How much do you spend on groceries per month?

[Judique]

Still looking at TVGuy's sales flyer. Oh my! An 8 oz top sirloin steak is 7.99 each! Ouch! Costco price - 6.29 a pound in a 3.67 lb package for $23 and pennies. I buy this and repackage it to make steak sandwiches, so 3 packages from that large package of about a pound and a quarter each - 4-5 big sandwiches! With lots of bell pepper, carmelized onions and cheese and our special sauce on a toasted roll. (That would be 12-15 sandwiches total from the large package.)

It does say grass fed beef, but it doesn't tout 'organic' for this product.

 

[tvguy]

How much do you pay for salmon? That's assuming you eat salmon.

Editing: I see Raley's has salmon for 7.99 a pound. I think I pay a bit less at Costco.

I did notice the oreos and bevita crackers. 1.99 a lb. Then, 2.99 for 1 single item. Buy 3 you get for 1.99 a lb. I beat that at Costco. Normally the multipack comes out to 1.99 a package. On sale they are cheaper.

Looking over your prices in the sales flyer, they are similar if not slightly higher than specials I can find right here 20 minutes from DC,

I would have to visit your store to get a true picture for my spend. I understand your strategy is to fix meals according to the specials, which is a great strategy if it keeps you not hungry and relatively healthy.

We did have salmon 2 weeks ago. And as you referenced in your post, that was because it was on sale for $4.99 a pound (Atlantic salmon). We shop at two stores, Bel Air (owned by Raleys) and Walmart Neighborhood market. Funny thing is, about half our money is spent at Walmart each week, half at Bel Air, but we get three times as many items at Walmart. Funny you mention the Oreos. My wife is not a Walmart fan, but she says she saves enough just on a package of Oreos and a gallon of milk to make it worthwhile!. We don't belong to Costco, and at least the ones here when I have gone as a guest are a zoo. They make Walmart look sane.

 

[Action City]

I didn't read everyone's response but I guess I am surprised at how much more I spend at the grocery stores than just about everyone else. Granted we rarely eat out, make our own coffee/never buy starbucks etc, I buy tons of fresh fruit, veggies and dried fruit, much of it organic, better meats without all the antibiotics and often grassfed, organic dairy, and other organic foods..... I don't eat much meat and lots of beans but can't get my other family members to do the swap. I comparison shop and pay attention to sales etc... 2 adults and 2 kids (son is 15 and eats a lot) and probably spend at least 1800 a month at the grocery stores in my area.

Almost $500 a week at the grocery store??

 

[tvguy]

Still looking at TVGuy's sales flyer. Oh my! An 8 oz top sirloin steak is 7.99 each! Ouch! Costco price - 6.29 a pound in a 3.67 lb package for $23 and pennies. I buy this and repackage it to make steak sandwiches, so 3 packages from that large package of about a pound and a quarter each - 4-5 big sandwiches! With lots of bell pepper, carmelized onions and cheese and our special sauce on a toasted roll. (That would be 12-15 sandwiches total from the large package.)

It does say grass fed beef, but it doesn't tout 'organic' for this product.

Yes, this is an expensive store. LOL. Grass fed beef is amusing to me. All the stores here for decades have touted the higher quality of corn fed beef. And of course all the top steak houses (Morton's, Ruth's Chris) only serve grain fed beef. Now grass fed is in.

 

[skittles67]

Family of 5 in Ohio (3 adults, 2 kids). Spend about $400 a month on groceries. Doesn't sound like much but we eat out
A LOT! None of the adults eat breakfast during the week. Kids might grab a granola bar or pop tart on the way to school. At my office we eat lunch out everyday. My husband has vending machines at work that he gets lunch from - very rarely does he pack a lunch from home. Oldest son eats lunch out everyday with the guys from work. Kids eat lunch at school. We always go out out to eat a couple of times during the week and at least once every weekend. We grocery shop about every 2 weeks. I will stop at the store in between to pick up fruits, veggies, milk, etc. when we need them.

 

[ChisJo]

Family of 4, both our boys are still pretty young. We are up in Canada, and our groceries tend to run on the higher side as we are in a small town. If I make a trip to the city, they would be less, but then the cost of gas at times negates that. Also, I don't buy meat every month. We do that every other month or so. We do one meatless meal a week, I make enough for leftovers so I only make 4-5 meals a week, and we hardly eat out. Kids may get McD's once or twice a month, depending on the day. I don't remember the last time I ate out in a restaurant. We try not to buy Starbucks or anything like that. We reserve that for date nights or an afternoon where my mother in law watches the kids, but we usually make our own coffee on the go. We bag lunches for work and daycare. I meal plan at the beginning of the week, and at the beginning of every month, I go through my freezer and plan with whats there as well as whats in the pantry. I try to only buy stuff on sale and clearance (ie: if buying vegetables for dinner, I will buy clearance at 50% off instead of full price as we are using it that evening anyways). Our groceries include all pet supplies, and baby supplies (we cloth diaper so that saves money there). Last month, my total grocery bill was $632. This month, so far, we are sitting at around $250. We do drink alcohol, but not as much as we once did. We also do a trip into BC every summer and stock up on wine then (usually buy about $1000 worth on the trip - this lasts us quite a while!).

