awanama Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I am trying to start a budget and I'm unsure how much to put in the food category. We have 3 adults and 2 children ages 9 and 11 in the house. (My 11 year old is eating us out of the house!) We live in the Midwest which I am sure will make a difference in what you tell me. Also, we don't do organic or have any special diets. So how much should I give us for the family? And does your amount include soaps, toilet paper, etc or just food? Â Thanks, Erica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue G in PA Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Take a month, purchase what you would normally purchase and see what it comes to at the end? OR, go back over your previous months purchases and see where you are? I don't know what midwest prices are to even venture a guess, sorry! As for including household...we keep it separate b/c we typically purchase those things at different stores. I include things like cleaners, toothpaste, paper products, diapers, wipes, soaps, shampoos, and anything else that isn't food! Sorry I can't give you a definitive answer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deece in MN Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 We budget $250 a month for a family of 4 (dh, me, ds ~ 13 & dd ~ 11). This includes food and household items. We do buy a side of beef every year and sometimes a pig and this fall we will be buying chickens. These are paid for from our tax return. So our monthly budget does not include meat items, which will make a difference. I do some organic but most of that is through a food buying co-op. I try to buy as much organic/local items as my budget allows, but we are not 100% natural/organic. I do try to stay away from prepared/boxed/convenience foods because that will eat up a budget pretty quick. I know we are on the low end budget wise, but that is what we can afford right now so that is what I work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 We spend between $100 and $200 a week, which includes everything (including clothes), as well as "stocking up" stuff for bad paycheck weeks. We have about one of those a month, so I guess it would be $300 - $600 a month total (me, 15 yo Hoover and Dad when he's home). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hose Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 We are in the midwest with an 11 yo and a 9 yo, too! We spend about $600 per month on groceries/paper products/cleaning supplies, etc. Â HTH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choirfarm Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Just guess for now, but for April write down where EVERY penny goes. When we were first married, we bought a simple ledger book at Walmart. I wrote down our categories. By groceries, when I went to Winn Dixie I would write down 38.25 when I came home. I still do not carry cash as I learned I don't know where it goes and it is harder to track. Having to write down what you spend as you spend it also helps you to think about if you want to write it down (I spent a dollar for a coke at a vending machine:confused: ) and so you don't spend it. Now I do it on Microsoft Money, but it is a little more complicated now. Writing things down will help A LOT. Make it part of your routine to do every evening or first thing in the morning. Â Christine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jail warden Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 My kids have been going through growth spurts and are eating TONS! We spend $400/month, that includes toiletries and office supplies, such as printer ink. With the prices going up, it's getting a bit tougher, but I'm just trying to make different choices and still make it work. I do go to Aldi and price shop a TON. I go to about 4 different stores every other week. But I live 5 minutes or less from them, so it's not a big deal. I could even come home for a break and go back if I wanted since it's so close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I have read that $25 a week per person is a good figure, although we don't spend that much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey in TX Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 We budget $1600/month, which includes Costco trips (not just groceries), Target, and grocery store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaMere Academy Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 For 4 I'd do $150 a week. Â I spend $200 a week for a family of 6. Sometimes more, rarely less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
