566908 Thu Oct 23 10:31:51 -0700 2008 109 29 Not About Food 0 4124085 Looking for a consensus. What's your average MONTHLY grocery bill for 2 people. -Please note if you're an occasional Whole Foods shopper or any other significant items that could rack up your bill. I'm trying to find a good number to compare to, since our bill is outrageous and I need to tighten the pursestrings a bit! :) Thanks in advance for your input. Thu Oct 23 10:31:51 -0700 2008 141307 mmuch 1 4124194 I would say $500 is pretty average for a grocery bill, split into two or three grocery runs. I generally split that between one slightly more upscale trip (for better produce, coffee, tea, spices), and one SuperTarget/Cub (better deals on cereal, boxed items, soap, t.p, etc). That includes frozen lunch items for my husband at work. I am not counting any special trips, like if I am having a dinner party...and that doesn't count wine, beer or spirits. This will be an interesting topic to hear what other people spend. I am always fascinated by people's shopping carts at the grocery store, it is amazing how different the items in each cart can be! Thu Oct 23 11:11:16 -0700 2008 4124085 75704 run2eat 2 4348089 I eat healthy but never over 100 a week for 2 sometimes 3. Thu Jan 22 11:32:31 -0800 2009 4124194 232829 kchurchill5 1 4124328 I try to keep it under or at $100 a week, so between $300- $400 a month (including those damn nonfood items that always run up the bill). For the most part it's for all three meals since lunch is usually left overs and breakfast is cereal. I tend to make around 4 trips a week to the grocery store because I don't have much space to store food and try to buy only what we need. Mostly shop at Star, TJ's and Whole Food (depending on who has the best price and selection). Occasionally I will hit up Costco for meats and coffee. Now that it is fall/winter I am trying to do more soups/stews (things to freeze) that are cheaply done in bulk. To help lower my bill I've also stopped buying soda, most processed food, and bulk packages that I end up throwing away instead of finishing. Thu Oct 23 11:52:13 -0700 2008 4124085 14495 viperlush 2 4126619 Forgot to add: Live in Cambridge MA, tend to eat out 2x a week, and rarely use coupons. Fri Oct 24 11:37:33 -0700 2008 4124328 14495 viperlush 2 4348092 Very Realistic!! Thu Jan 22 11:32:59 -0800 2009 4124328 232829 kchurchill5 1 4124627 At least $500. I make weekly trips to Whole foods(mostly sale items, veggies,dairy) and TJ. I also make stops according to what I need and where I am at the time at Costco, Sprouts mkt, fish mkt, Veggie and friut stand, and much more. We try to eat Vegetarian meals for lunch and dinner at least a couple times a week and still spend a fortune. Thu Oct 23 13:28:52 -0700 2008 4124085 13817 mrsjoujou 1 4124795 500, at least, but probably closer to 600-700. I'm an occasional WF shopper for things like cheese. I support the local bakeries. I go to specialty stores for prime meat and other things. I mostly don't think about it, though, because it's pretty frightening. Thu Oct 23 14:26:50 -0700 2008 4124085 74905 jaykayen 1 4124797 1x a month wholefoods -type store shopper, otherwise buying lots of fresh veggies and normal groceries at the supermarket if they are on sale..I try to avoid full price. I'm about 400 a month Thu Oct 23 14:27:25 -0700 2008 4124085 174745 missmar79 1 4124819 Not sure why you think there IS a consensus, or that some common # might apply to you. A lot has to do with your diet, where you live (food costs vary widely by area), how many meals you eat at home, etc. I probably spend $4-600, making every effort to buy on sale, use coupons, etc. I bring my own lunch to work, as does wife, so we're talking a lot of meals per week. I like to check out WF once in a while, but rarely buy anything there. Too much of a ripoff. Thu Oct 23 14:36:10 -0700 2008 4124085 22725 AHan 1 4124842 Wow. I just went through my bank statements to see, and in September, I spent about $120 on groceries. That includes Safeway, the local "nice' market, Trader Joe's and the occasional Whole Foods. Probably includes a bottle of wine or two. Doesn't include Target, the farmer's market or the possibility that my husband went to the store. To be fair, I think I made an effort to eat what was in the pantry, and I have a CSA share that includes veggies, eggs and good bread 2x a month. Of course, the number for August was a bit more than double, but I know that I spent a considerable amount preparing for overnight guests, although I didn't make dinner. I'm really surprised by how low these numbers are. I guess my mother's deep-seated lessons in frugality really sunk in! Thu Oct 23 14:42:09 -0700 2008 4124085 17827 cyberroo 1 4124919 At least $100 a week. It had crept up to nearly $200 for awhile but we've slash-and-burned it and removed a lot of the luxuries (like fast food/eating out/desserts!). So say $500 a month - and we almost never eat out so that's all on groceries. We're trying to get it down to $400 by shopping at BJs but it's too soon to have any results to show. Thu Oct 23 15:17:52 -0700 2008 4124085 67657 Kajikit 1 4125070 About five or six hundred a month, including cat food, dog food and rabbit food if that counts? Oh and wild bird seed. Okay mmuch, awesome topic to post about but now it's your turn. What is your average monthly grocery bill? Thu Oct 23 16:33:30 -0700 2008 4124085 184593 givemecarbs 2 4126357 Well, on average, I'm about $500++. It just seems a bit much to me, but then again, I am a food snob and refuse to go cheap on certain items-I'm trying to get over it but it's so hard! I must have good butter (Lurpak), good bacon, good cheese, as many organic veggies as possible, and any organic/free range meats that I can find. I rarely find any coupons that are for products that I actually buy on a regular basis. I would really like to get down to under $100 per week, but being the cook lover that I am, I don't see how that's possible! Any advice would be helpful! :) PS. we have cut out eating out all together lately, so 95% of our meals are at home. Fri Oct 24 09:24:30 -0700 2008 4125070 141307 mmuch 1 4126013 I'm a Costco shopper, between there and the mega-mart for small stuff it's about $250 -$300 per month and there's no skimping needed. Fri Oct 24 06:47:11 -0700 2008 4124085 149836 cstr 1 4126085 I'd say we easily spend $800 or so for two, if not more, but, to be honest, I don't keep track. It's one of my few indulgences, though we also eat out maybe 3 times a week. We live in Manhattan and shop at a wide variety of stores - Whole Foods for some of their 365 brand products that we like - maybe once a month, then Citarella for our regular shopping, and various specialty stores for cheese, etc. I usually spend quite a bit at the beginning of the month loading up on ingredients for whatever the cookbook of the month is on the Home Cooking board. Seafood and meat tend to be expensive, and I usually buy wild/organic when possible. That said, I have noticed food prices going up significantly, and find myself reconsidering some purchases, whereas I wouldn't have before. Fri Oct 24 07:21:13 -0700 2008 4124085 10985 MMRuth 1 4126108 It's really hard for me to gauge because we buy very little from a "one stop shopping" grocery store and instead visit a lot of little markets and such throughout the month for our items. I would say we spend about $200 a month. We visit the big farmers type market twice a month and spend about $75 there each time, and we supplement what we buy there with things here and there from other stores, including the "regular" grocery, occasionally trader joe's, etc. Fri Oct 24 07:32:22 -0700 2008 4124085 19518 rockandroller1 2 4649746 $200/month is impressive. I am wondering how you do that. Vegetarian? I like the little markets too but I think I am way beyond $200/month for the two of us. I am going to check. Sun May 03 06:59:02 -0700 2009 4126108 56490 foxy fairy 2 4649756 ziggylu-- I like that you cook based on what you have. I am trying to do that much more. I combine coupons with sales, which can save a lot on dry grocery. I used to eat in restaurants all the time, and then I changed jobs. Now that I'm self-employed with time to cook, I opt to eat in a restaurant *maybe* one time every three months. Most items that I would eat in a restaurant are things that I can prepare myself with an equal or better result. I agree with you -- "now that we're used to it we're really happy eating at home more often." I do go out to eat when someone treats, and I am usually aghast at the prices (like for pasta dishes, bruschetta, desserts) even though I used to dine out in SF and Boston all the time. It's funny how perspective changes. So my grocery bill may be higher now but my overall food cost for the month has plummeted without those restaurant outings. Sun May 03 07:07:38 -0700 2009 4126108 56490 foxy fairy 1 4126120 Well, I would imagine there'll be a wide range of answers depending on where people live and how much cooking at home they do. That said ... we are just two people and I'd guess we spend around 400-500 a month, though I don't keep that close track. This comes with a few big caveats: 1) we are in Manhattan so that may mean that some things are just generally more expensive; 2) I don't cook meat and we don't buy prepared foods, so that reduces the grocery bill; 3) however, DH does eat meat so he purchases his lunch every day which is not included in the bill; 4) being in Manhattan and not shopping at a "megamart" type store means that things like toilet paper, shampoo, cat food, etc. are not included in what is our strictly-groceries bill; 5) we probably eat dinner out at least once per week; 6) I do a lot of shopping at the greenmarket which means during certain times of year we get real bargains; 7) we are addicted to good cheese which can scarily raise the grocery bill; 8) we drink a lot of coffee and we buy good coffee and also use a lot of 1/2n1/2. I have noticed dairy prices rising a lot. We are up to $2.49 for a quart of 1/2n1/2 now. Ouch. Most cheeses we buy are now around $15-20 per pound. Our greenmarket milk, yogurt and ice cream source hasn't raised her prices as much for which we are very grateful. Fri Oct 24 07:38:12 -0700 2008 4124085 104084 LNG212 2 4126170 I would guess we spend probably around $700/month. I live in Canada (and pretty far north), so many things are more expensive. We also shop almost exclusively at farmers market, so that adds to price. Free range chicken, bison, venison, etc...so it is more than just buying factory chicken and beef in grocery store. And lots of expensive cheeses, good coffee, some pre-made soups that are expensive but delicious. But, we figure it is what we want, we are two people both with good incomes and no kids - other people go to Disneyland, we eat. Fri Oct 24 07:57:01 -0700 2008 4126120 144892 Dan G 3 4134661 Great quote...I hate Disneyland and love to eat! Tue Oct 28 12:03:05 -0700 2008 4126170 13416 ElissaInPlaya 2 4127340 What you pay for half and half cream and cheese is still a lot cheaper than what I pay in Toronto! Fri Oct 24 16:55:11 -0700 2008 4126120 166743 pinkprimp 1 4126581 Ugh. Just looked at the bank statement and did the real math (vs the amount I'd like to pretend I spend) and for the 2 of us, not including eating out, but including toiletries, cleaning supplies and other grocery store randomness we spend upwards of $1000 per month. We don't eat out much (~$200 a month?), so premium groceries are our treat. We do spend about $120 a week at the farmer's market including meat and cheeses which I will not change, but damn! I need to do some re-evaluating! Particulars: we're in San Francisco, shop primarily at the farmer's market, ferry building shops and Rainbow grocery, and supplement with Safeway. Fri Oct 24 11:24:51 -0700 2008 4124085 200569 emmaroseeats 1 4126611 we actually spent more when we didnt have a daughter than we do now(alot more lobster, crab, etc.) When it was just me and my wife we would spend around $600/month for groceries. Now that we have a daughter, and are trying to save it is closer to $400 - $450 a month. We utitlize recipes that we can make more than one meal out of, and have just cut back on some items to be more repsonsible parents, and adults. Luckily I am a scratch cook, and can make pretty much anyting we want. Not included in either total is the meals we eat out( probably 1 dinner, and 1 linch a week minimum). We never shop at Whole Foods or Trader Joes(I really dislike & cant stand both of those places). We still get most of our meat and seafood from the meat market, or fish monger, other than that we shop @ Krogers, a local grocery store, a mexican market, or Super Walmart. Fri Oct 24 11:35:20 -0700 2008 4124085 26725 swsidejim 1 4126781 Giving it some thought, I'd say probably around $350 a month. Variables include whether our CSA is going on: that cuts down considerably on our trips to Russo's, the greengrocer over in Watertown, which average about $25 a week from mid-October to the end of May. On the other hand, I think that's probably about what our CSA charges, pro-rated for the 16 weeks it's running. We spend a bit more during farmer's market season, and tomorrow we're going out to Blood Farm in Groton to stock up on some meat, so that'll be spendy, but then, we only do that about once a year, so again it pro-rates out. We eat out once MAYBE twice a week. Neither of us eats lunch out more than once a week or so: I work from home, and Allstonian brings in her lunch. Where we save: careful shopping of the sale circulars (it helps that there's a Star Market and a Stop and Shop within easy walking distance), and we have both a large pantry and a basement freezer, so we can stock up when prices are good. But the main way we save is that we buy practically nothing in the way of prepared foods. Almost all our meals are prepared from scratch with fresh ingredients. We happen to be lucky in that we have the time and the inclination to cook like this, but the further you can move into that direction, the better. Even when we're not specifically saving money, the food is better: we could probably buy Cabot or Stonyfield Farm yogurt for about as much as it costs to make our own, but the stuff I make just tastes better. Fri Oct 24 12:37:45 -0700 2008 4124085 17548 BarmyFotheringayPhipps 2 4871579 "But the main way we save is that we buy practically nothing in the way of prepared foods." That's me, I'm a student and really have to budget, but people always wonder how I manage to eat pretty well and it's because I don't buy processed stuff. I probably spend more on food than the average student, but I cut back on other things. Sun Jul 19 08:58:46 -0700 2009 4126781 136251 Fromageball 1 4127398 I would estimate that we spend $300 month, at most ($75/week). We buy all our fresh items at whole foods, and we buy non-perishables at cheaper places. Husband buys 5 lunches/week, we go out to dinner twice a week. Like the OP, we buy good butter (actually, it's 2-tiered--plugra for eating plain, trader joe's for baking), good cheese, organic veggies, and free range meat. I think the reason that our grocery bills tend to be low is that we don't eat much meat at home. We eat a lot of salads, which are inexpensive even if you are buying organic produce at whole foods. And we eat a lot of sandwiches that use expensive meat and cheese (e.g., prosciutto at $22/lb), but they are so rich in flavor that we don't need that much for each sandwich (quality over quantity). We do use coupons and stock up on non-perishables when they are on sale. We splurge where it "counts" and save where it doesn't matter as much. I think our butter thing is a good example...if I'm putting butter on bread, it's going to be expensive plugra. But if I'm baking, I use $1.99/pound trader joe's butter. I always have both on hand. Fri Oct 24 17:32:03 -0700 2008 4124085 13875 Nicole 1 4127895 I spend $500 - 600/month and I BET if more people actually tracked it they would find that they spend a lot more than they think. Sat Oct 25 02:28:28 -0700 2008 4124085 10426 shaebones 2 4128118 This is true. At the beginning of this year Iooked at what I had spent last year per month. I was shocked to see it was $700! For two people. Who typically ate out twice a week as well spending another $400-$500+/ mo on that budget item. Yikes. So...this year I've been paying much more attention to what I buy, when I buy and where I buy it. Since January I'm now averaging $400/mo in spite of higher food prices. We're still eating very well at home too.... I've cut down my shopping to about two times per week. I buy most of my groceries at a local supermarket or at the Fresh and Easy which is now open here in Phoenix. I live walking distance to a Whole Foods but very rarely go there. Too overpriced for my taste(maybe we're fortunate in this market but there are other options for local and organic at much lower prices) I cook based on what I have on hand and no longer run out to buy an ingredient or two for something I might want to cook that night. If I don't have something, that recipe waits until I do have what I need on hand(If it's something I really want to make the missing ingredients usually make it on the list for the next trip to the store). I shop sales and ads now as well. We eat at home almost every night now and my husband takes his lunch daily so the $400 covers most of our food bill for the month. These days we spend an additional $100-$150/mo or so eating out(we're cut way back to about 2-3 meals per month now_. That part of our budget has been cut back substantially but to be honest now that we're used to it we're really happy eating at home more often. We definitely are enjoying all the saved money from shopping more mindfully. Sat Oct 25 07:29:54 -0700 2008 4127895 16406 ziggylu 1 4127928 I really have no idea, because I don't do a regular shop, but probably around £80 a week. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less. I live in London and shop locally for most things. Basics come from the German supermarket Lidl, which is great value. Eat out probably once or twice a week. Sat Oct 25 04:15:53 -0700 2008 4124085 110146 greedygirl 1 4128048 Here, north of Boston MA we're spending about 500.00 a month for food. We cook everything from scratch using fresh organic produce from local farms in season and from the greengrocer at other times and free range meat. We don't eat beef, but do eat bison, pork - the other white meat - seafood and chicken. There are several specialty/ethnic markets we frequent plus a really good supermarket with the lowest prices in the area. Trader Joe's is a very short drive from our house and so is the market. DH takes his lunch to work and we have not been going out to eat as often as we did in the past. In fact, we've not been doing take-away at all lately either.. .. Sat Oct 25 06:32:47 -0700 2008 4124085 75332 Gio 1 4134991 wow- just checked my account and we're close to $700/month we're in NOLA and eat out an average of once a week- that adds around $300 time to rethink that budget- seems outrageous Tue Oct 28 14:57:46 -0700 2008 4124085 11524 chef4hire 1 4136226 It looks like everyone is right around the same average I am. About $400-$450 a month. 100 a week or so.That seems like so much for just two people but we try hard to keep quality up and look for items on sales. We do splurge on a few items now and then. My most expensive items I find are: Organic Orange Juice Milk Beer/Wine high quality cuts of meat and fish Cheese Wed Oct 29 08:26:11 -0700 2008 4124085 235812 Sandwich_Sister 1 4137804 I have been struggling to get ours down. It was $600 until I realized how much I was spending so now it is down to $475 for the last ttree months. That's about 25% Trader Joe's (incl. lots of coffee for home and work), 25% farmer's markets and the discount produce hut, and 50% supermarkets. Not too much in the way of organic and local, but if I can find a farmer or CSA to sell me bulk pork, that will be cool. I don't mind eating pesticides on my apples but my pigs must be treated humanely. I recently bought a small chest freezer and a bunch of gladware containers so that I can make large amounts of food and freeze meals. I was sad that it had not impacted my grocery bill until I realized that my spending on lunches, snacks and coffee during work hours as well as those "I'm too tired to cook" takeout meals are down $250 this month, which covers the cost of the freezer and containers, so that's cool. I just made 12 servings of lentil loaf w/ gravy w/ side of macaroni and cheese w/ broccoli for $10. Wed Oct 29 20:40:33 -0700 2008 4124085 236133 tompaineinthe 1 4141143 Wow...I would've said around $600, but I just added up the last ten days' worth, and it came to $331! And that was only the debit card transactions, none of the cash ones. I have been slacking off in my pursuit of cheap groceries, i.e. defaulting to Ralphs instead of the Latino and Asian markets, and it really is hurting me more than I'd suspected. I know that we can eat quite well on less than $150 per week, and adequately on under $100; we don't eat out very often, and even though I typically shop every day I can keep it under $20 per trip if I have to. Thanks to mmuch for the wakeup call... Fri Oct 31 11:59:40 -0700 2008 4124085 11478 Will Owen 1 4326694 Just wanted to say thanks for this thread, its given me a great idea of what's realistic. I'm sad to say we got in an eating-out habit that came in at close to 2k per month for food for two of us, which just isn't sustainable. Hooray for realistic goals! Wed Jan 14 14:39:23 -0800 2009 4124085 226389 Anfhann 1 4326832 I did a quick check and it is about 600. I bring lunch and breakfast to work most days and we eat dinner at home prob five nights a week, and at least two of these nights I am cooking for 2-4 extra people. I dont really buy much packaged food- squeeze my own juice, make my own baked goods etc. I will say I am much more apt to drop 100 bucks on ingrediants than I am to drop 100 at a reastaurant as nothing makes me more sad than a medicore meal at a restaurant that is $$. I do save a lot of money by buying some meats, seltzers, pet food, cleaning supplies, papertowels etc in bulk at costco. Wed Jan 14 15:23:46 -0800 2009 4124085 158016 cassoulady 2 4326942 We've figured we've saved quite a bit of money by making our own seltzer instead of buying it. We had been buying about a case (of 1 litre bottles) per week. Now with the home-making set-up not only are we saving money on buying it but we've eliminated all those plastic bottles as well. Wed Jan 14 16:02:00 -0800 2009 4326832 104084 LNG212 3 4346444 I'd love to hear more about this seltzer-making at home. I hate the piling up of bottles and it does get pricey, especially when a lot of the flavored ones only come in 1 liter size Wed Jan 21 20:52:12 -0800 2009 4326942 122384 jpmcd 4 4346952 We got the Soda Club system about a year and a half ago ( http://www.sodaclubusa.com ). We've averaged about 1 CO2 canister every 4 months. The canister refills are about $20US. So once the system is paid for, we really figure we're saving money. Plus the added benefit of not having all those plastic bottles (and for me, not requiring delivery for my groceries any more). The machine itself doesn't take up all that much space either. We don't drink any flavored sodas or seltzers. I did know one person who tried the "flavoring syrups" from Soda Club and thought they were gross. If we want a little flavor, we just add a splash of juice (eg, cranberry) to the seltzer. Edit to add: there were a couple of threads about Soda Club at one point on the General board. Thu Jan 22 06:13:25 -0800 2009 