How much do you spend on groceries & what is your HHI?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will likely sound ridiculous, but our family of 3 (2 adults + 1 teen) spends $150 per MONTH on groceries and our HHI is 700K. Caveats: teen’s weekday lunches are enfolded into private school tuition, 1 adult has lunch and/or dinner provided through work 2 or 3 days per week, and we’re kind of insane super shoppers.

Yeah, right. I couldn’t even do that as an impoverished single mom in grad school a decade ago in a lower cost of living state surviving on lots of rice and beans. Pathetic troll.

Agree I am a 2 person household one mom and one teen daughter. $67 HHI. I try and keep the weekly shop add about $150 so that $600 a month and then 120 on takeout and our once a month out to dinner together

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will likely sound ridiculous, but our family of 3 (2 adults + 1 teen) spends $150 per MONTH on groceries and our HHI is 700K. Caveats: teen’s weekday lunches are enfolded into private school tuition, 1 adult has lunch and/or dinner provided through work 2 or 3 days per week, and we’re kind of insane super shoppers.

That’s amazing! Please post your grocery list & things you make! I’m curious. I couldn’t do this bc I like variety and occasional meat, organic eggs and milk BUT I do admire the thriftiness.

Staples, including eggs and milk, from Costco. Fresh produce from ethnic markets. Whatever meat is on sale that week at the traditional grocery stores (we’ll freeze extra so we have variety and aren’t just eating one type of protein all week). We take full advantage of freebies and almost freebies - for example, we just picked up 3 bottles of organic Kefir cultured milk for free and 3 cans of Pringles for $1 - as well as deals like “get $40 off your pickup order of $75.” We don’t deprive ourselves and would have no problem spending more if necessary, but actually find bargain hunting super fun.

Post a couple days of your menu.

And your teen must not eat much or do any sports—my teens probably eat more than $150/month each of food on top of the 3 meals a day-

Sure! Here’s this weekend’s menu:

Saturday:
Breakfast - egg/chorizo/cheese burrito, milk (teen only)
Lunch - stuffed cabbage leaves with ground beef and rice
Dinner - roasted chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cookies

Sunday:
Brunch - egg/sausage/bell pepper/onion/potato hash, milk (teen only)
Dinner - Taiwanese beef shank noodle soup with bok choy, red bean mochi

Teen, who actually does play sports, supplements with snacks like nuts, cheese and crackers, fruit, chips, etc., but definitely should be eating more.

But…how do you buy those ingredients on $150/mo?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will likely sound ridiculous, but our family of 3 (2 adults + 1 teen) spends $150 per MONTH on groceries and our HHI is 700K. Caveats: teen’s weekday lunches are enfolded into private school tuition, 1 adult has lunch and/or dinner provided through work 2 or 3 days per week, and we’re kind of insane super shoppers.

Yeah, right. I couldn’t even do that as an impoverished single mom in grad school a decade ago in a lower cost of living state surviving on lots of rice and beans. Pathetic troll.

As an impoverished single mom in grad school (for which you have my utmost respect - truly), you were undoubtedly way too busy to shop the way I do. You can certainly deem me pathetic for enjoying the game of extreme couponing, but I’m not trolling.

I’m wealthy but love getting a good deal and also shop around like you BUT there is no way I could do it on $150/month even with my kid having feee school lunches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will likely sound ridiculous, but our family of 3 (2 adults + 1 teen) spends $150 per MONTH on groceries and our HHI is 700K. Caveats: teen’s weekday lunches are enfolded into private school tuition, 1 adult has lunch and/or dinner provided through work 2 or 3 days per week, and we’re kind of insane super shoppers.

That’s amazing! Please post your grocery list & things you make! I’m curious. I couldn’t do this bc I like variety and occasional meat, organic eggs and milk BUT I do admire the thriftiness.

Staples, including eggs and milk, from Costco. Fresh produce from ethnic markets. Whatever meat is on sale that week at the traditional grocery stores (we’ll freeze extra so we have variety and aren’t just eating one type of protein all week). We take full advantage of freebies and almost freebies - for example, we just picked up 3 bottles of organic Kefir cultured milk for free and 3 cans of Pringles for $1 - as well as deals like “get $40 off your pickup order of $75.” We don’t deprive ourselves and would have no problem spending more if necessary, but actually find bargain hunting super fun.

