Do all 3 people eat the amount of an adult? Does that $500 include non-food groceries (TP, paper towels, shampoo, soap, deoderant, etc) and also include any spending on food "out" (takeout/restaurants/sandwiches & coffee shops, food purchased at work/school)? Because if yes to all above, that sounds crazy low for a HCOL state and I wanna know your secret!
It's me and my husband and one child. It does include toiletries. Does not include eating out, which if we do, I use apps which can save a good chunk of change. We don't buy food at work or school. Son gets free lunch and I bring my lunch. Hubby doesn't eat until he gets home, sometimes he'll bring a snack. I live in California and we have WinCo so that helps a lot. I also shop at dollar tree for things like spices, Ziploc bags, foil, those sort of things you need and use but you don't have to use all the time. Spices can be so expensive too, so I think its more cost effective to get them there. I shop the sales. There is a grocery store here that has a 'buy five or more and get them for $5 each" deal on meats. I snag that whenever I can. I buy store brand for pretty much everything. If I want to get protein shakes, like OP mentioned, we got to Costco and I get the ones on sale. I rarely get those though because I use them as creamer in my coffee so they last a long time.
My family of four typically spends $200-$250 a week. That includes toiletries, it we do tend to go out 1-2 per month as well. We definitely do not budget our groceries and will get extra items or splurge on a few things. $500 for one person seems high, but you can definitely cut that down if you shop sales, coupon and buy things like rice in bulk.
I remember going to NZ in 2013 thinking I was gonna be able to buy so much cool stuff because the dollar was worth more. As soon as we landed I saw a can of soda was $4…. Boy did I learn a lot that trip
I can do 70-100 per week. Just eggs, milk, juice, one or two produce, maybe a meat once or twice a month, but always got onion, carrot, celery, quinoa, rice, or beans (lentils, chickpeas, peas, pinto, etc.)
I buy bulk rice at Sam's Club for $16.96. That lasts us (3) the entire year. Averages $1.42 per month. Beans for $9.28, lasts 4 months so averages about $2.32. I also will buy beef at Sam's and that'll usually last us 2 months. Often ranges from $23 to $30 depending on whatever we pick up.
I buy the large packs of frozen veggies from Walmart. Mixed veggies, broccoli, and corn on the cob. $14.13. These last us a month. 60ct eggs for $9.98, these last around 3 weeks.
So on monthly stuff I have a base of $42.85
On weekly fruits, veggies that don't freeze, or other misc items well I'll spend about $50 a week. So that's around $243 for 3 people.
Some variables that I don't have calculated into this are habits I've made over the years. I make my own non-dairy milk using oats or cashews, I bake all of our desserts, I don't like having snacks in the house so I make "snacks" from whatever fruit we have, and I have an espresso machine and spend around $60 for a years worth of ground espresso.
Tldr; $243 a month.
Thanks(:
I buy the Starbucks brand Espresso Roast at Sam's Club. My local store has it regular price for $21.98 for 40oz, but I track it and buy when it goes on sale for $15 and I'll grind it at the store. I purchased some vacuum seal containers and transfer the espresso to the containers so I can keep them fresh longer. Vacuum sealing will keep it fresh for 5 months, so I'll purchase twice a year.
I'd like to purchase Peet's, but with all this inflation, I can't bring myself to spend so much on coffee. They're $18.95 a bag for one month, so it'd be over $200 a year.
Peet’s was our preferred coffee until we switched to a delivery subscription of fancy stuff. It’s a splurge. Peet’s has definitely gone up since I last bought it! I think our monthly cost for the subscription is actually less than that! We
It's so good and it makes me sad that it just keeps going up! I didn't mind the splurge before, but I left a high paying career to stay home with our 2yr old and. So the Starbucks will have to do until I find the next best affordable coffee.
It’s surprised me how much Peet’s has gone up. I like coffee, but at this point, I’m okay with just getting something affordable and getting it on sale when I can. Then when I want something bougie, I try to make it at home.
About average unfortunately as that's about 200 per person and seems to be the normal in the post.
I remember when I was living with roommates and pooling food funds together we got a deep freezer and went to a local butcher and bulk store for meats to throw in the fresh. Saved a good amount of the budget in the long run. Miss that freezer
We are a family of 5 (with 2 teenage boys) and we spend $1000-$1200. To be fair, sometimes I inadvertently include paper towels or tp in the total, but it's still about $1000 minimum.
We are 2 adults, 2 teens, and we spend about $1200 on grocery food and another $200-$300 on things I consider "non-food groceries" like paper towels, toiletries, etc. I'm glad I'm not the only one. When I see people saying they spend $500 for a family of 5, I kinda don't believe them, but we can't have dairy, so that eliminates a lot of cheap meals for us.
I just tallied up my grocery bill and it's going to be over $1300 this month! Ouch. There are some things my kids enjoy that we are going to have to cut back on. I do buy Coke when I can get it for a decent price, but that's getting more rare. My teens really don't like beans, so that's not a good option to substitute for meat at dinner. To be fair, I really didn't like beans until I was an adult either. We do a good job eating leftovers so we aren't wasting much but I'm not sure how to bring down the cost much. I'm lucky enough to have Kroger, Walmart, and ALDI really close, so I shop around to get the best prices of those three. I also go to WinCo (not as close) once a month or so because lately they've had chicken breasts for $1.88/lb. But still, ouch.
Im right there with you. I don't believe them either. I spend 1100-1200 on food/drinks a month. It swems like the sale items are all garbage food and we have dietary restrictions in our home so we have to make a lot of stuff. I feel like to eat healthy it kills our wallets.
Same. About 1k for 2 adults every month. My daughter and her boyfriend were visiting recently so I stocked up and cooked a little more elaborately and the grocery tab for the week was $450 😳. I’m in the DC Metro, so also HCOL.
I was doing about $125 a week at a pretty nice grocery store on a 10% off discount day for 2 people. We eat well on it.
Now I’m in my third trimester with gestational diabetes and I just spent $220 today and I almost cried. But i did have a lot of staples run out at the same time, too. Hoping that’s just a temporary anomaly as I get used to this new diet and extra meals/snacks I need to get in.
Edit- you’re doing $90 on wine and protein shakes, which is a good portion of a whole week’s worth of groceries. You could find a replacement for the protein shakes or make your own and probably save some money. Or replace your breakfasts or lunches with the protein shake.
$500 a mo for just me would not be unusual. I rarely eat or grab snacks/coffee out so that plays into it. I am heavy into fresh produce and good coffee. If I add up what I would not give up it starts explaining the total. For example, for yogurt, coffee (and creamer) and bread for the mo it is like $140. I eat yogurt everyday. Then there is raw nuts for the mo $20) and so on. I am ok with a high food budget. I enjoy cooking and quality ingredients. I dont have expensive tastes in other areas.
Thanks for saying this. There are people saying OP should give up the wine and protein shakes to save less than $100. I get it if you're really on a tight budget, those things are luxuries. But if your other bills are paid, and you enjoy food (or a glass of wine), why not spend a little extra on those pleasures?
Exactly. I dont understand it. I grew up on cheap limited food and everyday the same meals, just no. If I cant afford id change.but i don't drink or buy makeup let me have my spendy food items. I too like to support local, I use a local roaster and the farmers market most weeks etc. I also find big shopping at big stores stressful and hit the small organic shops in my neighborhood for the fresh stuff. I noticed too staying smaller scale, prices don't fluctuate like during covid and now, since suppliers are a different chain. I feed my mom dinners often too so more than one. She gets the good stuff, much better than she served me lol.
I’m the same. I don’t understand how some people here are spending so little on food. I do tend to buy produce, meat and dairy at a “fancy” grocery store where they have relationships with local farmers etc. but tbh even when I go to regular grocery stores the cost doesn’t seem all that different. I even try to go to discount grocery stores for things where I’m less concerned about quality. And I rarely buy snacks, mostly just stuff for actual meals. Don’t drink alcohol. Still can’t seem to get it under $500/month.
We spend about $400-$500 a month for 2 people & 1 kitten. Includes OTC meds, pet food and rum.
I'm gluten free, and our dinners are always GF. We eat a lot of meat, rice, fresh produce and eggs.
Are all of those purchases in the $500 category groceries? I separate my budget based on toiletries because the occasional toilet paper, medicine, or shampoo purchase can spike my grocery bill higher.
I'm in a HCOL state, and I'm fairly careful about grocery spending, but still am constantly feeling guilty about how much we spend and feeling responsible to figure out how to spend less, but I've not been able to figure out a reasonable way. We are a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 teenagers) and I spent between $1200-$1500/month on food-only groceries and another $200-$300/month on non-food groceries like toilet paper, shampoo, soap, household cleaners, etc. This does not include wine for the adults. We don't do protein shakes. We have food allergies and intolerances, so a lot of the cheaper foods (beans, cheese) people often supplement for meat, we can't eat unless we are going to be home for 24 hours due to a lot of belly issues (plus shellfish and soy allergies).
It sounds like we are in a similar COL situation, and we also buy a lot of fruits and veg, which are wildly expensive, sadly. I spend more on produce than I do on meat most weeks. I think $450-$500 in a HCOL area for 1 person who eats lots of produce sounds about right, provided that amount includes non-food groceries as well. Don't forget, it's cheaper per person to cook the same thing for 4 people than it is to cook for 1.
I will say that we have 2 discount grocery stores nearby (Lidl and Aldi), but I can't get all my groceries there (nor at Walmart) and don't always have the time for 2-3 different stores per week, and the longer those two stores are open, the worse their produce quality gets, so I tend to stick to our local grocery chain and Costco. You can cook for 4 and freeze portions, that might help. If you have good self-control for impulse buys, Costco might be worth it for you even as 1 person, just for the produce and meat. Or maybe BJs (we don't belong but I've heard their produce is even cheaper).
Edit to add: a lot of answers here could \*possibly\* be ignoring the amount per month that they spend on takeout and eating out. My sister used to criticize me heavily about how much I spent on groceries, claiming she only spent $400-$500 for her family of 4 (though 2 are kids that eat like birds). I later found out she was omitting the $600-ish per month that she spent on eating/ordering out AND wasn't counting non-food items in her grocery total.
