How much do you spend on Groceries?

[Dtail]

I know someone who does this and loves it. She posts photos and the meals look amazing. I would love to try it, but I haven't priced it out. I'm sure it's a fortune.

We use a very similar product called Home Chef. It is $10 per meal. There are quite a few good choices with healthier and less healthy choices. The food is quite tasty and always fresh.
When we order meat or chicken, we split the meal; fish we eat our own meal. Thus our meal costs are effectively $7.50 per person or $15 a day for 2 people.

 

[kgtest]

Just went for our weekly run during Church. Surprisingly busy.
$67 for everything we need this week. Would have been under $65 but those damn chili cheese fritos were just screaming at me.

1. Lasagna and Garlic Bread

2. Grilled Chicken and Cheesy potatoes
3. Grilled Salmon and Rice
4. BLTs and Avacado

5. Bean Burgers and cheesy potatoes
6. Friday I might do a $7 Papa Murphys and have enough leftovers for the weekend with everything else.
I swear we have a month worth of Christmas cookies and there is still one more round of baking with the kids.

 

[karen1972]

I wonder the same thing - are the cost of groceries so much different from city to city or does one household have so much more disposable income that they don't care and buy whatever?
.

Location counts a lot towards food bills. I travel a lot and there are times when I'm just shocked at the variation in pricing. I can get ground buffalo for $5/lb in Wisconsin, a basket of peaches in Michigan for $7, and shrimp for $5/lb in NC. Other places you are paying double to triple that. Its all about what the local market has in surplus. So when we moved to the east cost we switched from steak to seafood as steak on sale looked like whole food pricing.

Freezer space also impacts grocery bills. Those with extra freezers stock up on sales, can look at buying a 1/4 cow, bulk buy, etc.

Liquor.. our favorite bottle of wine is $6.99 on sale in WI, it is $11.99 here in NC. You go to a woodmans on a holiday and they are basically giving liquor away for free, like actually free after mail-in rebate. you use apps like Ibotta and their already low prices have coupons for another $5 off. Ibotta isn't even allowed to provide coupons in NC at the ABC store rules and they have no need to have sales because well the government controls all hard liquor. I'd say its fair to say our liquor costs us at least 40% more.

 

[Throwdownmyaceinthehole]

Oh no. Oh noooo! I let DH do all the grocery shopping and all the cooking. We eat well, I guess really well. I just did our November YTD. We have been spending $964 which includes a lot of wine from the grocery store, and all household items, we shop at HEB. But then spent another $341 at liquor stores. Uhhgh and then ANOTHER $564 at restaurants for a whopping average of $1869 a month. Oh my...… But we are both really healthy so far, eat a lot of salmon. Must be all the wine....but we don't spend a lot per bottle 10-15 bucks, just guess we're drinking a lot more than most. Yikes.

 

[Carpediem]

Must be all the wine....but we don't spend a lot per bottle 10-15 bucks, just guess we're drinking a lot more than most. Yikes.

I was thinking the same thing. We actually buy our wine at Piggly Wiggly for $8.50/bottle but it's a 1.5L bottle! The thing that hurts our pocketbook are the sales taxes - almost 10% in our county. Ouch!

 

[jeeper]

For the last three years, from $725/mo to $815/mo average. This includes everything purchased at grocery stores (Safeway, Fry's, Sprout's, Whole Foods, etc.) Also Walmart, though it is time consuming to go through receipts.



Ahh, the wife is going through the receipts now for validation of above of expenses. She wants to have a bit more money available for the horses..

 

[Katsmeow]

For Ms. gamboolgal and I - we are budgeting $2K per month for us for groceries and eating out when we retire next year to the Spring / Woodlands in Texas.

We hope that we are way high

I lived in that area until recently. Yes, I think you are likely very high unless you eat out a LOT at very high end places with a lot of drinking. But, probably better to estimate high than too low.

I wonder the same thing - are the cost of groceries so much different from city to city or does one household have so much more disposable income that they don't care and buy whatever?

People have a lot of differences in what they buy. I buy Cherry Coke Zero so that adds to my budget compared to someone who just drinks water. On the other hand, we don't drink alcohol so we are lower than those who do. I don't do a lot of from scratch cooking. I don't eat beef but I do like to buy already cooked rotisserie chickens. Maybe those who cook mostly from scratch spend less.

I do make a lot of salads but I mostly buy organic veggies so that adds to cost. I shop at several stores as no one store has everything I need. A few stores close to us are less expensive (Walmart and Target) but they have lower selection. So I buy some stuff at more expensive stores that have a better selection.

I am constantly working on meeting my protein goals so I buy some things that will help me efficiently doing that (Fit Go Pro or Orgain protein shakes, for example) so that adds some cost (usually buy from Amazon for lowest prices).

 

[W2R]

I wonder the same thing - are the cost of groceries so much different from city to city or does one household have so much more disposable income that they don't care and buy whatever?

I don't care and buy whatever.

