s/o what's your monthly grocery budget, and how big is your family?

[jenL]

$450/month for a family of 4 and 2 chubby cats. This number includes our food, household items (incl. cleaning and paper products), and cat food/litter.

 

I'm working on getting it lower as I'd like to spend only $75-100/wk. We are part of a local produce co-op that helps tremendously, and I am a couponer.

[Amira]

Wow!! Ok, how do you do it? Your family is exact same split as mine and I'm almost double yours - and I'm trying. I only buy on sale, bulk, cook from scratch, etc. We go through a ton of produce and husband is practically a carnivore, so we have meat at every dinner. Those are our big budget busters. Still, though, we split a cow to keep meat costs down, buy produce on sale or local farmers (in season) so I can get better prices.

 

Seriously, I'd love to hear more specific advice/tips you frugal mamas want to share.

 

It took me a long time to come up with lots of meals that we like that aren't too expensive. Breakfast is usually oatmeal or another whole-grain cereal, toast with eggs, or muffins. Lunch is macaroni and cheese with plain yogurt, rice, or leftovers. I have a list of what I make for dinner here. Vegetables or fruit and rice usually rounds out dinner. Learning how to cook meals from a variety of countries has been really helpful. Rice has become an important staple here.

 

I do ration some food, like milk and cheese and fish. We would all happily eat twice as much of each of those if we could afford it. I would also be happy to eat organic produce, but I figure that eating a lot of produce is better than eating a little organic produce.

 

Produce was a big problem in our budget until I found a little hole-in-the-wall produce stand that I can walk to. I don't buy much out-of-season produce. I think that may be one of the biggest things that saves us money on produce. We'd all love to eat mangoes and papaya and strawberries in February, but it doesn't make sense when oranges and grapefruit are so much cheaper right now. I also have a very small garden that helps with some of the produce costs. We tend to eat more vegetables that fruit, which I think is often a little cheaper.

 

Seattle doesn't have many (any) decent inexpensive grocery stores, but I do drive a bit to one 4 times a year to stock up. They have an amazing bulk section where I can get almost everything I need, from red lentils to freshly ground peanut butter. Everything else is cheaper there too. The rest of my bulk food comes from LDS canneries. I usually just buy milk and eggs at the local grocery store, and they're usually on sale.

 

Since we eat a lot of international food, I also go to the international district often because everything is so much cheaper there than at a regular store.

 

I think it takes a lot of time and effort to cut a grocery budget, but once it's done, it's not too hard to keep up.

[meet me in paris]

We're a family of 6. I have three budgets -

 

Super frugal (mostly vegetarian, snacks include popcorn and apples for the week, mostly organic) - $100/week.

 

Semi-frugal (adding some meat, more snacks, mostly organic) $150/week.

 

Not at all frugal - all organic, quite a bit of meat meals, snacks galore) - $200-$220/week.

 

Usually, one of our weeks is the $200, two are at $150, and one is at $100. So, we're at $650 for the month.

This sounds exactly like us. I'm mostly veg, as is my younger. My older would eat meat at every meal if it were available to her... my dh can go either way. I've tried to add meat back in very gradually and it has affected my budget in a mean and dirty way!

 

I usually go to Whole Foods twice a month and buy whatever meat they have on sale, and then base my meal plan around that (we usually have meat twice a week). The rest of our dinners are vegetarian... lot of soups, rice and beans, and pasta, which is cheaper. I can't buy nearly as much produce in the winter because it is SO darn expensive, but when the farmers market is open, we go to town. :D

[1GirlTwinBoys]

Family of 5 and we spend $1000. I buy organic & grass fed mostly.

[angelmorris]

Between $1000 and $12000 a month for 8 people. 1 of which eats enough to be 3 people :lol:. That's mostly whole foods and LOTS of produce... the produce is what kills us. I hate that we live in a country where it's more expensive to eat healthy than it is to eat crap :glare:

[Murphy101]

family of 11 here.

 

on average I would say we can rarely go below $100 per person per month without completely sacrificing health. That does NOT include anything other than what we humans eat bc paper and cleaning goods and pet foods and so forth are additional in a seperate non-grocery budget.

