Is this about average for grocery's?

[lynn]

for a family of 6. I have 2 teenage boys, 1 8 year old teenage wanna be boy and 2 yearold in diapers. I buy organic dairy and some organice and some regular veg and fruit, hormone/antibiotic free meats(1 red meat and 1 poultry @week and fish once a week, diapers, toiletries and cleaners and my total is around $200@ week. I think it's about right but today it hit me, even though I have been reading a lot about grocery budgets here, maybe it's to much.

[~Tara~]

Sounds pretty decent to me.

We're spending that to feed 7. (kids 10 - 2yr) Also doing hormone free beef and dairy. Sounds like you're buying more organic than I am right now..you have diapers, we use cloth..
But *I* think that sounds ok..I'm sure the teenage boys could easily eat you out of house and home, so, uh, yeah ;)

[Beth in Central TX]

That's about what I spend each week for our family of 5. I don't buy any junk food, but we do eat meat or fish with every meal, and I buy a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. I've seen posts where many people shop for less than this and have bigger families, but I haven't been able to get much under $200 on a weekly basis. If I can keep our grocery budget around $800 for the month, I feel like I'm doing great! It's our 2nd biggest budget item just under our mortgage payment. With 3 boys, I can only see this amount getting bigger...

[Mrs Mungo]

I have a family of five and we spend between $150 and $175 per week on groceries. There are usually small grocery trips between commissary trips, so we probably average $800/month in all. eta: I do buy a lot of fresh produce, that's where the bulk of the cost comes in.

[Whisperlily]

That sounds like a nice amount for groceries. We were spending about $700 per month for a family of 6 before we moved. It was a comfortable amount, and we usually had a stocked pantry.

We spend less now, for a few reasons... the groceries are cheaper here, and we started *looking for ways* to stretch the budget so we could put aside some money for specific items.

If you don't feel like your grocery budget is causing you financial hardship then it sounds just right. Just because you CAN make it with less doesn't mean you HAVE to.

We've been in some pretty dire financial straits in the past, (thankfully I think we're past those days) and to me, having plenty of food in the cupboards is a sign of security. (Strange, I know, but it's true.)

[Jenny in Florida]

. . . quoting a figure of $700 per month for the average American family of four. So, it sounds like you're doing very well.

I think I come in a bit under that, but (hanging my head in un-frugal shame) I have noticed that our grocery spending has been creeping up as we have more money and I have less time. I've always liked feeling like a wise spender, though. And now that I know the "average," I feel compelled to spend much less.

We'll see how long my reserve holds up . . .

--Jenny

[Mrs Mungo]

. . . quoting a figure of $700 per month for the average American family of four. So, it sounds like you're doing very well.

I think I come in a bit under that, but (hanging my head in un-frugal shame) I have noticed that our grocery spending has been creeping up as we have more money and I have less time. I've always liked feeling like a wise spender, though. And now that I know the "average," I feel compelled to spend much less.

We'll see how long my reserve holds up . . .

--Jenny

To be fair though, doesn't the average American family eat out a lot? We eat out *maybe* once a week. So, I doubt I'm less frugal than the average American. Just thinking aloud...