View Full Version : Monthly Grocery Expense
Hi all,
I would like to get your feedback as to what you think is a reasonable monthly budget for groceries (does not include eating out), but does include dog food for miniature poodle, paper products, etc.
I am 70 years old, live alone in SoCal, do some entertaining mostly with my family for dinner once a week. Food prices are so high right now - I am amazed.
Anyway, would love to hear from you guys.
Linda
Well, I try to stick with a food budget of (and this is for two):
$370/basic food
$100 splurge food
The rationale for splitting this out is that I figure I can always cut the "splurge food" out. This category is stuff like take-out pizza, candy from the convenience store, etc.
$370 is derived from the food stamp allowance for two in my area, so that's what I strive for. I don't always get there, but only because I might be lazy that month. Otherwise, it's totally doable, and even with organic, local food.
If I were single, and really tried to keep things tight, I KNOW I could do $200 pretty easily, as I rarely eat meat, and I'm definitely not a "foodie" and I also don't have a need for things like beverages. I drink filtered water out of my refrigerator, or I might make iced tea from tea bags.
Of course, if I were entertaining once a week, I'd allocate that to "entertainment," not "food."
Single and kidless and spend about $30 - $50/week on food for myself. An additional $10/week for my small dog. Probably average about $200 - $250/month for all food not counting eating out or entertaining (at home or out).
awakenedsoul
8-18-14, 5:10pm
I'm single and love to eat good food! I shop at Costco, which has helped me spend less. Last year I budgeted $60.00 a week for food for myself and my two German shepherds. At the end of the year, I came in at $1,000. under budget. I also grow a lot of fruits and vegetables. I belong to Abundant Harvest Organic co op. I get a box from them every two to three weeks. That might help your food budget. They're in LA.
When I was younger I was spending $100.00 a week on groceries! I would get all the treats at Trader Joe's. I bought the dogs a lot of treats, too. Now I bake my bread, cookies, dog biscuits, etc...I buy the ingredients in bulk. I eat grass fed and organic meat and chicken, which is pricey. My budget also includes things like shampoo, baking soda, white vinegar, trash bags, and other stuff that I buy at Costco.
kimberlyf0
8-18-14, 5:32pm
I use the USDA Cost of Food at Home numbers to guide my budget; I allow us the "Thrifty" amount since we don't eat meat, eggs, or dairy. Then I tack on $100 for performance foods that my guys use when biking (I am working this number down). I don't include dog food numbers in my grocery budget as it just doesn't make sense to me unless one is preparing the animals' food from purchased groceries. I don't include paper products either, although in our case that is only toilet paper. I don't include cleaners (I prefer to make cleaners) as that isn't part of feeding us.
For a single woman aged 70 the thrifty plan allows $164.60 per month, or $38 per week. In your situation I would probably increase my budget to $200 per month to accommodate cooking for the family once a week. I imagine an additional $40 per month should cover dog food, paper products, and cleaners. I'd probably call it $250 and leave it there.
http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/FoodPlans/2014/CostofFoodJun2014.pdf
I spend about $200/mo. I am single and feed my family(3 more adults and a child) a couple of times a month. That included everything-groceries and eating out. I get a basket from bountiful baskets at least once a month and usually 2 times. I do eat meat and watch the sale bins for most of it.
I have a westie who required a special diet, food and treats for him are about $50/mo and he's worth every cent, lol.
Gardenarian
8-18-14, 7:26pm
I have no idea what we spend... but we tend to eat cheap, having rice and beans as our staples, supplemented with lots of eggs, cheese, vegetables and fruit.
I wanted to add I still waste food. It bothers me, but I can't seem to get it together so I don't. This morning I threw out some cherries, what a waste.
Thank you all so much for your inspirational replies. Boy, I am going to have to watch my spending. I have never paid attention to what I spend on groceries, but lately I have noticed that every time I go to Trader's or Ralphs I am spending at least $40.00. I am now retired and on a fixed income so grocery spending has become crucial. I use a cash-back credit card for all purchases so earlier this month I totaled what I had spent on groceries for the first 13 days of August - a whopping $243!!! I could not believe it. Now granted, I do have some meat and cheese and canned goods, etc that will be used up during the rest of the month and even into Sept.
Catherine - I like the idea of looking at the "food stamp allowance" for your area. I will look into that.
Spartana - maybe I should not include entertaining in the budget, but I don't know exactly how to separate it out.
Awakenedsoul - I did have a Costco card and recently didn't renew because I wasn't eating meat for awhile. Now I am eating meat, poultry, and fish again so I probably should get a new card, although I can go with my son and use his card; though, I think Costco is one of those places where you have to be very disciplined because the merchandise is so appealing.
Kimberlyf0 - your suggestion of $250 seems very reasonable to me - now, if I can just do that!
Aqua Blue- I like the idea of the food basket. Actually, I should be going to our local farmer's market on Saturday mornings.
Gardenarian - rice and beans - just like Dave Ramsey says. It makes sense.
Again, thanks to you all for your suggestions.
Linda
Polliwog - Since you are in SoCal you might want to check out the .99 Cents Only Store. They have lots of fresh produce and dry goods and all sorts of things you'd pay double or triple for in a regular grocery store - usually for the same brands. And it's all for ...99 cents only or less :-)! Find out when fresh fruits and veggies are delivered (bread too) and go that day and stock up. Costco also has good deals since you are buying in bulk. As a single "mostly" raw foods vegan person who doesn't really entertain at home, I prefer not to buy in bulk but smaller amounts so the .99 cent only store kind of place works best for me, but if you don't need fresh foods all the time and have the storage space for extras then buying at Costco can be a good deal.
As for an entertaining budget...well like I said I don't entertain at home and don't cook so I can keep that budget item separate from my "food" money. I suppose you could do that too and just figure out the average amount you spend on entertaining/event and have that as a separate budget category. I don't track my spending anymore but have a general idea how much I spend on both my food and any thing that I would consider entertainment that included food (like buying something to take to a picnic or potluck).
Miss Cellane
8-19-14, 9:40pm
One thing to remember about food stamps is that they are designed to *supplement* people's food budget, not be their entire food budget. The official name of the program is SNAP--Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In the old days, people had to pay for their food stamps--they'd pay $50, for example, and get food stamps for $100 of food. (I made up those numbers just to illustrate how the program worked.)
Different states determine the amount of food stamps in their own way. In my state, a single person my age would get maximum $189 a month, which isn't far off the $200 a month that I pay for food. So it would certainly be possible to live on that, and eat pretty darn well.
But in other states, the amount allotted might not really be enough to live on comfortably. So do some checking around as to how they come up with the figures. Here, once you turn 53, they don't require you to be looking for a job, and they pretty much give you the max unless you have a significant income. But under 53, you need to be actively looking for work, and it is much harder to get the maximum allotment.
But the main thing to take away is that whatever figure is determined for food stamps in your area, it is not supposed to be the entire food budget for the individual or family. They are expected to kick in some of their own money for food.
awakenedsoul
8-19-14, 10:54pm
Polliwog,
I used to do the same thing at Trader Joe's. It's easy to do...they have so many treats! The Costco membership is worth it for me just for the meat and dog food alone. But, you're right. I have to be really disciplined. I make a list, and I don't look around or buy anything that's not on my list.
I forgot to mention that my budget includes supplements, too. I take fish oil, gotu kola, glucosomine, and Wobenzym daily. I try to buy them on sale. I've started looking at the sales flyers that come in the mail. I go to Sprouts and buy produce that's on sale for a dollar a pound or less. Vallarta has cans of tunafor .78 a can, so I'll probably take the bus over there this week and buy ten. It also helps to make things at home like salad dressing, bbq sauce, cream sauces, etc...
Let us know if you're able to lower your bill.
Miss Cellane,
That makes sense. I never knew that.
According to mint I spent $2,094 last year on groceries. That includes $750 for our CSA. I don't track SO's expenses, but would assume that he also spent about $1400 at the grocery store since we both go in roughly equal amounts. That would be about $300/month for 2 of us, mostly eating at home except friday nights and whenever we're on vacation (maybe 20 days per year?).
Pet expenses are kept separate. We spent $733 last year at Petsmart. That covers food, litter and treats for 2 large cats.
Edited to add, I just went back and looked at 2014 so far. I've already spent $2300 on groceries this year. 2012 I spent $2043, right in line with 2013. I wonder if our tastes have gone up in the last 8 months or if prices for food have really increased that much. Or if SO has stopped going to the grocery store and now I'm paying for the majority of our food...
This is an area I really need to work on.....again.
Family of 4 (two very tall late teen boys) and we ate out way too much this summer and I know we had way more food waste at home because we just weren't home as much to eat as a family. Loved seeing everyone's numbers even though they don't really relate to my family. My goal is $130 a week groceries, but I know we've gone way over that.
I forgot to mention that my budget includes supplements, too. I take fish oil, gotu kola, glucosomine, and Wobenzym daily. .The 99 Cents Only store carries lots of supplements for...99 cents only...so check them out. Some I've seen at Trader's Joes, Mother's Market or Wholefoods for $10 or more. Also places like Big Lots carries low priced supplements as well as some food.
