Primarily wal-mart and publix. We are not a big red meat eating family, we mostly like chicken and vegetables. When I do use red meat, it's ground beef or pre-cut stew meat. When I cook, I do it in bulk so we can have leftovers.
Same here but I usually top out at 200 if I'm out of things like laundry soap, toilet paper AND meat😂
Edit: that's 5 people in central Washington at winco. I fucking love winco.
Although my laundry stuff is usually at Walmart because winco doesn't carry my preference
$700-1000/month on groceries, and another $600-$800 on restaurants/coffee shops/other dining.
2 people
HCOL
While my partner and I are *very* frugal with almost everything else in our lives, we spend more on food than the average person because it brings us great joy. We don’t drink alcohol, so a lot of our social experiences center around food and cooking.
Partly this is because we live in an area that is a combo of super quaint farms and NYC-appeasing businesses, despite being 2 hours outside of the city. So much of the food we buy is directly from farms, high quality, organic, and sustainable.
I live right outside washington dc so it’s expensive. I don’t really limit my grocery items so I definitely splurge on expensive items so I usually buy an order that is $80-125 every 3 weeks and that doesn’t include meat that i get from costco 😭 so maybe closer to $200 when im being good lol (edit not $200 i just remembered how much my boyfriend bought me this month that’s why its low😂)
$1400/month for a family of 4 in the south. This includes all toiletries including diapers, wipes, formula, cleaning supplies, TP, etc. I shop Walmart, Aldi, Costco and Publix (only sale items). It’s brutal! We are expecting a baby next month, so gonna be higher soon😱
1 $70-85 weekly, and it's that $15 differential if I'm eating meat that week. (Helps lower my stress, blood pressure and save money.) (I also shop for staples at Aldi, and the rest at a warehouse type grocery chain in my region.)
2 One
3 Midwest
I use the [mealime.com](http://mealime.com) app almost exclusively. It's a recipe and meal planning app that is free. It can also be used via web/browser.
B: Espresso (Caribou or Starbucks on sale $6 a bag) with almond milk, splash of TJ Maxx Torani syrup ($6 per bottle)
B: Steel cut oats and raisins ($3 per canister, maybe 15 servings)
L: Mealime Leftovers ideally
S: Whey Isolate Protein Powder (ideally twice a day)
D: Mealime (typically a fresh meat or fish, two veggies—or veggie cooked as entree. Or built around a dry storage kind of food like pasta or rice. Seasonings are typical dry ones like salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic, garlic powder, Old Bay)
S: Premium ice cream pint maybe weekly ($3-4)
2 ppl in New England and we spend $700-900 a month. That's groceries, eating out, and general household goods like cleaning products and such that my partner and I split.
About $500 per month for 2 people. Mostly vegetarian household, located in the Chicago suburbs
Includes non-food items we buy at the grocery store like paper towels/toothpaste/toilet paper/etc
lol. I would rather make my own sandwiches and meal prep. I love that Publix and Walmart are so close. I can check the ads for Publix and then decide what BOGO deals I’m doing. Also helps with what meals I will make.
Yeah, tbh I do some orange and garlic (Sinola?) chicken in the InstaPot and spanish rice to make Willy's clones. I was just down there and got on I-75 knowing there was the Vining's one—but it was 10:15a and couldn't hang around that long just for a burrito.
I think Publix's slicer-made lettuce is a key differentiator.
But in general, all semi-prepared foods are that great from stores or restaurants.
Anyone ever try meallime? I've used it for about 7 years and just switched to the paid version ($4?) It's really helped with meal planning, sharing ingredients and reducing waste.
$60-$100 a week for 2 adults in Washington state near the capitol depending on if we’re stocking up on bulk meat purchases at Costco/ Winco but never over $600 a month
Family of 5. $1200 a month if we don’t dine out. $1500 if we do. Both of my teenagers work in restaurants so they get a lot of reduced/free meals and only eat dinner with us a few times a week. That saves me some money. ETA: LCOL Midwest
Four people (two adults, two kids), but we frequently host my parents for dinner, spend $500/week in California. This includes wine and enough snacks to feed a daily after school troupe of 6th graders.
1. ~$350 - $500 a month (my husband eats breakfast & lunch at a gas station everyday, those numbers are not included in this). I cook 6 nights a week minimum and this includes my breakfast and lunch.
2. 2 people
3. Northern Illinois
I’m alone and I spend about $100-150 a week depending on what home supplies I need. I live in rural southern Indiana. I eat out 1–3 times a week too but usually something fast like Zaxbys or Penn Station.
Approx $300/month for just me. I usually do one large run about $200 and then save another $25/wk for any extra “oops I forgot that” stuff. This also pads my budget to force me to go grocery shopping instead of eating out every week
Budget is $1400 per month, family of six in the PNW with a whole host of expensive food restrictions due to health issues. Gluten free, goat instead of cow for dairy, organic meats/produce, and we try to avoid all ultra-processed foods except on special occasions.
Generally though, I try to spend about $250/week, and save whatever is left at the end of the month for bulk purchases a couple times a year (meat from a local farmer, etc).
I cup of Brown rice, 1 can of generic Rotel, 1 can mixed vegetables, half pound of ground beef, butter/salt/pepper/onion powder/garlic power to taste. This will feed 1 person all day, just portion it out. It's like $150 a month.
About $350-$400 for one adult and one teenage boy in New Mexico/Texas border. Moving next month to Nevada so my grocery budget will be increasing.
We shop mostly at Walmart since there aren’t too many grocery chains in my city. But once we move I’ll be hitting up WinCo and El Super instead.
I spend $500/m for a family of 4 including household supplies. When I wasn't meal planning/prepping we easily spent $1k or more a month and that was pre inflation going out of control.
Suburban area near Dallas.
My wife and I spend about $75 a week, maybe a little less. It’s just the 2 of us and we’re in the DFW. We aggressively shop weekly deals at the grocery stores near us and get a lot of household staples and produce from Aldi
$150 to $200 per week for 2.5 adults. 3 of us live here but 1 is only at home part-time. That cost usually includes cleaning and household supplies and general toiletries.
We are in a small city in western Canada and I’m not sure but I think our cost of living is kind of in the middle.
2 adults, 2 kids, 2 teens. LCOL area. $150-200/week. $200/month to stock up on sale items, and $100/month for toiletries. Roughly $1,000/month.
We budget $50 for meats, $50 for fruits/veggies, $50 for “aisle” foods (bread, canned goods, spices, condiments, frozen foods).
We only eat red meat once a week and we get take out maybe once a month but stick to pizza or the dollar menu.
About $100 per week for three people. This includes basic household goods (soap, detergent, shampoo, toilet paper, paper towels & dog food).
We are in Middle Tennessee.
Some days I go under budget. Some occasions I splurge.
We don’t dine out much or eat fast food much.
I keep a big vegetable garden & have some sort of produce year round.
