How much do you spend on groceries, weekly?

[LAmom]

We are a family of 6, with 4 little ones, that do consume a good amount of food (especially fruit). We spend between 150 and 200 a week on food. If I plan well we have a nice dinner every night and do OK with breakfasts and lunch.

 

So, does anyone want to tell me if I am spending way too much?!! Want to share what your average is? This does include random toilet paper, cleaners, etc. but does not include toiletries/diapers, etc.

 

Grocery shopping frustrates me!!! So much!! Food is expensive and fruit/veggies are at an ultimate low in quality. My green peppers have no taste, my peaches rot the next day after purchasing them (going from hard at the store..??) and tomatoes disgust me, etc., etc. One week I came home with moldy cheese and moldy bread! I rotate stores, too, so it is not just one store.

 

Thanks for listening to my tangent. Soooo...anyone?

[Koerarmoca]

family of 6 here and we generally spend $200-300 weekly. If I don't have a decent stockpile. Sometimes we get away with just meat and produce and it is around $150

[OrganicAnn]

Wow you live in LA (I grew up there) and have poor quality fruit? I remember the fruit being great in LA.

 

1) Can you find farmer's market for fruits and vegetables? I'd rather pay a little more for food that tastes good and was raised without chemicals.

 

2) Can you grow some of your own food? That is the best way to make sure you have the best quality food. You can grow peppers in pots on a patio if you don't have much yard.

[cindergretta]

Family of 8 here. We spend $150 - $200/week.

 

I haven't had quality issues with our food purchases, thank heaven. Check the store. Many will replace crappy produce AND refund your money. Some will only do one or the other, but that is better than nothing, IMO.

 

You are only spending too much if you can't afford it and feel pinched. If you are in your financial comfort zone, no worries! If you aren't, time to clip coupons, shop sales, eliminate extras, consider generics/store brands, etc. :-)

 

ITA with shopping farmers' markets and planting what you can. We grow our own cucumbers, tomatoes, peas, and bell peppers. We are working on our strawberries and blueberries.

Edited July 13, 2011 by cindergretta

[FlyingMOm]

Family of 6- $150-$185. In addition to tp, cleaners, this also includes diapers, wipes, pet food, pharmacy, toiletries, etc. I'd love to be able to spend more- it doesn't sound like you are overspending to me- it seems very reasonable!

[Joker]

I'm always in awe when someone starts one of these threads. We're only a family of 4 but we spend about $200/wk on groceries (includes tp, toiletries, etc.) My dh and both dds are super skinny but seem to burn calories while they're eating. I always feel like there's something I must be missing.:001_huh:

[Oakblossoms]

Do you have a yard? Check out Path to Freedom!

[*lifeoftheparty*]

Family of 3, well, 4 for the summer. I spent $246 on Monday, we'll be good for a week and a half'ish, that does not include toiletries. That was high b/c I didn't have time to go to Trader Joes, so I only did Whole Foods. I got lots and lots of fruits and veggies, all gorgeous and locally grown :) Sooooo, compared to me you're a rock star, LOL!!

 

For the record, I know this is high, I have issues and am addicted to very high quality food... but we don't have cellphones (prepaid, emergency use only), and my husbands commute is less than 10 minutes, and we have two fuel efficient cars... so it all evens out in the end.

 

I love threads like this b/c I like to know what I'm doing compared to others and it helps me put my spending into perspective and talking about money is so taboo these days. I'm one of those people who always says, "How much did it cost?" when you show me your new house, car, bag, whatever :) I guess I like comparison shopping! :D

[FrogMom5]

Based on where you live and the size of your family, your bill sounds about right. We are only a family of 5 - 3 kids, 2 adults. We spend $400-$500 per month and we live in a less expensive area. We also eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies.

 

Are you trying to reduce your grocery bill? One way is to have beans more often. We usually have pinto beans. Once I make a big pot, they provide several meals - beans w/rice & veggies, burritos, tostadas and nachos.

 

Other posters have suggested growing some of your own veggies. We are planning to do that soon too. After the initial start-up, it's much less expensive and better quality.

