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What would be an average amount for groceries for 6?


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I have a part-time job and I am buying the groceries, pet supplies, household supplies, clothes, curriculum, etc. My dh seems to think I should have all this money left over and I told him I don't think I even make what most families of 6 would spend on groceries in a month.

 

I know some of you are extremely frugal but what do you think a realistic monthly amount would be? BTW, I won't tell him you told me.:D

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Just food or food plus household supplies, cleaners, hygiene items, etc.? If you are talking just food...we are a family of 9 and never spend less than $600/mo on food and that's lowballing. Counting household supplies, diapers, cleaners, hygiene products, etc. and you are talking closer to $800 if not more. Let your dh do the shopping for a month...he'll get the idea. My dh asked me once if "this" was all I got for $150. I stared at him dumbfounded and said, "next time...YOU are doing the shopping!". Food prices are rising as is everything else. 8 bags of groceries used to cost us $100, now it's more like $150.

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Just food or food plus household supplies, cleaners, hygiene items, etc.?

 

Yes, I was talking about food right now. I do try to be frugal but driving distance is really getting me. Savings vs. gas prices is making it hard. I have a Sam's card, but rarely go there because it is 30 minutes away. I love Trader Joe's but it is about 45 minutes the other direction.

 

I'm just trying to get a handle on things and starting with food items. We have a crazy amount of pets so that makes my bill rise. However, they are special to us so they are definitely in good standing!!

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I work hard to keep our groceries/toiletries/alcohol etc. at no more than $1000/month. Right now I'm shooting for $800/month, but still not making it. Family of 6. Four boys, who can eat 40 pounds of apples a week.

 

ETA - this also includes some specialty items: I drink rice milk, and buy gluten-free flours. And, er, we do buy a fairly significant amount of wine. I bake all our bread, we make our own pizza, etc.; very few convenience foods.

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We are frugal here - very frugal. Meat is a side, not the main course. I've really been paying attention lately as our food costs are going higher and higher. I REALLY recommend http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Tightwad-Gazette-Amy-Dacyczyn/dp/0375752250/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217567657&sr=8-1 The Tightwad Gazette. If you glean nothing else, the intructions for making a price book are invaluable. I swear by this series. Read through it and you get a HUGE attitude adjustment - at least I did.

 

That all said, I normally hit Costco every 6-7 weeks. My normal bill for all non-fun stuff (flour, sugar, meat) and the fun stuff (a giant box of Oreo's and a case of beer and a bottle of the wine I like) is $640. We went yesterday and it was $750!!!!! This did include a new dry erase board ($20) but nothing else weird. The kid who was our cashier was funny though, he was so happy with our total! He told me he likes to guess the total of people's carts before he starts scanning and he was sure our two flat beds were at least $1200.

 

I'm still looking at ways to cut our grocery bills - we do shop each week for things like eggs and milk. My latest venture is making bread. I have a ways to go, but I have people helping me get to the point where it's going to work.

 

I don't know what your part-time job is, but I don't know many that will cover all you're looking to cover, much less have anything leftover. I have a small business that definitely contributes to our expenses, but if dh WERE to complain, I (being a bit of a control freak and compulsive kind of person) have receipts, budgets, and tons of details to share with him. Honestly, though, he doesn't complain. He knows I'm working hard and that I know HE IS working hard.

 

Lately, life is more expensive and we just have to make changes or suck it up. I'm sorry your dh is causing you stress. Can you start documenting everything? Or maybe take him grocery shopping with you one evening? I'm sure he can't believe you're wasting money on purpose??? Maybe just a reality check grocery trip with him would do the trick?

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I aim for $200/week for our family of 6. That doesn't include the 1/4 beef we bought recently, though.

 

I bake almost all of our own bread/cookies/other baked goods. We buy raw milk,though, which brings the cost back up (almost 1/4 of my budget!!!) I have to be frugal in other areas to afford the milk. :) I try to buy organic/natural/local whenever I can, too.

 

Kelsy

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If I am being especially frugal, I spend $250 a week at the grocery store.

 

We are about to run out of staples, and I spend more at times like that.

 

I buy food and household supplies at the grocery store, so the $250 for the very frugal weeks includes those. It does not include dog food, and it usually doesn't include personal hygiene supplies.

 

Before being especially frugal became necessary, I spent $300-$350 at the grocery store each week.

 

I expect that will happen again soon, because every week I see that many prices have risen significantly.

 

RC

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I work hard to keep our groceries/toiletries/alcohol etc. at no more than $1000/month. Right now I'm shooting for $800/month, but still not making it. Family of 6. Four boys, who can eat 40 pounds of apples a week.

 

ETA - this also includes some specialty items: I drink rice milk, and buy gluten-free flours. And, er, we do buy a fairly significant amount of wine. I bake all our bread, we make our own pizza, etc.; very few convenience foods.

 

:tongue_smilie: I Love the honesty-- you work hard to keep it down, so you enjoy that wine!!!

 

I'm with you too though.. Family of 6 at around $800 if I stay away from Trader Joes.

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I have a part-time job and I am buying the groceries, pet supplies, household supplies, clothes, curriculum, etc. My dh seems to think I should have all this money left over and I told him I don't think I even make what most families of 6 would spend on groceries in a month.

 

I know some of you are extremely frugal but what do you think a realistic monthly amount would be? BTW, I won't tell him you told me.:D

 

 

I spend between $600-700 a month for the six of us, including eating out.

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Guest Virginia Dawn

I try to be frugal and am spending about $600 a month for a family of 6. That includes cleaning, hygiene and pet supplies.

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This makes me feel a bit better :) I had been aiming for $400/month on just food for our family of 5 (no eating out, etc.) but just spent $155 yesterday at the grocery store on just the basics I was feeling a bit down. And that doesn't include our milk and eggs as we get weekly deliveries from a local dairy that bills monthly. It looks like our new price reality will be more like $600/month including a once a month eating out and some beer (dh) and wine(mine). We make most of our daily bread and cook mostly from scratch including pizza nights (tonight!) and we eat leftovers at least once a week for dinner. HTH

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For my family of 6, we average $500-$600/mo (this is probably 90% groceries). We have to buy soy/rice/almond milk (whichever is cheaper that day) and some other specialty items as I have 2 kids who are extremely sensitive to dairy. Dh and I saved up and bought a soymilk maker to try and (ultimately) save some money. Don't have it yet, though. Let's see...we don't buy meat unless it is either on sale or about to expire (in which case the butcher will usually discount it for you). We then freeze the meat. We also have a garden which helps on veg prices. Unfortunately, because we've had 40 days of over 100 degree heat, the garden simply isn't as productive as it was last year. :glare: I also bake all the bread/goodies for the family.

 

We rarely use paper towels; so, this saves us some money as well. We have a huge rag container for cleaning, etc. We've also begun cleaning mainly with vinegar mixed with either Citra-Solv or a few drops of Tea Tree Oil. Not having to constantly buy different cleaners has helped quite a bit, budget-wise.

 

Hmmm - there's probably more, but I'm tired right now and not all the synapses are firing, yet. Good Luck with your budget.

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I've just started keeping track over the last two months. We've averaged $425/month for a family of 6 - no pets. This did not include one of my very large coop orders, however. I order twice a year and that would probably bring the total to more like $465/month. Quite a bit of it is organic (Trader Joes has wonderfully inexpensive frozen organic veggies and fruit, as does our local farmer's market).

 

I'm making a game out of it. We are working very hard at saving toward an extended trip to Europe. So, having a goal in mind definately helps. The kids are in on it too.

 

We have very few snack choices - we choose from fresh fruit, carrots, sunflower seeds, almonds, or popcorn. I plan out every meal VERY carefully. Meat is definately not the main dish, usually. I shop sales and stock up that week on whatever is cheap and plan meals from what I have available. I make all my cleaning supplies (vinegar and baking soda are still pretty cheap!) including laundry detergent. It does take a lot of time and planning. I shop at four different stores - Kroger, Trader Joes, Aldi's, and Sam's. Oh - and also the farmer's market during the summer. When we run out of something, it's just gone until I shop again - on Sunday.

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I aim for $100/week for our family of six, but two of my kids are still little and don't eat a ton (although they do eat a lot of fresh fruit!). Including all cleaning supplies, paper products, clothing, etc., I ususally spend around around $600/month. I do a lot of frugal shopping, though. I shop at 3 different local grocery stores, doing my trips only when I'm going that way for more than one reason, and then shopping sales, I buy my milk for a discount directly from the farm, same with beef, buy in bulk (esp paper products) from a food co-op, and shop at Sams Club once every month or two. Our clothes are almost always clearance or consignment (although my biggest boy now takes a weird pants size that I can't find anywhere but online). I keep a well-stocked pantry so that I can buy things only when they are on sale.

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:tongue_smilie: I Love the honesty-- you work hard to keep it down, so you enjoy that wine!!!

 

I'm with you too though.. Family of 6 at around $800 if I stay away from Trader Joes.

 

Well ... I try to buy in bulk, make as much as possible, buy on sale, go to the store with a plan, have little waste, etc. etc. etc. ... but the wine stays!!! :D

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For four of us, I spend $600-800/mo on groceries toiletries, etc. Once a year we get 1/4 beef, and about every 3 months, I get a co-op order that's about $150.

 

A year ago, I was spending about $500-600/mo. The rise in grocery prices has been subtle. I haven't changed the way I shop. I've noticed things here and there, but it does amount to sticker shock at register. Oh, and my teenage boys now have teenage friends who like to hang out here. *That* alone probably adds $50-100/mo, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

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okay, let me get this straight, groceries, pet supplies, household supplies, clothes, curriculum, etc for 6 people?

 

We are a family of 4, we are vegetarian, I homeschool one and send one to public school. We have 3 dogs and 1 fish.

 

We average about $600 to $800 a month on groceries and household supplies

Pet supplies are about another $100 a month

clothes.. have no idea, we are pretty thrifty with that

curriculum .. I spend anywhere from 500 to $1000 a year depending on what we are doing.

 

For a family of 6, if you could do everything on less than $800 I would be shocked, for everything you have included (clothes, curriculum,etc) I would be shocked if you could do it for less than $1000.

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I've been shopping envelope style (ala Dave Ramsey) for a couple of years. In that time, I've easily stayed within my budget. Sometimes we even had a bit left to stockpile for holiday cooking.

 

No more. My habits haven't changed appreciably, but the envelope is emptying much faster each month. Prices are on the rise.

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Thanks for all your great info!! I shared info. with dh and he sees that the money does in fact go really fast but that we are in line with you - frugal group that you are. LOL.

 

I just got a membership with Sam's and hope to get in a routine there. With my boys, it is hard to keep good healthy food in the house. I'm just trying to get a handle on expenses here - our gas is killing us!!

 

My dh is really supportive - didn't mean to sound like he wasn't. He is just out of touch on grocery, household expenses. This helps so much. Thanks.

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I think it depends on the ages of your children. If you have little ones say under 10 or so then you will not spend as much. If you have all preteen and teenagers then you will be spending 2x what the little ones will eat and then if they are mixed ages teens to tots it will be in the middle

we have a mix teens and elementary age. We eat most meals home, except when Mom needs sushi, but that is 1.75 for 4 pieces so I usually spend about 4.00 and get the kids 1$ eggrolls. The teen eats sushi with me!!

So I would say for my family of 5 about 700.00 a month. But that includes walmart and Sam's wholesale prices to save by buying in bulk.

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