How much do you spend on average for food?

[Anonymous]

Family of four here:

We spend about $100 a week. I typically go to aldi once a week and an Asian market once a week. We eat a lot of fresh fruit (non organic) which is why I go to the Asian market as well. Last week (Sunday) at the Asian market, they had blueberries for .99. pineapples are now on sale at aldi ($1.19) so we will have that. Point is: we generally eat the fresh fruit on sale. We eat meat but almost always on sale or discounted bc it expires soon. It is pretty rare for me to go to the store and buy meat off the shelf unless it is on sale. Example: on the day after tgiving and the day after Xmas, fresh turkeys were really cheap. We got one each day as I saw them in the store (didn’t know beforehand). This happened to be at Harris teeter. The Xmas one was good til 1/1. I made it 12/31. It cost $4.13 and was 11 lbs. we then had soup and sandwiches for days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Family of 4, around $1100/month. No idea how some people only spend $600.

Family of five (4 adults and one one child) and we spend $800. We shop at Harris teeter and we buy chicken and beef. Fish one of those weeks. Some canned goods, some fresh. Justice and snacks. Toiletries if we need it.

[Anonymous]

These number seem insanely low to me unless people are not counting household goods bought at grocery storesand considering McDonald's as eating out.

[Anonymous]

$400-$500 a month. One adult, one teen girl.

Monthly budget is $400. Usually about $60 / week at the grocery store and then $40 a week buying food on the go.

Then I do spend $100-$150 every 6 weeks or so at Costco as well - but that includes toilet paper and household supplies.

We eat very basic meals, we use frozen vegetables, eat fruit that is on sale, often there are almost past best before date foods that are marked down, a Costco roasted chicken can be three meat meals in a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Family of four here:

We spend about $100 a week. I typically go to aldi once a week and an Asian market once a week. We eat a lot of fresh fruit (non organic) which is why I go to the Asian market as well. Last week (Sunday) at the Asian market, they had blueberries for .99. pineapples are now on sale at aldi ($1.19) so we will have that. Point is: we generally eat the fresh fruit on sale. We eat meat but almost always on sale or discounted bc it expires soon. It is pretty rare for me to go to the store and buy meat off the shelf unless it is on sale. Example: on the day after tgiving and the day after Xmas, fresh turkeys were really cheap. We got one each day as I saw them in the store (didn’t know beforehand). This happened to be at Harris teeter. The Xmas one was good til 1/1. I made it 12/31. It cost $4.13 and was 11 lbs. we then had soup and sandwiches for days.

In addition to Aldi and Asian market, do you have to go elsewhere for other stuff? I thought those stores didn’t carry everything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Family of four here:

We spend about $100 a week. I typically go to aldi once a week and an Asian market once a week. We eat a lot of fresh fruit (non organic) which is why I go to the Asian market as well. Last week (Sunday) at the Asian market, they had blueberries for .99. pineapples are now on sale at aldi ($1.19) so we will have that. Point is: we generally eat the fresh fruit on sale. We eat meat but almost always on sale or discounted bc it expires soon. It is pretty rare for me to go to the store and buy meat off the shelf unless it is on sale. Example: on the day after tgiving and the day after Xmas, fresh turkeys were really cheap. We got one each day as I saw them in the store (didn’t know beforehand). This happened to be at Harris teeter. The Xmas one was good til 1/1. I made it 12/31. It cost $4.13 and was 11 lbs. we then had soup and sandwiches for days.

In addition to Aldi and Asian market, do you have to go elsewhere for other stuff? I thought those stores didn’t carry everything.

Rarely and it would be because I was close to one (or kids are in sport So and I’m near a Harris teeter). I make it work predominantly with those two stores, however. I got a $2 whole chicken at aldi two days ago. We had roasted chicken, potatoes, carrots, celery and onion. Then we had chicken sandwiches with the reminder for two days and I made chicken soup with the remainder. I try to use as much up in new ways. That leftover cheap chicken could have been thrown in with beans and tomato sauce for chili, or seasoned and added to tortillas for burritos. I can’t say I never waste stuff but it’s rare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These number seem insanely low to me unless people are not counting household goods bought at grocery storesand considering McDonald's as eating out.

I am the $100 a week poster. We don’t go out often - maybe 2-3 times a month- and never to McDonald’s. I buy paper products on sale from amazon and things like Saran Wrap after Xmas (name brand on sale bc it has Xmas themes on it)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These number seem insanely low to me unless people are not counting household goods bought at grocery storesand considering McDonald's as eating out.

Definitely not counting household goods. Those aren't food. And yes, counting any food outside the house. (We don't eat at McDonald's, but we do get takeout once most weeks, and that definitely counts--we'd have to prepare that meal at home otherwise.)

[Anonymous]

Family of 4 and we spend an average of $800 a month. We live in Montgomery County, Maryland

[Anonymous]

Family of three $800 on groceries, probably about twice that going out.

[Anonymous]

We have been spending $1000/month and am now targeting $850. This is groceries only. We eat in most nights and I meal plan weekly. I am trying to reduce the amount of meat but it is an adjustment as I am trying to stay away from pasta and I need to work on more vegetarian dishes that don’t seem like larger side dishes.

2 adults, and a teen and a tween.

[Anonymous]

Two term boys, both athletic, bot over 6' tall. Both DH and I are runners and life weights. Very active family. Eating healthy is also important

$400/wk. When my kids were little, we spent about 120.

[Anonymous]

Family of 5 with 3 middle school aged kids who play sports year round.
We spend about $1200 a month and maybe eat out at Chipotle once a month.
The kids just eat a LOT. They also always have friends over at our house---probably 5 per week. They eat too.
Those of you with young kids are just feeding your own kids. When they get older, their friends may stop by after school, after sledding, etc and suddenly you may be feeding 10 kids an after-school snack or dinner or whatever. It adds up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Family of 2 adults and one preschooler in Arlington. We spend about $500 on groceries. And probably about $300 to $400 eating out. This includes all alcohol and stuff like toilet paper, laundry detergent, etc because I buy that at the grocery store.

Same stats and spending. 2 adults, one preschooler. He is fed really healthy lunches by his school and it's included in the price so we don't worry about that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Family of 5 with 3 middle school aged kids who play sports year round.
We spend about $1200 a month and maybe eat out at Chipotle once a month.
The kids just eat a LOT. They also always have friends over at our house---probably 5 per week. They eat too.
Those of you with young kids are just feeding your own kids. When they get older, their friends may stop by after school, after sledding, etc and suddenly you may be feeding 10 kids an after-school snack or dinner or whatever. It adds up.

I only feed my teens and just a quick snapshot...tonight I'm cooking chicken. I have to plan on 8 chicken breasts, 3/4 of one large box of salad, 2 avocados, and 6 baked potatoes. Last night we had salmon and I used an entire pack of salmon from Costco. That was framed raised. Cant afford the wild.

This morning my 3 boys had a delay from school. They ate 9 eggs, a package of bacon and 6 pieces of toast. They washed it down with a half gallon of milk.

I buy 3 gallons of milk a week, 3-4 loaves of bread, 3 dozen eggs, and ALL fruit come from family packs at Costco. This is thebtionof the iceburg.

When they were little it was a load of bread a week, a gallon of bread a week, and a dozen eggs. Dinner was a half of a chicken breast each, a couple of pieces of broccoli and a few spiral noodles.