We spend too much on groceries. Or do we?

[Anonymous]

Where do you shop? Aldis? I go to Safeway, Target, HT, WF and MOMs and spend at least $700 for the 3 of us. We're vegetarians, but even the fake meat is expensive. I don't know how you do it, OP! What's your secret?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you don't pack lunches. That eliminates a huge portion of our grocery bill. Congratulations.

They probably eat breakfast and lunch at school. That leaves lunch for the adults M-F which they probably eat out every single day and isn't mentioned...

Well, I wouldn't mention it either, because it's not part of my grocery bill and the question was about spending on groceries. We have a family of four, kids are 8 and 11, and our grocery bill is about $100-125 a week at Teeter (about $500 a month), plus we go to Costco and Trader Joe's occasionally (and Whole Foods rarely) which probably averages out to another $100 a month on food. But that doesn't include the kids lunches during the week, my husband's lunches or some of mine, we get pizza once a week, and we get all of our paper goods and cleaning supplies and toiletries at Costco and Target so I don't include that in the "groceries" category. It's hard to do an apples to apples comparison since people prepare different numbers of meals at home, and may be counting more than food in the grocery bill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yep, it's always enough food. In the pantry now we have over 20 boxes of pasta and over 10 bags of rice. We have a shelf full of canned goods and the fridge is stocked.

No food stamps or free meals. We have dinner out once a week and order takeout once a week. The kids get lunch at school but we pay for it.

Fantastic. Remind me why you posted?

Love.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you don't pack lunches. That eliminates a huge portion of our grocery bill. Congratulations.

They probably eat breakfast and lunch at school. That leaves lunch for the adults M-F which they probably eat out every single day and isn't mentioned...

Well, I wouldn't mention it either, because it's not part of my grocery bill and the question was about spending on groceries. We have a family of four, kids are 8 and 11, and our grocery bill is about $100-125 a week at Teeter (about $500 a month), plus we go to Costco and Trader Joe's occasionally (and Whole Foods rarely) which probably averages out to another $100 a month on food. But that doesn't include the kids lunches during the week, my husband's lunches or some of mine, we get pizza once a week, and we get all of our paper goods and cleaning supplies and toiletries at Costco and Target so I don't include that in the "groceries" category. It's hard to do an apples to apples comparison since people prepare different numbers of meals at home, and may be counting more than food in the grocery bill.

That's absurd. Hey, I spend $0 on groceries, do I spend too much? I don't think I should mention that I eat out every meal. Riiiggghhhht!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you don't pack lunches. That eliminates a huge portion of our grocery bill. Congratulations.

They probably eat breakfast and lunch at school. That leaves lunch for the adults M-F which they probably eat out every single day and isn't mentioned...

Well, I wouldn't mention it either, because it's not part of my grocery bill and the question was about spending on groceries. We have a family of four, kids are 8 and 11, and our grocery bill is about $100-125 a week at Teeter (about $500 a month), plus we go to Costco and Trader Joe's occasionally (and Whole Foods rarely) which probably averages out to another $100 a month on food. But that doesn't include the kids lunches during the week, my husband's lunches or some of mine, we get pizza once a week, and we get all of our paper goods and cleaning supplies and toiletries at Costco and Target so I don't include that in the "groceries" category. It's hard to do an apples to apples comparison since people prepare different numbers of meals at home, and may be counting more than food in the grocery bill.

That's absurd. Hey, I spend $0 on groceries, do I spend too much? I don't think I should mention that I eat out every meal. Riiiggghhhht!

I'm just saying, the difference between $500 and $700 and $900 a month in groceries could be driven just by whether you make lunches for everyone or if you eat out 3x a week instead of 1x a week. These threads should be based on "We make XX meals a month and this is our grocery budget" or else there's no way to compare.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you don't pack lunches. That eliminates a huge portion of our grocery bill. Congratulations.

They probably eat breakfast and lunch at school. That leaves lunch for the adults M-F which they probably eat out every single day and isn't mentioned...

Well, I wouldn't mention it either, because it's not part of my grocery bill and the question was about spending on groceries. We have a family of four, kids are 8 and 11, and our grocery bill is about $100-125 a week at Teeter (about $500 a month), plus we go to Costco and Trader Joe's occasionally (and Whole Foods rarely) which probably averages out to another $100 a month on food. But that doesn't include the kids lunches during the week, my husband's lunches or some of mine, we get pizza once a week, and we get all of our paper goods and cleaning supplies and toiletries at Costco and Target so I don't include that in the "groceries" category. It's hard to do an apples to apples comparison since people prepare different numbers of meals at home, and may be counting more than food in the grocery bill.