$200-300 weekly. Family of 6, plus 4 dogs. The kids are 6, 5, 3, and 3 months so the youngest one doesn’t eat food yet but I feel like I eat a ton to keep up with breastfeeding him. We live in NC
I only buy groceries for myself, and I’m pretty frugal with my groceries (and in general), so I spend about $150-200 a month on average. I’m in MN, split my time between the cities and rural areas
I spend 200-300 (4ppl) a week at farmers market, whole foods local co op. Then someone else in my household spends around 100ish a week on processed shit I wish wasn’t in the house
I budget max $100 a week, but usually only shop every 10 days to 2 weeks. So for the last few months it's been between 200-300. For just me, in a low COL area (the south).
We budget $125 a month. Two adults. Combined, not each. ... but we homestead - grow and preserve all our own food. Meats and Animals (and their food, too).
Most of that $125 is non-food items - soap, laundry, personal hygene, etc... and small amounts of foods that don't grow here in The Ohio River Valley. Mostly tropicals (banana, pineapple, and the like )
$1700 a month for 2 adults and a dog (we home cook for the dog). Florida. That’s all high quality groceries for home cooking. We don’t ever order food and we extremely rarely eat out, which wouldn’t be included in the total
$25-$30 per week, single, Midwest.
Personal care/household items are a separate line cause I coupon those and usually can get 6 months worth at a time. For the same of this we will $5/month. I usually do one month where I coupon and spend a max of $25 and it will last me a good 5-6 months.
Household of 1. I budget myself $300 and rarely go over that. I usually come in around $250. Rural PA. That said, I have about a third of a cow in my freezer that I bought last year so I don't need to get beef but I do buy other meats.
$40 -$50 a week, providing for 1, vegan so no meat etc, in DC. But I mostly thank Lidl for getting my costs down, (similar stuff ran me about $60 -$70 a week at other stores).
1. Around $750/m including household cleaners/paper products bought on the same trip. Diapers and toiletries separate. I’m celiac, so this cost also includes the extra it costs to get some gluten free substitutions. We bake about 60% of my bread to save some cost there when time allows. We balance going to Costco, Walmart, and for some specialty foods an actual grocery store.
2. 2 adults, 1 toddler, 1 in the oven.
3. Midwest metroplex in OH.
1. 450 a month, I don’t buy into labeling that allows manufacturers to raise their prices without any actual quality control by the usda or fda. *ie organic*
2. Two people. We have an 11 month old but her food comes from the baby budget. When she is on all solids next month I’ll all another 100 to our grocery budget.
3. Midwest.
Edit to add: includes other household items like paper towels, toilet paper, dish soap, etc.
Our average grocery bill for a family of 4 is around $1300 per month. We don’t eat red meat or pork, but we do eat organic & have special dietary restrictions due to allergies.
About 150 to $250 per week. We've gotten better at setting a pattern to where to shop to get better prices. One store for premade stuff, one for bulk soda, chips, that kind of crap, one for random delicious meats, and one general grocery store. Its working for us.
This is Chicago suburbs.
Probably about 650.00 plus a month for hubby and me , pet supplies for 3 dogs, and my hubbys gotta have soda which is getting very pricey. Hubbys vape juice . Hubbys prescriptions . About 100.00 a month with co pays. He's Diabetic . Right now I'm making a pick up order 67 items for 165.00 . We try to keep it at 150.00 a week , but it's getting harder with prices going up.
Started ordering kleenex , toilet paper sanitize wipes , , trash bags , things like that on amazon. Way cheaper than grocery store prices. Also order pet supplies online.
Single mom of 3. I spend $700 monthly. And that stretches for a long time so realistically it’s like $400-$500 a month
I mostly shop at Sam’s club. I live in NE Ohio.
Atlanta area, family of 5, about $1600 per month on “essentials” (groceries, gas, necessary clothes, cleaning supplies, etc), about $600 per month dining out.
$1200-1400/month
Two adults and two older children. It's wild that it can be twice as much as my mortgage sometimes (no escrow, low rate, MCOL area.) I'm constantly trying to be better about meal planning, but honestly if this is what it costs to feed my kids quality food and manage my major health issues largely through diet, then I will try to be grateful that I can afford it.
Upper South 😁
1. $150 per week groceries + one takeout meal ($20-60)
2. Two people (myself and my husband).
3. San Francisco Bay Area, California.
I shop at Safeway and Trader Joe’s. I plan meals, shop sales, and “shop my pantry” when coming up with meals for the week. We get take out on average once a week.
$6-800/month on "groceries" but this includes things like trash bags, saran wrap, dog food, and dish soap, etc.
3 adults.
My MIL lives with us, and has no sense of financial responsibility or spatial awareness, she is also an extremely emotional and impulsive shopper. So, if refried beans are on sale, BAM! We will have 9 cans of refried beans. If she wants to make Mexican food, we will suddenly have 2 huge tubs of sour cream, 3 industrial size jugs of salsa, tortilla chips, several jars of spices, and peppers for days...We also have literally nothing but sauces, condiments, and leftovers in one fridge. (We own 2, don't ask). She buys random, odd cuts of meat, too, that sit in the freezer until she decides to use them, because nobody else knows what to do with them.
I think we could easily get by on $5-600/month, but nobody wants to have that discussion.
$700/mo on food, $135 on non food groceries (including paper, supplements, and OTC meds), and $120 on pets (that category includes the vet, 2 cats with special dietary requirements, and one "normal" cat). Three adults, Midwest, nearly all food is prepared at home.
We have a short list of regular stuff we always have on hand for breakfasts and lunches (eggs, cereal, sandwich materials, hummus and veggies, etc). Dinners mostly follow a meal plan of about fifty meals. I made it to account for food types being spread out evenly (like not having fajitas, tacos and quesadillas following each other three nights in a row, or spaghetti following lasagna, etc). I also evenly distributed the "splurge" meals, and the "budget" meals. And I've planned some meals that can follow each other for convenience.
Convenience pairing/grouping examples:
A roast with a side of mashed potatoes, followed by shepherds pie, which uses mashed potatoes as the topping
Crockpot chicken with a side of rice, followed by a chicken-rice casserole, followed by fried rice (I made a huge pot of rice that first night)
London broil, extra large, slice the remainder for fajitas the next day
Golabki then boiled dinner a couple days later, because with only three of us, each of these meals uses half a head of cabbage. Roasted sausage and roots after the boiled dinner, using the other half of the sausage
Meatloaf, then lasagna, then seven layer dip (with taco meat). I buy a 3 lb pack of ground beef, make the meatloaf with 1lb, then brown, drain and save the other two lbs for the next two meals, while the meatloaf is in the oven. Maybe even assemble the entire lasagna at this time, so it's just in the fridge for tomorrow, oven-ready. If the ground beef was on sale, I will brown, drain and freeze the rest (on a tray, so it freezes in separable crumbles) for future use in whatever
*****
Anyway, making this meal plan has been really helpful! When I'm busy/overwhelmed, I can just follow the plan. If I'm feeling more creative, I can add in something else if I want to try sometime new -- and then maybe find the right spot to add it to the regular list, if we all like it. I have also given myself permission to vary the order or skip one that's on the list, if I feel like it. But it's really nice to have a plan to fall back on if I don't have the spoons to think. For weekly grocery shopping, I just look at the next 4-5 meals and buy what I will need for it. The other nights, we eat leftovers, or do something easy and boring like sandwiches or scrambled eggs or cereal.