[LibraryLover]

Between $1000 and $12000 a month for 8 people. 1 of which eats enough to be 3 people :lol:. That's mostly whole foods and LOTS of produce... the produce is what kills us. I hate that we live in a country where it's more expensive to eat healthy than it is to eat crap :glare:

 

 

Americans spend a smaller percentage of their income on even the best food, than any nearly anyone anywhere on the planet. I don''t supposed you've tried to buy oranges in England or elsehwere? :D I agree that .50 boxes of Kraft Mac and 'Cheese' make everything else look outrageously expensive. Absolutely. Have you seen the documentary Food Inc? Very eye opening. Organic farmers simply can't sell ther products at dirt -cheap prices. It costs to raise animals and produce with care.

 

If you were to buy one of my organic chickens, there is no way I could sell it to you for less than $12, and that would be a bargain for a free range, 100% organic chicken. In general, it's not possible to sell good organic food for pennies. It is possible to sell factory farmed food for pennies. That is going to be true anywhere in the world.

 

If you were to go to Italy, say, or France, you would see that farmers charge a premium for these organic artisan foods. Farmers in Europe make a better living than farmers in the US, and it's not becuase they are selling their goods at Walmart Perdue or Karft prices. Sometimes I see chicken for sale chicken for 39. .49 or 69 a lb, and I shudder. What kind of racket have you got going on that you could do this and still make a profit for your investors? And what kind of poison are you spewing into the waterways near your processing plants. Perdue, for instance, is the major contributer to the dying watersheds near their plants. The states of Virginia and Maryland have filed lawsuits against Perdue for water pollution issues due to improper disposal of chicken waste etc.

Edited February 14, 2010 by LibraryLover

[mcconnellboys]

Mine is $560 a month, including all supplies. My guys do eat meat and I'm trying to buy more organic products, too.

[Murphy101]

Oh and I should note, we are buying cheap foods for the most part. Only organic if it's cheaper or same. altho really the only fresh produce we ever get is when it's from Aldi's on Mondays. (Every other day of the week it looks like it was dragged behind the truck rather than carried in the truck for delivery.)

 

Dh gets cheap diet pop to drink (knock off of Pepsi unless Pepsi is on sale) and I drink coffee in the mornings. Otherwise, it's water or milk in this house. The only sweets are those I make, not boxed, and not often bc I don't have the time or inclination and my backside doesn't need expansion. ;)

 

We do eat meats on sale. Lots of pasta and sandwiches and rice and black beans (the ONLY beans anyone in my house will eat) in this house.

 

I'd love to eat more healthy and esp more organic (it just tastes better!), but fact is that is does cost more and we don't have more to spend.

[LibraryLover]

Oh and I should note, we are buying cheap foods for the most part. Only organic if it's cheaper or same. altho really the only fresh produce we ever get is when it's from Aldi's on Mondays. (Every other day of the week it looks like it was dragged behind the truck rather than carried in the truck for delivery.)

 

Dh gets cheap diet pop to drink (knock off of Pepsi unless Pepsi is on sale) and I drink coffee in the mornings. Otherwise, it's water or milk in this house. The only sweets are those I make, not boxed, and not often bc I don't have the time or inclination and my backside doesn't need expansion. ;)

 

We do eat meats on sale. Lots of pasta and sandwiches and rice and black beans (the ONLY beans anyone in my house will eat) in this house.

 

I'd love to eat more healthy and esp more organic (it just tastes better!), but fact is that is does cost more and we don't have more to spend.

 

 

It does cost more. But it can't get much cheaper. I know sometimes I look at Kale at say $4/lb and think woah. Then I think, a pound of kale is a boat load of Kale. It one compares it to a .50 cent box of m & c, it seems even more $. If the bad food wasn't so cheap, we'd not think the good food so costly. We would buy less of it, maybe. I know I could bring down my bill if I only ever cooked from scratch. Make the organic pasta, make the organic bread etc. That's what people used to do, and they also ate a lot less. lol I love to eat and cook. That's my downfall.

