How much do you spend on groceries?

[frugalnacho]

What's your grocery and food budget?  We currently spend around $600 for 2 people.  That includes eating out (usually less than $50 month total).  That also includes all of our other household supplies (soap, napkins, paper plates, toilet paper, deoderant, sandwhich bags, etc).   It seems like too much of a hassle to separate that stuff out when it's on the same receipts. 

That number seems high based on what i've read around the forums, but I want to check where everyone else is at.  I have already lowered that number by eliminating fast food, soda, and bringing my lunch to work.  I also try to buy in bulk, freeze stuff, and make multiple meals at a time.  We also like to have bbqs with family (already had 3 this month) and eat some stuff that is not the cheapest option (but we enjoy it and don't want to give it up) like cheese burgers, fish, fresh fruits, and the wife has a penchant for making frequent desserts.

[Philociraptor]

$400 budget for groceries.  Restaurants, fast food, coffee, and alcohol are unbudgeted (fall under "Everything Else" /"Fun Money").

[Thegoblinchief]

We spend between $500-$600 for family of 5. This includes all personal care, household, and alcohol.

We've done as low as $400 but are happier with a bit higher level.

[MoneyCat]

$400/mo for two people, including all cleaning supplies, laundry supplies, personal care supplies, pet supplies, and kitchen supplies.  A wholesale club membership can really help with reducing food costs.  I'm hoping to get it lower once the garden starts producing more.

[surfhb]

I'm one person and spend about $180 for all those. :)

[Mrs. Frugalwoods]

We usually clock in at around $200-$300/month for the two of us. This includes all food (we don't eat out at all), all drinks (we don't buy them at coffee shops/bars/etc) and all toiletries/household goods (laundry detergent, toilet paper, dog food, etc).

It fluctuates based on whether or not we need to buy staples in a given month, so we recently had an all-time low month of $148, but that's atypically low. And then sometimes we'll have an atypically high month of $500 or so if we need a lot of household goods. We've spent a fair amount of time & effort figuring out how to get our groceries down this low, 'cause they were costing us a ton before! Always looking for more ideas/tips on how to save more...

[callan]

We budget $150 per week for groceries, plus another $50-$100 "entertainment" money, which might mean beer, eating out, or ordering pizza.  It's me, my husband, plus three growing boys, so I imagine my budget will go up in time.

[NumberCruncher]

Roughly $350 for two people - mostly vegetarian, some fish. This includes some pet expenses (treats) and some cleaning/household expenses - mostly food, though. About $70-80 is eating out expenses.

[DMoney]

We've JUST started tracking this for the past 3 months, so now we have some real data.  And it ain't pretty.  Family of 5.

Groceries (including toothpaste, diapers, etc): $900-1000
Eating out: $200

this doesn't include the veggie, fruit and egg CSA we collect weekly, which  I paid several hundred for up front a few months ago

YUP. We've got work to do!

[alwayslearning]

We spend roughly $400 - $500 on groceries each month (2 adults). We never go out to eat, entertain family and friends at home and eat mostly organic and pescatarian. 

It's expensive, but we eat well and do not have an entertainment fund, so this makes up for it. 

[Nancy]

We usually clock in at around $200-$300/month for the two of us. This includes all food (we don't eat out at all), all drinks (we don't buy them at coffee shops/bars/etc) and all toiletries/household goods (laundry detergent, toilet paper, dog food, etc).

It fluctuates based on whether or not we need to buy staples in a given month, so we recently had an all-time low month of $148, but that's atypically low. And then sometimes we'll have an atypically high month of $500 or so if we need a lot of household goods. We've spent a fair amount of time & effort figuring out how to get our groceries down this low, 'cause they were costing us a ton before! Always looking for more ideas/tips on how to save more...

This is impressive! Well done! Do you grow your own? We have a plot in a community garden, and it has drastically cut our grocery budget this summer. It's also ridiculously satisfying to eat veg you grew  yourself.

[Thegoblinchief]

Only been doing the detailed grocery spreadsheet for two months now, but for those with 2-3 kids, our $600 spending level is quite flexible.

The spreadsheet is public here. Maybe it will help some of you. I know others on the forums have been doing this tracking for far longer.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvrmrGZdBByldDlRbi1BbFRfNjVSamVXYW1IdjJaZWc&usp=sharing

[Mrs. Frugalwoods]

We usually clock in at around $200-$300/month for the two of us. This includes all food (we don't eat out at all), all drinks (we don't buy them at coffee shops/bars/etc) and all toiletries/household goods (laundry detergent, toilet paper, dog food, etc).