I'm actually thinking I'll start keeping track of my per meal costs and see what that comes too. I did it yesterday and, for example, one smallish meal was something like 50 cent ...maybe less since I bought all the stuff from the 99 cent store (rice, tofu, sauce, veggies, and fruit) and only used a small amount of each thing. Probably can't always go that low but interesting to see what I spend in an average day on food. I do the same thing with my one cup of coffee a day - buy a big thing of instant coffee at Costco and the cost/serving is just a few cents.
awakenedsoul
8-20-14, 3:21pm
The 99 Cents Only store carries lots of supplements for...99 cents only...so check them out. Some I've seen at Trader's Joes, Mother's Market or Wholefoods for $10 or more. Also places like Big Lots carries low priced supplements as well as some food.
I noticed that today. I went to refill my 5 gallon water jug, and the water store was closed. (They don't open until 10:30 a.m.) So, to kill some time, I went to the .97 Store in the same mall. I was able to buy soy milk for $1.99! I usually pay around $3.00 at Costco, and have to buy three at a time. They also sell organic milk more cheaply than Costco! I'm also going to start buying some of my supplements there. I went through the whole store, and found a lot of things that I use.
I noticed that today. I went to refill my 5 gallon water jug, and the water store was closed. (They don't open until 10:30 a.m.) So, to kill some time, I went to the .97 Store in the same mall. I was able to buy soy milk for $1.99! I usually pay around $3.00 at Costco, and have to buy three at a time. They also sell organic milk more cheaply than Costco! I'm also going to start buying some of my supplements there. I went through the whole store, and found a lot of things that I use.I've never been to a 97 Store but sounds similar to a 99 cent only store (where soy milk is .99 Cents Only!). They are also much much bigger and with more variety then the Dollar Tree Store (another local SoCal budget store). I made a Thai Coconut, tofu, rice thingie with veggies and fruit in it yesterday for lunch and all the ingredients where bought at the 99 Cents Only Store. Think the whole meal cost me less than 50 cents. You can check here to see if they have a store near you: http://99only.com/
Simplemind
8-20-14, 4:11pm
Right around $400 a month for a family of three and a big dog. On months were we are entertaining it is closer to $500. We shop predominately at Winco for everyday things and Costco for certain items. In the summer the bill goes down because we grow as much as we can. I would add another $100 or so during the winter months. We have our menu down to a science and there is almost zero food waste. Oh...... and a twice monthly run to Trader Joe's for a case of wine which is included in the cost above. No skimping on wine!
Miss Cellane
8-20-14, 5:19pm
A related tidbit. We have a local grocery chain in our area--Demoulas Market Basket. There has been some politicing on the board level of the company recently, and the employees walked out in protest.
Market Basket was the least expensive chain around--even cheaper than WalMart for many items. (I once was following the track of a young couple through the store and they kept repeating, "This is cheaper than WalMart! That's cheaper than WalMart!") And this year, they were giving customers 4% of every purchase back, so you saved 4% on every trip to the store.
In the weeks that it has not been possible to shop there, I've had to shop at the two other chains in town (I'm trying to avoid WalMart). And my food bill has jumped $5-$10 a week, even though I am buying the same food. The store brands are just a big higher than DeMoulas, the overall prices are anywhere from 5 cents to a dollar higher. Even though I've heard reports that the chains have temporarily lowered some prices in attempts to woo DeMoulas' shoppers over to them long term.
Even just $5 a week is a couple of hundred dollars a year. Where you shop for food does make a difference.
(And it is going to be tough to go back to DeMoulas. The store I'm now using is much, much closer to home. It's smaller, so easier to navigate. And the produce section is so much better. It's just an easier, more pleasant experience all around, except at the cash register. I've been lured by the dark side and it is going to be hard to go back.)
Maybe things are just more expensive in Santa Fe. We pay about $1100 a month for groceries for a family of four. We spend, on average, an extra $200 a month eating out. (Pets probably come in at around an extra $100 to $150 a month). Now that the mortgage is paid, I'm not fighting about the grocery bill as much. I used to always budget around $600 a month, which, to me, is a reasonable amount to budget for a family of four, and then I would grouch once we went over. Now I budget $1000 a month. We eat mostly homemade, largely vegetarian meals. (Tonight it's Pad Thai. Tomorrow night, I'm making curried lentils.) I've been over and over my amazement at how much our groceries cost on this list. A lot of it might be my wife's supplements. She also has "treat" habits that might be adding up. (2 bags of carob chips a week at $7 a bag. 2 bags of raisins, peanuts, raw almonds, etc.) I've never calculated out individual treats. That just seems to be mean spirited bean counting - but I certainly have the impulse sometimes. I'm trying to let it go. We all have our things we enjoy.
By the way, we shop primarily at Trader Joe's, a little at Vitamin Cottage (which I think has changed its name to something like Natural Grocers), a little at Sprouts, and a little at Smiths. For a self-righteous treat, I'll shop at the local coop, but that's only a few times a year.
My ideal food budget is $400 a month, but I know I'm not getting there in this lifetime.
kimberlyf0
8-20-14, 7:02pm
Family of 4 (two very tall late teen boys) <snip> Loved seeing everyone's numbers even though they don't really relate to my family. My goal is $130 a week groceries, but I know we've gone way over that.
I also have two tall teen boys, not late teens though, both competitive athletes. I think your goal of $130 per week is amazing; this month I am aiming for $165 per week not including if they need cycling specific items such as electrolyte. We have $0 budgeted for eating out meals or snacks; this month our only meal out will be our anniversary (and I will count that toward our gift category, not food). Hopefully September will be a no-eat out month.
I said it was a goal.....but I don't know the last time I actually met that goal. Eating out goal is $100 a month....but it's probably been $300 or more each month this summer.
This discussion prompted me to do some research. For at least six years my budget has been the same at $200 per week (NZ$). That used to stretch to five people, now it only has to feed three of us, which is a lot easier.
According to the weekly food cost survey, a basic balanced diet for our family of 1 man, 1 woman, 1 adolescent girl would cost about $173, a moderate level about $230 and a more liberal allowance about $280. I cannot imagine spending this larger amount for only three people. I could manage the lower amount if I chose to be more strict but I am enjoying having enough money to buy raw milk and plenty of meat, instead of padding out our meals with rice and pasta (as I used to do).
My grocery budget also includes toilet paper, detergent, rubbish bags etc.
Although I'm surprised at how much our grocery spending has gone up this year it's not going to prompt a behavior change. Food is one of our main discretionary categories, and something we both really enjoy. We're still saving quite a bit so I'll just start monitoring and look for little areas that we can improve without sacrificing our enjoyment.
awakenedsoul
8-22-14, 6:17pm
I'm seeing that it's actually cheaper for me to buy what's on sale at Sprouts than to order a weekly box from our organic co op. I do like their grass fed meats, so I'll buy from them once a month. Studying the sale flyers is helping me to plan my shopping.
Blackdog Lin
8-22-14, 9:18pm
I feel SO sorry for young families these days, especially if they are challenged in their wages and/or their food-stretching abilities (not to mention time constraints with jobs and errands and kids doing sports and all the other extra-curricular activities.....) Cooking and food-stretching is my area of interest and expertise, and I'm kind of freaking out these days at the cost of groceries. And there are just the two of us now - I have a hard time imagining trying to feed kids (or God forbid, teenagers!). And working all day to boot!
I just checked my Quicken, and we have averaged for 2014 $280.00/month. Not bad. But! I'm retired, with the time for more homemade cooking. And to take care of a garden. And a background of knowing how to stretch groceries and minimize food waste.
(our grocery category contains basically nothing but foodstuffs. the dog food and the paper goods and the cleaning supplies and the vitamins.....all these are in other categories.)
Packratona!
9-5-14, 7:46pm
$200-$224 A month per person. This includes very rare eating out, as well as household cleaning supplies and toiletries. It does not include pet food. $200 a month is very doable. We eat VERY well, by knowing every frugal tip out there and using the ones that make sense for us. My husband does measure (weigh) his food so as not too eat too much and stay slim. I need to do the same, if I did our budget would be under $200 pp per month for sure.
This is an area I need to revisit and possibly rein in too. I just did an average of what I have spent up until now (this year) and it is about $168 for one person, which is actually better than I thought it would be (some weeks I spend a lot stocking up and cooking, and other weeks are a little lighter). I pretty much cook all my own food and take my lunch to work . However, this is just the food I buy for home use, filed in a category in Quicken that I have dubbed Food: Basic at Home. I also have a category named "Dining Out", another one is "Potlucks & Parties" and the last is "Food: Snacks Out" which includes coffee at work (I simply cannot give up this ritual of drinking a cup of coffee on my first break after working for an intense two hours setting up the deli case at Wholefoods. A Team Member coffee in our own cup is 95 cents. Often I have earned a company gift card for being a hard worker and I use that for my daily coffee habit until it runs out and I have to earn a new one).