[Murphy101]

Well yeah. But they didn't eat kale much either. And who eats just a bowl of kale? Most don't. No then they buy stuff to put on it. Healthy stuff is still more to buy.

 

And people were home a lot more then too so they had a lot more time for gardening and scratch baking.

 

I don't buy boxed mac and cheese. It's more than if I buy cheese and mac and make my own.

 

Yes if cheaper foods were not available people would have to buy the other stuff. And maybe they'd eat less. And maybe they'd just not eat. I know the entire notion of 3 meals or any snacks was not the norm for older families and even those who had it didn't do it like we do. Lunch was some cheese and a bread roll maybe a cup of tea. Breakfast was one egg and a slice of bread and coffee or milk. Dinner was a small bowl of mostly broth and potatoes and a

slice of bread. If I didn't have more than that to offer my kids people would think I was starving them. My grandmother would have been impressed by that meal.

[Murphy101]

Oh and I don't argue that it does cost more. I'm not saying their price isn't fair.

 

But how fair their price is doesn't change my income.

And not having a cheaper option doesn't change my income either.

Obviously I can only buy what I can afford and if it costs more, I'd eat less.

[dragons in the flower bed]

Three kids, one adult, just food items: $450. We aren't vegetarians but I don't cook meat at home.

[TammyinTN]

There's only 3 of us here right now...$600.00 a month.

We shop at the military commissary and eat out at a nice place twice a month and 2 McDonald's trips a month. $300 to commissary and $300 to going out. We have to convert to euro for dining out.

[2squared]

$550/month for food, toiletries, paper products, cleaning supplies, cat food, and diapers for a family of 6. Dh eats lunch at home with us.

 

We go through 25-30 gallons of milk a month. :001_huh:

 

We spend an additional $100/month eating out.

[Sumiller]

4kiddies and Floridamama, HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU DO IT? We eat organics, but not all, and I just do not see how you can feed your family on that budget. I could *NEVER* do it. I've tried and tried to get our cost down to $800 but can't. Dh and I don't eat much. My oldest dd is RAIL THIN and eats all the time, as do my boys. I just can't budge our budget. Is it because I'm in NH and you guys are somewhere where it's cheaper to shop?

 

I just can't believe what you two spend on groceries. I can't tell you how happy I'd be to stick to $800!!!

 

Denise,

 

I hear ya!!! I'm spending easily $1000 to $1200 a month for the 4 of us which includes two teenage boys with very healthy appetites. ;)

 

I have noticed the prices in the supermarket jump in the last year. I used to get out of the store for around $150 - $180/wk now it doesn't ever seem to get below $200/wk. And that's with coupons!!!

[Sumiller]

We spend an additional $100/month eating out.

 

Oh, don't get me started on eating out. . .

 

We used to treat ourselves to Sal's pizza every other week and we've totally cut that luxury out. The last time we went out to dinner was when we had been given a gift cert. to Olive Garden from my inlaws.

[jail warden]

There are 5 of us and with coupons I've gotten it to be fairly easily $300/month for groceries, cleaning and household. I think I might be able to shave that down a little bit more again soon.

[LibraryLover]

Most people don't like kale at all, so it's rather a moot point, and probably a hideous one. ;) I only used it as an example to point out that what looks $ often isn't. You can say the same thing about bulk organic brown rice or quinoa. If you factor in how many more meals you could make, how much further you could spread some favored meat, and consider how much more nutritional and filling the meals would be, it's really not costly. fwiw, we do eat kale in bowls, with toasted seeds, or in soup, stews or stir fry, with salt, pepper & olive oil, or maybe crisped up in the oven. Some rice, seeds and kale are a bit more costly than mac and cheese, but you also won't be hungry 5 minutes later. And one box of mac & cheese won't last as long as a pound of kale, and 5 lbs of brown rice. If we think outside the tiny window of food options we grew up with, we can see foods, inexpensive foods, we didn't even knew existed.

