Poll: Grocery Shopping

kaesha · March 2011

We just got back from doing our weekly shop, and I'm wondering how similar we are to other people. Frankly, I think we spend an awful lot for two people...

So, feel free to answer the poll, and if you want to expand on your answer below (and maybe where you're located and how many people you're shopping for, or if you have any special food requirements or eat out more than you eat in!), expand away!

[Poll]

blenderdance · March 2011

I said $76-100...and we also go out probably once or twice a week. We could pretty easily spend less, but I tend to buy more organic when I can which ups the bill. I do make my breakfast and lunch every day though, so that $76-100 covers 19-20 meals for each of us plus snacks for me (Ed doesn't snack).

Oh, and sidenote...I found jalapeno cheese sticks for my snack this week...I haven't seen them before and I am super excited for snack tomorrow now!

ring_pop · March 2011

Sometimes we have a good week where we might spend $60-$70 but usually it's around $70-80/wk. And we still have a lot of lunches out, but there are a lot of cheap places around the university.

rxbeth · March 2011

We probably range between $75-$150.

I do meal plan, but I don't shop the flyers at all. I don't buy my beef or chicken in bulk and freeze it even though I know that would save money. We're both too lazy to care right now and we thankfully have that luxury within our budget. However, I am very thrifty otherwise and know where to save the money for when we do need to actually budget and stick to it.

This does also include our catfood, litter, any pop or gatorade as well.

MandeeFoFandee · March 2011

I answered $76-100, but it's usually right around $100 a week. I meal plan for dinners and I eat a bagged lunch daily. Sean brings his lunch from home some days, but most of the time, he eats out. I've found that meal planning really helps to save a lot - we do all of our shopping on Sunday and get everything for the week so that we don't have to make any random trips.

we buy boneless chicken breasts when they're on sale and portion them out and freeze them. we do the same with steak, but we'll generally buy ground beef if it's in the menu for that week.

oh, and we also shop food (moderately priced... not Science Diet quality, but not cheapo stuff either) and litter for four cats.

starsailorr26 · March 2011

I also voted $76 to 100 and usually spend about $90 a week. We also meal plan for dinners and most of the time we both pack our lunches for work. We usually only go out to eat once a week. I have a tendency to buy more than we need but usually only things that we can freeze for the following week.

kaesha · March 2011

We probably spend 100-125 (or there about). I only buy locally raised (hormone free/free run) meat, which doubles the cost of that. I picked up a package of lean ground beef that was 2.88$ and ended up putting it down in favour of one from a local farm that cost closer to 6$. We've really started eating less meat because of my local push, though we probably spend close to what we would have spent with non-local products.

I'd say we eat out once a week or so, and then you've gotta factor the booze in as well (we definitely go through a couple of bottles of wine in a weekend).

rebaann · March 2011

I aim for around $80/week for the two of us. Most weeks, I cook six dinners and one lunch and generally make enough for leftovers for lunch the next day. I don't buy beef, but do buy a lot of other proteins. I get chicken breast and/or thighs every two weeks at the B.J.s Warehouse. I also get milk, eggs and butter there because they are always cheaper than the grocery store.

rayne779 · March 2011

We usually average around $80 a week. If we are stocking up on chicken, or making sauce, it jumps to $100. I pay attention to the circulars, and clip a lot of coupons.

cortneyloo · March 2011

We usually make two big grocery trips each month and spend 175 or so on each trip. I also feel like it's a lot for just us two, but then again we don't eat out much so we need more groceries to make dinner on the few nights we're off together and we also both like to pack our lunches to save money and avoid fast food. I have a Sam's Club membership so buying in bulk helps us cut down on costs especially since some of that grocery money goes toward feeding our zoo. I don't buy organic or local besides some small items from the Farmer's Market. I'd love to be able to do that but our budget just doesn't allow it. We'd spend the same amount at a health food market and come home with half the stuff we do now.

On a separate note...how many of you go shopping with your hubbies vs. going solo? Just curious to see if anyone else is codependent like me and DH are! We insist on going together since we both consider shopping a pain-in-the-butt and having the other one there makes it suck less. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've gone by myself in the 5 years we have lived together lol

Soon2BMrsSikes · March 2011

We spend around $120 each time, but we go every two weeks. It's a little cheaper now that we're not buying wine, but we do usually buy steaks, porkchops, ground beef, and chicken breast, so the meat definitely adds up.

raynes · March 2011

A lot! Ha. It varies between $75 and $150 usually every other week, so average around $100 a week, maybe a bit more.

I usually only eat lunch out once per week, and we usually grab dinner out one a week, but other than that I meal plan and shopped based on my plan.

I buy some organic, and some local meat, and we're been working on decreasing how much meat we eat lately. I think we'll be buying into a CSA for the summer, so that will change things a lot, especially with how I plan, but it will be fun, right?

snoopy3319 · March 2011

We average about $75/week, but we normally go every 2 or 3 weeks. Lately I haven't had an appetite, so it's been really bad for our spending habits. I usually buy lunch at work, since whatever I've brought doesn't sit right with me by the time lunch rolls around. I try to bring lunch most days, though, and maybe only buy twice a week. DH just started getting free lunch from work twice a week as well as some perk the CEOs wanted to start offering. Fine by me!

With summer coming up, it'll be tons of salad and fruit, so hopefully I can start hitting the farmer stands near our house to cut costs there. We also have a BJs membership, and we can spend nearly $300 there in one trip. It's all bulk, though, so we normally only need to go once every 6 weeks or so.

These numbers don't include dog/cat/fish paraphernalia.

SusiOT · March 2011

You know, I answered $100-$125/week, but when I thought it over, I realized that's a lie. That's what we spend at Giant--we then buy supplemental stuff at our local food co-op (local, organic goods & produce) and deli (mostly beer there). I'd say we probably tip in at $175-$200/week when all is said and done. We're in the D.C. area (comparing produce prices between here and MI makes my head hurt) and we're shopping for two. We meal plan and we end up with an empty fridge at the end of the week, but we could do some belt tightening. Will we as things stand? Probably not, honestly. As far as groceries go, that's an area where we don't skimp (we have very low entertainment/discretionary spending b/c we're huge homebodies).

dora12 · March 2011

We usually spend no more than $50 per week. I guess it helps to make a grocery list and stick to it. I also clip coupons and make meal plans to pack lunch through the week.

I must mention that the part of the country where I live, the price of food is relatively cheaper than other areas of the country.

Bailey17 · March 2011

I usually go grocery every other Sunday and spend about $150/time. I always plan out dinners and shop with a list. I usually try to base our meals around items that are on sale. I also bring my lunch almost every day.

Another thing that saves us a lot of money is we don't buy any beef or eggs from the grocery store, we get those from our families ranches.

wanderfullife · March 2011

Umm I spend probably close to $200 a week on groceries. Mind you I have two growing boys to feed, school lunches, snacks, a grown man to satisfy. I usually spend a lot more on food when Russ is home from work, probably closer to $275 a week when he's home. I've tried to cut back after realizing one month we spent over $800 on food, but that hasn't seemed to work so well.

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