For the past few years I have been buying most of my groceries online, to the extent possible, for convenience. It surprised me to discover that buying online is less expensive than buying at a mid-level supermarket here.

 

[Katsmeow]

I don't care and buy whatever.

For the past few years I have been buying most of my groceries online, to the extent possible, for convenience. It surprised me to discover that buying online is less expensive than buying at a mid-level supermarket here.

What kind of things do you buy online?

Are you buying things that are shipped to your or are you buying things that are delivered from a local store?

The food items I buy online are mostly from Amazon: Antep pistachios, protein shakes, flapjacked muffin mix, Quest bars and chips. Most of those are either not available locally or are less expensive if bought online. Occasionally I will catch a sale on Quest bars/chips at a store and they are less expensive there.

The other food I mostly buy fall within 3 categories:

1. Packaged food that isn't hard to find -- most of this I buy at the store. Think things like Triscuits, cereal, tuna pouches, etc. I had not thought of buying that online. If you buy that kind of thing online where do you buy it from?

2. Perishable food - fruits, vegetables, refrigerated items -- Those can be bought online and delivered locally but the cost of delivery would seem to make it better to just go to the store and buy it myself unless I have some reason it isn't convenient to go to the store.

3. Frozen food -- same as 2.

 

[SmallCityDave]

Wow, $400 a month for a family of 4, that's impressive. You must really be conscientious about your spending.

I spend about $500/month just on me.

I didn't think it was too impressive (we recently increased from $350 to 400) until I started reading some of these responses.

 

[SmallCityDave]

Location counts a lot towards food bills. I travel a lot and there are times when I'm just shocked at the variation in pricing. I can get ground buffalo for $5/lb in Wisconsin, a basket of peaches in Michigan for $7, and shrimp for $5/lb in NC. Other places you are paying double to triple that. Its all about what the local market has in surplus. So when we moved to the east cost we switched from steak to seafood as steak on sale looked like whole food pricing.

Freezer space also impacts grocery bills. Those with extra freezers stock up on sales, can look at buying a 1/4 cow, bulk buy, etc.

Liquor.. our favorite bottle of wine is $6.99 on sale in WI, it is $11.99 here in NC. You go to a woodmans on a holiday and they are basically giving liquor away for free, like actually free after mail-in rebate. you use apps like Ibotta and their already low prices have coupons for another $5 off. Ibotta isn't even allowed to provide coupons in NC at the ABC store rules and they have no need to have sales because well the government controls all hard liquor. I'd say its fair to say our liquor costs us at least 40% more.

I thought about location too, we recently traveled to Seattle and it was crazy expensive but we were at a trendy market not a chain grocery store.


We have 2 freezers and two refrigerators, we don't drink.


We are looking at buying 1/4 cow I'm not sure it will save us any money because it will cost us about $500.

 

[W2R]

What kind of things do you buy online?

Are you buying things that are shipped to your or are you buying things that are delivered from a local store?

Well, there are lots of options from which to pick but I go for the nationally available options. I buy non-perishables from Amazon, and they are delivered to my doorstep. I buy a lot of meat regularly from butcherbox dot com, and they are delivered to my doorstep packed in dry ice and frozen hard as a rock even in our New Orleans summer heat. Getting these meats is a big help since I am eating low to moderate carb these days. I buy other fresh groceries from Walmart dot com, and pick it up at a drive through near my house. (I should buy more from Walmart than I do.) There are many more options that I should use but haven't yet, such as Whole Foods delivery.

Also, you probably recall that I eat lunch out every day (including plenty of salads and fresh vegetables), and I don't eat breakfast, so this is mostly just dinner and items like freezer bags, paper towels, and so on, but still, it seems to help a lot.

Basically, in recent years we in New Orleans have gone from very few delivery options (and envying those living in other areas) to being able to have anything we want delivered right to one's doorstep. Just seek and ye shall find. Progress! We are entering a new age and I love it.

The food items I buy online are mostly from Amazon: Antep pistachios, protein shakes, flapjacked muffin mix, Quest bars and chips. Most of those are either not available locally or are less expensive if bought online. Occasionally I will catch a sale on Quest bars/chips at a store and they are less expensive there.

The other food I mostly buy fall within 3 categories:

1. Packaged food that isn't hard to find -- most of this I buy at the store. Think things like Triscuits, cereal, tuna pouches, etc. I had not thought of buying that online. If you buy that kind of thing online where do you buy it from?

2. Perishable food - fruits, vegetables, refrigerated items -- Those can be bought online and delivered locally but the cost of delivery would seem to make it better to just go to the store and buy it myself unless I have some reason it isn't convenient to go to the store.

3. Frozen food -- same as 2.

I don't buy anything from (1.) or (3.) above; well, maybe a few things from (1.) but all of that is from Amazon. Most of (2.) I either eat at lunch, substitute non-perishables, or get from Walmart and pick up at the drive through. I have a hard time shopping at grocery stores these days due to mobility problems that I don't want to get into here, although I did buy eggs at Walgreens last week. But I can easily get better eggs for less from Wal-Mart's drive through. Amazon charges an arm and a leg for Quest bars but I order a box of them every month or two anyway.