 

Even if one doesn't want to eat a monk's dinner of kale and brown rice, :) one could get decent eggs...but the $3 cost puts people off. Yet 12 eggs is going to be far more filling and nutritious than those cheap hamburger helper boxes of high fructose corn syrup and gmo soy, and even much maligned kraft mac & cheese. One of those little boxes can't feed a whole family a decent meal, but a dozen eggs most certainly can. We all know people who say "I can't afford organic eggs!" but then spend $8 on the dollar menu for their family, which is only going to be one meal anyway, and one very unhealthy meal, at that.

 

People often don't like the taste of foods simple heathly foods like greens or lentils or quiona, but that's only because they are accustomed trans-fatty salty food that is much cheaper, but really isn't food. The threads here about men who won't consider anything but beef at every meal shows just how unaccustomed we are to any variety at all. I get some people actually need animal fat. I believe that...but to limit ones self so severely to only one food tells me people have dead taste-buds from years of crappy factory and fast food.

 

Society is changing. And movies like Food Inc and Joe Salatin's (who is a christian, just as an intersting fact) work lead the way.

 

Well yeah. But they didn't eat kale much either. And who eats just a bowl of kale? Most don't. No then they buy stuff to put on it. Healthy stuff is still more to buy.

 

And people were home a lot more then too so they had a lot more time for gardening and scratch baking.

 

I don't buy boxed mac and cheese. It's more than if I buy cheese and mac and make my own.

 

Yes if cheaper foods were not available people would have to buy the other stuff. And maybe they'd eat less. And maybe they'd just not eat. I know the entire notion of 3 meals or any snacks was not the norm for older families and even those who had it didn't do it like we do. Lunch was some cheese and a bread roll maybe a cup of tea. Breakfast was one egg and a slice of bread and coffee or milk. Dinner was a small bowl of mostly broth and potatoes and a

slice of bread. If I didn't have more than that to offer my kids people would think I was starving them. My grandmother would have been impressed by that meal.

Edited February 14, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Carrie12345]

IIRC, Michael Pollan told Oprah (and, well, everyone else, lol) that $1 can get you about 1200 calories from the middle aisle of a supermarket, but only around 200 calories from the produce section. That's just plain sad.

 

I spend an average of $100/wk for our family of 6 (food/house supplies/hygiene), but that's with The Grocery Game. I tracked my stats for 26 weeks a while back, and it came to about $5,300 retail, or $203/wk.

 

I cook quite a bit from scratch and I've cut back on the organics. We're semi-big meat eaters, we go through produce like crazy, try to stick to whole grains and my weaknesses are K-cup coffee and Diet Mountain Dew (but I only buy that on sale!).

[LibraryLover]

IIRC, Michael Pollan told Oprah (and, well, everyone else, lol) that $1 can get you about 1200 calories from the middle aisle of a supermarket, but only around 200 calories from the produce section. That's just plain sad.

 

I spend an average of $100/wk for our family of 6 (food/house supplies/hygiene), but that's with The Grocery Game. I tracked my stats for 26 weeks a while back, and it came to about $5,300 retail, or $203/wk.

 

I cook quite a bit from scratch and I've cut back on the organics. We're semi-big meat eaters, we go through produce like crazy, try to stick to whole grains and my weaknesses are K-cup coffee and Diet Mountain Dew (but I only buy that on sale!).

 

He didn't just say that, however. The quiona and the good oils and such are in the middle isles as well. He wasn't talking about that however, he was talking about the Stouffers and the Dorittos, and the mac & cheese, which is not comparing apples to apples.

[Prairie~Phlox]

There are 5 of us and with coupons I've gotten it to be fairly easily $300/month for groceries, cleaning and household. I think I might be able to shave that down a little bit more again soon.

 

 

That's us too. I love couponmom.com and I feel that we eat fairly healthy, yes I do bring some junk into the house, but I donate a lot of it too, all of our H&B is free, we have 1 cat and I do buy a beef from my parents since they are beef producers. I cook most of our meals from scratch, do grind wheat every once in a while. We eat lots of produce, have a garden and are for the most part healthy. I figure everything in moderation and don't understand all of the rage of organic. In the end, is it really better for ya? There's no proof that it is or isn't is there? I'm doing the best that I can with what we have. We just can't afford to buy fresh milk or organic produce. I just bought a 10 lb. bag of potatoes for $1.99 today, fresh pineapple for 2.99 & Romaine lettuce hearts for $2.50, carrots the other day at Sam's club, 5 lbs. for $2.xx etc....I could go on and on.