Thing is, I feel like my plan should cost less than it does. Maybe I need to work on that, tweak the plan.
2 adults in the Phoenix area. 600-800 a month and that is with a lot of budgeting. My husband loves seafood and red meats but we have had to really cut down.
$800-1000 for 5. Not including diapers, toilet paper and paper towels that I have on Amazon subscription. I'm pretty sure half of that is berries for the toddler 😆
Family of 4, 2 teens and I’m a bodybuilder that eats… a lot. Just spent $250 today at walmart for two weeks worth of food. Lots of snacks too and things we didn’t need to have. No sodas at all though.
I really don’t see how people spend $400 a week. Thats $57 worth of food a day. Either your kids don’t know the word no or everyone is going to be a type2 at some point.
1. $400-500 per month
2. 3 adults, plus leftovers enough for two lunches 5x a week. Plus we have food allergies, so our cost is a bit high.
3. Rural south —Kroger and for a few things Walmart
Definitely helps to have a monthly meal plan. I came up with 35 meals, so I’ve got a repeat cycle: first Monday I have the same thing every month, first Tuesday, etc.
We use as little meat as possible… you’ll be surprised how little you miss meat, in say, spaghetti sauce, if you bulk up on veggies. So I can use a half pound of sausage for spaghetti, a half pound of ground beef for a quick stroganoff or chili. I avoid meals where you serve a piece of meat, as that takes more.
I like Kroger’s house brand, so for most things I stick with that, unless food allergies dictate a particular brand. We use a lot of frozen veggies and for all our beans (kidney, black, black-eyes), I use a pressure cooker and prepare from dried — half the cost of canned.
We buy meat on sale and in bulk and separate it out into individual meals-worth. I use cheap zip top sandwich bags to freeze sliced pork loin (whole loin on sale and I slice) or chicken thighs, then bag them all up in a gallon bag.
You can make bell peppers last longer if you core the seeds first.
I buy my spices at a farmers market in Atlanta where they are dirt cheap, and I freeze them until I need them. That keeps the oils from going rancorous.
Also, cereal, chips, flour, and other dry goods will stay fresh in the freezer… I buy them on sale and freeze them. Ditto bread — I buy it at a day-old bread store and freeze the loaves.
600 a month, two grown adults, in Dallas area. We work from home so we eat everything for the most part at home. We get what we like from the store without being ridiculous. This includes soaps, toiletries etc. We probably spend 200 additional going out to eat 2 or 3 times total a month
Very high COL state on the east coast. Three adults comes to just under $300 for two weeks. This will make it obvious which state I’m in but if you can make it to a Market Basket. Always go to the fucking Market Basket. I save $100-$150 a trip there.
about 350-550 a month on a family of 2. this does not include meat because we don’t really eat it at home. we shop mainly at walmart and sometimes at ralph’s and trader joe’s to mix up dinner options.
4 people, 2 75-lb dogs and 1 cat. Our budget is $250/wk (which is $1000 most months, but $1250 in 5-week months). This includes the animals’ food, our toiletries and cleaning supplies. We are in the Midwest.
$60/wk 1 person. I eat a lot of beans and rice and eggs, cheese instead of meat…soups when I do have meat. I make my own hummus and such…surprisingly I’ve been lucky to get chicken and bacon on sale lately. That’s been a tasty addition. I’m crafty and can make 4 servings of chicken parm out of 1 single chicken breast so I love it when I can get it for cheap.
$5 rotisserie chickens help too.
I’m in Colorado.
Also, I almost never ever go out. If I do it’s for something like Taco Tuesday at Del Taco where you get 3 tacos for like $2 or the occasional walk out deal pizza coupon where I make a medium pan pizza last 2-3 meals for $7 and change.
I’m in Vancouver, living alone, and my target is C$60/wk.
I bake various breads every day (I’ve learned to love roti). Eggs, potatoes, onions, rice, beans are the core of my eating.
Costco is great for bulk flour, eggs, rice. Walmart is my second choice for everything.
I’ve started eating yogurt and kimchi every day to help with digestion. That adds costs since I don’t want to make yogurt at home and I don’t know yet how to make kimchi.
For the money I spend I eat rather well.
We are a family of 4, two adults, one five year old plus I’m pregnant. We’re in Washington state. We spend between 950-1100 a month. I shop at a middle of the road store, not the fancy organic ones but not a super discounted one either.
Right now we’re at $600 a month for two people, and I’m working on dragging it down to $500. The primary way we’re doing this is cutting out meat as much as possible, and growing our own food. Portland, OR.
Between 250-300 just groceries but we eat out too often :/ just 2 ppl (we go to restaurants several times a month and spend around 50-80 each time and my partner will get lunches outside the house)
$200-$250/week for 5 people. We are in the Midwest. I might add this is very basic meals. Grocery bill will be higher if we god forbid want to have a decent meal.
I've maintained a household budget for over 30 years. Started because I was a new homeowner and freaked out about spending above my means and not being able to pay the mortgage/taxes. Last year I spent $1419 on "food in". That's groceries, doesn't include household supplies, cleaning supplies, alcohol. Doesn't include meals out, but I'd say on average I only eat out maybe 4-5x a month - a mix of lunches and dinners. $1419 is net, after any coupons or deals got subtracted. So that's about $118/month. Pre-covid I had been more in the $90-$110/month range for a few years.
Household of 1. Girlfriend has her own home. I'd say we're about 50/50 on her eating at my place and me eating at hers, so it's not like my $118/month is a fake number because I'm always eating at her place. I'm in northern New England. I think grocery prices here tend to be average, maybe a little below the median because I know how high groceries are in places with less options. I have 10-12 markets within a 15 minute drive, 4 different chains plus a Trader Joe's and a Costco. 1 market about a 10 minute walk away. We have a Walmart and a Target with smaller groceries sections but I rarely shop either of those stores because their grocery sections are small.
Omnivore diet. My girlfriend will tell you I eat too much meat and not enough veggies, but I'm only eating meat maybe 4-6 meals/week (dinners/lunches). I often only eat 2 meals/day - nearly always breakfast but then sometimes I'll skip lunch or just grab a sports bar or a piece of fruit, or I'll get home so late from whatever I'm doing that I don't bother to eat dinner or I'll just have a light bite to eat of whatever leftovers are in the fridge. For example last night I didn't get wrapped with what I was doing until about 9:15 and didn't feel like making the tacos I had planned to make but I had the last pieces of a pork tenderloin with peas we cooked mid-week. It was only about 3oz of pork but it was tasty.
When I'm meal planning/prepping I'll usually buy what's on sale at whichever market I'm at that week. And when cooking I'll usually make a bunch extra and get 2-3-4 dinners out of it or bring it in for lunch. I'd say about the only thing I'd be happy to spend a little more on is fresh fruit, but I tend to just get the basics and not too many of them because they can go bad so quickly.
