How much do you spend on groceries every month?

beetee123

For September my SO and I decided to meal plan ahead of time and do one big shopping trip at the beginning of the month. We only plan on picking up milk and fresh produce on a weekly basis. This really made me realize just how much we spend in one month on groceries! It's just the two of us, and we spent almost $350! That means by the time we are at the end of the month we will have spent almost $400 on groceries alone. That seems like so much for just two people! Granted, we did also buy a few different cleaning products, Vitamins and some pet supplies for the month, but still! It doesn't help that I was just diagnosed with Celiac disease, so buying GF products can be expensive. I try to coupon and use different apps to maximize my savings, but in the end that really only saves a few dollars here and there. How much do you spend each month? Any tips for saving money on the grocery budget?

JoanE2012

It's just my DH and I.  We spend on average around $100/week at the grocery store.  We usually do one Costco run a month, and will spend anywhere from $100-200 (but not always just groceries).  We rarely eat out and we always brown bag our lunch for work.

beetee123

We always take our lunches to work as well, and we have cut back on eating out a lot. We still like to eat out on occasion, but with my allergies I know I will usually regret it, so it's just not worth it anymore.

vlagrl29

We spend about $400/month at the grocery store and there are 3 of us.  We also do a costco run for chicken breast, beef, blueberries and strawberries.  I find buying meat in bulk really does save money.

beetee123

vlagrl29 (sorry I can't quote, I'm on my iPad): How is the quality of meat at Costco? My parents have a membership there, and my mom has said that she would take me with her in the past if I want to go. We spent just over $100 for a month's worth of meat for the two of us today. We go to the local butcher rather than buying the sad looking stuff that is usually on the shelf at our local Walmart.

vlagrl29

The chicken breast (frozen) at costco is SO much better than at the grocery store.  They are actually normal size breast and not little dinky tyson chicken.  It says on the bag that the chickens are farm raised.  It tastes really good to me.  Also the hamburger meat is pretty tasty too.  I think we mainly get the lean meat so there is less fat in it.  DH is the one that picks it up because it's close to his work.  We don't have a costco near where we live, but I'm hoping one day we will.

beetee123

Maybe I will have to ask my parents to take me when I am planning our shopping trip for October! We like the quality of the meat from our butcher, but we definitely pay a premium for it, and if we can get the same or similar elsewhere I would definitely be on board! I just never thought of going to Costco for meat since we wouldn't really get anything else there. I always thought of Costco as the place you go when you have a family to feed since we definitely wouldn't be able to eat a large amount of fruit or veggies before it goes bad. We can also live off of the biggest pack of toilet paper and paper towels that Walmart sells for close to six months, so it never occurred to me to try Costco. I do hate how few and far between the stores seem to be. We have two semi-close to us, but they are each still about an hour away.

HoneyBee973

We spend about $350-$400 per month for groceries, and its just DH and I. 

I do get extra meat when its on sale and freeze it.  When ShopRite has their CanCan sale I get a bunch of things. 

If you eat all of your meals at home, I don't think $400 is a lot. 

SlurpeeLove

Between just DH and I, we spend about $100 a week as well.  Sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on if we need meat that week.  If the meat is on sale, I usually stock up on it, separate it into baggies with serving sizes for two, and freeze them like that.  We were constantly throwing away meat before I started doing that.

I recently started couponing too.  I know it doesn't amount to much, but if you buy sale items with the coupon, it does help.  Just keep your head up.  If you want to spend less at the grocery store, consider paying cash.

Xstatic3333

We spend about $350 for the two of us. I don't think you're doing bad at all considering you're GF.

My tip for anyone with allergies or dietary restrictions is not to discount WF. It has such a bad reputation for being expensive, but it's much cheaper for many of my vegetarian staples than places like Stop and Shop. A good shopping list is essential to avoid temptations, however! Also check Target's Cartwheel app, which discounts specialty foods and staples frequently.

For produce consider a CSA or farmers markets. Much more quality for your buck than grocery stores, plus fresher=lasts longer=less waste.

lifeonthehill

We only shop for food 4 months out of the year. Our jobs provide us a full meal plan 8 months out of the year.

We spend about $75 a week but don't really eat much meat. All at Hannaford's. This includes health products and pet products.

FabulousMrs.P

For the three of us it is about $90 a week. We pack our lunches and eat dinner at home most nights. We try to eat out only one night a week. It's better on our finances and our waist lines. We are both trying to lose weight right now. I have been working on ways to get the bills down, but honestly most of what we buy is produce oriented and meats. Hopefully next summer I can grow some of the produce we are buying.

jessica490

H and I spend no more that $400/month as well and that includes our toiletries. We pack our lunches and don't eat out often. We go to BJ's once every few months to stock up on meat. We also use coupons.

mc0113

For the two of us, it's about $100/week. Most times it's more like $75/week but we do a Costco run to stock up on meat and other things (cleaning supplies/paper products etc.) about once a month and spend about $100 there.

formerlyGDaisy09

I think we average about $75 a week if I don't count health products...so about $400 a month for the two of us. we don't bulk buy things because storage is a problem for us, however we're considering investing in a small chest freezer and creating some more pantry space so that bulk buying would be more of an option.  