[Carrie12345]

He didn't just say that, however. The quiona and the good oils and such are in the middle isles as well. He wasn't talking about that however, he was talking about the Stouffers and the Dorittos, and the mac & cheese, which is not comparing apples to apples.

 

You're absolutely right. Still, when you think of averages then factor in convenience and "norms"... it's still a sad statement. It does make me grateful to be in a position of not *having (or feeling as though I have) to make desperate decisions or *having (or feeling as though I have) to use time as a factor.

 

(Which isn't to say I never willingly make substandard choices ;).)

[Murphy101]

That's a bit misleading.

 

I don't personally know anyone who doesn't eat lettuce or rice. But they buy iceberg (near useless nutritionally) instead of kale. White rice instead of brown.

 

Personally we mix kale in when we can afford it.

We love wild/brown rice but it is easily double the cost of a 25lb bag of white at Sams. Altho I hope for middle ground when finances improve to get basmati rice. Can't stand quinoa. But we love black beans, which are pretty healthy.

 

We eat eggs and toast a piece of fruit for nearly every breakfast. But yeah it's the weird tasting cheap crate. Still even if I only give them 2 eggs each, that's nearly 2 dozen every breakfast.

 

Oh well. I'm stopping bc I'm obviously feeling defensive.

[dsacco]

We spend $100-125 week just for groceries. Incidentals are usually extra - but I have started couponing and I'm really working at it. We currently have 6 ALL big eaters - holy guacamole my teen foster girls (size 0/1) can EAT!!

 

We do raise beef, pork, lamb, goat, chicken, & have chickens for eggs.... and I can't WAIT to start growing veggies again!!

 

Last year was awful for canning and freezing because of so many different factors.

 

Now I have started meal planning - 2 weeks in advance. We don't eat meat on Fridays..... I try and make a lot from scratch but some days I don't get to it. I'm working on making bread most days - at least in the bread machine. Plus breakfasts (oatmeal, muffins - things like that)....

 

My new thing?? I close the kitchen down in between meals EXCEPT for whatever I stick out on the counter...it's been colorful cauliflower this last week ;) They LEARNED to like it and would grab a piece as they went through the room.

 

I've had to over-spend the last couple of times I went out because of the awful snow storm... we didn't expect to be stuck in this long (we just got out yesterday for the first time in over a week)...

 

I'm planning on cutting more out as well as I look around the house and in the pantry (now that we have gone through so much - I can see in it!!)

[LibraryLover]

really? Please don't feel that way. Please don't feel defensive. I love to talk about this subject. I am talking about society in general not about anyone in particular here, and certainly not about you. I thought we were all just having a conversation about food costs and food weirdness. I can only use so many winks and lols or monk diet staple jokes until I just feel silly.

 

But lol :) we're chatting. I thought we were all just chatting. :lurk5: :)

 

PS This popcorn is movie popcorn, so GMO and not organic. I hardly go to the movies, so I feel not horrible about it.

 

 

That's a bit misleading.

 

I don't personally know anyone who doesn't eat lettuce or rice. But they buy iceberg (near useless nutritionally) instead of kale. White rice instead of brown.

 

Personally we mix kale in when we can afford it.

We love wild/brown rice but it is easily double the cost of a 25lb bag of white at Sams. Altho I hope for middle ground when finances improve to get basmati rice. Can't stand quinoa. But we love black beans, which are pretty healthy.

 

We eat eggs and toast a piece of fruit for nearly every breakfast. But yeah it's the weird tasting cheap crate. Still even if I only give them 2 eggs each, that's nearly 2 dozen every breakfast.

 

Oh well. I'm stopping bc I'm obviously feeling defensive.

Edited February 15, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Peela]

Ours is around $1200 a month for a family of 4. We don't try to budget on food because we don't really need to but its been about this much for years. I get organic fruit and veg delivered, plus we go to farmers' markets every week. As we go more raw, I go to the supermarket less and less.