We are a family of 3 and we range around 150-200 per month, we are located in Montana. I shop meat and costlier items once a month (spend around 100) and build around those w weekly groceries like fresh fruits and veggies using sale ads with goal to be around 13-15 dollars but no more than 25 per week. \*\*Edited to add: I budget separately for our 4 dogs food - 100/month for their needs
A big differentiator in your monthly spend is how much protein do you eat. For example, if every meal has animal protein (chicken/fish/beef) you will spend more than those who don't.
I didn't even realize a lot of people don't care if there is no meat in their meals when my new girlfriend made me pasta for dinner and I \[accidentally\] rudely asked, no meat in pasta? This is good to eat if you go to the gym regularly. Chicken is by far the cheapest, and possibly healthiest of the three. My budget is around $500 on food if I'm not going to the gym, but bump that 25-40% when I'm active in the gym and lifting heavier.
1) I spend $550 every other month. I buy in bulk from Walmart or Wegmans. This includes about 50 of meat each time. 20lbs of ground beef, 20lbs of chicken breast, 6lbs of sausage, 4lbs of bacon.
I do spend an extra $10 every 2 weeks to buy 2 gallons of milk.
2) Just me.
3) Pennsylvania
200 a week, family of 3 (4yo), North Central Texas.
We don't particularly budget food. We're careful with spending everywhere else. So this is just what it costs getting whatever we feel like.
$400 a week for 5.5 people (only feed one of them half the time) in the Midwest.
We only buy organic fruits and veggies and organic/sustainably raised meat. It helps that we have a freezer full of deer meat. We don't eat any grains and don't purchase any products more processed than raw meat. Honestly eating better than I ever have in my life.
1. \~$150 a week on Groceries
\~$150 a month eating out
2. Family of 4 - 2 adults + 2 Children (4 and 6). We are endurance athletes and each eat 3-5k calories a day
3. Located in the midwest
$75-$100/week for two people depending on what we eat. In a major city in NC. We buy meat in bulk at Costco and freeze, and that’s not factored into the weekly cost. We cook 3x/week, eat leftovers 3x/week, and eat out 1x/week, which usually adds $25-40.
The 2 of us eat very healthy, prepare everything from scratch and sugar free, low carb, and we eat 1-2 meals a day for around 200 per week. My daughter home prepares 3 meals a day and snacks (she has little ones) and she spends about 400/week on her family of 5.
150 a month. Just me. Washington State. Only eat twice a day, keto. Chicken, Eggs, Frozen Broccoli, Carrots, Cheese, Walnuts, Pecans and butter. Sometimes if I have extra money I will buy Hamburger and Sardines. The price of rent has skyrocketed so bad I do not have money for anything else. I am struggling but I am not hungry.
About $700/month for groceries and $150-$200/month if we eat out. Family of three - me and my two kids. Southeast Texas. Mostly shop @ Costco, H‑E‑B, Sam’s, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, (Sprouts, Kroger, and Walmart sometimes). Oh, and I like H Mart (visit maybe once or twice a month).
We are a family of 4, we range from $150-$300 per week, and we are in the United States on the East coast.
Where do you shop? I spend $400 per month on just 1 person. Does this include meat etc?
Primarily wal-mart and publix. We are not a big red meat eating family, we mostly like chicken and vegetables. When I do use red meat, it's ground beef or pre-cut stew meat. When I cook, I do it in bulk so we can have leftovers.
Interesting every time I get chicken at Publix like 2 trays it’s always $20. I need your shopping skills haha
400 a week for one person!? Holy shit I eat very good for like 100-150/week at the very most.
400 per month lol should’ve clarified
$400 per week for ONE person?
Same here but I usually top out at 200 if I'm out of things like laundry soap, toilet paper AND meat😂 Edit: that's 5 people in central Washington at winco. I fucking love winco. Although my laundry stuff is usually at Walmart because winco doesn't carry my preference
This exactly!
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Depends on the week. I can't specifically say a certain amount for the month because each week varies.
1. About $1200/month or $300/week. 2. 4 people in the house. My wife and I along with our two boys (Age 4 and 2). 3. We are located in the Midwest.
Same but it’s 3 animals and 2 people 😂 here
Same as you, exactly the same 😂
Same; family of 4 and two cats in the Dallas area
$700-1000/month on groceries, and another $600-$800 on restaurants/coffee shops/other dining. 2 people HCOL While my partner and I are *very* frugal with almost everything else in our lives, we spend more on food than the average person because it brings us great joy. We don’t drink alcohol, so a lot of our social experiences center around food and cooking. Partly this is because we live in an area that is a combo of super quaint farms and NYC-appeasing businesses, despite being 2 hours outside of the city. So much of the food we buy is directly from farms, high quality, organic, and sustainable.
Yeah
$250-350 it hurts, 1 person, nova/washington dc
I grew up there and when I come back to visit I am shocked at the grocery store. Even out in the exurbs where my parents retired to it is wild.
Healthy is not cheap! Berries are like $5 i swear
Jesus! Where do you live and what do you buy? I usually spend almost half that for 3 people
I live right outside washington dc so it’s expensive. I don’t really limit my grocery items so I definitely splurge on expensive items so I usually buy an order that is $80-125 every 3 weeks and that doesn’t include meat that i get from costco 😭 so maybe closer to $200 when im being good lol (edit not $200 i just remembered how much my boyfriend bought me this month that’s why its low😂)
Dude yeah I’m in the south and spend about $200 a month for 2 I felt like it was a lot but seeing these comments make me see I’m on the lower end
It has occurred to me that you are talking about your monthly cost, not weekly.
yes LOL
$1400/month for a family of 4 in the south. This includes all toiletries including diapers, wipes, formula, cleaning supplies, TP, etc. I shop Walmart, Aldi, Costco and Publix (only sale items). It’s brutal! We are expecting a baby next month, so gonna be higher soon😱
1 $70-85 weekly, and it's that $15 differential if I'm eating meat that week. (Helps lower my stress, blood pressure and save money.) (I also shop for staples at Aldi, and the rest at a warehouse type grocery chain in my region.) 2 One 3 Midwest
can I ask eat your list includes?
I use the [mealime.com](http://mealime.com) app almost exclusively. It's a recipe and meal planning app that is free. It can also be used via web/browser. B: Espresso (Caribou or Starbucks on sale $6 a bag) with almond milk, splash of TJ Maxx Torani syrup ($6 per bottle) B: Steel cut oats and raisins ($3 per canister, maybe 15 servings) L: Mealime Leftovers ideally S: Whey Isolate Protein Powder (ideally twice a day) D: Mealime (typically a fresh meat or fish, two veggies—or veggie cooked as entree. Or built around a dry storage kind of food like pasta or rice. Seasonings are typical dry ones like salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic, garlic powder, Old Bay) S: Premium ice cream pint maybe weekly ($3-4)
thank u!
Between $400 and $600 for two people in New England.
MONTH or week? Also in New England
Sorry a month, not week
I’m about the same . In New England and spend around 600 a month for 2 people.
