Why is eating healthy so freaking expensive?!?

[Anonymous]

It's expensive because the government subsidizes dairy, wheat, corn, soy, and sugar, so all the processed food that relies on those is artificially cheap. Also, agricultural workers are excluded from the federally protected right to unionize, so their wages are driven to the bottom in large-scale farming.

Once you get into a routine you will probably find it slightly more expensive but not excessively so. To make it lower cost, though, you need to invest time to cook from scratch, that's the way to economize with fresh food. Lower the meat consumption and cook from basics, which takes creativity and time. It's not easy to buck generations of a certain way of eating and preparing food, just be proud that you're making the effort and don't be too hard on yourself. Eventually you will come to prefer the food you cook yourself and might even enjoy the time in the kitchen (although not everyone loves to cook, I know that).

[Anonymous]

For our family of 5 we spend about $300/week on food. Majority of it is fruit, veg, and meat/seafood. The processed stuff we get is bread (2 loaves a week), frozen waffles/pancakes, and snack to pack with kids lunches. Snacks can be salami, cheese, pretzels, yogurt or PB crackers

[Anonymous]

Family of four and we spend about $1300 a month at the grocery store/target as well, but this includes diapers, cleaning products, soap, toilet paper, car food, prescriptions, etc... For the people spending $150 per week, is that just food or other items as well?

[Anonymous]

Car food = cat food

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not see how $1300 is "normal" for this area for 3 people. I can't even fathom how one spends nearly 300 at the grocery store in a week. I only do this if I'm entertaining.

It certainly isn't frugal or even sensible, but for two-income families where both parents are high earners, and aren't buying beans in the can and having sensible tuna fish sandwiches for lunch, I think it is not an uncommon amount to spend.

Especially if they are buying gourmet foods, imported cheeses, and of course wine and beer. Of course it is cheaper to buy bricks of cheddar and to buy your meat in a bulk "family pack" and re package to freeze in more sensible servings. But some people just don't do that.

$1300/month is on the high end, but I don't think it is that out of line for what well off people in this area spend at the grocery store each month.

OP, what are you spending your money on? Do you buy generic cold cereals and bulk meats; blocks of cheese? Cans of beans to make casseroles and your own hummus? Big bags of frozen peas and green beans? Potatoes in sacks of 10 pounds?

If people are such high earners, they why are they complaining about a 1300/mo grocery bill?

I'm the person you quoted and our HHI is in excesss of 450K and I think spending 150-175K is actually pretty high. I don't look at prices and buy all organic animal products and organic for the dirty dozen. We eat beans because we like them and we are physically fit and would like to keep it that way.

I still cannot see how one spends in excess of $300 a week on groceries. Even if they are buying $20lb cheese and if they are eating $100 worth of pancetta and cheese, then I guess they should be happy they will have enough money left over for lap band. The OP is complaing htat HEALTHY food expensive, not that it is a shame that Cakebreak cost $85 for a bottle of cab.

if you are spending that kind of money, you buying a lot of pre-prepared foods (and you are kidding yourself if you think this is healthy), throwing a lot away, or you are heading toward morbid obesity.

[Anonymous]

We spend $560/mo for a family of three. This includes dogfood, paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning products, etc. We don't eat organic but we do cook almost every meal at home (go out once or twice per month) and purchase fresh veggies and very little processed food. This also includes beer/wine. We pack lunches and DD gets lunch at school.

[Anonymous]

17:33 here. I make most of our meals from scratch, with the exception of boxed cereals (organic, high protein), and peanut butter, jams, etc. I try to make bread a couple of times a week, but also buy organic bread. The snacks I buy for the kids are baby carrots, yogurts, granola bars, fruit, cheese sticks. I don't buy crackers or chips or any junk food. But we do have some processed food. But again, I can't fathom spending $1300 a month on groceries for three people. And my kids eat a LOT. We buy a bottle of wine once and a while, but not that often. And then it's a $15 bottle, maybe $20. I think we eat delicious food, and we certainly don't feel deprived. I'm dying to know what the $1300 per month family eats!

[Anonymous]

Anyone want to post some frugal dinner recipes? Preferably meals picky eaters will go for?

[Anonymous]

Do a search in this forum and there are a ton of good recipes.

[Anonymous]

$1300 is so crazy I am kind of thinking troll.

The single most important thing we do is shop for what's in season, on sale and reasonably priced, and cook from there. If you start from recipes, you're getting the fish that's $15/lb that week. I use a lot of the most basic vegetables, prepared in different ways and accented with more expensive ones when necessary. A carrot can be steamed, roasted, melted with butter, shredded in a salad, made into a quick pickle, etc. I use frozen where there's no quality difference - love TJ's frozen chopped leeks for $1.99, and frozen fruit for baking.

Whatever comes bagged or in large quantities, I'll buy that way. Several different kinds of fruit at the each price is far more expensive than focusing on a few types per week - say, bagged organic apples, tangerines, a flat of blackberries, and either lemons or limes. The apples work out of hand, cubed in salad, baked for dessert.

I also buy small amounts of expensive ingredients, like good chocolate and fancy cheese with a lot of flavor. This goes pretty far in dressings and smeared on a steak, and keeps us from feeling deprived by otherwise simpler foods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not see how $1300 is "normal" for this area for 3 people. I can't even fathom how one spends nearly 300 at the grocery store in a week. I only do this if I'm entertaining.

