What is your grocery budget?

csuave · October 2015

It seems that groceries are one of the more difficult line items in posters' budgets and I agree.

We have $300 in the monthly budget but I just looked and we actually spend closer to $200, less some months.

We are a 2 adult household. Aldi is our primary grocery store and when we go to the other store it is usually only for sale items and using coupons. We eat simple meals like grilled chicken and a side of broccoli for dinner and cereal for breakfast. H drinks coffee and lemonade. I drink tap water and the occasional glass of milk or hot chocolate. We don't buy pop (soda). We buy beer once or twice a year but that is in the entertainment budget instead of grocery. Toiletries are not included in the grocery budget. Eating out is a separate budget and we eat out 4-8 times a month on average.

als1982 · October 2015

Lately, we've been spending around $300 per month on groceries (we include toiletries in this line item). It had been $400, but our deep freeze is pretty full, so I cut back. Booze comes out of our entertainment budget ($200 a month for this which also includes meals out).

ETA: This is for two meat eating adults with no dietary restrictions who don't prioritize buying organic or non-GMO, etc.

bmo88 · October 2015

I usually go shopping twice a month and go to Costco and King Soopers. I spend about $150 each trip. This month is a "freezer clean out" month so we are living off of deals I purchased and froze over the past three months. So most months, between $300-$350. We also eat out once a week, that's not captured in the budget.

We eat meat, but I have cut portions in half and supplement with sides. We only buy non-GMO, grass feed meats. I have found ways to purchase on sale and cutting down the portion size helps a lot.

Xstatic3333 · October 2015

We have been spending $350 a month lately, but that doesn't include our garden (high start up costs taken from my fun budget), our veggie CSA ($250/year) or our meat CSA ($650/6 months/600 lbs. of assorted grass-fed meat, but the food lasts way longer than that so we're taking a cycle off). We are two adults, only one meat eater, who prioritize buying from local farmers above all else. For grocery store items, there are some things we always buy organic (milk, eggs, butter, some veggies) and others we don't stress as much (pasta, snack foods, etc.) Within the pricier things we buy, we know our price points, take advantage of sales, and watch for coupons.

We know we could spend less, but cooking at home runs into "fun" for us. H and I both enjoy making fancier meals now and then. On the flipside, we pretty much never go out to eat or order takeout out of convenience, always just as planned events to see friends or for special occasions. For us, assuming we're meeting our other obligations, food budget just isn't something we want to stress over too much.

JoanE2012 · October 2015

We spend between $300-$400/month, including toiletries. We also bring our lunch to work and only eat out once or twice a month. I know I can do better though by cutting coupons and paying more attention to sale circulars. But I've noticed a big change in price increases for many products.....while other manufacturers are trying to be sneaky by decreasing the product size (and some still increase the price too, double whammy!). It's crazy.

AprilZ81 · October 2015

We currently budget $425 since I got laid off and we are frequently right on the line, especially on months with 5 weeks. This includes cleaning supplies, basic toiletries, pet supplies and of course food. I drink a lot of soda and DH drinks a lot of beer over the course of a month. His craft beer (that shit is expensive) goes to his fun money, but if he buys "normal" beer like Yuengling Light or Blue Moon it comes out of the grocery budget.

I do 98% of the grocery shopping and Aldi is my first stop, then Meijer (similar to Walmart/Target). We do small trips to Costo and I would like to buy more in bulk, but our outside fridge died this summer and we haven't replaced it yet. I want to replace it with an upright deep freeze but I can't justify the cost just yet.

In November our new budget will kick in after I start getting paid again. I tentatively have the budget going up to $475 so we can enjoy a few more name brand snacks. I can do Aldi brand for a lot of snacks, but somtimes I need the real thing (like Cheetos)

hoffse · October 2015

Well we keep the fridge stocked with beer and wine, and I typically count most everything we buy at Costco in "groceries" even if it is random stuff like underwear or socks.

