Groceries!

[february2003bride]

We're a family of 5 and our grocery budget is $600-$700 a month. I coupon like no one's business though! I shop at Wegman's, Harris Teeter (I mainly use my coupons here) and Costco. Our fruit/veggies is only organic (off the dirty dozen list) and organic milk. We're making the switch to free range eggs now as well. But beyond those organic things, everything else are regular items! Cereals, Fiber One bars, chips, turkey/ham/cheese, bread, frozen veggies, chicken, frozen meatballs/other frozen items, spaghetti and sauce, etc. I use coupons for snacks, detergents, soaps, paper products, health and beauty items, etc. Love coupons and sales!

For our doggie, she eats Blue Buffalo and it's $20 a month.

 

[Octavia]

It's hard for me to say exactly, because we used to eat out most of the time and recently have started cooking at home more. So I don't have the best estimates for our new spending. Previously, we'd spend about $250-275 per month on groceries and A LOT on restaurants. Now, I think it's about $150 per week on groceries and plus eating out one or two nights a week. Just DH and me, though we do have friends over now and then. I do most of our grocery shopping at Whole Foods because I don't find it any more expensive than the other grocery stores in my neighborhood and I buy a lot from the bulk section. For things WF doesn't carry, I go to Metropolitan Market (small, locally owned chain) or rarely to QFC for the few things I can't find elsewhere. Occasionally, I'll make a trip to Trader Joes to stock up on my favorite things there. I could probably save some money by going to grocery stores that are further away and a bit cheaper, but it's worth it for me to save time and just mostly shop near home. Plus, I don't trust the meats at most stores so I would need to make multiple trips if I went to the cheaper stores for other things, and I mostly buy organic fruits and veggies, the prices of which tend to be pretty constant wherever I go.

 

[Sakuracherry]

My husband and I live in NYC and spend about $600 on groceries every month. We usually shop at Trader Joe's for snacks, dairy products and frozen food, and Whole Foods for their original brands and whatever is on sale. Groceries are so expensive in NYC. When I went to Wisconsin for the first time, I was shocked how cheap everything was in supermarkets. I miss being able to buy a piece of salmon for a dollar in my home country.

We both work full-time and go to school, so it's really hard for us to cook. I hate the fact that we take out dinner often We definitely need to cook more. Does everybody cook every meal? If we cook one night, leftover automatically will be eaten for lunch next day.

 

[sonnyjane]

Does everybody cook every meal? If we cook one night, leftover automatically will be eaten for lunch next day.

For my lunches at work I'll usually make a big batch of pasta or chicken/rice/vegetables on my Sunday night and then package it in Tupperware for lunch throughout the week. Dinner I'll make each night, but it's not very involved at all... something pre-packaged or something that only takes 10 minutes tops.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

I cook more now that I am home (probably 4 nights and we usually grill out on Sat. night). But when I worked full time, yes, we ate a LOT of take out or pre-prepared food!

 

[zoebartlett]

For the two of us, we probably spend about $350-400 at the grocery store per month. That sounds really high! We eat organic chicken and that stuff is expensive. I spent $25 for two packages just recently at a smaller, somewhat fancier grocery store than the one we usually go to. We also eat out/order in more often than we used to, which isn't a great habit. This is the one area we need to cut back on but it's a hard habit to break.

Also, one of our two cats requires a special diet but both of them eat it because it's easier to manage, so that's another $25 or so per bag at the vet every month or so.

 

[Puppmom]

We're a family of four and live in Southeastern PA. We spend about $700 at the grocery and $200 on takeout etc.

I've REALLY been looking to cut this back and making crockpot meals that nearly always have leftovers that keep for a while has been helping.

If you add the dog to the mix, it's easily another $150.

 

[Missy]

For the 2 of us and our 4 cats we spend about $1,000/month on food. We shop at Costco, Trader Joe's, Fairway (flooded during Sandy ), Whole foods and our local grocery store. I always thought that was pretty high but we are foodies and somewhat picky about what we eat.
We rarely eat out these days so I am not including that in this budget. When we were eating out more often we usually spent around 12-15K a year on restaurants.

 

[stci]

We spend a lot... A LOT.

I'd say on groceries alone we spend $1000 a month, then another $300 a month or so on restaurants/take-out. And that's just for my DH and I. He is 6'5" 250 and I, well, I just eat like I'm 6'5" 250...

I was wondering if size has anything to do with it. My DH is 5'8" and 160 lbs, so he doesn't really need to eat that much. He works out all the time, so he spends good money on protein powder and I'm constantly making that man turkey and rice, turkey and rice, but these are cheap alternatives to what he could be eating. I think his small size and his pseudo bodybuilder eating habits save us good money!