Post a couple days of your menu.

And your teen must not eat much or do any sports—my teens probably eat more than $150/month each of food on top of the 3 meals a day-

Sure! Here’s this weekend’s menu:

Saturday:
Breakfast - egg/chorizo/cheese burrito, milk (teen only)
Lunch - stuffed cabbage leaves with ground beef and rice
Dinner - roasted chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cookies

Sunday:
Brunch - egg/sausage/bell pepper/onion/potato hash, milk (teen only)
Dinner - Taiwanese beef shank noodle soup with bok choy, red bean mochi

Teen, who actually does play sports, supplements with snacks like nuts, cheese and crackers, fruit, chips, etc., but definitely should be eating more.

But…how do you buy those ingredients on $150/mo?

I think she’s talking about 150/week, not per month. We are family of five - 3 adults and 2 kids. We eat mostly at home due to WFH. We spend 150 per week for grocery, including everything. Spend about 300 per month on dining out. HHI 400k. We are very very frugal people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will likely sound ridiculous, but our family of 3 (2 adults + 1 teen) spends $150 per MONTH on groceries and our HHI is 700K. Caveats: teen’s weekday lunches are enfolded into private school tuition, 1 adult has lunch and/or dinner provided through work 2 or 3 days per week, and we’re kind of insane super shoppers.

That’s amazing! Please post your grocery list & things you make! I’m curious. I couldn’t do this bc I like variety and occasional meat, organic eggs and milk BUT I do admire the thriftiness.

Staples, including eggs and milk, from Costco. Fresh produce from ethnic markets. Whatever meat is on sale that week at the traditional grocery stores (we’ll freeze extra so we have variety and aren’t just eating one type of protein all week). We take full advantage of freebies and almost freebies - for example, we just picked up 3 bottles of organic Kefir cultured milk for free and 3 cans of Pringles for $1 - as well as deals like “get $40 off your pickup order of $75.” We don’t deprive ourselves and would have no problem spending more if necessary, but actually find bargain hunting super fun.

Post a couple days of your menu.

And your teen must not eat much or do any sports—my teens probably eat more than $150/month each of food on top of the 3 meals a day-

Sure! Here’s this weekend’s menu:

Saturday:
Breakfast - egg/chorizo/cheese burrito, milk (teen only)
Lunch - stuffed cabbage leaves with ground beef and rice
Dinner - roasted chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cookies

Sunday:
Brunch - egg/sausage/bell pepper/onion/potato hash, milk (teen only)
Dinner - Taiwanese beef shank noodle soup with bok choy, red bean mochi

Teen, who actually does play sports, supplements with snacks like nuts, cheese and crackers, fruit, chips, etc., but definitely should be eating more.

But…how do you buy those ingredients on $150/mo?

I think she’s talking about 150/week, not per month. We are family of five - 3 adults and 2 kids. We eat mostly at home due to WFH. We spend 150 per week for grocery, including everything. Spend about 300 per month on dining out. HHI 400k. We are very very frugal people.

No, I really do mean per month. I completely understand everyone’s skepticism, but it’s the truth. As I stated previously, teen and 1 adult have a number of meals provided by school and work, respectively, and we make a game out of extreme couponing. As another PP pointed out, our portion sizes are likely smaller than many people’s - none of us have huge appetites, even the teen who we wish did! We dine out perhaps once a week, and that number is not included in the $150/month because OP asked only for grocery spend.

[Anonymous]

About $300/month, one adult and one tween, salary 75k.

[Anonymous]

organic, fresh scratch cooking. 2 adults and a 6 year old. We spend around 12-1400 per month. Mostly Whole foods prime delivery; some instacart from wegmans, a bit from costco (organic berries are super good and cheap from there!). HHI around 500k (was 750k, but then the tech collapse, and we'll get back there).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends on whether you eat all organic or not. And also whether you eat meat or not. And the quality of that meat.

