How much do you spend on groceries per week?

[Anonymous]

I think $400-500/week. Family of 4, kids both in elementary.

What kills us is the fruit. The kids go through so much of it. We also do only organic dairy and whole milk. It costs $14 for a pack of 3 half gallons

People who meal prep for a whole week on Sundays-I’m sorry but doesn’t that create food quality and safety issues? I honestly find the idea kind of revolting. I will make a meal one day, and we will maybe eat leftovers the next day, but the idea of eating vegetables/pasta/meat on Friday that was prepared on Sunday sounds gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think $400-500/week. Family of 4, kids both in elementary.

What kills us is the fruit. The kids go through so much of it. We also do only organic dairy and whole milk. It costs $14 for a pack of 3 half gallons

People who meal prep for a whole week on Sundays-I’m sorry but doesn’t that create food quality and safety issues? I honestly find the idea kind of revolting. I will make a meal one day, and we will maybe eat leftovers the next day, but the idea of eating vegetables/pasta/meat on Friday that was prepared on Sunday sounds gross.

Everyone is a product of their environment, it sounds like you grew up in a pretty privileged existence which you continue to embrace to your financial detriment. $500 a week is pretty extreme, and most people do eat leftovers - it's not gross or revolting or "a safety issue." It's good parenting and financial stewardship. We don't prep for the entire week, but we do cook for two days at a time and teach our children respect for food and money. Dinners become school lunches and we cook on Sunday and Wednesday and Friday, and fill in with omelets and salads and sandwiches. We rarely eat out. We spend about $120 a week on groceries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think $400-500/week. Family of 4, kids both in elementary.

What kills us is the fruit. The kids go through so much of it. We also do only organic dairy and whole milk. It costs $14 for a pack of 3 half gallons

People who meal prep for a whole week on Sundays-I’m sorry but doesn’t that create food quality and safety issues? I honestly find the idea kind of revolting. I will make a meal one day, and we will maybe eat leftovers the next day, but the idea of eating vegetables/pasta/meat on Friday that was prepared on Sunday sounds gross.

Everyone is a product of their environment, it sounds like you grew up in a pretty privileged existence which you continue to embrace to your financial detriment. $500 a week is pretty extreme, and most people do eat leftovers - it's not gross or revolting or "a safety issue." It's good parenting and financial stewardship. We don't prep for the entire week, but we do cook for two days at a time and teach our children respect for food and money. Dinners become school lunches and we cook on Sunday and Wednesday and Friday, and fill in with omelets and salads and sandwiches. We rarely eat out. We spend about $120 a week on groceries.

DP
There is a difference between cooking for two or three days or 7. After 4 days food becomes less safe to eat.

And $120 on groceries for a family of four sounds borderline impossible. That’s like $1.50 per meal per person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think $400-500/week. Family of 4, kids both in elementary.

What kills us is the fruit. The kids go through so much of it. We also do only organic dairy and whole milk. It costs $14 for a pack of 3 half gallons

People who meal prep for a whole week on Sundays-I’m sorry but doesn’t that create food quality and safety issues? I honestly find the idea kind of revolting. I will make a meal one day, and we will maybe eat leftovers the next day, but the idea of eating vegetables/pasta/meat on Friday that was prepared on Sunday sounds gross.

Everyone is a product of their environment, it sounds like you grew up in a pretty privileged existence which you continue to embrace to your financial detriment. $500 a week is pretty extreme, and most people do eat leftovers - it's not gross or revolting or "a safety issue." It's good parenting and financial stewardship. We don't prep for the entire week, but we do cook for two days at a time and teach our children respect for food and money. Dinners become school lunches and we cook on Sunday and Wednesday and Friday, and fill in with omelets and salads and sandwiches. We rarely eat out. We spend about $120 a week on groceries.

DP
There is a difference between cooking for two or three days or 7. After 4 days food becomes less safe to eat.

And $120 on groceries for a family of four sounds borderline impossible. That’s like $1.50 per meal per person.

This depends on the food and how it’s stored. For example, a roast chicken on Sunday -> 1 leftover dinner, 1-2 days sandwiches for lunch, then becomes chicken stock in the slow cooker midweek, which becomes the base for quick and dirty rice pilaf on Friday. Saying you prep on Sunday doesn’t mean do nothing with the food over the course of the week. Similarly, I wouldn’t let chickpea curry sit in my fridge more than 3-4 days but goulash with plenty of sauerkraut keeps for ages thanks to the acidity.