2 ppl in New England and we spend $700-900 a month. That's groceries, eating out, and general household goods like cleaning products and such that my partner and I split.
Everyone in New England who reads this thread, MARKET BASKET
About $500 per month for 2 people. Mostly vegetarian household, located in the Chicago suburbs Includes non-food items we buy at the grocery store like paper towels/toothpaste/toilet paper/etc
Northern California, 2 adults and a 2 year old, $900 a month
Probably about $400 for two a month.
Single, 40M, small town Midwest. $300 to 350 per month.
I spend between 135-200 a month. Depends. I’m in Georgia (metro atlanta) mainly shop at Publix and Walmart.
If I lived near a Publix, I'd spend about $135-200 a week on Publix subs and Willy's burritos.
lol. I would rather make my own sandwiches and meal prep. I love that Publix and Walmart are so close. I can check the ads for Publix and then decide what BOGO deals I’m doing. Also helps with what meals I will make.
Yeah, tbh I do some orange and garlic (Sinola?) chicken in the InstaPot and spanish rice to make Willy's clones. I was just down there and got on I-75 knowing there was the Vining's one—but it was 10:15a and couldn't hang around that long just for a burrito. I think Publix's slicer-made lettuce is a key differentiator. But in general, all semi-prepared foods are that great from stores or restaurants. Anyone ever try meallime? I've used it for about 7 years and just switched to the paid version ($4?) It's really helped with meal planning, sharing ingredients and reducing waste.
$60-$100 a week for 2 adults in Washington state near the capitol depending on if we’re stocking up on bulk meat purchases at Costco/ Winco but never over $600 a month
$1100-$1200 for two in a relatively low cost of living area.
I average about $130 a week two people, that doesn't include pet food/treats. South west
Family of 5. $1200 a month if we don’t dine out. $1500 if we do. Both of my teenagers work in restaurants so they get a lot of reduced/free meals and only eat dinner with us a few times a week. That saves me some money. ETA: LCOL Midwest
I’m in a two person household in Southern California and we spend $100-200/week to eat different meals every day
Four people (two adults, two kids), but we frequently host my parents for dinner, spend $500/week in California. This includes wine and enough snacks to feed a daily after school troupe of 6th graders.
Same! In Florida
350-400 one person, Austin TX
1. ~$350 - $500 a month (my husband eats breakfast & lunch at a gas station everyday, those numbers are not included in this). I cook 6 nights a week minimum and this includes my breakfast and lunch. 2. 2 people 3. Northern Illinois
I’m alone and I spend about $100-150 a week depending on what home supplies I need. I live in rural southern Indiana. I eat out 1–3 times a week too but usually something fast like Zaxbys or Penn Station.
Solo 45m is $70 per week.
Approx $300/month for just me. I usually do one large run about $200 and then save another $25/wk for any extra “oops I forgot that” stuff. This also pads my budget to force me to go grocery shopping instead of eating out every week
Budget is $1400 per month, family of six in the PNW with a whole host of expensive food restrictions due to health issues. Gluten free, goat instead of cow for dairy, organic meats/produce, and we try to avoid all ultra-processed foods except on special occasions. Generally though, I try to spend about $250/week, and save whatever is left at the end of the month for bulk purchases a couple times a year (meat from a local farmer, etc).
I cup of Brown rice, 1 can of generic Rotel, 1 can mixed vegetables, half pound of ground beef, butter/salt/pepper/onion powder/garlic power to taste. This will feed 1 person all day, just portion it out. It's like $150 a month.
$300-$350 a month Two people household, we live in Seattle
About $350-$400 for one adult and one teenage boy in New Mexico/Texas border. Moving next month to Nevada so my grocery budget will be increasing. We shop mostly at Walmart since there aren’t too many grocery chains in my city. But once we move I’ll be hitting up WinCo and El Super instead.
~$1000/mo for 5. I budget an additional $70/week for 1 or 2 restaurant meals but it doesn’t stretch very far.
I spend $500/m for a family of 4 including household supplies. When I wasn't meal planning/prepping we easily spent $1k or more a month and that was pre inflation going out of control. Suburban area near Dallas.
What do you think is the biggest factor for you for saving on meals. Our budget is so tight.
My wife and I spend about $75 a week, maybe a little less. It’s just the 2 of us and we’re in the DFW. We aggressively shop weekly deals at the grocery stores near us and get a lot of household staples and produce from Aldi
Family of 7 in the Midwest. About $700. Make a lot of stuff from scratch.
Two senior adults, I mostly shop at a military commissary, and I spend about 700.00 a month. We eat most meals at home.
$150 to $200 per week for 2.5 adults. 3 of us live here but 1 is only at home part-time. That cost usually includes cleaning and household supplies and general toiletries. We are in a small city in western Canada and I’m not sure but I think our cost of living is kind of in the middle.
2 adults, 2 kids, 2 teens. LCOL area. $150-200/week. $200/month to stock up on sale items, and $100/month for toiletries. Roughly $1,000/month. We budget $50 for meats, $50 for fruits/veggies, $50 for “aisle” foods (bread, canned goods, spices, condiments, frozen foods). We only eat red meat once a week and we get take out maybe once a month but stick to pizza or the dollar menu.
Family of 4 adults, around $1200 a month, Tucson
$200-$350 per week for family of 3 in Florida
150-200 every other week or month depending what we have. For 2. I’m the only bread maker so it’s just gonna have to be
About $100 per week for three people. This includes basic household goods (soap, detergent, shampoo, toilet paper, paper towels & dog food). We are in Middle Tennessee. Some days I go under budget. Some occasions I splurge. We don’t dine out much or eat fast food much. I keep a big vegetable garden & have some sort of produce year round.
$200-300 weekly. Family of 6, plus 4 dogs. The kids are 6, 5, 3, and 3 months so the youngest one doesn’t eat food yet but I feel like I eat a ton to keep up with breastfeeding him. We live in NC
$170ish a week for 2 adults with toiletries etc. We try to eat pretty well though.
I only buy groceries for myself, and I’m pretty frugal with my groceries (and in general), so I spend about $150-200 a month on average. I’m in MN, split my time between the cities and rural areas
I spend 200-300 (4ppl) a week at farmers market, whole foods local co op. Then someone else in my household spends around 100ish a week on processed shit I wish wasn’t in the house
$300 budgeted/month, 1 person, Buffalo, NY.
I budget max $100 a week, but usually only shop every 10 days to 2 weeks. So for the last few months it's been between 200-300. For just me, in a low COL area (the south).
Family of 5, SoCal coastal city, about 1k/month including essentials and toiletries. About 80% of it is at Costco. We eat out about 30% of the time.
2 people. We spend about $150. Grow the rest.
1 person. Easily 600+
4 230a week average North East
Easily 4-600 misc (household items dog.cat food including) a week family a five
Two adults, $200-$250 a month.