Ha, it also has to do with WHAT we buy. DH and I actually go grocery shopping separately because, well, we are just so opposite. I go and buy fresh seafood, organic fruits and vegetables, cheeses, bread, etc. DH has the palate of a kindergartener and eats PopTarts, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, cereal, frozen pizzas, etc. A typical breakfast for him includes 8 Eggo waffles, 2 cinnamon-raisin bagels, 6 eggs, and a bowl of frosted mini-wheats. Dinner for him might include a steak, vegetables, 2 or 3 bowls of cereal, and 6 Swiss Rolls for dessert. Then more cereal before bed. We had to go out and buy another set of bowls and spoons because we go through them faster than we load the rest of the dishwasher.

OMG!

 

[lknvrb4]

We are foodie people and try to eat organic food when it is available.(small town in midwest so very limited) I shop at the local famers market for our meat, eggs and whatever veggies are in season. I would say we spend $150 for food alone a week. We are a family of five and have two dogs. I think we spend $48 on a bag of Blue Buffalo every 5 weeks or so for the dogs.

 

[Loves Vintage]

$300/month for two vegetarian adults. We spent less this summer because we had a garden and my tomatoes proliferated. We shop at two locally-owned grocery stores, one supermarket chain store, and less frequently, Aldi's. The amount of money we spend on ourselves to eat seems very high to me; in the coming months I'll be planning a larger garden for next spring and getting very serious about cutting way back on paying other people for food and increasing what we grow and provide for ourselves (that isn't genetically modified and full of pesticides). I'd rather spend money on the important stuff in life, you know, like jewelry.

Monarch - That's great! I remember when you posted pics of your garden. Do you can at all for the off-season? I would think you could since it sounds like you can grow in abundance. Sadly, our garden failed again this year (though my husband refuses to admit it!, and he is going to try again next year.) We simply do not get enough sun. So, lettuce was our main crop, lol.

Anyway, I am super-envious of the 300/month. We eat mostly veg here. My husband will eat meat on rare, rare occasion, like 2 or 3 times a year, or when we go out.

****************

I am still trying to figure out why we spend so much. My husband thinks it's because I buy too many vegetables and sometimes have to throw them out, but it doesn't happen that often! We have been buying a lot of organic product lately. I try to stick to the things on the top ten list, so we aren't even all organic (by any means!) This kid eats a lot of fruit though. I buy a lot of organic berries every week. Mabye $10 or so worth of strawberries and/or raspberries. They didn't have organic at TJ's last night, so I got conventional raspberries (which makes me a little nuts, but just a little, I promise.) But, often, if I have time, I will go to tj's then WF for whatever you can't get at tj's, but then of course, I get drawn in to convenience items, and wind us spending 75-100 at both, and then stop at the regular grocery store during the week for more stuff! Then, I started ordering things from Amazon (organic flour and beans), which I asked my husband about this morning, and that's not even categorized under grocery.

Oh, we eat out or get take out usually 2X week. I almost always get lunch out when I go to the office. I love a good thai curry and haven't mastered that at home yet!

 

[Loves Vintage]

We spend a lot... A LOT.

I'd say on groceries alone we spend $1000 a month, then another $300 a month or so on restaurants/take-out. And that's just for my DH and I. He is 6'5" 250 and I, well, I just eat like I'm 6'5" 250...

I was wondering if size has anything to do with it. My DH is 5'8" and 160 lbs, so he doesn't really need to eat that much. He works out all the time, so he spends good money on protein powder and I'm constantly making that man turkey and rice, turkey and rice, but these are cheap alternatives to what he could be eating. I think his small size and his pseudo bodybuilder eating habits save us good money!

Ha, it also has to do with WHAT we buy. DH and I actually go grocery shopping separately because, well, we are just so opposite. I go and buy fresh seafood, organic fruits and vegetables, cheeses, bread, etc. DH has the palate of a kindergartener and eats PopTarts, chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, cereal, frozen pizzas, etc. A typical breakfast for him includes 8 Eggo waffles, 2 cinnamon-raisin bagels, 6 eggs, and a bowl of frosted mini-wheats. Dinner for him might include a steak, vegetables, 2 or 3 bowls of cereal, and 6 Swiss Rolls for dessert. Then more cereal before bed. We had to go out and buy another set of bowls and spoons because we go through them faster than we load the rest of the dishwasher.

OMG!

Ditto! I had to re-read that, lol!! Your DH would be a great candidate for couponing, however, since a lot of those items usually have coupons, lol!!

 

[Loves Vintage]

We're a family of four and live in Southeastern PA. We spend about $700 at the grocery and $200 on takeout etc.

I've REALLY been looking to cut this back and making crockpot meals that nearly always have leftovers that keep for a while has been helping.

If you add the dog to the mix, it's easily another $150.

They say the key to saving on groceries is buying what's on sale and meal-planning from there, so that you would plan to use one item in multiple meals. Cuts back on waste and also limits trips to the store, which limits convenience/unplanned purchases.

Is your DH still a veg? Curious what you're cooking up in that crockpot?

 

[TooPatient]

EEK.

I'm in Seattle area also so prices are not good.

