How much do you spend in groceries a month-excluding restaurants?How many in family

[fairymommy]

Just wondering what would be a realistic budget for us!
We gotta save more money!
Already the thermometer is at 65 degrees!:o

Thanks, fairymommy

[Bess]

Well, I'm afraid we spend about $800-1000 on groceries per month. :eek:This includes everything though...cat food, dog food, detergent, etc. We have 5 children.

[StacyWithFourRugrats]

Well, I'm afraid we spend about $800-1000 on groceries per month. :eek:This includes everything though...cat food, dog food, detergent, etc. We have 5 children.


That is close to what we spend with 5 children. We buy natural and organic whenever possible. It sometimes, but not always, includes Target stuff such as detergent, toilet paper, paper towels and certain cleaning products:eek:.

[elegantlion]

We are a family of 3, plus one fat cat and one hyper dog. We have a tight budget $300 - $350 per month.

[Bess]

That is close to what we spend with 5 children. We buy natural and organic whenever possible. It sometimes, but not always, includes Target stuff such as detergent, toilet paper, paper towels and certain cleaning products:eek:.


Yes, I should have stated we buy organic milk, etc. so that does add into it. Still...:rolleyes:

[PariSarah]

. . . about $325-350/month for a family of four. It's not easy (and today, it's feeling particularly unfun :(), but if you have to do it, you can.

[mcconnellboys]

My new budget is $400 for groceries (food only) and another $160 for household supplies, cleaning products, school supplies, etc. that we might need during the month. This is for a family of 4, with a teenage son and an almost 10 year old son.

Regena

[jmgconner]

$320 for a family of five. I never thought I could get it that low, but it seems to be working out okay. We use GroceryGame.com, utilize a deep freeze, and buy when on sale.

[AnneJ]

$600 a month on groceries and miscellaneous (tp, detergent, etc). We are a family of 6. This includes my budget of $50/month that is saved for when I do OAMC sessions.

[one l michele]

$600 family of 5, 4 boys.

[Unicorn]

We spend about $700-$800 per month. 2 adults, 3 children. We don't buy organic (except chicken broth). We do go through 1gal (sometimes more) of milk everyday, so that alone is at least $120 month. I buy sales, shop at 3 diff stores to get the best price, etc. Dh got a 3% raise this year, but locally our groceries went up about 40% on average. We can't win for losing!

[Daisy]

I budget $500 per month but that does cover eating out, cleaning supplies, pet and household items, all those incidentals. I think I probably only spend about $300-$350 on actual groceries. Family of 4 in SoCal. BTW, it is getting harder and harder to actually live within that budget. The food prices are going crazy!

[Tammy in Germany]

We are at about $500 a month which includes everything for 4 eating adults and one 10 year old and border collie.

[Free Indeed]

We are a family of 6 and I spend about $400 a month on groceries and home supplies.

[rivendellmom]

We're at $1200 a month for our family of 8. DH,FIL,3 teenage boys,1 girl, a toddler and me. We are a GFCF mostly organic family. That includes cleaning stuff and dog/cat food.

[Mom 2 3]

I spent atleast $600 a month on food and tolietry items, basically anything purchased at Wal-Mart. We have 5 family members.

[Elisabeth in IL]

I have $600 a month budgeted but I really need to change it to $700 as that is what I end up spending. That amount includes everything - tp, paper towels, cleaning supplies, dog food, etc.... We are a family of 5 in the winter and 7 in the summer when my parents come back North from Arizona.

[Tonia]

It's $400 a month for us (this covers groceries and any misc. paper goods), plus about $100 every three months to stock up on paper goods, beauty supplies, and cleaning stuff.

Edited to add: we are a three person household

[Colleen]

Whenever people ask about grocery budgets, the answers show a huge, huge range. So much depends on where one shops, what one buys, how one cooks, etc. I don't keep close track of what I spend, but I'd guesstimate it to be at least $800/month for a family of seven, shopping at a natural foods cooperative and buying organic more often than not.

[Jenny in Atl]

At least $800-1,000 (family of four plus dog, cats, fish, reptiles, etc) Being GF is not cheap :(. I also tend to buy organic which is no help cost wise.

[StaceyinLA]

and that includes toiletries as well as dog and cat foods. We are 3 adults (dh, my Mom and I - Mom only eats suppers with us), 4 kids (12, 14, 16 and 18), 5 dogs and 4 cats. The chicken feed is an extra $20 or so and it's not included.