all that said, we buy most of our meat from a local butcher, we generally try to buy grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, and I spend extra on "humane-certified eggs". we do buy whatever cut of meat is on sale, but I'm willing to spend extra to know that the little meat we do eat was produced in a sustainable way and that it doesn't contain anti-biotics or hormones that might have long-term consequences. 

cbee817

For a family of 4, we spend at least $150/week and that includes all organic fruits/veggies/dairy and most grains. We don't eat any red meat, but we do buy organic chicken or fish almost every week.

strickland8052

I think you are doing good if you spend about $400 a month for 2.  That is what I strive for, but I'm bad about going over.

smbenevides1989

I just started doing a monthly food trip, with little $20 stock up of the perishables each week. Between DH, DD#1 and I, we spend about $260-280/month depending on how many weeks that month has. I make a limit of $200 on the first of the month getting all the things we would need for the month, including cleaning products and personal items. Our pup gets $30/month for himself to spend on food and treats. We eat a lot of healthy meals. We don't eat red meat, and eat lots of chicken and ground turkey. We have at least one vegetarian meal a week, along with breakfast for dinner. I make a lot of meals from scratch - like breakfast sandwiches, pancakes, and waffles - and freeze them for DH and DD. I buy a lot from BJ's and the rest I buy from Walmart, Priceright, and Target.

brij2006

We put $500 in the budget for groceries, toiletries, and pet supplies each month.  The last few months I've been able to get it down to $400, but know I won't be able to do that all the time.  It's just the 2 of us, and I eat gluten free. 

beetee123

Thanks everyone! I'm glad to hear that I'm in a relatively normal range especially considering that I have to eat GF. It still seems like so much to me, but maybe it's because we are spending more on groceries rather than eating out all the time.

jessica490

beetee123 said:

Thanks everyone! I'm glad to hear that I'm in a relatively normal range especially considering that I have to eat GF. It still seems like so much to me, but maybe it's because we are spending more on groceries rather than eating out all the time.

Bingo! And it's better for you!

brij2006

beetee123 said:

Thanks everyone! I'm glad to hear that I'm in a relatively normal range especially considering that I have to eat GF. It still seems like so much to me, but maybe it's because we are spending more on groceries rather than eating out all the time.

Eating at home makes the biggest difference.  It really does.  Yes, you will spend more on groceries in the long run, but you're saving so much money.  Before we got strict on our budget and I went GF, we spent about $400/month on groceries but would spend $250-$300/month on eating out.  It was nuts.

Also, eating out GF is expensive.  In order to find a place that offers a true GF meal, you have to pay a lot of money to get it.  I would rather cook at home and know what's in my food.

jlaOK

We are a family of 4 and I try to keep it around $600 per month.  I try to keep it down but really struggle with it.  This includes toiletry/household items and diapers/wipes.  We try to eat healthy and I know I spend more money on some better quality items.

short+sassy

It is just my DH and I.  I budget for $400/month for food, but it is usually more like $350/mo.  That also includes alcohol and beer...not that we're big drinkers.  I have a Soda Stream, so I don't buy much soda other than the Soda Stream concentrates.  I also include toiletries and cleaning supplies in that, but I don't buy much of that.  I include cat/dog food and cat litter.

I'm also not very MM about what I buy.  I do look for sales but, if we're in the mood for steaks, I buy steaks.  That kind of thing.  I also primarily buy meat, dairy, produce.  Very little canned/boxed stuff.

As for Costco, I wouldn't travel over an hour for one, but one opened near me about a year ago and it is now one of my "go-to" places for groceries and gas.  Their gas prices are typically 10-20 cents/gallon cheaper than nearby stations.

hoffse

We budget $400/month but are usually under.  That said, when we have something to celebrate, we typically do a very nice dinner in that will run around $40-$50 for wine, nice steaks, etc.  It's still cheaper than going to a nice restaurant and splashing out.  But in months when we are celebrating something we might go over a bit.

I'm a huge Costco fan.  Would I drive over an hour for one? Possibly.  I love it that much.  We buy most of our meat there, with the exception of steaks which we buy from a butcher.  We don't eat a ton of red meat, though.  But chicken, turkey burgers, pork loin all comes from Costco.  We go through a pound of spinach per week, which we buy there.  A pound costs $5.  We also buy milk, half n half, feta, parmesan, and mozzarella there.  Also most of our cereals and dry/canned goods.  We don't eat eggs fast enough to buy them from Costco, but if we did then we would.  Obviously paper products, water, pet food, cleaning supplies all come from Costco.  We've also bought some really random things there which has saved a ton of money over time... for instance, a television, a laptop, and my office chair ($90 for a VERY nice ergonomic chair, which 100% solved my back issues caused by my previous office chair!).  The best thing about Costco is that if you aren't satisfied, you can return stuff there forever, with very few exceptions.  When we get around to replacing our mattress we will likely buy it from Costco so we can give it a few months before deciding for sure if we like it.  Most of the mattress places only give you 30 days and that's really not long enough.

Over time I think the biggest savings for us have come from OTC medications.  They're really amazingly cheap.  Honestly, what we save in H's allergy medication pays for our Costco membership each year.  He needs zyrtec, and a year's supply of Costco's house brand (which they call "allertec") costs $12 when they put it on sale.  Whereas a year's supply of name-brand zyrtec is something like $120.  I can't remember exactly, but we added it up once and realized we were saving enough to pay for the membership with that one purchase.  So everything else we save is basically bonus.