If you spend more than $800 a month on groceries . . .

[jld]

what are you buying? For how many people? Is it worth it to you? Do you sacrifice somewhere else to have ample grocery money?

[ma23peas]

We have 5 in our family, I do buy organic milk/eggs, whole grain foods, fresh veggies and fresh fruits, meats on sale..I don't buy ice cream (rare occasion) or pre-packaged foods...so just the basics really, but all those things I mentioned have skyrocketed in pricing the past few years...we make enough....but wish we could cut the price...we just don't have time/money to grow our own!

 

Tara

[cdrumm4448]

Sometimes we spend more than $800 a month. I am buying for four people, and I purchase hormone-free organic milk and eggs. Anything else that's organic is great, too. We shop mainly at Trader Joe's which is pretty reasonable.

 

We do sacrifice in other areas to afford it. Our cards are 11 and 12 years old. We do not eat out except for lunch sometimes, we shop at thrift stores for just about anything before we go to Wal-mart. We hadn't been on a vacation for ten years before we went to Disney last year. We try to live pretty frugally. Funding investments for retirement is our main priority, and we're 40 and 45. We choose to have a mortgage, but we are accelerating how fast we're paying it off now based on the political and economic climate.

[Denisemomof4]

what are you buying? For how many people? Is it worth it to you? Do you sacrifice somewhere else to have ample grocery money?

 

we average about $1200 per month. I always stick to organic for the dirty dozen, and I try to add more organics on top of that. I try to buy the meats that don't have hormones or antibiotics. I try to buy humanely raised meats and eggs, although our chicks should be laying eggs in a few months. I want to buy organic feed for them.

 

We buy TONS of fruits and veggies. I used to never buy junk but my boys are tired of whole foods and won't eat much so I do buy the junk for them, in limited quantities. Even then, I buy organic tortilla chips for nachos and organic salsa, organic poptarts sweetened with cane juice, etc.

 

I had to give up organic milks - TOO EXPENSIVE.

 

We go through a TON of organic yogurt.

 

We don't give up other things to eat like this, but it's still a sacrifice. Dh is the only one making money, he supports our family of 6 and 40-something animals. I am so blessed.

[wendybird]

We spend about $1000 per month, for 10 people.(My nephew lives with us). We buy raw milk, organic when available, and alot of fruit. Little in the way of prepackaged,lots of bulk ingredients. We raise our own eggs and meat, and have a substantial garden...that helps a bunch. I look at food as preventative health care in alot of ways, so I do sacrifice to have us eat well.

[dsmith]

We are spending about $1100/mo for 5 people. If I add in what my inlaws spend it would probably be around $1800. Both the inlaws and the 3 of us have things we buy for everyone, and things we buy for ourselves. Sometimes I feel like a food hoarder, because I put certain things in the basement fridge. When the other grandkids come over, they can go through a whole 10 pack of juice, a 6 pack of yogurt, every cheese stick in the house, etc. in one visit. They are here 4-5 times a week, so I can't afford to supply all that. I would say the biggest issue we have is what ds will eat. He has sensory issues and will only eat certain things. I try to find the healthiest/organic/natural versions of what he eats, and that can be expensive. Meats are next and most of the family are big meat eaters. Less expensive cuts are not often eaten around here. Milk is another biggie. Also, it seems every month there is a big dinner/party for some occasion or other. It's a lot different than the way I grew up. My mom would faint if she went shopping with us! I'm not including coffee in this - I think dh spends about $100/mo on coffee. :001_huh:

[oldskool]

I would say the majority of our food budget goes to buying fresh fruit and veggies. My kids eat fruit constantly and I am running out to the grocery store a few times a week just to replenish the supply. I was even at Costco twice last week and the packages there are not small. Yogurt is another big one for us. I have thought about buying a yogurt maker because of how much money it costs us to buy yogurt for all of us. Especially when we buy organic. I feel that we spend way too much on food, but I just can't seem to find a good way to cut back. I never realized that telling the kids to eat fruit and veggies everyday when they were small would backfire on our pocketbook now that they are really growing.

 

Lesley

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

We spend a little more than $800/mo for groceries. 5 out of 6 of us have celiac disease, and that's as frugal as I can get and still keep us safe and healthy.

 

(I'm not sure exactly how much we spend for food. We include toiletries and cleaners in the "grocery" budget, and I do get those very cheaply.)

 

Sigh. Before the celiac diagnosis, which was before prices started hitting the roof anyway, I could feed my family soooo cheaply AND nutritiously. Of course, the boys were little then instead of man-sized.

 

It is hard for me to spend so much for food.