We eat mostly organic, but dh does hunt so a LOT of our meat comes from deer season. When we don't have deer, we buy 1/4's of cows from my sister who raises Black Angus. Oldest dd and I aren't eating any meat, and my other 3 don't eat much meat at all. I cook at least 3-4 veggie meals a week that dh eats as well (the other nights I make a veggie meal and add him some meat to it).

We also garden in the summer and a lot of our summer meals include plenty of garden produce. In addition, we try and freeze (I am totally scared of canning) what we can for the fall (mainly corn/tomatoes/okra/bellpeppers).

We also don't drink hardly any milk - probably a gallon or a gallon and a half per week.

I do try and buy on sale, or at least buy the organic products I use most at the best priced stores. We are buying the less expensive types of produce (more apples, oranges and bananas) as prices are going up, though I do buy plenty of variety as things go on sale.

All in all, I think we do fairly well.

[Jennifer in MI]

About $700? Maybe? I try to keep my shopping trips to $300 (every other week). But, then I also do a coop a few times a year and spend about $75 each time. We also buy bison from a farm near my parents and go there about three times/year and spend about $100 each time. So, I'm guessing about $700.

We are a family of 6. We eat mostly organic.

[Mrs Mungo]

We spend $700-$800 per month for a family of 5. That includes cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc. I usually cook 3 meals a day and we don't eat out much.

[CookieMonster]

But I spend about $50/mo on Keurig coffee. Which I never did before Ree got me addicted.

But, anyway, it seems kinda high to me, even $450 a month. But I'm always clearing out the cupboards at the end of the month because i don't have any grocery money left. Maybe it's where I live?

[~Tara~]

We're a family of 7 and in that $800/mo. range. We also try to buy more organics..we've recently been working on revamping things, upping our budget in this area to afford better meat and dairy products.

Oh, this includes 'household items' as well.

[Mamagistra]

We spend roughly $1,000 monthly for our family of six, including grass-fed meats and natural poultry that we purchase through local co-ops.

[LadyNancy]

Family of 4 (2 adults, 1 teen, 1 child). We spend about $700-800 per month shopping at Whole Foods. I buy nearly 100% organic.

[Quiver0f10]

We spend $900, but I need to cut it back to $800. There are 12 of us and this includes all cleaning, diapers, personal hygiene, pets etc. I spend @ another $50 or so at our food co-op.

[Bee]

$800-1000/month for a family of 4.That includes dog food,cat food (2 kinds),toiletries and cleaning supplies.We eat alot of fresh fruits and vegtables.Dh cooks most of our meals and doesn't like to use poorly manufactured ingredients or to cook the same meals all the time.He is particular about the meat and fish he buys.We eat well when he cooks.The children would be content with mac and cheese and tv dinners every day if we allowed it.

[Tracey in TX]

$1200-1500/mo. Includes household and some drive-thru dinners, but does not include dining out. We have 8 people in our family.

Gosh, it's amazing how well you ladies budget. I'm afraid to try b/c DH would actually expect me to follow it then.

[Sandra in NC]

My budget is $700/mo for groceries and household supplies and $130/month for eating out. During the holidays, I spent closer to $1000/month on groceries.

[jail warden]

We spend around $400. That includes toiletries and misc at a grocery store. We are a family of 5 and it's tight, but doable if I shop at Aldi's and shop for deals on my meat.

[j.griff]

Wow, thank you for sharing this. This is what we spend each month with 4 kids, no matter WHAT type of shopping we do, if I try to buy "cheap" stuff, it's the same amount, if I try to be healthy stuff, it's the same amount, if I go for convenience foods, it's the same amount. Ugh. I just don't see anyway to reduce what we are spending, we don't buy frivolous stuff, and as for convenience food- it's still cheaper than eating out. <sigh>.
I don't feel so horrible now, knowing I'm not the only one who spends this much. :)

[LaMere Academy]

we spend around $900 a month for a family of 6. Sometimes more, rarely less :o

[kdeno]

but I am failing. We are a family of almost 7. I used to spend $30 (!) per week including dipes after my first baby was born for a family of 3 so I feel $500 per month is just SO much but it think I need to ask for a raise.

