What are some prices you're paying for stuff?
$250 for two, and plenty of fancy pants things. When it was just me, it was closer to $100.
Milk is usually $3.50 per gallon, why the hell are you buying quarts? I find lunchbox size apples for $.99/lb regularly, same for pasta.
I think you're doing well with your grocery spending. I also live in NC, and my wife and I budget $700 per month for groceries. We usually come in around $600-650 when it's all said and done, but we do eat steak once a week and I'm sure we also spend more than you on beer and wine.
What are some prices you're paying for stuff?
I can't find a recent itemized receipt, but here are some of the prices I could find...
milk, quart: $1.99
18 eggs: $2.79
bacon: $4.99
spinach: $1.19/lb.
sweet potatoes: $0.69/lb.
onions: $0.89/lb.
pasta: $1.79 (I think for a lb.)
rice: $0.67/lb. (25lb. bag)
chicken: $1.29/lb.
grapefruit: $1/lb.
apples: $1.79/lb.
Mostly Kroger, but also Harris Teeter, although that's more for "oh crap I need an onion and a 6-pack right now", because it's walking distance from us. The key is knowing what's cheap in which store, and making your meals around those. Also whole foods occasionally because their meat is supposedly better and happier. Maybe $20 out of those $250 is booze, and another $15 for random stuff. Eating out is considered "burn money" and we eat out at a fancy restaurant once or twice a month max. Very little other eating out aside from that. It averages less than $100/month.$250 for two, and plenty of fancy pants things. When it was just me, it was closer to $100.
Milk is usually $3.50 per gallon, why the hell are you buying quarts? I find lunchbox size apples for $.99/lb regularly, same for pasta.
We only use milk for coffee and a gallon will go bad before we get through it. What kinds of things are you eating/buying to stay around $250? Where do you typically shop? Do you eat out at all?
These prices look pretty normal. How much of your money goes towards household supplies and toiletries? Do you eat everything you buy or do you throw out food every week including both unprepared food and leftovers?
Your prices and food habits sound simillar to mine, but I only spend about $130 per month for one person, so I'm kind of baffled.
We only use milk for coffee and a gallon will go bad before we get through it. What kinds of things are you eating/buying to stay around $250? Where do you typically shop? Do you eat out at all?
We only use milk for coffee and a gallon will go bad before we get through it. What kinds of things are you eating/buying to stay around $250? Where do you typically shop? Do you eat out at all?
Extra milk can be added to soups and stews instead of water for extra richness!
I think your trouble is what you're eating (and possibly throwing away), more than the local food prices. My budget is $150/month for one person (around $100) and ingredients for care packages for DH (around $50). Wine and beer come out of my personal spending money, not the grocery budget.
Bacon and Eggs for two people for breakfast every day would get expensive. I eat oatmeal (plain, from the canister) every day and usually stir in a little sugar or some dried fruit.
A grapefruit every day would get expensive (but I totally get it, I probably spent $40 on citrus fruits myself this month). I'm not saying you shouldn't have it, I'm just saying it would drive your grocery prices up.
Also, are either of you really active? My SIL is an avid runner year round, but whenever she is training for a marathon their grocery bill skyrockets for about six weeks because she just has to eat so much food to keep up with the calories she's burning.
I think you are doing pretty good based on those prices. And please read Bob W's post on how to get better. And don't take "I can easily do better!!" too seriously because two things REALLY affect how well you do:What are some prices you're paying for stuff?
I can't find a recent itemized receipt, but here are some of the prices I could find...
milk, quart: $1.99
18 eggs: $2.79
bacon: $4.99
spinach: $1.19/lb.
sweet potatoes: $0.69/lb.
onions: $0.89/lb.
pasta: $1.79 (I think for a lb.)
rice: $0.67/lb. (25lb. bag)
chicken: $1.29/lb.
grapefruit: $1/lb.
apples: $1.79/lb.
I am in the Triangle. There is no ALDI near us. We don't shop at Harris Teeter, we literally get culture shock every time we go in there. We try to stick to in season fruits and veggies. There is a latino grocery down the street, which we go to for some things every now and then, but I think our neighborhood grocery is cheaper. Most of the things above are from the neighborhood grocery. We don't eat beef often because it is pricier, but the 1/4 cow we're getting should be around $2.50-3/lb.
I would have thought that food prices here would be the same as anywhere else, or perhaps cheaper since we can grow so many things throughout the year, but my coworkers' comments made me wonder.