 

The last suggestion I have for you is to go berry picking. Farmers sell their berries cheaper this way and you can choose which farm you like. We pick blueberries for $8/gallon. I picked 5 gallons this year and froze them. They last all yr. and cost so much less than buying the $4 pint in the store.

I hope this helps you.

Denise

[YLVD]

Family of 3 here and we spend about $150 a week. BUT, my DD is insulin resistant and we have to spend a bit more on food due to that. We are also in an area in which groceries are crazy expensive

[LAmom]

I'm always in awe when someone starts one of these threads. We're only a family of 4 but we spend about $200/wk on groceries (includes tp, toiletries, etc.) My dh and both dds are super skinny but seem to burn calories while they're eating. I always feel like there's something I must be missing.:001_huh:

 

 

Sorry. I don't know what you mean. I just wanted to see some comparisons on how I was doing. $200 seems a lot for me to budget. We have gone out to eat a lot and those weeks still spend about 100-150 on groceries. So, if I plan well I hope to stop going out to eat and save there. I just am trying to work on a budget but have no idea how to figure out budgeting diapers, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. I buy that stuff as needed. :tongue_smilie:

[LAmom]

Family of 3, well, 4 for the summer. I spent $246 on Monday, we'll be good for a week and a half'ish, that does not include toiletries. That was high b/c I didn't have time to go to Trader Joes, so I only did Whole Foods. I got lots and lots of fruits and veggies, all gorgeous and locally grown :) Sooooo, compared to me you're a rock star, LOL!!

 

For the record, I know this is high, I have issues and am addicted to very high quality food... but we don't have cellphones (prepaid, emergency use only), and my husbands commute is less than 10 minutes, and we have two fuel efficient cars... so it all evens out in the end.

 

I love threads like this b/c I like to know what I'm doing compared to others and it helps me put my spending into perspective and talking about money is so taboo these days. I'm one of those people who always says, "How much did it cost?" when you show me your new house, car, bag, whatever :) I guess I like comparison shopping! :D

 

 

Oh I would love to shop only at TJs and Whole Foods! You buy your meat there? I spend about the same amount going to TJs but get less food and usually no meat. :glare: But I love those stores!!

[scmama]

Family of 5 here and I spend $250 every 2 weeks on groceries. I can't do weekly, I think I would go insane. LOL

 

We also started a garden this year and we are growing our own tomatoes, green beans, cukes, eggplant, canteloupe, watermelon, and green peppers.

 

I do shop at Aldi's for the most part, picking up odds and ends at Walmart, or the other local grocery stores. I really need to start clipping coupons again. I also go to the farmer's market when I can.

 

To give you another side, my mom use to spend $250 a week grocery shopping and that was a family of 4, just my parents and my 2 younger brothers. So it all depends on the family, and the eating patterns of that family. We aren't big into breakfast, except on the weekend, and lunches here consist of sandwiches and leftovers.

[cindergretta]

I didn't realize Seattle was expensive for groceries, particularly compared to LA. I don't live in Seattle, by the way. I am about 30 - 40 minutes south of there. Our groceries don't seem too awfully high. ::think:: I will have to comparison shop next time I am up there, lol!

[QueenCat]

Our budget is $700 month, which works out to $175/week... sort of... I say sort of because I do all the toiletries, cleaning supplies, paper goods at the beginning of the month so I spend more then (we do a monthly budget), and less in the other weeks. The budget includes food, toiletries, cleaning items, paper goods and pet food. It does not include dining out, that is a separate line item in the budget. This is for 4 people.

[Momma2Many66]

We have 6 in our home, my oldest 2 children grew up and moved out.

 

My husband and I and our children ages 12, 10, 8 and 6 are included in our weekly grocery budget.

 

We spend 125 dollars per week on groceries (this is when we don't use our garden, during the cold months)

 

That $ 125 includes our paper goods (toilet paper, tissues, sanitary pads etc) and our toiletries ( toothpaste, shampoo, soap, ectera).

 

We have a garden and small orchard and that helps to bring the costs down even lower in the late spring and summer months, then we can get by with $ 100 dollars a week or less.