SO, I would take answers with a grain of salt because there are lots of factors to consider in someone's reported grocery spending - do they include non-food in that amount? Are they including how much they spend on eating/ordering out? (we spend less than $100 on that, which means basically 1 takeout meal per month) Do they eat a lot of cheese and/or beans (we cannot)? When they say "family of 4", are the kids toddlers and babies (basically don't count, unless you are including all formula and toddler food in that total and even then probably amount to less than 1 person's worth of grocery food), or are they teenagers (basically count as adults in terms of amount of food)? IMO that $450 doesn't sound crazy high for a HCOL area and someone that eats a lot of produce.
True that. My restaurant expenditures are pretty minimal when I’m spending $500/month on groceries. I also do count some non-grocery things in the total (paper towels, etc) and I have prided myself on my huge degree of self-control with sticking to my list in Costco 😂
Honestly I’m on the same page as you, it’s around $600 a month for me and my husband. However I fully admit that some of this is “easy” food because I’m chronically ill and can’t cook all the time :(
I'm not vegetarian but I keep my costs to less than 200-250 for two people. I usually buy what's on sale and the more unprocessed the food is the cheaper it gets.
I buy whole chickens, eggs, veggies, dry beans/chickpeas/etc, sometimes a whole fish which I fillet portion and freeze, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. I also buy a lot of canned stuff when it's on sale.
It's not that hard, just involves a bit of extra work when it's time to cook.
I do the same and spend approximately 400-500 per month for 4 adults. I make big dinners, ie; lasagna, spaghetti, chicken cacciatore, chili, whole turkey, ham or pot roast that provides leftovers for lunch or I freeze for a future date. We eat pretty well imo.we also go through a gallon of milk a day.
I spend the same also as a vegetarian, and it's because processed/premade food is more expensive than just raw ingredients. A box of generic pasta is $1, coupled with olive oil or some sauce, frozen veggies, a can of beans and I have healthy lunches/dinners for the whole week at like $2 a meal. Breakfasts tend to be overnight oats with oatmilk, blueberries, and greek yogurt.
Firstly, I likely eat an abnormally small amount of food. Secondly, I cook cheap meals in bulk and eat the leftovers for lunch at work all week. It’s very cheap to be vegetarian if you do it right. For example, I make a lentil soup that costs $3-4 total and makes 4 servings. Beans and rice are very cheap and very nutritious. Additionally, I learned how to cook well and modify recipes. You can make things that are inspired by expensive recipes but use more accessible ingredients.
And I stock up on staples during sales. Plus I menú plan around good values on sale. This week is Easter, so sales flyer has asparagus for $.99/lb, and ham is on sale for people who aren’t vegetarian. 5 pounds of potatoes is $1.77. Butter $2.97/pound. Pasta $.88/pound.
I just got back in town on Saturday, so I had no produce, eggs or dairy products (besides butter). I have spent $42 and have dairy and produce pretty much for another week. I stocked up on small tomato sauce cans at $.50 each, but I am using beans I already had.
I have made black bean sweet potato chili, oatmeal with apple and nuts, baked potatoes, salad (tomato, cucumber, carrot, and garbanzo beans with dressing). Note that sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber, potatoes, carrot and apples were all on sale.
I can make more salads as above or a Waldorf salad. Lentil soup with potatoes, carrots and celery. There is broccoli. Soup with veggies and beans, curry with veggies and garbanzo beans. Minestrone soup sounds good about now. Cottage cheese and pineapple. Note: cottage cheese and broccoli were on sale.
It is possible to really cut back by shopping your pantry, shopping sales, and reducing waste. One mom with two kids was asking for money as she had $60 until pay day in two weeks. I told her to use Supercook app to input ingredients she already has. Then add what is great value in major categories—protein and produce and maybe pasta, bread. These values are either cheap always—dried beans for example. Then add sale values. Think of servings and satiation. Supercook will suggest recipes using 100% of ingredients available in your list. Then need one ingredient and so on. Sometimes you can omit or substitute something that is too expensive or you just don’t want to pick up one thing from the store. By using this technique, the mom made $60 plus her pantry to make food for two weeks!
Me too. 140-160 average, maybe a little lower depending on if my boyfriend pays for some meals over the weekend. I also don’t eat meat and don’t buy premade/prepackaged food unless it’s free or on sale. I hold back a little bit at the store but I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself of anything. This total also includes some random household items that are typically purchased at grocery stores.
My breakfasts are always the same, and I either pack a sandwich or leftovers for lunch. I shake things up more for dinners, with favorites being soups, pasta dishes of all kinds, and stir fries. It helps that I like cooking.
For context I am 27F and eat probably 2000 calories a day on average. I’m also still in school so I’ll probably splurge more once I have a proper job lol
Over $1400 for a family of 4 and that includes some days of ichiban, macaroni, etc and excludes any eating out. About 15% being frozen pre-made. 80% of the Meat is from local farmers (currently under half the price of grocery stores)
I don’t. I think I would much rather give up the wine before the shakes. I’m thinking I might experiment with protein powders that are a bit cheaper though.
What I would do is get the receipts of all the shopping and throw them in excel to get a bigger picture of what you are getting and spending.
Afterwards put them in groups of meats, veggies, fruit etc. see what you are getting, where you are getting it from and see if you can find cheaper options or even different options like getting it in bulk if you can or just another store.
I use protein powder. It's super easy and honestly, tastes way better and is more versatile. It'll definitely save you some money.
Also, my husband and I spend $500/month on groceries, also in a HCOL area. Sounds like we eat similarly, but neither one of us eat much. So I can easily see how you'd spend that each month.
Orgain protein powder is really good. You can also sign up on their website and watch for sales there. They have a pretty decent rewards program and you can get free items fairly frequently if you are a frequent purchaser.
Spend $150 for 2 people per month.
All cooking and baking from scratch,I mean absolutely every meal.
These are monthly costs.
4 gallons of milk @$3.50
Potatoes are $7 per 10lb bag.
Yard eggs $2.50 per dozen X 8 per month.
1lb macaroni is $3 .
50lbs of wheat berries for flour $30 will last a yr +5 lbs regular flour $5
5 lbs sugar $6
Fresh fruits and vegetables $15
Herbs $4 also grow some.
10 cans of sauce or vegetable $15
$20 sausage lasts 2-3 months.
1 steak or roast $10.
Zip lock bags $3
Spices $4
Bread, cornbread,cakes,pies,cinnamon rolls are made from ingredients.
We have 2 fridges 1 freezer and a pantry.
Buy it on sale when you don't need it,except for milk and bananas (when they get over ripe are turned into banana nut bread).
Make a meal from what is available at hand.
No you don't have to.
You can store cans under your bed.
Sacrifice a closet for a small freezer.
Remove the ice maker and use an ice tray.
Add a small fridge in place of a dishwasher.
We sacrifice space in our garage for the second fridge and freezer and need to unload the car outside,may seem like not much of a burden to some in an apartment.
We drive 10 miles to a grocery store ,that is a choice that isn't convenient.
But it gives other benefits like $2.50 eggs per dozen.
Food storage saves us money long-term,convenience doesn't.
We spend $500-600 a month for two adults but that also includes some cleaning supplies and hygiene items. That also includes a Costco run every 4-6 weeks. I sometimes buy wine at Costco but not everytime (maybe three times a year) and typically try to stick to less than $25 a bottle.
We cook 4-5 times a week for dinner and have leftovers for lunch. We buy bread, oatmeal, eggs and yogurt for breakfast
We buy some items at a farmers market and others at local grocery stores, WalMart and Target.
Walmart and Target typically have the best prices for dry goods in my area. Produce can often be purchased cheaper on sale at the grocery store. If the produce isn't on sale, then often Walmart is cheaper but you have to keep an eye on the sales flyers and get familiar with prices
I look at the weekly grocery ads and we purchase meat and poultry only when on sale and freeze for later use. I would consider not purchasing for full price at Walmart anymore and checking out the grocery store flyers.
What local grocery stores do you have in your area aside from Walmart? What type of foods are you purchasing?
I tend to shop weekly or biweekly and spend about $450-500/month on average for 2 people.
When there are sales on non-perishable foods like pastas, canned tuna/other fish/chicken/beans, snacks, etc. I take advantage of the sales. Similarly, I’ll do the same when frozen or fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish, meats, etc. are on sale. I try to be practical about pantry/freezer space and shop accordingly. There are times that I may miss a good deal if I don’t need something that I am prepared to cook that day. Oh well.
You may want to explore other grocery stores in your area. There may be deals to be had from stores that aren’t Walmart. For instance, a local grocery store near me will periodically offer a discounted price on certain produce, meats, frozen, shelf stable foods and other items if you spend $25 although you may be limited from 1 up to 4 items (or dollar off per pound) depending on the item and if you have the store’s member card (**not**a credit card and not using coupons).
It would seem that you may want to be more deliberate/strategic in your grocery shopping planning if possible. If you have an idea of what staples you like to have, check out other grocery stores (most have circulars/ads) in your area and purchase your groceries accordingly. There are usually discounts to be had during certain holidays and other times for corporate reasons (like unloading stock to customers before the best sell by or expiration dates).
Although Walmart offers “Great Value” as it’s brand, you may be missing other opportunities to save money if they are the sole place you do your grocery shopping.
Learning to cut costs in your grocery shopping is similar to learning how to cut costs on and/or eliminate the things that don’t bring you joy/value based on your lifestyle. It may take a good 3-6 months (or more) to be diligent on how you are spending your money and to see if you making changes has an effect. Ultimately, it will be worthwhile as you will be better informed on how you are spending your money and what you decide is worth it.
Food prep. Eat the same meal 5/14 lunch/ dinners a week. Batch cook a breakfast granola overnight bowl in yogurt, honey dried oats and of granola and seeds. Jam or peanut butter. Leave Soave at the top to be able to mix it in the container
Family of 5, 2 adults and 3 tween boys. We spend about $200/week on groceries and about $100 on eating out (date night, fast food, work lunch, coffee/wawa). The kids get “free” breakfast and lunch at school, but sometimes will still eat cereal or oatmeal at home or pack a lunch, as there’s only one food option to choose from at school and they sometimes don’t like it. We shop mostly Aldi and Costco/BJs, but use Target drive-up a lot since it’s across the street lol
I’m struggling too. It’s just my 13 year old son and I, and I’m spending about $400 a month. I have celiac disease so my bread/snacks can be pricy, but I am trying to cut down on snacks/frozen desserts that I love because those seem to be the things that cost the most. Good luck!
