTwist
    PatanjaliTwist Posts: 485 Member
    edited July 2017
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    Well, I'm a small girl & in weight loss stage (1,200-cal/day) & that sounds about right for me. Since I'm only 1, if you cut your food bill in 1/2, $450/mo for fresh, some organic is normal for my food bill. I also add in household products, ale & coffee, etc. (which can't be more than 15-20% max), but you 2 are eating far more calories than me, so I'm actually spending more for less food. I don't eat much from cans or any frozen, as that & processed foods make me ill.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,943 Member
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    Yeah, well you're kind of feeding three people (if he's eating 5K+) so that makes sense and it's not that far out of line. $300 per person per month is pretty good!
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
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    I am probably spending $900 a month also, now that I think about it. I am feeding three people right now as my son is home from school for the summer. Both husband and son eat a lot. I also am buying organic chicken which is costing me a lot a 2 lbs per meal. I do buy my salmon at Costco though. I actually think it's superior in taste and quality as to what I get at Wegman's. I buy about 3 lbs and it's $9.99 per lb here now.

    I buy lots of greens/veggies and they seem to be pricey too. Not much junk being bought at all except for 2 boxes of Skinny Cow salted caramel bars each week.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
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    I think our moist toilet wipes and coconut water have to go lol I suppose it's not that bad but damn, I never really added it all up before! I thought I was spending 130-150/week which clearly I am not lol
  • browneyes1520
    browneyes1520 Posts: 94 Member
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    I'm in Saskatchewan Canada and my grocery bill is also sickening. I shop at superstore and Walmart and I spend $250 per week to feed our family of 4. That does include toiletries and stuff but doesn't include a takeaway meal a week or any alcohol we may or may not buy. Sad thing is my husband is a hunter so we have a freezer full of homemade sausage, roasts, hamburger meat and my brother in law raises meat chickens so we also have a freezer full of chicken so I buy meat rarely. If i haf to huy meat our grocery bill would be over 300 a week. I buy a lot of fruits and vegetables and they are crazy expensive here and things like milk, cheese, yogurt etc...are also very expensive. I envy people who live in the warm climates who have access to cheap fruits and veg all year or people who live in places where feeding a family doesn't cost a fortune cuz that's certainly not here
  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
    edited July 2017
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    mrsnattybulking wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    Yeah, what have you been eating? Or did you throw a lot out?

    we eat a lot of chicken which isn't too bad but lately a lot more red meat since the BF is bulking. I usually buy chicken breasts, thighs and ground chuck and occasionally some steaks if they're on special. Salmon is expensive af. I'm going to cut out some convenience items or just not needed items.

    If I can offer a suggestion, it would be to rely heavier on carbs when bulking. Rice, pasta, potatoes, oatmeal. And increase fat. Protein is expensive, there's no way around that. And/or have more vegetable protein sources like beans/lentils. Or non-meat sources like milk, cheese, yogurt, eggs. Don't forget eggs. Oh, and tuna, and peanuts/peanut butter. Maybe almonds. And dried fruit.

    I agree with this. Meat is expensive and probably what is running up your food bill. I always look over my grocery receipts to see if there's a way I can save/cut down.

    Also, my number one tip for saving money when it comes to grocery shopping is to go grocery shopping no more than 2x a week. If you're shopping everyday it's hard to tell how much you're spending, but I make a budget for the week and go either 1x or 2x and I keep track while I'm in the store.
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
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    CMNVA wrote: »
    I am probably spending $900 a month also, now that I think about it. I am feeding three people right now as my son is home from school for the summer. Both husband and son eat a lot. I also am buying organic chicken which is costing me a lot a 2 lbs per meal. I do buy my salmon at Costco though. I actually think it's superior in taste and quality as to what I get at Wegman's. I buy about 3 lbs and it's $9.99 per lb here now.

    I buy lots of greens/veggies and they seem to be pricey too. Not much junk being bought at all except for 2 boxes of Skinny Cow salted caramel bars each week.

    If you have an Aldi nearby they have very inexpensive wild caught salmon-I paid $4 for a pound of it yesterday at my local store.
  • OliveGirl128
    OliveGirl128 Posts: 801 Member
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    mrsnattybulking wrote: »
    I think our moist toilet wipes and coconut water have to go lol I suppose it's not that bad but damn, I never really added it all up before! I thought I was spending 130-150/week which clearly I am not lol

    Shop around-I get my coconut water at Aldi and it's around $2 for a 33.8 ounce container (non-concentrated, 95% coconut water/5% aloe vera juice). I use 4 ounces a day in my green smoothie so one container lasts me over a week.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    I'm spending $400-600 a month for 3 people with almost no eating out.
    Having your bf get more calories from carbs and fats as suggested earlier to help reduce expenses.
    Buy generic/store brands.
    Sometimes we shop at a store that offers online ordering and then we just pickup the groceries. I usually spend less that way because I can find the lower priced items or change my order before submitting it if something is too much. You might try that if a store in your area offers it.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10565773/tight-budget-grocery-list#latest
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
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    I've saved a lot since we stopped eating out. Our dine out dinners average $50 per meal. My staple cook-at-home dinners are closer to $15 for 2 people. We used to eat out 5x per week. Plus, I now pack all lunches and snacks. So just the opposite, I'm like "hoorah" I can pay all the bills and put some to savings.

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