We're still settling into a routine with the addition to our family,so budget and tracking is pretty messed up right now. If we eat at home for all meals (except A's school lunch), we probably spend $1,000-1200/month on groceries (including TP, paper towels, cleaning supplies, etc).
Eating out doesn't happen very often (although more than I'd like still!) because three people out to eat is $$$$.

"A" eats lunch at school so that is another $60-80/month.

Another $200-300/month on cat & dog foods.

Shopping is done mostly at Fred Meyers, Whole Foods, QFC, and a couple of little mediteranean markets.


I'm trying to get into a routine where I make a couple of great easy-reheat dishes on Sunday so that there is lunch for me & B and dinners through at least Wednesday. My other ambition is to make a breakfast item on Sunday to last for at least the first few days of the week.

 

[Haven]

Monnie--Great point about growing your own food.
DH started a garden in earnest this past year, and it was wonderful. We had fresh tomatoes, herbs, lettuce, potatoes, etc. I don't know how much money it saved us, but we definitely ate very well during those months.
DH used the square foot garden approach and it was great for a new gardener. Very easy, and lots of production.

 

[Phoenix]

Wow, I am so jealous of you guys! Groceries are VERY expennsive here in Singapore; and food & wine (well alcohol in general) are much much more expensive than they are in the US or the UK. The reason is because I'd say 99% of the produce consumed here is imported from overseas, mostly the US, Australia/ NZ, Europe, China and Malaysia. SG doesn't really produce or grow/ rear any food items.

I buy my dad's groceries online from Waitrose in the UK and I pay about GBP60-70 (just over USD100) every 3 weeks. I know that he also buys fresh vegs and fruits and wine himself separately, but that's still incredibly cheap.

Our household in SG consists of just DH, myself and our cat. We spend approx USD3,000 a month. It's hard to know exactly how much cuz we use quite a bit of cash (cash is still widely used here but we do use CC's as well); but this figure is fairly accurate, plus or minus 20% (I track our monthly expenses and savings). This amount includes groceries from the supermarkets, the wet (open-air) market, wine & beer (we're trying to cut down, but I'd say we go through about 2 bottles of wine a week), pet food, lunches (mostly out) and going out to dinner (twice a week on average). This figure does not include transportation (don't get me started on that!), and other discretionary spending.

 

[FrekeChild]

We're trying a new budget of $500 per month. We figure that we spend about $1k per month on food, and just as an experiment, we're halving it. Luckily we moved to the best place (IMHO) to buy cheap produce in the country and it's amazing to me to go to the grocery store and spend $30 and get 40 pounds of fresh produce. So we shop at a variety of places, Trader Joes for prepared foods, Albertsons for necessities, local chain for veggies and fruits, and Costco for the random things we use a lot of (frozen stuff mostly).

 

[gem_anemone]

I spend about $300 every month on groceries for two people (DH and me). I spend about $60 per month on cat food for two cats.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Freke, I am so jealous!!!

We're trying a new budget of $500 per month. We figure that we spend about $1k per month on food, and just as an experiment, we're halving it. Luckily we moved to the best place (IMHO) to buy cheap produce in the country and it's amazing to me to go to the grocery store and spend $30 and get 40 pounds of fresh produce. So we shop at a variety of places, Trader Joes for prepared foods, Albertsons for necessities, local chain for veggies and fruits, and Costco for the random things we use a lot of (frozen stuff mostly).

 

[iheartscience]

Oh lord, WAY TOO MUCH. We probably spend about $600/month on groceries (shop almost entirely at Whole Foods) and more on eating out. We always say we're not going to spend so much on food, but we love to eat out!

But, we eat pretty well. We try to eat "paleo," so whole foods and as little processed food as possible. Whole Foods isn't actually that pricey if you don't buy the "healthy" junk food there.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Grocery shopping? What's that? LOL

These days it seems we just go out to eat instead of cooking at home.

Don't have to prep, or clean up afterwards.

We spend maybe $200 a month on actual grocery items

 

[Loves Vintage]

Grocery shopping? What's that? LOL

These days it seems we just go out to eat instead of cooking at home.

Don't have to prep, or clean up afterwards.

We spend maybe $200 a month on actual grocery items

Wow, that's great. Hee-hee. I hate cleaning up too! If you near Wegman's; however, you must go grocery shopping more often! I seem to recall you are upstate . . . anyway, yeah, I love Wegman's, but am no where near one.

 

[LJL]

Hmm.. something like $70/week for the two of us. We do one big trip a month (at walmart) that typically costs in the $150-200 range. Then several small trips that are usually 40-70. We eat out a lot though (READ: FAST FOOD) which I imagine makes our actual grocery bill much lower.

SO tends to be more into the fast food so he will often eat 1 meal a day of that while I only do it about 3x week (and its the same things - Chipotle, Subway, salad since Im on a diet). Our grocery trips are full of what normal ppl consider snacks - some of which I end up eating as "small meals" aka a Fiber one bars. I think my diet has substantially impacted our grocery intake...