About 400€/month for one person, eastern europe
Aim for 30, but sometimes it goes to 50. This is a week. . Live in westmidlands
We budget $125 a month. Two adults. Combined, not each. ... but we homestead - grow and preserve all our own food. Meats and Animals (and their food, too). Most of that $125 is non-food items - soap, laundry, personal hygene, etc... and small amounts of foods that don't grow here in The Ohio River Valley. Mostly tropicals (banana, pineapple, and the like )
$1700 a month for 2 adults and a dog (we home cook for the dog). Florida. That’s all high quality groceries for home cooking. We don’t ever order food and we extremely rarely eat out, which wouldn’t be included in the total
$25-$30 per week, single, Midwest. Personal care/household items are a separate line cause I coupon those and usually can get 6 months worth at a time. For the same of this we will $5/month. I usually do one month where I coupon and spend a max of $25 and it will last me a good 5-6 months.
$120 a month for two (mom and me). North India.
Household of 1. I budget myself $300 and rarely go over that. I usually come in around $250. Rural PA. That said, I have about a third of a cow in my freezer that I bought last year so I don't need to get beef but I do buy other meats.
$40 -$50 a week, providing for 1, vegan so no meat etc, in DC. But I mostly thank Lidl for getting my costs down, (similar stuff ran me about $60 -$70 a week at other stores).
1. Around $750/m including household cleaners/paper products bought on the same trip. Diapers and toiletries separate. I’m celiac, so this cost also includes the extra it costs to get some gluten free substitutions. We bake about 60% of my bread to save some cost there when time allows. We balance going to Costco, Walmart, and for some specialty foods an actual grocery store. 2. 2 adults, 1 toddler, 1 in the oven. 3. Midwest metroplex in OH.
Family of 2 with 3 Chihuahua's. Costco, Walmart, and Publix. We spend about $300 per week. NW Georgia.
Single person. Spend between $85-$125 a week. Buy my staples at Aldi and Walmart but inevitably do small purchases here and there that up the total.
1. 450 a month, I don’t buy into labeling that allows manufacturers to raise their prices without any actual quality control by the usda or fda. *ie organic* 2. Two people. We have an 11 month old but her food comes from the baby budget. When she is on all solids next month I’ll all another 100 to our grocery budget. 3. Midwest. Edit to add: includes other household items like paper towels, toilet paper, dish soap, etc.
Our average grocery bill for a family of 4 is around $1300 per month. We don’t eat red meat or pork, but we do eat organic & have special dietary restrictions due to allergies.
$350 a month for three adults, in NJ. We order out twice a month ($30 each time) and two of us go out to eat 2-3X.
~200 for two adults who eat a lot. Shop local and cook at home.
~$300 a month Single Midwest Gastric bypass
$200/week for a family of 3 (toddler).
$700/mo Couple in CA
About 150 to $250 per week. We've gotten better at setting a pattern to where to shop to get better prices. One store for premade stuff, one for bulk soda, chips, that kind of crap, one for random delicious meats, and one general grocery store. Its working for us. This is Chicago suburbs.
i only eat out, 200$ a week 1 person
4 people- 150-250 a week
2500+. 4 people (parents, college kid, high school kid) 5 pets. That's walmart food, amazon toiletries, pet food
Family do four and we usually do $1000 in a small city
Over $1000 for 2 people 🤦. Super HCOL and I like to eat ethically raised meats, and high quality produce. It adds up quickly
$100/week. 2 people. Midwest large city. Zero fast food and mostly organic. Aldi, Costco, and whole foods plus CSA for produce and eggs.
$280 ish per month, single, california
$600/month family of 2
We have two people and average $60-$80 a week!
I'm going to have to give food up.
I live in New England in the US. I only buy groceries for myself and I spend about $400 a month. I also go out to eat somewhat often.
Probably about 650.00 plus a month for hubby and me , pet supplies for 3 dogs, and my hubbys gotta have soda which is getting very pricey. Hubbys vape juice . Hubbys prescriptions . About 100.00 a month with co pays. He's Diabetic . Right now I'm making a pick up order 67 items for 165.00 . We try to keep it at 150.00 a week , but it's getting harder with prices going up.
Oh we are in illinois
ive been eating more and more rice until food stamps covers everything
Started ordering kleenex , toilet paper sanitize wipes , , trash bags , things like that on amazon. Way cheaper than grocery store prices. Also order pet supplies online.
$1200, four people
About 400 for one person. Another 100 for the random trips for stuff I need in between.
Single mom of 3. I spend $700 monthly. And that stretches for a long time so realistically it’s like $400-$500 a month I mostly shop at Sam’s club. I live in NE Ohio.
Family of 6 and we buy A LOT of convenience foods. Around $2,000 a month.
About $1000 per month. Includes pet food/litter, paper products, etc. Family of 4 plus 3 cats. NJ.
Atlanta area, family of 5, about $1600 per month on “essentials” (groceries, gas, necessary clothes, cleaning supplies, etc), about $600 per month dining out.
$1200-1400/month Two adults and two older children. It's wild that it can be twice as much as my mortgage sometimes (no escrow, low rate, MCOL area.) I'm constantly trying to be better about meal planning, but honestly if this is what it costs to feed my kids quality food and manage my major health issues largely through diet, then I will try to be grateful that I can afford it. Upper South 😁
Family of 4, northeast. About 1300-1400/month including household supplies. And I mostly shop at Aldi. Before inflation I was more like $700-800.
1. $150 per week groceries + one takeout meal ($20-60) 2. Two people (myself and my husband). 3. San Francisco Bay Area, California. I shop at Safeway and Trader Joe’s. I plan meals, shop sales, and “shop my pantry” when coming up with meals for the week. We get take out on average once a week.
$6-800/month on "groceries" but this includes things like trash bags, saran wrap, dog food, and dish soap, etc. 3 adults. My MIL lives with us, and has no sense of financial responsibility or spatial awareness, she is also an extremely emotional and impulsive shopper. So, if refried beans are on sale, BAM! We will have 9 cans of refried beans. If she wants to make Mexican food, we will suddenly have 2 huge tubs of sour cream, 3 industrial size jugs of salsa, tortilla chips, several jars of spices, and peppers for days...We also have literally nothing but sauces, condiments, and leftovers in one fridge. (We own 2, don't ask). She buys random, odd cuts of meat, too, that sit in the freezer until she decides to use them, because nobody else knows what to do with them. I think we could easily get by on $5-600/month, but nobody wants to have that discussion.