awanama Posted March 30, 2008 Author Share Posted March 30, 2008 I have figured out what we spent over the last three months at Walmart and our local grocery store. The problem is, I know we have been way over spending and so I'm wanting to get a more reasonable figure. Money is pretty tight this month and we plan to use our stock of food with minimal trips to the grocery store. I like to have my cupboards pretty full for occasions like this. I think I will try for $300 for April since I will be using up what's in my cupboards and then re-figure for May. That would only come out to $60 per person for the month. Â Thank you ladies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra in NC Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Household expenses add up. It's not only toilet paper and soap....it's batteries and ink cartridges and stamps etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kimber Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 About 1300 per month. It was 1600 but I started going to wal-mart a few times per month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TX Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 We have a family of 10 and I budget $500 a month for food. That is *just* food. I also budget another $200 a month for all the non-food stuff: cleaning supplies, paper goods, toiletries, over-the-counter meds, office supplies, and any other household needs that aren't large purchases or fall into the "repairs" category. Â Susan in TX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 We spend about $50 per week on food. We live in Missouri and are on a TIGHT budget this year. Poor DH had his salary cut by 1/2, he was a mortgage broker for 10 yrs. :( I budget $10 per person per week for food since we sometimes have friends/family stay with us. Â This does not count paper products or household stuff. I buy cleaning stuff from the dollar store and paper products from Sam's most of the time. Â Hope that helps, Christy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbiec Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 We try to spend about 600.00 a month on food/household for a family of 4 (2adults, 2 teens), but it usually ends up about 800.00. How do you guys do these low food budgets? I need some tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deece in MN Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 We try to spend about 600.00 a month on food/household for a family of 4 (2adults, 2 teens), but it usually ends up about 800.00. How do you guys do these low food budgets? I need some tips. Â One of the ways (and I probably should have specified this before) is that when we get a chunk of money from something (unexpected refund or I babysit for someone or whatever) we use that to stock up on pantry basics/staples. This, combined with the way we buy our meat, makes a difference. I am able to use my $250 for fruits, veggies, milk, eggs, and whatever is needed to fill out our meals for the month. I also only buy toilet paper and paper towels (I only buy these once in a while) with our food budget. Things like printer ink, cleaning supplies, etc come from a different part of our budget. Â I also make very simple meals. My dh and ds do not like ethnic foods or anything "fancy"; simple, down-home cooking is what happens here. :) Â My dc and I have started making some type of bread item (no, I don't grind my own wheat ;)) every few days to have with dinner or for snaking. I don't buy packaged sweets (except for the Girl Scout cookies that were delivered today) and just work at keeping meals simple, but healthy. Â It is not always easy and I do have to discipline myself while shopping. My favorite indulgence is chai tea, but it can be very expensive. I have found some recipes and make my own so I can still enjoy it while keeping in my budget. We have pizza every Sat. night and we make it from scratch; it tastes better and is cheaper than store bought. Â Anyway, don't know if any of that helps, but that is how things are here. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pata Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 We have two adults and one child. We spend about 200 a month on food and the other stuff. We buy as many generics as we can, most of the time they are made at the same plant as your brand names just packaged differently. Also we use bleach and vinegar to clean with, they cost alot less and are very effective. We make a monthly trip to Sam's to buy our meats(usually around 45-50) and laundry detergent. Then I make up a list for the week based on what's in the freezer and we usually keep that trip for around 30-35. If it's a bad week I can always make it less. It works for us! Also when we shop each person is allowed to pick out one item for a dollar or less, no questions asked, it sounds lame, but it has really helped us stick to the budget and not feel so bad about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tami Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I