[SonshineLearner]

Ours is around $1200 a month for a family of 4. We don't try to budget on food because we don't really need to but its been about this much for years. I get organic fruit and veg delivered, plus we go to farmers' markets every week. As we go more raw, I go to the supermarket less and less.

 

 

$1200? is that the same as $1200 American Dollars? That's awesome. I would have loved to lived well enough when were younger, so that we could spend $1000 on food :-) Makes me want to remind my kids about some things being easier when you plan well.

 

:-)

[Murphy101]

I know. My feeling defensive isn't about you. It's about me. That's why I stopped.

 

really? Please don't feel that way. Please don't feel defensive. I love to talk about this subject. I am talking about society in general not about anyone in particular here, and certainly not about you. I thought we were all just having a conversation about food costs and food weirdness. I can only use so many winks and lols or monk diet staple jokes until I just feel silly.

 

But lol :) we're chatting. I thought we were all just chatting. :lurk5: :)

 

PS This popcorn is movie popcorn, so GMO and not organic. I hardly go to the movies, so I feel not horrible about it.

[Carmen_and_Company]

Our food/household/hygiene budget is around $300-400 per month. We eat whole foods, and organic as much as possible. HH consists of 2 adults & 3 teens.

 

We use the Grocery Game, which cut our food bill by almost 75%. I have lists for 2 major grocery stores in my area, Whole Foods, and CVS.

 

We don't eat boxed dinners, mac & cheese, or other white flour based carbs. We eat lots of frozen vegetables during winter, and fresh during warmer months. Whatever fruit is on sale for the week is what we eat--same for fresh salad fixings. We also make our own fast meals by freezing raw meal ingredients along with cooking directions so even my youngest can cook dinner. Our favorite cook book for this method is Fix, Freeze, Feast by Neville & Tkacsk.

 

Our basic menu:

M= vegetarian

Tu= fish

W= chicken

Th= fish or vegetarian

F= beef or chicken

S= vegetarian

Su= chicken

Edited February 15, 2010 by Carmen_and_Company

[QueenCat]

We budget $650 for food, toiletries, paper products, cleaning products and pet food/supplies. Lately, there has been around $50 left as I've been doing more couponing & watching sales. That does not include eating out, which we do once a week ($200-250/month- twice with kids, twice without) for dinner plus Wed. night at church ($60/month). 2 adults, 2 teenage boys. Not a perfect diet, but not a horrible one either... fair share of fruits, not too much fat... too much diet pepsi for me :) but I don't want to give it up right now :) We spent less when we lived in further south but some of that came from having less $ and making different choices.

[Tutor]

$250-$300/ month for a family of 6 (plus two daycare kids for lunch and snacks). This includes pet food (cat, snake, fish, hamster) and basic cleaning supplies. We buy local milk and veggies as much as possible, have a garden, and buy local meat when possible but not always (although we don't eat much).

[FrogMom5]

We live in the panhandle of FL, which costs about the same as the Wash. DC area where we used to live. We eat meat 2-3 times per week, very few organics (milk, cheese and yogurt) and I cook from scratch. This price includes paper products, cleaning products and toiletries. It also includes diapers and wipies (don't ask why she's still in diapers).

 

We have been able to cut about $40 out of our original budget by buying bread and bread products at a day-old bread store. They carry whole grain breads (with no corn syrup) and bagels for $.99 per loaf and I freeze a week's worth. If you have a day-old bread store near you, it might be worth checking it out.

 

I am collecting recipes for $5 and under meals. I only have a few but I'm trying to make them alot. We'll see how successful I am as these meals tend to be more time consuming to make. Planning ahead is key but I barely keep up with that for homeschooling!:tongue_smilie:

 

Denise

[sgilli3]

No budget here- the food costs what it costs.

 

On average though, we probably spend around $1200 a month, for a family of 5.

[Jumping In Puddles]

I spend about 1200 for our family of 4.