 

I shop at warehouse clubs and coupon and we eat meat only 2 times a week and I can usually spread one chicken out over 3 meals if need be. The rest of the week we eat lots of bean dishes to substitute the protein. I am italian, so we also do a variety of pasta dishes and vegetarian soups.

 

We eat lots of veggies and fruits, little bread and a lot of bean dishes. I make a lot of green smoothies with our blender and for breakfast we do smoothies and homemade healthy muffins, yogurt or oatmeal.

 

Lunches are a nut butter sandwich, salad and fruit of some sort. Or sandwich with vegetarian soup or cut up veggies and dip. We don't do pricey lunch meats, we stick to the basics.

 

Snacks are usually refrained to just once a day (mid morning pick me up) and that is typically muffins ( If we didn't have them for breakfast), veggies and dip, homemade hummus and wheat crackers or hard boiled eggs.

 

We don't buy much in junk food, if we want deserts I make most of them myself. We don't drink sodas or sugary drinks (that saves a lot of money right there) and we just drink lots and lots of water in our home ( 8 to 10 glasses a day). Milk is used sparingly and mostly used just in cooking. We don't drink coffee or teas.

 

If we splurge that week and buy a half gallon of ice cream (on sale), I serve it in small portions to stretch it out over the course of a week. I have these old fashioned diner style dishes that were once used in diners to serve one serving of vegetables. I use these dishes to serve ice cream in to my children ( I seldom ever eat ice cream myself) and they hold about a half a cup of ice cream or pudding, jello ectera. These dishes make the portion look much larger then it actually is, so we can stretch the ice cream into several after dinner deserts.

 

To avoid spending more then that amount, I plan out each week a menu for the 7 days with breakfasts, lunch and dinner included and make a list of items I need to prepare those meals. Then I go shopping after I eat, so I am not hungry and tempted to buy things not on my list.

 

If I had to, we could get by on less, but the $ 125 allows us to eat organic produce (when we can't grow it during the winter months) and to not have to be real super strict with our budget. When we were trying to really pay down debt and live on a strict budget, I was able to get by on much less, now we eat good and still stay within our spending means. This has helped to keep us debt free, so every little bit of saving does help !

Edited July 13, 2011 by Momma2Many66

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

We go and do our main shopping every other week because we have an hour and a half drive to a decent grocery store (we have a "convenience" grocery store here <-- read extremely over priced and no selection at all)

 

 

So, every two weeks we spend about $300-400 ($500 or more total if we go to Sams Club that week) then we spend about $50-75 for bread, milk, eggs-that sort of thing the week we do not go shopping. So it would average to about $250-300 a week

 

 

We are a family of 6 and dh is gone alot over night (or more) for work and usually brings food with him instead of buying food out all the time. We do menus though to keep costs reasonable- so we have what we need for when we need it at dinner and are not constantly running to our 'convenience' store.

 

 

If we had an Aldis or something similar it would be even less, but we don't. That is one of the things I miss about Michigan :(

Edited July 13, 2011 by wy_kid_wrangler04

[*lifeoftheparty*]

Oh I would love to shop only at TJs and Whole Foods! You buy your meat there? I spend about the same amount going to TJs but get less food and usually no meat. :glare: But I love those stores!!

 

I buy my grass-fed beef and seafood at Whole Foods and my chicken and marinated meats at Trader Joes. In order to compensate for eating the grass fed, we go vegetarian at least 2 nights a week. So we are only eating red meat once or twice a week. Some weeks, none at all.

 

I live between DC and Baltimore, it's a pretty pricey area. The stores closest to me are: Bloom, Safeway, Giant and Shoppers. I won't shop at Wal-mart. I find all the above stores to be JUST AS expensive as Whole Foods, for more inferior product. I find Trader Joes to be cheaper than all of them!

