How much do you spend on groceries?

  • Thread starter Thread starter kevinsgirl
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Easily $1000/month for family of 5 (2 adults 3 kids) **not **counting dining/take out.

We purchase organic meat + dairy exclusively, tho not necessarily veggies or grains. I cook dinner during the week, pack lunch for one and feed lots of extra kids after school and on weekends. Typically, our most expensive grocery items are convenience/kid snacks: beverages/juice, premium prepared snack food (i.e pizza, potstickers), fresh fruit, cheese and premium ice cream (Haagen Daz, Starbucks, Ben & Jerry’s).
 
Yikes- I just came home from shopping and we were low on lots of things I spent $200! For our family of 5.:o This did include new tupperware, diapers laundry detergent and a couple of toiletries. Even so I was very mindful since my funds were low from a rough start of the new year.
 
Just thought I would add my latest “trick” for saving money on the ol’ grocery bill—
You know those Debbie Meyer Green Bags they sell on tv? They are supposed to really extend the life of your produce. Instead I have been using the cereal bag inserts (the kind from boxes of cereal or even crackers)—amazing how they really do make produce last way longer than any other thing I’ve found! I put just about everything in them now,including meats and cheeses.If you think about it,an unopened box of cereal has an expiration date at least a year in the future and it’s due to the bag it is in.

Also,I’ve had good luck with the new Reynold’s Handi-Vac system.Hubby didn’t like the taste of frozen meat but now he doesn’t even know the difference! The bags are reusable too.

Especially for singles or smaller families,I really recommend trying the cereal bag to extend the life of your produce,etc. I got a head of iceburg lettuce on clearance for 49 cents,took it home and rinsed it off,dried it a little and put it in a cereal bag and it is positively fresh 10 days later!

Hope this hint helps!
 
Another trick I use–I don’t use eggs in baking a lot, unless we have a surplus. I save eggs for meals, French toast, or hardboiled eggs for snacks. I have found that in chocolate chip cookies and most quick breads, you can substitute applesauce (2 T per egg) or milk (ditto) for eggs. Or you can look up vegan recipes. I have a vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe that is pretty good.

I’d rather get food value out of an egg than add more fat to a baked good.
 
Easily $1000/month for family of 5 (2 adults 3 kids) not counting dining/take out.
Click to expand...
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

I nearly fell off my chair reading this. $1000??? Wow.

How does Kate Gosselin feed 10 people on 150/week I’d love to know.

Our weekly bill here is about 120-140 for 4 and nearly everything organic. I cook for two nights at a time and we eat out 2x /month usually. I do however make a big order online 2x a year for staples; I use a lot of gluten free stuff and some other things you can’t find at the reg store so it’s convenient and cheaper.
 
shannyk said:
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

I nearly fell off my chair reading this. $1000??? Wow.

How does Kate Gosselin feed 10 people on 150/week I’d love to know.
Click to expand...
My figure was per month, not per week–I’m only spending about $100/week more than you. I can’t imagine how anyone could feed twice as many people for the $150/week though–would love to know how she does it too! I’ll add that since moving to the Pacific NW I have noticed higher cost of living for everthing from housing, to gas to groceries. Not saying we don’t have “fat” in the budget, but it is far more expensive here than it was when we lived in the midwest.
 
Between $15-$30 when I go to the store, once a week. Maybe another $20 after that, when I stop to get a sandwich. I’ve been going to the discount stores a lot lately.
 
Not saying we don’t have “fat” in the budget, but it is far more expensive here than it was when we lived in the midwest.
Click to expand...
This is exactly what I was figuring, not that you had fat (in your budget that is:p ). Still for me, 100 more a week would be impossible for me to afford. I guess I better not move out west!

Right now I am having such a hard time finding groceries at ALL here that are even edible. When I lived in Chicago I had my pick of stores with fresh, food and a great variety. Now, here in WI where I live you have your choice of Pick N Slave, or Sentry. Everything is overpriced especially the dairy stuff which is surprising since we are supposedly the dairy state:confused: :rolleyes: You can’t really buy meat at either one. Gross. I mean I’d tell stories but it would make you sick…There’s one whole foods about 30 min away from me, and it’s not even a ‘normal’ whole foods as far as selection. More like a wine cellar and coffee bar with a few groceries mixed in. Not worth the drive.

They are building a Woodman’s about 30 min from me, which is supposed to be good and HUGE, like 250,00 sq feet and 70,000 items. I guess we’ll see. Any one else shop at Woodman’s?

What I wouldn’t do for my Jewel and People’s Market and Wegman’s. I give up on the stores here. Planning on doing crop share this summer for milk cheese veg fruit.
 
shannyk said:
Now, here in WI where I live you have your choice of Pick N Slave, or Sentry.
Click to expand...
Personally, I call it Pick N Spend. Do you have a Piggly Wiggly nearby? Might be a good change…

If you want the really good stuff, go to a place called Sendik’s in Milwaukee (or to be precise, Glendale).

There are some Jewel’s around if you look for them and I have never been to a Woodmans.

Andy
 
AHapka said:
Personally, I call it Pick N Spend. Do you have a Piggly Wiggly nearby? Might be a good change…

If you want the really good stuff, go to a place called Sendik’s in Milwaukee (or to be precise, Glendale).

There are some Jewel’s around if you look for them and I have never been to a Woodmans.

Andy
Click to expand...
Hi Andy:wave:

I do like Sendik’s. Just a bit pricey and far for me on a weekly basis,(I’m in Waukesha co) but I do go there on occasion.

I haven’t seen any Piggly’s near here and haven’t been to one. I’ll look into it.

We had Jewel here right near me and it closed:mad:

My sister swears by Woodman’s. It’s not far from you either, off 94 in Kenosha. She says she spends half as much there and they have everything.
 
We’ve started buying packs of Ramen noodles. They are super cheap and there are hundreds of ways to prepare them! 🙂
 
kevinsgirl said:
So how much do you spend each month on groceries? What are some of the changes that really helped your grocery budget? 🙂
Click to expand...
I budget $250 every two weeks for food. That includes groceries as well as my son and I having brunch out after Mass on Sundays and an occassional stop at Subway or a burger joint. If we cut out the brunches and the fast food, it would probably save us $50 or $60 every two weeks, but we really enjoy the brunches. This Fall my son will be leaving home and going off to college, so I expect a large drop in the cost of food then. 👍
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top