Where does your family fit?

[*Michelle*]

I go through a $9, 1lb bag of almond flour about every week or two. So that's an added expense $20-30/mo.

 

Have you checked out honeyvillegrain.com? Their 5lb bag of unblanched almond flour is out of stock right now, so I'm not sure what the price is, but they have the 5lb blanched for $29.99. They have a bulk 25lb bag for $105 and shipping is a flat $4.49, no matter the weight. Their coconut flour is organic and $6/lb.

[AdventureMoms]

Have you checked out honeyvillegrain.com? Their 5lb bag of unblanched almond flour is out of stock right now, so I'm not sure what the price is, but they have the 5lb blanched for $29.99. They have a bulk 25lb bag for $105 and shipping is a flat $4.49, no matter the weight. Their coconut flour is organic and $6/lb.

No, I haven't. I'll look into that. :-D I just got organic coconut flour from amazon for under that, fwiw. The almond flour price looks good, though I'm a little overstocked at the moment. :-D

[Denisemomof4]

I have seen this too, much to my frustration! We do have a great health food grocery store but it is $$$ even for locally grown produce. The farmers market is also costly IMO. I am kind of picky about my produce quality too.

 

We garden but I do not can. I guess that is what I need to learn to do next!

 

Our local HFS sells all organic, most grown outside the US. :cursing:

[Trilliums]

Thanks to Aldi's and a few other stores, we fall into the thrifty column .... 2 adults plus 2 teenagers ... $37 x 4 = $148. I spend less than $100 a week on grocery items.

 

I spend $100 or so a month on Wal-mart type items, i.e. medicine, drugstore items, paper products, etc.

 

I'd love to see a sample of your weekly shopping and menus.

[Mommy to monkeys]

Thrifty! Oh my goodness thrifty. . .I don't do very much prepackaged and we do have a garden. . .go meatless for some meals. Things like that.

[Jpoy85]

I did the family of 4 they have posted.

 

626.60 819.60 1023.00 1240.90 Monthly.

 

We dont even come CLOSE to the thrifty (626)- we fall UNDER that. We spend about $400. :D

[redsquirrel]

We fall exactly in the thrifty category and I am not even trying. I think I overspend by about 30$ every week and feel terribly guilt about it. I guess I should stop feeling guilt, lol. I am counting all the 'stuff' I get at the store like toilet paper and shampoo etc into the grocery bill.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

.

[Shellers]

We spend between $250 and $300 a week for groceries. We fall in-between Low and Moderate. I think we spend too much.

[Serenade]

We fit in the thrifty plan, and I think we eat pretty well. Our menu is determined by what is on sale at the grocery store, and we usually make a run to the farmer's market as well.

[TCoppock]

I was shocked and excited to see we fell below the thrifty plan.

 

I cook the bulk of our food from scratch and shop sales/buy reduced when possible. We do not eat red meat or pork, and I tend to only cook using meat 2-3 nights a week. Most of our meals are vegetarian. We eat beans or lentils once or twice a week. I'm not a big pasta fan, so we might eat that once every other week. My husband comes home from work for lunch and we generally eat leftovers then. Our other lunch time regulars are tabbouleh, wraps, homemade soup, or grilled cheese. For breakfast my husband will have a bowl of Weetabix, and my son will eat either a bagel, oatmeal, muffin, or bowl of cereal. I for the most part skip breakfast, but eat toast with wholenut peanut butter VERY late at night. For snacks we have fruit, nuts, cheese, yogurt, baked goods I've made, and occasionally chips. We tend to snack 2-3 times a day. For drinks we mainly have water and tea, occasionally a half glass of milk or soda, and rarely juice or wine. We try to eat fairly healthy, but we still enjoy having the occasional treat.

 

This week we are eating:

Pizza (wasn't on our menu, but DH wanted it last minute, not our norm)

Pav Bhaji Masala with rice and naan

Chicken Pot Pie (not a true pie, no bottom and more of a dumpling/biscuit top)

Pasta with spinach and mushroom

Mole De Olla

Zucchini Feta Casserole

Lentil and Caraway Soup with greens or Orzo Vegetable Pie

[Lovedtodeath]

I think we are in moderate cost. Good to know.

[Rai B.]

Thrifty plan. That includes pet (one small dog) supplies, and eating out once or twice a week. We have a garden and don’t purchase meat. We are in San Diego.

 

The chart says Cost of Food at Home?

[Elizabeth in MN]

Just a bit over Thrifty here.

[FO4UR]

On the line between thrifty and low-cost.

 

We are in the Midwest with a generally low COL, but we are also out in the country and miles from any competition for grocery stores...so groceries can be quite pricey if I only shop in our little town.

 

 

I learned to cook from scratch on the CHEAP through years of seminary.;) But, I like not having to cook like that all the time. We have many super-cheap meals still on the menu, and splurge on a nice cut of meat to grill once a week or so. Convenient lunches are the death of my food budget.

[Arcadia]

We spend less than $400 per month on food and toiletries for two adults, two kids, hamsters and a guinea pig.

 

There are plenty of supermarkets and farmers markets near my home so it keeps cost down as we can get sale items from different supermarkets without wasting gasoline.

 

We don't eat out other than fast food twice a month or less. We buy milk and vegetables organic. Fruits we buy in season ones. Meat and seafood we don't buy organic since the price difference is too high.

[fraidycat]

We fall in between low cost and moderate, I would say.

 

That said, we buy as much as possible organic or non-GMO or whatever is available - to counteract all the crap we eat when we eat out, which is too often. :tongue_smilie:

[*Michelle*]

The USDA site says the thrifty plan is the basis for determining SNAP allotments. That's surprising to me. Is it equivalent or a percentage?

[ocelotmom]

The USDA site says the thrifty plan is the basis for determining SNAP allotments. That's surprising to me. Is it equivalent or a percentage?

 

I'm not entirely sure if this is what you're asking, but when people get SNAP, they can get *up to* a certain amount, depending on income and family size. So a family with very low/no income might get the full amount of the thrifty plan, while a family earning more would get only a portion of that.

[OnTheBrink]

We're in between thrifty and low-cost.

[Catwoman]

:(

 

Well then I guess we're on the crazy ridiculous plan.

 

:D :D :D :D

 

We're right there with you. :tongue_smilie:

[Pretty in Pink]

Interesting.

 

We are a family of 7 and spend about $1000.00 per month at the supermarket. Details:

 

• this includes non-food items such as toiletries, pet supplies, cleaning supplies (we mostly use homemade but still have to buy borax, vinegar, etc)
  
• we buy toilet tissue but no other paper products and rarely zip lock bags, etc
  
• we can no longer afford organic and are buying conventional animal products and produce
  
• we eat beef, chicken, or fish twice per week and go meatless other nights
  
• I do buy some convenience foods for dh to take for lunch because we just don't ever have leftovers with four growing boys at the supper table :tongue_smilie:
  
• the only snack-type foods we buy for the children to eat is popcorn kernels, saltine crackers, nuts, and boxed breakfast cereal (always under $2 per box)
  

Anyway, I think that puts us between the thrifty and low-cost food plans if my math is correct.

 

I did not adjust for the occasional ice cream cone out but that's really only once per month or so. We rarely eat out anymore. It's just too expensive given our family's size.

[Lovedtodeath]

I was spending $150 per week last time I budgeted, which was over a year ago... I think I am at around $275 per week now, to be honest.

 

I can't have bread and I forget that everyone else can, so we fill up on more expensive stuff (meat mostly) :001_huh:

 

I really need to get back to budgeting. This link will be helpful I think.

[Carrie12345]

I don't have the patience to do all the calculations, but I ran the weekly liberal numbers and got a stomach cramp, lol. Even after subtracting 10% and EXCLUDING my every-other-weekend teenager, I can't imagine spending that much money on food... and I used to think I spent a lot! ;)

[laughing lioness]

We're below the thrifty even with adjustments but I'm not including household stuff or vitamins.

[Wendi]

Low cost plan, if you include eating out. I guess food's not too high-priced in our area (central AZ), and I feel like we spend a comfortable amount on groceries. I could definitely economize if I had to or wanted to, but this amount works for us.

 

Wendi

[jolley]

We are on the low-cost. I would love to be on the thrifty!