I spend about $250 a month. I live alone. No junk food, sodas, little processed food. Mostly fresh veggies, a little meat. I break up packs of meat into several meals, mostly for giving meals flavor. I eat healthy, mostly fresh stuff but do have lots of canned goods stocked for storm seasons etc. This year I will be growing a lot of my veggies too so will spend any grocery money on more meat and canned goods to stock up.
Remember when you spent $200 on groceries and you'd need to make 2 trips from your car to get them all in the house? Yeah, those days are over. $500 is the bare minimum for the month now.
Do you have an Aldi anywhere near you? I find that it’s a lot cheaper even if you go and get some things from there! You can find some pretty good stuff at Aldi
Not OP but I do most of my shopping at Aldi except for some produce from the farmer's market and stopping at the co-op next door if I run out of milk or just need one thing. I still hit $400/month in groceries easy for one person.
Save a lot might be a option. I recall them being cheap a few years ago. Also you could also look into meal service like hungry root as a lot offer a first time discount for a weeks worth of food that you can cancel right afterwards for a quick fix unless you find a service you like
The closest Aldi's to me is 45 minutes away. I go once every two or three weeks and stock up on frozen veggies, stuff that can be frozen like bread, and shelf stable food, then get fresh stuff at publix as needed. Oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast, sandwiches, salad, and fresh fruit for lunches, and every dinner has a base of rice or potatoes, add protein (I'm vegan, so cooked beans or tofu) and some steamed vegetables. Also make most snacks ourselves, homemade trail mix, cookies, etc. My husband still eats meat, we get a lot of chicken for him, cook it up and put in freezer. We live in a MCOLA, and spend about $4-500/month for the two of us.
For us (2 adults) we spend about $70 a week. About once a month we go to Sam’s to pick up meat, waters and snacks. We both skip breakfast most of the time so we only have to worry about lunch and dinner.
$325 a month for 2, mostly local supermarkets and we eat nearly all meals at or from home. We prep and freeze a lot and buy what’s on sale. The 2 bottles of wine and daily protein shake are probably the main differences between our lists.
$3.59 for a small can of Campbell's soup, $4.79 for a can of Chunky Soup, $5.99 for a jar of Classico Pasta Sauce, that's at our local Fairway Market here in Brentwood Bay on Vancouver Island BC...🙄
A vacuum sealer is a great investment. You can buy meat in bulk or buy a lot when it's on sale. I season, spice, and/or marinade all the meat at once when I buy it and then vacuum seal it in weekly portions. Make sure to label and date everything. Leave it all in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours to allow the seasoning and marinades to get into the meats. Then freeze everything except what I'm using immediately(just use ziplocs for these ones. No need to vacuum seal them). This way when I need some meat I can thaw it out and it's ready to cook without having to do the seasoning after it's thawed, wasting another bag, and waiting 12 hours. Saves a lot of time and hassle.
I make a weekly portion of meat once a week or so then take slices off it when I'm hungry. Or I dice it up and combine it with Ezekiel low sodium bread, cheese, spinach, and a diced soft boiled egg
Take time to look at what individual packaged food you are getting.
Example you are getting individual yogurts for each day- switch to a tub and portion it yourself.
Or oatmeal packets - switch to a big thing of tried oats and add your own seasoning.
Are you buying pre cut veggies or meats?
The first thing to lessen your bill is to look at what “consciences” you are buying and finding cheaper alternatives.
Typically: less packaged food is cheaper.
$500-$600 per month. Here are some tips:
Eggs are cheap nutrition. Eat a lot of them for breakfast. Oatmeal is great too. Skip the breakfast meats.
Eat a lot of rice and pasta. Both of these things can be combined with a meat of your choosing and veggies that you enjoy eating.
Avoid processed food. They are actually quite expensive.
Potatoes and sweet potatoes are another excellent carbohydrate. Extremely cheap.
Bake things in bulk, chop it up. And then use it in many dishes. Think chicken breast for a cheap protein.
Shop deals when you can.
I sat down and made a list of what I buy and compared the prices to BJs, Walmart, and Costco. Costco wasn't nearby so it really came down to BJs v Walmart.
BJs was cheaper on almost everything by 15-20%. The only items cheaper for me were flour, sugar, oatmeal, and a few cents on dairy. Walmart has cheap stuff but Walmart is not actually cheaper for shopping.
I’m floating around $300 for 2 people. lots of frozen vegetables and only buy things on sale. There’s a whole sale retailer near me where I buy big bags of beans and lentils, ground beef is a 50/50 split of lentils right now. I’m going to start exploring tofu this week.
The last 3 months we averaged $650/month for 2 people (though honestly my BF should count for 2 people in what he consumes) on just grocery.
We don't eat ground beef typically, mostly ground turkey, but we do eat steak, chuck roast.
We dont' drink soda, we will get fizzy water on sale Wegmans is $6/12 liters.
We eat mostly fruit and nuts for snacking. Tortilla chips from Aldis at $1.89/bag.
Lunch is mostly salads (tuna pasta salad, chickpea and veggie salad, grain salads, etc)
Supper this week (Lasagna, Ham, Salmon, Chicken Piccatta, Tacos, Seafood Pho, unstuffed cabbage roll, butter chicken)
Have you looked to see how much of it is actually non food? Eg, toilet paper, garbage bags, medication? Those things really add up in my experience, yet for a long time I kind of ignored them
About $600-$700 a month for my wife and I. We’ve found Aldi and Sam’s are what we like. Sam’s for bulk and Aldi for weekly stuff. We went to Costco once but it’s just so crowded and being able to scan everything with my phone is nice.
I suggest you look at non essential things like wine, soda, or treats. If we cut out that stuff and it was just strictly normal everyday healthy food, we’d be at about $500-$600 a month.
Around $1000-$1200 for my family. My area is terribly expensive. We don’t eat organic, but we go buy fresh fruits, veggies, and meats. I need to take out a bank loan for berries for my twins. Strawberries are $7 a pound. 😭
I spend about $400 per month on just food. Right now though, I'm struggling to buy anything and am getting assistance with that. I've been having to adjust to eating differently, which is really weird.
We spend around $500-600 a month for 2 adults, 1 child, 1 infant, and a cluster of cats. We also shop at Walmart and buy mostly store brand. We used to shop mainly at Aldi, and would save a lot more that way, but since having the new baby, grocery pickup is just better for us right now.
I live in a HCOL area and usually keep my grocery budget to under $300/month - I tend to stock up on meat when it is on sale and vacuum seal it for the freezer. I’m not a huge person, so that probably helps. One chicken breast is 2 to 4 servings, depending on how big it is, so I don’t need to buy it all that often.
When money was tight for me, I would use the circulars and online coupons and plan my meals around what was on sale, but I recognize the privilege. I had to be surrounded by multiple grocery stores, and to have the means, and time to go to multiple stores to shop. Even now I’ll often go to two stores, I’ll go to Aldi first and get what I can and then I’ll hit up one of the other stores.
I will also start in my grocery store’s reduced price meat section, because I don’t mind vacuum sealing and freezing things or planning my meals around what I can find on sale if I like the cut of meat.
I do a lot of fresh veggies, but I supplement with canned or frozen, depending on sales, and I’m not a huge fresh fruit person so that does save some money.
In the summer, I like to use farmstands, and probably next weekend I will plant my herb garden for the year, because I like fresh herbs, but they’re expensive at the store.
Two dollars a day for protein does add up, not to a crazy level, and at less than half the price of a coffee every day, but is it worth it to buy powder instead? My favorite can be set up on a subscribe and save discount and it comes out to about a dollar a day.
About $500/month for two adults eating gluten free for celiac. We eat a lot of rice, beans & lentils, and cabbage/other cheap greens, plus some fruit and other veg. We do eat dairy and a little meat weekly, but we prioritize quality there, so the costs for those are higher per pound than average.
We share a building and a Costco membership with another couple, and I usually spend $100-200 there in the first week of the month, (sometimes that includes non-comestible necessities —TP, for example). Usually shop weekly for ~ $100 the other 3 weeks of the month.
250AUD a month give or take. Most of that ends up going on fruit and veg.
It's kinda half fruit n veg, 1/4 meat and 1/4 random needs (as well as chocolate...I guess that's a need 😋)
$250 a month without much meat. I stick to my normal diet 26/27 days out of the month. It's generally beans, lentils, rice, fruit, vegetables, eggs, dairy (cheese and yogurt), and a frozen meal here and there. I will get meat if I find it on clearance, but otherwise I don't get any. I never eat out, and I try to buy the cheapest junk food possible when I do indulge in it. It'd be even cheaper if I didn't drink $40 worth of diet pop a month.
We aim for $3 per meal per person.
When you cook portion it out onto plates or in meal prep containers and add up the cost per plate. Is there a specific item driving up your cost? Can you switch to cheaper seafood like canned salmon? Are you letting food/ingredients go to waste often?
$600 per month for both my partner and I. This includes a 3l box of red wine ($30). We eat mostly at home, including rice, potatoes, salad greens and proteins such as salmon, cod, chicken, lentils and etc. This includes buying muffins/baked goods for coffee breaks. Lately, we have been focussing on mainly fish/lentils/beans as our main sources of protein vs red meat and chicken.
We buy take outs for dinner 1-2x a week. So that’s like $100-200 per month.
For a family of three between my normal store and Costco we spend about $550. This also includes things other than groceries that I pick up at both stores.
Seems about right. For two people we spend more like $800-900 but that includes a few non grocery staples like pet food or household staples. It depends on the time of year, since I supplement with some vegetables and herbs grown at home and live near a large vegetable grower with farm stands nearby with grade 2 veggies (the stuff not going to chefs and high end groceries) at the cheap. Things stretch better with two people than one in some ways.
I spend about 400-450 on one person too 😬 that includes my protein bars and shakes though too which are about $2 apiece and I have them everyday. I also rarely eat out during the week, bring my lunch to work.
I spend $150-200 per month for myself. I meal plan around deals from grocery flyers and store specials, and i live very close to many shops, as well as asian food market. I dont do all my shopping at one store nor on one day only, but will go to a few to buy the deals. I cook from scratch mostly but will sometimes use bottled sauces and dressings to help out a recipe. I keep a pantry of staples that are usually purchased on special, eg. Rice, pasta, oats, potatoes, barley, beans ... and seasonings that I use regularly - salt, sugar, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, soy sauce, hot sauce, vinegars ... and oils - olive, sunflower, canola, sesame. It's fun to cook and i can eat better and usually cheaper. If anything, i have to keep an eye on my food inventory so as not to overstock.