want to know how some of the other posters do it! We spend about $200 a week on groceries and consumables for 2 adults and 1 child, and don't eat out. I don't buy processed foods or junk food, but lots of fresh veggies, nuts and fruits (not organic though). WE do all of our shopping at Sam's and Wal-Mart and buy generics. Â My husband tends toward refined tastes and gourmet food (he does a lot of the cooking and shopping), so we probably spend more a little more that those who cook more simply. But still - how can you eat on $25 per week per person? I'd love to hear typical menus for those eating on a shoestring. Â I wonder if the food budgets are smaller if they eat out a couple of times per week? Are you factoring in eating out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Since I purchase soap, toilet paper, paper products, etc. when I buy groceries, I have found it practically impossible to track those items separately from food purchases. I think I spend too much on the non-food items, but it's really hard to tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deece in MN Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I want to know how some of the other posters do it! We spend about $200 a week on groceries and consumables for 2 adults and 1 child, and don't eat out. I don't buy processed foods or junk food, but lots of fresh veggies, nuts and fruits (not organic though). Â I wonder if the food budgets are smaller if they eat out a couple of times per week? Are you factoring in eating out? Â No, because we don't eat out. :D Occasionally on a Sat. I will go to a local take and bake pizza place (and only if I have a coupon) because it was a busy day and we just didn't have time to make the pizza at home. This doesn't happen often and I usually take it out of my play money (I get $40 a month to spend however I want) rather than our food budget. The only time we eat out anymore is for our dc birthdays. They get to choose what they want for dinner (including restaurants) and so we usually end up going out (sometimes they choose a home cooked meal). Even then I try to find a coupon to keep the cost down (we have some radio stations and periodic mailings that have some really good coupon deals to many area restaurants). Have I ever gone over my $250 budget? You bet! But I work really hard to not do that because it eats into our savings. It maybe happens once or twice a year and I don't think has ever been more than $50. They are those times when I am just really craving something or my dh and I go shopping when we are hungry and everything just looks good. :) We try not to shop together or at least make sure we eat before leaving. Now if going over our budget was a regular occurrence, I would be adjusting our budget if I could. You do have to be honest and realistic with what you spend, but trimming the budget can be done. Â Also, do you buy however much fruit, veggies, nuts, etc. that you want? Or do you go into the store with a certain amount to spend and only buy what you can with that? I will say that some weeks we run out of fresh fruit or veggies before the next shopping trip because our budget only allows that much to be purchased. I keep canned/frozen fruits & veggies on hand for when this happens. If I was to buy as much fresh fruits and veggies as my dc want to eat, I would not be able to keep within the budget I do. I would love to be able to do this, but right now I can't so I do what I can with what I have. We definitely are not going hungry here, so it works out. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tami Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Wow, I am amazed. You only spend $250? Can you give a sample menu for a typical day, including snacks?  Well, we spend a great deal of money on fresh veggies and fruit and whole grain products. We tend toward having a goal of 5 servings a day of fruits/veggies.  Here is a typical menu at our house:  Breakfast: Kashi Cereal, an egg or two, and a 1/2 grapefruit  Snack: Banana and yogurt with some nuts or cheese  Lunch: Brown Rice salad  Snack: Baby carrots and whole wheat crackers with organic tea  Dinner: 1 raw veggie or a salad 1-2 servings of cooked frozen veggies Pork Picatta  Bedtime: organic tea and maybe a few nuts or trail mix, but usually just tea   What is your menu like? I'd love to save some money, but have also worked very hard on healthier eating habits. We spend a lot more than we used to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 This thread motivated me to catch up on my Money program entries. I averaged my last 3 months and we are spending an average of $671 on groceries and household toiletries and $180 on eating out. So $851 a month for groceries/toiletries and eating out. Dh, myself and ds8. Â So Tami I am closer in spending to you than