 

I get Breyers ice cream at WF for $4.99; it was $4.99 at Shoppers and $5.99 at Bloom! I get Trader Joes cereal bars for $1.69 a box, Nutri Grain are like, $3 something (and have HFCS!). I get Koch's all natural Turkey meat (no nitrites, NOTHING), every week, on sale... it's $8.99 a pound; that's how much meat at Safeway costs, and it's loaded with nitrites. You can't find ANYWHERE that has cheese cheaper than Trader Joes!! By a long shot!! Chicken broth is cheaper there too.... sometimes, I think people walk in there and look at specialty items, like, $50 a pound cheese and just "tune the store out", but if you shop there regularly and know what to buy (what's cheaper where), shop the sales, and don't go crazy.... you can easily shop there :)

 

ETA: I will admit, it did take me a while to work it out! I used to make lots of food and we would have lots of leftovers. We had a meat, starch, veg meal every night. I bought lots of processed stuff, etc. I had to change the way we eat (healthier) in order to do my shopping there, and we eat smaller portions than before. But (I think) it's worth it :)

Edited July 13, 2011 by Gao Meixue

[BlsdMama]

We are a family of 6, with 4 little ones, that do consume a good amount of food (especially fruit). We spend between 150 and 200 a week on food. If I plan well we have a nice dinner every night and do OK with breakfasts and lunch.

 

We spend between $900-$1200 per month, *but* we are a family of 11 (but one breastfeeding, cloth diapered infant.) Doing the math, you can see we're at about the same place you are. I actually think you're doing better with your planning because I suspect prices in CA are worse than here in the PNW. And the PNW is expensive compared to the Midwest in all things except seafood.

[Aelwydd]

Family of 3, and we average $85-100 a week. We buy a combination of different foods, a few "quick and easy," like a frozen pizza sometimes. We tend to make the majority of our meals "from scratch," such as vegetable stir fries or sauteed salmon with long grain rice. We make our own meals, rather than buy "ready to heat," like lasagna.

 

For our stir fry meals, we go to a local Asian supermarket to get the sauces and ingredients. We shop at a combination of other stores, such as Kroger, Target, and Aldi for other things. I also will go to the farmer's market sometimes, although it's way less frequently than I'd prefer.

[Carrie75]

We are a family of 4 and we probably spend $200 per week. That said we could easily feed two more kids with that. Sadly, so much gets thrown out. Food goes bad quickly and my DH won't eat leftovers.

[Peela]

Family of 4- 2 teenagers. $250 a week- we have a food budget.

[Heather in Neverland]

About $200 a week give or take for a family of 5.

[Veritaserum]

Family of 7, ~$150 per week eating mostly organic produce and meat.

[Carrie12345]

We're up to about $200/wk now, with 6 actual eaters. (Baby nibbles on mushed vegetables and fruits, and his prescription formula is $25/mo. We use cloth diapers.)

 

Just 2 or 3 years ago, I was only spending $100/wk. I do coupon, but the deals are drying up. I make my own breads. The quality of what I buy has gone down a tad bit (fewer organics purchased, but we do eat out of the garden when it's ready), and still the bill keeps going up!

[Jenny in Florida]

We are a family of four, with two teens (and their friends hanging around and eating sometimes). I'm trying to hold us to $150 a week, but too often we're creeping up closer to $200.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I have just over $400 per month for food. We're only a family of 3. I don't have options around here. We have a Walmart, Weiss, Super Duper, and Saturday only farmers market. I wanted to shop more at the farmers' market, but there has not been much. I usually stick to Walmart.

[Snickerdoodle]

So, does anyone want to tell me if I am spending way too much?!!

 

Well, we spend a lot more than you do for a family of four. But we don't eat any convenience or processed food, and I cook every meal from scratch.

[2squared]

Our budget is $700 month, which works out to $175/week... sort of... I say sort of because I do all the toiletries, cleaning supplies, paper goods at the beginning of the month so I spend more then (we do a monthly budget), and less in the other weeks. The budget includes food, toiletries, cleaning items, paper goods and pet food. It does not include dining out, that is a separate line item in the budget. This is for 4 people.

 

This is us except our $175/week is for 7 people and includes baby needs but not pet food.