Our budget also includes cleaning products, meds, toiletries, etc.... because we buy most of those at Costco too and that gets lumped in with groceries. Maybe I should go through the receipt and be more precise with how we allocate it, but it's never really been a problem for us to do it this way so I've never bothered.

We usually spend around $400-$450. When we're entertaining, it can go a good bit higher than that because most of our family/friends eat different food than us.

We don't really buy much Coke unless we are entertaining, but we do love our sparkling water and drink a bunch of that. I'm not sure if we would break even on a soda stream, but I've thought about getting one. As it is, we buy it in bottles or cans.

H and I eat out out once a week for lunch because our offices are a block apart. That's pretty much all the eating out we do. Our other lunches are typically sandwiches. I splurge on high-end deli meat and cheese, but it helps us stay the course and avoid fast food. I do it more for health reasons than budget reasons, TBH.

CuriousKiddosMama · October 2015

We tend to spend about $300. I've started budgeting $400 because I need to stock up on things again (been eating a lot out of the freezer/pantry to make sure things don't go bad). My dh has just started a diet, so that may also cause this to go up. Fresh food, low carb, low sugar so I am also starting g to spend a ton more on fruits and veggies than I used too. I also wanted a cushion in our budget for when/if we need to start buying formula. If this one eats as much as ds did it will be $100-150 a month in formula so that is a huge chunk starting in February.
We are 2 adults and a toddler who eats like some of my cousins 5 year olds some day

he is not a picky eater like a lot of kids his age and love his fruits and veggies.

cbee817 · October 2015

For our family of 4, we spend $150-$175/week on groceries. That includes mostly organic items (usually $50 or so just on fruit and vegetables) and we cook all of our meals (no frozen meals/dinner in boxes). DH and I pack our lunches for work and DD#1 brings her lunch to school. DD#2 has her lunch provided at day care but that will change when she starts kindergarten. I have no problem spending $ on groceries- I know what my family is eating and how it was prepared.. makes me feel good that we can afford to eat well.

vlagrl29 · October 2015

we average between $400-$450 per month for a family of 3. I go to a local grocery store for most of my stuff, sprouts for produce, costco for chicken breast in bulk, and we bought 1/3 of a cow for our beef.

als1982 · October 2015

hoffse said:
Well we keep the fridge stocked with beer and wine, and I typically count most everything we buy at Costco in "groceries" even if it is random stuff like underwear or socks.

Our budget also includes cleaning products, meds, toiletries, etc.... because we buy most of those at Costco too and that gets lumped in with groceries. Maybe I should go through the receipt and be more precise with how we allocate it, but it's never really been a problem for us to do it this way so I've never bothered.

We usually spend around $400-$450. When we're entertaining, it can go a good bit higher than that because most of our family/friends eat different food than us.

We don't really buy much Coke unless we are entertaining, but we do love our sparkling water and drink a bunch of that. I'm not sure if we would break even on a soda stream, but I've thought about getting one. As it is, we buy it in bottles or cans.

H and I eat out out once a week for lunch because our offices are a block apart. That's pretty much all the eating out we do. Our other lunches are typically sandwiches. I splurge on high-end deli meat and cheese, but it helps us stay the course and avoid fast food. I do it more for health reasons than budget reasons, TBH.

Yes! We don't drink pop, but I've become addicted to La Croix. Coconut and grapefruit are my current flavors of choice, but I love their wide selection.

Xstatic3333 · October 2015

cbee817 said:
For our family of 4, we spend $150-$175/week on groceries. That includes mostly organic items (usually $50 or so just on fruit and vegetables) and we cook all of our meals (no frozen meals/dinner in boxes). DH and I pack our lunches for work and DD#1 brings her lunch to school. DD#2 has her lunch provided at day care but that will change when she starts kindergarten. I have no problem spending $ on groceries- I know what my family is eating and how it was prepared.. makes me feel good that we can afford to eat well.

