How much do you spend on groceries?

dana316 · June 2011

Since I have started using Mint.com, I'm realizing we spend a TON of money at the grocery store. Now, this includes Wal-Mart, where I do the majority of my grocery shopping, and I also by other household items there...so not every penny is groceries...but still...

So, how much do you spend on groceries every month? For a family of how many? Do you live in a HCOL, MCOL, or LCOL area?

TIA!

leslie&brian · June 2011

We're a 3 person family, and live in a middle cost of living city. We spend a lot on groceries..probably about $500/month. We buy a lot of fresh fruit and veggies, and produce is SO expensive.

Million$$Baby · June 2011

A lot! Usually between $140 - $180 a week. However, before I started shopping the store sales and clipping coupons I was spending more like $240/week so I'm happy with where we are now.

But feeding two picky toddlers is expensive. Milk, bread, cheese, chicken nuggets, veggie burgers, yogurt, cereal....it all adds up to a LOT!

LisaMarisa · June 2011

We are 2 adults, a 2 year old and an infant. I spend between $100-150/week on groceries. This doesnt count Target where I buy most of the household stuff.

Mrs.Reem · June 2011

We live in the midwest where it's probably average cost of living.

If I try really hard I can get our groceries for $100/week but usually it's $175/week if I'm not sticking to the list and using coupons.

We're a family of 4 and I do meal plan which helps costs a lot. Our grocery bill was out of control when I didn't meal plan.

CarrieB. · June 2011

About $80 a week for 2 adults, 2 cats and an infant that is just BF'ing now. I used to buy more organic items, but the price of groceries has gone up and my salary has gone down, so unfortunatly I've had to curb some of my spending. We live in a city in the Midwest.

nicolita14w · June 2011

We live in a HCOL area and I'd say we spend around $600 a month on groceries, and another $300 or so at Target for things like diapers, formula, cleaners, paper towels, etc. I can't believe how much we spend when I get the Target bill every month.

cjsbdl · June 2011

~$150/wk on groceries only. eta: mcol

Radler · June 2011

I spend around 500-600/month on groceries. We are 2 adults and a 1.5 year old, and we like good food! We have been making an effort to spend less this month--my DH is in the military and if I shop on base I can save a lot. But I've been lazy about driving over there... and I prefer shopping at the nicer stores. But it's hard to justify when a lot of the products are exactly the same on base... I need to get more organized about my shopping.

ETA: We live in a high cost of living area.

MonkeysGirl05 · June 2011

We spend about $100-125 a week. That includes most household goods, diapers, and dog food. We live in the Midwest and are a family of two adults and one toddler (and a dog).

hannah&ben · June 2011

We live in between LCOL/MCOL (you know, probably high end for L, low end for M). We live right outside of Cincinnati (like, 3 miles outside) in Northern Kentucky. A little further south and it would def. be LCOL.

Anyway, our grocery budget is $150 per week/ $600 per month. That includes all of our food, toiletries, diapers and household supplies.

Sometimes I feel like that's high but we are a 5 person household, I SAH and my husband WAH. We eat almost all of our meals at home (usually have probably 2 dinners out per month). Breakfast, lunch and dinner for all 5 of us (my DD packs during the school year so that comes from our home too).

So really, if you break it down per person, per meal, over the course of the entire month what we spend is quite reasonable (like $1.50 or something) and that's not even accounting for the % of the grocery budget that goes to diapers, toiletries and household supplies, it would be under $1 including that stuff.

FWIW, we buy mostly organic meat and produce. With dairy we do organic milk but not yogurt or cheese. Most of our groceries are 'fresh', you know, from the 'outside edges' of the store. A little bit of boxed stuff (oats, flour, yeast, pasta, cereal) and some organic canned goods (tomatoes, soup for the kids, beans) and other pantry items (maple syrup, ketchup, etc). I make most of our bread products homemade (sandwich bread, waffles to freeze for quick breakfasts, etc).

I do a fair amount of couponing for toiletries and household supplies so that helps keep costs down and frees up more $$ for the food we buy. I also meal plan (for all weekly lunches and dinners). That helps keep things in check as well.

RoxBride · June 2011

Around 60 dollars a week on just food, for 3 of us.

WE meal plan a lot, and that helps. And my husbands job feeds him, so he doesn't eat half his meals at home.

We live in an area with very expensive groceries (Denver) because of the expense of getting food here with no major cities around and the mountains.

somethingchangd · June 2011

$150 - $175 a week. We live in a L-MCOL area.

Most/all of my produce, dairy and meat are organic. 99% of the packaged foods I buy are organic, too. I think that really makes up for a chunk of cash. That total does include toiletries, paper goods, etc. And maybe a People Magazine every week...

amberleeb · June 2011

I go shopping once every 2 weeks and spend about $150 so $300 a month. It is just the 3 of us and we live in a MCOL area. We rarely go out to eat and my DH always brings his lunch. My DH hunts so we have a lot of deer meet and he is Military so we shop on base. I am going to miss shopping on base when he gets out next week!

firsttogo · June 2011

We live in a mcol- hcol area (high end of average) and spend 80 a week on groceries. I start at Aldi, and then go to our Target which is a full (deli, bakery ect) grocery. I coupon at target.

Diapers TP, and paper towels all come from Amazon SS, and I don't count that in our budget. We order Gwen's Alimentum by the case from my brother, or through Abbott directly, and get his discount.

jmkatz · June 2011

We spend about $150-$200 a week. I buy mostly organic dairy, some organic produce, and lots of fresh fruits and veggies. We buy seafood from a fresh seafood market and I don't eat red meat. I send Lucy's food to school every day, but we eat out (or take-out) almost every Friday and Saturday. Food is expensive!

schmoodle · June 2011

We live in a HCOL area. I would have NO idea what we spend on groceries...We go 2-3 times a week and just pick up what we need for the next few days rather than going on a big trip. I just looked at our last Amex bill though and we spent $373 at one grocery store in that month, and $82 at the other (we get most stuff at Dominick's but go to Whole Foods for some specialty items). So about $450. BUT we also eat out, carry out, etc. for many meals and none of us eat lunch at home except me so ours would be higher if we actually cooked most meals at home.

ETA: This only included actual grocery stores which is about 99% food for us. We get most non food items from Target or diapers.com/soap.com and probably spend another few hundred at those each month. But we get many non-necessities at each (decor and clothes, movies, etc. at Target, toys and stuff at diapers.com) that wouldn't constitute groceries so hard to say how much of that total is grocery related.

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