Also: freezers exist. Meals that would spoil in the fridge often keep just fine in the freezer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think $400-500/week. Family of 4, kids both in elementary.

What kills us is the fruit. The kids go through so much of it. We also do only organic dairy and whole milk. It costs $14 for a pack of 3 half gallons

People who meal prep for a whole week on Sundays-I’m sorry but doesn’t that create food quality and safety issues? I honestly find the idea kind of revolting. I will make a meal one day, and we will maybe eat leftovers the next day, but the idea of eating vegetables/pasta/meat on Friday that was prepared on Sunday sounds gross.

Everyone is a product of their environment, it sounds like you grew up in a pretty privileged existence which you continue to embrace to your financial detriment. $500 a week is pretty extreme, and most people do eat leftovers - it's not gross or revolting or "a safety issue." It's good parenting and financial stewardship. We don't prep for the entire week, but we do cook for two days at a time and teach our children respect for food and money. Dinners become school lunches and we cook on Sunday and Wednesday and Friday, and fill in with omelets and salads and sandwiches. We rarely eat out. We spend about $120 a week on groceries.

Privilege has nothing to do with it. I grew up wealthy and am quite well off and do food prep all the time and eat leftovers all the time, meanwhile poor people in urban areas have sheer ignorance about prepping and leftovers and being efficient with food. So they don't develop the understanding of what to do or not to do with food and food prep and leftovers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think $400-500/week. Family of 4, kids both in elementary.

What kills us is the fruit. The kids go through so much of it. We also do only organic dairy and whole milk. It costs $14 for a pack of 3 half gallons

People who meal prep for a whole week on Sundays-I’m sorry but doesn’t that create food quality and safety issues? I honestly find the idea kind of revolting. I will make a meal one day, and we will maybe eat leftovers the next day, but the idea of eating vegetables/pasta/meat on Friday that was prepared on Sunday sounds gross.

Everyone is a product of their environment, it sounds like you grew up in a pretty privileged existence which you continue to embrace to your financial detriment. $500 a week is pretty extreme, and most people do eat leftovers - it's not gross or revolting or "a safety issue." It's good parenting and financial stewardship. We don't prep for the entire week, but we do cook for two days at a time and teach our children respect for food and money. Dinners become school lunches and we cook on Sunday and Wednesday and Friday, and fill in with omelets and salads and sandwiches. We rarely eat out. We spend about $120 a week on groceries.

Privilege has nothing to do with it. I grew up wealthy and am quite well off and do food prep all the time and eat leftovers all the time, meanwhile poor people in urban areas have sheer ignorance about prepping and leftovers and being efficient with food. So they don't develop the understanding of what to do or not to do with food and food prep and leftovers.

"Poor people in urban areas" is so gross, and obvi inaccurate. You are suggesting, e.g., poor Salvadoran immigrants don't cook? Really?

[Anonymous]

Family of 5- before the pandemic it was about $150/week (including paper towels etc). We ate out once a week - another $50.

Now, for groceries alone it's $250- and easily $70-$80 when we eat out.

The price of the rice we buy (in bulk) doubled- fruit is insanely expensive so i buy what's on sale and freeze for smoothies. Everything is more expensive. Someone start a thread on increase in health care premiums.

[Anonymous]

$500/ week minimum. All meals home, including packed lunchboxes. This also includes household cleaning products, shampoos, soaps, conditioners, trash bags etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think $400-500/week. Family of 4, kids both in elementary.

What kills us is the fruit. The kids go through so much of it. We also do only organic dairy and whole milk. It costs $14 for a pack of 3 half gallons

People who meal prep for a whole week on Sundays-I’m sorry but doesn’t that create food quality and safety issues? I honestly find the idea kind of revolting. I will make a meal one day, and we will maybe eat leftovers the next day, but the idea of eating vegetables/pasta/meat on Friday that was prepared on Sunday sounds gross.

