Groceries: What's your budget?

[Anonymous]

meal plan. I spend about $50/week 2adults n 1 toddler. We control portions , use the glad plastic and pyrex glass storing to freeze or to send out to lunch w/ us. Make hummus via puree machine. Cut out tons of gluten and make up w/ veggies and fruit that aren't always fresh but canned or frozen. Limited juice ,lots of water, and little milk (mild intolerances)

[Anonymous]

We spend 100-120 a week on groceries which includes paper products, toiletries, cleaning supplies but NOT diapers or dog food. We eat every meal but one dinner a week IN. That includes breakfast and lunch since we both work at home.
We make everything from scratch, do freezer meals, and grow greens and herbs in the summer in container gardens out back.
We make a lot of curries, chilis, pizzas and quiches from scratch and get spices from amazon in bulk.
It took us a while to figure this out and get used to being more tight at the store. We dont buy extras like sodas or snacks. I think it helps that my DH is a great cook and I am a great baker. We also have a wonderful farmers market and know the vendors after years of buying from them. We can have a big dinner party and not overspend as long as we are organized and have a few bottles of wine in the house.
We have three kids - 13, 2, and 12 weeks...

[Anonymous]

$467 a month on groceries, $200 a month on restaurants, $50 on school lunch - family of 3. We buy organic milk, apples, spinach, rest is conventional.

[Anonymous]

We're a family of 5 (kids are 6, 3, and 1) that spend about $150-200/wk on groceries. This doesn't include diapers or alcohol. I coupon, take advantage of sales and meal plan. DH packs lunch a few days a week, the rest of us are either home or pack lunch at school. We don't do much soda, but the kids drink a lot of milk and I have an orange juice habit.

OP, even if you don't have room to stock up and store meat yet, you can still shop the circulars and buy what's on sale each week. It doesn't matter what you save money on, your savings free up money for other things you need. Think along the lines of cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, shampoo. Can your husband do lentils? What about soybeans? Those are other good meat substitutes and somewhat shelf stable.

Honestly, your budget doesn't sound terrible. But there's always room to trim! Good luck.

[Anonymous]

About $150 per week for a family of four. No diapers anymore, and no pets, but that does include cleaning products and toiletries. Add to that a Costco run every two months or so, which is usually around $250. We usually buy meat, cheese and some frozen foods there as well as batteries, paper products and the occasional snacks. We eat about 75% organic and we tend to eat in 5-6 nights a week and pack our lunches, including our oldest kid's (the other one gets lunch in daycare).

[Anonymous]

We spend $1000 a month on food - family of 4. We host dinner parties or lunches every weekend. Almost never eat out. We use coupons and buy almost only on sale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We spend 100-120 a week on groceries which includes paper products, toiletries, cleaning supplies but NOT diapers or dog food. We eat every meal but one dinner a week IN. That includes breakfast and lunch since we both work at home.
We make everything from scratch, do freezer meals, and grow greens and herbs in the summer in container gardens out back.
We make a lot of curries, chilis, pizzas and quiches from scratch and get spices from amazon in bulk.
It took us a while to figure this out and get used to being more tight at the store. We dont buy extras like sodas or snacks. I think it helps that my DH is a great cook and I am a great baker. We also have a wonderful farmers market and know the vendors after years of buying from them. We can have a big dinner party and not overspend as long as we are organized and have a few bottles of wine in the house.
We have three kids - 13, 2, and 12 weeks...

I would to get some of these curry recipes you and a prior poster mentioned!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since meat is so expensive, you could cut that out more. Depending on how frequently you eat meat.

WE eat no meat and our bills are still around $800 a month for a family of 3. I shop at Whole foods and Trader Joes exclusively.

[Anonymous]

I spend $800 a month -- that does not include diapers or dog food but does include paper towels, and napkins. I buy all organic produce and meats (we do not eat much meat), I buy a lot of lentils, etc. It's expensive if you buy fresh, unprocessed foods, esp. organic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are the people who only spend $600 a month counting only food or all items you buy at the grocery store? I spend about $1,500 a month at the grocery store, but this includes toiletries, diapers, cleaning supplies, cat food, etc.... We are a family of four.

$1200 a month, family of four, includes similiar expenses but for 2 teen boys and no pets.

[Anonymous]

Ours is about $200 per month, but we also eat out frequently.

[Anonymous]

$1000 a month- 2 adults on atkins, and 5 kids. Maybe $80 a month on takeout. I get everything I can at Costco and Aldi, and use the local grocer/farmer's market to fill in. I'm actually looking to keep some hens for the eggs, as I'm addicted to the $4 a dozen market ones,