How much do you spend on food for your family of four?

[Anonymous]

Trying to figure out if we are in the zone of what is normal and where to cut. We are at $4k per month. My kid's McDonald's dinner was $19 yesterday (we were running between two activities and had no choice.)

[Anonymous]

$4,000/month for food seems super high. How much of that is eating out vs groceries? and are you counting everything you buy at the grocery store (like household goods) as food?

We're a family of five but twin babies just starting solids + a three year old so probably not an apples to apples comparison and we're at $1,000/month for groceries and $500/month for restaurants/takeout.

[Anonymous]

About $1500 - $1800 family of four - two teens. That's just groceries.

[Anonymous]

That's ridiculously high for 4 people. We probably spend around $1,500-2000 on groceries. We're a family of 4 at home (one at college) 2 teens. We do take out/go out once a week so maybe $400-500 on that. Still that is nowhere near $4,000/month.

Where to cut? Start with McDonalds and other fast food. Even if you're running between activities there are other choices that are a lot cheaper. How do you spend $19 at McDonalds?

[Anonymous]

My two boys are elementary age - so not eating giant teen portions yet. I buy snacks for their sports teams regularly - maybe 1 team per month. We don’t eat out very often. We probably get takeout for dinner 3-4 times a month.

I spend $150-175 per week at the grocery store.
I spent $250 once a month at BJs or Costco on sports snacks and some pantry items we stock up on.
Takeout or a restaurant meal for 4 people is usually $75.
I eat high protein oatmeal that I buy on a monthly subscription and my husband buys our coffee from Amazon, so breakfast adds $150/mo.
We work from home (lunch comes from groceries) and happy hour / meals out with friends for adults are not part of my “food” budget and more like “fun money”.

Even if I am forgetting something, we’re well under $2k/mo. Probably closer to $1500/mo.

[Anonymous]

I spend 800/mo on meal delivery service for lunches for my husband and I. and about 250/week on other groceries for breakfasts and dinner. Kids get free lunch at daycare. So that’s 1800 easily and we also eat at restaurants about once a week so there’s another $350 per month. It’s crazy.

[Anonymous]

Big grocery trip 200 per week/800 monthly
local market for more produce or hot bar 100 per week/400 monthly
eat out as a family once per week avg 50 (lower for fast food, higher if we go somewhere nice)/200 monthly
Husband buys lunch 60 per week/240 monthly
Costco every other month runs around 600, so 300 monthly
Nice dinner out w/ spouse once a month 150

Comes out to 2100 per month

[Anonymous]

About 2500/month for 3 adults and a preschooler ($500 at Costco 2x/month, 60-150 at Safeway 2x/month, recurring subscriptions for some beverages ~200/month, $100-150 takeout weekly, maybe one nice dinner date in the $300 range), with zero budgeting. $4k is pretty spendy.

[Anonymous]

I have not calculated it, but I'm sure it would make my hair stand on end if I faced the reality. Just this morning I went to harris teeter for bagels and left with $80 worth of food that only fit on one bag.

I do have two boys ages 14 & 18 who play sports and go through an obsecene amout of food.

[jsteele]

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1197989.page