We eat healthy food so we spend way more than most people. But we don’t get sick as often as they do.

You sweet summer child. There is no correlation between eating organic and not getting sick.

Lol. We also eat all organic produce, breastfed the kids, and let me tell you about the viruses my preschooler has brought home from school this year so far…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will likely sound ridiculous, but our family of 3 (2 adults + 1 teen) spends $150 per MONTH on groceries and our HHI is 700K. Caveats: teen’s weekday lunches are enfolded into private school tuition, 1 adult has lunch and/or dinner provided through work 2 or 3 days per week, and we’re kind of insane super shoppers.

That’s amazing! Please post your grocery list & things you make! I’m curious. I couldn’t do this bc I like variety and occasional meat, organic eggs and milk BUT I do admire the thriftiness.

Staples, including eggs and milk, from Costco. Fresh produce from ethnic markets. Whatever meat is on sale that week at the traditional grocery stores (we’ll freeze extra so we have variety and aren’t just eating one type of protein all week). We take full advantage of freebies and almost freebies - for example, we just picked up 3 bottles of organic Kefir cultured milk for free and 3 cans of Pringles for $1 - as well as deals like “get $40 off your pickup order of $75.” We don’t deprive ourselves and would have no problem spending more if necessary, but actually find bargain hunting super fun.

Post a couple days of your menu.

And your teen must not eat much or do any sports—my teens probably eat more than $150/month each of food on top of the 3 meals a day-

Sure! Here’s this weekend’s menu:

Saturday:
Breakfast - egg/chorizo/cheese burrito, milk (teen only)
Lunch - stuffed cabbage leaves with ground beef and rice
Dinner - roasted chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cookies

Sunday:
Brunch - egg/sausage/bell pepper/onion/potato hash, milk (teen only)
Dinner - Taiwanese beef shank noodle soup with bok choy, red bean mochi

Teen, who actually does play sports, supplements with snacks like nuts, cheese and crackers, fruit, chips, etc., but definitely should be eating more.

But…how do you buy those ingredients on $150/mo?

I think she’s talking about 150/week, not per month. We are family of five - 3 adults and 2 kids. We eat mostly at home due to WFH. We spend 150 per week for grocery, including everything. Spend about 300 per month on dining out. HHI 400k. We are very very frugal people.

No, I really do mean per month. I completely understand everyone’s skepticism, but it’s the truth. As I stated previously, teen and 1 adult have a number of meals provided by school and work, respectively, and we make a game out of extreme couponing. As another PP pointed out, our portion sizes are likely smaller than many people’s - none of us have huge appetites, even the teen who we wish did! We dine out perhaps once a week, and that number is not included in the $150/month because OP asked only for grocery spend.

Ok you win the contest. Does coupon really save money? I feel like a lot of them are just scam. PP you should share your coupon skills - where do you shop, where to get the best coupon, and what are the tricks one need to have in order to save banks? TIa!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will likely sound ridiculous, but our family of 3 (2 adults + 1 teen) spends $150 per MONTH on groceries and our HHI is 700K. Caveats: teen’s weekday lunches are enfolded into private school tuition, 1 adult has lunch and/or dinner provided through work 2 or 3 days per week, and we’re kind of insane super shoppers.

That’s amazing! Please post your grocery list & things you make! I’m curious. I couldn’t do this bc I like variety and occasional meat, organic eggs and milk BUT I do admire the thriftiness.

Staples, including eggs and milk, from Costco. Fresh produce from ethnic markets. Whatever meat is on sale that week at the traditional grocery stores (we’ll freeze extra so we have variety and aren’t just eating one type of protein all week). We take full advantage of freebies and almost freebies - for example, we just picked up 3 bottles of organic Kefir cultured milk for free and 3 cans of Pringles for $1 - as well as deals like “get $40 off your pickup order of $75.” We don’t deprive ourselves and would have no problem spending more if necessary, but actually find bargain hunting super fun.

Post a couple days of your menu.

