What do you spend on Groceries each month? Family of 4?

[Anonymous]

We are a family of four and budget literally every penny we have to cover high daycare costs (1/3 of our income, (we both work) and 1/3 of our income goes to mortgage so the remaining funds are really limited for utilities, food, transportation...and we dont have any car payments. -- We had budgeted and had been spending around $1k a month for groceries and Target type sundries, (ie, diapers, kids clothes, etc). -- The last few months we have been over budget around 20% due to rising costs of everything.

Wondering if this type of budget is normal or if folks have good suggestions to economize. We only eat out once on the weekends (like under $50...just to get out, this is the big entertainment of the week) and maybe order pizza once a week when we both work late and its the olny option to get dinner on the table. Otherwise, we do a menu and try to eat what we buy each week.

Any creative ideas will help, or are we the only ones struggling ? I consider ourselves very blessed and middle class so its not a compliant, but there must be a better way to get by in these tough times.

[Anonymous]

Groceries are $450 per month. Target is $200 per month for us.

[Anonymous]

Try cutting out all softdrinks and most juices. Little nutrition at a cost.
Also, we do A LOT of second hand clothes. I am not too proud to do that.

[Anonymous]

I have been trying to cut back on the grocery bill as well, but we spend about $500/ mth - family of 3. We try to feed our DD as much organic as possible, which drives up the bill even more. Any suggestions for us as well on cutting back? I don't buy softdrinks or juice. We have hand me down clothes, so I'm also looking for a way to reduce spending on groceries.

[Anonymous]

I've noticed an increase as well! With gas prices and food prices, it's been a squeeze!

We spend 1/2 of our income on tuition and rent. We also don't have a car payment.

We end up spending about $160/week, plus $15 on pizza one night and one night of going out to dinner. We skipped going out to dinner last weekend because we've been crunched. We also skipped an event because we'd have to buy tickets for it.

We're solidly middle class, though it feels we're low income in this area! There's nothing left for us to cut out of our budget and it's a little frightening at times.

[Anonymous]

Family of 3 (one is a baby). We spend about $800 a month on food and essentials. I am an avid coupon clipper and use them at stores where they double them (Giant, Safeway). Buy a lot of our food on sale and stock up on things that are 1/2 price or buy one get one free). I have a CVS card and you can get a lot of things (shampoo, razors, etc.) for "free" if you shop right.

Giant prints your savings on the bottom of the receipt and last year, between coupons and buying on sale, we saved $1,800. (and no, I am not the weird coupon woman that holds up the line! I usually shop at off-peak hours and make sure my coupons are for the right product and aren't expired!)

[Anonymous]

We're a family of four, trying to eat mostly organic and healthy foods, though with a fair number of frozen meals in the end): about $700-$750 a month for groceries plus Target trips. We order in pizza about every 7-10 days and don't end up going out to restaurants.

Where we save some (or could save more): Going to Safeway more and Whole Foods less, and stocking up on staples at Safeway when they are on super sale. Eating all the expensive produce rather than discovering it later and throwing it out. Planning ahead more. Using leftovers more efficiently. Eating less meat and more beans or other proteins. Using cloth napkins and washable rags rather than paper napkins and paper towels. Shopping at thrift shops, garage sales, and school fundraisers for kids' clothes, extra (not primary) shoes, kids' books, and toys. Asking interested relatives to buy kids' clothes as presents rather than yet more toys.

[Anonymous]

Great post - my DH has started to complain about the grocery bills, and I'm trying to explain to him that our 2 year old is eating a lot more then a year ago. With all of his milk, and milk and yogurt for DH and I (and my DH's ice cream habit), I bet we spend $25/week on dairy!

Our total budget is probably around $800/month - that includes alcohol (wine & beer), cleaning products and so forth for the house, and a good amount of organic foods. We've been cutting back by eating a lot more vegetarian meals (beans, lentils, tofu), and when we eat meat it is more and more likely to be ground meat or sausage rather than a nicer cut like pork loin or strip. I've also cut back on my gourmet cheese habit and we have been buying lower priced wines. We brown bag our lunches and cook most dinners (or have leftovers), so I think our total food cost is reasonable. We also save money by using homemade "green" cleaning products like vinegar and baking soda, and using reusable plastic containers rather than throw-away plastic baggies for storage and transport of food.

[Anonymous]

Tips that work for us-
- Truly make and stick to a food shopping list. (we plan out all our meals for the week on Sunday and then buy only what we need to make those meals.)
- Buy as little processed food as possible. Simple meals made from scratch tend to cost less (and are healthier)
- Eat less meat and lots of meals with less expensive ingredients like beans, grains, tofu and eggs.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried shopping at Trader Joes? I find them much better priced - and better food - than Safeway/Giant and they really aren't very expensive. They have lots of frozen fish, fruit, etc., and that will really save you money. Their staples are good too.

[Anonymous]

We are thinking of trying some place like Grand Mart or H Mart for produce. I hear it is much more reasonable. Has anyone shopped at these stores who can provide feedback?

[Anonymous]

I think sticking with the basics and adding spices/flavors is the only thing that saves us (it's fun to experiment too!). I personally think Trader Joe's stuff is absolutely disgusting (with the exception of delicious ginger carrots).

We pick a carb (couscous, rice, noddles)
Protein (chickpeas or lentils or tofu )
Veggie (usually carrots, broccoli and peas or frozen asparagus, tomatos)
Sauce/spice (it's much cheaper to experiment with spices instead of new ingredients that are expensive and will go to waste) look up some good sauce recipes and throw it on the protein/rice/veggie and there's 3 nights of meals.

1 night we do pizza
1 night spaghetti and salad
1 night "BBQ" night (tofu dogs, pickles and sweet potato fries)
1 restaurant night

We interchange the above with breakfast for dinner every once in awhile or I'll try a new recipe every few weeks to see if we can add to our basics.

Once I started to stickto a plan, it really became easier to budget!
Lefotvers for lunch - barring that - it's pita and salad greens for everyone!

[Anonymous]

I second the Trader Joe's recommendation. Every time I leave Safeway or Whole Foods, I can't believe how much I've spent. Every time I leave TJ's, I am always amazed at how little I've spent! And it's great for stocking up on wine (if you go in DC or VA).

[Anonymous]

H mart is great for produce lovers. Their prices on fresh fruits and vegetables are so cheap that it's worth the drive. There are also the warehouses near FedEx field - I've forgotten the name -- Florida Avenue market -- very cheap

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are thinking of trying some place like Grand Mart or H Mart for produce. I hear it is much more reasonable. Has anyone shopped at these stores who can provide feedback?

I've tried both H Mart & Grand Mart. The fruits & veggies are fresher than what I've seen at Giant. I'd say they're on par with Wholefoods in terms of freshness but significantly cheaper on some items during season.