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Urban Nesties: How much do you spend on groceries?
I live in the DC metro area which I know is one of the most expensive regions in the country. Still, I'm blown away by how much I spend on groceries every month for just me and my husband- I struggle to keep it under $900/month including household items. We moved here from the deep South where food was definitely cheaper, so I'm not sure if what we spend is normal or not. I'd like to hear from other people who live in big cities about how much they spend...
I do buy quality food and we eat at home most of the time. I try to buy lots of fresh produce, quality meats (though usually on sale), organic where I can but not completely...I try to pay attention to sales and shop a lot at cheap places like Trader Joe's. We don't eat a lot of expensive cuts of meat and will typically only splurge on things like shrimp, steak, etc a couple of times a month. My husband DOES eat a lot since he's a big guy, but I still feel like we shouldn't be spending this much. The thing is, I'm not throwing away or wasting food, either!
Anyone have any tips for how we can save money besides the things I'm already doing (and without compromising on nutrition)?? Thanks!
Re: Urban Nesties: How much do you spend on groceries?
When we were living in Seattle I think we averaged about $700 (usually closer to the $650-$700 mark) for groceries, so I can relate. It was a pleasant surprise when we moved to the south and found out how much cheaper things are here!
I'm a vegetarian but my husband eats meat. Even so, we don't buy a whole lot meat (maybe some chicken for him, or on the odd splurge he'll make a roast or some ribs). We spend a lot of our money on fresh fruits and veggies and often buy frozen if the fresh stuff doesn't look that great (it's often cheaper)
Unfortunately we don't use coupons too often as we try not to eat unhealthy processed "junk" foods and that's mostly what we see coupons for. We try to make our own versions of things so we know what's in them, and also it helps control costs. For example, my H LOVES granola bars so we make our own. Same with fruit leather and other snacks. We also make homemade jams and salsa (you can stock up on fruit and veggies in the summer when they're on sale and freeze them for later use if you don't have access to a garden)
We make our own bread too (it's easier than you'd think and tastes better than store bought!) and cook mostly from scratch. We also try to buy dry goods in bulk (things like rice, beans, oats, nuts, etc.) and those are all great bases for different types of meals. For example, you can turn some fresh veggies, lentils and brown rice into a yummy Indian meal that will fill you up and is cheap. Or you can take some poblano peppers stuff them with beans, rice and/or meat with some Mexican spices for another cheap, healthy meal.
I live in Miami and we have a 2 /12 yr old. We spend about $750 per month on groceries. I don't buy a lot of organic bc it is so expensive and we have been going through a tough time.
I use coupons once in a while, I might also get the Target card where you can get 5% discount every time you shop.
I live in the DC area and spend between $3-500 a month on groceries for my husband and I, including beer/liquor and household items.
You might want to look at how much produce versus pre-made foods you are eating. Anything pre-made or pre-packaged (even if its fresh veggies!) is much more spendy than straight-up produce in its natural form. Don't buy the pre-sliced pineapples/watermelons/whatnots. Same with bagged salad. Skip the junk foods- that's just money for empty calories. I use Costco for meat, they sell big packages of beef, fish, and chicken that are already pre-sectioned up for freezing (and their selection of wild-caught fish and organic meats is growing). Try buying meat and fish in bulk and then freezing it. It takes just a bit of pre-planning (you have to remember to defrost it the night before, etc) but it saves money because you make less trips to the store. Buy frozen shrimp. its frozen on the boat anyway, why bother letting the grocery store thaw it for you when you can do it in your fridge? In the summertime- visit some of the pick-your-own orchards around and freeze part of your bounty (this works awesome for berries). Make your own pizza dough/dinner rolls/bread. Start a container garden so you don't have to spend money on fresh herbs. Limit your spending on pre-made beverages, drink water instead of soda and use a brita pitcher. Limit alcohol purchases. Have a running list on your phone (or somewhere you can access any time) of condiments/sauces you are running low on so that you don't buy duplicates of things when you are in the store.
and finally, use what you buy! if you notice something in the fridge you might not get to, freeze it before it goes bad! The flip side of this is that you have to remember to eat those frozen things before they get forgotten in the freezer. Be proactive, prevent waste, and have a meal plan for what you will make for a given week THEN go to the store and only buy what you need for those meals. Household economics is an evolving experiment based on your needs and wants and the budget you have to deal with, so just keep trying different things until you come up with a system that works for you and keeps your wallet happy.
good luck- I hope my tips are helpful.
I live about 2 hours from DC in Western Maryland and we spend $400/month on groceries. The best advice I have is to menu plan. Whenever I menu plan I only buy what i need and then we use it all so I never feel like we are wasting food and I never have to make 3 and 4 trips to the market.
I also use coupons and match them to the weekly sales. it's totally worth it. I'm not an extreme couponer by any means but I end up saving 10-15% every week using coupons.
Also check out the farmer's markets for produce-it's much cheaper then the market.
Howdy fellow city dweller! I live in the city too, and I shop at the newly opened DC costco (love that place). The prices are more reasonable than whole foods for organic meats- but thats the tradeoff for buying in bulk I guess. You should check it out- because the packages are made up of smaller portioned packs, it is actually not too bad to have a supply in the freezer. The ground beef comes in 3 1.33 lb portions, the chicken comes in 6 portions of about 2-3 breasts or 5 drumsticks each, and the fish and shrimp come in big bags. We hardly buy any of their other stuff because of space, so I can relate to the whole not buying in bulk thing, but it might be worthwhile for you to take a trip to check it out. The savings in just purchasing meat there more than pays for our membership.
Also- have you tried Washingtons Green Grocer? They deliver veggies and fruits, I get their organic box and it is usually plenty for the two of us, their stuff is fresh, and the pricing is competitive.. so that might save you some money (and hassle- its super convenient). I used to do the mixed conventional/organic produce box, that is cheaper (like $32 a week I think), and I compared it to buying the same stuff at Harris Teeter (with a mix of organic and conventional), and Green Grocer was only $5 more on average. Since starting green grocer, I have dramatically lowered my trips to the store, which has the nice side benefit of lowering our monthly grocery bills. I haven't broken down a comparison of the organic box to whole foods, but I suspect it would be competitive as well. food for thought.
First thing is don't be taken in by the organic b/s. Recent studies show there is NO increased benefit from eating organically grown foods. NONE. So don't waste your money. If you are concerned about pesticides, wash your fruits and veggies with baking soda and vinegar. There are several recipes out there for home made remedies using items already in your home. (no purchase necessary). Every little bit helps, hope this does.
Amen!! Haha.
This post answers my question that I just post. We spend $150 a week on two of us. So I guess that is normal.