OP, here's a link to a YNAB Discussion form where people who track expenses report their grocery spending.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ynab/comments/xpk346/what_are_people_spending_on_groceries_now/

Families with 4 people seem to come in at $1200-$1400/month in HCOL areas.

Anonymous wrote:Honestly that is what we spend. Our food costs were 37,000 last year for absolutely everything, including takeout and fairly infrequent holiday entertaining, etc. we have two young kids and our nanny whose meals we provide during the week. That’s about 700 a week all in. It’s insane.

This is honest - and likely accurate.

OP, the people saying they only spend $150-$200/week on groceries are generally underestimating what they spend.

I spend about $300 a week for family of 4. We spend a lot on produce, but all organic dairy. But we eat a lot of chicken, not a ton of beef, kids eat a lot of pasta.

Anonymous wrote:For the people saying they spend 200 dollars or under, can you share a daily menu with the total cost?

I'm one of the posters on the lower end. Some of our typical meals include

Breakfasts
oatmeal (big store brand tub)
toast (homemade bread) with an egg or cottage cheese
store bagel with cream cheese
everyone usually has a fruit with breakfast apple/orange/homemade smoothie/other fruit that was on deep sale
coffee (buselo or store brand espresso)

Lunch
(kid gets free lunch)
peanut butter sandwich
homemade veggie burrito from freezer
leftovers
homemade rice bowl (rice/egg/veggie/kimchi)
vegetable on the side this week are tomatoes/carrot and celery sticks

Dinners
chicken and dumplings
baked tofu and couscous/veggie
burgers and mashed potatoes/veggie (no buns because I realized my kid wasn't eating them and I don't need extra carbs)
pasta many ways
tacos
veggies on the side include broccoli and spinach

Snacks: we always have some kind of cracker, some kind of chip, rice cakes, homemade cookies-I try to spread out snacks so I'm only buying one or two items a week.

I think the key things are buying cheaper ingredients, watching extras like condiments (and if you buy them, use them up), not overbuying, using up leftovers, thinking about how much single serve items cost (those individual yogurts can really add up).

Family of 5 with 3 teen boys (but one picky eater so more like 2 teen boys and 1 elementary). $350 a week. No red meats. Lots of poultry. Lunches at home daily for 2 and on the weekend for all. An extra $200ish for meals out.

Family of 4 - two 13 yos. I spend about $220 per week at the grocery store that often includes pet food, toiletries and staples . But we also get takeout 2 nights every week that increases that amount.

For the people saying they spend 200 dollars or under, can you share a daily menu with the total cost?

Anonymous wrote:I've been keeping track of everything with YNAB. I have about 6 months of records now.
2 adults 1 teen.
Weekly on average groceries = $550

Monthly Averages:

groceries $2,200
take out+ restaurants: $320
home goods (cleaning supplies, paper products, toiletries): $145

OOps! I forgot to subtract some thing from my expense report! Yay,

I spent an average of $1735 on groceries! NOT $2200. So about $433 a week. (And on a downward trend. When I first started keeping track it was higher.)

Anonymous wrote:I buy well and we must be spending $500-$700 a week for 3/4 people, which is crazy. What are you spending a week and how many people? Where do you shop?

I'm the YNAB PP. I think your spending is absolutely common for DCUM. I do believe that people can spend less, but unless they tell you they are tracking it, most people seriously underestimate how much they spend on food.

I've been keeping track of everything with YNAB. I have about 6 months of records now.
2 adults 1 teen.
Weekly on average groceries = $550

Monthly Averages:

groceries $2,200
take out+ restaurants: $320
home goods (cleaning supplies, paper products, toiletries): $145

Anonymous wrote:Family of 4, including two teen athlete boys. We spend about $300-500 per week.

Usually one main grocery store run of $200-300 per week, plus I buy milk from SMC, buy our meat in bulk for about $500 twice a year, and order frozen seafood for a couple hundred dollars every few months. If you count wine add another $80-100 per month.

PP is buying meat in bulk cheaper? Where do you buy?

Family of five: 2 adults, 3 teens who work out. We’re in the same boat OP. We rarely eat out and do have salmon at least once a week. I’ve stopped buying $14 lb. deli sliced Turkey and making chicken salad at $2 lb. I’m starting to look at Aldi for staples.

Anonymous wrote:Honestly that is what we spend. Our food costs were 37,000 last year for absolutely everything, including takeout and fairly infrequent holiday entertaining, etc. we have two young kids and our nanny whose meals we provide during the week. That’s about 700 a week all in. It’s insane.

that’s $100 per day

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I spend about $400-500/month at Costco and then spend around $80/week at the grocery store filling in gaps. Family of four with two teen girls - one eats a good amount and the other doesn’t. We also probably spend $80/week on two takeout meals. We don’t eat at expensive places (except for special occasions) and we don’t use door dash or Uber eats at all. Way too expensive.

How can you spend $80 on two takeout meals? I just spent $60 at Chipotle with no drinks.Fast food?

I’m also wondering this!
Though we have recently started combing take out food with things we have at home. EG I used to get a full Peruvian chicken meal with sides. Now I just get the chicken and maybe plantains and make rice and black beans at home. But even that is $30.

Anonymous wrote:I spend about $400-500/month at Costco and then spend around $80/week at the grocery store filling in gaps. Family of four with two teen girls - one eats a good amount and the other doesn’t. We also probably spend $80/week on two takeout meals. We don’t eat at expensive places (except for special occasions) and we don’t use door dash or Uber eats at all. Way too expensive.

How can you spend $80 on two takeout meals? I just spent $60 at Chipotle with no drinks.Fast food?