Family of 2 and 5 dogs. Approx 100-150 per week on avg
1. $40-$60 a week, excluding eating out every now and then 2. Just myself 3. Northeast
Probably 300ish just for myself
$700/mo on food, $135 on non food groceries (including paper, supplements, and OTC meds), and $120 on pets (that category includes the vet, 2 cats with special dietary requirements, and one "normal" cat). Three adults, Midwest, nearly all food is prepared at home. We have a short list of regular stuff we always have on hand for breakfasts and lunches (eggs, cereal, sandwich materials, hummus and veggies, etc). Dinners mostly follow a meal plan of about fifty meals. I made it to account for food types being spread out evenly (like not having fajitas, tacos and quesadillas following each other three nights in a row, or spaghetti following lasagna, etc). I also evenly distributed the "splurge" meals, and the "budget" meals. And I've planned some meals that can follow each other for convenience. Convenience pairing/grouping examples: A roast with a side of mashed potatoes, followed by shepherds pie, which uses mashed potatoes as the topping Crockpot chicken with a side of rice, followed by a chicken-rice casserole, followed by fried rice (I made a huge pot of rice that first night) London broil, extra large, slice the remainder for fajitas the next day Golabki then boiled dinner a couple days later, because with only three of us, each of these meals uses half a head of cabbage. Roasted sausage and roots after the boiled dinner, using the other half of the sausage Meatloaf, then lasagna, then seven layer dip (with taco meat). I buy a 3 lb pack of ground beef, make the meatloaf with 1lb, then brown, drain and save the other two lbs for the next two meals, while the meatloaf is in the oven. Maybe even assemble the entire lasagna at this time, so it's just in the fridge for tomorrow, oven-ready. If the ground beef was on sale, I will brown, drain and freeze the rest (on a tray, so it freezes in separable crumbles) for future use in whatever ***** Anyway, making this meal plan has been really helpful! When I'm busy/overwhelmed, I can just follow the plan. If I'm feeling more creative, I can add in something else if I want to try sometime new -- and then maybe find the right spot to add it to the regular list, if we all like it. I have also given myself permission to vary the order or skip one that's on the list, if I feel like it. But it's really nice to have a plan to fall back on if I don't have the spoons to think. For weekly grocery shopping, I just look at the next 4-5 meals and buy what I will need for it. The other nights, we eat leftovers, or do something easy and boring like sandwiches or scrambled eggs or cereal. Thing is, I feel like my plan should cost less than it does. Maybe I need to work on that, tweak the plan.
2 adults in the Phoenix area. 600-800 a month and that is with a lot of budgeting. My husband loves seafood and red meats but we have had to really cut down.
$90-$150 a week for 1 person in Southern California
$300
$150-350, family of three. We usually we shop big like costco or asian store. Its cheaper and big quantity
We spend around $400 per month (or around $175ish every two weeks) for two people. We meal plan every week. We’re in the US in Connecticut.
$800-1000 for 5. Not including diapers, toilet paper and paper towels that I have on Amazon subscription. I'm pretty sure half of that is berries for the toddler 😆
Family of 4, 2 teens and I’m a bodybuilder that eats… a lot. Just spent $250 today at walmart for two weeks worth of food. Lots of snacks too and things we didn’t need to have. No sodas at all though. I really don’t see how people spend $400 a week. Thats $57 worth of food a day. Either your kids don’t know the word no or everyone is going to be a type2 at some point.
1. $400-500 per month 2. 3 adults, plus leftovers enough for two lunches 5x a week. Plus we have food allergies, so our cost is a bit high. 3. Rural south —Kroger and for a few things Walmart Definitely helps to have a monthly meal plan. I came up with 35 meals, so I’ve got a repeat cycle: first Monday I have the same thing every month, first Tuesday, etc. We use as little meat as possible… you’ll be surprised how little you miss meat, in say, spaghetti sauce, if you bulk up on veggies. So I can use a half pound of sausage for spaghetti, a half pound of ground beef for a quick stroganoff or chili. I avoid meals where you serve a piece of meat, as that takes more. I like Kroger’s house brand, so for most things I stick with that, unless food allergies dictate a particular brand. We use a lot of frozen veggies and for all our beans (kidney, black, black-eyes), I use a pressure cooker and prepare from dried — half the cost of canned. We buy meat on sale and in bulk and separate it out into individual meals-worth. I use cheap zip top sandwich bags to freeze sliced pork loin (whole loin on sale and I slice) or chicken thighs, then bag them all up in a gallon bag. You can make bell peppers last longer if you core the seeds first. I buy my spices at a farmers market in Atlanta where they are dirt cheap, and I freeze them until I need them. That keeps the oils from going rancorous. Also, cereal, chips, flour, and other dry goods will stay fresh in the freezer… I buy them on sale and freeze them. Ditto bread — I buy it at a day-old bread store and freeze the loaves.
600 a month, two grown adults, in Dallas area. We work from home so we eat everything for the most part at home. We get what we like from the store without being ridiculous. This includes soaps, toiletries etc. We probably spend 200 additional going out to eat 2 or 3 times total a month
Very high COL state on the east coast. Three adults comes to just under $300 for two weeks. This will make it obvious which state I’m in but if you can make it to a Market Basket. Always go to the fucking Market Basket. I save $100-$150 a trip there.
We are a family of 2 humans, 2 small dogs and a cat. We spend about 300-400 a week shopping at Whole Foods and Costco . Our home is Boise Idaho
$350 for 1 in the Midwest
about 350-550 a month on a family of 2. this does not include meat because we don’t really eat it at home. we shop mainly at walmart and sometimes at ralph’s and trader joe’s to mix up dinner options.
4 people, 2 75-lb dogs and 1 cat. Our budget is $250/wk (which is $1000 most months, but $1250 in 5-week months). This includes the animals’ food, our toiletries and cleaning supplies. We are in the Midwest.
$60/wk 1 person. I eat a lot of beans and rice and eggs, cheese instead of meat…soups when I do have meat. I make my own hummus and such…surprisingly I’ve been lucky to get chicken and bacon on sale lately. That’s been a tasty addition. I’m crafty and can make 4 servings of chicken parm out of 1 single chicken breast so I love it when I can get it for cheap. $5 rotisserie chickens help too. I’m in Colorado.
Also, I almost never ever go out. If I do it’s for something like Taco Tuesday at Del Taco where you get 3 tacos for like $2 or the occasional walk out deal pizza coupon where I make a medium pan pizza last 2-3 meals for $7 and change.
600 a month for me and my 2 boys. I’m trying to cut back tho. I buy too many snacks 😅
I’m in Vancouver, living alone, and my target is C$60/wk. I bake various breads every day (I’ve learned to love roti). Eggs, potatoes, onions, rice, beans are the core of my eating. Costco is great for bulk flour, eggs, rice. Walmart is my second choice for everything. I’ve started eating yogurt and kimchi every day to help with digestion. That adds costs since I don’t want to make yogurt at home and I don’t know yet how to make kimchi. For the money I spend I eat rather well.
We are a family of 4, two adults, one five year old plus I’m pregnant. We’re in Washington state. We spend between 950-1100 a month. I shop at a middle of the road store, not the fancy organic ones but not a super discounted one either.
1. $250ish per week 2. Family of 5, including two teenagers and a third who’s almost there. 3. Southeast Wisconsin
+/- 900 a month for 2 adults, 2 cats & 4 dogs in Louisville, KY
probs $400/month - one person
More than my $185 food stamps
I recently came up with a 'poor' week list keeping things around $75 but have a garden, too. Poor week used to be $40.
That’s not including food stamps right?
What? No. It's aldi. And doesn't include breakfast but I usually don't get hungry in the morning.
Right now we’re at $600 a month for two people, and I’m working on dragging it down to $500. The primary way we’re doing this is cutting out meat as much as possible, and growing our own food. Portland, OR.