It certainly isn't frugal or even sensible, but for two-income families where both parents are high earners, and aren't buying beans in the can and having sensible tuna fish sandwiches for lunch, I think it is not an uncommon amount to spend.

Especially if they are buying gourmet foods, imported cheeses, and of course wine and beer. Of course it is cheaper to buy bricks of cheddar and to buy your meat in a bulk "family pack" and re package to freeze in more sensible servings. But some people just don't do that.

$1300/month is on the high end, but I don't think it is that out of line for what well off people in this area spend at the grocery store each month.

OP, what are you spending your money on? Do you buy generic cold cereals and bulk meats; blocks of cheese? Cans of beans to make casseroles and your own hummus? Big bags of frozen peas and green beans? Potatoes in sacks of 10 pounds?

If people are such high earners, they why are they complaining about a 1300/mo grocery bill?

I'm the person you quoted and our HHI is in excesss of 450K and I think spending 150-175K is actually pretty high. I don't look at prices and buy all organic animal products and organic for the dirty dozen. We eat beans because we like them and we are physically fit and would like to keep it that way.

I still cannot see how one spends in excess of $300 a week on groceries. Even if they are buying $20lb cheese and if they are eating $100 worth of pancetta and cheese, then I guess they should be happy they will have enough money left over for lap band. The OP is complaing htat HEALTHY food expensive, not that it is a shame that Cakebreak cost $85 for a bottle of cab.

if you are spending that kind of money, you buying a lot of pre-prepared foods (and you are kidding yourself if you think this is healthy), throwing a lot away, or you are heading toward morbid obesity.

I don't think OP was looking for finger-wagging and scolding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not see how $1300 is "normal" for this area for 3 people. I can't even fathom how one spends nearly 300 at the grocery store in a week. I only do this if I'm entertaining.

It certainly isn't frugal or even sensible, but for two-income families where both parents are high earners, and aren't buying beans in the can and having sensible tuna fish sandwiches for lunch, I think it is not an uncommon amount to spend.

Especially if they are buying gourmet foods, imported cheeses, and of course wine and beer. Of course it is cheaper to buy bricks of cheddar and to buy your meat in a bulk "family pack" and re package to freeze in more sensible servings. But some people just don't do that.

$1300/month is on the high end, but I don't think it is that out of line for what well off people in this area spend at the grocery store each month.

OP, what are you spending your money on? Do you buy generic cold cereals and bulk meats; blocks of cheese? Cans of beans to make casseroles and your own hummus? Big bags of frozen peas and green beans? Potatoes in sacks of 10 pounds?

If people are such high earners, they why are they complaining about a 1300/mo grocery bill?

I'm the person you quoted and our HHI is in excesss of 450K and I think spending 150-175K is actually pretty high. I don't look at prices and buy all organic animal products and organic for the dirty dozen. We eat beans because we like them and we are physically fit and would like to keep it that way.

I still cannot see how one spends in excess of $300 a week on groceries. Even if they are buying $20lb cheese and if they are eating $100 worth of pancetta and cheese, then I guess they should be happy they will have enough money left over for lap band. The OP is complaing htat HEALTHY food expensive, not that it is a shame that Cakebreak cost $85 for a bottle of cab.

if you are spending that kind of money, you buying a lot of pre-prepared foods (and you are kidding yourself if you think this is healthy), throwing a lot away, or you are heading toward morbid obesity.

I don't think OP was looking for finger-wagging and scolding.

What just sympathy? Because no one who grocery shops and eats healthy from scratch meals is going to relate.

Maybe she got lost and thought she was posting on Baby Center.

[Anonymous]

We have to be very careful what we eat b/c DH is diabetic. So $1200 month is about right for 4 (2 teenagers) We don't do fast food, or bulk from Costco very much -- we feel we wasted a lot of food that way. Yes, lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and it does get expensive. Worth it for the health benefits for us.

[Anonymous]

PP^^ No cheap carbs. No bread. Also included in that is household items --cleaners, shampoos, toothpaste etc. That stuff is expensive!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
If people are such high earners, they why are they complaining about a 1300/mo grocery bill?

I'm the person you quoted and our HHI is in excesss of 450K and I think spending 150-175K is actually pretty high. I don't look at prices and buy all organic animal products and organic for the dirty dozen. We eat beans because we like them and we are physically fit and would like to keep it that way.

I still cannot see how one spends in excess of $300 a week on groceries. Even if they are buying $20lb cheese and if they are eating $100 worth of pancetta and cheese, then I guess they should be happy they will have enough money left over for lap band. The OP is complaing htat HEALTHY food expensive, not that it is a shame that Cakebreak cost $85 for a bottle of cab.

if you are spending that kind of money, you buying a lot of pre-prepared foods (and you are kidding yourself if you think this is healthy), throwing a lot away, or you are heading toward morbid obesity.

People who know how much they spend on groceries every month are one type of people -- the kind that pays attention to expenses. Just the fact that you think about what you are spending, makes you be more intentional about your choices, and you will likely be more frugal. I honestly think those people are the ones who respond to questions such as this. You get an over sampling of frugal people, or at least people who are aware of how much they are spending.

Even people who have a high income can spend without thinking, and can be shocked at how much the spending was -- even if they technically can afford it. Very likely OP just spent a lot on "stock up" expenses this month. I know I can easily spend $300 in one big shopping trip at Costco if I am not careful.

OP let's hear back from you. Post a recent shopping list!