And your teen must not eat much or do any sports—my teens probably eat more than $150/month each of food on top of the 3 meals a day-

Sure! Here’s this weekend’s menu:

Saturday:
Breakfast - egg/chorizo/cheese burrito, milk (teen only)
Lunch - stuffed cabbage leaves with ground beef and rice
Dinner - roasted chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cookies

Sunday:
Brunch - egg/sausage/bell pepper/onion/potato hash, milk (teen only)
Dinner - Taiwanese beef shank noodle soup with bok choy, red bean mochi

Teen, who actually does play sports, supplements with snacks like nuts, cheese and crackers, fruit, chips, etc., but definitely should be eating more.

But…how do you buy those ingredients on $150/mo?

I think she’s talking about 150/week, not per month. We are family of five - 3 adults and 2 kids. We eat mostly at home due to WFH. We spend 150 per week for grocery, including everything. Spend about 300 per month on dining out. HHI 400k. We are very very frugal people.

$150 a week is an enormous amount. Especially considering her menu.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It depends on whether you eat all organic or not. And also whether you eat meat or not. And the quality of that meat.

We eat healthy food so we spend way more than most people. But we don’t get sick as often as they do.

You sweet summer child. There is no correlation between eating organic and not getting sick.

Lol. We also eat all organic produce, breastfed the kids, and let me tell you about the viruses my preschooler has brought home from school this year so far…

Also in terms of grocery spending, a lot. Probably 400-500 a week, and takeout 1-2x a week. We have two young kids, two adults, and our nanny stays with us during the week. A combination of home cooked and pre made. So prob around 2k a month and maybe another 700-1k on takeout. Our HHI is 425-450ish. Maybe at some point we will be able to reign in our spending but right now we do not have time to be more careful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will likely sound ridiculous, but our family of 3 (2 adults + 1 teen) spends $150 per MONTH on groceries and our HHI is 700K. Caveats: teen’s weekday lunches are enfolded into private school tuition, 1 adult has lunch and/or dinner provided through work 2 or 3 days per week, and we’re kind of insane super shoppers.

That’s amazing! Please post your grocery list & things you make! I’m curious. I couldn’t do this bc I like variety and occasional meat, organic eggs and milk BUT I do admire the thriftiness.

Staples, including eggs and milk, from Costco. Fresh produce from ethnic markets. Whatever meat is on sale that week at the traditional grocery stores (we’ll freeze extra so we have variety and aren’t just eating one type of protein all week). We take full advantage of freebies and almost freebies - for example, we just picked up 3 bottles of organic Kefir cultured milk for free and 3 cans of Pringles for $1 - as well as deals like “get $40 off your pickup order of $75.” We don’t deprive ourselves and would have no problem spending more if necessary, but actually find bargain hunting super fun.

Post a couple days of your menu.

And your teen must not eat much or do any sports—my teens probably eat more than $150/month each of food on top of the 3 meals a day-

Sure! Here’s this weekend’s menu:

Saturday:
Breakfast - egg/chorizo/cheese burrito, milk (teen only)
Lunch - stuffed cabbage leaves with ground beef and rice
Dinner - roasted chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cookies

Sunday:
Brunch - egg/sausage/bell pepper/onion/potato hash, milk (teen only)
Dinner - Taiwanese beef shank noodle soup with bok choy, red bean mochi

Teen, who actually does play sports, supplements with snacks like nuts, cheese and crackers, fruit, chips, etc., but definitely should be eating more.

But…how do you buy those ingredients on $150/mo?

I think she’s talking about 150/week, not per month. We are family of five - 3 adults and 2 kids. We eat mostly at home due to WFH. We spend 150 per week for grocery, including everything. Spend about 300 per month on dining out. HHI 400k. We are very very frugal people.

$150 a week is an enormous amount. Especially considering her menu.

+1. I think most people don’t understand how much they can be saving when shopping for groceries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will likely sound ridiculous, but our family of 3 (2 adults + 1 teen) spends $150 per MONTH on groceries and our HHI is 700K. Caveats: teen’s weekday lunches are enfolded into private school tuition, 1 adult has lunch and/or dinner provided through work 2 or 3 days per week, and we’re kind of insane super shoppers.

