Grocery Bill's

[stump1000]

I just wonder how much the average person is spending per week or bi weekly in groceries. I dont see how some people make it with the groceries and gas prices. Anyways,

We spend about 120$ per week at the grocery store. I only eat supper at home during the week. I eat out for breakfast and lunch so its not figured in that. My wife stays at home and eats all meals at home. There is only two of us, and that seems like a lot of money. So, post'em up :)

[badunnin]

I spend about $30/week, all meals made at home, and I live alone.

There was a thread about this not long ago (I believe it was a poll) if you do a search!

[foodlady]

We spend about $120-$150/week for a family of four. (And I'm pregnant and hungry all of the time! :D ) We eat most meals at home, but go out once every week or two for dinner.

[Loremma]

I spend about $30/week, all meals made at home, and I live alone.

Okay, what do you buy? This sounds like a budget right up my alley and I'd love to know how you do it!

TIA

[acb11]

It's just my husband and I at home. We eat supper at home everyday. We work outside the home. I bring lunch every day and he does most of the time. I am a breakfast eater, he is not. We might eat out on a friday night and spend $20-30. My weekly grocery bill is between $75-110. Some weeks I stock up on sale meats and that is when it is higher. I always spend a good deal on fresh produce and seafood. In the summers and fall I try to get my produce at local farmers markets. Cooking is enjoyable for me, and I know it's healthier than eating out. We probably spend more than other couples our age (late 20s) at the grocery store, but we don't spend the money eating out, so I suppose it evens out. And, I like the peace of mind knowing what's in my food and controlling fat, salt, etc.

[clairea]

I spend about $450/month on groceries, so that works out to a little more than $100/week. That includes my CSA share, and fish, chicken and meat at Costco (stock up every couple of months and keep it in the freezer). I am feeding a family of 4, pretty much all of out meals. It does take some effort to keep the bill down, but we do eat good, fresh food always.

I am impressed by $30 a week! I think it is sometimes harder to shop for just one or two because you can't take advantage of economies of scale, so you must really be thrifty.

[Beth]

We spend about 120$ per week at the grocery store. I only eat supper at home during the week. I eat out for breakfast and lunch so its not figured in that.

You're spending more eating out breakast and lunch than I do for gas, without a doubt. That would be the easiest place to save, but I know guys don't like to hear that. My DH has started taking his lunch more for health reasons than expense -- that's another consideration, especially since the cheaper meals are generally not the healthier ones when you are eating out.

I have a family of four, including 2 preteen boys who eat a lot, and it varies. Seems I can go a week or two without spending more than milk, bread and produce, but other times I will be stocking up. My guess would be that we don't spend a lot more than you do, but I do look for good buys and stock up with some of them.

[badunnin]

Okay, what do you buy? This sounds like a budget right up my alley and I'd love to know how you do it!

TIA

Lots of beans (I cook them in the crockpot, sometimes I freeze). Eggs. Grains (I eat oatmeal for breakfast usually). Meat I buy on sale and freeze. Potatoes. Onions by the bag (I get smaller onions that way, which is really nice!). Veggies as needed. (I'm going up and down the aisles in my head!) I have a huge selection of Penzey's spices, which makes it easy to make just about any meat I have on hand, a few roasted potatoes or some rice (oh! Add rice to the list - brown rice, and I buy the store brand) and a veggie and I have dinner. Lunches are salads or sandwiches. I buy yoghurt (and I usually have a coupon). Peanut butter for PB&J sandwiches (I make my own jam). Tinned tomatoes by the cart load. Butter on sale. Very few processed foods.

[Gumbeaux]

I just wonder how much the average person is spending per week or bi weekly in groceries........So, post'em up :)

My wife and I spend from $80.00-$130.00 a week at Walmart. This includes not just grocery items, but such things as toiletries, motor oil and filter for the car, cleaning supplies, batteries, printer paper, air conditioner filters, etc.

The amount varies because I don't buy the things mentioned every week.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/bayoutitan/Receipt2.jpg

[mbrogier]

Rob and I spend about $100 a week average on groceries for the two of us. Usually after payday, I'll go to Costco and stock up on meat and other staples. (love their bags of sweet onions and potatoes) We get a lot of our food from Trader Joes and the local ethnic green grocers. I tend to plan meals around what meats/produce I found on sale. I can get just about anything at the green grocers, so I have a lot of options as they are so incredibly inexpensive. We both like to cook, and we eat very healthful foods so that does cost a bit more.

Rob usually eats his lunches out because he's constantly traveling between a few offices and doesn't know where he'll be at lunchtime. He sometimes gets free lunches from meetings with sales vendors or the VPs. He was spending a ton of money on Starbucks in the mornings until we got a local coffee roasters house. Even their cappuchinos are expensive, but I can get fresh roasted coffee beans to brew at home. Rob requested a Cuisinart Grind and Brew thermal coffeemaker for his birthday in February. He makes his own coffee and takes it to work with him. He figured out that his savings at the coffee house/Starbucks alone paid for the machine in a month. He does occaisionally get a fresh cappuchino from the roasters still, but I don't blame him one bit. :D I usually have something at the house for him to take with his coffee for breakfasts on the go.

I eat at home. I usually eat leftovers for lunch and snack on fruit all day. (I'm half hummingbird ;) ) We do eat out a couple of times a week. Sometimes Rob's company expenses our dinners when I go with him overnight to work on his servers. We do spend a lot on food, but you are what you eat, right? :D We only have one car, so that saves loads of money on gas.

