Grocery Bill

[oobiecoo]

I''m with April20... I''m big on taking advantage of sales and coupons. $500 seems like so much money to me just for groceries! We usually spend $175-$250/month on groceries plus about $100 a month for eating out.

 

[roverchic]

For me it varies...if I go into the market hungry and without a list, I spend a lot and find myself there a few days later to get staples, lol.

To budget effectively, I suggest making a list of staples you want to have on hand throughout the month. Then you can plan meals on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis to see what else you need to purchase. Start at the $500 budget and see how it works for you...there are tons of ways to save $ on the grocery bill when you plan ahead.

I grow my own herbs and have a garden in the summer months which helps in some respects. I also try to buy according to what is reasonably priced or on sale at the market.
There are tons of people who have saving $ on groceries down to an art...do a bit of googling and see what advice they have!

 

[swimmer]

Date: 8/31/2009 8:02:17 AM
Author:EyeElle
Hey All,


So as first main act to getting engaged, me and my Fiance have decided to move in together!! Big step for us

And we are still in the adjusting period ... it as only been a couple of days.


So last night we were planning how the paying of bills will go etc and he informs me that we both need to put in $250 each for groceries ... so that $500/month spent on groceries.


My question is, is that reasonable??? I am new to this living along thing I admit, but for some reason spending $500 a month for food seems sooo high to me .... I don''t eat anywhere near that amount. Yet he said its even lower then he would like to have it.


I am looking for some insight I guess .... if you live with your Fiance/bf/friend etc how much do you guys spend on average on groceries each month??!!


Thanks!!

Ummm, he "informed" you that you would be contributing 250? If he eats more than you, which he says he does, since 500 seems low to him, either you should put less money in and he put more...or scrap that entirely and think about how you are going to pool your finances so you aren''t quibbling each month over groceries. My apologies if I read this totally wrong, but your tone sounds a bit put out with your BF over his demand. In my experience, we got a joint credit card when we first moved in and paid for all groceries and shared expenses on it and then figured where our money was going. For ex, DH would never go to Target and spend on cleaning supplies, but he reaped the benefit of this expenditure on my part. So while you might think that 250 per person is high for food, your BF perhaps might not understand for example the need for febreeze, shelving units, or other spendy home items that you consider necessary. Please "inform" him of whatever amount that you calculate other expenses to be. We spend way less than $500 on groceries a month, but it really varies by season and if we are entertaining. We do not have a monthly set expense limit or anything remotely like the guidelines your BF is setting, and I would find them more of a hindrance than a help, I mean, if you hit your limit on the 24th of the month do you just starve? It just seems more reasonable to me to cut coupons and shop at the more affordable local places in order to save over time. Tracking your expenditures is great and helpful, making you feel like you are being nickled and dimed is not. Again, my apologies if I''m totally misreading your tone here, it is 4am and I can''t sleep).

 

[bee*]

D and I spend about $100/week. I cook everything from scratch at home and we very rarely eat out. Some weeks we spend a bit less than that, but that would be a good ball park figure.

 

[Girlrocks]

I buy for a family of 6 plus 1 huge dog, and I keep a strict budget of $800 a month on food. We get carry out 1 night a week. Everyone buys lunch out 1 day per week.

So I think $500 for 2 people is a good budget.

But you have to be really careful...the grocery store can be a KILLER! I used to just go in the store and walk up and down the aisles and get whatever looked good or caught my eye. Then about a year ago, I realized we were spending $1200-$1400 on food each month, so I cut back. Buy on sale and stock up, go through the weekly sales ads and plan accordingly, and coupons, coupons, coupons! It''s take a little longer and I have to plan my meals around what''s on sale that week, but in the end it''s worth it for us. I also buy a lot of stuff at Sam''s Club.

 

[LadyBlue]

We spend 500 a month, and I feel it''s not enough

 

[zoebartlett]

I recently discovered Aldi, which is a grocery store that has items for cheap, cheap, cheap! The only problem is, there aren''t too many familiar name brands that I''m used to, and it doesn''t have everything we typically buy. If you can overlook that though, you can save a bunch of money by shopping there (if there''s one near you, obviously).

Spending about $500 on food each month (not counting take out and eating out occasionally) isn''t THAT outrageous, but it feels like it at times. I hate the feeling of coming home from the store, putting things away, and then wondering what we actually got for the $ we spent.

 

[blackpolkadot]

We had been spending about $240/ mo including going out to eat. However, since DH can''t find a job, I have been using lots of coupons and have got us (just DH and me) down to $100/mo, but we don''t really go out to eat now.


I could easily spend $500 a month though! I think that''s a pretty good budget. You can always adjust it one way or another.

 

[gemgirl]

I spend between $800 and $900 a month on food, but I cook every night, and my husband and I eat two completely different dinners every night. He can eat everything and I''m on an all natural regime for my allergies. We also snack on completely different foods. If I add in the dog''s food, it''s $1000.- easily.

 

[Cehrabehra]

is this grocery money going toward nights out as well? good thing about budgeting too much for something is that a) you easily manage it and b) there is money left over for... something special

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 9/1/2009 6:59:28 PM
Author: ZoeBartlett
I recently discovered Aldi, which is a grocery store that has items for cheap, cheap, cheap! The only problem is, there aren''t too many familiar name brands that I''m used to, and it doesn''t have everything we typically buy. If you can overlook that though, you can save a bunch of money by shopping there (if there''s one near you, obviously).


Spending about $500 on food each month (not counting take out and eating out occasionally) isn''t THAT outrageous, but it feels like it at times. I hate the feeling of coming home from the store, putting things away, and then wondering what we actually got for the $ we spent.

Are you in the states? I know they had aldi (I think that''s what it was called) in ireland... but I''ve never seen one in the states before...

I won''t even join in the conversation of how much I spend When we were young and my husband was military I used to clip coupons and meal plan and when he got a job out in the world making way more money the first thing I gifted myself was not having to clip coupons. Well... I don''t miss clipping coupons but my meal planning has gone to sh* and my spending is totally out of control. Granted there are 5 of us and 2 are young boys starting to eat everything, but I imagine it is just going to get worse and not better if I don''t reinstate some old habits. I hate to say it''s really not the money even but I miss the meal planning.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

It depends. Is the $500 factoring in lunches? Or is it primarily just cereal, snacks and dinner stuff? If it''s including lunches for both of you, then I think it''s pretty reasonable (for my area of the country at least). But that''s a three meals a day made at home kind of amount. If you''re planning on buying your breakfast/lunch or dinner, then it''s high for a grocery store bill.

DH and I spend between $70 and $150/week (depending on sales, etc) for B-L-and dinner food from the store. We go out for dinner maybe once or twice a month and buy our lunches a few times a month.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Date: 9/3/2009 4:50:34 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
It depends. Is the $500 factoring in lunches? Or is it primarily just cereal, snacks and dinner stuff? If it''s including lunches for both of you, then I think it''s pretty reasonable (for my area of the country at least). But that''s a three meals a day made at home kind of amount. If you''re planning on buying your breakfast/lunch or dinner, then it''s high for a grocery store bill.


DH and I spend between $70 and $150/week (depending on sales, etc) for B-L-and dinner food from the store. We go out for dinner maybe once or twice a month and buy our lunches a few times a month.

Just adding, this does not factor in our weak moments when we drop $50 on cheese and other goodies at whole foods!

 

[luv2sparkle]

I have a household of 7 people. 6 adults, 1 teen and I spend 1000.00 per month for household expense. I am not particularly frugal.