$900 per month for food & toiletries

[Aiming_4_55]

Alot of good feedback so far, $900 a month would be generous unless that includes nice dinners out regularly.

We're a family of 4 (2 small kids) and my monthly budget is about $1000. This includes going out to eat a few casual meals a week. Casual = Old Country Buffet or Chinese Buffet running about $30 - 40 a meal for the family.

Since you travel for work, time to start collecting those extra shampoo and soap from the hotels LBYM I did that when I traveled for my personal vacation supplies. It added up quick, not sure it's worth it, but I got in a habit, so I always had a basket full at home.

 

[Marita40]

I'm single and average about $200-$250/month for groceries, including toiletries and paper products. I always stop at Aldi's first when grocery shopping and find many staples that work just fine for me. This has considerably dropped my grocery bill, and I'm very happy with that. I realize that people's opinions vary widely on Aldi, but the one close to me is just great!

 

[RetireBy90]

FWIW DW and I live in Northern VA and I hit the commisary on base most weekends. We normally spend about $150 or about $600/month. Includes anything that they have like dog food, batteries, soaps, etc... So I would think $900 plenty, but every once in a while we hit local giant and the cost there is through the roof. If we didn't have commisary that $600 would jump.

 

[DFA]

I think that is about what we spend, but I believe that DW is stockpiling for Dec 22nd, 2012

 

[chemist]

$900 a month for a single person sounds really high unless that includes restaurant meals and you eat out a lot.

We spent $12,500 for groceries including toiletries paper products etc. in 2011 and we are a family of 4 with two teenage boys.

 

[Tom52]

For the two of us our spending for groceries, toiletries, etc. was $4,480 total for 2011. This does not include eating out about twice per month, we have a separate budget category for entertainment. However, we vacationed about 4 weeks in 2011 and all food costs for those 4 weeks are counted in a separate budget category for vacations. So, if you figure $4,480 spent for 48 weeks that is approx. $100/week.

By choice we rarely eat red meat, we do eat a lot of fresh fruit and veggies. We are eating healthy food and we like what we eat.

 

[Retire2013]

For DW and I, we spend $500/month for groceries, toiletries and cleaning products. Dining out is a separate category. I also track coffee expenses on a separate category - $750 last year.

$500 per person? Or $500 total for both you and DW? Thank you so much for sharing your information. It is quite encouraging for me to know that I've budgeted on the high end.

 

[nun]

I'm single in Boston and spend $500/month on groceries, meals, eating out and beer.

 

[Goonie]

We spend around $400 a month at grocery stores. If we eat out more, we might spend slightly less for groceries. And if we eat out less, we might spend slightly more for groceries. But i think $400 is just abiut average for us. That's for food, laundry & cleaning supplies, toiletries, paper & plastic goods, and all. Most of that us spent at our local Aldi store. We also shop at the local Kroger and IGA grocery stores, but only for what we can't get at Aldi. And we buy a few odds and ends at the Dollar Tree store that's next door to Aldi.

We keep our two freezers stuffed full of meat, fish, and veggies, and we keep the cupboards and shelves filled to overflowing with canned and dry goods. We could easily go for over a month, maybe two, without needing to go shopping for anything other than dairy products & eggs.

We stockpile non-perishables and paper goods when we find a good sale. Especially TP! When Northern 12-roll packages are on sale we stuff the trunk and backseat of my Mom's car, and carry it into the house as needed....her car is like a portable storage shed!

 

[KingB]

$500 per person? Or $500 total for both you and DW? Thank you so much for sharing your information. It is quite encouraging for me to know that I've budgeted on the high end.

$500 total for both per month

 

[Moemg]

I also think $900 is very high . We(two adults ) spend $400 a month on groceries,cleaning supplies , shampoo and paper products . I mostly shop Publix's and buy whatever meat is on sale then plan my meals around it . I also do to Aldi's especially for produce . We eat out once a week and the bill is usually around $40. All other meals are at home except for my Friday lunch with my gym pals usually $15.

 

[FUEGO]

$900 seems high. For our family of 4, we spend roughly $500-600 per month for all groceries, toiletries and household items (consumable stuff you routinely buy at a place like walmart or target that don't fall into some other category like auto parts, house repair, etc). We don't eat out a lot (around $1000 a year). We are pretty frugal and I shop around for bargains so YMMV.

 

[Midpack]

Not sure what you're including/excluding. The two of us spent:

$444/mo on groceries (incl toiletries, pharma, household stuff),
$79/mo on wine/liquor &
$347/mo at restaurants.
$870/mo total.

We eat at home 5 nights/week and restaurants 2 nights/week on average. We're probably considered foodies and we eat well/healthy, but we shop pretty carefully and we don't go crazy on restaurants, except for special occasions several times a year (half dozen splurges or so). We used to spend considerably more, especially on restaurants...

 

[Live And Learn]

We spend about $125/week for 2 people for at home meals. We tend to have pizza 1x per week ($25) on top of that. For $900 you can have some very nice meals

On another note, I'm happy to see the wine budgets in this thread !!

 

[cj]

$900 sounds really high to me as well. Our grocery, etc. expense (includes paper products, toiletries, etc.) averages around $500 per month for 2 people. Our eating out is usually around $250. We eat out about 2-3 times a week.

 

[Sam]

Another way to look at it: The maximum foodstamp benefit is around $200/person/month and most foodstamp recipients are overweighted.

 

[haha]

Another way to look at it: The maximum foodstamp benefit is around $200/person/month and most foodstamp recipients are overweighted.

Think there might be a connection between these 2 items?

I spend closer to $500/month, and I never have been nor ever will be overweight. And it isn't that I don't have the genes for overweight; I have a sister who looks like a blimp and a formerly alive brother who prior to his demise had a world class beer belly.

If you care about your health, you really do not want to emulate the diets of food stamp users.

Ha

 

[SecondCor521]

I spend right at $400 per month for me and my 3 kids who are with me 1/3 of the time. This includes groceries + toiletries + eating out. Live in Idaho, perimeter shop at Winco mostly, eat out about once per week.

2Cor521