It fluctuates based on whether or not we need to buy staples in a given month, so we recently had an all-time low month of $148, but that's atypically low. And then sometimes we'll have an atypically high month of $500 or so if we need a lot of household goods. We've spent a fair amount of time & effort figuring out how to get our groceries down this low, 'cause they were costing us a ton before! Always looking for more ideas/tips on how to save more...

This is impressive! Well done! Do you grow your own? We have a plot in a community garden, and it has drastically cut our grocery budget this summer. It's also ridiculously satisfying to eat veg you grew  yourself.

Thanks! It took a lot of work to get it down this low and, like I said, some months are higher. Sadly, we don't grow our own--we're actually on the waiting list for the community garden in our neighborhood (our house is in the concrete jungle).

In a nutshell we do: very few packaged foods, no meat (some frozen fish), very little dairy, reliance on bulk staples from Costco (quinoa, oats, lentils, garbanzo beans, black beans, rice), and weekly grocery store trips for fruits, vegetables, and coffee. We buy quite a bit of produce and really wish we could grow our own... sigh, some day :). If you're curious, I've written up more detail on what we've done here: www.frugalwoods.com/category/food

[Mrs. Frugalwoods]

Only been doing the detailed grocery spreadsheet for two months now, but for those with 2-3 kids, our $600 spending level is quite flexible.

The spreadsheet is public here. Maybe it will help some of you. I know others on the forums have been doing this tracking for far longer.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AvrmrGZdBByldDlRbi1BbFRfNjVSamVXYW1IdjJaZWc&usp=sharing

Nice! Thanks for sharing this!

[Dr. Doom]

Count me and my wife as another $400 a month responder.  This figure includes toiletries and other household supplies.

The major thing keeping costs as high as they are is produce:  we suck down lots of fruits and vegetables.  Despite the relative cost of these items, I feel this is money well spent. We also do bulk shopping at Costco to help keep the dollars here under control.

On top of that we average $60-80 eating out -- we treat this as a separate outflow.

[Chranstronaut]

We spend ~$350 a month on groceries for two adults, including all non-food grocery items.  We consistently pay around $60 a week on just groceries, but it can be volatile sometimes (a reasonable range is $40-90 a week).  We don't clip coupons, shop sales or keep a price book.  We do buy fresh whole food in season, manager's special meat in small amounts, store brand or bulk dried goods, bulk spices and double check per lb pricing.  We use Costco a few times a year, but it's sometimes a crutch to buy prepackaged food we'd normally avoid.  We don't drink much, but indulge in dessert from time to time ;)

Our eating out is loosely $140-180 a month.  This is pure choice and we don't really stick to a budget here.  If it "feels" like we're eating out too much, we just choose to stay in.  I'm WAY over this month because of vacation and family in town... oh well.

[oldtoyota]

I/we are some of the worst.

$500 for three people + one cat. I can't seem to get it lower. We do well for the first two or so weeks of the month and then, before I realize it, there have been additional trips to the Latino and other markets and we're up to $450 or $500 again.

This is about 99% food + laundry detergent. This does not include eating out, personal items like suntan lotion, or alcohol, which I have in other categories. It does not include most cleaning products, which we mostly make from scratch.

[oldtoyota]

We spend roughly $400 - $500 on groceries each month (2 adults). We never go out to eat, entertain family and friends at home and eat mostly organic and pescatarian. 

It's expensive, but we eat well and do not have an entertainment fund, so this makes up for it.

Maybe I should view it this way. We spend nearly nothing on entertainment. We do go out to eat though and spend an additional $50-100/month on that at times.

[Zikoris]

About $230/month for two adults, including cleaning and household stuff. Vegans. Here's a complete breakdown of everything we bought, spent, and ate for a month last March: http://incomingassets.com/2014/03/30/grocery-tracking-one-month-results/

[Doomspark]

Short answer:  too much

2 people, 3 cats.  Like the OP, I haven't split out my receipts.

Long answer:  $600 / month on average which includes eating out.  One of my projects for August is to try to cut that down considerably.

[mrsggrowsveg]

We spend about $300 a month for groceries and another $100 for eating out.  We are a family of three.  We also are beginning to raise some of our own meat, eggs, vegetables and fruit.  This keeps the costs decent since we like to eat local and organic.  I expect the costs to keep going down in the future when we are raising more.  We also love to entertain and have friends over for dinner.  Cooking is a big passion of ours.

