Groceries!

GalLaura · August 2014

How much do you all spend on groceries a week ? I've started tracking my spending and it's all over the place.

WasNotWas · August 2014

~$100

momofcatan · August 2014

I go by the month because I'll stock up on meat one week, and then not buy for 3. We are between 550-600/month. That is with very little eating out.

needanustart · August 2014

It used to be about $125 a week, but we're having some grocery store issues in the area so my cheap store is out of commission and it's closer to $175 elsewhere. Dang strike!

ilovemarfa · August 2014

I spend at least $250/ week. It's just the 4 of us. I don't understand how I can spend so much after seeing that a lot of you with families of 4 spend like $100. My husband says that wegmans is overpriced.... Maybe it is??? I also end up having to go back to wegmans a few times during the week for more fruit and veggies.

musicalsilver · August 2014

We aim for $100. Most weeks we do decently enough, but every once in a while we'll have a week where we stock up on meat or something and it's super extra pricey.

ColieAnn31 · August 2014

We feed 6 people plus Grayson for ~$200 a week. With my parents new diet that they have to follow for health reasons I suspect that this number will go up.

ASmallWonder · August 2014

We target about $100 but that's literally just for dinners, weekend food, milk, etc. DH and buy our breakfasts at work and he buys all his lunches. I buy some lunches and bring some leftovers.

MorganWP · August 2014

DoodleTwins said:

Between $60-100 a week. It depends on if we need to buy meat or not.

This. I'll usually buy the "family pack" of meat and then freeze whatever is left for later. Saves lots. Plus, SO's parents usually invite everyone over for a family dinner once a week and altogether there's about eight of us and SO's mom makes enough food for a small army so we sometimes have leftovers for days.

Cricket81 · August 2014

My dad randomly gave me $100 yesterday (I think he is starting to pity my attempts to find a job.) I am going to challenge myself to make it last us for 2 weeks of groceries. I have a decent pantry and chicken in the freezer. I should be able to do it! Too many times I get to the check out and have no idea how I got to $130!

needanustart · August 2014

@ilovemarfa‌ Wegmans is one of my favorite stores but it is overpriced. Plus they have a lot of delicious prepared things so I always end up buying more when I go there.

BC&LM · August 2014

Probably about 150-175 per week. Back when I used to coupon more often, follow the sales, and shop at the local grocery store, I could do it for $70-100. But we shop at Whole Foods now, and that is more expensive (not for everything, but for organic); plus, I don't coupon much any more.

ETA: That old number was also when there was just me and my husband, and we buy much more fresh produce now that we have LO.

CoffeeBeanFiend91 · August 2014

@ilovemarfa‌ around here wegmans is by far expensive and if I shop there my normal shopping trip is $50-$100 extra.

Since I've started coupons (not extreme couponing I'm not nuts) and planning my weekly trip around around the sales flier and sticking to my list we are spending about $115-$125. Which is fabulous because here the cost of living is high and the wages are low

WasNotWas · August 2014

steamboat123 said:

One of my single friends, well he lives with his GF spends 1600 a month. They eat out a lot.

That is $53.16 a day!! I hope they drink a bottle of wine every night

kh59 · August 2014

The three of us rarely eat out (maybe once every other week) and shop at a combination of Wegmans and farmers' markets. We spend $75-85 a week. (Careful meal planning and not too much meat are involved.)

dmlk413 · August 2014

I shoot for $100 a week. Sometimes it's more. I feel like groceries have gotten way more expensive and I'm really trying to check sales ads and use coupons.

needanustart · August 2014

kari5186 said:

It used to be about $125 a week, but we're having some grocery store issues in the area so my cheap store is out of commission and it's closer to $175 elsewhere. Dang strike!
Marketbasket? We're feeling the pain over here in NH as well. I do totally support the strike though.

Yep. It's killing me. +1 on supporting the strike though. Have you by any chance read the Esquire article on it and why it's so important for the middle class of the entire country?

Hail Artie T.!