 

We live very rurally, so I drive an hour to our nearest Walmart once/month where I spend about 1/2 of the grocery budget. I meal plan for the entire month. The rest of our food comes from our little, local, expensive grocery. I wish I had other options within a few hours' drive.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

My ex step-mother shopped for a family of 5 with 2 grown men. She spent about 100-150 weekly for everything (food and all toiletries). But we never ate healthy. She used to get a ton of food during the can-can sales. I don't remember ever having fresh fruit and veggies in the house.

 

So it doesn't sound like you're spending a lot. If you buy anything boxed, go for coupons. Coupons and planning are great for toiletries if you don't mind differing brands. Learn which weeks certain things go on sale, and save the coupons.

[Annabel Lee]

We are a family of 4 and I spend about 150-200 a week. Stuff is just freaking expensive. I do have a garden. I do shop sales. In fact I shop 2-4 stores trying to get the best deals. I don't buy junk food and rarely do I buy any kind of beverages. I also make most foods from scratch.

 

:iagree:Especially the bolded. I almost cried when the cheapest regular priced non-ground red meat was $7+/lb., and the cheapest sale price for it was $5+/lb. at the closest store to me. It was a moment of scary realization. Back to the woods, the rivers, the oceans, and the garden for food.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Family of 9 and we aim for under $120. We don't always succeed. We are getting back with the grocery game which should help us bring that WAY lower (when we were a family of four doing it, we averaged $34/week). However, we now are getting WIC for some of the kids which should help (for example, most of the formula will be paid for instead of coming out of pocket).

 

Note: we four older ones are doing Atkins right now so that raised the amount of money spent considerably last week.

Edited July 13, 2011 by 2J5M9K

[Lady Florida.]

We are a family of 3, one of whom is a teenage boy. I budget $80 a week, but with the recent increase in prices I should probably up it to $90. That includes all household items, health & beauty, and pet supplies. I buy all of my produce at a local large produce stand. The owners buy from one of the big farmer's markets in the state.

 

When I do my weekly shopping though, I don't necessarily shop for that week, with the exception of produce and other fresh food. We have an extra freezer, so I buy meat when it's on sale. I use coupons, sales, and the stockpiling method. My shopping trips are usually done to replace items in my stockpile and buy the week's fresh food.

[Ottakee]

I must live in a low price area---West Michigan.

 

I spend about $80-100/week on groceries for the 5 of us. That includes a lot of toiletries. and the price of the cow we buy--about $500 at a time for the meat but it lasts about a year.

[Kathleen in VA]

Does anyone know how the Wash. D.C./Northern Virginia area compares with the rest of the nation as far as food prices go? I just went shopping for 2 weeks worth of groceries and household items, had some coupons, hit Aldi, Walmart and the reg. store for its loss leaders and spent $280. We have 6 here. I felt like I was spending a ton, but after reading this thread I am wondering if I actually did well after all.

[SeekingSimplicity]

I have a budget of $700/mo for a family of 5. We buy meat, fruits and veggies, and gf grains. I try to stay around $100-150 a week, but on a week where I stock up on staples it will get over $200.

[Pretty in Pink]

We are currently a family of six, soon to be seven, and I also spend ~ 200.00 per week. That is shopping at the base commissary and only eating meat two or three times per week. Groceries are really expensive. We don't go through massive amounts of dairy (2 gal. milk per week) and we don't buy many convenience foods at all (a box of Life cereal for dh and two boxes of granola bars per week). We do buy a *lot* of produce (usually 4 brown grocery sacks full per week).

 

That does include toiletries, cleaning supplies, and Pull-Ups for two boys (one in name brand, one in generic).

 

When baby comes in October that total will go up ~ 100.00/month for formula. Eek.

[Mommee & Baba]

We're a family of 5 with 2 dogs. We spend approx. $95wk and I coupon BIG time and have stockpile in many things.

 

I save approx. $200-$350/mo just by using coupons and matching with store sales and price matching.

 

 

 

 

 

I don't have to purchase these items for atleast 12 months as I have stockpiled them. And paid less than $1 or FREE for most of what I listed.