[PloddingInsight]

Family of 6.  Oldest of four kids is 8.

$890 is the one-year running average of groceries + alcohol + restaurants + take-out.

It includes grocery store purchases, like toothpaste, deoderant, paper towels, tissues for many little runny noses, etc etc.

[rocklebock]

Two adults: about $300 for all groceries and sundries, plus another $150 eating out. We try to eat vegan or vegetarian several times a week for both the savings and health benefits. We grow some vegetables and fruit, but I'm skeptical that we save much money there. We could do a bit better, but personally this is the hardest area to cut back on. I really, really enjoy food, and I used to spend more than the above for just myself. So I don't beat myself up about it too much.

[mak1277]

I'm just starting to track, so I don't have a number to add to the discussion, just a question.

Is there anyone else out here that's on a doctor-prescribed, low carb diet?  Everyone with super low bills is stocking up on calories with carbs...but what if that's not an option?  I'd love to see a low-carb meal list (non-vegetarian) that keeps cost down. 

[James81]

I've done as low as $100 per month (for one person). And it was a fairly healthy diet too. But definitely bare bones. Here's an article I wrote about it if you're interested in how I did it:

http://www.james81.com/my-100-per-month-grocery-bill/

The key was basically eating a lot of lentils and making a bunch of stuff from scratch.

These days, however, I've went up to more like $150 to $200 a month just for the luxury of not making a bunch of stuff from scratch.

[MsRichLife]

Two adults, one toddler. Grocery bill includes nappies and all our other personal and cleaning products. $800 per month.

Dining out, not including coffees paid with cash. $250 per month.

This is the biggest item in our budget and desperately needs some work.

I do just want to say that food in Australia is much more expensive that the US. We live in SoCal for three years and nearly fell over when we returned to Australia and went out to dinner one night!

[KMMK]

A lot, but I'm fine with that. About $600 a month for two adults in Canada. Maybe another $30-40 a month eating out.
But we eat tons of produce, organic, and local stuff that I gladly pay the money for. I haven't crunched the numbers yet, but I'm sure 30-50% is on fresh fruits and vegetables.
Filling up mostly on carbs, fruit going bad before it gets used, and shopping less than weekly does not happen in my household.

[studentdoc2]

We do $350/mo for two people including food items only. Cleaning/household/personal supplies are budgeted extra, as are pet expenses (we have a Great Dane, so that adds up fast!) and any eating out (which is usually $0). The $350 does include $100/mo for our CSA -- I know if we just bought veggies as needed, we'd spend much less than the $100, but we like supporting the farmers.

[MayDay]

We count eating out seperately and it is typically under 100$, often under 50.

We count toiletries, cleaning supplies, and paper towels seperately, and that kind of stuff is probably under 25$ a month.

For just groceries, if I am really on my game with meal planning, and when the garden is going strong, I can get us under 300.

When I am totally off my game, it easily creeps up over 600 (cough June cough). 

Average is about 459 a month, and I am happy with that.  We are vegetarians with two adults, a 4 and 6 year old.

[HappierAtHome]

I do just want to say that food in Australia is much more expensive that the US. We live in SoCal for three years and nearly fell over when we returned to Australia and went out to dinner one night!

+1 to Australia being more expensive, but even so, in the last few years we've lowered our grocery spending (2 adults) from ~$800 a month to $500 a month.

That includes brown bagging it to work, and all our household products too (not that we need that many as we transition away from disposable products).

The $500 doesn't include any takeout/meals out. But it does include some entertaining at home, because we like hosting friends and family.

[apfroggy0408]

Dieting on a high protein high fat diet right now so I've recently had to switch from chicken to 90/10 ground beef. I could still hit the calories with chicken and EVOO but after eating chicken for about 9 months straight it's nice to make a change for a little while. Once I get back to the regular type of eating I'll go back to chicken to save money.

My price range for 1 power lifting young adult $250-$350.

eek!

But powerlifting is my hobby and my passion so it's worth it to me, will also be my side hustle when I FIRE.

I also don't spend money on going out for junk food/restaurants/alcohol since I'm so strict on my diet so I'll take it.

[NinetyFour]

Single person.  In 2014, I have spent an average of $183 per month on groceries (just food), about $8 per month at coffee shops, and about $10 per month eating out.

I mostly buy veggies, fruit, beans, and grains.  I do not usually shop at my town's Kroger's store or at MallWart.  The other shops are more expensive but have more real food.

[Suit]

Another single person here. I budget $200 per month for groceries/toiletries/household/pet food and another $100 for eating out (although I often spend less than that).