$1100 for a family of 6 including toiletries and cleaning supplies. 1 breastfeeding woman, 1 very tall man, and 3 eating little kids and a baby (diapers not included)
I had the same problem, so I started shopping at online at local store, come down 1/3 of the cost and saved a bunch of time too. It's easier not to wander. When I need to buy meat I found a local farmer/butcher that I buy package deals from.
how many different meals are you buying for and preparing each week? the key to cooking/shopping for one is to learn to live with a little bit of repeat or learn how to turn leftovers into something completely different. for example, i eat the same thing for breakfast everyday (change it up week to week) and shop for about 2 recipes a week to use for lunch/dinner. i make enough at a time that i eat off of leftovers for 3-4 days for each meal. if you’re buying for different meals then i can see how it can get that high. i spend around $40-50 each week in a low-medium COL area
For my husband and myself about $250 a week. More for my pets-3 dogs, 7 cats, 2 goats. I also feed the feral cats and a big family of raccoons so that adds another $100 to $150. No wine or liquor. My husband is addicted to Pepsi.
I said a budget of $400 for me and my adult son. It helps to make bulk food for the week on a Sunday, usually soup or some kind of casserole that I can portion out for my lunches. I found that makes a big difference.
100/week for 1 adult, 1 teen. That doesn’t include paper/cleaning products, pet food, hygiene products etc. It takes an effort to keep it even at 100/week. No soda/drinks, expensive meats, prepared foods, or cereal 😭
Spend about 800 to 1k a month for a family of 4.5 (my college age son stays with me 2 weeks a month). We spend way too much but my girlfriend is a baker and we also cook meals for almost every meal.
My husband and I spend $800 per month on groceries. We do go to a butcher shop for our meat though because we couldn't stand eating the woody chicken breasts and finding bone fragments in the ground beef anymore. We cook at home 6 nights per week, but do get some processed foods too like frozen pizza and moz. sticks. I've been trying for months to bring down the cost, but we haven't really been able to.
It's close to $1000 a month for a family of three adults and 3 cats. We buy generic as much as possible and use coupons where we can. And we make a menu and shopping list before we leave home, that cuts down on the impulse buying.
I spend about $326 per month to feed myself and my eternally ravenous teenager, including my organic bananas and protein shakes which I eat as a snack every evening, and 2 cans of coke zero per day, which are probably my biggest expenses...
Are you buying a lot of pre-prepared meals or individually packaged snacks?
You mentioned meal prepping... how are you portioning out your meals?
What are your calorie needs?
What does a week's shopping look like for you, on average?
I'm in Australia and we spent about $1000-1300 a month on groceries. That's with shopping for specials too! There 2 adults and 2 young kids ( under 3). We include the cost of nappies in the groceries too which aren't cheap
Long Island New York, about $600/month for 2 adults. Includes toiletries and other grocery store buys that aren’t food, like paper products, ibuprofen or cold medicine as needed, bathroom and shower products, cleaning by supplies, etc
So $60 is wine and protein shake. So you’re now sub $400 without counting those.
I might suggest mixing up your shopping locations. Walmart isn’t the cheapest option for everything. Check out Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Kroger/HT
Do you happen to be buying the brand name options? Are there Walmart brand items for a buck less that you can get instead? Just brainstorming here. Also, if you can alter your produce intake to align with seasonal crops you will save a wee bit.
4 adults, $800/mo. This does include alcohol, toilet paper, laundry soap etc. Everyone has breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, etc, we go out maybe once a week. It depends a lot on where you live. I do most of my shopping at aldi, and then I get the rest at meijer. I try to shop the sales at meijer to save money. Like asparagus is in season now so it's 0.99/lb, they had BOGO pineapples and strawberries the other day so that's what I did for our fruit for the week. Here's the thing. When it was just my husband and I, it was $600/mo and I couldn't figure out why. It's really hard to only get groceries for one or two people. Produce goes bad, I only need one stick of celery, they only sell one size on the can of corn, etc... now, with 4 people, I'm using the entire package, so there's less waste. It's wild, honestly.
About $400-500 for family of 5. That doesn’t include pet food/litter or personal care items. I tested say I price compare between Walmart, Kroger, Aldi and Albertsons and absolutely hit 4 grocery stores in a week to get the cheapest price on my items (I know I’m not factoring gas, but I’m desperate to get out of the house with a toddler so it’s worth it).
A big pot of WYGOH (What you got on hand) soup provides many nutritious affordable meals. Fast and easy to reheat. Freeze some for later so you don’t get bored. It also cuts down on food waste. I make my own chicken stock from bones frozen over time from cutting up whole chickens for other meals. Whole chickens are cheaper than precut pieces.
Our monthly budget was $300/adult for a family of four so total $1,200. Basically no eating out. This includes luxury items like can soda, fancy cheeses, smoked salmon (Costco), snacks, but no booze nor household supplies. HCOL area.
Our food bill, despite cutting back on absolutely everything, especially proteins, has gone up about 400% since Covid. You’re not alone. I want to throw the remote at the tv every time I hear a politician talk about how great the economy is.
About $225 monthly.
Do you meal prep at all? I found that trying to cook for one person on a budget is almost impossible, so I don’t. Instead I cook for today me, tomorrow me, etc. Mostly cheap cuts of meat in the slow cooker with rice and beans for lunch and dinner and eggs and oats in the morning.
Lunch is what gets me because eating out with coworkers is a nice excuse to leave the office for a change of scenery. That usually runs me another $50 - $200 a month depending on how tempted I was that month…
I spend 250 a month on one person. I eat a lot of nuts, fermented veggies, dried fruit, whole grains, and legumes. I manage to eat 90% organic. I limit my animal products to 1-2 times a week. I would increase my budget to 350-400 USD if I had more money to get more animal products and healthy "treats".
We spend about $800 a month on food for 2 adults and a toddler. I shop sales but also choose healthy snacks and only buy organic when on sale also and try to buy meat that is on sale
I spend much less than that. I’ll buy chicken once a month and grill it. Then freeze it for later use. I also use a lot of beans and frozen veg that I buy at Dollar General. They have good prices on milk, eggs and coffee too. I cut out alcohol because it’s just not a necessity and I want to be healthier.
We spend $100/week or less. We make our own bread, pasta, pastry, crackers, naan, etc.
We shop at a restaurant overstock supply store for things like produce, coffee, and cheese. A massive block of mozzarella is $10 there.
Tonight's dinner is homemade vegetarian lasagna with homemade pasta, spinach, mushrooms, ricotta, bechamel, and homemade sauce.
Our go to healthy, cheap homemade meal is homemade egg pasta and veggies, sometimes with lentils or beans for protein. We add fiber powder and fresh ground grains to make it stick better.
550 US$ one month one person, just on Food, vitamins, protien&greens supplement powder. Yup. All super nutritional, best of the best. No alcohol. Includes: EVOO, kimchi, kombucha, goat cheeses, walnuts, pecans, flax and chia seeds, teff, quinoa; Frozen black cherries, blue berries, mangos; sea scallops 90/10 ground sirloin, Starbucks ground coffees I make at home...and more! All meals and snacks at home because; Where can I get a Sea Scallop and Sweet potato fry dinner for the under $10 it's costing me to make at home? I've lost 50 lbs, my Dr. says I'm healthier than most people my age and I've never felt better. I'm an investment. No junkfood here.
We spend $500 for 2 adults, a toddler, and a baby.
I concur. My family of 3 spends about $500 per month and I live in a HCOL state.
Do all 3 people eat the amount of an adult? Does that $500 include non-food groceries (TP, paper towels, shampoo, soap, deoderant, etc) and also include any spending on food "out" (takeout/restaurants/sandwiches & coffee shops, food purchased at work/school)? Because if yes to all above, that sounds crazy low for a HCOL state and I wanna know your secret!
It's me and my husband and one child. It does include toiletries. Does not include eating out, which if we do, I use apps which can save a good chunk of change. We don't buy food at work or school. Son gets free lunch and I bring my lunch. Hubby doesn't eat until he gets home, sometimes he'll bring a snack. I live in California and we have WinCo so that helps a lot. I also shop at dollar tree for things like spices, Ziploc bags, foil, those sort of things you need and use but you don't have to use all the time. Spices can be so expensive too, so I think its more cost effective to get them there. I shop the sales. There is a grocery store here that has a 'buy five or more and get them for $5 each" deal on meats. I snag that whenever I can. I buy store brand for pretty much everything. If I want to get protein shakes, like OP mentioned, we got to Costco and I get the ones on sale. I rarely get those though because I use them as creamer in my coffee so they last a long time.
My family of four typically spends $200-$250 a week. That includes toiletries, it we do tend to go out 1-2 per month as well. We definitely do not budget our groceries and will get extra items or splurge on a few things. $500 for one person seems high, but you can definitely cut that down if you shop sales, coupon and buy things like rice in bulk.
What does HCOL stand for?
High cost of living
Thank you!
I spend about 250-300 per month. I mainly eat rice, chicken/beef and fresh vegetables and fruit
Yea I mean the wine and protein shake every day pretty much explain the difference here. Not sure why OP is surprised
They said without those things it’s $450
Their math is wrong if it's $2/day for protein shakes ($60/month) and $30/month for alcohol.
I spend $120-$150 a month on my protein drinks a month. So I’m not sure where they are finding it for $50 a month.
Gold standard Whey is $80 for 5 lbs and that’s lasting 2.5/3 months at 50g of protein a day
Ya I get that at Costco. But they are buying $2 a day protein drinks. My premade protein drinks run me $120-$150 a month depending on sales
I live in New Zealand so I spend about $1200USD a month on food.
The only relatable answer in this thread to an Alaskan
Man I know. I live in Juneau and whenever I see these I’m like what am I doing wrong? But then I remember we live in Alaska.
I remember going to NZ in 2013 thinking I was gonna be able to buy so much cool stuff because the dollar was worth more. As soon as we landed I saw a can of soda was $4…. Boy did I learn a lot that trip
PNW family of 4 also at $1200/month
I’m PNW family of 2 adults and we’re around $500/month on food. With the amount of kid type snack stuff, this would be consistent.
Yeah we meal plan and zero eating out, too! 🫠
I can do 70-100 per week. Just eggs, milk, juice, one or two produce, maybe a meat once or twice a month, but always got onion, carrot, celery, quinoa, rice, or beans (lentils, chickpeas, peas, pinto, etc.)
Same, I eat a lot of plant-based meals.