@cbee817, from one organic veggie lover to another, have you priced out a CSA? You might really come out ahead during the growing season. My last CSA was about $100 a month for enough veggies for a family of four (we stored a lot). I also find it stays fresh much longer since it hasn't been shipped and stored before I get a hold of it.

englishtrish1 · October 2015

We spend around $500 a month, but that includes everything you can buy at the grocery store. We have a bunch of pets and buy their food and care items in that budget too.

kmurphy2131 · October 2015

Xstatic3333 said:

For our family of 4, we spend $150-$175/week on groceries. That includes mostly organic items (usually $50 or so just on fruit and vegetables) and we cook all of our meals (no frozen meals/dinner in boxes). DH and I pack our lunches for work and DD#1 brings her lunch to school. DD#2 has her lunch provided at day care but that will change when she starts kindergarten. I have no problem spending $ on groceries- I know what my family is eating and how it was prepared.. makes me feel good that we can afford to eat well.
@cbee817, from one organic veggie lover to another, have you priced out a CSA? You might really come out ahead during the growing season. My last CSA was about $100 a month for enough veggies for a family of four (we stored a lot). I also find it stays fresh much longer since it hasn't been shipped and stored before I get a hold of it.

I felt like my CSA veggies go bad so much faster! I assumed it was because there aren't as many preservatives or whatever added to them. Maybe it depends on the farm. I feel like so much is wasted through my CSA each week because I have to eat it all in 5 days.

Xstatic3333 · October 2015

Xstatic3333 said:

For our family of 4, we spend $150-$175/week on groceries. That includes mostly organic items (usually $50 or so just on fruit and vegetables) and we cook all of our meals (no frozen meals/dinner in boxes). DH and I pack our lunches for work and DD#1 brings her lunch to school. DD#2 has her lunch provided at day care but that will change when she starts kindergarten. I have no problem spending $ on groceries- I know what my family is eating and how it was prepared.. makes me feel good that we can afford to eat well.
@cbee817, from one organic veggie lover to another, have you priced out a CSA? You might really come out ahead during the growing season. My last CSA was about $100 a month for enough veggies for a family of four (we stored a lot). I also find it stays fresh much longer since it hasn't been shipped and stored before I get a hold of it.

I felt like my CSA veggies go bad so much faster! I assumed it was because there aren't as many preservatives or whatever added to them. Maybe it depends on the farm. I feel like so much is wasted through my CSA each week because I have to eat it all in 5 days.

Hmmm, I did do a lot of research about how to store things properly, and I think that helps. For example, most greens go in a Tupperware with a paper towel on the bottom and will last over a week. Other stuff, like eggplant and brussels sprouts, just needs to be eaten sooner or frozen. Most fresh herbs store well if you cut the ends and put them in a glass of water in the fridge, like flowers. Any root veggie should have the greens cut off before storage, and if your stuff comes dirty (my old CSA did, my new one washes

) then it will store better if you rinse it as soon as you're home. I usually freeze anything I'm not sure I'll get to in time, and use it for stir fries in the winter.

This book was a huge help my first year. Looks like if you have Amazon Prime you can "borrow' it for free on a kindle or kindle app.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Farmers-Kitchen-Ultimate-Enjoying/dp/1460910230

ETA: If you find a traditional CSA just isn't fitting your lifestyle, I also think there's no shame in that. Not everyone finds storing veggies a fun hobby. Many farms in my area, including my current farm, are switching to a model where you prepay some money at the start of the season, get a bonus amount added on, and then can spend that over the season on whatever you want. That way you aren't stuck with random things you won't use or enjoy. I like it a lot better this way; certain things like beets would be loved by most, but just don't get used at my house. I am missing the beet appreciation gene.

simplyelise · October 2015

We spend $340/month on groceries and that includes paper products and cleaning supplies. We have another $20 for toiletries. We should probably just combine these, but it's how we've always done it.