4346444 104084 LNG212 1 4326946 Varies on how much stocking up of staples we're doing. Last night I went to TJ's while my husband went to WFM. We each spent under $50. FWIW we're vegan and I'm gluten-free so no animal products and no products containing wheat, barley, rye, spelt ( generally no products containing oats but my husband did buy some oatmeal for himself). We generally spend somewhat more than that but that includes things like supplements, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. We usually walk or take transit to the store and have some walking in addition so we only buy what we can carry... Wed Jan 14 16:03:13 -0800 2009 4124085 169792 lgss 1 4326981 We probably spend about $250/month in groceries, not including wine & spirits. I don't use WF, but do use farmers markets as frequently as possible. TJ's for our olive oil and dried sunflower seeds. We do our best to buy whatever is in season, which helps. This is just for the humans--our dog eats $25-40/month in food (cat, $10 including litter). Wed Jan 14 16:15:05 -0800 2009 4124085 224238 Caralien 2 4341944 Wow Caralien that is wonderful. Can I ask for some insight on how you do it? I also buy at farmers markets every week in fact and buy in season but our expenses are in the $700/month range. Happy eating, Oana Tue Jan 20 11:58:25 -0800 2009 4326981 256715 oana 2 4351264 Yes, how do you do it because I find farmers markets SO expensive so it's they're a fortune to shop at, esp here. I would say I spend about that much on myself per month. Fri Jan 23 10:59:36 -0800 2009 4326981 224081 BamiaWruz 1 4328319 I live in Western New York. In the winter, we spend between $500-$600/month on food and household supplies. We aim to spend $150/wk, and usually come in below that. All of our produce comes from a small, local produce shop. We buy our basic food and household supplies (paper towels, laundry detergent, shampoo) at Wegmans, and we go the MOSTLY organic/natural route. I get all our bulk (grains, beans, etc) from a local co-op. We only eat meat 2-3/wk at most, and we buy that at the local butcher, and we pay more for the free-range/all-natural/local meats. Oh - and we have 1/2 pig and chickens in our freezer that we raised ourselves. In the summer, we spend only $150-$200/month, because we eat primarily from our garden and orchard, and our chickens give us their eggs :) Thu Jan 15 07:22:28 -0800 2009 4124085 201585 RosemaryHoney 1 4328498 We're two people and I spend about $300/month. We eat dinner home, take lunch and breakfast to work. I shop mostly at Stop and Shop or ShopRite (I'm in Brooklyn)- whichever store has better items on sale. Also, I go a separate fruit store- much cheaper than buying fruits and veg from the supermarket and also much fresher. We don't eat tons of meat, b/c kosher meat is very expensive and I prefer dairy or tofu. I limit fancier stores to once a month- and I usually choose Fairway over WF or TJ's. I could probably spend less, but I bake and cook a lot. Thu Jan 15 08:15:37 -0800 2009 4124085 217807 cheesecake17 2 4328648 I spend about $300 a month as well. We take lunch to work and I even make extra for my brother in law since he's single and doesn't really like to cook. I do go to more than one place for best pricing & freshness. Usually we eat out on Fri and Sat. So I'll say we tag on another 350 or so for restaurants. Thu Jan 15 08:52:28 -0800 2009 4328498 92180 gourmet wife 3 4328663 We eat out three or four times a month. I didn't include that though. I'm always making extra food for people- my brother in law's lunch, cookies for the office, a cake for a friend.. if I cut that out I could probably save a lot. Thu Jan 15 08:56:09 -0800 2009 4328648 217807 cheesecake17 1 4328586 I've whittled it down to an average of $340 a month over the last year (does not include pet food, pharmacy, but does include some of our toilet paper, plastic wrap, and the like). This allows for us eating out twice in a week. The total includes a soda habit, so if that were kicked, there would be an adjustment, but the calories would need to come from somewhere. I rotate my shopping between stores so that I hit the best one for freezer items, a better one for produce, etc. I don't have access to farmer's markets of any value, nor do I drive far enough for the absolute best values. I am not a member of a food club. Coupons so rarely apply to anything that I buy that I stopped reading the Sunday coupon section. I do shop sales, though, and use a freezer. I look at the number and wish, oh, I don't know, that somehow I were happier with it. If I were more frugal and managed to plan better, I could eat better with that number than I do. At the same time I realize that we could add a some really nice extras for about $50 a month. Thanks for making me think about it. Thu Jan 15 08:41:11 -0800 2009 4124085 166172 saltwater 1 4328605 My sister and I budget $480 a month for groceries, but we usually spend about $400. We eat at home pretty much every night and bring our lunches to work. We mostly shop at Safeway but go to the farmers' market almost every week for produce and every once in a while to Whole Foods for something special and/or hard to find. We live in DC. Thu Jan 15 08:43:39 -0800 2009 4124085 102571 mordacity 1 4328733 We dine out 3-4X week on average and spend probably $600/month on groceries (not including wine and liquor) and about $2500/month on dining out. Thu Jan 15 09:10:56 -0800 2009 4124085 11990 Janet from Richmond 1 4335852 On everything including paper and cleaning products for me, my husband and one dog we spend about 120 a week, less in the summer when we have a very significant garden and orchard production. We eat almost every single meal at home except when we go to friends (but I call that even since we have them over too). We are young and retired so we have a long way to go (fingers crossed) to make the money last. We do not buy convenience food, take a trip out to the coffee drive thru. I shop a lot at Costco, we have a HUGE freezer (and buy meat on sale) and eat like complete gluttonous , over the top kings of the world most every night. Sometimes it is a lot more if our fave wines go on sale. We stock up on all things we KNOW we will use later and so rarely buy on impulse. I always shop the sales flyer. ALWAYS. Sat Jan 17 23:36:05 -0800 2009 4124085 137755 Sal Vanilla 1 4340756 It has gone up as we've been eating out less. Last year, was probably about $300 a month, but that was mostly for breakfast, lunch, household staples, and wine. We were eating out about five times a week, and probably spending $250 a week in restaurants. Now the grocery bill has gone up--I'm aiming for <$600 a month, but also to cook at home most days. I think we're eating better, too. But there are a few strange inconsistencies in my buying. I find it hard to spend a lot of money on meat or fish (even though we're avidly carnivorous/pescatarian), and also balk illogically at spending a lot on single items--like really good olive oil, parmesan cheese, vinegar, etc. And yet these make all the difference! On the other hand, I spend a small fortune on produce (including expensive things that we tend to waste, like pre-cut pineapple). When I was a student I used to do lots of comparison shopping, but now my schedule is busier, it's pretty much Whole Foods and then the farmer's market, with occasional last minute Safeway supplementation (and once a month Trader Joe's trips: wish we had one closer). Mon Jan 19 23:01:16 -0800 2009 4124085 12075 katielp 1 4341933 I was happy to come across this thread because my husband commented that we were spending too much on groceries and I was wondering about other people's consumption. We spend about 700$ for 2 people. I buy all food at the market and for special items at the local organic grocer. I always thought I was being reasonable :). That being said, reading what everyone says it seems we could