I haven't shopped sales or kept close track of prices of things in awhile...but like you all say maybe I'll try that for awhile to see if anything seems extra pricey. Like some of you have said, eating good food is important to us and we don't mind spending some money on it, but I have wondered how other couples on here get down to $250-300 a month. Maybe it's all beans and rice!
* Pro Tip - If you want to reduce your beer cost from 35 to 10 switch to vodka.
The closest Aldi is 15 miles away...so, we'll check it out and see if it's worth making a monthly trip.
$250 for two, and plenty of fancy pants things. When it was just me, it was closer to $100.
Milk is usually $3.50 per gallon, why the hell are you buying quarts? I find lunchbox size apples for $.99/lb regularly, same for pasta.
It looks like there are several Aldi's in Raleigh, try this to find the closest one. https://www.aldi.us/en/services/store-locator/ This week, a three pack of red/yellow/orange peppers is $1.19, 1lb baby carrots is 49 cents, avocados are 49 cents, mushrooms are 59 cents for an 8 ounce package and celery is 59 cents. We build our meals around what produce is on sale at Aldi and other stores. The prices on everyday items at Aldi also cannot be beat, better than Costco, Walmart, etc.
Here is a listing of what is available now and at what price.
http://www.ncagr.gov/markets/mktnews/RA_FV001.txt
It looks like there are several Aldi's in Raleigh, try this to find the closest one. https://www.aldi.us/en/services/store-locator/ This week, a three pack of red/yellow/orange peppers is $1.19, 1lb baby carrots is 49 cents, avocados are 49 cents, mushrooms are 59 cents for an 8 ounce package and celery is 59 cents. We build our meals around what produce is on sale at Aldi and other stores. The prices on everyday items at Aldi also cannot be beat, better than Costco, Walmart, etc.
You must not be in the Triangle. :) Our sales this week are all slightly more expensive than what you mentioned (same items though, plus grape tomatoes). Still way better than the regular grocery store or walmart prices.
The buy one get one free sales ring up at half price each no matter how many or few you buy.
The buy 2 get 3 free require the purchase of all 5, at least according to the rules in my area.
The buy one get one free sales ring up at half price each no matter how many or few you buy.
The buy 2 get 3 free require the purchase of all 5, at least according to the rules in my area.
The buy one get one free sales ring up at half price each no matter how many or few you buy.
The buy 2 get 3 free require the purchase of all 5, at least according to the rules in my area.
It depends on your state laws, if the sale price is applied to each individual item or if it only applies when you buy the total # of items (ie. 10 in a 10 for $10).
Hit the loss leaders at Kroger hard - We make an almost weekly trip to Kroger and buy the products that get cheaper there than anywhere else on sale. I'm in my fourth city and the results are the same. The only thing that stinks about Kroger is their stores are really hit and miss in quality.
Have you looked into utilizing more (non-bacon) pork? East of Raleigh is hog farming country and meat like pork roasts can drop your protein costs.
You said you live in the Triangle but there is no Aldi nearby? There is an Aldi near Southpoint in Durham (across from the target in Southpoint), I shop there regularly. I realize the "triangle" is big if that is a bit far you could go occasionally and stock up. I have really found it to be worth it, much cheaper than the slightly closer Harris Teeter. They often even have organic and natural items for a good price.
For two people in NC we're spending around 300 on a high month, 200 on a low month but I don't include toiletries, as they have their own category.
Regarding milk for coffee, have you tried almond milk in coffee? It doesn't go bad as fast and is around the same price (depending where you shop). We like sweetened vanilla almond milk for coffee. It works for us since we don't use milk for anything else regularly.
I have also found the NC farmer's markets to be very reasonable. We had an individual share in a CSA from Brinkely Farms (deliver to both Durham and Carrboro, maybe elsewhere) last summer and it was more food than we could eat for two of us at times! It was $250 for a 16-week session. They also sell pork, flour and eggs, which are options for the CSA - produced locally from small farmers. It was much higher quality for the same price as harris teeter (less sometimes).
So I'm also really surprised when I hear people actually spend that amount on groceries. If they can, good for them, they must be really disciplined to be able to live on that. I certainly won't do it. Heck, we spent $40 on grapes alone last month. Not even the fermented kind. So I think you should be happy with $450! Can it be less? Maybe. Is it worth your time to fret over? Probably not. You're doing great.