[ThelmaLou]

Trying to stay at $600-$700 a month for a family of 7. We have five boys, two of them teenagers. They're all on track to become as tall as their dad (6 ft. 5.) They eat a ton!!! This budget includes all paper products, health and beaty items and cleaning supplies. Oh, and my parents just moved in with us a few months ago, and my mom cooks with some of my pantry staples. She buys most of her own ingredients, but she does use many of our condiments, flour, sugar, sometimes butter, spices, dish detergent, paper towels...you get the picture. It also includes the price of the 6 newspapers I buy each Sunday for coupons. I'm a grocery game style coupon shopper, though I've been doing it long enough that I usually find my deals on blogs and websites before they ever show up on the grocery game list. I'm thinking about giving up the membership, because that, too, comes out of the grocer budget.

[MamaT]

We spend about 1200 for 6 of us 3/4 days a week and 8 of us for 3/4 days a week. My oldest and his gf alternate eating here and at her house. That includes food, cleaning supplies, toiletries, paper goods, and pet food.

[RobynN]

We are a family of 7 and spend anywhere from $1200 - $1500 monthly. We don't have a budget for food since we have to eat and it's going to cost the same no matter what. Also, this does not include eating out.

[anissarobert]

We have a family of 5. My dh eats meat occasionally, but the rest of us are vegetarian. I spend about $50-$75 per week for all household needs. I coupon and stockpile, so I include the cost for newspapes and printer ink in this. I try to eat healthy, but I usually can't afford to do it as well as I would like.

 

Food prices must vary a lot throughout the country. (Please take this the way it is intended. No judgement here.) There is no way I could spend $1000 on food, as that is well more than half of our monthly take home pay!

Edited February 21, 2010 by anissarobert
I should not try to type a post while a child is talking to me!

[Sputterduck]

Our grocery bill is high. I'm told that since we are so far from anything the trucking costs drive up the consumer costs. I used to be able to get us by on $75-100 a week when we lived down south. Now we are spending almost double that for a family of 3. Our grocery bill is outrageous, but there is very little I can do unless I start feeding us boxed mac & cheese, and other low nutrition "instant" meals.

 

 

When I lived in the mountains it was like that. Even my soap was three times the cost in a regular city store. It was ridiculous.

[Ravin]

We've been at at $195 for food for the two of us (DD and I), plus $50 for household products/toiletries (shared items include laundry detergent, kitchen and cleaning stuff, light bulbs, etc. for household of 5) and $30/mo for eating out. Since we're losing food stamps, I'm going to try to contract that to $180 for food, but DH will probably be eating a bit more at home (at least drinking coffee and milk), though he mostly eats at work. We'll see how it goes next month. I don't see us going over $250 for food.

 

I do buy quite a bit of fresh fruits and veggies, and whole grain bread but I get it at an outlet store for $.50 and $1.00 a loaf. I probably buy over half our groceries at wal-mart, use my associate discount there for almost all household products, and abuse the stuffing out of ad-matching (where I live there are a LOT of stores w/in a five mile radius my store will ad match). We also don't eat a lot of meat, DH brings tortillas home from work that were going to be tossed out, and I cook from scratch, which saves a lot. In a few months I can probably start bartering babysitting for fresh eggs from a friend who got chickens at the end of the summer, plus we might go in together on some grass-fed meat and a CSA membership. Then we'll be able to eat even healthier.

Edited February 21, 2010 by Ravin

[gardening momma]

For the 4 of us (dh, me, dd6 and dd4), I try to stay under $300, including paper goods and cleaning supplies. I didn't stay under this month, but I have been able to in previous months. The difference this month is that I tried to use coupons again, and bought a bunch of stuff we don't normally buy. So I spent a lot more. But it had been a really long time since we'd had some of this stuff (the frozen prepared foods is what really pushed us over the limit), so we enjoyed it. Back to the grindstone next month!

 

ETA: I don't buy organic, and we buy lots of meat & cheese.

Edited February 20, 2010 by gardening momma

[Prairie~Phlox]

We have a family of 5. My dh eats meat occasionally, but the rest of us are vegetarian. I spend about $50-$75 per week for all household needs. I coupon and stockpile, so I include the cost for newspapes and printer ink in this. I try to eat healthy, but I am usually can't afford it.