improve. Thank you for posting. Happy eating, Oana Tue Jan 20 11:56:13 -0800 2009 4124085 256715 oana 2 4343870 I spend about $700 month for two adults, one 8 yr old, a dog and two cats. And we eat very well. This also includes all our paper products, cleaning products and most personal care items. This also includes almost all meals, as we don't eat out very often and I pack my and my son's lunch almost every day. I shop the sales, use coupons, buy a lot of store brands where it makes sense to. (And this is a very big jump, because I was paying less than $500 a month just three or four years ago.) Wed Jan 21 06:27:23 -0800 2009 4341933 63569 flourgirl 3 4343948 wow that is amazing - I am really over then. the only thing is that there are no coupons at the market. as for "sales" I guess that would be the older veggies which I buy only for stock or sauce ... for cleaning products and personal care items I try to buy chemical free as much as possible so this makes it more expensive. I also pack lunch every day but it is for my husband :). I know it's not possible to know in a post but I would love to know what you are eating ... we have made a budget for this month for $600 so let's see how we do ...then after we have mastered the $600 point we will try for 5 ... wish us luck :) happy eating, Oana Wed Jan 21 06:52:36 -0800 2009 4343870 256715 oana 4 4344514 We eat a lot of fruits and veggies - I buy from the farmer's markets in season but that leaves almost 3/4 of the year when I have to buy at the supermarket. So I buy fruits and veggies based on what looks good, and what is reasonably priced. (I'm all for shopping/eating locally but I can't feed my family based purely on this philosophy and I refuse to be a slave to it...) I hardly buy any processed foods, especially things like frozen meals, etc. I bake fairly often from scratch and the products of these efforts is normally what my son eats for breakfast, along with some fruit. I'm incorporating more whole grains into our diet. And I almost never buy meat/poultry that's not on sale. I do buy organic eggs and milk - because it's one easy way to reduce the amount of hormones/anti-biotics we're exposed to. I don't buy a lot of snack food, almost never buy soda etc. We have fish a few times a month. And my budget has room for stuff like lobsters (especially when they're $4.99/lb..) the occasional pound of crab, etc. When pasta is on sale I stock up. When canned beans are on sale I stock up. Nuts on sale?Well, you get the picture. Trust me, it takes a LOT of work for me to feed my family well and keep it reasonable. It's something I can't slack off about because the minute I stop paying attention the bills start climbing... Wed Jan 21 09:58:50 -0800 2009 4343948 63569 flourgirl 5 4344564 Thank you so very much for this flourgirl. Actually it is funny that you mention it because I have recently started baking myself. I have started with muffins from whatever I have in the house and have come up with some pretty yummy concoctions :) I will try bread next. As for the eating locally I am not only doing it for myself but to support the community I live in. It is selfish of me but it feels good to know that my money is going to local farmers and these farmers hands are what will produce the food I eat and will help them to keep their farms going. I know what you mean. I have always considered it a full time job to properly feed your family and to feed them well. They are lucky to have you :) Happy eating and thank you again for taking the time to write, Oana Wed Jan 21 10:15:31 -0800 2009 4344514 256715 oana 6 4345242 I could be doing a little better job with the buying locally - especially with meat and egg products. Like I said, the farmer's markets aren't an option for me in my area from the late Fall - through late Spring. But I totally agree about supporting farmers. Here in Jersey there are hardly any left and I want to see the remaining ones remain. Supporting farms also means helping to keep property taxes down which are just outrageous where I live. And you are right - I was going to say that it is basically another full-time job feeding my family well on the money that we have to spend on food. The clipping of the coupons, the scanning of the sales fliers, the careful grocery shopping, the menu planning, the post-shopping breaking down and storage of perishables, the cooking/baking and the constant vigilance of the pantry/freezer to a) make sure we are stocked with staples and b) that I'm using what I've purchased before I buy more. (I honestly don't think my husband really has a clue how much work goes into this.) Wed Jan 21 13:19:31 -0800 2009 4344564 63569 flourgirl 7 4347284 It is not easy though because it is more expensive. I know what you mean; it saddens me so much that this is happening. We should all be supporting our farmers it is the most natural thing in the world. Maybe that is the problem because we are living in an unnatural state most of the time we have lost track of what is real. Any way let me not start :) Totally! :) You should let him take over for a month. He'll freak out at what you do :). I asked mine to just help me prepare for a supper for 8 and he was astounded to see what went into the preperation - house and food - it is good for people to know so that people can appreciate things. happy eating, Oana Thu Jan 22 08:12:50 -0800 2009 4345242 256715 oana 8 4347346 I'm glad to read your posts, oana and flourgirl. I was surprised at how much more my husband and I spend on food than others on the board (I posted earlier that we spend between $500-600/mo on all food and household supplies), because we cook most of our food from scratch, don't buy much meat, rarely go out to eat, and buy in season as much as possible. This thread led me to examine our grocery list, but I just can't figure out where to cut from! Where do you get your coupons? We don't get a paper, so I don't use them as I maybe should. Thu Jan 22 08:30:19 -0800 2009 4347284 201585 RosemaryHoney 9 4347442 Hi RosemaryHoney, To me you are doing beautifully :). If only I could see $500-600 as my amount did not include any household items or wine :). As for coupons that is flourgirls alley. Happy eating, Oana Thu Jan 22 08:59:54 -0800 2009 4347346 256715 oana 9 4347685 RosemaryHoney - depending on where you are, you might want to purchase your Sunday newspaper. They almost always have various inserts, including coupon inserts. But you can also sign up on various online coupon sites - just Google "grocery coupons" and you'll get several pop-downs to choose from - "grocery coupons to print"; "grocery coupons in Canada", etc. Thu Jan 22 09:59:16 -0800 2009 4347346 10532 LindaWhit 10 4347703 First, remember that prices will vary (sometimes greatly) depending on your location in the country, or in whatever country. So sometimes you may not be able to get down below a certain "threshold". Second, I think checking out the Sunday coupon supplements is a good idea. But only provided that you use that sort of thing. As someone who doesn't buy any prepared (boxed, bagged, canned, etc.) items, I rarely find any coupons that I can use. Rarely. As for the online coupon sites -- I suggest doing a little research first. For example, the market where I mainly shop will not accept any online coupons. So that whole thing would have been a waste of time. Thu Jan 22 10:03:24 -0800 2009 4347685 104084 LNG212 11 4347720 Very true on some markets not accepting them. However, coupons aren't just for prepared foods (you don't buy ANY canned goods?) I cut them out and use them for Sensodyne toothpaste, Advil, various cold medicines (should I need them) my favorite brands of tissues and toilet paper, cleaners, detergent, dish detergent, etc. But it all depends on the area of the country you live in. When I lived in central PA, most of what was couponed was stuff I wouldn't buy (like mostly prepared