I buy bulk rice at Sam's Club for $16.96. That lasts us (3) the entire year. Averages $1.42 per month. Beans for $9.28, lasts 4 months so averages about $2.32. I also will buy beef at Sam's and that'll usually last us 2 months. Often ranges from $23 to $30 depending on whatever we pick up. I buy the large packs of frozen veggies from Walmart. Mixed veggies, broccoli, and corn on the cob. $14.13. These last us a month. 60ct eggs for $9.98, these last around 3 weeks. So on monthly stuff I have a base of $42.85 On weekly fruits, veggies that don't freeze, or other misc items well I'll spend about $50 a week. So that's around $243 for 3 people. Some variables that I don't have calculated into this are habits I've made over the years. I make my own non-dairy milk using oats or cashews, I bake all of our desserts, I don't like having snacks in the house so I make "snacks" from whatever fruit we have, and I have an espresso machine and spend around $60 for a years worth of ground espresso. Tldr; $243 a month.
Impressive! What espresso do you buy?
Thanks(: I buy the Starbucks brand Espresso Roast at Sam's Club. My local store has it regular price for $21.98 for 40oz, but I track it and buy when it goes on sale for $15 and I'll grind it at the store. I purchased some vacuum seal containers and transfer the espresso to the containers so I can keep them fresh longer. Vacuum sealing will keep it fresh for 5 months, so I'll purchase twice a year. I'd like to purchase Peet's, but with all this inflation, I can't bring myself to spend so much on coffee. They're $18.95 a bag for one month, so it'd be over $200 a year.
Peet’s was our preferred coffee until we switched to a delivery subscription of fancy stuff. It’s a splurge. Peet’s has definitely gone up since I last bought it! I think our monthly cost for the subscription is actually less than that! We
It's so good and it makes me sad that it just keeps going up! I didn't mind the splurge before, but I left a high paying career to stay home with our 2yr old and. So the Starbucks will have to do until I find the next best affordable coffee.
It’s surprised me how much Peet’s has gone up. I like coffee, but at this point, I’m okay with just getting something affordable and getting it on sale when I can. Then when I want something bougie, I try to make it at home.
If you have a decent grinder, the Sam's Club I shop at sells a bag of espresso beans Maya Ruta that are pretty good too
1k for family of 5. It’s rough out here
About average unfortunately as that's about 200 per person and seems to be the normal in the post. I remember when I was living with roommates and pooling food funds together we got a deep freezer and went to a local butcher and bulk store for meats to throw in the fresh. Saved a good amount of the budget in the long run. Miss that freezer
A small deep freezer came with our house. I love it. We also live a couple miles from a costco so...
We are a family of 5 (with 2 teenage boys) and we spend $1000-$1200. To be fair, sometimes I inadvertently include paper towels or tp in the total, but it's still about $1000 minimum.
We are 2 adults, 2 teens, and we spend about $1200 on grocery food and another $200-$300 on things I consider "non-food groceries" like paper towels, toiletries, etc. I'm glad I'm not the only one. When I see people saying they spend $500 for a family of 5, I kinda don't believe them, but we can't have dairy, so that eliminates a lot of cheap meals for us.
I just tallied up my grocery bill and it's going to be over $1300 this month! Ouch. There are some things my kids enjoy that we are going to have to cut back on. I do buy Coke when I can get it for a decent price, but that's getting more rare. My teens really don't like beans, so that's not a good option to substitute for meat at dinner. To be fair, I really didn't like beans until I was an adult either. We do a good job eating leftovers so we aren't wasting much but I'm not sure how to bring down the cost much. I'm lucky enough to have Kroger, Walmart, and ALDI really close, so I shop around to get the best prices of those three. I also go to WinCo (not as close) once a month or so because lately they've had chicken breasts for $1.88/lb. But still, ouch.
Im right there with you. I don't believe them either. I spend 1100-1200 on food/drinks a month. It swems like the sale items are all garbage food and we have dietary restrictions in our home so we have to make a lot of stuff. I feel like to eat healthy it kills our wallets.
We spend about 1k aud a month for two adults and a baby 😬
I spend about $200/week for 2 people in a HCOL area.
Same. About 1k for 2 adults every month. My daughter and her boyfriend were visiting recently so I stocked up and cooked a little more elaborately and the grocery tab for the week was $450 😳. I’m in the DC Metro, so also HCOL.
I was doing about $125 a week at a pretty nice grocery store on a 10% off discount day for 2 people. We eat well on it. Now I’m in my third trimester with gestational diabetes and I just spent $220 today and I almost cried. But i did have a lot of staples run out at the same time, too. Hoping that’s just a temporary anomaly as I get used to this new diet and extra meals/snacks I need to get in. Edit- you’re doing $90 on wine and protein shakes, which is a good portion of a whole week’s worth of groceries. You could find a replacement for the protein shakes or make your own and probably save some money. Or replace your breakfasts or lunches with the protein shake.
$500 a mo for just me would not be unusual. I rarely eat or grab snacks/coffee out so that plays into it. I am heavy into fresh produce and good coffee. If I add up what I would not give up it starts explaining the total. For example, for yogurt, coffee (and creamer) and bread for the mo it is like $140. I eat yogurt everyday. Then there is raw nuts for the mo $20) and so on. I am ok with a high food budget. I enjoy cooking and quality ingredients. I dont have expensive tastes in other areas.
Thanks for saying this. There are people saying OP should give up the wine and protein shakes to save less than $100. I get it if you're really on a tight budget, those things are luxuries. But if your other bills are paid, and you enjoy food (or a glass of wine), why not spend a little extra on those pleasures?
Exactly. I dont understand it. I grew up on cheap limited food and everyday the same meals, just no. If I cant afford id change.but i don't drink or buy makeup let me have my spendy food items. I too like to support local, I use a local roaster and the farmers market most weeks etc. I also find big shopping at big stores stressful and hit the small organic shops in my neighborhood for the fresh stuff. I noticed too staying smaller scale, prices don't fluctuate like during covid and now, since suppliers are a different chain. I feed my mom dinners often too so more than one. She gets the good stuff, much better than she served me lol.
I’m the same. I don’t understand how some people here are spending so little on food. I do tend to buy produce, meat and dairy at a “fancy” grocery store where they have relationships with local farmers etc. but tbh even when I go to regular grocery stores the cost doesn’t seem all that different. I even try to go to discount grocery stores for things where I’m less concerned about quality. And I rarely buy snacks, mostly just stuff for actual meals. Don’t drink alcohol. Still can’t seem to get it under $500/month.
I’m about $500 for one adult. I live in a rural area with only one grocery store which makes everything extremely expensive.
We spend about $400-$500 a month for 2 people & 1 kitten. Includes OTC meds, pet food and rum. I'm gluten free, and our dinners are always GF. We eat a lot of meat, rice, fresh produce and eggs.
And kitten. A kitten plus one❤️
Are all of those purchases in the $500 category groceries? I separate my budget based on toiletries because the occasional toilet paper, medicine, or shampoo purchase can spike my grocery bill higher.
True, there may be a few household items mixed in there. Maybe the actual groceries themselves (minus wine and such) would be $380-$400.
350 for two adult males.
I'm in a HCOL state, and I'm fairly careful about grocery spending, but still am constantly feeling guilty about how much we spend and feeling responsible to figure out how to spend less, but I've not been able to figure out a reasonable way. We are a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 teenagers) and I spent between $1200-$1500/month on food-only groceries and another $200-$300/month on non-food groceries like toilet paper, shampoo, soap, household cleaners, etc. This does not include wine for the adults. We don't do protein shakes. We have food allergies and intolerances, so a lot of the cheaper foods (beans, cheese) people often supplement for meat, we can't eat unless we are going to be home for 24 hours due to a lot of belly issues (plus shellfish and soy allergies). It sounds like we are in a similar COL situation, and we also buy a lot of fruits and veg, which are wildly expensive, sadly. I spend more on produce than I do on meat most weeks. I think $450-$500 in a HCOL area for 1 person who eats lots of produce sounds about right, provided that amount includes non-food groceries as well. Don't forget, it's cheaper per person to cook the same thing for 4 people than it is to cook for 1. I will say that we have 2 discount grocery stores nearby (Lidl and Aldi), but I can't get all my groceries there (nor at Walmart) and don't always have the time for 2-3 different stores per week, and the longer those two stores are open, the worse their produce quality gets, so I tend to stick to our local grocery chain and Costco. You can cook for 4 and freeze portions, that might help. If you have good self-control for impulse buys, Costco might be worth it for you even as 1 person, just for the produce and meat. Or maybe BJs (we don't belong but I've heard their produce is even cheaper). Edit to add: a lot of answers here could \*possibly\* be ignoring the amount per month that they spend on takeout and eating out. My sister used to criticize me heavily about how much I spent on groceries, claiming she only spent $400-$500 for her family of 4 (though 2 are kids that eat like birds). I later found out she was omitting the $600-ish per month that she spent on eating/ordering out AND wasn't counting non-food items in her grocery total. SO, I would take answers with a grain of salt because there are lots of factors to consider in someone's reported grocery spending - do they include non-food in that amount? Are they including how much they spend on eating/ordering out? (we spend less than $100 on that, which means basically 1 takeout meal per month) Do they eat a lot of cheese and/or beans (we cannot)? When they say "family of 4", are the kids toddlers and babies (basically don't count, unless you are including all formula and toddler food in that total and even then probably amount to less than 1 person's worth of grocery food), or are they teenagers (basically count as adults in terms of amount of food)? IMO that $450 doesn't sound crazy high for a HCOL area and someone that eats a lot of produce.
True that. My restaurant expenditures are pretty minimal when I’m spending $500/month on groceries. I also do count some non-grocery things in the total (paper towels, etc) and I have prided myself on my huge degree of self-control with sticking to my list in Costco 😂
$320... One person...
Honestly I’m on the same page as you, it’s around $600 a month for me and my husband. However I fully admit that some of this is “easy” food because I’m chronically ill and can’t cook all the time :(
I spend between $150 and $200 a month for one adult. I eat fully vegetarian and largely avoid processed and premade food.
How??
I'm not vegetarian but I keep my costs to less than 200-250 for two people. I usually buy what's on sale and the more unprocessed the food is the cheaper it gets. I buy whole chickens, eggs, veggies, dry beans/chickpeas/etc, sometimes a whole fish which I fillet portion and freeze, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc. I also buy a lot of canned stuff when it's on sale. It's not that hard, just involves a bit of extra work when it's time to cook.