 

Food prices must vary a lot throughout the country. (Please take this the way it is intended. No judgement here.) There is no way I could spend $1000 on food, as that is well more than half of our monthly take home pay!

 

No way could we spend that either, though we don't do organic unless it's a good sale or something, I still feel we eat pretty healthy and are overall healthy people. Also, for those that don't think you can do better, I'd be very surprised. There are good coupons out there for even organic things, however it does take time to learn how to coupon wisely.

[AuntieM]

Well, if it's any comfort, our grocery bill used to be about $800 up north. When we moved to florida last year, it plummetted. Food here is SO much cheaper, ...

 

That said, you'd have been appalled at our budget up north. It was more like $800 a month, and that was when I focused on keeping it down!!!

 

We moved to the midwest plains 5 years ago and I am still suffering grocery sticker shock. I nearly fainted the first time I saw the price of a cucumber - ONE cucumber - set at $1.79.

 

Currently I feed our family of 6 - essentially five eating as adults - for a budget of $600. Per month. Just food. It's not enough, but we make it work.

[Flaura]

Our favorite cook book for this method is Fix, Freeze, Feast by Neville & Tkacsk.

 

Thanks for the tip. This looks like a good book.

L

[runamuk]

Our bill is around $500 a month for 4 people (includes toiletries and non-food items like laundry soap). I spend another $50 or so running out for milk or other items we went through quickly.

 

The bill used to be much higher several years ago, but I started making a weekly menu with all of our lunch and dinners listed and we were able to slash $200 off our total monthly bill.

[Lolly]

Around $1,000-1,500 a month. 7 in the house plus a dog. Includes three teen swimmers.

[tonya in sc]

Family of 7, one dog, 6 cats, 5 snakes, 1 bunny.

Grocery and drug stores: $300 per month.

Pet store (bunny and snakes): $40 per month.

The humans will eat almost anything. I don't pretend to buy organic or local or non-processed. However, I try to buy the best things we can afford. I just wait for it to go on sale. I know when each store marks down their meat, and which day they do the heaviest produce culling. I do fairly extreme couponing to keep me under budget.

This figure does not include eating out. My dh buys lunch every day, but he only drinks a protein shake for breakfast. Oh, $25 per month to the nutrition center. We also eat out as a family about once a week on average.

The figure does include health and beauty, paper products, gift items, newspapers, computer paper, ink cartridges, and dog and cat food.

So far, I have spent $71 this week. This included a birthday gift, card, and bag; hosting a traveling band of 5 20yo guys who we fed dinner and breakfast. My freezer is full, the stockroom shelves are fairly full, and nobody here is underweight. I can't recommend thegrocerygame.com highly enough. Even if you don't want to join and pay for a list, the message boards are inspiring.

Blessings,

t.

[Orthodox6]

$1200 per month for all food and non-food items. Six people plus one dog. Organic produce, meats/poultry, and grains. No "prepared" foods other than jelly, spaghetti sauce, applesauce, condiments, spices/herbs. 100% cooking from scratch. Relentless, voracious eaters include DH, DSs (23, 20, 16), and DD (11). We have no physical resources for freezing items or for storing large bulk purchases. I have tried, repeatedly, for many years to force myself to settle for less expensive foods which ongoing reading continues to convince me would be inferior choices with implications for poor health. SIGH. . . Before signing off, however, let me underscore that I do NOT look down on families that make choices different from ours. These are highly personal choices, influenced by values and by fiscal realities.

Edited February 20, 2010 by Orthodox6

[Carrie12345]

Before signing off, however, let me underscore that I do NOT look down on families that make choices different from ours. These are highly personal choices, influenced by values and by fiscal realities.

 

It's a weird thing, isn't it?

Any time the subject comes up (even on the GG forums!), I find myself feeling defensive about some of my choices (I did just buy 99 cent/lb. meat ;)) and then cringing at some other people's choices (there hasn't been a Pop Tart in my house in years ;)). If those little things can cause such strong reactions, it's no wonder there are so many confused people trying to figure out what in the world they're supposed to do!

 

I tend to consider myself a "to each their own" kind of person, but food and education topics hit a strange button in me. :001_huh: