What is your grocery budget?

[Ausmumof3]

5 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

 

Is there anything that they shouldn't eat?  Our dog eats a lot so I don't think I would do this for everything, but maybe one time a day. 

There's lists out there but I know chocolate and macadamias are bad.

[ktgrok]

2 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

That $30 shopping trip would give enough food for breakfast and a couple of lunches.  Definitely not enough for any dinners - or at least maybe one dinner with some brats but that's it.  (And that amount of food would cost a lot more than $30 here even with coupons.)  Wednesday is the only dinner that I would make and serve here.  (Though dd couldn't eat it since she's allergic to peppers.)  Everything else would kill us with the carbs. 

She listed corn on the cob. She didn't buy any corn. And yes, she did last week, but only 4 ears of it, and that was for 6 people. Does she expect me to believe that 4 ears of corn serves 6 people TWICE????

[Jean in Newcastle]

9 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

She listed corn on the cob. She didn't buy any corn. And yes, she did last week, but only 4 ears of it, and that was for 6 people. Does she expect me to believe that 4 ears of corn serves 6 people TWICE????

And that’s why I have a problem wirh this. I don’t care in the slightest what someone is buying and cooking BUT people are following this as a guide. And it is false advertising in a way. I feel like I need to post a big disclaimer:  Don’t do this!  It isn’t healthy in the long run. And you will have unrealistic monetary expectations. 

[ktgrok]

1 minute ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

And that’s why I have a problem wirh this. I don’t care in the slightest what someone is buying and cooking BUT people are following this as a guide. And it is false advertising in a way. I feel like I need to post a big disclaimer:  Don’t do this!  It isn’t healthy in the long run. And you will have unrealistic monetary expectations. 

It's out and out lying, just to improve your blog stats or something. There is NO WAY 4 ears of corn makes enough food for 12 servings. Nor does an ear of corn really keep for a week or more anyway without tasting gross, even if she was rationing it to 1/3 of an ear a person. 

[Andromeda]

This week's my grocery shopping tab is $123 for a family of 4. Last week it was around $185 or so. It usually comes to about $160-$180 per week including pet food, paper goods, and pet supplies. I buy most of our pet supplies together with groceries, so I count it in our food budget even though it technically isn't.

We buy a lot of fresh fruit. For this week I got a cantaloupe, whole pineapple, raspberries (8 oz), blackberries (8 oz), blueberries (pint), strawberries (16 oz), mango (2 pack), grapes (2 lbs), 6 peaches, 2 plums, and 6 apricots. Most of these were on sale, but I probably would have bought them anyway. If I got more, my kids would have eaten more, but I think this is enough.

We also buy fresh veggies, but not as much - my kids don't eat much, but they are slowly improving. This week I got mini cucumbers, 2 avocados, pint of cherry tomatoes, 5 lb bag of potatoes, 1 orange pepper, 1 vidalia onion and some fresh basil.

I got half a gallon of organic whole milk, a rib eye steak (treat), a package of chicken thighs (4 lbs), and a 1 lb package of ground chicken.

I also bought some garam masala, hummus, 1 box of pasta (1 lb) and a couple of other odds and ends.

I have a full pantry with things like rice, dressing, condiments, etc. I would normally buy bread, but we didn't finish what I got last week.

We could probably eat for $70 per week if I did not count the paper goods and pet supplies, and if we aggressively used up the pantry, but this would not last. I don't see how it can be healthy long term. 

[Annie G]

1 minute ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

And that’s why I have a problem wirh this. I don’t care in the slightest what someone is buying and cooking BUT people are following this as a guide. And it is false advertising in a way. I feel like I need to post a big disclaimer:  Don’t do this!  It isn’t healthy in the long run. And you will have unrealistic monetary expectations. 

It is discouraging for a mom to read the blog and then not be able to reduce her spending to match this. You have to look really hard to see that she’s using stuff she previously bought and frozen or using gift cards or something. 

“Hey, I fed our family of four for $0 in January!”  What it really means is I stocked up like crazy during December sales, got oodles of gift cards for Christmas, and eat at my mother in laws twice a week and at church on Wednesday night. My kids eat breakfast and lunch at school but I don’t buy groceries for that so it doesn’t count. 

I’m with you, Jean!

[Lang Syne Boardie]

11 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

She listed corn on the cob. She didn't buy any corn. And yes, she did last week, but only 4 ears of it, and that was for 6 people. Does she expect me to believe that 4 ears of corn serves 6 people TWICE????

 

I haven't looked into this gal's work at ALL, so this isn't an accusation, but here's something we used to discuss on these boards sometimes: It's not uncommon for these experts on high carb/junk food frugality to also feed their family very, very small portions. Inadequate nutrition at home can "work" if the kid gets free lunch at school, goes to free church dinners, etc., and some people just expect that kids are "always hungry." Well, yes, they are, but then you are supposed to feed them!! Homeschooled kids can fare worse than ps kids if Mom is super-duper frugal with the food, because they don't have the school feeding programs. ?

One example of this was a woman who blogged about quiverfull family meals, who somehow figured out how to feed nine people with two chicken breasts, a cup of rice, and some celery, or something like that. And I remember someone on the Sonlight forums who was having a hard time with meals for her large family, so she did the math on exactly how many calories each family member should need, based on size, age, and activity level, and she held them to it. (To be fair, in both of these cases, Mom was very likely to decide that she didn't need supper, and give her share to the kids. Nonetheless, they bragged about their systems.)

I experienced real hunger as a child. Frugal homeschool or large family cooking doesn't impress me. Feeding children well impresses me. Cut something else from the budget, study more about nutrition, get some help (don't be too proud for food stamps, for example), make some changes in education or employment - take any other option BUT raising kids on low calorie, low nutrition meals. If there are no other options, I am in favor of our nation and communities doing more for hungry children.

[BarbecueMom]

7 minutes ago, Ktgrok said:

It's out and out lying, just to improve your blog stats or something. There is NO WAY 4 ears of corn makes enough food for 12 servings. Nor does an ear of corn really keep for a week or more anyway without tasting gross, even if she was rationing it to 1/3 of an ear a person. 

Adults don’t really eat corn on the cob in our house, just the kids.  And they’ll often only eat a half ear at a time.  I made six ears last weekend and we’re still working on them.  Heck, we have ramen leftovers in the fridge because no one can eat one whole serving at a time.  Maybe I’ll throw the corn in the ramen...

[scholastica]

53 minutes ago, Ausmumof3 said:

Well that I should true.  Dh and I had an argument over this once because I wanted to just do takeaway for a lunch and he wanted to go get stuff to do sandwiches because we were tight on money.  The total for rolls, sandwich fillings and drinks ended up being more than the takeaway pack.

of course it was much nicer and healthier but much less convenient at the time.

overall though planning and cooking is definitely cheaper for us!

Did you have enough left for another meal for at least one of you? If there was, that’s another meal you got out of it, so you would have to calculate based on how many meals versus the takeaway, not just the one meal.

[prairiewindmomma]

I am having a hard time with Crystal's posts.  She began blogging about how their entire budget was $1000 when her husband went to Washburn Law school. Washburn is in Topeka, which is a low COL town, especially in the sketchy parts. The house that they paid cash for was in Wichita (also low COL).   She also blogged at Biblical Womanhood, which she has since taken down. She drew a lot of criticism with some of her posts, and even admits as much here: http://moneysavingmom.com/2013/10/less-judgment-more-acceptance.html  She also has an eating disordered past, which she has blogged about, and alludes to here (under "giving myself permission to gain a little weight"): http://moneysavingmom.com/2016/07/weve-got-re-define-term-self-care.html

Right now, she's not even following the healthy eating guidelines that she recommends: http://moneysavingmom.com/2016/09/make-healthy-eating-priority-even-already-feel-overwhelmed-life.html

Given the number of people in her family and the ages of her kids, she's not posting meals with enough calories to adequately feed her family.  

I'm with Tibbie, there's nothing glorious about purposefully starving her family in the name of creating a clickbait post with a great tag for instagram or pinterest.  I really hope that she's just making up stuff.

 

 

[SereneHome]

On 5/29/2018 at 11:46 AM, Sharon77 said:

Me and dh, and three college kids. Our food bill runs about $2000 a month. That does not include toiletries, only food. We live in a moderate cost area, meaning food is expensive but I can find cheap food if I wanted it. 

We eat everything organic, farm raised meats and eggs and only wild caught fish. No wheat, corn, dairy or processed foods. 

My food bill does cause me pain, but what can I do? My 2 boys and dh can consume 4 pounds of salmon and $15 of veggies in one meal!

You and Tsuga made me feel a bit better about our grocery bill but I know I can get it down by not eating out as much as I do.

[Jean in Newcastle]

28 minutes ago, BarbecueMom said:

Adults don’t really eat corn on the cob in our house, just the kids.  And they’ll often only eat a half ear at a time.  I made six ears last weekend and we’re still working on them.  Heck, we have ramen leftovers in the fridge because no one can eat one whole serving at a time.  Maybe I’ll throw the corn in the ramen...

Your kids are 9 and under, if your signature is up to date. 

[SeaConquest]

These types of blogs feel like the new Cosmo to me -- just more ways for women to try to make each other feel bad about our perceived failures in life. Instead of making us feel less than about our bodies, they make us feel guilty about our spending, our housekeeping, our childrearing, etc. I only posted my household spending because another poster was feeling that guilt. Ick. No thanks.

[LuvToRead]

Just now, SeaConquest said:

These types of blogs feel like the new Cosmo to me -- just more ways for women to try to make each other feel bad about our perceived failures in life. Instead of making us feel less than about our bodies, they make us feel guilty about our spending, our housekeeping, our childrearing, etc. I only posted my household spending because another poster was feeling that guilt. Ick. No thanks.

I agree!  I would spend more if I actually had access to good restaurants and really good supermarkets, but I don't.  I do what works for us.  

[ktgrok]

56 minutes ago, Tibbie Dunbar said:

 

I haven't looked into this gal's work at ALL, so this isn't an accusation, but here's something we used to discuss on these boards sometimes: It's not uncommon for these experts on high carb/junk food frugality to also feed their family very, very small portions.

Ugh, I guess I'd rather just believe she's lying. 

[prairiewindmomma]

In the past three days, we have gone through 2 lbs of strawberries, 3 lbs. of apples, 4 lbs of grapes, and a bunch of bananas.  We've also gone through two heads of lettuce, 3 bell peppers, and 2 lb. of carrots.  I think I'm making zucchini black bean soft taco stuff tonight for a late supper---so add an onion, 3 zucchini, a tomato and some corn to the produce list.

 

[ktgrok]

52 minutes ago, BarbecueMom said:

Adults don’t really eat corn on the cob in our house, just the kids.  And they’ll often only eat a half ear at a time.  I made six ears last weekend and we’re still working on them.  Heck, we have ramen leftovers in the fridge because no one can eat one whole serving at a time.  Maybe I’ll throw the corn in the ramen...

But no other sides were posted for the adult, I don't think. 

Although the idea of ramen not being finished doesn't compute to me, lol. But I have hearty eaters including a teen boy. 

[SeaConquest]

2 minutes ago, LuvToRead said:

I agree!  I would spend more if I actually had access to good restaurants and really good supermarkets, but I don't.  I do what works for us.  

 

Exactly. All of us have such totally different life circumstances that there is no sense comparing and feeling guilty. And it goes well beyond HCOL or LCOL area. One person could be returning to work or school, or battling chronic fatigue or depression, and not have the time or energy to do all the couponing and running around town in search of weekly specials. The vast majority of us are doing the best that we can in the circumstances we are in. High five to us! Repeat after me: you are good enough, you are smart enough, and doggone it, people like you.

[Pawz4me]

I don't like these threads at all. It seems like too many try to outdo each other either on how little or how much they spend, or they're being all McJudgy about what others eat (implying their way of eating is the only "right" way). I don't get any of that.  I certainly don't understand why anybody should feel guilty about what they spend on food or anything else. Now I totally understand someone working to keep their food costs low because they have to. But if the budget isn't a huge concern, where's the glory in being frugal on food or anything? I'm not exactly convinced frugality for the sake of frugality is a virtue.

[LuvToRead]

5 minutes ago, SeaConquest said:

 

Exactly. All of us have such totally different life circumstances that there is no sense comparing and feeling guilty. And it goes well beyond HCOL or LCOL area. One person could be returning to work or school, or battling chronic fatigue or depression, and not have the time or energy to do all the couponing and running around town in search of weekly specials. The vast majority of us are doing the best that we can in the circumstances we are in. High five to us! Repeat after me: you are good enough, you are smart enough, and doggone it, people like you.

Amen to that!  We are good enough, smart enough, and people like us! 

[Lang Syne Boardie]

2 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

I don't like these threads at all. It seems like too many try to outdo each other either on how little or how much they spend, or they're attacking what others eat. I don't get it any of that. I certainly don't understand why anybody should feel guilty about what they spend on food (or anything else). Now I totally understand someone working to keep their food costs low because they have to. But if the budget isn't a huge concern, where's the glory in being frugal on food (or anything)? I'm not exactly convinced frugality for the sake of frugality is a virtue.

 

In this particular thread, if there's a competition, I can't find it or play along, because I have zero understanding of how to compare food budgets when some people are talking about edibles and others are talking about "anything I can buy at the Walmart" (including cleaning supplies and shoes)! That is literally not an apples to apples comparison.

Amy D. (Tightwad Gazette) used to talk about that - if you want to track your food expenditure, it makes more sense to track your nourishment spending. Don't call it groceries just because you get it at the grocery store, and (this can be controversial) don't categorize restaurant meals as entertainment. Know your actual food dollar, and then you can start plugging gaps.

(I do believe in frugality, and reduction of waste. I just believe these are management issues that are not related to budgeting my children's hunger or needs. Which is to say I agree with you - frugality is not a virtue for its own sake, but rather a tool for freeing up resources for the family's needs, and to have something to share with others.)

[Irene Lynn]

We live in a fairly low cost area.  For a family of 4 we budget $425/month, which works out to $98/week for food and another $65/month for family and pet needs.  My daughter does the shopping because she saves us money and keeps to the list. We usually come in a bit under budget in both categories.  We purchase some things that we could easily cut.  I think we could do the $70/week without much trouble.  My daughter makes a lot of delicious things from scratch which saves us and keeps us spoiled.  She does love veggies and fruits, so we buy plenty of those, but not everyone actually eats plenty. We don't use many coupons.  My daughter goes to Aldi and Meijer.  I don't feel like we scrimp at all. 

[Lang Syne Boardie]

1 hour ago, happysmileylady said:

I think this might be where budgeting differences come in.  Because why you buy the things you do can be a factor in how you catagorize them.  So, using dining out as an example.  

As many of you know, we are moving July1st.  Yesterday, my mom drove the kids and I out (about an hour/1.5 he) to look at some houses that DH and I were unable to see over the weekend.  While out there, we got McDonalds for lunch.  I paid for mom since she drove and all together for the 5 of us it was nearly $30.  That $30 didn’t come from the grocery category.   It didn’t come from the entertainment category. It came from the moving category that we specifically set up and designed the budget to cover for EXACTLY that...food and/or gas and/or other expenses related to the finding of and moving to our new home.  

When people design their budgets, they have to do them in the way that makes the most sense to them. For me, I don’t care what my food expenditure vs my toilet paper expenditure is.  TP is TP and it’s not like TP expires.  If I need it I buy it and can’t see a single reason, for ME, to track spending on those types of expenses...that are needs and essentially can’t be over spent on. (Now, if I was storing 2 yrs of TP in a damp basement where it could be ruined,  that’s different. But I am not....I have never pitched an unused roll of TP because it was unusable and I have never made parts of my home inaccessible  due to towers of TP lol. )

So...for our household...one that is serious about budgeting and being frugal not just for frugality but to really pay off debts and live like no one else, we categorize our spending and maintain tight control of all budget categories to make them work toward our goals.  Others have different goals and that’s ok.  Create and maintain your budgets to meet your goals,.

 

I wouldn't consider lunch while looking at houses to be a moving cost, but I agree with you that each person's budget only has to make sense to herself! LOL 

[Ausmumof3]

14 hours ago, scholastica said:

Did you have enough left for another meal for at least one of you? If there was, that’s another meal you got out of it, so you would have to calculate based on how many meals versus the takeaway, not just the one meal.

 

14 hours ago, scholastica said:

Did you have enough left for another meal for at least one of you? If there was, that’s another meal you got out of it, so you would have to calculate based on how many meals versus the takeaway, not just the one meal.

Yes but no fridge to store it in and we were out for the day.  Plus it meant me perched on a sandy windy beach trying to prepare sandwiches and the kids clutching them so they didn't blow away instead of an easy meal.

obviously the ideal would have been to have had prepared food at home but we'd had a crazy week!

 

[SereneHome]

Until I am asking other people to pay my bills I am 100% OK with how much we spend and what we spend on and don't care if anyone wants to judge me.

That being said, I love grocery budget threads bc 1) I can get some interesting ideas on either saving $ or may be a new recipe and 2) I am very much interested in budgeting in general and all money related things.

I KNOW that I spend way too much at Panera and Wegmans.  I KNOW that if I take any of my kids grocery shopping with me my bill will be higher bc I don't like saying "no" to food unless it's absolute junk. 

In this particular thread I don't think anyone is judging anyone else, so I hope for another 100 pages so I can learn new things! ?

[mommyoffive]

18 hours ago, BarbecueMom said:

This should make everyone feel better about their grocery spending habits:  $800 per week food budget  (Spoiler, it's more than $800.  For one person.)

 

Wow insane.  Reading the article I can see how it is possible to spend that much in a week.  I couldn't figure out how you could spend that much in a week before reading it. 

[mommyoffive]

16 hours ago, Ktgrok said:

She listed corn on the cob. She didn't buy any corn. And yes, she did last week, but only 4 ears of it, and that was for 6 people. Does she expect me to believe that 4 ears of corn serves 6 people TWICE????

 

Right?  And I swear she posted she served it at a get to gathering at her house. 

[mommyoffive]

I so don't want anyone to feel bad about themselves if you are spending a lot or a little.   So not my intention.  I get that all families are different.  Some like mine have people who eat a lot, and some don't eat a lot. 

I am a numbers nerd, so this stuff is interesting to me.   Sometimes it helps to get other ideas on how to do things.  Or where to shop.  Or what to eat.  So thank you for putting that information out there.  Sometimes it helps just to make sure you are doing ok. Like are other families our size spending this much are we nuts? 

 I guess we could do $70 a week if we changed a lot about what we eat.  Maybe get a garden to produce some things (see my other thread about that).  Make all homemade food.  No snack foods like cereal, chips, and crackers.  Limit portions.   

Some of those things I should probably do. 

 

[Jean in Newcastle]

What we are objecting to is false numbers. Having quantities not add up means that the numbers can’t be trusted. So your goal isn’t necessarily a reasonable goal. 

There are things people can do:

1..  Eat at home more. 

2.  Make things from scratch. But realize that some things are cheaper to buy because manufacturers have economy of scale on their side. 

3..  plant a garden. But realize that gardens have expenses and yield can be in predictable. 

4.  Don’t make frugality your goal at the expense of health. 

5. A lot of ethnic foods can be frugal and healthy. I get cheaper fruits and veggies from Asian markets. 

[prairiewindmomma]

We could eat, in a survival way, on $70/week too. It would look like a lot of rice and bean based meals, with aromatic veg like onions and carrots for flavor and the occasional special treat or nuts and dried fruit to make biryani or the like. I’d go back to making bread daily and eating in season veg and the occasional bit of fruit. we’d eat like a good chunk of the rest of the world does. I don’t think there’s anything inherently bad about eating within the constraints of your budget. I would still be supplying calories and nutrition to my kids, though—not trying to split four ears of corn between 12 servings.

[prairiewindmomma]

Jean and I were posting at the same time! What Jean said!! ?

[Scarlett]

7 hours ago, SereneHome said:

Until I am asking other people to pay my bills I am 100% OK with how much we spend and what we spend on and don't care if anyone wants to judge me.

That being said, I love grocery budget threads bc 1) I can get some interesting ideas on either saving $ or may be a new recipe and 2) I am very much interested in budgeting in general and all money related things.

I KNOW that I spend way too much at Panera and Wegmans.  I KNOW that if I take any of my kids grocery shopping with me my bill will be higher bc I don't like saying "no" to food unless it's absolute junk. 

In this particular thread I don't think anyone is judging anyone else, so I hope for another 100 pages so I can learn new things! ?

I agree no one here is judging.....if anyone wants to be judged run on over to the llnoe.com page and join the Dave Ramsey radicals.  

I find it interesting how people spend their money.  But I really don't care how much anyone spends on anything. $800 per week seems outrageous, but meh whatever.  

[Jean in Newcastle]

We are evaluating the blog because she is putting a blog out there as an "expert" giving suggestions to follow.  I think that it is wise to evaluate claims like this.  Are the figures accurate?  Is the blog showing the whole story when it gives a weekly budget?  Where did the corn go or come from?  Is that a healthy way to eat?  (I realize that this isn't specifically a "healthy eating thread" but since it has to do with food choices, I do think that is a valid thing to consider. )

I don't judge other people in real life or online who are just sharing what they are doing and what works for their families.  We have been sharing what works for us and our families because the OP asked us to and well, why not?  But when you come to deciding what system to follow, then evaluation comes into play - especially if we are so fortunate as to have choices.  (And I believe that most of us sharing on this thread do have choices and aren't doing things out of extreme necessity.)  Obviously some choices are very specific.  I wouldn't expect a non-celiac household to follow our strict rules on gluten free eating, for example.  But I do think that there are some general nutritional guidelines etc. that we can agree that we should all shoot for even though we all probably don't follow them 100%. 

[Arcadia]

7 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

I am a numbers nerd, so this stuff is interesting to me.   Sometimes it helps to get other ideas on how to do things.  

 

My husband’s department boss would order box lunch for lunch meetings and his dept can bring any leftovers home. Those leftovers are like the quantity of at least the equivalent of a Subway footlong usually so my kids don’t mind having those for dinner. So those meetings’ meals leftovers further reduce our grocery costs.

[SamanthaCarter]

On 5/30/2018 at 11:30 AM, mommyoffive said:

Monday Kroger Shopping Trip — $29.85

• Kroger Sun Lotion — $2.99 with digital coupon
• Cantaloupe — marked down to $0.99
• 2 Oscar Mayer Ham — marked down to $1.79 each
• 3 Kroger yogurts — marked down to $0.29 each
• 2 Simple Truth yogurts — marked down to $0.49 each
• 2 Greek Yogurts — marked down to $0.39 each
• Turkey Hill Peach Sweet Tea (a treat for the kids!) — marked down to $0.99
• 3 dozen Simple Truth brown medium eggs — marked down to $1.49 per dozen
• 3 dozen Pete & Gerry’s organic eggs — marked down to $2.29 per dozen
• Croissants (a special treat for sandwiches this week) — marked down to $1.49
• King Arthur Whole Wheat Flour — $4.19
• 1 bag of 2 red peppers and 2 chayotes (my first time to buy these!) — marked down to $0.99
• 4 packages of Johnsonville brats — $1.99 per package with digital coupon
• Used $10/$40 coupon that they sent me in the mail
• Total with tax: $29.85

 

This menu is subject to change a little if I find some great deals or markdowns! ?

Breakfasts

Fried/Scrambled Eggs, Baked Oatmeal, Fruit, Toast

Lunches

Ham Sandwiches, Ma & Cheese, Chips/Salsa, Fruit, Veggies, Leftovers, Eggs, Yogurt, Salad

Snacks

Marked Down Yogurt, Fruit, Slab Apple Pie (from the freezer — we served this when we had guests last week and had some leftovers)

Dinners

Monday — Dinner Out at The Cheesecake Factory (our realtor gave us a gift card as a thank you when we bought our house and we saved it to use for summer break!)
Tuesday — Ham Sandwiches, Chips, Salsa, Apples (Jesse and Kathrynne are going to be gone this night.)
Wednesday — Grilled Brats, Corn on the Cob, Grilled Peppers, Cantaloupe
Thursday — Haystacks
Friday — Breakfast for dinner: Waffles, Eggs, Sausage
Saturday — Leftover Pizza (I froze some of the leftover pizza from our dinner with guests last week!), Veggies
Sunday — Snack-y Dinner (fend for yourself — cereal, leftovers, etc.)

Freezer Cooking to Do: Waffles, Baked Oatmeal

Total spent so far this week: $28.95

Total left to spend: $40.15

 

 

She seems to have so much leftover things from the week before.  That amount of fruit and veggies wouldn't even last us the day.  The cantaloupe would be gone in one sitting and everyone wouldn't have even had enough. Same with the yogurt. 

 

Okay, so I’m willing to analyze this because I think several of you have valid criticisms and several are being too harsh. 

First, I primarily shop at Kroger in a mid COL area. The prices she shows are typical of Kroger’s “Managers Specials” which are a day or two before expiration, a discontinued item where there are only a few left, or damaged packages or produce. The yogurt, tea, eggs (I bought those same $1.49 eggs this week!), croissants and ham look consistent with the MS prices here. She probably bought all they had. Loose damaged produce gets packaged in red net bags that sell for .99 each, so yes, the two peppers and chayote were probably packaged that way. The sausage and cantaloupe are loss leaders. What I cant figure out is how she got her hands on a $10 off $40 and how she used it if her total including tax was $39.85 pre-coupon. 

Here are the items in her menu she did not buy at Kroger:

Breakfast: fruit, ingredients for baked oatmeal

Lunch: ingredients for Mac and Cheese, Chips/Salsa, Fruit, Veggies, Leftovers, Salad

Dinner: Chips/Salsa, apples, corn on the cob, ingredients for haystacks, veggies, leftovers, cereal.

Lets assume she had the things in her pantry we would expect, she would use her remaining $40 to buy:

a couple of boxes of Mac and cheese, milk, fruit and veggies, chips, a couple of apples, corn on the cob, and a box of cereal. 

I believe that’s doable. Let’s assume she’s not lying on cost. I think that the belief that this is not enough food is valid. My family of two adults and three small appetite children could make it on this. There would be confusion about the snacks and the dinners since, as planned, those would be considered pretty miserly around here. I think she has more and older children than me though!  

To the OP: I do the best I can on groceries. When we were unemployed for four months, we spent right at $70/week. That was with a full chest freezer. It’s pretty much depleted now, so no, even then we did not live on $70/week worth of food, even with lots of soup and cabbage, but not to the point of beans and rice. 

 

 

 

[mommyoffive]

2 hours ago, Arcadia said:

 

My husband’s department boss would order box lunch for lunch meetings and his dept can bring any leftovers home. Those leftovers are like the quantity of at least the equivalent of a Subway footlong usually so my kids don’t mind having those for dinner. So those meetings’ meals leftovers further reduce our grocery costs.

 

Oh I love when that happens here.  It always seems to happen when I have made something for the night. 

I kind of want to give $70 a try and see how far we get.  

[skimomma]

My family of three BIG eaters could survive on $70 a week with a great deal of planning and prep time.  It would be healthy too but very boring.....a lot of dry beans and brown rice with very little variety in vegetables and no fruit at all except what I can put up in season.  The blogger's menu would never ever fly in my family.  Way too many cheap carbs and sugar.

I live in a low COL area but the food costs are significantly higher than average due to geography and climate.  All three of us eat more (I'd say double) than most people and my teen athlete can consume a frightening amount of food.  We are vegetarian and I garden, put up food, have CSA, milk, and egg shares, and buy in bulk.  At least three meals a week, and often more, are whole grain and legume based (AKA rice-and-beans).  I buy 90% organic, primarily from a co-op, and do not have access to any kind of discount or large box grocery.  Most foods are made from scratch including bread, yogurt, salad dressings, and fermented foods.  We eat out 1-2 times per week and that is not factored into our grocery budget.  Our spending is about $250 a week.  I could take $100 off immediately by removing coffee, cheeses, fruit, some fancier veggies, crackers, corn chips, and olive oil off of the weekly grocery list.  We have done this when money was tight.  Luckily garden season is around the corner because money is tight right now and I do love my fancy cheese and coffee!

From a philosophical standpoint, food is the most scared item in our budget.  I would rather save in just about any other way, including a smaller house, than slash the food budget to the point of misery, hunger, or malnourishment (all of which the blogger's menu would result in with my family).  In the long run, this is one area where "pay now or pay later" is the most true.

[LucyStoner]

I realized I did what I said was common accounting-wise.  I understated our variable food costs because I forgot to account for a large source of food.  On top of the money we spend, my brother has been spending about $400 a month, mostly on on-the-go items from the grocery store for him and his 2 daughters (so 3/7th of our household) but also usually at least 1 dinner for all of us and many staples and pantry items.  

[SamanthaCarter]

2 hours ago, skimomma said:

My family of three BIG eaters could survive on $70 a week with a great deal of planning and prep time.  It would be healthy too but very boring.....a lot of dry beans and brown rice with very little variety in vegetables and no fruit at all except what I can put up in season.  The blogger's menu would never ever fly in my family.  Way too many cheap carbs and sugar.

I live in a low COL area but the food costs are significantly higher than average due to geography and climate.  All three of us eat more (I'd say double) than most people and my teen athlete can consume a frightening amount of food.  We are vegetarian and I garden, put up food, have CSA, milk, and egg shares, and buy in bulk. 

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

From a philosophical standpoint, food is the most scared item in our budget.  I would rather save in just about any other way, including a smaller house, than slash the food budget to the point of misery, hunger, or malnourishment (all of which the blogger's menu would result in with my family).  In the long run, this is one area where "pay now or pay later" is the most true.

About the first part of you quote, it is so amazing to me how much grocery costs can NOT be compared geographically. While you say groceries are high (I believe you), I say a CSA share and a milk and egg farm share would be $70/week alone here. Even though our grocery prices are mid to low. I attribute that to our 3 hour drive to major metroplex, where these local, niche farm products command super high prices. If we won’t pay it, our farmers can just drive it up the highway. 

About the second - pay now or pay later - so true! (Up to a point, like any goods, food can reach the point of conspicuous consumption where higher price means more elite, not better value) 

[LucyStoner]

2 hours ago, skimomma said:

From a philosophical standpoint, food is the most scared item in our budget.  I would rather save in just about any other way, including a smaller house, than slash the food budget to the point of misery, hunger, or malnourishment (all of which the blogger's menu would result in with my family).  In the long run, this is one area where "pay now or pay later" is the most true.

2

 

I second this.  We did downsize from a house we owned to an apartment we rent in order to make our monthly budget work on one income.  I could have done some extreme grocery cutting instead but again, my budget will not be balanced on my kids' bellies.  I would live out of an old camper before I'd let my kids not have enough to eat.  I've read a lot of these extreme budget meal plans and rarely is there enough fruits and vegetables.  Mostly it's filling up on cheap starches.  Which I know because I have lived it and it's not a good way to live.  

[cintinative]

I'll admit to not having read all this thread.

Generally I struggle to compare our spending with anyone else's for several reasons. 1) Not everyone defines "grocery budget" the same way. Ours includes all toiletries, cleaning supplies, the newspaper I get for coupons, and any food whatsoever regardless of it was purchased at Amazon, Kroger, Meijer, Aldi or the local Asian food market. (In the past I also included printer ink and paper.) If we pick berries from a farm, I include that in the grocery budget. Over the years of seeing MSM's blog, she is not consistent on when toiletries are included, or if the half cow she purchased is in her "grocery" budget. So I can't compare with her very easily. We do have a separate "eating out" budget but we only eat out maybe once a month as a family. The rest is all my husband.  2) We are gluten free here so there are added costs for that. 3) I am constantly restockpiling low items. I don't let us "run out" of meat or tissues, etc.. If a meat we eat goes on sale, I buy it and put it in the freezer. If we wanted, we could live off our freezer and pantry for a long while, but my goal is to buy things on sale as much as possible.  4) We eat meat pretty much every night for dinner. My husband does not "like" vegetarian meals and my boys are still in the picky phase.  However, we do tend to get leftovers out of most meals so each one meal I make produces two nights of dinner. I don't expect that to last given my boys' ages, unless I really increase the amount I make the first time. 5) I am not willing to go to the grocery store several times per week like MSM does to look for markdowns. For one, we don't have a great history of using things that quickly. For another, I don't have time.  If I find markdowns I can use, all the better.  6) I don't like to menu plan on the fly. I menu plan for a month and strive over the month to make sure I have the meat and veggies and fruit, etc. that I need. If I need to move stuff around because I haven't found a good sale on the meat I have planned, I will.  But I don't go to the grocery, look for markdowns, and then plan a meal based on that. It would completely stress me out. 

A note on MSM: she does freeze things so some of the food that shows up is stuff she bought weeks before and froze.  Also there was a "baked ziti" day where she made pans for her family and the freezer and the "pan" was maybe a 9" pie plate. That would not begin to feed us four--but she said her kids "don't eat very much" and they eat salad, etc.  I only know her portions would not suit our family. 

[Annie G]

55 minutes ago, cintinative said:

 

A note on MSM: she does freeze things so some of the food that shows up is stuff she bought weeks before and froze.  Also there was a "baked ziti" day where she made pans for her family and the freezer and the "pan" was maybe a 9" pie plate. That would not begin to feed us four--but she said her kids "don't eat very much" and they eat salad, etc.  I only know her portions would not suit our family. 

Actually she said one of her kids is picky and only eats a few bites of the main dish and that she herself only eats a small portion because of the white flour in the pasta. so for a family of five, that should average out to four normal servings. The pasta sauce in her pic is 24 ounces and was at least a third gone, according to how it looked in the photo. So she made three meals- 12 servings- from 16 ounces of pasta sauce. 

I know I’m overly critical of this, but dd has four kids and they are living on her dh’s salary as a pastor. She struggles with their grocery spending and blogs like this aren’t helpful to her at all.

You’re right- her portions would not suit my family either.  But I guess it works for theirs. Time will tell.  

[Jean in Newcastle]

23 minutes ago, Annie G said:

 

I know I’m overly critical of this, but dd has four kids and they are living on her dh’s salary as a pastor. She struggles with their grocery spending and blogs like this aren’t helpful to her at all.

 

I know that I am reacting somewhat because I know children (teens and young adults now) who will have lifetime medical issues due to malnutrition.  In their case, the frugality was due to poverty but the father refused to go to food banks or to get food stamps.  And was also incredibly picky about what food was served (ie.  wouldn't eat beans and rice even though his kids were starving).  So whenever I see advice that (to me) seems to deprive children of nutrition, it makes me upset and cranky.  And yes, I know that this mom's situation probably isn't that bad at all but I don't see it as encouraging healthy nutrition while still staying within "reasonable" budget, either. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

I like this food budgeting very nutritious blog.  https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/start-here-2/

She spends more than $70 a week but she has good recipes, good tips and good nutrition. 

[SamanthaCarter]

I figure food purchases only (without the noise of household goods) cost us on average $150/week and include all non-routine bulk purchases. The dining out budget is $100/month and once it’s gone it’s gone. That means a few treats for me and the kids (fast food lunch, milkshake, smoothie, donut/pastry/coffee, ice cream shop, that kind of thing), about two lunches out for dh, and a once in a blue moon family dinner out. 

[Amity]

This is an interesting conversation. I've put a lot of thought over the years into our grocery spending and weighing health concerns vs. potential savings. We live in a high COL area and have 2 kids, ages 5 and 9, and 2 adults. My husband gets free lunch at work, but we rarely eat out. We currently spend around $200-$250 per week on groceries, including toiletries, OTC medicine, first aid, and paper products. We eat mostly "real food". I like Michael Pollan and aspire to follow many of his recommendations, but can't afford all his suggestions even on $250/week. I shop primarily at Costco and Trader Joe's. I purchase mostly organic for the kids' favorites among the "dirty dozen", wild caught fish, and some organic meat and chicken. White flour and sugar are reserved almost exclusively for things like birthday cakes. I don't eat wheat, but I don't purchase "gluten free" processed foods, and I eat the cheaper but potentially contaminated oats and lentils. One of my kids can't eat too much lactose, so we purchase some lactose free items. She also has sensitive skin and so I spend extra on toiletries that don't give her a rash. We purchase very little processed food. I bake bread and other items, cook, and make "snacks".

There is a town about 35 min away that has an Aldi and a Walmart, and if I shop there and downgrade from some organic, wild caught, cage free, etc., products to conventional/farm raised/etc., I can get our spending down to $125-$150 and still feel good about the food we are eating. I would really not want to cut any more than this level for health reasons. I go back and forth wondering if the extra $100 per week to shop locally and get some organic, etc. is really worth it. An extra $400 per month to savings would be a good thing.

I used to coupon and follow the budget grocery blogs. Eight years ago, our budget for 2 adults and a toddler who didn't eat much was around $50 per week. We always had plenty to eat and a decent amount of produce, but we ate more processed food, white flour, and sugar. Since we increased our grocery spending, my husband's health has improved enough in measurable ways (weight, blood sugar, cholesterol) that I would not go back. We both feel generally better too. I spent $75 today at Costco today on produce, dairy, and eggs alone. $70 total per week would be awful. I've often noted that the calorie count for many food budget plans would be insufficient for our family, and that they are low in fruits and veg.

[readinmom]

I could, but am too selfish to right now.  I like our Friday night pizza night, and our Sunday breakfast after church.  That would kill the budget right there.  The one thing I have learned is less is more.  I would rather go to the store every few days than to buy for 1-2 weeks, throw out rotten fruit and veggies (which happens a lot).  I also gave my younger two a dollar amount per week for their snacks, specialty items.  They buy, they eat, no one else touches.  It has worked so far.  

[Carrie12345]

5 hours ago, Annie G said:

Actually she said one of her kids is picky and only eats a few bites of the main dish and that she herself only eats a small portion because of the white flour in the pasta. so for a family of five, that should average out to four normal servings. The pasta sauce in her pic is 24 ounces and was at least a third gone, according to how it looked in the photo. So she made three meals- 12 servings- from 16 ounces of pasta sauce. 

I know I’m overly critical of this, but dd has four kids and they are living on her dh’s salary as a pastor. She struggles with their grocery spending and blogs like this aren’t helpful to her at all.

You’re right- her portions would not suit my family either.  But I guess it works for theirs. Time will tell.  

I’ve had 2 small children stay with me for several months, and I can honestly say that they didn’t eat much, despite our relative over abundance. And I’m certain it’s because they were not accustomed to typical American eating patterns. 

They would happily eat cereal, inexpensive and in season fruit, and cheese sticks all day, plus milk and soda. (It took weeks for them to accept an absence of soda as a stocked item. ) They knew nothing of sitting around a table for meals.

Cheap, yes. An adequate diet, no. What creeped me out more was that they were content. Months later, they still hadn’t taken to heartier (healthy or otherwise) foods that were routinely offered 3 times a day. I’m convinced it would take professional intervention for them to eventually get to a well rounded diet. (Or at least prohibiting someone from supplying cereal all day.)

Anyway, I guess I’m saying that the examples given could be true and the Mom could believe her kids are content, even if their bodies actually aren’t.

 

[Ausmumof3]

5 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

I know that I am reacting somewhat because I know children (teens and young adults now) who will have lifetime medical issues due to malnutrition.  In their case, the frugality was due to poverty but the father refused to go to food banks or to get food stamps.  And was also incredibly picky about what food was served (ie.  wouldn't eat beans and rice even though his kids were starving).  So whenever I see advice that (to me) seems to deprive children of nutrition, it makes me upset and cranky.  And yes, I know that this mom's situation probably isn't that bad at all but I don't see it as encouraging healthy nutrition while still staying within "reasonable" budget, either. 

I feel that these kinds of blogs and articles can be so dangerous.  They make mums feel inadequate for not being able to match it on a low level and on a higher level if the powers that be get the idea that people can live on unrealistically low budget assistance is cut to those who really need it.

[Ausmumof3]

12 minutes ago, Carrie12345 said:

I’ve had 2 small children stay with me for several months, and I can honestly say that they didn’t eat much, despite our relative over abundance. And I’m certain it’s because they were not accustomed to typical American eating patterns. 

They would happily eat cereal, inexpensive and in season fruit, and cheese sticks all day, plus milk and soda. (It took weeks for them to accept an absence of soda as a stocked item. ) They knew nothing of sitting around a table for meals.

Cheap, yes. An adequate diet, no. What creeped me out more was that they were content. Months later, they still hadn’t taken to heartier (healthy or otherwise) foods that were routinely offered 3 times a day. I’m convinced it would take professional intervention for them to eventually get to a well rounded diet. (Or at least prohibiting someone from supplying cereal all day.)

Anyway, I guess I’m saying that the examples given could be true and the Mom could believe her kids are content, even if their bodies actually aren’t.

 

To be fair I have two boys who are both like this but not for want of trying on my behalf or the offering of healthy meals.  My oldest now eats reasonable healthy meals but my youngest will still leave the meat and veg untouched if allowed and just eat carbs, dairy abandoned about 10 apples a day.  He doesn't like the hard work of eating and chewing tougher foods.  He does have low muscle tone which may be the cause or may be and effect of the limited range of food he will accept.