 

• Toothbrushes
  
• Toothpaste
  
• Shampoo
  
• Conditioner
  
• Dental Floss
  
• Kids Toothpaste
  
• Motrin PM
  
• Maalox
  
• Body Wash
  
• Razors for him
  
• Razors for her
  
• Dishwasher Pacs
  
• Dish Soap
  
• Hand Soap
  
• Bar Soap
  
• Doggie Treats
  
• Scrubbing Sponges
  
• Laundry Detergent
  
• Feminine Products
  
• Shaving Cream for him
  
• Shaving Cream for her
  
• Tea Bags
  
• Baking Powder
  
• Spices
  
• Coffee
  
• Blueberries - Bought fresh and seperated, flash freezed them.
  
• Strawberries - Bought fresh and seperated, flashe freezed them.
  
• Ziplock Baggies
  
• Foil
  
• Trash Bags
  
• Canned Vegetables (Stocked enough for 6 months)
  

 

[Hunter's Moon]

Family of 3, $60/week. When we buy veggies at a family owned produce store, more like $90/week. When we go to the meat store, it's more like $150/week. But we rarely go there because the budget is tight.

 

Sadly, the family owned produce store has changed hands three times and the last buyer is the worst in terms of freshness and prices.

 

Oh, and the $60/week covers toilet paper, paper towels, cat food, cat litter, toothpaste, and shampoo. Not all those things need to be bought every week (except TP and PT) so they aren't always there.

[DawnM]

We moved from LA about 6 years ago. When we lived there we only had two little ones and still spent about $800/mo, BUT, we didn't budget at all when we lived there. DH and I were both working full time and we had a good income and bought our house before everything went nuts, so we were living well.

 

When we moved to NC our income was cut by about 65%. I stopped working and DH took about a 40% paycut.

 

Granted, cost of living is lower, but that was a HUGE difference even still.

 

I quickly had to start budgeting.

 

We now have 3 boys and two of them eat as much as adults. So, our intake of food has increased while our budget decreased.

 

Our budget now is $600/mo including pet food, toiletries, and paper goods. I do a bulk of my shopping at Costco.

 

I also coupon, use the produce co-op, and cook more from scratch.

 

1. Laundry soap- I now make my own, $10 PER YEAR!

2. Diva cup- (sorry for TMI) but it has changed my life! cramps are better and cost is much better

3, I rarely pay for toothpaste, razors, most shampoos, etc....with coupons

 

 

Since you are in LA, you could probably get most toiletries at places like the 99 cent store. I miss that store!

 

You mentioned you have been eating out more- CUT IT! I bought one of these:

 

http://www.expotv.com/IGLOO-Maxcold-Max-Pack-Cooler/29-S5a

 

We take it EVERYWHERE....we even take it into the DIsney parks to eat our own food. I take it to Tae Kwon Do, scouts, anytime we are going to be out. It holds enough lunch and drinks for all 5 of us if necessary, plus snacks.

[prairiewindmomma]

--

Edited November 10, 2021 by prairiewindmomma

[Carrie12345]

We're a family of 5 with 2 dogs. We spend approx. $95wk and I coupon BIG time and have stockpile in many things.

 

I save approx. $200-$350/mo just by using coupons and matching with store sales and price matching.

 

 

 

 

 

I don't have to purchase these items for atleast 12 months as I have stockpiled them. And paid less than $1 or FREE for most of what I listed.

 

• Toothbrushes

• Toothpaste

• Shampoo

• Conditioner

• Dental Floss

• Kids Toothpaste

• Motrin PM

• Maalox

• Body Wash

• Razors for him

• Razors for her

• Dishwasher Pacs

• Dish Soap

• Hand Soap

• Bar Soap

• Doggie Treats

• Scrubbing Sponges

• Laundry Detergent

• Feminine Products

• Shaving Cream for him

• Shaving Cream for her

• Tea Bags

• Baking Powder

• Spices

• Coffee

• Blueberries - Bought fresh and seperated, flash freezed them.

• Strawberries - Bought fresh and seperated, flashe freezed them.

• Ziplock Baggies

• Foil

• Trash Bags

• Canned Vegetables (Stocked enough for 6 months)

 

 

 

I have a similar stockpile, but trade out coffee for veggie pasta. I just haven't been able to score good coffee deals lately. :glare:

 

Still, my typical grocery list consists of:

 

3 gallons of milk (minimum)

coffee creamer (my splurge)

yogurt (hoping to make soon!)

multiple cheeses (also hoping to make soon, but then I have to wait on some of them to be ready, lol)

yeast

whole wheat flour

bread flour

all purpose flour (I've been wanting to grind for years, but haven't "gotten there" yet)

honey

syrup

chicken

beef

fish (or larger quantities of just one sale meat)

tortillas (I hated my homemade attempt, lol)

cat food

dog food

canned/frozen fruits and vegetables

fresh fruits and vegetables

eggs

the occasional bacon/hot dogs/sausage

 

and I'm already over $150 before I even get to my stockpile list. :-(

[Oakblossoms]

We get 592 for food stamps a month and that is all I spend. we have a Costco nearby and I buy the majority of my food there. We eat vegetarian most of the month. Once a week I make chicken thighs or a big tri-tip.

 

I buy veg subs like burger crumbles, lunchmeat, veggie burgers if they have a good sale.

 

We eat a lot of beans, rice, corn tortillas, flour tortillas, fruit, veggies, pancakes, muffins...we love mexican food.

 

Coupons are a bust here. I spend maybe 50 a month on other stuff and usually at Costco. We cloth diapers all the time for the baby and during the day for the toddler.

[mirandahoops]

We live in Ohio, and my husband and I have 4 kids, so we are feeding 6 in our household. My kids are small, (ages 10,8,7,and 1), so they aren't eating us out of house and home yet.

 

Typically, I can spend anywhere from $50-120 a week, including toiletries and household supplies.

 

On $50 weeks, it is mainly so low because we have had a lot of leftovers or I had enough to last me from the previous weeks grocery trip. This week I spent $110, and that always makes me feel sick to spend that much. It was because I was out of dish soap, laundry soap, toilet paper, coffee, etc. Coffee is way too much $, but we "have" to have it. ;) I realize it might not seem like much compared to some of you, but I really hate spending money that my husband works so hard for. And eating it seems kind of like a waste to me.

 

I have just started attempting my hand at couponing to try to save even more. I started using cloth diapers when my littlest guy was born. Boy, do I wish that I had started doing that with my first one 10 years ago! It has been wonderful at saving money, trash, rashes, etc. Love it!!! Even with the extra laundry, it is SO worth it. :)

 

Our meals mainly consist of:

Breakfast: Cereal during the week for the kids. Sometimes waffles, pancakes, scrambled eggs and toast. Depends on the day and what we're hungry for. On weekends when my husband doesn't have to work, I typically make him a nice big breakfast of potatoes, eggs, sausage, or chorizo. Sometimes pancakes and sausage and hashbrowns. He loves chorizo with eggs and potatoes, so I try to do that for him once a week.

 

Lunch- During the week, ususally leftovers from supper the night before, or sandwiches, chips, veggies. Sometimes mac and cheese, hot dogs. Quick and easy is what works best here for lunch.

 

Supper- I usually make a decent supper every night of the week. Tacos are a weekly request, and so is spaghetti and garlic bread. We do beef and noodles, homemade mashed potatoes, vegetables, roast chicken, roast pork, casseroles. Good fattening stuff for you. (I love homestyle cooking. Well, mostly the eating part of it, lol). Meat and milk are the biggest expense in our house. I buy frozen vegetables when they are on sale for $1 a bag or less, and stock up on them. Fresh fruit makes its way here once in a great while because it is $$$.

 

Good thread, I'm enjoying it. :)

[butterflymommy]

Family of 8, we average $225 a week, high COL area.

[Britomart]

Since you live in Los Angeles, can I recommend a couple of CSA's? that's how we get good produce at normal prices (it's about the same as the grocery stores, but the quality is a LOT better - and sometimes it's cheaper).