[Fleacircus]

Average $925 for a family of 6/7 (one young adult child who has frequent meals here and 4 kids at home, ages 11, 12, 14, 15).  This includes toiletries, cleaning supplies, alcohol.  It does not include meals out, which are rare events.

I buy meat in bulk from a local butcher for about $3 per pound.  This could be lower if I had a chest freezer and bought larger quantities.  Except for meat, I shop mostly at Aldi.  Mix of organic and non-organic produce.  Next year I would like to try a CSA.

Meals typically include lots of veggies and some meat and a separate carb (potatoes, rice, noodles), so that family members can tailor carb consumption to their dietary needs.  We do a lot of soup, stir fry, and simple skillet dishes.

[robotclown]

Somewhere between 100-150 monthly.  Mostly eggs, pasta, rice, potatoes, tuna, and fruit.  It's really light on meat, and not even by design.  I used to buy tenderloins all the time, because they were one of the cheapest yet best cuts of meat, but then they doubled in price, and then they vanished.  Anyone know where to get a decent tenderloin nowadays?

[Datastache]

I don't have a budget - just an extremely frugal mindset - but I believe I currently average a little over $100/month on groceries for myself. Not the healthiest diet ever, but that has more to do with convenience, pickiness, and digestive sensitivity than with cost. Eating out is rare.

[cchrissyy]

family of 4
$800/month including groceries, restaurants, school lunch, alcohol, and coffee shops.
Restaurants is half of that. If I needed/wanted to make cuts, it's obvious that less restaurants and more groceries would be the way to go.

[Nancy]

Similar to OP, we spend a lot on food, but we're fine with it and our savings rate.

@Frugalwoods: Awesome blog! I'm impressed with your low cost, yet delicious and healthy meals.

[4alpacas]

$250-$300/month for food, personal care items, and cleaning supplies

We were around $600/month before I started "caring" about the grocery budget.  Our biggest budget buster was wasted food.  Now we cook in bulk.  Our freezer is packed with easy options for dinners. 

[frugalnacho]

Maybe I just eat more than most people? I know I consume about twice what my wife eats.  So far today I have had:

Glass of OJ - $0.50
Yogurt - $1
Granola in yogurt - $0.15
Half a cantaloupe - $0.75
Banana - $0.25
Grapes - $0.50
Burger - $1.60
Water - Free

Total: $4.75 for my breakfast, lunch, and snacks.  That's $142.50/mo just for my breakfast and lunch! I enjoyed it all very much though.

[Mrs. Frugalwoods]

Similar to OP, we spend a lot on food, but we're fine with it and our savings rate.

@Frugalwoods: Awesome blog! I'm impressed with your low cost, yet delicious and healthy meals.

Thanks very much! I keep meaning to post recipes up there, should do that soon. Mr. Frugalwoods made a spicy hummus last night that was fabulous. Looking forward to eating the leftovers tonight! I guess that's another one of our tactics: no wasted food (we just keep eating the same meals on repeat 'til they're gone).

[Mrs. Frugalwoods]

Maybe I just eat more than most people? I know I consume about twice what my wife eats.  So far today I have had:

Glass of OJ - $0.50
Yogurt - $1
Granola in yogurt - $0.15
Half a cantaloupe - $0.75
Banana - $0.25
Grapes - $0.50
Burger - $1.60
Water - Free

Total: $4.75 for my breakfast, lunch, and snacks.  That's $142.50/mo just for my breakfast and lunch! I enjoyed it all very much though.

That cracked me up. Yeah, that's a lot more than I eat for breakfast and lunch, but I'm also a small lady. I'm impressed that you downed an entire half a cantaloupe. Also, wondering about your yogurt--$1 seems like a lot per serving? Can you get a big tub-o-yogurt? Might be cheaper per serving. We switched from yogurt to oats for that very reason--raw oats from Costco are 10 cents a serving!

[alwayslearning]

We spend roughly $400 - $500 on groceries each month (2 adults). We never go out to eat, entertain family and friends at home and eat mostly organic and pescatarian. 

It's expensive, but we eat well and do not have an entertainment fund, so this makes up for it.

Maybe I should view it this way. We spend nearly nothing on entertainment. We do go out to eat though and spend an additional $50-100/month on that at times.

It's all about priorities. - We don't smoke, go out to bars, go to the movies, go on crazy vacations or even watch cable (we do have netflix) - but, we like to make nice meals at home and have friends/family over. At the end of the day, you should enjoy your money a little. Bonus: It makes staying on a healthy diet so much easier!