anyone else. I CAN do better. I just don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 . . . that the average family of four in the United States spends $750 per month on groceries. Â That sounded shockingly high to me . . . until I added up what we had been spending in the last year or so. Â That was the impetus I needed to get us back on a budget. We have two adults and one 10-year-old (boy), and I'm now budgeting $530 per month. Â We live in Florida and eat vegetarian/vegan but with few specialty foods. Â --Jenny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deece in MN Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Wow, I am amazed. You only spend $250? Can you give a sample menu for a typical day, including snacks? Well, we spend a great deal of money on fresh veggies and fruit and whole grain products. We tend toward having a goal of 5 servings a day of fruits/veggies.   What is your menu like? I'd love to save some money, but have also worked very hard on healthier eating habits. We spend a lot more than we used to!  A typical day at our house:  Breakfast Dh usually makes his own breakfast because I am not a morning person. :) He makes eggs and bacon or sausage and toast. Dc have waffles, oatmeal or cereal and some type of fruit. I have a cup of tea and usually oatmeal or a piece of fruit.  Snack If dc didn't have fruit with breakfast, they have it now for a snack. Otherwise cheese, popcorn, carrots or celery.  Lunch PB & J is the most common (I buy Skippy Natural and our Cub Foods had it for $1 a jar a while ago so we stocked up, I think I bought 30 jars or so). leftovers from the night before grilled cheese soup pancakes w/frozen blueberries applesauce or mandarin oranges (these are my ds favorites)  Snack homemade bread of some type (banana, sweet bread, rolls/buns, etc.) nuts granola bar (I am working on finding a homemade recipe we like because this is one of the things my dc love, but they are expensive to buy and not overly healthy)  Dinner beef, pork, venison, fish or chicken of some type(mostly beef or pork right now because that is what we have most of, my dh and brother fish all summer so we have some fish from that and dh and ds hunt every year and bring home venison) rice, pasta or potatoes fresh or frozen veggie  Snack We don't usually snack after dinner, but if we do it might be popcorn with a movie or we have dessert if I make one.  We do need to get better at eating veggies, but my kids only like raw carrots and celery and corn. They will eat peas or green beans if I make them. My dd will eat broccoli, lettuce and tomatoes, but my ds won't touch them (yes, I continue to have him try it in case his tastes change, but so far it hasn't happened). My dh doesn't eat much fruit or veggies and I know I can't change him. :)  I am sure we could be healthier with what we eat, but we could be worse, too. :) The biggest thing is that I only buy fruits or veggies that are on sale and I make as much as I can from scratch. These two things are probably what has helped us trim our budget the most. I also set a limit of $10-$15/week for fresh fruit and veggies so I buy what I can with that. If we have some leftover in the budget I get more fruits and veggies.  ETA: I forgot about yogurt; we will have that as a snack, with breakfast or with lunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I'm honestly trying to wrap my brain around the idea of spending half of what I do on groceries. Admittedly, we have a couple of "staple" items that are kind of expensive (soy milk, for example, and a few convenience items my husband can't live without). However, we don't buy certain typical high-ticket items, like meat. So, I'm truly just dying of curiosity to see how others do this.  Here's what I bought today:  Fat-free Refried Beans, 2 cans Store-brand Tortilla Chips, 1 bag Store-brand Orange Juice, Calcium Fortified, 2 cartons Store-brand Chocolate Soy Milk, 2 cartons Salad Dressing, 1 bottle Salsa, 4 jars (two-for-one sale, so I stocked up) Cheddar Cheese, 4 blocks (two-for-one again, so I froze three) Store-brand Frozen French Fries, 1 bag Store-brand Diet Soda, 3 bottles Pita Bread, 1 package Soy "Bacon," 1 box Frozen Potato Patties, 1 package Tofutti Soy-based "Ice Cream,", 1 package (My son is in a show this week and wanted a celebratory treat.) Margarine, 2 tubs (won't need to buy for two or three weeks) Bananas, 5 pounds Frozen Strawberries, 1 large bag Rye Bread, 1 loaf Crackers, 1 box Lettuce, 1 head Tomatoes, 2 Fresh Strawberries, 1 package Onions, 3 large Fresh Parsley, 2 bunches (for the guinea pigs) Carrots, 1 bag  I spent $93. This--along with what I already had at home--will provide breakfasts, lunches and day-time snacks for my son and me, plus dinners and evening snacks for all three of us. Occasionally, my husband will take leftovers for lunch at work.  