 

The first one I'd recommend is South Coast Farms. They're in San Juan Capistrano, but they have a couple of biweekly drop-offs in the L.A. area. I love these guys. You get whatever is in season, but given the area, it's a good variety of stuff all year long. Here's one of their announcements from a few weeks ago:

 

Regular Baskets this week contain: Kale, Romaine & Iceberg Lettuce, Chard, Beans, Cucumbers, Turnips, Parsley, Basil, Radishes, Peaches, Dill, Kohlrabi, Yellow Nectarines, Apricots, Pluots, Navel Oranges

 

The Large Baskets this week contain all of the items found in the small baskets, as well as a larger volume of Cucumbers, Peaches, Nectarines, Navels & Pluots. The extra items for our large baskets this week are Avocado, Red Onion, and Potatoes.

 

And both of the drop-off points I've used have "trade-in" boxes so you can trade a reasonable amount of the stuff you don't like for something else.

 

The other one is Farm Fresh to You. The value isn't quite as good (less produce than South Coast) but they deliver to your door and you can have an exclusion list (e.g., "never send us zucchini") and you can choose which boxes you want (e.g., "Mostly Fruit" or "Just Veggies") - you can even change what variety you get from week to week.

 

I still buy produce at the grocery store occasionally (mostly bananas, tomatoes, & baby carrots), but we get most of our produce from these two places and have been really happy with them, in terms of both cost and quality. (Not affiliated, btw, just a happy customer.)

[Susan in KY]

Family of four here, living in an area with significantly lower COL. Our weekly bills for everything including toiletries run under $100 in the summer (usually around $80), and anywhere up to $120 in the winter.

[Mommee & Baba]

I have a similar stockpile, but trade out coffee for veggie pasta. I just haven't been able to score good coffee deals lately. :glare:

 

Still, my typical grocery list consists of:

 

3 gallons of milk (minimum)

coffee creamer (my splurge)

yogurt (hoping to make soon!)

multiple cheeses (also hoping to make soon, but then I have to wait on some of them to be ready, lol)

yeast

whole wheat flour

bread flour

all purpose flour (I've been wanting to grind for years, but haven't "gotten there" yet)

honey

syrup

chicken

beef

fish (or larger quantities of just one sale meat)

tortillas (I hated my homemade attempt, lol)

cat food

dog food

canned/frozen fruits and vegetables

fresh fruits and vegetables

eggs

the occasional bacon/hot dogs/sausage

 

and I'm already over $150 before I even get to my stockpile list. :-(

 

My dh is so tired of having Ronzoni Garden Delight pasta...BUT I love the pretty green boxes! :D LOL!! Actually I like these noodles..they taste so good and esp when they were free!

Edited July 13, 2011 by mamaofblessings

[WeeBeaks]

Depends on the season, cheaper in summer when my garden is more prolific.

 

General average $100-$125 for family of six per week, but I don't have teens yet. :D Southern California = high cost of living.

 

I shop a variety of places each week, and I do keep at least a minimal garden year round (the weather is ideal here). I coupon the HBA, toilet paper and whatnot, plus whatever else we buy that I can find coupons for. We shop a lot at Costco. I keep a price book to be sure I'm buying when things are lowest and stockpile (beans, rice, lentils, canned goods, frozen, etc). We don't eat meat every day, and when we do I try to buy the "good stuff" at Costco but use it sparingly rather than a huge main portion of meat. I can my own stuff from the garden or freeze where possible.

 

My total includes everything - food, toiletries, TP, diapers (but just a few as we cloth diaper mainly), OTC meds and any vitamins/supplements we take.

 

Liking reading other input ... :lurk5:

[Ohdanigirl]

Fam of 7, skinnys and big eaters. We eat beans often and buy groceries in San Diego. I spend $100 a week. I was worried I was over spending. We eat lots of fruits, veggies, and no processed, instant, or boxed foods. Frozen foods are a rarity, like once a year. ;) I basically buy milk, eggs, meats, bread, and fresh produce. [quote name=FrogMom5;2926025

 

Are you trying to reduce your grocery bill? One way is to have beans more often. We usually have pinto beans. Once I make a big pot' date=' they provide several meals - beans w/rice & veggies, burritos, tostadas and nachos.

 

Denise