 

[2Muchfun]

I think we might have one of the biggest budgets for this area. It's DW, me and an adult child who packs lunch and eats dinner ~4 nights a week.
$1100 a month on groceries
$360 for household
$180 dining out
$150 for wine
$120 for entertaining

 

[socca]

• budget $400 / month for one person
• no meat (except for fish once a week), no dairy, no alcohol, no soda, no fruit juice
• eat 1 to 1.5 times a day (.5 = dark chocolate)
• eat out once a week; self-prepare all other food
• shop at Publix, Detwiler's, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Earth Origins
• no browsing while shopping - I just have certain items that I buy at each store. I would rather have one store that provides everything I need, but this probably ain't gonna happen in my lifetime.

 

[kimcdougc]

Budget $500 but spend around $380 for two adults. Another $200 or so a month for eating out.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I went to Grocery Outlet yesterday. They track the supermarket prices vs. their prices, which are pretty accurate. I spent $50, saved $137 off retail for some fairly healthy food, like fresh and frozen veggies (some organic but not all), organic ground beef, chicken breasts, chili, soup and dark chocolate bars. We save ~$10K a year now on groceries over what we used to spend at the local retail supermarkets and I think we eat fairly healthy.

 

[misty57]

For 2018, we averaged $250/mo. plus $50/mo. thru November. I tend to meal plan around the ads and if something that we use regularly is on sale, I stock up so that helps keep costs down. The plus $50/mo. is a guestimate of what we might spend on average per month on food items at Costco. I don't break Costco down between food and non-food, but there are only a few food items that we get there semi-regularly and that was my best guess.

 

[ChicagoGal]

I'm around $600/month for everything I buy at the grocery/liquor stores (food, liquor, toiletries, paper products, cleaning supplies, etc.). That includes supplies for the 3-4 times a year that I have big family dinners and tend to go all out (Christmas Eve alone will set me back $300-400 easily.

Another $100-120/month on top of that for eating out, which is pretty much breakfast/lunch at work 3 days a week as I only go out to dinner a few times a year.

 

[jkern]

At home groceries including household staples averages $600 per month for two.

 

[Omega]

I see so many of you eat organic. I find that interesting. Not because it's more expensive and most on here are so frugal, it's because most people I know do not. And most people I know are not well off.

If you eat organic, would you still be doing so if you were still saving for retirement?

 

[palomalou]

Mr. Pal and I live in Manhattan (not Kansas!) We spent an average of $1114/month this year for groceries and eating out combined. Our budget is $1200 but I am trying to undercut that. I used to be able to feed us more cheaply but I am now not allowed much fiber so the bean soups I used to make using dried beans, celery, and a few veggies, and actually really like, are out. replaced by sandwiches with deli chicken and turkey, sometimes ham. I figure if I can stay out of the hospital by avoiding the fiber we will make up for the difference in the food cost.
I am super impressed by some of you folks' low food bills!

 

[Offgrid Organic Farmer]

... If you eat organic, would you still be doing so if you were still saving for retirement?

When I was working I had no choice, I ate whatever was being served in the galley.

Nowadays, most of our friends are small-scale 'market-farmers', and most of them are Certified Organic.

If you tell them what you want grown, they will plant an acre for you. I provide farm produce to a Buyers Club, many of the members want specific crops, so our farmers will take orders in February of what the members want.

My wife barters a lot for our food. She trades our honey, whiskey, apples or pork for veggies.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I see so many of you eat organic. I find that interesting. Not because it's more expensive and most on here are so frugal, it's because most people I know do not. And most people I know are not well off.

If you eat organic, would you still be doing so if you were still saving for retirement?

I bought more organic when we were saving for retirement, less now because I'm trying to spend less to stay under the ACA income limits. I still buy organic when there is a reasonable price difference with conventional, but usually not at 4 times the price. At minimum I usually buy organic versions of eggs, beef, carrots and apples.

 

[SmallCityDave]

I see so many of you eat organic. I find that interesting. Not because it's more expensive and most on here are so frugal, it's because most people I know do not. And most people I know are not well off.

If you eat organic, would you still be doing so if you were still saving for retirement?

I'm not sure how you could read this thread and think that most here are frugal.


We try to buy some organic but more importantly we stay away from the chemical laden foods.


We are saving for retirement.

 

[Another Reader]

Because the local Whole Foods clone is close by, I will buy their produce when it makes reasonable sense to do so. The organic leaf lettuce, which is usually very fresh, is the same price as Safeway's regular lettuce, which is a few days old when it hits the store. Potatoes are a little pricier than Sprouts regular potatoes, but Sprouts is 10 plus miles away, or $3.00 more in gas. The green beans are pricey, but the quantities are small and the quality is good. More stable produce is purchased at Sprouts in major shopping trips. So, yes, I think that's a relatively frugal approach to vegetable purchases.