This is a tough week for cooking at home, because my son is in a show that opens Friday. That means this is "tech week," and he is out at a rehearsal every night except Thursday . . . when we have theatre tickets to a different show. So, the three of us won't eat dinner together until next Saturday. Therefore, I have to make sure my husband has things he will actually take the time to fix for himself.  By the way, dinner tonight, made with last week's groceries, was "sloppy lentils" (think sloppy Joes but made with lentils) served with toasted burger buns and mashed yams. My son is not a big lentil fan, so he ate the bread and yams and had some fruit and a glass of soymilk.  Anyone else want to play? Especially those clever ladies who spend so much less? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 For two adults and two children, I allow $100 per week for food and $40 for other household supplies. Â Regena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I'll play! I go tomorrow and will post my receipt when I get home. Â I'm not one of the ones who does it inexpensively though. I am at around $600 for 3 of us. I know I can do better though. 5 years ago I was only spending $400 a month and not eating out at all. Now we spend the $600 on groceries and another $250 on eating out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claire Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 $93 for all of that sounds pretty good to me. If this were my shopping list, I'd likely be buying a lot of it at Sam's Club. It would probably mean buying more in bulk, but cost per item would be less. Here are the things on your list that I know Sam's Club has at low prices: Â brand-name tortilla chips (2 bags for something like $4.50 total, but you have to buy 2 bags) gallon jug of calcium-fortified orange juice 1/2 gallon jug of salsa (keeps forever in fridge) blocks of cheddar cheese (they have Cabot brand, which is tops) bananas frozen strawberries (I think it's a 5-lb bag) onions (bag) pre-washed organic baby greens (huge carton for about $5) Â There may be other items on your list at Sam's too, such as the refried beans, diet soda, frozen french fries, etc. Â I wish I had recent sales slips to identify the prices on these items. I know the gallon of OJ is much less expensive than 1/2-gallon cartons at our grocery store. Also, the cheddar cheese is top-quality yet costs much less than our grocery store. Our problem is being careful not to overbuy, as things like salad greens and bananas can get old before we get to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 A typical menu here:  Breakfast: DH and I: Oatmeal with raisins, walnuts and OJ Kids usually have an egg or two , toast or eng muffin or oatmeal and bananas( we go through tons of bananasd lol)  Lunch: DH: Left over dinner brought to work Me: Brown rice or a whole grain wrap and beans/lentils, veggies Kids: homemade soup left overs ocassionally tuna or grilled cheese, carrots or celery with ranch dip  PM Snack: Me: tea and toast Kids: my 13 yo usually bakes something or if we have fruit they have that  Dinner: Beans, rice, veggie of some sort 2 nights a week I serve chicken or beef to DH and the kids, usually some sort of casserole or shredded chicken with salsa or BBQ sauce in the crock pot with brown rice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antonia Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 This was my shopping list for last week. It is fairly similar each week.  2 gals. milk pound butter 2 cans orange juice 2 loaves ww bread 3 dozen eggs bag each pretzels, corn chips olive oil 2 cans tuna fish 2 pound box spaghetti 2 jars spaghetti sauce bag rice corn tortillas 2 lb. bag dried beans 2 cans refried beans string cheese block cheddar 32oz container yogurt box 10 granola bars pound bag of coffee two pounds ground turkey 2.5 pound bag frozen chicken tenderloins bag frozen salmon filets fresh broccoli 5 lb. bag potatoes bag assorted apples bag baby carrots tomatoes romaine 2 lbs. bananas avocado 2 lb. bag onions frozen peas, green beans bag shortbread cookies four rolls t.paper toothpaste shampoo paper napkins roll paper towels dish soap   This came to right around $82, and will feed the four of us all week. I did have such things as condiments and spices, etc. on hand, and did not need laundry supplies this week, but I also don't buy toiletries every week, so it balances out pretty well. I shop at Aldi's, so it is quite inexpensive. I know I would spend much more at our regular local grocery stores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I also allott $60 per week for eating out, snacks, etc., which is mostly for just me and my youngest son. Â Regena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deece in MN Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Here is my food purchases for this 4-week budget period (we have 1 week left to go).  