[MistyMountain]

I spend less than the thrifty plan for Alaska. That makes me feel better about my budget. Although costs are very different in villages than in Anchorage where I live so I don't know if that makes a difference. My friend on food stamps with a family my size gets $300 dollars more a month in food stamps than I spend a month which I don't think is right. The food stamp amount is in line with the thrifty food plan. No wonder my budget is so tight and we can't get ahead even though my husband makes a decent income. I wanted to get out of here to be closer to family and to live where the cost of living was lower but that won't be happening. Sigh.

Edited September 27, 2012 by MistyMountain

[Scarlett]

I read the charts a little more closely and I do believe they intend those amounts to be for food only. Not household supplies and toiletries. In that case I am well below thrifty. That makes me feel better about my spending.

 

I calculated using my family of 3....I don't know how to figure adding an every other weekend almost 12 year old boy.

[Mommee & Baba]

Family of 5 here. 4 of them are gluten free vegetarians and I'm the lonesome gluten free vegan.

 

We are in the thrifty plan. :)

[Susan in TN]

Interesting.

 

We are a family of 7 and spend about $1000.00 per month at the supermarket. Details:

 

 

• this includes non-food items such as toiletries, pet supplies, cleaning supplies (we mostly use homemade but still have to buy borax, vinegar, etc)

• we buy toilet tissue but no other paper products and rarely zip lock bags, etc

• we can no longer afford organic and are buying conventional animal products and produce

• we eat beef, chicken, or fish twice per week and go meatless other nights

• I do buy some convenience foods for dh to take for lunch because we just don't ever have leftovers with four growing boys at the supper table :tongue_smilie:

• the only snack-type foods we buy for the children to eat is popcorn kernels, saltine crackers, nuts, and boxed breakfast cereal (always under $2 per box)

Anyway, I think that puts us between the thrifty and low-cost food plans if my math is correct.

 

I did not adjust for the occasional ice cream cone out but that's really only once per month or so. We rarely eat out anymore. It's just too expensive given our family's size.

 

This is about us, adding 1. The thrify meal plan would be great if I thought a grain-based diet was good for us. I mean, I could fill the tummies of my whole family with $1 worth of bread, rice, or pasta, but our health would suffer. I do buy some things in bulk from a co-op - organic oats, seasonal fruits, coconut oil, and honey. A dozen eggs - even at $1.79/dz is a pretty cheap meal.

[Lovedtodeath]

We actually spend a lot on milk come to think of it. I have trouble getting my kids to eat much. We go through 2 gallons of white milk and 1 or 2 of chocolate milk a week... I try to buy half of it organic.

[eloquacious]

:iagree: Where one lives plays a role in cost. Plus, there are food items that cost so much more than the "normal" items. For example, my ds is allergic to peanuts and sunbutter (made from sunflower seeds) is over $6 for a jar smaller than a regular peanut butter jar. So, I don't buy that often. Almond butter is also more.

 

We are gluten free (not by choice) and the price of gluten free pasta is much more than wheat based pasta.

 

Compare the cost of wheat based flour with a bag of gluten free flour. :glare:

 

One is supposed to buy organic and those prices are a lot more than conventional food.

 

I doubt the food budget by the USDA takes special diet restrictions into mind.

 

Meat is expensive especially if one buys organic or even natural (whatever that means for that particular item).

 

I recently read the little booklet on how to keep one's groceries under $250 a month. Yeah, whatever. I became ticked off when all the author could really say was, "don't buy convenience food." Because I don't. A bag of pretzels is a huge treat and only purchased maybe once in 6 months. If you look in my pantry at any moment you will not find convenience food. I don't buy cold cereal, chips, pretzels, frozen ready made food, canned soup, granola bars, etc.

 

People tell me to not buy meat and eat more beans and lentils. Can't. My ds is very allergic to beans (all legumes actually) and lentils. So those cheaper protein options are not options for us.

 

Ugh. I get irritated when people scoff when I complain about how expensive it is to feed my family. They scoff like they can do better because they don't spend as much so in their head I must be wasteful, lazy, and buy luxury items that are not needed.

 

I get you! I read this and feel guilty (usually around 700-800 a month for four) but with no: gluten, grains, dairy, nuts, soy, and sugars... Sigh.