Everyone is a product of their environment, it sounds like you grew up in a pretty privileged existence which you continue to embrace to your financial detriment. $500 a week is pretty extreme, and most people do eat leftovers - it's not gross or revolting or "a safety issue." It's good parenting and financial stewardship. We don't prep for the entire week, but we do cook for two days at a time and teach our children respect for food and money. Dinners become school lunches and we cook on Sunday and Wednesday and Friday, and fill in with omelets and salads and sandwiches. We rarely eat out. We spend about $120 a week on groceries.

DP
There is a difference between cooking for two or three days or 7. After 4 days food becomes less safe to eat.

And $120 on groceries for a family of four sounds borderline impossible. That’s like $1.50 per meal per person.

This depends on the food and how it’s stored. For example, a roast chicken on Sunday -> 1 leftover dinner, 1-2 days sandwiches for lunch, then becomes chicken stock in the slow cooker midweek, which becomes the base for quick and dirty rice pilaf on Friday. Saying you prep on Sunday doesn’t mean do nothing with the food over the course of the week. Similarly, I wouldn’t let chickpea curry sit in my fridge more than 3-4 days but goulash with plenty of sauerkraut keeps for ages thanks to the acidity.

Also: freezers exist. Meals that would spoil in the fridge often keep just fine in the freezer.

I’m
Sorry but this is exactly what I’m saying. From a food safety and quality perspective, I think it’s weird that you’d be still eating food on Friday that you prepared on Sunday. I’m really not into it. I don’t see how it matters that you transformed it into a different dish.

We do eat leftovers the next day but not beyond that (rarely is there anything left by then anyway).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think $400-500/week. Family of 4, kids both in elementary.

What kills us is the fruit. The kids go through so much of it. We also do only organic dairy and whole milk. It costs $14 for a pack of 3 half gallons

People who meal prep for a whole week on Sundays-I’m sorry but doesn’t that create food quality and safety issues? I honestly find the idea kind of revolting. I will make a meal one day, and we will maybe eat leftovers the next day, but the idea of eating vegetables/pasta/meat on Friday that was prepared on Sunday sounds gross.

Everyone is a product of their environment, it sounds like you grew up in a pretty privileged existence which you continue to embrace to your financial detriment. $500 a week is pretty extreme, and most people do eat leftovers - it's not gross or revolting or "a safety issue." It's good parenting and financial stewardship. We don't prep for the entire week, but we do cook for two days at a time and teach our children respect for food and money. Dinners become school lunches and we cook on Sunday and Wednesday and Friday, and fill in with omelets and salads and sandwiches. We rarely eat out. We spend about $120 a week on groceries.

DP
There is a difference between cooking for two or three days or 7. After 4 days food becomes less safe to eat.

And $120 on groceries for a family of four sounds borderline impossible. That’s like $1.50 per meal per person.

This depends on the food and how it’s stored. For example, a roast chicken on Sunday -> 1 leftover dinner, 1-2 days sandwiches for lunch, then becomes chicken stock in the slow cooker midweek, which becomes the base for quick and dirty rice pilaf on Friday. Saying you prep on Sunday doesn’t mean do nothing with the food over the course of the week. Similarly, I wouldn’t let chickpea curry sit in my fridge more than 3-4 days but goulash with plenty of sauerkraut keeps for ages thanks to the acidity.

Also: freezers exist. Meals that would spoil in the fridge often keep just fine in the freezer.

I’m
Sorry but this is exactly what I’m saying. From a food safety and quality perspective, I think it’s weird that you’d be still eating food on Friday that you prepared on Sunday. I’m really not into it. I don’t see how it matters that you transformed it into a different dish.

We do eat leftovers the next day but not beyond that (rarely is there anything left by then anyway).

You think it’s weird. Others don’t and it works for them. Funny how people might think differently than you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think $400-500/week. Family of 4, kids both in elementary.

What kills us is the fruit. The kids go through so much of it. We also do only organic dairy and whole milk. It costs $14 for a pack of 3 half gallons

People who meal prep for a whole week on Sundays-I’m sorry but doesn’t that create food quality and safety issues? I honestly find the idea kind of revolting. I will make a meal one day, and we will maybe eat leftovers the next day, but the idea of eating vegetables/pasta/meat on Friday that was prepared on Sunday sounds gross.