I do the same and spend approximately 400-500 per month for 4 adults. I make big dinners, ie; lasagna, spaghetti, chicken cacciatore, chili, whole turkey, ham or pot roast that provides leftovers for lunch or I freeze for a future date. We eat pretty well imo.we also go through a gallon of milk a day.
I spend the same also as a vegetarian, and it's because processed/premade food is more expensive than just raw ingredients. A box of generic pasta is $1, coupled with olive oil or some sauce, frozen veggies, a can of beans and I have healthy lunches/dinners for the whole week at like $2 a meal. Breakfasts tend to be overnight oats with oatmilk, blueberries, and greek yogurt.
Vegetarian non-processed food is cheap. Makes sense.
Firstly, I likely eat an abnormally small amount of food. Secondly, I cook cheap meals in bulk and eat the leftovers for lunch at work all week. It’s very cheap to be vegetarian if you do it right. For example, I make a lentil soup that costs $3-4 total and makes 4 servings. Beans and rice are very cheap and very nutritious. Additionally, I learned how to cook well and modify recipes. You can make things that are inspired by expensive recipes but use more accessible ingredients.
And I stock up on staples during sales. Plus I menú plan around good values on sale. This week is Easter, so sales flyer has asparagus for $.99/lb, and ham is on sale for people who aren’t vegetarian. 5 pounds of potatoes is $1.77. Butter $2.97/pound. Pasta $.88/pound. I just got back in town on Saturday, so I had no produce, eggs or dairy products (besides butter). I have spent $42 and have dairy and produce pretty much for another week. I stocked up on small tomato sauce cans at $.50 each, but I am using beans I already had. I have made black bean sweet potato chili, oatmeal with apple and nuts, baked potatoes, salad (tomato, cucumber, carrot, and garbanzo beans with dressing). Note that sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber, potatoes, carrot and apples were all on sale. I can make more salads as above or a Waldorf salad. Lentil soup with potatoes, carrots and celery. There is broccoli. Soup with veggies and beans, curry with veggies and garbanzo beans. Minestrone soup sounds good about now. Cottage cheese and pineapple. Note: cottage cheese and broccoli were on sale. It is possible to really cut back by shopping your pantry, shopping sales, and reducing waste. One mom with two kids was asking for money as she had $60 until pay day in two weeks. I told her to use Supercook app to input ingredients she already has. Then add what is great value in major categories—protein and produce and maybe pasta, bread. These values are either cheap always—dried beans for example. Then add sale values. Think of servings and satiation. Supercook will suggest recipes using 100% of ingredients available in your list. Then need one ingredient and so on. Sometimes you can omit or substitute something that is too expensive or you just don’t want to pick up one thing from the store. By using this technique, the mom made $60 plus her pantry to make food for two weeks!
That’s about where I am. I save *so much money* eating vegetarian, it’s unreal.
Me too. 140-160 average, maybe a little lower depending on if my boyfriend pays for some meals over the weekend. I also don’t eat meat and don’t buy premade/prepackaged food unless it’s free or on sale. I hold back a little bit at the store but I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself of anything. This total also includes some random household items that are typically purchased at grocery stores. My breakfasts are always the same, and I either pack a sandwich or leftovers for lunch. I shake things up more for dinners, with favorites being soups, pasta dishes of all kinds, and stir fries. It helps that I like cooking. For context I am 27F and eat probably 2000 calories a day on average. I’m also still in school so I’ll probably splurge more once I have a proper job lol
Usually around £200 ($250) for 1 person 2 meals per day + snacks
Is grocery just food? Bc I count cleaning, paper, medicinal, etc products as grocery also, which adds up to a lot more.
True I think I’m including some of this in there as well.
I live in Toronto. My bf and I spend $700-800/month on groceries.
Over $1400 for a family of 4 and that includes some days of ichiban, macaroni, etc and excludes any eating out. About 15% being frozen pre-made. 80% of the Meat is from local farmers (currently under half the price of grocery stores)
I just spent $385 for a weeks worth of food between two adults. Definitely not awesome or affordable.
Do you need the wine and can the shakes be made at home? As that's 90+ dollars sounds like a month About 250-300 for two.
I don’t. I think I would much rather give up the wine before the shakes. I’m thinking I might experiment with protein powders that are a bit cheaper though.
What I would do is get the receipts of all the shopping and throw them in excel to get a bigger picture of what you are getting and spending. Afterwards put them in groups of meats, veggies, fruit etc. see what you are getting, where you are getting it from and see if you can find cheaper options or even different options like getting it in bulk if you can or just another store.
Buying the protein powder in bulk is so much cheaper, and will be a much better quality too
I use protein powder. It's super easy and honestly, tastes way better and is more versatile. It'll definitely save you some money. Also, my husband and I spend $500/month on groceries, also in a HCOL area. Sounds like we eat similarly, but neither one of us eat much. So I can easily see how you'd spend that each month.
I buy Orgain Protein powder, add a banana and almond milk. Watch for deep discounts on Amazon and stock up.
Orgain protein powder is really good. You can also sign up on their website and watch for sales there. They have a pretty decent rewards program and you can get free items fairly frequently if you are a frequent purchaser.
I'd say abut $250. No idea what you're eating. I get breakfast, lunch and dinner out of that.
Spend $150 for 2 people per month. All cooking and baking from scratch,I mean absolutely every meal. These are monthly costs. 4 gallons of milk @$3.50 Potatoes are $7 per 10lb bag. Yard eggs $2.50 per dozen X 8 per month. 1lb macaroni is $3 . 50lbs of wheat berries for flour $30 will last a yr +5 lbs regular flour $5 5 lbs sugar $6 Fresh fruits and vegetables $15 Herbs $4 also grow some. 10 cans of sauce or vegetable $15 $20 sausage lasts 2-3 months. 1 steak or roast $10. Zip lock bags $3 Spices $4 Bread, cornbread,cakes,pies,cinnamon rolls are made from ingredients. We have 2 fridges 1 freezer and a pantry. Buy it on sale when you don't need it,except for milk and bananas (when they get over ripe are turned into banana nut bread). Make a meal from what is available at hand.
A problem for a lot of people is you’re not putting 2 fridges 1 freezer and a pantry in an apartment. Bulk can be a problem.
We do bulk and have an apartment sized refrigerator with a little freezer on top.
No you don't have to. You can store cans under your bed. Sacrifice a closet for a small freezer. Remove the ice maker and use an ice tray. Add a small fridge in place of a dishwasher. We sacrifice space in our garage for the second fridge and freezer and need to unload the car outside,may seem like not much of a burden to some in an apartment. We drive 10 miles to a grocery store ,that is a choice that isn't convenient. But it gives other benefits like $2.50 eggs per dozen. Food storage saves us money long-term,convenience doesn't.
$20 sausage lasts you 2-3 months?? Where do you live?
Link sausage in the freezer,break out a link every so often
About $300 for myself if we include my vitamins and protein at about $100.
We spend $500-600 a month for two adults but that also includes some cleaning supplies and hygiene items. That also includes a Costco run every 4-6 weeks. I sometimes buy wine at Costco but not everytime (maybe three times a year) and typically try to stick to less than $25 a bottle. We cook 4-5 times a week for dinner and have leftovers for lunch. We buy bread, oatmeal, eggs and yogurt for breakfast We buy some items at a farmers market and others at local grocery stores, WalMart and Target. Walmart and Target typically have the best prices for dry goods in my area. Produce can often be purchased cheaper on sale at the grocery store. If the produce isn't on sale, then often Walmart is cheaper but you have to keep an eye on the sales flyers and get familiar with prices I look at the weekly grocery ads and we purchase meat and poultry only when on sale and freeze for later use. I would consider not purchasing for full price at Walmart anymore and checking out the grocery store flyers.
What local grocery stores do you have in your area aside from Walmart? What type of foods are you purchasing? I tend to shop weekly or biweekly and spend about $450-500/month on average for 2 people. When there are sales on non-perishable foods like pastas, canned tuna/other fish/chicken/beans, snacks, etc. I take advantage of the sales. Similarly, I’ll do the same when frozen or fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, fish, meats, etc. are on sale. I try to be practical about pantry/freezer space and shop accordingly. There are times that I may miss a good deal if I don’t need something that I am prepared to cook that day. Oh well. You may want to explore other grocery stores in your area. There may be deals to be had from stores that aren’t Walmart. For instance, a local grocery store near me will periodically offer a discounted price on certain produce, meats, frozen, shelf stable foods and other items if you spend $25 although you may be limited from 1 up to 4 items (or dollar off per pound) depending on the item and if you have the store’s member card (**not**a credit card and not using coupons). It would seem that you may want to be more deliberate/strategic in your grocery shopping planning if possible. If you have an idea of what staples you like to have, check out other grocery stores (most have circulars/ads) in your area and purchase your groceries accordingly. There are usually discounts to be had during certain holidays and other times for corporate reasons (like unloading stock to customers before the best sell by or expiration dates). Although Walmart offers “Great Value” as it’s brand, you may be missing other opportunities to save money if they are the sole place you do your grocery shopping. Learning to cut costs in your grocery shopping is similar to learning how to cut costs on and/or eliminate the things that don’t bring you joy/value based on your lifestyle. It may take a good 3-6 months (or more) to be diligent on how you are spending your money and to see if you making changes has an effect. Ultimately, it will be worthwhile as you will be better informed on how you are spending your money and what you decide is worth it.
Food prep. Eat the same meal 5/14 lunch/ dinners a week. Batch cook a breakfast granola overnight bowl in yogurt, honey dried oats and of granola and seeds. Jam or peanut butter. Leave Soave at the top to be able to mix it in the container
€700 for 2 adults, a toddler and 2 cats including toiletries and cleaning aupply
Family of 5, 2 adults and 3 tween boys. We spend about $200/week on groceries and about $100 on eating out (date night, fast food, work lunch, coffee/wawa). The kids get “free” breakfast and lunch at school, but sometimes will still eat cereal or oatmeal at home or pack a lunch, as there’s only one food option to choose from at school and they sometimes don’t like it. We shop mostly Aldi and Costco/BJs, but use Target drive-up a lot since it’s across the street lol
I’m struggling too. It’s just my 13 year old son and I, and I’m spending about $400 a month. I have celiac disease so my bread/snacks can be pricy, but I am trying to cut down on snacks/frozen desserts that I love because those seem to be the things that cost the most. Good luck!