[mrswaz]

I spend bewtween $110-$150 per week to feed a family of four. That's three meals a day for each of us (except for DD's occasional school lunch). DH takes his lunch from home every day. That also includes buying our meast fresh from a local butcher, which is a little more pricey, but I never have a qualm about quality.

[Farhana]

We spend about $80 per week for a family of three, that's three meals a day for me and DD, DH eats breakfast and supper at home and takes homemade lunch everyday. We never eat out unless we go on a long trip and that saves a lot of money. I buy very few processed food, a big health issue for me. I love to cook so cooking from scratch is not a problem for me. I make my husband's coffee to go when he leaves for work.

Our grocery list includes pretty much everything from air freshener to zester except for gas bill :rolleyes:, I always buy everything on sale and use coupon, raincheck all the time. Also, I save all the receipts on a monthly basis in case I want to return/exchange something and that also helps me to know where my money is going.

[LakeMartinGal]

This thread has made me curious, so I checked out the details on Quicken...

Last month, we averaged ~$120, but for the last 6 months, it was only $68 for the two of us. I did a lot of stocking up on meat this past month.

We eat out 2 lunches and 1 dinner per week.

My grocery bill does not include pet food, but does include laundry/cleaning supplies, and some sundries like soap and toothpaste, but not makeup. We drink a LOT of soda, and I've been stocking up when it's on sale...

This is a great thread, since I don't generally look at things like that, and should. I'm relieved to find it not out of line... :)

[bobmark226]

My wife and I spend from $80.00-$130.00 a week at Walmart. This includes not just grocery items, but such things as toiletries, motor oil and filter for the car, cleaning supplies, batteries, printer paper, air conditioner filters, etc.

The amount varies because I don't buy the things mentioned every week.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y7/bayoutitan/Receipt2.jpg


Did you grill the wallet or braise it? ;)

Bob

[Gumbeaux]

Did you grill the wallet or braise it? ;)

Bob

Neither. I washed it.

Stupid me. I ruined it when I sent it through the washer and dryer. :o

[blazedog]

:D My grocery bills are high but that's of course a personal decision as it's my discretionary income -- Fresh fish is expensive as is fresh fruit -- I probably average about $120 a week on groceries but that includes sundries like cleaning supplies etc. and most lunches although I probably eat out about 2 dinners per week on an average. That amount is for one person.

I could spend less of course but health and taste are what's critical for me -- I splurge on stuff like berries ($20 per week right there) because I don't feel deprived by eating fresh berries rather than cookies, chips or ice cream.

Fresh fish is expensive -- between $15 or $20 per pound at a good fish market -- so a dinner just for one (me) could be close to $10 with all the ingredients factored in -- again, I compare it to the drek I could be eating if I chose to eat out at mediocre restaurants or take out so it seems like a bargain to me. A serving of good lean beef (filet for example) is also close to $10.

If I had more time, I could cut some corners -- eschew bagged mesclun greens but right now I need the super convenience of opening a bag of good interesting greens without any hassle.

I don't eat much pasta, beans, cheese, or other cheap sources of food because they are too calorically dense for me - if I have them at all, they are a small side dish serving but I chiefly eat on lean protein (fish mostly) and fresh veggies and fruit.

[NMG]

I spend between $100-$130 a week (toiletries and what not included) for a family of 4. We rarely eat out and I don't usually buy frozen entrees or pre-packaged meals (except for the occasional frozen french bread pizzas and Kraft mac'n'cheese).

[mommycook]

I kept track of my expenses for the last half of April...this was the first time I have done this. We have 2 adults and 2 kids, plus a toddler during the day and various kid friends visiting and snacking during the week.

From April 15 to 30 I spent $156.72 on the items on our menu for 2 weeks, which includes $27 in milk from whole foods. I spent and additional $78 on meat at the meat store for the 2 weeks. $56 at the farmers market (2 visits) and $16 on food for a party I went to. $47 stocking up on sale items and using coupons. $10 for last minute basketball game snacks because another parent forgot it was their turn. And $85 at my favorite grocery store that is going out of business and has all items for sale at 50% off.

That adds up to $448.72 for 2 weeks.

In my defense.....I am sure I will have to explain this to DH too....we are huge milk drinkers and rarely, if ever, drink juice or soda. I am sure other families spend $27 on beverages for 2 weeks. Since we are such huge milk drinkers I like to make sure my kids are drinking the cleanest, freshest milk out there so I get the Clover milk at WF. Anything else tastes 'yucky' to them.

I get all my meat at Diablo Foods (the store that is going out of business) and like the quality of meat from the butcher. It is fresh, cut the way I want it, and most of the time it is organic. If I get meat from Safeway I almost always hear that it was not as good as the last time (when I got it from the meat store).

I always spend a lot at the farmers market....but we all prefer good fruit to a packaged snack and I spend next to nothing on packaged snacks.

The $85 at the going-out-of business sale was a good deal too. I got lots of gourmet and specialty items, lots of olive and nut oils, mustards, wine, and spices that I normally do not buy. This stuff will keep me happy for a long time. :D

I am sure I could cut corners if I wanted to or had to. I do not spend $$ on a lot of other things. During the same 2 weeks my expenses included $12 on shorts for DD, $25 for the kids to play golf, $18 on play tickets, $12 for cat food, $18 for special light bulbs, $44 for the gym, $16 on hair care products, $25 on herb & vegetable plants, and $45 on gas. Amount spent on dining out: $0

[colleency]

I seem to average about $20 per week at the produce store and $30 per week at Trader Joes for two people, but we eat out way more than we should, and weeks when I'm cooking a lot of meals, the average goes up by around $25.