Everyone is a product of their environment, it sounds like you grew up in a pretty privileged existence which you continue to embrace to your financial detriment. $500 a week is pretty extreme, and most people do eat leftovers - it's not gross or revolting or "a safety issue." It's good parenting and financial stewardship. We don't prep for the entire week, but we do cook for two days at a time and teach our children respect for food and money. Dinners become school lunches and we cook on Sunday and Wednesday and Friday, and fill in with omelets and salads and sandwiches. We rarely eat out. We spend about $120 a week on groceries.

DP
There is a difference between cooking for two or three days or 7. After 4 days food becomes less safe to eat.

And $120 on groceries for a family of four sounds borderline impossible. That’s like $1.50 per meal per person.

This depends on the food and how it’s stored. For example, a roast chicken on Sunday -> 1 leftover dinner, 1-2 days sandwiches for lunch, then becomes chicken stock in the slow cooker midweek, which becomes the base for quick and dirty rice pilaf on Friday. Saying you prep on Sunday doesn’t mean do nothing with the food over the course of the week. Similarly, I wouldn’t let chickpea curry sit in my fridge more than 3-4 days but goulash with plenty of sauerkraut keeps for ages thanks to the acidity.

Also: freezers exist. Meals that would spoil in the fridge often keep just fine in the freezer.

I’m
Sorry but this is exactly what I’m saying. From a food safety and quality perspective, I think it’s weird that you’d be still eating food on Friday that you prepared on Sunday. I’m really not into it. I don’t see how it matters that you transformed it into a different dish.

We do eat leftovers the next day but not beyond that (rarely is there anything left by then anyway).

You think it’s weird. Others don’t and it works for them. Funny how people might think differently than you.

DP, but she does have a point. Some stuff does get gross. Like you wouldn’t want to eat a sub sandwich that’s been sitting in the fridge for 4 days, but you’re probably fine with a soup. I think the people who are able to keep their grocery bills very low tend to eat very little meat/fish, tend to be ok with cheaper produce (would buy bananas and oranges instead of 3 kinds of berries), and honestly just have smaller appetites as a family compared to other families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think $400-500/week. Family of 4, kids both in elementary.

What kills us is the fruit. The kids go through so much of it. We also do only organic dairy and whole milk. It costs $14 for a pack of 3 half gallons

People who meal prep for a whole week on Sundays-I’m sorry but doesn’t that create food quality and safety issues? I honestly find the idea kind of revolting. I will make a meal one day, and we will maybe eat leftovers the next day, but the idea of eating vegetables/pasta/meat on Friday that was prepared on Sunday sounds gross.

I wouldn’t want to eat 6 day old vegetables either. I like them roasted fresh and crisp.

[Anonymous]

NP here. No way I’m eating food on Friday that’s been sitting in the fridge since Sunday. Disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think $400-500/week. Family of 4, kids both in elementary.

What kills us is the fruit. The kids go through so much of it. We also do only organic dairy and whole milk. It costs $14 for a pack of 3 half gallons

People who meal prep for a whole week on Sundays-I’m sorry but doesn’t that create food quality and safety issues? I honestly find the idea kind of revolting. I will make a meal one day, and we will maybe eat leftovers the next day, but the idea of eating vegetables/pasta/meat on Friday that was prepared on Sunday sounds gross.

Everyone is a product of their environment, it sounds like you grew up in a pretty privileged existence which you continue to embrace to your financial detriment. $500 a week is pretty extreme, and most people do eat leftovers - it's not gross or revolting or "a safety issue." It's good parenting and financial stewardship. We don't prep for the entire week, but we do cook for two days at a time and teach our children respect for food and money. Dinners become school lunches and we cook on Sunday and Wednesday and Friday, and fill in with omelets and salads and sandwiches. We rarely eat out. We spend about $120 a week on groceries.

DP
There is a difference between cooking for two or three days or 7. After 4 days food becomes less safe to eat.

And $120 on groceries for a family of four sounds borderline impossible. That’s like $1.50 per meal per person.

This depends on the food and how it’s stored. For example, a roast chicken on Sunday -> 1 leftover dinner, 1-2 days sandwiches for lunch, then becomes chicken stock in the slow cooker midweek, which becomes the base for quick and dirty rice pilaf on Friday. Saying you prep on Sunday doesn’t mean do nothing with the food over the course of the week. Similarly, I wouldn’t let chickpea curry sit in my fridge more than 3-4 days but goulash with plenty of sauerkraut keeps for ages thanks to the acidity.