foods). But I'm living in Boston now, and I usually get 2-4 inserts with all sorts of things that are offered. Thu Jan 22 10:08:48 -0800 2009 4347703 10532 LindaWhit 12 4347991 The only canned things I'll occasionally buy are canned beans -- and only the organic lo/no salt kind and there are rarely coupons for that. You are correct about the toothpaste and such. This thread was about the "grocery store" and so I totally didn't think of those sorts of things. We don't shop at a mega-mart type store (ours is strictly groceries) so that sort of thing didn't pop into my head. But, yes, our inserts do usually have toothpaste, cold meds, deoderant, and shampoo coupons that we'll use. Sorry about the confusion there. I sometimes forget that the "rest of the world" thinks of "the grocery bill" as a "mega-mart" bill. My bad. Thu Jan 22 11:08:47 -0800 2009 4347720 104084 LNG212 13 4348016 I don't shop at a mega-mart either, but my grocery store has all of the household items as well - at least the majority of what I might buy or want to use in the household supplies area. If I've got a coupon and don't have the time to go to a Target or someplace where it might be the same price or a smidge cheaper, I'll just use the coupon at the regular grocery store. And RosemaryHoney, to whom I originally responded, had said what she spend "on groceries and household supplies" - which is why I mentioned the Sunday paper inserts. :-) Thu Jan 22 11:13:34 -0800 2009 4347991 10532 LindaWhit 14 4348040 Yes, I'm amazed at the people in this thread who've managed to keep their bill under $500 including the "household supplies" category! I'm in the $400/mo area; but I'm sure I'd top out much higher than that if I added in any "household items" and "kitty cat supplies". Ouch. I just don't keep track of that sort of thing the way I do for food supplies. Thu Jan 22 11:19:21 -0800 2009 4348016 104084 LNG212 13 4348112 No I don't shop at a "mega-mart" either. But same a s LindaWhit, my store does carry most common household and personal care items, and often at very good prices - sales and coupons. And I don't buy a lot of processed, pre-packaged foods either. But I do buy dried pasta, some canned beans, tuna fish, OJ, milk, yogurt, sour cream, riccotta cheese, bread, etc. and many of these thing often have coupons available. And hooray for you if you can afford to buy organic all the time. I can't. Thu Jan 22 11:37:51 -0800 2009 4347991 63569 flourgirl 14 4348132 That's terrific that you all have grocery stores where the nonfood items are reasonably priced. That just doesn't seem to happen here. The grocery store is the most expensive place to buy the very few nonfood items they actually carry. And maybe our Sunday coupon flyers are just crappy. I wish we got coupons for yogurt. That would come in handy. Oh well. I always learn intersting things about where other people live and how they shop/cook/eat. Thu Jan 22 11:43:50 -0800 2009 4348112 104084 LNG212 15 4348235 You're in Manhattan and you don't have good prices on yogurt? Or coupons for it? It seems like there are at least two different yogurt coupons in my Sunday inserts every week! Thu Jan 22 12:06:52 -0800 2009 4348132 10532 LindaWhit 15 4348241 HA! I think someone from my grocery store is reading Chowhound. :) I just got in the mail today a $10-off the next purchase of $100 coupon. Woohoo. Thu Jan 22 12:08:26 -0800 2009 4348132 104084 LNG212 1 4348136 Take into account ... 2 adults or 1 adult one child animals? do you like junk food, big cost A big wine, alcohol driker, another expense entertaining, yes or no? Leftovers, yes or no. I don't mind making a big pot of past and pair it with something else later in the week to make a complete dinner. It helps cut costs. If just everyday food for 2 adults, 100 or less per week even healthy whole food items is plenty, Add in alcohol, wine, entertaining, animals, kids ... it is a whole different story. Does this include cleaning supplies, paper towels,napkins, laundry detergent. That is a whole different story depending on your home. I have lots of plants, a pool and other itmes. All depends. 700 a week I saw ... maybe caviar as an appetizer, lol. Honestly, I spent 175 for 20 people and a very elegant prime rib dinner, appetizers, deserts, sides and wine, I'm not sure I could spend 700. Thu Jan 22 11:44:34 -0800 2009 4124085 232829 kchurchill5 2 4348169 you fed 20 people all those things for only 8.75 a head? and it was prime rib? and it included wine??! :) or maybe it's a typo? :) happy eating, Oana Thu Jan 22 11:50:18 -0800 2009 4348136 256715 oana 3 4348196 Absolutely! good wine, prime rib, appetizers, bourbon cake for desert with a marcaponse glaze, shrimp appetizer btw, also smoked salmon, a regular veggie dip. Roasted root veggies, stuffed baked bread and a simple salad. Just shop around a couple of stores and be smart, also take advantage of our farmers market. Thu Jan 22 11:57:51 -0800 2009 4348169 232829 kchurchill5 4 4348250 wow! :) my hat to you kchurchill5 :) the prime rib alone around here is about 7-8$ a piece - and that is not organic :) happy eating, Oana Thu Jan 22 12:11:00 -0800 2009 4348196 256715 oana 2 4348197 I was going to start a thread like this b/c I checked our end-of-year totals for grocery spending and was shocked and appalled. We average $1,000/month for a family of four (kids are 7 &10). I thought that was way too high. Now, mind you, that includes wine and cleaning supplies, farmer's market, TJ's, etc. No caviar. No foie gras. No iberico ham. But I do cook a lot and I buy a lot of fresh fruits and veggies. I also go to the grocer about 3-4 times/ wk. You don't even want to know what our dining out total for the year was - shocking! Thu Jan 22 11:58:01 -0800 2009 4348136 71241 lynnlato 3 4348357 LOL, yes, I can understand. I'm not much for going out. I cook better, but it is fun and I do and it is expensive!! 4 of us and I try to eat around good but still concious of price. I try not to encourage, chips and soda, but hell, I was young too, we all eat that. I drink bourbon and wine so have to factor that in. Glad there is no caviar, hahaha. Lots of fruits and veggies are cheap down here. 3 peppers for a dollar, red, green, yellow or orange, same with alot. FL living I guess. But cleaning supplies I actually make my own laundry detergent, honestly and my own glass cleaner. I don't use the 409 and other stuff, just have comet, bleach and baking soda. My mom taught me. It works just as good and saves a fortune. I do have those crazy sham wow towels sold on TV ... well worth it. I use them every day for everything. Saved a ton with paper towels. And I love leftovers, I save a little left over pasta and re invent it with some fresh roasted vegetables, fresh romaine and a great viniagrettew and a left over chicken breast and you have a great salad for 2, double and for 4. Same with salmon when it goes on sale I buy the whole fish and cook it. I make 5 meals for over the next month with 1 salmon 40 dollars for the whole fish if that, which breaks down to 8 dollars per meal for 4 people ... No remember you need sides or fillers, but still 8 dollars for 4 people ... Sandwiches, crabcakes, grilled, poached, salad, still a great value. Anyways, lots of shortcuts I have Thu Jan 22 12:40:18 -0800 2009 4348197 232829 kchurchill5 4 4348378 You know that is a great idea. I have never considered just buying the whole fish and freezing it in portions. That is what I will do next time and see how it turns out. Thank you. Happy eating, Oana Thu Jan 22 12:44:52 -0800 2009 4348357 256715 oana 4 4349180 Wow, 3 peppers for a buck? That would cost me about $6 bucks here. Groceries are very expensive here in NC. It's ridiculous. I try and buy things when they are on sale, but it's not always possible. Harris Teeter, in particular, has such high prices for basic food items. You'd think I was shopping at WF. Sadly, they have a virtual monopoly