GalLaura · August 2014

Thanks, ladies. I should have asked you where you live. It changes costs so much. I use to live in jersey city, nj. The cost of groceries there versus NYC which was 10 minutes away was drastic. I'm in awe at how little some if you are spending. I think it's great!

I would love to know more about your meal planning for those that mentioned it. If you feel like sharing!

Lizzybizzy80 · August 2014

@GalLaura‌ I keep an inventory on my phone of food in my deep freezer. We buys proteins on sale and vacuum seal into smaller sizes and freeze. I shop produce on sale and build meals based on that and what I have. I try to plan on Thursday/Friday for a week.

I have a zillion clipped recipes organized into binders and if we try one and don't like it then I trash it. Otherwise I star it with a sharpee based on how much we like it and what I would change. I write in my cookbooks too. I don't like eating the same thing days in a row so I try to use leftovers in sandwiches, eggs or salads.

Lizzybizzy80 · August 2014

Oh, and I budget $500 for all grocery/household items. We don't eat out very much and I pack my lunches. DH eats for free at the restaurant.

Lizzybizzy80 · August 2014

One more thing, I went to my regular grocery store, then Aldi's (typically cheaper) and Sam's Club. I took pictures of things we buy a lot so I could make a chart of prices by unit. That really helped me be able to tell if something was actually a deal. Buying in bulk isn't always cheaper.

kh59 · August 2014

@GalLaura I keep a google doc where I list weekly meal plans and a little inventory list of what's in my freezer and pantry. As I make the meal plan, I use my grocery store's app to make a shopping list that estimates prices. That way, if I go over my target, I can substitute a cheaper meal for a more expensive one before I head out for groceries. (Or send my husband--it's handy that he can use the app to access my list from his phone.)

My two favorite affordable and healthy recipe collections come from Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair (https://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Whole-Family-Recipes-Children/dp/157061525X) and Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown (https://www.leannebrown.ca/). The Leanne Brown book is available as a free ebook. I made her Savory Summer Cobbler for a dinner party last night to rave reviews, and no one has to know that it came from a cookbook designed for a food stamp budget. :-)

Lizzybizzy80 · August 2014

@kh59 that cookbook by Leanne Brown looks yummy. I'm printing it for free off her website right now!

Lizzybizzy80 · August 2014

42Butterflies said:
@Lizzybizzy80‌ Will you come and organize my freezer and cookbooks? I have vodka.

Yes, please! I have too much fun organizing. We can drink martinis and I can make lists

HeartLikeMine3 · August 2014

musicalsilver said:
We aim for $100. Most weeks we do decently enough, but every once in a while we'll have a week where we stock up on meat or something and it's super extra pricey.

This exactly

summer2times · August 2014

About 150 a week. Were healthy eaters but. Husband will eat leftovers for dayzzzz

GraceInCA · August 2014

Los Angeles, and we eat out pretty often. I'd say the combined total of groceries and eating out is about $1000/month. I get my groceries from the local farmers market, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Gelsons, and Trader Joes, plus a local butcher.

needanustart · August 2014

@Lizzybizzy80‌ do you use an app to keep the inventory on your phone? I've been meaning to do this for my freeZer and I just wasn't sure of the best tool to keep it organized on my phone.

Lizzybizzy80 · August 2014

@calikat80‌ yes, I am obsessed with wunderlist. I keep my grocery lists on there too. It's easy to check things off but then scroll through and add them back when you need more.

needanustart · August 2014

Lizzybizzy80 said:
@calikat80‌ yes, I am obsessed with wunderlist. I keep my grocery lists on there too. It's easy to check things off but then scroll through and add them back when you need more.

Um the "ding" when you complete something is way too satisfying! It's like being able to cross something off a written list x1000. I may have written and checked off some things just to get a ding...

AZMagnini14 · August 2014

125 or so a week. We like to eat large amounts, but we don't go out often.

Lizzybizzy80 · August 2014

@kh59‌ Good and Cheap is amazing. I had the tomato scrambled eggs this morning and I'm making pumpkin oatmeal tomorrow. I could kiss you.

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Groceries!

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Bradley 05-04-11 & Tyler 06-18-13

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