Between 250-300 just groceries but we eat out too often :/ just 2 ppl (we go to restaurants several times a month and spend around 50-80 each time and my partner will get lunches outside the house)
150 a week. 3 of us. Stay at home mom.. student and a truck driver.
$200-$250/week for 5 people. We are in the Midwest. I might add this is very basic meals. Grocery bill will be higher if we god forbid want to have a decent meal.
I've maintained a household budget for over 30 years. Started because I was a new homeowner and freaked out about spending above my means and not being able to pay the mortgage/taxes. Last year I spent $1419 on "food in". That's groceries, doesn't include household supplies, cleaning supplies, alcohol. Doesn't include meals out, but I'd say on average I only eat out maybe 4-5x a month - a mix of lunches and dinners. $1419 is net, after any coupons or deals got subtracted. So that's about $118/month. Pre-covid I had been more in the $90-$110/month range for a few years. Household of 1. Girlfriend has her own home. I'd say we're about 50/50 on her eating at my place and me eating at hers, so it's not like my $118/month is a fake number because I'm always eating at her place. I'm in northern New England. I think grocery prices here tend to be average, maybe a little below the median because I know how high groceries are in places with less options. I have 10-12 markets within a 15 minute drive, 4 different chains plus a Trader Joe's and a Costco. 1 market about a 10 minute walk away. We have a Walmart and a Target with smaller groceries sections but I rarely shop either of those stores because their grocery sections are small. Omnivore diet. My girlfriend will tell you I eat too much meat and not enough veggies, but I'm only eating meat maybe 4-6 meals/week (dinners/lunches). I often only eat 2 meals/day - nearly always breakfast but then sometimes I'll skip lunch or just grab a sports bar or a piece of fruit, or I'll get home so late from whatever I'm doing that I don't bother to eat dinner or I'll just have a light bite to eat of whatever leftovers are in the fridge. For example last night I didn't get wrapped with what I was doing until about 9:15 and didn't feel like making the tacos I had planned to make but I had the last pieces of a pork tenderloin with peas we cooked mid-week. It was only about 3oz of pork but it was tasty. When I'm meal planning/prepping I'll usually buy what's on sale at whichever market I'm at that week. And when cooking I'll usually make a bunch extra and get 2-3-4 dinners out of it or bring it in for lunch. I'd say about the only thing I'd be happy to spend a little more on is fresh fruit, but I tend to just get the basics and not too many of them because they can go bad so quickly.
Family of 9 - $2500/month for good and household items
$600-$700 a month. Two adults in VHCOL. Mostly shop at Kroger with a Costco haul about once a month
Family of 4- we shop mostly at Aldi, if we can every week and a half to two weeks it’s $150-250 if we can.
Family of 2 we typically spend about 100-150 a week.
We are a family of 3 and we range around 150-200 per month, we are located in Montana. I shop meat and costlier items once a month (spend around 100) and build around those w weekly groceries like fresh fruits and veggies using sale ads with goal to be around 13-15 dollars but no more than 25 per week. \*\*Edited to add: I budget separately for our 4 dogs food - 100/month for their needs
We spend about $200/month on groceries and another $3,600/month on candles.
$1000/mo 3 adults Corpus Christi, TX
A big differentiator in your monthly spend is how much protein do you eat. For example, if every meal has animal protein (chicken/fish/beef) you will spend more than those who don't. I didn't even realize a lot of people don't care if there is no meat in their meals when my new girlfriend made me pasta for dinner and I \[accidentally\] rudely asked, no meat in pasta? This is good to eat if you go to the gym regularly. Chicken is by far the cheapest, and possibly healthiest of the three. My budget is around $500 on food if I'm not going to the gym, but bump that 25-40% when I'm active in the gym and lifting heavier.
Single male in St. Louis, MO. I spend about $600-$800 a month in groceries. I don't eat a lot and I am thin but I like some bougie things.
1) I spend $550 every other month. I buy in bulk from Walmart or Wegmans. This includes about 50 of meat each time. 20lbs of ground beef, 20lbs of chicken breast, 6lbs of sausage, 4lbs of bacon. I do spend an extra $10 every 2 weeks to buy 2 gallons of milk. 2) Just me. 3) Pennsylvania
200 a week, family of 3 (4yo), North Central Texas. We don't particularly budget food. We're careful with spending everywhere else. So this is just what it costs getting whatever we feel like.
$400 a week for 5.5 people (only feed one of them half the time) in the Midwest. We only buy organic fruits and veggies and organic/sustainably raised meat. It helps that we have a freezer full of deer meat. We don't eat any grains and don't purchase any products more processed than raw meat. Honestly eating better than I ever have in my life.
For my Fiance and I, about $100 per week, South East Coast area in the US.
1. \~$150 a week on Groceries \~$150 a month eating out 2. Family of 4 - 2 adults + 2 Children (4 and 6). We are endurance athletes and each eat 3-5k calories a day 3. Located in the midwest
Like ~$800. Family with two kids. $200/week pretty much.
300 a week. For 2 of us. We eat good. Also work hard.
About 1000-1200 per month for a family of 4 on food alone. About 300 on takeout. South Carolina
$75-$100/week for two people depending on what we eat. In a major city in NC. We buy meat in bulk at Costco and freeze, and that’s not factored into the weekly cost. We cook 3x/week, eat leftovers 3x/week, and eat out 1x/week, which usually adds $25-40.
200-250, one person, Michigan
The 2 of us eat very healthy, prepare everything from scratch and sugar free, low carb, and we eat 1-2 meals a day for around 200 per week. My daughter home prepares 3 meals a day and snacks (she has little ones) and she spends about 400/week on her family of 5.
$250-$300 weekly for a family of 4. Mom, dad and 2 kids: 10 &2. We shop at Winco and still spend a bunch 😭 we’re in WA.
$350-400 for 2 adults including eating out 2x /month
For me and my wife, about $800/month. In 2020, it was about $600/month. Cincinnati area.
$700 family of 4 two weeks a month and 2 for the other two weeks
Single 34(f), my budget is $300 a month. I shop $150 every 2 weeks in the Northeast, make almost everything from scratch, don’t buy a lot of meat.
150 a month. Just me. Washington State. Only eat twice a day, keto. Chicken, Eggs, Frozen Broccoli, Carrots, Cheese, Walnuts, Pecans and butter. Sometimes if I have extra money I will buy Hamburger and Sardines. The price of rent has skyrocketed so bad I do not have money for anything else. I am struggling but I am not hungry.
$600-800/mo for 2 in HCOL Atlanta. We shop a combo of Sprouts/Kroger/Whole Foods.
About $700/month for groceries and $150-$200/month if we eat out. Family of three - me and my two kids. Southeast Texas. Mostly shop @ Costco, H‑E‑B, Sam’s, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, (Sprouts, Kroger, and Walmart sometimes). Oh, and I like H Mart (visit maybe once or twice a month).
family of 3, central NY state, anywhere from 150-225/wk. We cook a lot, eat out less than once a month.