on the market here... with a Lowe's Foods or Bi-Lo scattered here & there. I need to tighten my belt, that's for sure. Thu Jan 22 16:52:15 -0800 2009 4348357 71241 lynnlato 1 4348165 250.00- 300.00 per month. That includes a 2 year old boy. So, 2 adults and 1 toddler. Rotate between 4 stores within 3 miles of my house. Wegman's, a local grocer's, Wal Mart and Aldi. Get 4 ads out, go to best stores for best deals. Never pay more than "X" amount for certain items. Use coupons, and buy discounted items when practical (meats, dairy, bakery). Buy produce at bottom prices if possible, and make recipes from these items. Do not pick recipe first and then buy all the items at high prices. Well stocked freezer, mix of fresh items and convenience items. Well stocked pantry as well, with non perishable items, never know when that ice storm will knock out power. Good to have some canned items on hand in case. Thu Jan 22 11:49:40 -0800 2009 4124085 80323 rochfood 2 4348204 Congrats, I think that is awesome! Thu Jan 22 11:59:11 -0800 2009 4348165 232829 kchurchill5 1 4348290 What a great (and enlightening) discussion! I know geographic area plays a part in all of this because prices do vary. There are two of us -- we work from our home, so on a normal day eat 3 meals at home. We go out about 2-3x a week, but usually only spend about $40 or less each time. I shop weekly and go between two stores close-by, depending on their weekly newspaper ad. I am a coupon-clipper. I buy everything from these stores - paper products, cleaning supplies, toiletries, wine, pet products, etc. I usually spend about $150 or so per week, so $600 avg. per month. We do visit Total Wine Warehouse every other month and buy a case of wine then, and I'm not adding that in to our $600 avg. We do like our wine with dinner!!! Putting in an herb garden in the yard has helped a little, and also added to the fun of trying new recipes. We eat lots of fish, chicken, some pork, very little beef. Thanks for bringing this up. Makes me realize I should be trying to lessen the amount we spend. Thu Jan 22 12:21:59 -0800 2009 4124085 259129 SunnyFL 2 4349090 Love fresh herbs. Even when I lived up north in Michigan vs FL now I grew herbs. A great way to save money. I had a small earth box which you can buy online or at most nurseries. Well I always grew 2-3 parsley, 2-3 thyme, 1 rosemary, 1 marjarom, 1 oregano, 2 cilantro and chives. Lots of fun. On a nice day when I was up north I would set it outside, even during colder days. Going out is what really does it, but I have my vice with good wine too. For two months I kept track of going out then I added it up, this included lunch too. It was over 300. Now for work I go out 1x per week is all, and now single I go out very little, but when married we cut way back. We ended up going out with friends to someones house instead and bring something to make and grill. It was more fun and way cheaper. Thu Jan 22 16:19:17 -0800 2009 4348290 232829 kchurchill5 2 4352852 Had to laugh here. We buy at least four or five cases of wine a month. Our wine budget is higher than our food budget (about $600 per mo.). We eat very well and our food budget is about $300 per mo. We eat at home and take lunches to work. I read grocery ads and only buy what is on sale. We have a large freezer and pantry is full. Fri Jan 23 21:39:12 -0800 2009 4348290 123710 pepperqueen 3 4353201 Pepperqueen, glad to hear someone else is so into wine. I forgot to add that the trip to Total Wine Warehouse is in addition to the wine I pick up at the grocery store every week! We always joke that we know we had a good time when we eat out if our food costs less than our wine. I guess that's not really so funny when I re-read it. Guess if times get really tough for us, I know where to start cutting back (sigh). Sat Jan 24 06:02:26 -0800 2009 4352852 259129 SunnyFL 1 4349130 I forgot to send you this, my apologies. When I get a whole salmon I have the fish guy at the grocery store filet and give me two nice pieces. I cook it all just with some olive oil, salt and pepper. If I am having some that night I may do something a bit different like a bourbon maple glaze but usually just cook it all. Before cooking it I usually cut it into 6 portions (easier to cook). Then after is done I divide it into 5 or so meals. I divide this like this ... 1 portion for salmon cakes, easy and quick. Serve with anything on the side 1 for salmon warm pasta with a cream sauce dill and olives and other veggies, nice crusty bread on the side 1 for a salmon salad, romaine, citrus vinaigrette, artichokes, olives, fresh tomatoes of the season 1 for salmon quesadillas, and I love a side of fresh black beans. I give this a Tex-Mex flavor with the pepperjack cheese but add anything you like 1 for creamy salmon salad sandwiches and serve with a great side soup, Like good ol' tuna fish sandwiches but better served on some good pumpernickle lightly toasted and a good quick potato or tomato soup Also, just some reheat some and serve with a simple creamy lemon sauce served with a herbed rice, grilled lemons and fresh roasted asparagus (almost traditional) $40.00 dollars, 5 meals to feed 4 each night . $2 each, but that is just for the salmon but it is still very cost effective and healthy. I always kept under $5 per person. Want any recipes, just give me a shout. kchurchill5@comcast.net ENJOY! Thu Jan 22 16:33:51 -0800 2009 4124085 232829 kchurchill5 2 4352321 Wow, thanks for the ideas kchurchill! Fri Jan 23 16:48:57 -0800 2009 4349130 28696 i_eat_a_lot_of_ice_cream 2 4353205 Great suggestions for salmon -- thanks! Sat Jan 24 06:04:24 -0800 2009 4349130 259129 SunnyFL 1 4349156 I am a frugal shopper.. Costco, Trader Joe's, Henry's and Von's.. I use coupons which cut my expenses about $100+ each month..shop the circular flyers. For two with wine and beer and eating salmon, scallops, king crab, chicken breast, ahi..cheeses and tons of fresh fruit and veggies and its averaging about $300 a month.. I pack DH lunch with quality lunch meats and goodies too. Thu Jan 22 16:44:01 -0800 2009 4124085 97452 Beach Chick 2 4349195 "I pack DH lunch with quality lunch meats and goodies too." Isn't it funny how when someone else says things like that it sounds so appetizing? Makes ya wanna pack your own lunch w/ such things. But, eventually the daily chore of it catches up w/ ya and you eventually you get annoyed by the task. Atleast I do. Pitiful, I know. :) Thu Jan 22 16:56:45 -0800 2009 4349156 71241 lynnlato 3 4349221 Be creative. I always try new things. Salmon salad on a hoagie, Fried sweet potato chips with a grilled chicken sandwich, left over from 2 or 3 nights ago on the grill. Slice and it is good for 2 meals. Mexican one day, savory the next. I don't find it a chore, I fine it a challenge and fun. I enjoy taking what I have and making it something better. That might just be me. But I can understand Thu Jan 22 17:04:05 -0800 2009 4349195 232829 kchurchill5 3 4349248 when I wrote it..I thought..wow, he is one lucky dog..especially after I'm cooking a nice meal...drinking wine..sometimes, the daily chore of it all does catch up with me and he'll make a joke about his 'not so gourmet' lunch.. Thu Jan 22 17:13:20 -0800 2009 4349195 97452 Beach Chick 3 4350446 I also find packing lunches an annoying task--In the morning, I'm lucky if I get the dog fed and get out the door and to my office in time! If I work out in the morning, there's rarely extra time to pack lunches for my husband and myself. And packing things the night before means items like sandwiches are less fresh (IMHO nothing worse than bread that's been refrigerated). I prefer dinner and weekend lunches to be my outlet for creativity, plus we don't like heavy lunches--we save our appetites for dinner. I keep a supply of things in my office refrigerator (hummus, cheeses, veggies) or I'll pick up a soup, sushi or a sandwich during a lunchtime shopping