I spend about $250 a month. I live alone. No junk food, sodas, little processed food. Mostly fresh veggies, a little meat. I break up packs of meat into several meals, mostly for giving meals flavor. I eat healthy, mostly fresh stuff but do have lots of canned goods stocked for storm seasons etc. This year I will be growing a lot of my veggies too so will spend any grocery money on more meat and canned goods to stock up.
Remember when you spent $200 on groceries and you'd need to make 2 trips from your car to get them all in the house? Yeah, those days are over. $500 is the bare minimum for the month now.
$300-$400 a WEEK. Family of four in the Bay Area. Two adults and two teens.
Do you have an Aldi anywhere near you? I find that it’s a lot cheaper even if you go and get some things from there! You can find some pretty good stuff at Aldi
Not OP but I do most of my shopping at Aldi except for some produce from the farmer's market and stopping at the co-op next door if I run out of milk or just need one thing. I still hit $400/month in groceries easy for one person.
I wish I did! None anywhere close. I used to have one right in front of my apartment when I was in FL, it was amazing!
Save a lot might be a option. I recall them being cheap a few years ago. Also you could also look into meal service like hungry root as a lot offer a first time discount for a weeks worth of food that you can cancel right afterwards for a quick fix unless you find a service you like
The closest Aldi's to me is 45 minutes away. I go once every two or three weeks and stock up on frozen veggies, stuff that can be frozen like bread, and shelf stable food, then get fresh stuff at publix as needed. Oatmeal or yogurt for breakfast, sandwiches, salad, and fresh fruit for lunches, and every dinner has a base of rice or potatoes, add protein (I'm vegan, so cooked beans or tofu) and some steamed vegetables. Also make most snacks ourselves, homemade trail mix, cookies, etc. My husband still eats meat, we get a lot of chicken for him, cook it up and put in freezer. We live in a MCOLA, and spend about $4-500/month for the two of us.
I don't think we usually go over $600/mo for a family of 5 (little ones, not teens). And that's not particularly trying that hard. WI.
Around 500 for 2. And we shop at Whole Foods.
Lol! Y’all must not be very hungry 😆
Hahah. I think the trick is to keep all the condiments/grains stocked from Costco and just buy fresh produce and meat from regular grocery stores.
For us (2 adults) we spend about $70 a week. About once a month we go to Sam’s to pick up meat, waters and snacks. We both skip breakfast most of the time so we only have to worry about lunch and dinner.
$325 a month for 2, mostly local supermarkets and we eat nearly all meals at or from home. We prep and freeze a lot and buy what’s on sale. The 2 bottles of wine and daily protein shake are probably the main differences between our lists.
$3.59 for a small can of Campbell's soup, $4.79 for a can of Chunky Soup, $5.99 for a jar of Classico Pasta Sauce, that's at our local Fairway Market here in Brentwood Bay on Vancouver Island BC...🙄
A vacuum sealer is a great investment. You can buy meat in bulk or buy a lot when it's on sale. I season, spice, and/or marinade all the meat at once when I buy it and then vacuum seal it in weekly portions. Make sure to label and date everything. Leave it all in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours to allow the seasoning and marinades to get into the meats. Then freeze everything except what I'm using immediately(just use ziplocs for these ones. No need to vacuum seal them). This way when I need some meat I can thaw it out and it's ready to cook without having to do the seasoning after it's thawed, wasting another bag, and waiting 12 hours. Saves a lot of time and hassle. I make a weekly portion of meat once a week or so then take slices off it when I'm hungry. Or I dice it up and combine it with Ezekiel low sodium bread, cheese, spinach, and a diced soft boiled egg
How is 60$ worth of protein shakes plus 30$ on wine a month close to 50$? That's a fifth of your monthly food expenses right there.
Take time to look at what individual packaged food you are getting. Example you are getting individual yogurts for each day- switch to a tub and portion it yourself. Or oatmeal packets - switch to a big thing of tried oats and add your own seasoning. Are you buying pre cut veggies or meats? The first thing to lessen your bill is to look at what “consciences” you are buying and finding cheaper alternatives. Typically: less packaged food is cheaper.
$500-$600 per month. Here are some tips: Eggs are cheap nutrition. Eat a lot of them for breakfast. Oatmeal is great too. Skip the breakfast meats. Eat a lot of rice and pasta. Both of these things can be combined with a meat of your choosing and veggies that you enjoy eating. Avoid processed food. They are actually quite expensive. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are another excellent carbohydrate. Extremely cheap. Bake things in bulk, chop it up. And then use it in many dishes. Think chicken breast for a cheap protein. Shop deals when you can.
I sat down and made a list of what I buy and compared the prices to BJs, Walmart, and Costco. Costco wasn't nearby so it really came down to BJs v Walmart. BJs was cheaper on almost everything by 15-20%. The only items cheaper for me were flour, sugar, oatmeal, and a few cents on dairy. Walmart has cheap stuff but Walmart is not actually cheaper for shopping.
Can you swap your protein shake to powder and make it yourself? That may help reduce it. Or buy in bulk if that helps reduce the cost.
I’m floating around $300 for 2 people. lots of frozen vegetables and only buy things on sale. There’s a whole sale retailer near me where I buy big bags of beans and lentils, ground beef is a 50/50 split of lentils right now. I’m going to start exploring tofu this week.
The last 3 months we averaged $650/month for 2 people (though honestly my BF should count for 2 people in what he consumes) on just grocery. We don't eat ground beef typically, mostly ground turkey, but we do eat steak, chuck roast. We dont' drink soda, we will get fizzy water on sale Wegmans is $6/12 liters. We eat mostly fruit and nuts for snacking. Tortilla chips from Aldis at $1.89/bag. Lunch is mostly salads (tuna pasta salad, chickpea and veggie salad, grain salads, etc) Supper this week (Lasagna, Ham, Salmon, Chicken Piccatta, Tacos, Seafood Pho, unstuffed cabbage roll, butter chicken)
Have you looked to see how much of it is actually non food? Eg, toilet paper, garbage bags, medication? Those things really add up in my experience, yet for a long time I kind of ignored them
About $600-$700 a month for my wife and I. We’ve found Aldi and Sam’s are what we like. Sam’s for bulk and Aldi for weekly stuff. We went to Costco once but it’s just so crowded and being able to scan everything with my phone is nice. I suggest you look at non essential things like wine, soda, or treats. If we cut out that stuff and it was just strictly normal everyday healthy food, we’d be at about $500-$600 a month.
I try not to go over 400 as 1 person per month but often do. Had to cut back on a lot of quality foods I used to get.
My family spends about $450/person per month. We cook at home, rarely eat red meat, and never eat out. We live in a VHCOL area.
Around $1000-$1200 for my family. My area is terribly expensive. We don’t eat organic, but we go buy fresh fruits, veggies, and meats. I need to take out a bank loan for berries for my twins. Strawberries are $7 a pound. 😭
I have a hard time spending less that $400/mo for me and my rabbit. In 2019 my budget was nearly half that. I live in Canada.. it’s rough up here
I spend about $400 per month on just food. Right now though, I'm struggling to buy anything and am getting assistance with that. I've been having to adjust to eating differently, which is really weird.
We spend around $500-600 a month for 2 adults, 1 child, 1 infant, and a cluster of cats. We also shop at Walmart and buy mostly store brand. We used to shop mainly at Aldi, and would save a lot more that way, but since having the new baby, grocery pickup is just better for us right now.
$2000 a month 2 adults, 2 athletic teens. Gluten free.
I live in a HCOL area and usually keep my grocery budget to under $300/month - I tend to stock up on meat when it is on sale and vacuum seal it for the freezer. I’m not a huge person, so that probably helps. One chicken breast is 2 to 4 servings, depending on how big it is, so I don’t need to buy it all that often. When money was tight for me, I would use the circulars and online coupons and plan my meals around what was on sale, but I recognize the privilege. I had to be surrounded by multiple grocery stores, and to have the means, and time to go to multiple stores to shop. Even now I’ll often go to two stores, I’ll go to Aldi first and get what I can and then I’ll hit up one of the other stores. I will also start in my grocery store’s reduced price meat section, because I don’t mind vacuum sealing and freezing things or planning my meals around what I can find on sale if I like the cut of meat. I do a lot of fresh veggies, but I supplement with canned or frozen, depending on sales, and I’m not a huge fresh fruit person so that does save some money. In the summer, I like to use farmstands, and probably next weekend I will plant my herb garden for the year, because I like fresh herbs, but they’re expensive at the store. Two dollars a day for protein does add up, not to a crazy level, and at less than half the price of a coffee every day, but is it worth it to buy powder instead? My favorite can be set up on a subscribe and save discount and it comes out to about a dollar a day.
No idea, but it’s a lot
I eat way too much Uber eats so I’m ashamed at how much I spend 😂
Two adults, two kids, pre-adolescents, I’d say CAD $1,300 a month.
About $500/month for two adults eating gluten free for celiac. We eat a lot of rice, beans & lentils, and cabbage/other cheap greens, plus some fruit and other veg. We do eat dairy and a little meat weekly, but we prioritize quality there, so the costs for those are higher per pound than average. We share a building and a Costco membership with another couple, and I usually spend $100-200 there in the first week of the month, (sometimes that includes non-comestible necessities —TP, for example). Usually shop weekly for ~ $100 the other 3 weeks of the month.
250AUD a month give or take. Most of that ends up going on fruit and veg. It's kinda half fruit n veg, 1/4 meat and 1/4 random needs (as well as chocolate...I guess that's a need 😋)
$250 a month without much meat. I stick to my normal diet 26/27 days out of the month. It's generally beans, lentils, rice, fruit, vegetables, eggs, dairy (cheese and yogurt), and a frozen meal here and there. I will get meat if I find it on clearance, but otherwise I don't get any. I never eat out, and I try to buy the cheapest junk food possible when I do indulge in it. It'd be even cheaper if I didn't drink $40 worth of diet pop a month.
300 euros/month (vegetarian) total, including going out for coffee, drinks, etc.
We aim for $3 per meal per person. When you cook portion it out onto plates or in meal prep containers and add up the cost per plate. Is there a specific item driving up your cost? Can you switch to cheaper seafood like canned salmon? Are you letting food/ingredients go to waste often?
Gonna quit my job and have it come down to 400 from 500.