But if I added up how much money I have blown on Dairy Queen Blizzards this summer I think I would be PO'd at myself! You see, I LOVE ice cream but I dare not keep it in the house on a regular basis. When I have a craving for it I end up going to DQ at least once a week, which means I spend at least $16 or $20 per month on ice cream! A small Blizzard around here is $4.00! I could buy a half gallon for the freezer for half that at Kroger. The problem herein is how long I can make it last....if it is in my freezer, I end up using it as a meal replacement until it is gone, which only takes about a day and a half. Yes, I am an ice cream addict. Chocolate, of course. Chocolate with chunky and/or gooey caramel in it...sigh. For me it is an evil conundrum of money vs. desire vs. health. I have come to the conclusion that I can't DENY myself of this pleasure, but I need to be smarter and more cost effective about it. I also get an ice cream cone (higher quality) if I am downtown and near one of the ice cream shops. Or if I've had a particularly strenuous day at work I hit up the gelato bar (that's a pretty good and satisfying deal - with my employee discount, a small gelato at work is only $2.11). And it is so rich I don't need to eat much...
That being said, I am very grateful that I have such a first-world problem and the monetary means to have good food and allow myself little treats like ice cream. I am very lucky in that respect. Even as a relatively low-income person, I have never gone hungry, ever.
Packratona!
9-7-14, 10:39am
This is an area I need to revisit and possibly rein in too. I just did an average of what I have spent up until now (this year) and it is about $168 for one person, which is actually better than I thought it would be (some weeks I spend a lot stocking up and cooking, and other weeks are a little lighter). I pretty much cook all my own food and take my lunch to work . However, this is just the food I buy for home use, filed in a category in Quicken that I have dubbed Food: Basic at Home. I also have a category named "Dining Out", another one is "Potlucks & Parties" and the last is "Food: Snacks Out" which includes coffee at work (I simply cannot give up this ritual of drinking a cup of coffee on my first break after working for an intense two hours setting up the deli case at Wholefoods. A Team Member coffee in our own cup is 95 cents. Often I have earned a company gift card for being a hard worker and I use that for my daily coffee habit until it runs out and I have to earn a new one).
But if I added up how much money I have blown on Dairy Queen Blizzards this summer I think I would be PO'd at myself! You see, I LOVE ice cream but I dare not keep it in the house on a regular basis. When I have a craving for it I end up going to DQ at least once a week, which means I spend at least $16 or $20 per month on ice cream! A small Blizzard around here is $4.00! I could buy a half gallon for the freezer for half that at Kroger. The problem herein is how long I can make it last....if it is in my freezer, I end up using it as a meal replacement until it is gone, which only takes about a day and a half. Yes, I am an ice cream addict. Chocolate, of course. Chocolate with chunky and/or gooey caramel in it...sigh. For me it is an evil conundrum of money vs. desire vs. health. I have come to the conclusion that I can't DENY myself of this pleasure, but I need to be smarter and more cost effective about it. I also get an ice cream cone (higher quality) if I am downtown and near one of the ice cream shops. Or if I've had a particularly strenuous day at work I hit up the gelato bar (that's a pretty good and satisfying deal - with my employee discount, a small gelato at work is only $2.11). And it is so rich I don't need to eat much...
That being said, I am very grateful that I have such a first-world problem and the monetary means to have good food and allow myself little treats like ice cream. I am very lucky in that respect. Even as a relatively low-income person, I have never gone hungry, ever.
Very good SiouzQ. $168 for one person seems good but I lump any parties/potluck as well as any dining out into that category too for my budget so it is higher. I have cut way back on that though since we are both retired now.
We mostly don't do deserts except I eat a lot of fresh fruit. I understand the ice cream craving; right now I am addicted to the Breyer's tiramisu gelato that we do get at the grocery store across the street. I have been sending my husband over to get it for weekends only; it is enough for 2 large servings for each of us. So we have one Friday, and one Saturday. Trying to back off to twice a month though! We rarely purchase ice cream out, and only on long trips or on vacation. I just can't justify the extra expense.
We do drink coffee, but make it at home. He every morning, me once or twice a week. I use scalded milk instead of purchasing the over-priced processed creamer. He drinks his black.
Teacher Terry
9-7-14, 5:18pm
WE spend $400.00 for the 2 of us which does not include pet food, eating out, but does include paper products/cleaning supplies, etc. We usually eat meat every nite for dinner.
I think the trick is to look at absolutely everything carefully and to read this forum for great tips!
Our local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) sells a two-person subscription for $225. So my friend and I split it. $113 for 5 months of produce is great.
Gardening makes me sneeze so that is not an option.
I recently learned I am allergic to grains and it is best if I avoid starch. Those can be the low-cost items in a grocery budget so I needed to watch my food money more. But I have more energy so I am eating less and losing weight. So it all works out.
Eggs are the cheapest form of healthy protein so I eat lots of them.
Strong-flavored cheeses like Parmesan are cheaper because you use less.
I cook boneless, skinless chicken in the slow cooker and freeze what I can't eat that week.
I buy two hams at Easter when they are cheap and good. I freeze one for fall. I use the meat in lots of things, including soup. I always cook the bone in a slow cooker for a few days then make a big batch of split pea soup with the broth. Always enough to eat, freeze, and give away.
I work at home so I and the dog eat small amounts of food all day long.
I don't like coffee but I do enjoy tea. I use one bag to make a big pot every other day. I warm it up one mug at a time in the microwave. That's $3 a month for tea.
Paper goods are purchased at the $1 store. $10 worth lasts a few months. I use cloth napkins and towels.
I throw a big July 4 party every year as my home is on the parade route. Around $125 for caesar chicken salad, lemonade, crab cakes, brownies, etc. I ask men to bring wine or beer - I've had some bad experiences with men who "cook creatively."
Last month I ran out of laundry soap and was too ill to buy more. So I discovered that a little cheap shampoo along with a tablespoon of baking soda worked great for my clothes. I add a few squirts of diluted Simple Green to linens, slippers, and jackets. Cheap and better than no-scent laundry soap.
Dog food is high quality and $15 a month for my little pug.
Better Than Bouillon is cheap and terrific.
I like very fresh produce so I stop at the store a few days a week and buy only what I will eat. Saves lots on waste.
I love pomegranate juice but it is pricey. So I buy a bottle and freeze juice in ice cube trays. Then store the cubes in baggies in the freezer. I melt as needed and add to fizzy water.
I buy spices in the bulk section of the market.
Slow cooker is great for cheaper cuts of beef.
I don't eat out. At all. Sometimes I miss it, especially Thai food. The closest decent Thai restaurant is 1 hour away so that helps.
But I was ill all summer and too weak to cook most days. So I drove to the senior center twice a week for $3 lunches. I'm feeling better and will treat myself to a roast turkey lunch there later today. (I hate roasting turkey - such a mess to clean up after.)
I think my food costs average around $3 a day for me and the pug when I'm not going wild at the Senior Center.
lessisbest
10-17-14, 9:57am
I teach a food budget class at our local Food Bank and I'm really glad I read this thread because there were lots of great ideas. To the original poster, it's really difficult to say what is "reasonable" due to food prices where you are. If you are a vegetarian/vegan it's less than those of us who are omnivores, since meat is our highest costing food item. If you are going organic, that will increase your cost. If you garden, that will lower your cost. I do home food storage, and once I had that complete, I was able to drastically reduce our food budget, so that's a benefit. I only buy food when it is at a rock bottom low price.
Hubby and I have a food budget (for food ONLY) of $125 per month and of that I use $10 per week for meat. I make my own "convenience" foods and typically use whole foods and avoid ready-made and highly-processed foods. I also take advantage of all the free food I can find. I make my own cereal because per ounce from the store it's just plain old highway robbery. I once read where there is 16-cents worth of grain in a box of cereal.
The most expensive food we purchase is food we waste......so try to use your food wisely.
So back to the question, a good place to start is an average of $25 per week per person (I do it for just under $17 per week per person), and adjust that amount as needed. BTW - I still have $185 in my food budget unspent to date for the year.
awakenedsoul
10-17-14, 12:40pm
This is a great thread! I am really reducing my grocery costs by buying what's on sale. There are some great deals in those weekly flyers. I'm also making more soups and stews. Not having a car has lowered my grocery bill more than anything. I just buy less, since I have to cart it home in the bike trailer. Right now I've got loads of fruit from my orchard. I need to buy some freezer bags so that I can freeze the pomegranate seeds and persimmons. Fruit is my biggest grocery expense. I planted a backyard orchard for that reason. Some of the trees just don't produce, though. I think I'll have to replace them next year. Right now the meyer lemon tree, navel orange, and Satsuma tangerine trees are loaded. The fruit is still green, though. I have plenty of Autumn fruit, anyway. The guava bush didn't bear fruit this year, and I'm not sure why. Sprouts has good specials on grass fed meats. I just buy meat when it's on sale now. I found some cube steak last week. I dipped it in flour and fried it in oil. Made a nice gravy, and served it over baked red potatoes. Those were on sale at Sprouts, too. This week Valley Produce has 10 lbs. of potatoes for $1.00! They aren't organic, but I'm going to buy them anyway. It's those kind of specials that really help my grocery budget.