[stansclan89]

We spend just under $800 a month--there are 8 of us. 4 are teenagers. 3 of those teenagers are boys. The girl isn't much better.

 

We buy nothing organic unless it is equal to/less than non organic. I make a lot from scratch, we grind our own wheat and get it free, a lot of our meat is also free (from hunters or rancher friends). We do go through a lot of dairy.

 

We have lived in quite a few place over our 21 years of marriage, and I have to say that this is definitely the most expense place to buy food. When we visit other places I just drool over the prices at the grocery store.

 

ETA: That includes cleaning supplies (I rarely buy them though), toiletries (the cheapest I can find), and a dog and cat.

Edited August 6, 2010 by stansclan89

[Peela]

Obviously Aussie $ are different but I suspect we would be over your $800 limit, for famaily of two adults and two teens (we are certinaly over in Aussie $)

We have always tended to lash out on groceries, and in a ways, its just because we could afford to. With 4 people having various fussy food preferences, there always seems to be such a variety of food needed.

I have always used a list, and bought on special..but still, it always went pretty high. Once I was buying more and more organic fruit and veg, it went way up.

Then we had a bit of a financial crisis...not major, but I decided we needed to budget. I have asked dh for a food budget so that I can try to manage it and stay within it- at first I asked for not enough. Now I think maybe its the right amount but it is plenty- leaves enough for some organic produce at the farmers markets at the end of the week, which is perfect.

I havent noticed the nearly $400 a month less I am spending on groceries, to tell the truth. We were wasting a lot. I am enjoying keeping to a budget. And yes, that money is being reallocated to other areas.

[Lolly]

7 people, 1 dog, 3 cats.

 

I am buying, ummm, food? We do eat a lot of meat and fresh fruits. I do not buy organic. There are 4 teens in the household. I do have athletes in the house. They tend to eat a lot. A whole lot. My grocery bills do include cleaning supplies.

[angela in ohio]

We spend about that much, but I include household products in my grocery budget. If I included supplements (for ds) and vitamins, it would be more. We have five people, including two bottomless teen girls.

 

We buy organic when I think it is necessary: dairy products, pasta, nut butters, some fruits and vegetables, etc. I hit Whole Foods once a month or so, stocking up on some favorite items there, and Trader Joes. We eat a LOT of produce. We don't have to buy eggs or much beef, as we have chickens and we get a side of good beef for Christmas each year from dfil. I don't really buy prepared foods except for whole grain cereal and protein bars, and healthy bread. We also entertain, which adds to the expense. No pop or juice, but we buy bottles of water. The cost of three square meals with plenty of protein and with several servings each of fruits and vegetables each day for five people just adds up. Dc are active physically, and they eat a lot though they are thin.

 

We give up other things. We don't buy a lot of clothing, only replacing what is necessary and never buying for recreation. We don't have cable. Until this year, we never spent a lot on vacations. We buy used vehicles and pay cash, so we don't have a monthly car payment.

[Renee in NC]

Remember that a "frugal" budget would be about $100 per person per month.

 

A family of 12 spending $1200 a month if just as frugal as a family of 4 spending $400.

[lynn]

what are you buying? For how many people? Is it worth it to you? Do you sacrifice somewhere else to have ample grocery money?

 

 

We buy organic dairy products and Amy's or Greenwise meats. Not much processed. There are specific brands we purchase because of no high fructose corn syrup or other things we prefer not put in our bodies. We eat a lot of organic or local vegetables, fruit. Our budget includes cleaners, paper products etc. Is it worth it? For us yes. Do we sacrifice somewhere else, no.

Edited August 6, 2010 by lynn

[....]

Is it possible to spend LESS than 800 bucks a month on groceries???

 

We spend about $900-$1,000/mth on groceries for 6 people. We eat at restaurants very rarely and I cook almost all our meals. This still is barely enough food for 6 people. By the end of the week, we're starving! My family's pretty darn skinny, too. Maybe I'm just a really bad shopper.

 

Oh, yeah, I also don't buy junk food. We try to eat a low-fat diet and don't eat a lot of processed (boxed) foods, which probably inflates our grocery bill.

[radiobrain]

There are only 4 of us and I seem to spend about $800 a month. Sometimes a bit more, sometimes less... but that is ALL the household spending. Cleaning, cat food/litter, toiletries, vitamins... you get the idea. I would love to buy more organic, but it is not in the budget. I will do a few things per trip. My grocery store also has an awesome gas program, so at least 1X a month I earn 20 gallons of gas for $.02 a gallon. So, that gives me around $55 "back" a month.