 

[mom2rose&john]

Family of four and we spend about $175 per week. It includes hygiene, paper products and any vitamins/cold/pain medication. This doesn't include beef, pork or chicken. We buy a half of cow and a whole pig once a year. That is about $100 per month. And every 4-5 months we buy 40 lbs of bulk chicken breast at $1.40 per pound and package/freeze ourselves.

 

[MickeyMouseCD524]

I don't know how he does it but my guy does the grocery shopping and someway somehow is able to keep the groceries for the week between $20-40

 

[TheDisneyDoll]

shopping isn't my main responsibility I still live at home thankfully, but I have tried to talk my mom into letting me do her shopping because I am positive I could cut our family grocery bill in half and I think she enjoys it too much to let me manage it.
even if it means saving a couple hundred dollars a month.
I've thought about offering my couponing and app talents to my neighbor she spends like $500 a week between herself and two kids, she is a HUGE impulse shopper.
I don't know how to make that offer though.

I am a bit odd I love grocery shopping. Some women can spend hours trying to find the right shoes, but I will sort through the whole basket until I find the onion I want lol

 

[dylans mommy]

We are a family of 4 and spend about $800 a month on groceries. Some months might be more but it usually is never less. We live in WA and its just plain expensive here. This amount includes beer, toiletries, paper products and dog food. I try to coupon as much as possible and buy what is on sale and what is in season to help out.

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

I don't know how he does it but my guy does the grocery shopping and someway somehow is able to keep the groceries for the week between $20-40

What do you eat? Do you eat out a lot?

 

[MickeyMouseCD524]

What do you eat? Do you eat out a lot?

We eat quite a bit. He can't go an hour without wanting to snack. And we maybe eat out once or twice a month. But he makes these elaborate meals like orange chicken, we'll do filets if we from time to time. But I look at the bills and it's always under $40. I swear I don't know how he does it.

 

[My2CrazyGirls]

We eat quite a bit. He can't go an hour without wanting to snack. And we maybe eat out once or twice a month. But he makes these elaborate meals like orange chicken, we'll do filets if we from time to time. But I look at the bills and it's always under $40. I swear I don't know how he does it.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus snacks for 2 adults for a week costs you a total of 40?

Where do you live?

 

[a1tinkfans]

It’s about 800. month for us (3). That’s including any dinner/lunch out meals, take in or direct food shopping.

 

[KayKayJS]

eep. we spend on average $1,000 a month to eat. The majority of that is eating out since we work full time and are exhausted when we get home. We also hate to cook.

 

[MickeyMouseCD524]

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner plus snacks for 2 adults for a week costs you a total of 40?

Where do you live?

I live in NYC but he's some kind of coupon ninja, cause I've tried to grocery shop and can never get out for that little. He does all 3 meals at home. Work usually provides lunch for me and in regards to breakfast I'll usually eat a bowl of cereal during the week and weekends is usually pancakes or waffles or something. But he works from home so lots of time for him to eat. But yeah that's what we spend. Again I don't know how he does it. Cause every so often I'll throw something outlandish on the grocery list just to see if he comes back under budget and he always does. We also don't eat a lot of seafood because I'm very allergic which he thinks might be part of the reason we eat so cheaply. But we're always well stocked on fruits, veggies, protein, and my personal favorite Oreos.

 

[Louie7080]

Almost $500 a week at the grocery store??

I guess so. The eggs I buy are 6 bucks a dozen - they are pastured. The milk I buy is organic - 6 bucks a gallon. Produce is expensive enough but when you get organic that just adds to it. As I said in a later post on this thread, I don't buy new clothes for us, we drive very old cheap cars. Our furniture is second hand..... I value health above all else, so go ahead and get as judgy a you want, it seems like that is how some of you get your jollies here. Insert stupid emoji here.

 

[superme80]

I spend around $1000 a month for a family of 5. It can get up to $1200 if I am not careful. We are very stocked up fright now, so no major shopping trips until March. I have cut back on the Dutch Bros and Starbucks runs the boys and I make. DH eats out lunch every day,but that is not included in the total.

 

[tvguy]

I spend around $1000 a month for a family of 5. It can get up to $1200 if I am not careful. We are very stocked up fright now, so no major shopping trips until March. I have cut back on the Dutch Bros and Starbucks runs the boys and I make. DH eats out lunch every day,but that is not included in the total.

No, you can't cut back on Dutch Bros!. Now I want a Carmalizer!

 

[sk!mom]

PS - And we know that the average folks also eat out a ton (based on averages done on that topic, too)...so if OP eats out below the average, their groceries will obviously likely need to be above average...(4.2 meals/person/per week and $232/person for a month is the average spend for meals out)

https://www.thesimpledollar.com/dont-eat-out-as-often-188365/

The fact that we don't eat out as a regular thing definitely raises the grocery bill. I have the discussion often with my lunch mates at work. My grocery bill is higher but DH and I make coffee and eat breakfast at home daily. We also brown bag our lunches. My regular lunch mates pick up Starbucks several days a week- it's on the corner and convenient to work. They also run to one of the many restaurant/fast food places surrounding us probably 4 times a week. Their eating out budget must be much higher than mine.