P.S. I don't have the option of growing my own food (no yard), but even if I did, I'm not sure I'd do it. When you factor in the time and effort it requires, it's not so much a savings as a shifting of costs. But I'm glad folks are doing it, and I'm happy to buy or barter for their excess.
awakenedsoul
10-17-14, 5:56pm
Oddball,
Do you have a Costco membership? I buy my nuts there, and the prices are excellent. (They're not raw, though.) Trash bags there are really cheap and last a single person for years! (I reuse my trash bags.) Also, have you tried making your own laundry detergent? Costco sells baking soda really cheap in huge bags. I use that with washing soda, Borax, and soap. It's really inexpensive, and does a great job. After I joined, my grocery bill went down by 50%...it's a little harder on the bicycle, but I still do it. There's a thread on this forum titled "What do you buy at Costco?" that lists all of their best deals. You can also google it. I don't know if you're able to get to one on your bike, though. (I have to take two buses, but it's only 5 miles from my cottage.)
You're right, growing food is a lot of work. I spent this morning picking fruit. I'm going to drop some off at the local church that feeds the homeless. It's too much for one person, and I don't want it to go bad. Will freeze as much as I can, since it does really reduce my grocery bill.
SteveinMN
10-18-14, 8:18pm
P.S. I don't have the option of growing my own food (no yard), but even if I did, I'm not sure I'd do it. When you factor in the time and effort it requires, it's not so much a savings as a shifting of costs. But I'm glad folks are doing it, and I'm happy to buy or barter for their excess.
I could have written this!
I can't see how one can account for food costs accurately by taking gardening costs off the -- umm -- table. Even if you save your own seeds and use your own compost, yes, there is a time cost. For many of us, there are costs associated with starting plants from seed, including heat and light. And processing the produce for later costs, too. Maybe it's not a huge amount of money, but it's there. It'd be kind of like me figuring out how much it costs to live in my house and subtracting the days I'm away on vacation.
But I am glad people do it. Which reminds me, I'm going to look up green-tomato recipes that don't involve batter and oil. My neighbor's got a bunch of them on his plants and they're not getting any redder. ;)
awakenedsoul
10-18-14, 10:11pm
My fruit trees are well established, so they don't cost anything. (money wise.) I get unlimited free manure from my neighbor, and I compost daily. All of the leaves, tree trimmings, and fruit and vegetable scraps are thrown into the pile Each tree gets a feeding of compost in the winter. The citrus trees I feed four times a year. I don't have to buy any fertilizer. I use my blood water on the flowers, so I don't have to buy blood or bone meal, either.
I don't grow veggies from seed. I plant starters. My herbs and flowers reseed. I'm not at the point of growing all of my own food yet, but it's nice to have so much produce right here on the land. I know in my case I'd be spending a lot more on food if I didn't. Once the weather warms I usually put in five zucchini plants and six tomato plants. That way I don't have to buy either. It is like a job, though. If I don't keep everything fed and watered, I don't get my harvest. I wasn't able to keep up with it when I was teaching a full load of dance classes. Now that I'm home, I can enjoy it. My neighbor and I are going to Green Thumb tomorrow to buy some starters. She offered to drive, since I'm now car free. I'll give her some gas money. Will be nice to grow cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, and carrots.
Oddball and Steve, Have you ever grown your own food?
Sorry if I'm getting off topic. I think it's interesting to see if the people who have gardens are spending less on groceries...
lessisbest
10-19-14, 6:33am
Awakenedsoul has a point.... Because I have a fairly low budget, I would say having a garden allows me to buy something else -- instead of what I garden or glean for free (fruit, grain, mushrooms, black walnuts, give-aways from others gardens). I also don't have to pay premium in-store prices or Farmer's Market prices for foods I grow, and that is a way to save. I grew 12 amaranth plants and will probably harvest enough seeds to last 1-2 years that are used for breakfast cereal and milled into flour. The seeds I used to plant the amaranth were some I had on-hand from amaranth I bought in the bulk bin from the store. We also planted edible landscaping instead of decorative hedges, grasses and bushes.
I use compost for fertilizer and have rain barrels as my source for watering. Yes, gardening can be expensive, but if you have any kind of outdoor space that is suitable, it doesn't cost very much for a packet of lettuce seeds and several pots in a sunny place, or other container gardening for a few things. You can water them by saving that cold water that runs down the drain while you're waiting for the water to get hot for a shower.
Another form of "gardening" I incorporate that anyone can do is sprouting (seeds/grains/beans), micro-greens, and some herbs brought indoors each fall (rosemary, basil, chives, parsley). I call sprouting "gardening-in-a-jar". Because produce from the store is neither fresh nor nutrient-rich - especially in the winter, I rely on indoor gardening for truly FRESH food that is high in nutrition. I grow wheatgrass (or other grains) and make my own wheatgrass juice.
SteveinMN
10-19-14, 4:49pm
I have grown food before and still maintain a tiny herb garden in the house. I was thinking of straw-bale gardening last year, but I decided I didn't need another hobby. :)
I did say in my post that if one is just harvesting what appears "automatically", then, yes, gardening can save money. But a full accounting of "does it save money" has to include the cost of:
- sunk costs (maybe the fruit trees or asparagus came with the property; maybe someone had to spend money at some point to add them)
- seeds/starters;
- starting those seeds/plants (we don't live in SoCal; it gets mighty cold and dark here until growing season), including what they grow in and where they germinate.
- watering and feeding through the season (we have a compost pile, too, but it wouldn't cover more than a few square feet at any time -- there's only the two of us generating compost, and -- again -- a long cold winter that really cuts down on composting productivity);
- opportunity -- while you're collecting graywater or rounding up odd containers and such, you're not doing something else. We're not talking hours here, but maintenance over the growing season takes time, too, and not always when you want it to. As AS said, it's a job.
It helps that both my neighbor and my mom across the street like to grow things. Me, I'd rather pickle them or cook them. It works out for us. I'm just saying that by the time one puts values on the things (containers, time, etc.) many gardeners treat as "free", there is a true cost to gardening. It well may be cheaper than buying equivalent produce in the market. But, if I had to buy plants and throw a grow light on them in the spring so they finished by frost and buy manure, it might not be.
awakenedsoul
10-19-14, 6:53pm
Yeah. It sounds like a tough climate. It's totally different in Southern California. This is actually the easy time of year for us to garden. We can grow food year round, but I opt out during the really hot weather. I spent $34.00 at the nursery today and got everything planted. I bought four kinds of lettuce, arugala, broccoli, cauliflower, Thumbelina carrots, sugar snap peas, basil, tarragon, and dill. I'll grow the herbs indoors on the kitchen windowsill. I think I've easily saved that much on groceries this month by buying what's on sale. I'll find out at the end of the month when I do my totals. Another thing that saves me money on groceries is to freeze things like chopped onion, celery, and peppers. I can throw them into a soup and they taste fine. I don't like to have my produce go bad, even though I compost it.
I like hearing what everyone spends on groceries. That used to be my weak area. I would splurge on treats at Trader Joe's when I was stressed from work. I remember buying all of my favorite summer fruits one year and spending $100. for one person!!! (That was a weekly shop.) It sure made a difference when I started adding up all that I spent. The cooking and baking from scratch saves a lot, too.
Bobbiemac
10-19-14, 8:28pm
I'm glad to hear someone besides me say that. Every time I go into pick up milk (every 2 weeks) I end up spending $80. I only pick up the essentials too.
ApatheticNoMore
10-19-14, 8:56pm
I think a full accounting of the cost of gardening has to include the cost of a place to garden. Now of course that can be done lots of ways. If one is renting a house with several other people that has a lawn you can garden, it might not be an increase in cost over other living situations (renting a studio apartment for instance). Of course one has to enjoy that living arrangement. The cost of buying a house OTOH, there's likely no break even point ever, it's thousands of dollars a month over my rent, groceries aren't.
Now there's a lot of myths about gardening in community gardens and so on but of course they don't tend to work that well in reality. For one thing it's not easy to get a plot, there's no community garden without a long wait list. Then if the community garden isn't on the block where you live (and it's not likely) there's getting to it regularly to keep track of the plants, water them etc.. It doesn't work with a job to garden anywhere other than one's dwelling really. You'll get busy and forget and stuff will die. The roses outside my apartment, some of them died, because I thought the landlord was watering them (the assumptions a renter makes - that landlords take care of the grounds - yea well they weren't and the gardeners that come here apparently just blow leaves around) - so now I'm doing it. I may replace the dead ones. Why? Just cause it amuses me. It's not actually my responsibility. Maybe some old fashioned or wild roses ... the next tenant will probably not water and they'll die :~)
I could have written this!
I can't see how one can account for food costs accurately by taking gardening costs off the -- umm -- table. Even if you save your own seeds and use your own compost, yes, there is a time cost. For many of us, there are costs associated with starting plants from seed, including heat and light. And processing the produce for later costs, too. Maybe it's not a huge amount of money, but it's there. It'd be kind of like me figuring out how much it costs to live in my house and subtracting the days I'm away on vacation.
