"Could the DW skip the "special" bread?"
She could, but she loves it and as she is restricted from so many OTHER foods due to her FM it's a bit unfair to take that away too.
Understood!
How about I throw out some common things we buy and what we pay for them (ish) and you can all tell me how much cheaper the USA is so I can adjust :-) Also if you're in Australia maybe shout out any cheaper alternatives?
Meats:
4 Star Lean Mince: $7/kg
Chicken Breast (Skin On): $8-9/kg
These are prices for Wegman's, a regional grocery chain. We used to live in a more urban area where the main grocery brand was Stop & Shop, their prices usually 10-20% higher than these. If you are curious, both stores have searchable online product lists with prices (in "shopping" for W and "shopping list" for S&S). There are certainly other, fancier non-MMM stores in the US with much higher prices to match.
We get our ground beef as part of a 1/4 or 1/6 cow we buy locally (humanely raised, not certified organic but very close), works out to about $3.50 per pound for everything (from steak to stew meat) - that's about 7.75US$/kilo.
Ground beef in the store, large package (usually about 4 lbs) is US$2.19/lb=US$4.82/kg for 80% lean (would be US$3.69/lb in smaller packages) and US$2.99/lb=US$6.59/kg for 90% lean (smaller packages US$4.19/lb=US$9.24/kg). 95% lean is US$4.19/lb=US$9.24/kg in large packages (US$5.39/lb for small packages). Organic grass-fed ground beef in store US$5.69/lb=US$12.54/kg.
Chicken breast is that bone-in? bone-in chicken breast (with attached rib) US$1.79/lb or US$3.94/kilo if you buy a large (4lb or so) package. Boneless chicken breasts come skinless at our store, large package US$1.99/lb=US$4.39/kg. We buy whole chicken on sale US$0.79/lb=US$1.74/kg or or bone-in skin-on chicken thighs lg package, US$0.99/lb=US$2.18/kg or bone-in whole turkey breast on sale US$0.69/lb=US$1.52/kg.
Randoms:
Rice Crackers: $1.50-$2/ 100g packet
Cheese: $7/kg
Soft drink: $0.90 per 1.25 Litre
Toilet paper: $10/24 rolls (double ply)
Lactose Free Low Fat Milk: $2 per Litre
Shaved Ham: around the $16-20/kg mark
Gluten Free Bread: $6/loaf
Rice crackers, the plain kind US$2.49/3.5 oz or US$2.50/100gr. More highly processed, US$2.79/4.25oz or US$2.32/100gr
toilet paper, $5 for 24 rolls (at liquidator Big Lots)
Lactose free low fat milk - find a friend with a goat! (or switch to water) - here, lactose free low fat cow's milk US$3.49/64fl oz or about US$1.84/liter
shaved ham, we get our ham whole as part of 1/2 pig we buy frozen locally, works out to about US$3/lb (for bacon, pork chops, ham, loin roast, etc) or US$6.61/kilo. packaged sliced ham, US$5.99/lb or US$13.21/kilo
gluten free bread, loaf sizes range widely, best buy seems to be US$4.49/16oz loaf or US$4.95/500gr
Fruit/Veg:
Bananas: $3.90/kg
Oranges: $2.50/kg
Grapes: only buy when like $4/kg or less
Cucumber: $0.80 - $1.50 each
Lettuce: only buy them when there about $2 or less
Mushrooms: $10/kg
Kiwi Fruit: $0.60 each
Can Of Corn: $1 / 150g Can
Kent Pumpkin: $2.50/kg
We are in an apple-growing region, so apples tend to be the best fruit buy. Depending on year, if you buy in season they are US$0.79-1.29/lb or YS$1.74-2.84/kilo. Right now they are as low as US$4.69/3lbs or US$3.45/kilo
bananas US$0.79/lb or US$1.74/kilo
oranges if you buy 8 lbs you can get US$4.99/8lbs or US$1.38/kilo. Otherwise Navel oranges are 5 oranges for US$3
grapes not in season now, best is US$1.99/lb or US$4.39/kilo (we don't usually buy table grapes, not sure of in-season price)
cucumber, large US$0.99/each
lettuce, varies widely (note: lettuce is very easy to grow yourself), US$1.79 each is best current price
mushrooms, vary widely, best current US$2.50/12oz or US$7.35/kilo
kiwi fruit US$0.60/each
can of corn $0.49/15.25oz or US$0.17/150gr (note: corn highly subsidized in US)
kent pumpkin - this variety not widely available where I live, similar squash might be butternut, US$1.49/lb or US$3.28/kilo now (not in season, in season closer to US$1/lb or US$2.20/kilo)