Monthly Grocery Expenditure

[audreyh1]

We do spend a lot on seafood and yes it’s expensive but it’s also very enjoyable.

We’re still underspending our annual withdrawal so I really only monitor for informational purposes - Quicken automatically categorizes everything anyway although I tweak to improve accuracy as needed. But I buy whatever we want. I look at our annual spending in Jan but I hadn’t drilled down to groceries recently. I just look at travel spending and gifting versus the whole. We currently spend the most on gifting and then travel. Everything else is quite a bit smaller.

 

[LateToFIRE]

We do spend a lot on seafood and yes it’s expensive but it’s also very enjoyable.

We’re still underspending our annual withdrawal so I really only monitor for informational purposes - Quicken automatically categorizes everything anyway although I tweak to improve accuracy as needed. But I buy whatever we want. I look at our annual spending in Jan but I hadn’t drilled down to groceries recently. I just look at travel spending and gifting versus the whole. We currently spend the most on gifting and then travel. Everything else is quite a bit smaller.

Same here on seafood, especially high quality FRESH seafood. Accounts for why our grocery bill is at the high end of the scale.

 

[brett]

The bottom line is that these comparisions are completely meaningless.

They do not take into account the basics like cost of living area, climate and agriculture where one lives, dietary requirements, food preferences/choices etc.

We might not spend a high proportion on red meat. And when we do it is typically a high end cut for the bbq. We certainly make up for it on fresh produce, fruits, seafood, etc and wine.

We seldom eat prepared foods. Never bother with fast food joints. Dining out is never steak, prime rib, buffets, etc. It is always Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, or Italian. Our preferencess.

 

[Lorenzo]

I appreciated this thread. While diet, frugality and regional cost of living may vary by individual, the responses have assured me that my wife's and my food expense is not THAT unusual. I was a little shocked when at the end of last year I saw we had spent about $13,000 in 2023 on home food and beverage items alone. We do eat well. We eat meats somewhat sparingly, but a wide variety of seafood and at least once a week, and loads of produce of all types. Our cuisines of interest span the globe. We don't eat much bread, but when we do, we might visit the local hipster bakery for a baguette or sourdough or the refugee lady whose shop makes this amazing flatbread. We have dozens of cookbooks. We make cocktails now and then. We drink table wine and some craft beer. We might have some local cheeses or olives or a little prosciutto with those cocktails before dinner (though we're always on the hunt for marked-down "snacks"). The saving grace is that because we eat so well at home we rarely go out to eat. Glad to find that while we may be near the higher end of the bell curve for spendy eating, at least we're not alone. Thank you to whoever started the thread!

 

[audreyh1]

The bottom line is that these comparisions are completely meaningless.

They do not take into account the basics like cost of living area, climate and agriculture where one lives, dietary requirements, food preferences/choices etc.

We might not spend a high proportion on red meat. And when we do it is typically a high end cut for the bbq. We certainly make up for it on fresh produce, fruits, seafood, etc and wine.

We seldom eat prepared foods. Never bother with fast food joints. Dining out is never steak, prime rib, buffets, etc. It is always Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, or Italian. Our preferencess.

I have to confess though that I live in a very low cost of living area even for TX and my other nondiscretionary expenses are quite low. However fresh high quality seafood is still quite expensive even here. Enjoying it is a priority for us. I also grill and smoke meat/poultry for our enjoyment at home and I buy high quality for that too - not cheap here either.

 

[lemming]

I do take the time, since I already have a spreadsheet, to separate non food from food items. I want to know what my cost per meal is and you can't figure that out if you include shampoo and laundry detergent it the total.
My groceries for one person are about $200 a month-purchased twice per month. An asterisk to that is that I have my groceries delivered most of the time and that does not include fees and tips. My contribution to the economy is to provide a job for the instacart driver.
I go out to eat a couple of times a week. That also runs around $150 and usually provides leftovers for home meals. If I order Chinese delivery service I put that under groceries. I always have enough for several meals.
I need to spend enough to get healthy choices and always have a produce run as well as the bulk items. Right now I refuse to reorder until I clear some things out of the freezer.

 

[audreyh1]

I appreciated this thread. While diet, frugality and regional cost of living may vary by individual, the responses have assured me that my wife's and my food expense is not THAT unusual. I was a little shocked when at the end of last year I saw we had spent about $13,000 in 2023 on home food and beverage items alone. We do eat well. We eat meats somewhat sparingly, but a wide variety of seafood and at least once a week, and loads of produce of all types.

I’m glad you feel better. For the record our grocery (which included wine and liquor, household supplies, toiletries, supplements, etc.) expense was over $17,500 for 2023. 2 adults no pets.

 

[Amethyst]

I would say $300 a month keeps me, and the occasional visitor, fed. It covers treats, like chocolate and soda/flavored sparkling water, but not the expensive xylitol-based gum that I chew in between meals to fight cavities. Although I'm an omnivore, I've gravitated more and more (by choice) to plant-based food. I do spend quite a bit on spices and flavorings - the best I can buy. (Have you priced saffron lately, let alone double-strength Madagascar vanilla?)

It's been many years since I tracked grocery costs - it just got too hard to break out the many non-food items bought at Walmart, BJs, or Amazon, where I do most of my "grocery" shopping. I hardly set foot in an official grocery store these days.

I eat less than half of what my husband and I consumed as a couple, and I don't drink alcohol now (although I use it in cooking and baking). I never eat out on my own - so that's not a budget line - more of a "social/entertainment/travel" item.

 

[tmm99]

Same here on seafood, especially high-quality FRESH seafood. Accounts for why our grocery bill is at the high end of the scale.

I agree with Audrey and LateToFIRE. Fresh seafood is expensive but quite enjoyable. Instead of trying to squeeze in cheaper seafood, my new way of dealing with inflation and the higher cost of seafood is to increase my budget.

 

[audreyh1]

I agree with Audrey and LateToFIRE. Fresh seafood is expensive but quite enjoyable. Instead of trying to squeeze in cheaper seafood, my new way of dealing with inflation and the higher cost of seafood is to increase my budget.

Yep - I’m in that camp. It’s simply a matter of setting priorities.

 

[brett]

Would we change what we eat, what we buy, based upon the food budget of others in different parts of the country?

No.

 

[audreyh1]

People are just curious.