But I am glad people do it. Which reminds me, I'm going to look up green-tomato recipes that don't involve batter and oil. My neighbor's got a bunch of them on his plants and they're not getting any redder. ;)And not just the value of your time to grow your own food, but the cost of water for places like drought stricken Calif. Back when I use to grow a lot of food (something I don't enjoy doing) my water bill was huge. Plus I had so much extra food that I gave most of it away to co-workers, friends and neighbors - so in essence my food cost included feeding other's too. While it's a very nice and rewarding thing to do, if you are trying to get an accurate feel for what you spend each month on food, you need to add in a lot of other expenses. For myself, my costs went down when I bought food rather than grew my own - that would be for total costs (water, time, wastage - i.e. food I grew but gave away, etc..).
lessisbest
10-21-14, 8:41am
I was wondering if anyone shops once-a-month? I did that years ago when hubby got paid monthly and we had two little kids at home and it was easier to shop once-a-month. If you have a budget amount it can save you money by making fewer trips to the store/s, but now, many of my stock-up "bargains" are loss leaders and clearance items. I have a friend who buys her basic groceries once a year because she hates shopping.
SteveinMN
10-21-14, 10:18am
I was wondering if anyone shops once-a-month?
I'm lucky to keep it to once a week! :laff: But I'm pretty good, I think, about avoiding impulse purchases. The sponsor for the frequent shopping usually is that I can't/don't buy everything I want in one place.
I buy almost all of our meat/poultry/fish, most spices, and some vegetables (Dirty Dozen) at the co-op, but I don't want to spend co-op prices on common goods like aluminum foil and they don't carry some brands about which we're particular (like Heinz ketchup or DW's favorite Cheetos). ALDI has some real deals, but they carry a very limited line of goods and a lot of it is highly-processed food we don't tend to buy anywhere. I've also discovered that ALDI's produce (like onions) doesn't last as long in our house as the produce bought elsewhere, where it's kept refrigerated and hydrated. And even some of the highest-quality produce (like berries) won't last a month. So once-a-month has never gained traction with me. But if it works for someone else....
awakenedsoul
10-23-14, 1:28pm
I was wondering if anyone shops once-a-month? I did that years ago when hubby got paid monthly and we had two little kids at home and it was easier to shop once-a-month. If you have a budget amount it can save you money by making fewer trips to the store/s, but now, many of my stock-up "bargains" are loss leaders and clearance items. I have a friend who buys her basic groceries once a year because she hates shopping.
I used to go to Costco for a "big shop" once a month. I would buy six half gallons of milk and soy milk, and everything else that I needed. Once I got my Big Chill fridge, I had to make more shopping trips. This model is the studio size, and I can't fit as much food into it. I did see how the once a month shopping could reduce your bill, though. I started buying frozen berries and dried fruit and would eat that for the last two weeks of the month. I also froze some of the fruit from my orchard. It was like having a home store. I kept my stockpile topped off and used it daily.
Looks like for me buying what's on sale and growing as much as I can is working the best. I realize some people here aren't interested in growing their own food. Personally, I'm getting more enthusiastic about it. I really like organics, and they are so much cheaper to grow at home! Many people I know are having a hard time financially. I can offer them a large bag of fresh fruit, and the look on the face is really rewarding. One neighbor told me that she and her daughter eat completely differently now. For dinner they just have a bowl of cereal or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It feels good to have extra food for people who need it. I can't put a price on the emotional rewards.
Packratona!
1-1-15, 7:47pm
WE spend $400.00 for the 2 of us which does not include pet food, eating out, but does include paper products/cleaning supplies, etc. We usually eat meat every nite for dinner.
Yup that is right in line with what we spend.
Packratona!
1-1-15, 8:07pm
I was wondering if anyone shops once-a-month? I did that years ago when hubby got paid monthly and we had two little kids at home and it was easier to shop once-a-month. If you have a budget amount it can save you money by making fewer trips to the store/s, but now, many of my stock-up "bargains" are loss leaders and clearance items. I have a friend who buys her basic groceries once a year because she hates shopping.
What I do is, shop once a week at any stores that have loss leaders I see that I want in the weekly ads, and also look around the store for unadvertised bargains (like the sweet potatoes I bought for 25 cents a bag at ALDI this week). For me that is very doable since two of the stores are walking and biking distance. Then, I keep a list of other items I need that are not available at those stores or are cheaper at other stores, and go to the stores that have them that are farther away and require a car, about once a month, and stock up as I can. It works out. I tried out Sams and BJS recently, and found that I do better to just get a trial membership every year or so, and stock up on the main things there that are cheaper, while I have the trial membership, then just buy at the non-membership stores the months my membership runs out.
domestic goddess
1-1-15, 10:10pm
We've been spending almost $500 for the five of us, plus the toddler. She doesn't really eat all that much, but she does eat quite a bit of fruit, sort of. My dd was telling me today that she is always wanting apples, then chews them up and spits them out. I guess what she really likes is the juice. She reminds me of their oldest; we used to find her mouth stuffed with food after she fell asleep. What a shock at first! We didn't even know she was hoarding her food this way for some time. Once we found out, we checked her mouth every night, to make sure she didn't fall asleep with a mouthful of food to choke on. And she would keep it in there for a couple of hours before bedtime. We sure got lucky that she didn't choke on all that food. Anyway, one of my goals is to get our food costs down. The girls are so active, though, that they actually eat quite a bit, so we shall see.
Packratona!
1-2-15, 11:04pm
We've been spending almost $500 for the five of us, plus the toddler. She doesn't really eat all that much, but she does eat quite a bit of fruit, sort of. My dd was telling me today that she is always wanting apples, then chews them up and spits them out. I guess what she really likes is the juice. She reminds me of their oldest; we used to find her mouth stuffed with food after she fell asleep. What a shock at first! We didn't even know she was hoarding her food this way for some time. Once we found out, we checked her mouth every night, to make sure she didn't fall asleep with a mouthful of food to choke on. And she would keep it in there for a couple of hours before bedtime. We sure got lucky that she didn't choke on all that food. Anyway, one of my goals is to get our food costs down. The girls are so active, though, that they actually eat quite a bit, so we shall see.
500 a month for 5 people is very low. Normally $200 per person per month is a good goal to aim for and you are way surpassing that. I would work on other areas of the budget as you are low enough there.
Our grocery budget is $300 a month for two adults. This does not include eating out, which we do about once a week at local ethnic restaurants, and very cheaply I might add for lunch specials. We then take the leftovers home to have for another meal. Our grocery budget also does not include high quality pet food for our dog and cats, nor paper products, shampoo, soaps, etc. Sometimes we spend a little more on the months we have family visiting and holiday dinners.
Since we downsized into our little lakeside cabin last year we just have a very small garden area and some of our gardening is now done in containers. I love our homegrown tomatoes and peppers more than anything else we grow. I make and can or freeze a lot of salsa every summer which we then enjoy all winter long too.
I should add that we eat two to three meatless dinners a week. And no leftovers are ever wasted. We don't buy junk food or soda either. All of these things help keep the grocery bill down.
Packratona!
1-4-15, 9:22pm
Our grocery budget is $300 a month for two adults. This does not include eating out, which we do about once a week at local ethnic restaurants, and very cheaply I might add for lunch specials. We then take the leftovers home to have for another meal. Our grocery budget also does not include high quality pet food for our dog and cats, nor paper products, shampoo, soaps, etc. Sometimes we spend a little more on the months we have family visiting and holiday dinners.
Since we downsized into our little lakeside cabin last year we just have a very small garden area and some of our gardening is now done in containers. I love our homegrown tomatoes and peppers more than anything else we grow. I make and can or freeze a lot of salsa every summer which we then enjoy all winter long too.
I should add that we eat two to three meatless dinners a week. And no leftovers are ever wasted. We don't buy junk food or soda either. All of these things help keep the grocery bill down.
That all sounds great. What type of containers do you use to grow your peppers and tomatoes?
And not just the value of your time to grow your own food, but the cost of water for places like drought stricken Calif. Back when I use to grow a lot of food (something I don't enjoy doing) my water bill was huge. Plus I had so much extra food that I gave most of it away to co-workers, friends and neighbors - so in essence my food cost included feeding other's too. While it's a very nice and rewarding thing to do, if you are trying to get an accurate feel for what you spend each month on food, you need to add in a lot of other expenses. For myself, my costs went down when I bought food rather than grew my own - that would be for total costs (water, time, wastage - i.e. food I grew but gave away, etc..).
Would using grey water have lessened that?
Well, I try to stick with a food budget of (and this is for two):
$370/basic food
$100 splurge food
The rationale for splitting this out is that I figure I can always cut the "splurge food" out. This category is stuff like take-out pizza, candy from the convenience store, etc.
$370 is derived from the food stamp allowance for two in my area, so that's what I strive for. I don't always get there, but only because I might be lazy that month. Otherwise, it's totally doable, and even with organic, local food.