Bread store: $6.68 4 loaves of bread (we started making our bread since this purchase)  Local natural food co-op: $13.97 2.25# bananas 1.75# pears 1 bottle maple syrup 1 pack toilet paper   Cub Foods: $80.81 3 containers spag. sauce 1 pack pepperoni 2 packages ring sausage 2# bananas 2.2# red grapes 1 pack fresh mushrooms 3# bag organic apples 2# bag organic carrots 1 bunch organic celery 1 5# bag red potatoes 1 5# bag yukon gold potatoes 2# strawberries .75# fresh salad from salad bar 1 container hummus 1 bag pita chips 3 18 count eggs 1 dozen eggs (to color for Easter) 2 boxes cereal 1 5# bag ww flour 2 5# bags whole grain flour 5 boxes instant pudding mix (mostly for making homemade chai tea mix) 3 rolls 7th generation toilet paper 32oz yogurt 2 packages muffin liners 1.5# ham .75# wildflower cheddar cheese 1 box push-pops 1# butter (usually stock up at Sams and freeze, but we ran out)  Once a month natural food buying co-op: $152.04 1 bottle toilet cleaner 3 rolls recycled paper towels 10# organic oatmeal flour blend 1 bottle shampoo 25# sweet brown rice 12 cans organic coconut milk 12 cans organic water chestnuts 6 boxes organic banana waffles 1 bottle olive oil/flax oil blend 1# baking yeast 1 package cranberry granola 1 package trail mix 12 bottles organic apricot applesauce 4 gallons organic milk (this was heavily discounted because it was close to expiration date. I froze 3 of them so they would last the month)  Total all together is: $253.50. Oops, I went over $3.50. :D  This is fairly typical of what we purchase (things rotate such as next month I might purchase 25# of oats, but not rice since I just bought that, etc). I tend to buy a bit more fresh fruit & veggies than this, but I had some left from last month. Also a few items this month were splurge items (ham because we hadn't thawed any when we needed it, ring sausage is not a normal purchase, the wildflower cheddar cheese and push-pops).  As I said, we buy our meat bulk and usually do 2-3 trips to Sams a year to stock up on some basics and then stock up at our local stores when there are good sales on items we use regularly. All the money that pays for these items comes from our tax return, the 2 months a year where dh gets 3 checks (the third check is not factored into our budget and we use it for a grocery stock up and put the rest in savings) and when other unexpected money comes into the household.  If these things were divided out over the year I would estimate our monthly average to be about $400 total (including our current $250 budget), so we would not be as far off from some of you as we seem.  A quick edit: I just realized that I added the toilet cleaner and shampoo in this amount. I pay for those from a different area of our budget so when I take those out we are actually under our budget about $5. I just wanted to clarify that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TX Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I want to know how some of the other posters do it! We spend about $200 a week on groceries and consumables for 2 adults and 1 child, and don't eat out. I don't buy processed foods or junk food, but lots of fresh veggies, nuts and fruits (not organic though). WE do all of our shopping at Sam's and Wal-Mart and buy generics.  But still - how can you eat on $25 per week per person? I'd love to hear typical menus for those eating on a shoestring.  I wonder if the food budgets are smaller if they eat out a couple of times per week? Are you factoring in eating out?  I feed a family of 9 (oldest daughter is only home on week-ends and she doesn't eat much so I can't really count her:) on $500 a month and we do not eat out. However, dh and two of my teens don't eat lunch at home and my teens do eat out sometimes. I try to keep the budget at $2 a day per person: $1 for dinner and .50 cents for breakfast and lunch. I don't buy much is the way of fruit and vegetables and we eat mostly convenience food. I used to cook from scratch all the time but I figured out that for what we were eating, that actually cost more. I make no claims that what we eat is healthy but when you have limited funds you do what you have to.  Breakfast DH and two older girls eat store-bought granola bars (dh isn't into breakfast and the girls go to PS so it's all they have time for but they will sometimes eat bagels) cereal: always bought on sale...I never pay more than $2 a box. frozen waffles...$1 for a box of 10 bagels with cream cheese...bagels on sale for $2 for 6ct. package pop-tarts $1.25/1.50 a box at Walmart (usually store brand) Sometimes the younger kids will eat PB&J or toast with jam  Lunch PB&J frozen burritos $3.17 for package of 10 bolonga sandwiches when bologna is on sale for $1 for 12oz pkg. other lunchmeat sandwiches when lunchmeat is on sale for less that $3lb  Dinner frozen dinners that are less than $1. I buy what is on sale. This past week it was Banquet. Frozen pizzas chicken nuggets chicken patty sandwiches...  