We usually just do one meal out a month and each buy maybe one lunch a week from our blow money. We also usually have to bring food for one or two events (game night with friends, work party, etc) and we just take from our regular grocery money for that. If it's a month where we have to bring food for our church small group (15+ people), we'll put in an extra $15.

dragonstarjk · October 2015

We spend between $400-450/month for the two of us. This includes toiletries, household supplies, cleaning products, etc. It does not include eating out, pet food/supplies, or alcohol (rare purchase).

We don't buy soda and we try to cook mostly clean, so we limit processed foods. I do splurge on a lot of organic or healthier versions of things.

BlueBirdMB · October 2015

We spend about $500 per month total for two of us. We have a ton of food limitations and I spend a lot buying alternative foods and shopping at alternative food stores. We also buy organic and only grass fed meats. I have never budgeted food because of all of our health issues- it's the one place where I am perfectly fine spending what needs to be spent to keep us healthy. I could probably coupon for some products, but I don't. Every year I look into CSA, but there aren't any that are conveniently located for me and all of them near us require that you pick up the boxes. I have grand plans that when we have a baby and I cut down to a part time schedule, I'll coupon and pick up CSA boxes, but yeah... we'll see.

Both of us have spent prolonged periods of our lives extremely unhealthy, so the fact that we are eating what we need to eat to be healthy... worth every penny.

KAdams767 · October 2015

We are usually between $85-$100/week for two adults. We eat a mostly vegetarian diet, with meat or fish once a week or so. We focus more on buying locally sourced food than certified organic from the regular grocery store, and buy as much as possible from farms and growers we trust and are aware of their habits. We then supplement with other items to fill in from the regular store. This budget covers all of our food except we usually go out or get takeout one night a week, and we each go out for lunch with co-workers once a week as well. It also includes some random toiletries that we do get at Wegmans, but not much.

cbee817 · October 2015

Xstatic3333 said:

For our family of 4, we spend $150-$175/week on groceries. That includes mostly organic items (usually $50 or so just on fruit and vegetables) and we cook all of our meals (no frozen meals/dinner in boxes). DH and I pack our lunches for work and DD#1 brings her lunch to school. DD#2 has her lunch provided at day care but that will change when she starts kindergarten. I have no problem spending $ on groceries- I know what my family is eating and how it was prepared.. makes me feel good that we can afford to eat well.
@cbee817, from one organic veggie lover to another, have you priced out a CSA? You might really come out ahead during the growing season. My last CSA was about $100 a month for enough veggies for a family of four (we stored a lot). I also find it stays fresh much longer since it hasn't been shipped and stored before I get a hold of it.

I have not looked into a CSA- my parents actually farm small (enough to feed themselves, us, and a few lucky co-workers of my mom- my mom also cans tons of sauce and jam) and we do go to our local co-op on occasion. They feature all local farmers- we also have farmer's markets at my work once a week and at our municipal building in our village (we walk down there) on Saturdays from May - October. Even so, my girls could live on fruits and vegetables.. they go through so much. We have very little waste which makes the $150/week grocery budget easier to swallow for sure. Our supermarket, Wegmans also features a lot of local farmers when they can.. they're a huge chain in the Northeast.
I'll have to look into the CSA more though- thanks for the tip!

Mustard76 · October 2015

We spend about $125 weekly for two adults. This includes 2 meals/day for each of us. H doesn't eat breakfast and I don't eat lunch. With H's new schedule, we go out to eat maybe every other week. The $125 also includes toiletries, paper products, and cleaning supplies.

brij2006 · October 2015

We budget $450/month but that includes groceries, toiletries, beer and wine, and pet food/litter. This is for 2 adults and an almost 8 month old.

We also buy a whole pig and 1/4 of a cow each year. That's another $1,000.

julieanne912 · October 2015

My line item for groceries is $300/mo. This includes anything you would buy at a grocery store (some toiletries, some paper products). It does not include dog food, or what I spend at Costco. Currently I take pet supplies and Costco trips from my "spending" line item. I found it was too hard to track what we buy at Costco since it falls into so many categories... food, pet supplies, clothing, household supplies, etc.