If I were single, and really tried to keep things tight, I KNOW I could do $200 pretty easily, as I rarely eat meat, and I'm definitely not a "foodie" and I also don't have a need for things like beverages. I drink filtered water out of my refrigerator, or I might make iced tea from tea bags.
Of course, if I were entertaining once a week, I'd allocate that to "entertainment," not "food."
Using a food stamp calculator for my area, with an income of zero, I should be able to do with $l89 a month. I think I'm spending more than that. Good time to start tracking....everything.
lessisbest
1-5-15, 10:16am
I don't know where everyone lives, and that makes a really big difference in cost of food (we happen to live where the cost of living is 88.5%, so very low COL number), but some of your numbers for your food budget just have me doing this :0!.
I've had a food budget of $125/month for two adults for many years now, AND have enough food in storage for at least a year (I follow a system similar to what the LDS Church follows). The most I've ever had as a food budget was $200/month, and that was for the 18-months (2006-2007) it took to build my 3 levels of food storage.
The food budget classes I teach (which include meal planning, some cooking, and shopping guidelines) start with $25 per person per week on the low end, and adjust from there. I can do it on about $17 per person per week - if I spent every cent - and had just over $105.29 left UNSPENT in my 2014 food budget. My classes are primarily people who have extremely low incomes and occasionally I mentor people who are just "out-of-control" spenders wanting some help. It's hard to compete with 89-cent frozen Banquet dinners, but lack of good nutrition from fresh food is literally setting people up for a lot of health issues in the future, and that's why I teach these classes.
For every $25 per week per person a quick way to divide the money:
-$6 for vegetables
-$5 for fruit
-$4 for grains
-$4-$5 for protein
-$4 for dairy
-$1-$2 for fats and other
Making sure you have a wide variety of foods from all the food groups.
I couldn't even fathom a $100 splurge .rrrrr And it's not that I can't afford to spend more, we could easily "afford" ten times $125/month, but it's just not necessary for good health.
awakenedsoul
1-5-15, 1:35pm
My neighbors around the corner asked me if they could go to Costco with me. I'm car free, so they offered to drive. They no longer have a Costco membership. It's win win. They said we can stop at the water store on the way to fill up my 5 gallon water bottles. Now I don't have to lug around water bottles on the bus or on my bike trailer. Same for the 40 lb. bags of dog food.
I think I spend more on groceries because I buy organics and grass fed beef. Making more bone broths has helped me reduce my spending, though. I'm impressed with how little the rest of you are spending.
Lessisbest:
You mentioned you teach food budget classes - I was wondering if you have any of the info available online that you would be willing to share? That will be quite enlightening.
I just calculated out grocery experiences for Dec 10 - Jan 10. Not quite to Jan 10 yet, but I am not planning on grocery shopping anyways. 341.65 for 4 people. That also includes a Christmas dinner for 14 with all the trimmings and pop for said dinner.
lessisbest
1-6-15, 12:43pm
Lessisbest:
You mentioned you teach food budget classes - I was wondering if you have any of the info available online that you would be willing to share? That will be quite enlightening.
I just calculated out grocery experiences for Dec 10 - Jan 10. Not quite to Jan 10 yet, but I am not planning on grocery shopping anyways. 341.65 for 4 people. That also includes a Christmas dinner for 14 with all the trimmings and pop for said dinner.
Do you mean do I have class outlines or a blog? No, I don't have either of those. With a quick run of the calculator, and if you managed to squeeze Christmas dinner for 14 in that amount (GOOD JOB), then I think you are doing a LOT of things right already. Do you have a specific food budget amount?
No, not a specific amount set yet. I am trying to find a happy medium between variety and price. I've been cutting down from our prior spending levels. The convenience foods were a real killer.
I got the most bang for the buck by:
1) Watching portion sizes. This goes especially for meat.
2) Switching out breakfast for old-fashioned oatmeal. We used to do the eggs, sausages, etc.
3) Watching the meat sales and using our freezer to stock-up when things are on sale.
4) Actually plating the meal instead of letting everyone serve themselves. This started because I was trying to prove more balanced meals, but the end result was that serving the recommended portion size of the more more expensive part of the meal (the meat usually) resulted in a less expensive meal overall.
5) I started breaking down bulk packages of meat into actual portions. For example, I would break down a "family" pack of chops into several 6-serving packages. In this way, I would be able to grab the right amount right off the bat. The 6 servings work great because it gives us 1 full meal and leftovers for lunches for the next day.
No, not a specific amount set yet. I am trying to find a happy medium between variety and price. I've been cutting down from our prior spending levels. The convenience foods were a real killer.
I got the most bang for the buck by:
1) Watching portion sizes. This goes especially for meat.
2) Switching out breakfast for old-fashioned oatmeal. We used to do the eggs, sausages, etc.
3) Watching the meat sales and using our freezer to stock-up when things are on sale.
4) Actually plating the meal instead of letting everyone serve themselves. This started because I was trying to prove more balanced meals, but the end result was that serving the recommended portion size of the more more expensive part of the meal (the meat usually) resulted in a less expensive meal overall.
5) I started breaking down bulk packages of meat into actual portions. For example, I would break down a "family" pack of chops into several 6-serving packages. In this way, I would be able to grab the right amount right off the bat. The 6 servings work great because it gives us 1 full meal and leftovers for lunches for the next day.
Just as I suspected, you are doing a lot of "right" things. If you need more inspiration and ideas, check out the Prudent Homemaker - http://theprudenthomemaker.com/. She feeds a family of nine and just raised her food budget by $25 for a total of $300/month. Her story is amazing.... especially her series - Eat For 40-Cents a Day.
Blackdog Lin
1-6-15, 11:18pm
lessisbest: thanks so much for "theprudenthomemaker" link. I've just spent the last 40 minutes reading her and we are simpatico!
I've bookmarked her blog and look forward to making her blog a regular read.
lessisbest: Thank you for the link. Same as Blackdog Lin - it is inspiring.
I'm with Blackdog Lin and merince: What a great website! Thank you for posting!
lessisbest - thanks for posting her website. I use to read that one several years ago....lost it...never found it again. I have a lot of catching up to do on her blog.
1) Watching portion sizes. This goes especially for meat.
[snip]
4) Actually plating the meal instead of letting everyone serve themselves.
I've gotten to the point that I buy and store in multiples of "servings". Six ounces of meat/poultry/fish (minus bones) will feed me and DW for a meal. So I buy chickens and pork chops and the like accordingly.
One thing to watch -- I'm sure you know this -- is the trick of injecting the meat with a brine or even just water in the name of "tenderness". People don't realize they're paying for water at meat prices; if the cheap pork is $3 a pound but it's 12% brine, that's $3.36 a pound because most people won't reserve the cooking liquid for any other purpose.
I'm also a fan of soups, stews, stirfries -- all of them can hide a small portion of protein better than a piece of meat standing alone on a plate.
Finally, we've found that, for whatever reason, we eat less of good meat. When the chicken actually tastes like chicken, it seems far more satisfying than the almost-flavorless mass-market brands and it takes less of it for our brains to think, "I just ate chicken".
I cook for nine people (my husband, me six kids and my dad) and we spent between $500-$600 a month.
domestic goddess
1-11-15, 5:36am
Wow! What an inspiring thread. I haven't gotten all of it read, but I will. I'm in the somwhat unusual situation of going from cooking for 1 to cooking for 6. Well, 5 actually. The toddler doesn't really eat a whole lot, and doesn't make a lot of demands. I haven't tracked our food expenses lately; I'm a little afraid to find out. 2 of my grandchildren are old enough to have preferences, and expect that there will be lots of snacks. I try to cook and bake as much of them as I can, but I could bake every day and still not be able to make enough. My dsil works in construction. He is not at all overweight, but he eats an enormous amount of food at times, I guess because he burns so many calories. He has certain expectations about meals; he doesn't believe it is really a meal unless there is a big hunk of meat involved. Some nights I am too tired to cook, so dd often cooks those nights. She "heats up" rather than cooks, really. So our grocery basket has more pre-made items in it than I would like. Hoping I can get some time to do some OMAC or just make a few things to keep in the freezer for those nights when no one really wants to cook. They used to order pizza out about once a week, but that has pretty well come to an end. Lately, time has not been my friend. Last month, it was health. I was sick for the whole month of December. I haven't entirely caught on to the amount I need to make for the 6 of us, though most of the time now I do pretty well. I rarely eat out, and they have cut back quite a bit. Tomorrow I am going to make some waffles and pancakes for breakfasts, as the girls like to have those in the mornings before school. The 13 year old girl has started eating a good bit more than she did in the summer, as she is a cheerleader, and they both are practicing for a play, and the older girl is in DI, so she is often away from home at mealtime. Fortunately, they are both thin and very active. DD and I both chip in on groceries. They don't really like it when I want to buy ingredients, so I pick up most of those, like baking supplies. We eat a lot of fruit. I try to push that instead of snack foods; it gives them their sweet fix without all the sugar. We also buy grass fed beef and free range chicken and organic eggs and some organic fruits and veggies. I feel that if I can start making more things at home that it will really help. But I need to be tracking our food expenses as closely as I track other expenses, first. I might need to be revived when I see the totals!