There's more but I'll have to finish later...it's starting to thunder and lightning and my computer doesn't have a surge protector.  Susan in TX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TX Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 There's more but I'll have to finish later...it's starting to thunder and lightning and my computer doesn't have a surge protector. Â Â Okay, continuing with my post: Â Dinner canned soup, when on sale for $1.25 a can canned chili lunchmeat sandwiches, when lunchmeat is on sale hot pockets frozen burritos taquitos corn dogs hot dogs (mostly eat these in the summer) Â For drinks we have water. I reserve milk for cereal and don't buy milk at all if it is over $3 a gallon (or we use powdered). Dh drinks coffee. We rarely buy soda. We do drink a lot of hot cocoa and herbal tea in the winter. Â The bread I buy is $1 a loaf. I don't buy snack food. We do sometimes have ice cream. Â I buy very little produce. I do buy baby carrots when they are on sale for $1 for 1lb. The kids like to eat these with ranch dressing. I buy other fruit when it is on sale, but lately we have been getting free fruit from a friend who gets the bruised and over-ripe produce from a local grocery store. That has been a real blessing! Â Susan in TX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbiec Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Same problem here ~ we've tried, but its not worth my time. So, I have to lump food/household together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Ok, Here is my list from yesterday's shopping trip to SuperCenter  3 1/2 pounds chicken breast Hamburger 1 lb Chuck Roast 2 Breyers ice cream 1/2 gallon milk half and half Cottage cheese 3 individual yogurts 4 cups grated cheese 8 oz. sharp cheddar hummus 8 individual puddings gogurt sandwich ham frozen egg rolls--dh's supper last night frozen chinese --dh's supper last night tortilla shells orange juice 3 single serve tuna hot sauce Tabasco sauce cooking oil salsa seasoning 1 can refried beans Chex mix hamburger buns cereal fresh mushrooms apples poptarts fresh broccoli bag of fresh onions Deli chicken wings--ds's and my supper  The above came to $100.04  I also spent another $22.75 on cleaning and H&B.  My supper menu for this week  Monday--Deli and Frozen chinese because I shopped on Monday and got to the store too late. Tuesday--Hamburgers with fresh mushrooms sauteed and swiss cheese on whole wheat buns. With a salad Wednesday--Roast/potatoes/carrots with homemade bread and salad Thursday---Shredded beef tacos from leftover roast Friday--grilled chicken breast/fresh broccoli/potatoes and salad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 What is your menu like? I'd love to save some money, but have also worked very hard on healthier eating habits. We spend a lot more than we used to! Â Again, I'm not one of the really frugal folks, but just for purposes of comparison: Â Breakfast (My husband doesn't eat breakfast most days, just grabs a cup of tea or something when he gets to work.) Â My son will usually have either oatmeal cooked with wheat germ and soy milk and topped with a little maple syrup or a couple of hash brown patties. Â We both have smoothies made with frozen fruit, orange juice and vitamin/protein powder. Â Snacks don't usually happen until at least afternoon. We tend to finish breakfast relatively late and just don't need anything else before lunch. Sometimes, I'll have a cup of coffee mid-morning. Â Lunch I retired from making lunches a year or so ago. My son frequently heats up leftovers. Spagetti is a favorite, so I always make extra when I do that for dinner. He also loves the vegetable samosas I get frozen from the Indian store. If he doesn't do either of those, he'll make himself some french fries and have some fruit on the side . . . Or, if he's not terribly hungry, something as simple as some chips and salsa. I might do leftovers, too, or munch on some hummus and crackers or just grab some carrots and salad dressing. Â Afternoon Snack If my son ate lunch early enough to be hungry again, he might pop himself a bag of microwave popcorn or, if he didn't do chips and salsa earlier, have something like that. I also try to keep some kind of home-baked treat available. So, he might have a cookie or two in addition to or in place of the above. Â Family Dinners Because of my son's extra-curricular schedule, we eat family dinners only about four nights per week. Typical meals for those evenings would be: Black bean burritos with rice and corn Some kind of bean-and-vegetable-based