Once this year is up I'm going to redo my budget (I use mint to track categories). We now live down the road from a Costco and my job is across the parking lot from a different Costco, so we spend more there now than we used to, but also means we spend less at the grocery store because I buy all meats at Costco, and stuff like toilet paper and paper towels.

I should also add that on the weeks H travels, I spend about $40 or less at the grocery store for me. I'm content to get a rotisserie chicken and eat it with rice or in a quesadilla every night, but when he's home I make a better attempt to cook full meals, but also means a higher grocery budget.

Erikan73 · October 2015

We have a budget of $500 a month, but that includes tolietries and cleaning supplies. That was for a household of 3 adults. We are now down to 2 adults and finding that our food budget is stretching further. We are learning how to adapt and taking some time to see how much we can cut down. I want to see a few months of my budget reports before I make a cut.

short+sassy · October 2015

hoffse said:

Well we keep the fridge stocked with beer and wine, and I typically count most everything we buy at Costco in "groceries" even if it is random stuff like underwear or socks.

Our budget also includes cleaning products, meds, toiletries, etc.... because we buy most of those at Costco too and that gets lumped in with groceries. Maybe I should go through the receipt and be more precise with how we allocate it, but it's never really been a problem for us to do it this way so I've never bothered.

We usually spend around $400-$450. When we're entertaining, it can go a good bit higher than that because most of our family/friends eat different food than us.

We don't really buy much Coke unless we are entertaining, but we do love our sparkling water and drink a bunch of that. I'm not sure if we would break even on a soda stream, but I've thought about getting one. As it is, we buy it in bottles or cans.

H and I eat out out once a week for lunch because our offices are a block apart. That's pretty much all the eating out we do. Our other lunches are typically sandwiches. I splurge on high-end deli meat and cheese, but it helps us stay the course and avoid fast food. I do it more for health reasons than budget reasons, TBH.

1st bolded: Haha, I do that too. I just remember the general receipt totals and usually don't differentiate between food and stuff.

2nd bolded: Although the initial cost of a Soda Stream is a bit spendy, I absolutely love mine and definitely feel it has saved me a ton of money. I also drink a lot of sparkling water...probably 16-32 oz./day. The carbonation canister costs $15 to refill and lasts me about 6 months. Plus I don't have to constantly lug around sparkling water from the grocery store.

I bought my Sodastream about 3 years ago and it still works fine. In fact, I like it so much I got a second one for work.

@als1982, that is the one bummer of the Sodastream. They have some "water enhancers"...that are lemon, lime, raspberry, or orange. And they're good. But I still sometimes need to buy La Croix because I also like the Coconut, Grapefruit, and Pear flavors...which I can't replicate with the Sodastream.

As for the original post, I budget $400/month for groceries. That includes toiletries and beer/wine/liquor and pet food. It is just my H and I, no kids. We are both meat eaters and don't have any diet restrictions, except I can't have sugary stuff like juices, sodas, and sweets. We eat out/take-out 1-2/week...and I eat out for lunch at work fairly often. But that is all lumped in its own line item and not included in my grocery budget.

blondie42107 · October 2015

We budget $450/month for our family of four. H & I pack lunches for work and our oldest takes lunch for school. We avoid boxed/frozen meals. We don't buy soda/pop. H buys traditional and craft beer and I like wine. I love LA Croix but try to limit how often I buy it. Coconut is my favorite! We also have a small garden. Our eating out budget is $50-$75/month. This includes getting lunch with coworkers, coffee stops, etc.