lessisbest
1-11-15, 7:03am
Wow! What an inspiring thread. I haven't gotten all of it read, but I will. I'm in the somwhat unusual situation of going from cooking for 1 to cooking for 6. Well, 5 actually. The toddler doesn't really eat a whole lot, and doesn't make a lot of demands. I haven't tracked our food expenses lately; I'm a little afraid to find out. 2 of my grandchildren are old enough to have preferences, and expect that there will be lots of snacks. I try to cook and bake as much of them as I can, but I could bake every day and still not be able to make enough. My dsil works in construction. He is not at all overweight, but he eats an enormous amount of food at times, I guess because he burns so many calories. He has certain expectations about meals; he doesn't believe it is really a meal unless there is a big hunk of meat involved. Some nights I am too tired to cook, so dd often cooks those nights. She "heats up" rather than cooks, really. So our grocery basket has more pre-made items in it than I would like. Hoping I can get some time to do some OMAC or just make a few things to keep in the freezer for those nights when no one really wants to cook. They used to order pizza out about once a week, but that has pretty well come to an end. Lately, time has not been my friend. Last month, it was health. I was sick for the whole month of December. I haven't entirely caught on to the amount I need to make for the 6 of us, though most of the time now I do pretty well. I rarely eat out, and they have cut back quite a bit. Tomorrow I am going to make some waffles and pancakes for breakfasts, as the girls like to have those in the mornings before school. The 13 year old girl has started eating a good bit more than she did in the summer, as she is a cheerleader, and they both are practicing for a play, and the older girl is in DI, so she is often away from home at mealtime. Fortunately, they are both thin and very active. DD and I both chip in on groceries. They don't really like it when I want to buy ingredients, so I pick up most of those, like baking supplies. We eat a lot of fruit. I try to push that instead of snack foods; it gives them their sweet fix without all the sugar. We also buy grass fed beef and free range chicken and organic eggs and some organic fruits and veggies. I feel that if I can start making more things at home that it will really help. But I need to be tracking our food expenses as closely as I track other expenses, first. I might need to be revived when I see the totals!
I know it's rather old-fashioned and out of style, but if you can incorporate broth into meals by having a cup of light soup first, then eating the meal, I bet you be able to cut the high-costing meat a little, and everyone would benefit from the health benefits. m
Another idea is to mix the meat with more low-costing meat substitutes (eggs, beans, cheese). Mix a small amount of chicken with cannellini beans in a recipe like Tuscan Chicken, which is also loaded with veggies (,http://www.bettycrocker.com/videos/videolibrary/dinner/tuscan-rosemary-chicken-and-white-beans. I add all kinds of vegetables to this recipe, not just the ones mentioned. Top a pizza with refried beans and only a small amount of meat. Mix a small amount of ground beef or turkey with refried beans for Mexican Entrees, make hearty bean burgers (I keep a stack of them in the freezer at all times). Have baked potatoes topped with a hearty vegetarian chili. The same chili can be used to make Taco Salad (a la Wendy's style).
When our kids were at home, each one of them was responsible for one dinner each week and hubby usually made one meal on the weekend. If they neglected their turn as chef, they had to pay to take everyone out to dinner (which only happened once). Each meal had to be served completely done, table properly set, and had to include food from all the food groups. Some of our favorite times together were sitting around the kitchen table working out a meal plan for the week and collecting and trying new recipes. Everyone at our house had their own 3x5 recipe box.
Teacher Terry
1-11-15, 2:55pm
I make some casseroles that only take a pound of meat so these are a great way to save $ too if your family likes casseroles.
lessisbest
1-11-15, 5:24pm
I make some casseroles that only take a pound of meat so these are a great way to save $ too if your family likes casseroles.
Teacher Terry-
A pound of meat is 5.33 3-oz. servings of protein (adult portions) and most adults require at least 2 servings of protein per day. You really can't stretch protein with the inexpensive components of casseroles commonly added from carbohydrates (pasta, rice, bread, etc.), canned cream of _______ soup, and still get a 3-oz serving of protein without also getting too many servings of empty carbs. Most people consume far too many simple carbohydrates as it is, and a casserole heavy in carbs and light in protein servings isn't a good way to "stretch" meat -- but it's a great way to consume too many servings of carbs. If you want to "stretch protein", a better way is mix it with a low-cost, high-protein meat alternatives like beans, seitan, dairy, eggs, nuts, etc.
Before going gluten-free I would make seitan (aka gluten or wheat meat) and mix it with ground meat as a high-protein vegetable source meat extender. Three cups of baked ground gluten pieces (looks and acts like ground beef in recipes) is = 1 pound cooked ground beef.
I mix a small amount of meat - like a can of tuna - and add eggs and/or beans to increase the servings of protein without increasing carbohydrates and keep the cost of protein low. Tuna really isn't an inexpensive protein when you calculate the cost per pound. A 5-oz. can of tuna at 69-cents = $2.21 a pound for meat - a serving of tuna is 2-3-ounces.
I also make high-protein gluten-free breads (using almond and coconut flour) and that's another way to increase the protein of casserole mixtures when you add bread crumbs from these high-protein breads. Sprouted lentils and sprouted beans are other great meat extenders.
Most people don't have any idea of how many servings from each food group they should consume, or actually DO consume. That plate of spaghetti may easily contain 4-6 servings of carbs. Add the garlic bread and you have consumed more than a day's worth of carbs in one meal. When I make spaghetti sauce, there is enough protein in each serving to equal 3-oz. of meat or meat alternative. I serve it on enough pasta to equal 1 serving of carbohydrate (or 1/2 cup cooked). We keep servings from the bread and cereal group to 4-servings per day, and all of them from whole grains.
awakenedsoul
1-11-15, 9:21pm
I make some casseroles that only take a pound of meat so these are a great way to save $ too if your family likes casseroles.
I love casseroles! I do this, too. One of my favorites is hamburger with country gravy over mashed potatoes.
As the OP I wanted to follow-up. I spent less then $250 for groceries in December. For January, I withdrew $300 from my checking account. I am doing well and the month is almost half over. I am definitely spending less on groceries by using my envelope of $$$. I am becoming very conscious of what I am spending. I look at the "manager's specials" at the grocery store and pick up items at very low prices, e.g., I had my son and his family over for dinner (they come once a week and I go to their house for dinner once a week) and I got a bag of sliced sourdough bread pieces for 99 cents to go with the chicken enchilada soup I made in the slow cooker. I am enjoying the challenge.
Linda
awakenedsoul
1-12-15, 11:27am
That's great Linda. I should probably do the same. Right now I pretty much buy what I need. I think once my orchard is producing fruit year round that will make the biggest difference. During the cold season I have grapefruit, oranges, and lemons. I also have a freezer full of persimmons. Some of my summer fruit trees are younger. Once they mature, and start producing a substantial amount of fruit, I'll hopefully have all that I need in my backyard.
The chicken enchilada soup sounds good. I think baking bread and cookies has been one of the best ways I've found to cut my grocery budget.
domestic goddess
1-12-15, 2:53pm
Thank you, lessisbest and Teacher Terry, for your responses. I think I was having a bad day when I wrote my post, because I'm not feeling nearly as negative now, even though the dishwasher just gave up the ghost. I have put together our food expenses for a few months, based on old receipts found in the bottom of my purse. I should clean that thing out more often! It wasn't as bad as I feared, either, running between $500 and $600 for the 5 of us. December was the highest month, because we were all sick most of the month and we ordered out several times because no one was well enough to cook a meal. I have been gathering some recipes to add some more variety. I do make a number of casseroles, but dsil won't generally eat them if there is no beef in them. Chicken, meatless, fish-forget it. It is beef and only beef for him and the occasional pork chop. On non-beef nights he will usually go and get himself a fast-food meal. One of my granddaughters won't eat beef, even in spaghetti sauce. I make a number of soups and stews, but I can make more. Of course, dsil also expects a hearty main course with those, too. Oh, well, everyone has a cross to bear, right? Anyway, I am ready to get to work. Finally getting full-time hours at work (finally feeling up to it!) so I will be back to my usual schedule and it will be easier for me to get organized, and not feel like I have all of eternity ahead of me. Thanks for the ideas and keep them coming!
That all sounds great. What type of containers do you use to grow your peppers and tomatoes?
Thanks for asking, Packratona!. We have a 4ft by 8ft. raised bed garden made with untreated cedar wood in a sunny spot on the side of our cabin which we grow all kinds of things in, including the tomatoes and peppers we love so much. And on our little patio I grow herbs and strawberries in terra cotta containers. Of course right now nothing is growing as we are in the deep freeze of winter and boy is it cold!! Minus 10 degrees tonight...
I make some casseroles that only take a pound of meat so these are a great way to save $ too if your family likes casseroles.