Kari

sorry for posting so much tonight, usually I just lurk

[Gamom3]

There are 3 adults and 2 kids..one eats like his older brother, he is having a growth spurt.

This month I spent $600 because I decided we needed to eat what was in the freezer, which in turn saved us money for the past 3 months were I only spent $350.
My grocery bill includes everything...dog food, shampoo, soap, washing powders, cleaning products, toilet paper, etc..

[Alice]

You guys are amazing at how well you budget. We spend close to $800 a month for a family of four. That does include cat food for 2 and all paper products, toilitries, etc. But still I'm thinking I need to look into budgeting much better given some of the answers here. We do live in the suburbs of Washington DC so I know prices are somewhat higher here....but probably not that much.

[Julie in CA]

I feel like I spend a TON of money on groceries! $900 per month, appx.
We are a family of 7, and right now 3 of my dc are teenage boys. They are absolutely insatiable! The legs must be hollow...:rolleyes:
~Julie~

[Scarlett]

My last 3 month average per month was $722 on food and household combined. $180 on eating out. Too high. Only 3 in our family. I'm working on getting it under control which is why I have the numbers on hand. :D

[Tia in Wa]

There are 5 of us now ( I was gifted with a 17 yr old) and we spend around $500 including toiletries. I shop sales and go to a minimum of 3 stores. This is the first year that we did not have a garden @ fil's house.:D

[Amy loves Bud]

We spend about $1000 for food and household items. But I think I could cut back pretty easily. We have decided that we like to eat the way we do - organic as much as is available, good cuts of meat, very heavy on fresh fruits and vegetables, lots of healthy snack foods like nuts/organic nut butters. So I guess this our planned splurge.

Family of five, but Romy is nursing and eating bits from my plate, so really four in the grocery budget. She costs us in the household column with her diapers, though.

[*anj*]

$175 for dairy/meat co-op.
$350 for regular groceries, including toilet paper, etc.
$ 75 for milk.
-------------
$600 total

We buy cheese, eggs, beef, chicken and pork through the natural/organic/sustainably grown food co-op.
We get organic milk fresh from a local farm.
I buy everything else at the grocery store.
In the summer we belong to a CSA for (the majority of) our produce.
I try to buy organic as much as I can, but I emphasize the things that matter most. If I'm having an especially hard time keeping it all balanced, I just take comfort in knowing that we are drinking organic milk, eating organic cheese, cream, and eggs, and (mostly) organic meat. It's the best I can do.

We're a family of six, no pets.

Oh yeah, and I bake all of our bread using grain that I buy in bulk through a co-op.
I cook almost exclusively from scratch.

[imeverywoman]

The eating out is just ridiculous. I don't even enjoy it, to tell you the truth.

I should say that amount (the eating out) doesn't include dh's meals when he's working.

I bake everything from scratch and order quarterly from a meat and grain co-op.

We have food allergies and as a result, don't utilize any convenience foods.

[Robin in Tx]

I budget about $600, sometimes we're under, sometimes over. When we're over, we usually don't go over but about $100-$200 and that's if there is a special occassion I'm buying food for. This inclues all toiletries, cleaning, pet supplies, and housewares (batteries, light bulbs, A/C filters, candles, etc.).

This is for a family of three, and all but about two or three meals a week. I cook from scratch, buy mostly fresh or frozen foods (with the exception of dry goods such as pasta)... I do not buy organic or gourmet unless it is on sale and/or comparable to conventional prices. I'm pretty picky about quality (for example, I buy good coffee and good olive oil and good ice cream). And I don't clip coupons (don't get the paper). I plan our menus around what's on sale. I rarely buy anything that isn't on sale... only when I have to.

I used to could do this with $450 - $500 a month, but it's getting very, very hard to do it with even $600 (for example, eggs have gone to $2 a dozen!) I like to know where my money is going, so I definitely keep track of this. We can't afford to buy whatever we want whenever we want. Well, actually, we probably could but if I want to be wise with our money and save for certain things like vacations, etc, then I have to pay attention to what I'm doing. I'd much rather a few extra bucks go to a nice book I've had my eye on than food that I will likely never remember eating! Whenever I've not paid attention to what I was spending, and then looked back on it later and realized how MUCH money I was spending, and realized what the opportunity cost of all that food was, I get pretty disgusted. LOL

Hope this helps! Good luck!