That’s amazing! Please post your grocery list & things you make! I’m curious. I couldn’t do this bc I like variety and occasional meat, organic eggs and milk BUT I do admire the thriftiness.

Staples, including eggs and milk, from Costco. Fresh produce from ethnic markets. Whatever meat is on sale that week at the traditional grocery stores (we’ll freeze extra so we have variety and aren’t just eating one type of protein all week). We take full advantage of freebies and almost freebies - for example, we just picked up 3 bottles of organic Kefir cultured milk for free and 3 cans of Pringles for $1 - as well as deals like “get $40 off your pickup order of $75.” We don’t deprive ourselves and would have no problem spending more if necessary, but actually find bargain hunting super fun.

Post a couple days of your menu.

And your teen must not eat much or do any sports—my teens probably eat more than $150/month each of food on top of the 3 meals a day-

Sure! Here’s this weekend’s menu:

Saturday:
Breakfast - egg/chorizo/cheese burrito, milk (teen only)
Lunch - stuffed cabbage leaves with ground beef and rice
Dinner - roasted chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cookies

Sunday:
Brunch - egg/sausage/bell pepper/onion/potato hash, milk (teen only)
Dinner - Taiwanese beef shank noodle soup with bok choy, red bean mochi

Teen, who actually does play sports, supplements with snacks like nuts, cheese and crackers, fruit, chips, etc., but definitely should be eating more.

But…how do you buy those ingredients on $150/mo?

I think she’s talking about 150/week, not per month. We are family of five - 3 adults and 2 kids. We eat mostly at home due to WFH. We spend 150 per week for grocery, including everything. Spend about 300 per month on dining out. HHI 400k. We are very very frugal people.

$150 a week is an enormous amount. Especially considering her menu.

She said $150/mo. Anyway I don’t believe it

[Anonymous]

400k two adults probably $200-225 a week including cat food and cleaning/kitchen stuff

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will likely sound ridiculous, but our family of 3 (2 adults + 1 teen) spends $150 per MONTH on groceries and our HHI is 700K. Caveats: teen’s weekday lunches are enfolded into private school tuition, 1 adult has lunch and/or dinner provided through work 2 or 3 days per week, and we’re kind of insane super shoppers.

That’s amazing! Please post your grocery list & things you make! I’m curious. I couldn’t do this bc I like variety and occasional meat, organic eggs and milk BUT I do admire the thriftiness.

Staples, including eggs and milk, from Costco. Fresh produce from ethnic markets. Whatever meat is on sale that week at the traditional grocery stores (we’ll freeze extra so we have variety and aren’t just eating one type of protein all week). We take full advantage of freebies and almost freebies - for example, we just picked up 3 bottles of organic Kefir cultured milk for free and 3 cans of Pringles for $1 - as well as deals like “get $40 off your pickup order of $75.” We don’t deprive ourselves and would have no problem spending more if necessary, but actually find bargain hunting super fun.

Post a couple days of your menu.

And your teen must not eat much or do any sports—my teens probably eat more than $150/month each of food on top of the 3 meals a day-

Sure! Here’s this weekend’s menu:

Saturday:
Breakfast - egg/chorizo/cheese burrito, milk (teen only)
Lunch - stuffed cabbage leaves with ground beef and rice
Dinner - roasted chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, chocolate chip cookies

Sunday:
Brunch - egg/sausage/bell pepper/onion/potato hash, milk (teen only)
Dinner - Taiwanese beef shank noodle soup with bok choy, red bean mochi

Teen, who actually does play sports, supplements with snacks like nuts, cheese and crackers, fruit, chips, etc., but definitely should be eating more.

But…how do you buy those ingredients on $150/mo?

I think she’s talking about 150/week, not per month. We are family of five - 3 adults and 2 kids. We eat mostly at home due to WFH. We spend 150 per week for grocery, including everything. Spend about 300 per month on dining out. HHI 400k. We are very very frugal people.

$150 a week is an enormous amount. Especially considering her menu.

+1. I think most people don’t understand how much they can be saving when shopping for groceries.

I mean, it depends on how severely you want to restrict your diet. If you mostly eat beans and tofu, okay. If you want to eat lamb and salmon, not so much.