I personally love casseroles. I make a Mexican casserole that is very high protein using a pound of lean ground beef mixed with chili beans and tomato sauce with lots of seasonings added. The base is cantina tortilla chips which are very thin and lower calorie. Then topped with sharp cheddar cheese, chopped green onions and tomatoes. There's more to it than this, but it makes enough that DH and I can have 3 different meals from it... High protein and stretches far. We like to have a salad with salsa dressing or spicy rice on the side with it.
Packratona!
1-19-15, 11:18pm
Thanks for asking, Packratona!. We have a 4ft by 8ft. raised bed garden made with untreated cedar wood in a sunny spot on the side of our cabin which we grow all kinds of things in, including the tomatoes and peppers we love so much. And on our little patio I grow herbs and strawberries in terra cotta containers. Of course right now nothing is growing as we are in the deep freeze of winter and boy is it cold!! Minus 10 degrees tonight...
That sounds wonderful! I also grow herbs, just did a great trade with a neighbor, she gave me some sage that she says just put in dirt and they will root. Will see. I gave her some basil seeds and a couple of the plants, and also some cilantro seeds. Right now I mostly grow herbs outside on the patio in containers, but also stick a pineapple top or two in pots and they yield fruit in a couple years that are tremendous. Just started a key lime tree in a large pot, it is blossoming but no fruit yet. Never gets freezing in my locale.
$350 a week for 2 of us. I can hardly bear to write it down. We eat out about once a month. It's insane.
$350 a week for 2 of us. I can hardly bear to write it down. We eat out about once a month. It's insane.
Thanks for the honest post, Rachel. Your food spending is high (especially compared with the hard core on this forum) but actually not that far out of whack with many other people, from what I've read elsewhere. I'd have a hard time spending quite that much, I think, so I'm wondering, just out of curiosity, where does the bulk of that go? Meat? Convenience foods? Snacks and beverages? Take-out?
I remember when my kids were small, they'd come home and talk about all the snacks they'd get at their friends' houses. I had 4 kids, and I wasn't about to spend a lot of money on processed snacks. I didn't know what my daughter meant until I was visiting one of the moms, and the kids came for a snack and the mom opened a pantry--where there were boxes and boxes of things like Fruit Roll-Ups on the shelves. I was amazed.
So I truly believe that most people spend a lot more than I think they do.
ETA, the following figures from the USDA.
Average Monthly Spending for 2 people (Male and Female)
Ages 19-50
Thrifty Plan: 389.10
Low-Cost Plan: 457.90
Moderate Cost Plan: 617.70
Liberal Plan: 773.60
Ages 51-70
Thrifty Plan: 369.10
Low-Cost Plan: 475.90
Moderate Cost Plan: 592.70
Liberal Plan: 714.80
lessisbest
1-22-15, 10:08am
$350 a week for 2 of us. I can hardly bear to write it down. We eat out about once a month. It's insane.
Rachel-
I had to read your post 3 times to make sure I was reading it correctly .:0! Do you have home food storage and are you purchasing things at stock-up prices? Even with home food storage, I spent $20.99 this week and $29.96 last week out of my $125/month budget for 2 adults.
Are you seeking suggestions how you can cut your food budget? Check your local library for the book Cut Your Grocery Bill In Half by Steve & Annette Economides - http://www.moneysmartfamily.com/
awakenedsoul
1-22-15, 10:25am
I used to overspend on groceries when I was struggling to pay my bills. I think now that it was a subconscious way to reward myself for working so hard. I was teaching 15 ballet and yoga classes a week. The commutes were long and involved rush hour traffic. In LA, this is intense. I'd go to Trader Joe's and make myself feel better by spending 100. a week on groceries! (That's before I started tracking my expenses.) I've just about cut that in half.
Buying in bulk at Costco has saved me a bundle. Yesterday I stopped there after going to the gym for a jacuzzi and sauna. It's so much cheaper to buy things like milk, soy milk, cheese, bananas, and other staples. I'll stop by again today and pick up dish soap, butter, and coffee. It's easier on me when taking the bus to buy less items. It's so much more expensive when I go to Ralph's, Vons, or Albertsons.
sweetana3
1-22-15, 10:26am
Even if I bought all I needed at Whole Foods, we would have difficulty eating $350 per week. $50 per day for food for cooking???? Heck, $9 per pound on the salad and hot food bar at Whole Foods.
ApatheticNoMore
1-22-15, 1:38pm
I ran across this as a guide to costs of everything (you plug in a location). It struck me as a pretty realistic estimate about minimal costs and not ridiculous smoke blowing (such as: rent will cost a few hundred in CA - no closer to $1000, or you won't pay taxes if you just make enough to live on - OH YES YOU WILL).
http://livingwage.mit.edu/
Yea a weakness for cheese and expensive chocolate at WF and it could reach $100 a week (and that is obviously not the minimal budget above), but not as easily on produce or produce and dried goods and some meat.
Thanks for the website, ANM.. interesting. I forwarded the stats for Burlington to my kids, just for the fun of it. I'm almost certain they're all above the required $21k, so I guess I don't have to worry about them :) And going by what I saw for Central New Jersey, it's pretty accurate.
lessisbest
1-22-15, 4:12pm
Here's a link to the Iowa State University food budget calculator. I use it in some of my budget classes.
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/foodsavings/page/what-you-should-spend
I used to overspend on groceries when I was struggling to pay my bills. I think now that it was a subconscious way to reward myself for working so hard. I was teaching 15 ballet and yoga classes a week. The commutes were long and involved rush hour traffic. In LA, this is intense. I'd go to Trader Joe's and make myself feel better by spending 100. a week on groceries! (That's before I started tracking my expenses.) I've just about cut that in half.
Buying in bulk at Costco has saved me a bundle. Yesterday I stopped there after going to the gym for a jacuzzi and sauna. It's so much cheaper to buy things like milk, soy milk, cheese, bananas, and other staples. I'll stop by again today and pick up dish soap, butter, and coffee. It's easier on me when taking the bus to buy less items. It's so much more expensive when I go to Ralph's, Vons, or Albertsons.
I have just started to shop at Winco; I don't have a Costco card anymore because I didn't seem to use it much. Anyway, there are lots of good deals at Winco. I haven't been to Trader's much lately and I miss it, but it is more expensive.
Linda
Teacher Terry
1-23-15, 2:34pm
Rachel, I really think that you could cut that at least in half. We spend about 400/month for 2 & this includes having people over for dinner 1x/week. We do shop at Winco which really helps & we eat meat every day. We also eat good quality steak 1x/week. I too would be interested in what you are actually buying for all that $. Also are you using up the leftovers or letting them go bad?
Teacher Terry
1-23-15, 2:42pm
Lessibest: I do have one casserole that I put 2 lbs of lean hamburger in-maybe that one is healthier:|(. Anyways we love casseroles & eat a salad with them.
Actually we have both lost a ton of weight. One casserole that I made up when my kids were little my Mom loved & she figured out how many calories in it & was extra happy that it was not fattening.
I know, it's amazing. We are living in a perfect storm of high food costs:
Metro area, No car.
We shop at expensive neighborhood store. Our neighborhood store does not participate in coupons.
Cost of buying, insuring, and parking a car to drive to less expensive store would far outweigh the food cost.
And--even if we took a cab to a less expensive store, we would have to do a "big shop" once a week and then the question becomes--where to store all that food?
No food storage space to speak of in tiny apartment. Freezer the size of shoe box, no pantry, 2 small cupboards.
We eat a lot of fresh and organic.
We do cook from scratch.
I'm writing out a weekly meal plan and trying to be more intentional and strategic and so far we've reduced our costs a bit, but not a whole lot. It's a work in progress. Keep those suggestions coming, we're trying to figure this out within the constraints of this situation.
Teacher Terry
1-25-15, 4:15pm
Rachel, it does appear that you are in a bind.
Well, we got it down to $570 for January---oops, January isn't over yet.
Yes, we eat up leftovers, although we generally cook in order to avoid that in order to save space in our tiny fridge.
I actually think it would help us to try to keep a detailed food diary, so if I can get really organized on that I'll post it at some point.
lessisbest
1-29-15, 10:48am
Well, we got it down to $570 for January---oops, January isn't over yet.
Yes, we eat up leftovers, although we generally cook in order to avoid that in order to save space in our tiny fridge.
I actually think it would help us to try to keep a detailed food diary, so if I can get really organized on that I'll post it at some point.
We've followed the old "Basic-4" for decades and I would suggest tracking the number of servings you are consuming from each food group. The Food Pyramid and the new My Plate have too many carbs and too many calories for our use, but may be appropriate for you, especially if you are really active. How many servings of each of the food groups are you consuming? I originally used a 3x5 card to track our eating and it looked something like this. I would just put a check mark in each set of ( ).
Bread/Cereal - 4-servings ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
Fruits & Vegetables - 4-servings (or more) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
Meat/Alternative - 2-servings ( ) ( )
Milk/Dairy - 2 servings ( ) ( )
We also have a serving of nuts of some kind each day. ( )
Other: (for foods that are not part of the basic diet)
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