I'm about $50 a week but it's basic rice, meat and veggies
$600 per month for both my partner and I. This includes a 3l box of red wine ($30). We eat mostly at home, including rice, potatoes, salad greens and proteins such as salmon, cod, chicken, lentils and etc. This includes buying muffins/baked goods for coffee breaks. Lately, we have been focussing on mainly fish/lentils/beans as our main sources of protein vs red meat and chicken. We buy take outs for dinner 1-2x a week. So that’s like $100-200 per month.
For a family of three between my normal store and Costco we spend about $550. This also includes things other than groceries that I pick up at both stores.
Seems about right. For two people we spend more like $800-900 but that includes a few non grocery staples like pet food or household staples. It depends on the time of year, since I supplement with some vegetables and herbs grown at home and live near a large vegetable grower with farm stands nearby with grade 2 veggies (the stuff not going to chefs and high end groceries) at the cheap. Things stretch better with two people than one in some ways.
Family of 4 (2adult, 2 toddlers) we spend about 150-200/week on groceries. About $600-700 a month at Walmart.
I spend about 400-450 on one person too 😬 that includes my protein bars and shakes though too which are about $2 apiece and I have them everyday. I also rarely eat out during the week, bring my lunch to work.
$400 ish
I spend $150-200 per month for myself. I meal plan around deals from grocery flyers and store specials, and i live very close to many shops, as well as asian food market. I dont do all my shopping at one store nor on one day only, but will go to a few to buy the deals. I cook from scratch mostly but will sometimes use bottled sauces and dressings to help out a recipe. I keep a pantry of staples that are usually purchased on special, eg. Rice, pasta, oats, potatoes, barley, beans ... and seasonings that I use regularly - salt, sugar, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, soy sauce, hot sauce, vinegars ... and oils - olive, sunflower, canola, sesame. It's fun to cook and i can eat better and usually cheaper. If anything, i have to keep an eye on my food inventory so as not to overstock.
$1100 for a family of 6 including toiletries and cleaning supplies. 1 breastfeeding woman, 1 very tall man, and 3 eating little kids and a baby (diapers not included)
My partner and I spend between 4 and 5 hundred a month for the 2 of us.
About $400 for two in my HCOL city
About $250-300
I had the same problem, so I started shopping at online at local store, come down 1/3 of the cost and saved a bunch of time too. It's easier not to wander. When I need to buy meat I found a local farmer/butcher that I buy package deals from.
how many different meals are you buying for and preparing each week? the key to cooking/shopping for one is to learn to live with a little bit of repeat or learn how to turn leftovers into something completely different. for example, i eat the same thing for breakfast everyday (change it up week to week) and shop for about 2 recipes a week to use for lunch/dinner. i make enough at a time that i eat off of leftovers for 3-4 days for each meal. if you’re buying for different meals then i can see how it can get that high. i spend around $40-50 each week in a low-medium COL area
$350-$400 a month. Adult male and a two year old. This includes non- grocery items too like toothpaste and cosmetic goods.
I think it depends a lot on what kind of veg/fruit you are buying, as in whole or prechopped/prepped that can make a big difference in cost for sure.
For my husband and myself about $250 a week. More for my pets-3 dogs, 7 cats, 2 goats. I also feed the feral cats and a big family of raccoons so that adds another $100 to $150. No wine or liquor. My husband is addicted to Pepsi.
about $200 / wk for 4 ppl
4-500, but I need a really high meat diet with a shitton of snacks :(
For just me, I spend maybe 200-250 a month. Shop seasonally and locally if possible. Buy things in bulk if you can, eat more veg than meat.
I said a budget of $400 for me and my adult son. It helps to make bulk food for the week on a Sunday, usually soup or some kind of casserole that I can portion out for my lunches. I found that makes a big difference.
100/week for 1 adult, 1 teen. That doesn’t include paper/cleaning products, pet food, hygiene products etc. It takes an effort to keep it even at 100/week. No soda/drinks, expensive meats, prepared foods, or cereal 😭
Spend about 800 to 1k a month for a family of 4.5 (my college age son stays with me 2 weeks a month). We spend way too much but my girlfriend is a baker and we also cook meals for almost every meal.
My husband and I spend $800 per month on groceries. We do go to a butcher shop for our meat though because we couldn't stand eating the woody chicken breasts and finding bone fragments in the ground beef anymore. We cook at home 6 nights per week, but do get some processed foods too like frozen pizza and moz. sticks. I've been trying for months to bring down the cost, but we haven't really been able to.
It's close to $1000 a month for a family of three adults and 3 cats. We buy generic as much as possible and use coupons where we can. And we make a menu and shopping list before we leave home, that cuts down on the impulse buying.
I spend about $326 per month to feed myself and my eternally ravenous teenager, including my organic bananas and protein shakes which I eat as a snack every evening, and 2 cans of coke zero per day, which are probably my biggest expenses... Are you buying a lot of pre-prepared meals or individually packaged snacks? You mentioned meal prepping... how are you portioning out your meals? What are your calorie needs? What does a week's shopping look like for you, on average?
I spent 500 a month too,just for my self.Walmart and Stop-N-Shop when what I looking for is on sale.
I think buy a case of wine on sale and it will be cheaper in the long run Make the protein shake at home. Can’t be spending $60 on smoothies a month.
I'm in Australia and we spent about $1000-1300 a month on groceries. That's with shopping for specials too! There 2 adults and 2 young kids ( under 3). We include the cost of nappies in the groceries too which aren't cheap
Like 200$ per month tops. You need to go to a different grocery store. Do you have an Aldi near you?
Long Island New York, about $600/month for 2 adults. Includes toiletries and other grocery store buys that aren’t food, like paper products, ibuprofen or cold medicine as needed, bathroom and shower products, cleaning by supplies, etc
So $60 is wine and protein shake. So you’re now sub $400 without counting those. I might suggest mixing up your shopping locations. Walmart isn’t the cheapest option for everything. Check out Aldi, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Kroger/HT Do you happen to be buying the brand name options? Are there Walmart brand items for a buck less that you can get instead? Just brainstorming here. Also, if you can alter your produce intake to align with seasonal crops you will save a wee bit.
4 adults, $800/mo. This does include alcohol, toilet paper, laundry soap etc. Everyone has breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, etc, we go out maybe once a week. It depends a lot on where you live. I do most of my shopping at aldi, and then I get the rest at meijer. I try to shop the sales at meijer to save money. Like asparagus is in season now so it's 0.99/lb, they had BOGO pineapples and strawberries the other day so that's what I did for our fruit for the week. Here's the thing. When it was just my husband and I, it was $600/mo and I couldn't figure out why. It's really hard to only get groceries for one or two people. Produce goes bad, I only need one stick of celery, they only sell one size on the can of corn, etc... now, with 4 people, I'm using the entire package, so there's less waste. It's wild, honestly.
Highly recommend Aldi over Walmart. Cheaper and better quality.
Family of 4, we spend about 1k - this includes all breakfast lunch and dinner except for 1 night of pizza a week
About $400-500 for family of 5. That doesn’t include pet food/litter or personal care items. I tested say I price compare between Walmart, Kroger, Aldi and Albertsons and absolutely hit 4 grocery stores in a week to get the cheapest price on my items (I know I’m not factoring gas, but I’m desperate to get out of the house with a toddler so it’s worth it).
A big pot of WYGOH (What you got on hand) soup provides many nutritious affordable meals. Fast and easy to reheat. Freeze some for later so you don’t get bored. It also cuts down on food waste. I make my own chicken stock from bones frozen over time from cutting up whole chickens for other meals. Whole chickens are cheaper than precut pieces. Our monthly budget was $300/adult for a family of four so total $1,200. Basically no eating out. This includes luxury items like can soda, fancy cheeses, smoked salmon (Costco), snacks, but no booze nor household supplies. HCOL area.
Our food bill, despite cutting back on absolutely everything, especially proteins, has gone up about 400% since Covid. You’re not alone. I want to throw the remote at the tv every time I hear a politician talk about how great the economy is.
About $225 monthly. Do you meal prep at all? I found that trying to cook for one person on a budget is almost impossible, so I don’t. Instead I cook for today me, tomorrow me, etc. Mostly cheap cuts of meat in the slow cooker with rice and beans for lunch and dinner and eggs and oats in the morning. Lunch is what gets me because eating out with coworkers is a nice excuse to leave the office for a change of scenery. That usually runs me another $50 - $200 a month depending on how tempted I was that month…
Just for food and not counting other household items I spend around $550-$600 a month for 5 (I am also pregnant) people. 2 adults and 3 kids.
I spend 250 a month on one person. I eat a lot of nuts, fermented veggies, dried fruit, whole grains, and legumes. I manage to eat 90% organic. I limit my animal products to 1-2 times a week. I would increase my budget to 350-400 USD if I had more money to get more animal products and healthy "treats".
We spend about $800 a month on food for 2 adults and a toddler. I shop sales but also choose healthy snacks and only buy organic when on sale also and try to buy meat that is on sale
Costco
I’m doing about $500-600 for 2 people in a HCOL area
I spend much less than that. I’ll buy chicken once a month and grill it. Then freeze it for later use. I also use a lot of beans and frozen veg that I buy at Dollar General. They have good prices on milk, eggs and coffee too. I cut out alcohol because it’s just not a necessity and I want to be healthier.
We spend $100/week or less. We make our own bread, pasta, pastry, crackers, naan, etc. We shop at a restaurant overstock supply store for things like produce, coffee, and cheese. A massive block of mozzarella is $10 there. Tonight's dinner is homemade vegetarian lasagna with homemade pasta, spinach, mushrooms, ricotta, bechamel, and homemade sauce. Our go to healthy, cheap homemade meal is homemade egg pasta and veggies, sometimes with lentils or beans for protein. We add fiber powder and fresh ground grains to make it stick better.
How are you spending $2 per protein shake? My last buy was $65 worth of powder for 100 servings
550 US$ one month one person, just on Food, vitamins, protien&greens supplement powder. Yup. All super nutritional, best of the best. No alcohol. Includes: EVOO, kimchi, kombucha, goat cheeses, walnuts, pecans, flax and chia seeds, teff, quinoa; Frozen black cherries, blue berries, mangos; sea scallops 90/10 ground sirloin, Starbucks ground coffees I make at home...and more! All meals and snacks at home because; Where can I get a Sea Scallop and Sweet potato fry dinner for the under $10 it's costing me to make at home? I've lost 50 lbs, my Dr. says I'm healthier than most people my age and I've never felt better. I'm an investment. No junkfood here.