[OhM]

We spend $480-$550/month for family of 4 - including dog food, cleaning products & toiletries.

It could be tightened a good bit still. I do use grocerygame, which makes it go pretty far.

[Mrs. Readsalot]

I think we spend a bit more because we never eat out. Also groceries are higher here than in say Baltimore or Washington. We live in a resort on the Atlantic.

[lynn]

Hmm, not to sure we are trying to eat more organic so it's been a little off as we figure out what is worth the extra $$ and what it isn't. What stores have the best prices and selection for what we want. We just had a publix open that has a huge organic selection with decent prices so in a month or so I'll see what my adjusted grocery bill is as we get rid of processed, chemical induced foods from out diet.

[Rebecca in GA]

Two adults, children ages 11, 8 and 6 and a small dog: $100/week for food, toiletries, bathroom tissue, etc. We make our own cleaning supplies and use coupons. We look for marked down meat, produce and dairy items and keep a smallish chest freezer for that purpose in our garage.

We budget $50/month for "entertainment," which we usually combine with coupons to get Jack's milkshakes or a bag of Krystal burgers or some other ultra-healthy treat. :D Sometimes, we go out when restaurants offer a "kids eat free" night or other promotion, or go to a family restaurant after church. We try to stretch this money as far as it will go, taking a picnic to free events or eating at home and stopping at Dairy Queen on the way home from the park. This month, we spent $20 on concert tickets (Christian concert at our church) and $30 on actual STEAKS to cook for the whole family on Valentine's night!

Our splurges are Seventh Generation automatic dishwasher powder and dish liquid; Charlie's Natural Soap for laundry; and a combination of Method dish soap and Dr. Bronner's for making our cleaning supplies. Our eldest son is asthmatic and regular cleaners and bleach are solid triggers for him. Our youngest has terrible eczema which is aggravated by traditional detergents and cleaners. We buy organic when we're able and hormone free/pesticide free milk. All three of our children are on a very expensive environmental allergy immunotherapy regimen and that and debt reduction are our priorities right now.

[Kari C in SC]

We are a family of 5 and we spend between $400 and $500 a month. That includes everything like diapers, cleaning stuff, dogfood, etc. We have just moved, so I am getting used to SC vs. FL. I shop at SuperWalmart and Sam's so most prices are the same. We did buy a freezer when we moved here and I am trying to learn what will help us save with that. We also eat out about once or twice a week. Eating out is usually less than $20 unless dh and I go out once for a nicer dinner and then we try to keep it to about $30.

[Laurel T.]

We spend so much. I don't really have an estimate. I need to sit down and figure this all out. It seems like I am always buying food, but today we have nothing for breakfast. Thanks for the inspiration to get on a food budget.

Laurel T.

[AprilTN]

We spend about $500 a month on groceries. That includes some toiletries, but not all. We are a family of 2 adults and 2 children.

[Tammyla]

@ $700- $900 a month for groceries and household items during the winter months & we don't eat out regularly. That makes this a total to feed all of us (4) all our meals for the month.

[susie in tx]

This is a fascinating thread. At the Dave Ramsey website, many people recommend spending $100 a person per month. However, I don't think that includes all the extras - laundry detergent, soap, cleaning supplies, shampoo, vitamins...

I also wonder what the differences are between those of us who live in rural areas, versus suburbs, and/or large metropolitan areas. Which country any of us live in also affects the outcome. Hmm.

We have a family of 6. I buy all cleaning supplies, soap, shampoo, etc. in my grocery budget. My current budget is $200 a week. It's very tight. We eat organic, unless the difference between the organic and the conventional product is huge. I've recently started using store chicken, though it is natural. I purchase meat and other products that are close to, or at their expiration dates. This includes meat, which I put in my freezer as soon as I get it home. I spend about $100 a month (which is not always in the above budget) at the Gonna Rot store. This store has near expiration or expired foodstuffs. I buy most of our rice there, pasta, ketchup, etc. in this store. Generally, I don't buy packaged cereal, but it's $1.59 a box at the Gonna Rot store. I cannot predict what they will or will not have at the store, so if they have something I like, then I buy all they have. FE, in January when I was there, they had agave nectar. If I purchased it in the store, it would cost me over $4. I bought it for $1.99. Huge savings for us, but I bought several gallons in small containers. I've never found it to go bad.