[frugalnacho]

Maybe I just eat more than most people? I know I consume about twice what my wife eats.  So far today I have had:

Glass of OJ - $0.50
Yogurt - $1
Granola in yogurt - $0.15
Half a cantaloupe - $0.75
Banana - $0.25
Grapes - $0.50
Burger - $1.60
Water - Free

Total: $4.75 for my breakfast, lunch, and snacks.  That's $142.50/mo just for my breakfast and lunch! I enjoyed it all very much though.

That cracked me up. Yeah, that's a lot more than I eat for breakfast and lunch, but I'm also a small lady. I'm impressed that you downed an entire half a cantaloupe. Also, wondering about your yogurt--$1 seems like a lot per serving? Can you get a big tub-o-yogurt? Might be cheaper per serving. We switched from yogurt to oats for that very reason--raw oats from Costco are 10 cents a serving!

It's the individual greek yogurt with fruit on the bottom.  It tastes much better than any other kind of yogurt i've gotten.  They are usually $1/ea if bought individually, or around $3-$3.50 if bought in the 4 packs.  Do they sell the greek yogurt it large containers?  I have been eating them almost every day, so maybe I should look into buying it in bulk.

[Thegoblinchief]

Maybe I just eat more than most people?

The cost breakdown of my breakfast and lunch is a bit hand-wavy, but I've had:

-4 eggs: $0.50
-4 pieces of homemade bread: $0.20 (roughly 1/3 of a loaf, and each loaf costs $0.60 or so to make)
-smoothie with about $2 worth of fruit/juice
-killed off the yogurt tub: $0.25?
-sprinkle of homemade granola: $0.20?
-cucumbers from garden: free

Total: $3.15

For yoghurt, I personally like the Mountain High brand. It tastes EXACTLY like my mom's homemade yoghurt. One of these days I'll start making my own, but for now the 1/2 gallon tub at $4.25 is great.

[frugalnacho]

I didn't make it.  I had to bust into my large stash of non perishable food I keep in my desk.  Just ate about $1 worth of roasted almonds.  Considering making a pb&j to hold me over until I get home (about 1.5-2 hrs).

[Gone Fishing]

Around $400/mo for a family of four including household items, alcohol, and dining out 1-2 times a month.  This is supplemented with a garden and deer hunting. Hmm...I guess that means I can put "practice" ammo in the grocery budget;)

[Cassie]

For 2 adults we spend about 400/month that includes cleaning supplies but not dog food/treats or dining out.  We have our adult kids over at least once per week & also like to entertain.  We spend anywhere from 100-200/month eating out.  When we feel a need to cut back we just stop eating out for awhile.  Also if I make a big casserole we get tired of eating it & I will give it to the kids. I could just make half the recipe but the kids enjoy getting occasional meals.

[4alpacas]

Maybe I just eat more than most people? I know I consume about twice what my wife eats.  So far today I have had:

Glass of OJ - $0.50
Yogurt - $1
Granola in yogurt - $0.15
Half a cantaloupe - $0.75
Banana - $0.25
Grapes - $0.50
Burger - $1.60
Water - Free

Total: $4.75 for my breakfast, lunch, and snacks.  That's $142.50/mo just for my breakfast and lunch! I enjoyed it all very much though.

That cracked me up. Yeah, that's a lot more than I eat for breakfast and lunch, but I'm also a small lady. I'm impressed that you downed an entire half a cantaloupe. Also, wondering about your yogurt--$1 seems like a lot per serving? Can you get a big tub-o-yogurt? Might be cheaper per serving. We switched from yogurt to oats for that very reason--raw oats from Costco are 10 cents a serving!

It's the individual greek yogurt with fruit on the bottom.  It tastes much better than any other kind of yogurt i've gotten.  They are usually $1/ea if bought individually, or around $3-$3.50 if bought in the 4 packs.  Do they sell the greek yogurt it large containers?  I have been eating them almost every day, so maybe I should look into buying it in bulk.

I'm also a fan of Greek yogurt.  I buy a large container of plain yogurt(Fage) and then add my own mix-ins.  I use homemade plum jam, honey or store bought jam.  It's WAY cheaper than the $1/container I would have to pay otherwise.

[sleepyguy]

2 Adults + 2 Kids, around $400-500/mth.  Some months climb to 600-700 if we host BBQs or whatever, no big deal.  Teenagers eat like pigs so I'm sure that amount will increase over time.