Sunday, February 27, 2011

just curious...

How much money do you normally spend on food? Groceries vs. eating out, etc. Anyone mind telling me? I'm trying to figure out a realistic food budget... Is $300 a month too little, or too much? Maybe $450? I (really) have no idea! Which is scary. I just don't know.  Do you? Any grocery tips you'd like to share? Because I'd love some help in keeping our tummies AND wallets full ;)

Just FYI, I do not do coupons. I mean, I save a few for foods I would normally buy, and I especially save coupons for restaurants, just in case we eat out. But, I think clipping coupons for useless junk is a waste of time and money. Thoughts?  Pretty please?

Thanks in advance. *B

11 comments:

TopHat said...

We pay $20/week for our CSA box and about 50-60/week for everything else. That's about $20 more expensive than what we were paying in Utah. And Isaac is still 98% breastfed (solids give him bloody stools). We only eat out every few months for special days like anniversaries and birthdays.

I'm with you on the coupons! I don't do them because it takes too much time and the foods I want to buy (whole foods versus processed) don't have coupons.

emily @morefromthemoorefamily said...

We stock up on meat from Fareway when it's on sale, that way we have a variety of meat in the house to use. But I really think your grocery bills will depend on how much fresh produce you buy. I try to buy frozen (no added anything) veggies, because these are cheaper and they don't go bad. In the small town I live in produce is super expensive (and not that good), so I am still trying to figure that out!

Tiffany said...

Completely agree on the coupons. 99% of the time, it is for CRAP!!!! Processed CRAP!!! as for what we spend... Haha. I'm like you. But we spend a LOT!! We eat tons of fruits and veggies and 100% whole wheat... The less processed, the better, which means more moolah. Honestly, food is something I don't skimp on. Since we are a family of 6, we spend probably $500-600 just on groceries I'm guessing. Maybe more. Who knows! But really, we are only paying for a family of 5 since Avery still breast-feeds 100% of the time.

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you have asked this. This is a constant thought of mine

I have a family of 9 and have budgeted $600 a month. I feel this is too low and we are diminishing our food storage some, mostly the wheat and flour since we make our own bread. Another woman who has almost the exact same size and ages of my family spends $800 a month.

If you have the time you can always shop superstition ranch market (something along those lines) for your produce. While you may not coupon the ads are good to find out what produce is the cheapest and where.

Knowledge on the cost of things is your best bet so that when something does go on sale you know it and can stock up.

-Mandi-

The Milliron Family said...

We price match and use coupons, so we do about $ 200 a month ( $100 every two weeks ) Without price matching and coupons, it would be about $300 a month. And because of Douglas's Kidney Disease ( he is on a sodium restricted diet ) we can't eat out anyway. Our splurge is a Cheese pizza from Little Cesars ( 470 mg Sodium ) and that's it. We do that maybe 2 times a month.

Jessica said...

I'm glad you asked, I always wonder what people spend and what the norm is. We take $200 cash out per paycheck (so two times a month) and use that for groceries. It's a stretch, but if meals are planned it always works. We spend about $50/month on eating out (not taken out of grocery money), it's our weakness and guilty pleasure but we used to spend way more so we feel good about $50 right now. So grand total, $450 on groceries and eating out per month for a family of 5. I don't know if that's good or bad, but it's what works for us!

Nick and Ashley said...

I spend way to much! It also depends on where you budget cleaning supplies, toilet paper, and diapers. I just say pay your tithing and no matter what you'll be good. ;)

Nick and Ashley said...

Totally agree with coupons, no good, too much time, and no deals on the good stuff. Occasionally I get a good one from the registers that I use. I know a lot that love them, maybe I just can't figure it out.

The Probert Family said...

Looks like so far I'm the only fan of coupons.

I just let other people (bargain bloggers) do the work for me. I check a couple blogs as I'm making my grocery list so I know which sale/coupon items I want to add to my list and which of my coupons to set aside for my trip to the store. And no, we don't eat a ton of processed junk.

My "grocery" budget includes things like diapers, cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc. and those can suck up your budget REALLY fast -- so combining sales & coupons have been a lifesaver there.

Also, joining a CSA (we use http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/) has given us some major bang for our buck when it comes to produce.

I'm with Mandi -- know the cost of things so that you know whether or not something is a good deal or not.

Tanilee said...

We stick pretty closely to $200-$250/month, and I don't coupon. But we only have a family of 3 1/2. I do go to my different stores though. I think I save buckets by shopping at Superstition Ranch Market and get better quality by buying meats/cheeses/etc at Sprouts, buy bulk at Costco and most pantry items at Fry's. Maybe too much running around for some people, but I kind of have my routine down.

Love the blog Beth!

Jlhart said...

oops... I meant to post this here:

We use coupons a lot, but recently I read an article that has inspired me to spend approximately $40 per week on groceries (O Magazine, April 2011, pp. 140). Highlights of the article include using spices from the international aisle rather than the spice aisle. Similar spices are significantly cheaper in the international aisle. Other suggestions are eating "in-season," less meat, and make your own toppings. Melba Newsome offers her $40 shopping cart for one week:

3 lbs frozen ground turkey $3.00
1 lb fresh tilapia $2.59
1 lb london broil $2.39
1 lb black beans $.88
2 chickens (5 lbs each) $5.75
1 dozen eggs $.99
4 lbs chicken Thighs $3.56
1 lb bananas $.49
1 lb pears $.99
3 lbs collard greens $1.00
2 lbs eggplant $1.58
2 lbs apples $1.98
3 lbs yellow onions $1.19
1 head green-leaf lettuce $1.49
5 heads garlic $1.29
1 12 oz. jar peanut butter $1.50
1 42 oz. box of oats $2.14
1 loaf of bread $1.69
1 48 oz. bottle canola oil $1.97
1 lb brown rice $.50
1/2 milk $1.89
1/2 lb jalepeno peppers $.30
6 oz. cumin $1.00

Some of us already have some of these items in our kitchen stock. I'm convinced if we look through our market's weekly sales, we can find items we need and not break the bank! Not only do J and I use coupons and costco, we tend to shop at international markets... every major city has at least one. They may not be in the safest of areas, but their prices are definitely cheaper than your normal chain grocery store for the same quality of products!