Frugalmama2009 · October 2015

700 a month for two adults and one child. We eat every single thing, do not throw out or waste anything. I meal plan and buy sale items but we eat only humane meat and organic. Plus DD is gluten free. We do not eat out, maybe a few times a year. Also, we are in Canada in a high cost of living area.

hoffse · October 2015

OK I'm going to have to try the coconut la croix since that seems to be the crowd favorite. We usually buy ours at Costco and stock up when it goes on sale (under $6 for 24 cans), but coconut is not one of the flavors in that variety pack. I'm a huge fan of the lime flavored la croix.

abrewer5 · October 2015

short+sassy said:

hoffse said:

Well we keep the fridge stocked with beer and wine, and I typically count most everything we buy at Costco in "groceries" even if it is random stuff like underwear or socks.

Our budget also includes cleaning products, meds, toiletries, etc.... because we buy most of those at Costco too and that gets lumped in with groceries. Maybe I should go through the receipt and be more precise with how we allocate it, but it's never really been a problem for us to do it this way so I've never bothered.

We usually spend around $400-$450. When we're entertaining, it can go a good bit higher than that because most of our family/friends eat different food than us.

We don't really buy much Coke unless we are entertaining, but we do love our sparkling water and drink a bunch of that. I'm not sure if we would break even on a soda stream, but I've thought about getting one. As it is, we buy it in bottles or cans.

H and I eat out out once a week for lunch because our offices are a block apart. That's pretty much all the eating out we do. Our other lunches are typically sandwiches. I splurge on high-end deli meat and cheese, but it helps us stay the course and avoid fast food. I do it more for health reasons than budget reasons, TBH.

1st bolded: Haha, I do that too. I just remember the general receipt totals and usually don't differentiate between food and stuff.
2nd bolded: Although the initial cost of a Soda Stream is a bit spendy, I absolutely love mine and definitely feel it has saved me a ton of money. I also drink a lot of sparkling water...probably 16-32 oz./day. The carbonation canister costs $15 to refill and lasts me about 6 months. Plus I don't have to constantly lug around sparkling water from the grocery store.
I bought my Sodastream about 3 years ago and it still works fine. In fact, I like it so much I got a second one for work.
@als1982, that is the one bummer of the Sodastream. They have some "water enhancers"...that are lemon, lime, raspberry, or orange. And they're good. But I still sometimes need to buy La Croix because I also like the Coconut, Grapefruit, and Pear flavors...which I can't replicate with the Sodastream.
As for the original post, I budget $400/month for groceries. That includes toiletries and beer/wine/liquor and pet food. It is just my H and I, no kids. We are both meat eaters and don't have any diet restrictions, except I can't have sugary stuff like juices, sodas, and sweets. We eat out/take-out 1-2/week...and I eat out for lunch at work fairly often. But that is all lumped in its own line item and not included in my grocery budget.

I just looked on the soda stream website and it looks like they just introduced a bunch of new flavors for water: https://www.sodastreamusa.com/new-flavors-c118.aspx

I don't have a soda stream but this may convince me to get one if they're actually that good. I love sparkling water.

ETA: Looks like they aren't all 0 calories, but still not bad at 45 calories.

KatieCutie05 · October 2015

This is our biggest struggle right now. Seems i can't get it below 550. We eat out maybe once a month. I can't have dairy and need to eat more calories since i'm breastfeeding. DH is on a low calorie, high protein diet. We eat a TON of chicken which i try to buy the most natural brand when its on sale. We also try to buy organic as much as possible and this does include all organic food for our 8 month old (homemade). That doesn't include diapers, alcohol, or dog food (but does include toiletries). Sad part is this also doesn't include the cost of DH's 2 shakes a day.

brij2006 · October 2015

@katiecutie05 I feel you. It's a struggle to keep within our $450 budget with me BFing. The amount of food I eat is insane, and I'm not the healthiest about it. It's also nuts being back to work full time with a 7.5 month old. So we don't eat the healthiest either.
But beans in any form, peanut butter, and avocado are staples for me. Protein and calorie fillers, yet not terribly bad for you.

I should also take stock in Aldi's frozen fish fillets. Put some pesto over those and pop them into the oven for 15 minutes. They're 4.99 for 6 fillets.

What is your grocery budget?

Re: What is your grocery budget?

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