curried dish Baked potatoes with glazed carrots or onion fritters or raw veggies and dip or salad The ever-popular pasta with tomato sauce Seasoned lentils served sloppy Joe style with some veggie on the side Busy-Night Dinners When we don't sit down to dinner together, my son and I eat before we leave, and my husband feeds himself when he gets home. My son is currently on a kick for couscous in a pita (with yet more fruit). He makes that himself. Otherwise, he might eat the same sorts of things he eats for lunch, Or I might make him some mashed potatoes or something similar. He pretty much always has a big glass of soymilk with dinner to add some protein. I usually just tag along with whatever my son is eating. Â My husband is not willing to put a lot of effort into cooking for himself. So, I try to make sure there is something really quick and simple for him. His staples for these nights are: Cheese and onion sandwiches on Hawaiian bread "B"LTs (soy bacon) on rye Frozen pizza rolls (I know, I know) or jalepeno poppers (with salsa and sour cream). When I have the time and energy (or I know he doesn't have any of his easy things on hand), I will prep something for him like the asian-inspired cold noodles or a burrito he can just microwave. Evening Snacks My husband tends to like something to snack on at some point in the evening. So, I keep bags of Doritos and Chex mix and so on around for him. He also likes crackers and soft cheese or potato chips and onion dip. All really healthy stuff, right? Â On the nights when my son has more than one dance class in a row, he's usually hungry by the time we're heading home. So, we have learned to take something with us for him to nibble in the car. Favorites include snack-sized bags of microwave popcorn (popped at the dance school) or baggies of pretzels or plain old saltines. Â If we ate dinner early enough in the evening to allow him time to get hungry again before bedtime, he might have something like this other nights at home. A couple of evenings a week, he'll have a serving of soy-based "ice cream" or, again, a cookie or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmgconner Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 I'll play! We budget $80/week for DH, myself, DS 12, DS 4, DD 2, and newborn DS. This includes toiletries. Â I won't post my grocery list, because it's terribly skewed depending on what's on sale. This week we bought quite a bit of cereal, but only because we could get it cheap. We do the 12-week cycle, stockpile, and use the Grocery Game. Â My toiletries list this week was quite minimal. I shop at CVS. This week I bought two Colgate toothbrushes, two tubes of Colgate toothpaste, and two women's 24/7 Mennen deodorants. My total was $3.51 after coupons, and I received $3 in ECB towards my next purchase. Â Breakfasts cereal (never pay more than $2 box, and even that's my high limit) oatmeal (generally instant oatmeal, but only because I got it near free using the Grocery Game) granola bars (my staple breakfast) eggs (usually on the weekends) waffles/pancakes (I make these in large batches and freeze the rest) Â Lunches sandwiches (we buy 100% whole wheat bread at the bread store for $1.25 per loaf; peanut butter and jelly is bought while on sale - I think a previous poster mentioned the $1 peanut butter sale - we stocked up too) left-overs ummm, we're not terribly creative at lunch :tongue_smilie: Â Dinners stir-fry (buy rice in bulk, frozen organic chicken breasts from Costco, and I stock up on frozen veggies using the Grocery Game) tacos or other Mexican-inspired dish (burritos, make my own Spanish rice, etc.) breakfasts dinners pasta dishes (stock up on pasta when on sale for $0.88 or less - on nights we're in a hurry I use a canned sauce, but other nights I'll make my own sauces) pizza (homemade) chicken-as-the-main-dish meals (Chicken Pomodoro, Balsalmic Chicken, Chicken Curry, basically, anything you can do with chicken, we've done it!) anything we can grill (this week we're having hot dogs and brats on the grill - Oooh, I love summertime grilling) Â Snacks fruit (this week we bought grapes, canteloupe and bananas) yogurt (super cheap when using Grocery Game and coupons) cheese and crackers (this is my favorite snack, but we don't buy it often) popcorn/nuts (buy it on sale) Â We buy milk, both whole and skim, but we limit it to two cups per person a day. Otherwise, we drink water. Sometimes in the summer, I'll make lemonade, but we don't buy Kool-aid, soda pop, or much of any other beverage (except for this week - we bought 100% apple juice at a great price!). Oh, DH drinks coffee on the weekend. Â I'm sure I'm leaving stuff out, but that's what I can remember off the top of my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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