Also: freezers exist. Meals that would spoil in the fridge often keep just fine in the freezer.

I’m
Sorry but this is exactly what I’m saying. From a food safety and quality perspective, I think it’s weird that you’d be still eating food on Friday that you prepared on Sunday. I’m really not into it. I don’t see how it matters that you transformed it into a different dish.

We do eat leftovers the next day but not beyond that (rarely is there anything left by then anyway).

You think it’s weird. Others don’t and it works for them. Funny how people might think differently than you.

DP, but she does have a point. Some stuff does get gross. Like you wouldn’t want to eat a sub sandwich that’s been sitting in the fridge for 4 days, but you’re probably fine with a soup. I think the people who are able to keep their grocery bills very low tend to eat very little meat/fish, tend to be ok with cheaper produce (would buy bananas and oranges instead of 3 kinds of berries), and honestly just have smaller appetites as a family compared to other families.

I don't know about that. We do eat very healthy, mostly veg, fish maybe once a week. However, we buy a lot of produce - several types of fresh fruits and vegetables - but we have young kids (not teens), and are just pretty decent, economical cooks. We buy very little packaged foods or snacks for both environmental and economical reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think $400-500/week. Family of 4, kids both in elementary.

What kills us is the fruit. The kids go through so much of it. We also do only organic dairy and whole milk. It costs $14 for a pack of 3 half gallons

People who meal prep for a whole week on Sundays-I’m sorry but doesn’t that create food quality and safety issues? I honestly find the idea kind of revolting. I will make a meal one day, and we will maybe eat leftovers the next day, but the idea of eating vegetables/pasta/meat on Friday that was prepared on Sunday sounds gross.

Everyone is a product of their environment, it sounds like you grew up in a pretty privileged existence which you continue to embrace to your financial detriment. $500 a week is pretty extreme, and most people do eat leftovers - it's not gross or revolting or "a safety issue." It's good parenting and financial stewardship. We don't prep for the entire week, but we do cook for two days at a time and teach our children respect for food and money. Dinners become school lunches and we cook on Sunday and Wednesday and Friday, and fill in with omelets and salads and sandwiches. We rarely eat out. We spend about $120 a week on groceries.

DP
There is a difference between cooking for two or three days or 7. After 4 days food becomes less safe to eat.

And $120 on groceries for a family of four sounds borderline impossible. That’s like $1.50 per meal per person.

This depends on the food and how it’s stored. For example, a roast chicken on Sunday -> 1 leftover dinner, 1-2 days sandwiches for lunch, then becomes chicken stock in the slow cooker midweek, which becomes the base for quick and dirty rice pilaf on Friday. Saying you prep on Sunday doesn’t mean do nothing with the food over the course of the week. Similarly, I wouldn’t let chickpea curry sit in my fridge more than 3-4 days but goulash with plenty of sauerkraut keeps for ages thanks to the acidity.

Also: freezers exist. Meals that would spoil in the fridge often keep just fine in the freezer.

I’m
Sorry but this is exactly what I’m saying. From a food safety and quality perspective, I think it’s weird that you’d be still eating food on Friday that you prepared on Sunday. I’m really not into it. I don’t see how it matters that you transformed it into a different dish.

We do eat leftovers the next day but not beyond that (rarely is there anything left by then anyway).

You think it’s weird. Others don’t and it works for them. Funny how people might think differently than you.

DP, but she does have a point. Some stuff does get gross. Like you wouldn’t want to eat a sub sandwich that’s been sitting in the fridge for 4 days, but you’re probably fine with a soup. I think the people who are able to keep their grocery bills very low tend to eat very little meat/fish, tend to be ok with cheaper produce (would buy bananas and oranges instead of 3 kinds of berries), and honestly just have smaller appetites as a family compared to other families.

I don't know about that. We do eat very healthy, mostly veg, fish maybe once a week. However, we buy a lot of produce - several types of fresh fruits and vegetables - but we have young kids (not teens), and are just pretty decent, economical cooks. We buy very little packaged foods or snacks for both environmental and economical reasons.

That’s literally exactly what I said, you’re mostly vegetarian, your family has small appetite as a group because your kids are small, and you are mindful of economics when selecting your foods.