That's absurd. Hey, I spend $0 on groceries, do I spend too much? I don't think I should mention that I eat out every meal. Riiiggghhhht!

I'm just saying, the difference between $500 and $700 and $900 a month in groceries could be driven just by whether you make lunches for everyone or if you eat out 3x a week instead of 1x a week. These threads should be based on "We make XX meals a month and this is our grocery budget" or else there's no way to compare.

That said, the lady in the other thread who spends $450 a week…unless you're Carol Brady, I don't see how you could spend that much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where do you shop? Aldis? I go to Safeway, Target, HT, WF and MOMs and spend at least $700 for the 3 of us. We're vegetarians, but even the fake meat is expensive. I don't know how you do it, OP! What's your secret?

700 for 3 people? You must buy everything organic. That's a ton of money for being a vegetarian -- unless you buy a lot of fake meat and cheese? How old is the third person?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you don't pack lunches. That eliminates a huge portion of our grocery bill. Congratulations.

They probably eat breakfast and lunch at school. That leaves lunch for the adults M-F which they probably eat out every single day and isn't mentioned...

Well, I wouldn't mention it either, because it's not part of my grocery bill and the question was about spending on groceries. We have a family of four, kids are 8 and 11, and our grocery bill is about $100-125 a week at Teeter (about $500 a month), plus we go to Costco and Trader Joe's occasionally (and Whole Foods rarely) which probably averages out to another $100 a month on food. But that doesn't include the kids lunches during the week, my husband's lunches or some of mine, we get pizza once a week, and we get all of our paper goods and cleaning supplies and toiletries at Costco and Target so I don't include that in the "groceries" category. It's hard to do an apples to apples comparison since people prepare different numbers of meals at home, and may be counting more than food in the grocery bill.

That's absurd. Hey, I spend $0 on groceries, do I spend too much? I don't think I should mention that I eat out every meal. Riiiggghhhht!

I'm just saying, the difference between $500 and $700 and $900 a month in groceries could be driven just by whether you make lunches for everyone or if you eat out 3x a week instead of 1x a week. These threads should be based on "We make XX meals a month and this is our grocery budget" or else there's no way to compare.

+1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where do you shop? Aldis? I go to Safeway, Target, HT, WF and MOMs and spend at least $700 for the 3 of us. We're vegetarians, but even the fake meat is expensive. I don't know how you do it, OP! What's your secret?

Do you pack all lunches/eat all meals at home?

[Anonymous]

Holy cow, you have multiple teen boys and that's all you spend? There are four of us, including two teen boys, and we spend more than $700, plus the occasional meal out.

[Anonymous]

One word : HMart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you don't pack lunches. That eliminates a huge portion of our grocery bill. Congratulations.

They probably eat breakfast and lunch at school. That leaves lunch for the adults M-F which they probably eat out every single day and isn't mentioned...

Well, I wouldn't mention it either, because it's not part of my grocery bill and the question was about spending on groceries. We have a family of four, kids are 8 and 11, and our grocery bill is about $100-125 a week at Teeter (about $500 a month), plus we go to Costco and Trader Joe's occasionally (and Whole Foods rarely) which probably averages out to another $100 a month on food. But that doesn't include the kids lunches during the week, my husband's lunches or some of mine, we get pizza once a week, and we get all of our paper goods and cleaning supplies and toiletries at Costco and Target so I don't include that in the "groceries" category. It's hard to do an apples to apples comparison since people prepare different numbers of meals at home, and may be counting more than food in the grocery bill.

That's absurd. Hey, I spend $0 on groceries, do I spend too much? I don't think I should mention that I eat out every meal. Riiiggghhhht!

I'm just saying, the difference between $500 and $700 and $900 a month in groceries could be driven just by whether you make lunches for everyone or if you eat out 3x a week instead of 1x a week. These threads should be based on "We make XX meals a month and this is our grocery budget" or else there's no way to compare.

Okay I agree, it just doesn't make any sense for a person to ask a question like the OP's and omit the fact that most people aren't eating most meals at home.

[Anonymous]

Family of three, DH and DW mid 30s and DS 2yrs old, we spend about $700 and yes mostly, natural and organic food from either TJs and WF.

On the plus side ever since we switched to organics I have lost 30lbs and no meanies I wasn't obsess and sitting on front of the TUBE.

[Anonymous]

Hi Gwyneth!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Family of three, DH and DW mid 30s and DS 2yrs old, we spend about $700 and yes mostly, natural and organic food from either TJs and WF.

On the plus side ever since we switched to organics I have lost 30lbs and no meanies I wasn't obsess and sitting on front of the TUBE.

"Obsess?"