 

I wish I could figure out a way to cut down, but we are not "bulk" buyers...we don't have the storage space! (I have no cabinets in my kitchen)

[Snickerdoodle]

Is it worth it to you?

 

Thank your lucky stars you don't have to deal with food related health issues.

[Halftime Hope]

what are you buying? For how many people? Is it worth it to you? Do you sacrifice somewhere else to have ample grocery money?

 

We have 4 adults and one man-child in the family.

 

We buy lots of produce (some organic, discounted when possible), a lot of meat and nuts, and more than average amount of cheese and eggs. We eat fairly low carb and high veggie/salad, so it is quite expensive.

 

We all feel healthier eating this way, and we have diabetes in the family, so I hope I'm teaching my kids a way of eating that will serve them well in the long run, but it is costly!

 

Yes, we sacrifice. There are many things we'd like to do but can't. And I do many things to economize, like shopping at thrift stores. It's good for my kids to see tough choices in action, b/c when they are on their own, they'll have to do the same.

 

BTW, I didn't get a *real* dining table until we'd been married 21 years. For half of those years, I had a folding 6 foot table from the office store, finally followed by a small dining set that was a hand me down, and definitely garage sale worthy! :)

[cathmom]

Is it possible to spend LESS than 800 bucks a month on groceries???

 

 

 

Yes, if you don't have it to spend!

[Cindy in FL.]

We spend about $1200 for 6 people, 1 dog, and 2 grandchildren (3 days a week). I buy lots of dairy and fresh fruits and vegetables. I get into trouble a lot because I don't necessarily buy what's in season. I could do a much better job at the grocery store, but I tend to just get what I want and what we'll eat.

 

Cindy

[CalicoKat]

Yes, we spend more than $800/month for 7 people.

 

Raw organic milk & eggs, Almond Milk for one kiddo, and the now most of the rest comes from Aldi or Jewel.

 

We cook from scratch and recently decided that we can no longer afford the $80/month for bread which we weren't buying from Aldi. I dusted off my bread making tools and I make 5 whole wheat loaves/week. Bread is a staple here for toast and sandwiches. We were buying HFCS-free, preservative-free bread @ $3.99 a loaf or $2.99 depending on the store.

 

Oh yes, I do can lots of tomato sauce in the summer months, freeze corn, and buy 25 organic chickens (butchered) from my mother each year. I am looking into buying a side of beef this year too.

[MamaT]

I spend about $1200 for 6 people. We have extra people almost every night - either my ds and his gf or friends of the dc. I buy organic when I can, lots of fruits, veggies, yogurt, and dairy. I don't buy processed foods and cook every night. We rarely eat out. That total includes paper goods, cleaning supplies, and toiletries.

 

Thankfully, we don't have to sacrifice in other areas to buy groceries.

[BikeBookBread]

We spend about that much. We only rarely eat out, never order in pizza. If we do eat out, it is usually Subway or a snack at Starbucks. I cook 99% from scratch, so very few packaged foods are bought. We do buy high quality wine and beer and fancy cheese. We don't buy bread (I bake it all). We buy grass fed beef when we eat beef, but don't eat it often. We don't buy organic or free range chicken but we would like to...we eat chicken so often it would break the bank. We buy lots of fresh fruit and veggies. We buy free range/cage free organic fed eggs and organic milk, cream and half-n-half because we eat SO MANY of them. I tend to buy organic on things that we eat a lot of, because I figure repeated exposure to healthier foods is important.

[Renee in NC]

Yes, if you don't have it to spend!

 

Exactly. If I had it, though, I would spend $1500 a month on food! Why skimp if you don't have to?

 

If we made $60K+ per year, we would spend $1500 a month on groceries.:D

[Michelle in AL]

We spend more than that, about $1400 for 4 people.

This # includes anything you can buy at Target or Wal Mart since I only keep track of it through my online bank acct.

It includes: printer ink and paper, shampoo, a new hairdryer if needed, cleaning products, cosmetics, lightbulbs, air filters, maybe even a pair of shoes.

 

For food my bill includes only humanely raised meat, 2-3 gallons of milk/week, all fresh fruit and veges, one block of $9 cheese, one bag of crackers or chips, popsicles or ice cream and a bag of chocolates every week. I would frequently buy filet mignon and good cuts of fish (Tuna, grouper or snapper).

 

I really want to cut our budget for college, so I've given up my fancy grocery store with the exception of humanely raised meat and am going to Wal Mart for everything else. I'm also adding in more canned veges instead of fresh.

 

I've spent $140/week for the past 2 weeks by going to Wal Mart. I've also cut out fine steaks and fresh fish.

[rafiki]

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