trip. My husband does the same. If I didn't work and had more time on my hands, I'm sure it would be a different story and my husband would have all sorts of imaginative lunches! Fri Jan 23 07:28:46 -0800 2009 4349195 239573 choco_lab38 4 4362684 I don't work, yet I still find packing lunch a mundane task. I have little spurts of creativity and motivation but all in all, I don't like doing it. Now, cooking dinner every night? Love it too. It's my favorite thing to do in the evening. And as kchurchill suggested, I enjoy taking leftovers and reinventing them in a new dish. Tue Jan 27 12:22:14 -0800 2009 4350446 71241 lynnlato 2 4349431 $300/month including tons of fruits and veggies, wine, scallops and king crab? Wow! You're good. My monthly grocery bills add up to about $600-800 (excluding liquor). This is just for my husband and I in NJ (where, admittedly, the cost of living is among the highest in the country). I shop at Whole Foods and Wegmans most often because they are most convenient to my work location and have the most interesting offerings. I prefer to purchase organic/wild caught and/or locally grown whenever possible and steer away from processed foods. I also shop at Shop-Rite and other local supermarkets that tend to have lower prices on staples. (In the summer time the bill gets higher as I frequent farm markets for local produce that is now marked up, I think, to take advantage of the locally grown craze). Most of the time, I even make my own bread for sandwiches. And by no means do we over-eat. I keep portion sizes realistic and if there are any leftovers, we'll finish them up another night. I use a shopper card, but rarely coupons, since they are rarely for items I buy and tend to make me purchase products or brands I wouldn't otherwise. But I suppose I get into trouble because I do a lot of spontaneous purchasing--if I see an interesting cheese or cut of meat (this week it was gorgeous bison short ribs) I add it to my cart almost without thinking--which can be dangerous. Lately, I'm mad for tapas and all things Spanish, so the frig has a supply of various cheeses from Espana and I've got a stock of spanish tunas, high-quality canned mussels, clams and piquillo peppers for the weekend. Instead of traveling to Spain, I'm spending practically as much bringing Spain into my kitchen! Grocery shopping is not a chore for me--I enjoy it immensely and also love to cook and create new and different dishes. (Hence my interest in this website! I am truly a Chowhound!) I work at a stressful job all week and coming home and cooking on the weeknights and weekends, and sharing a great meal and bottle of wine with my husband is one of life's greatest pleasures. It's all about priorities. I work with people who think I spend crazy amounts on food while they drive around in luxury SUVs and redecorate their house every other year. Growing up, my family didn't have a ton of money, but food was one area where my Mom did not believe in skimping or buying cheap (I'm not talking about coupons--she used them religiously. I'm referring to purchasing lesser cuts of meat or lesser brands). We always had quality, home-cooked meals on the table (I've never tasted Hamburger Helper), and Holidays and special occasions were celebrated with an abundance of specialty foods. What better way to say "I love you and care about you"? She passed this attitude on to me and, in this economy when I know I need to be more frugal, I'll sooner cut back on my wardrobe, makeup or vacation expenses than my grocery bill. They say lipstick sales go up in a bad economy, as women see it as an affordable luxury...I personally get more mileage from a wheel of La Tur cheese and a good baguette. Thu Jan 22 18:40:04 -0800 2009 4349156 239573 choco_lab38 3 4350806 Costco has great deals on seafood/meats..a slab of salmon is around $12 that yields 3-4 meals..ahi is around $12..package of chicken breast $15..8 meals Love the Food Saver to vacuum seal and freeze. I don't shop Whole Foods..like them but way too pricey..live in San Diego so we have great produce here. BevMo for wine with the buy one the next bottle a nickle or Trader Joe's. I save about $1-2k a year from coupons and I take that and go to Paris or Tahiti and eat and drink my way to vacation happiness. Fri Jan 23 09:05:36 -0800 2009 4349431 97452 Beach Chick 1 4349621 Very good discussion here. We found ourselves eating out, getting delivery too often, or buying really expensive prepared foods -- probably because we were tired or lazy. For several months now, we have worked our "food plan." It's a simple plan to make our actions consistent with our values. Our values: Eating healthy and satisfying meals, with the best ingredients we can find. We also believe it is important to use ALL the food we purchase. The fact that we are committed to buying really good ingredients is expensive, but overall we're saving money. I cringe when I think about how much money we used to spend on food. Now, we take turns cooking (each of us cooks 2x per week - the weekends are up for grabs - there are always leftovers for lunches), and we work intently to incorporate more veggies and fruits in our meals. We shop together, and alone, and use a special account that is earmarked for food. We shop at local produce stands, farmer's markets, butchers, Whole Foods, Target, our closest chain grocery, and mail-order. I tend not to deviate from the plan I've made of what to cook each week (although my spouse does). I plan the 2-3 meals that I cook each week well in advance, and I make a pretty precise grocery list that includes ordinary staples. This all sounds boring, but it's satisfying really. We still spend a lot on wine, beer, and spirits - we have a nicely stocked bar - but you only go around once. Excluding the booze, we're spending about $150 each week on groceries. Today, we realized we hadn't eaten out for about two weeks, so we treated ourselves to a burger for lunch at our favorite spot. Other than an occasional burger or a really fine meal, we feel more comfortable pursuing a cook-at-home lifestyle. Call me old-fashioned - or just earnest - but it feels better this way. Thu Jan 22 20:07:23 -0800 2009 4124085 255706 lifespan 2 4350153 Kudos to you. I do the same. I try to plan and go shopping and get most of the stuff. Roughly for the week, Of course it never works that way but I try. But a plan really helps. I too buy good quality food but make sure I always use it all. If I have some squash or a half of this or half of that left I save it. A couple left over roasted potatoes or mushrooms, some frozen corn, a left over chicken breast and a few other veggies and you can make a great creamy soup. It may not make a big pot, but enough for dinner for 4 with some good sandwiches. I try to be creative. If not enough leftover ham for mac and cheese or scalloped potatoes with ham ... I take a little ham, some celery and onion and make some ham salad. Top with some fresh tomato and lettuce on a toasted baguette and you have a great dinner with soup. Also once a week I make a dish I eat that night but freeze 4 or more containers for 2-3 dinners in the next few weeks. It may be lasagna, meatloaf, stews or even roasted chicken. Quick tip. My grocery store Sweetbay and Publix offer the whole roasted chickens in the deli. Now expensive but still good and they are a last minute go to. HOWEVER ... I went to the store one night around 9 and they had the chickens reduced to 1/2 price. They only keep so many to use in their deli salads and the rest they try to sell. The one manager says they can sell 20-30 easily and at least they don't go to waste. I pick one up now and then and cut it up and bag it, freeze it. Use it for soups, chicken and dumplings, sandwiches or just make some stuffing and gravy and instant chicken and gravy dinner. A great money saver. Fri Jan 23 05:52:34 -0800 2009 4349621 232829 kchurchill5 3 4352628 Thanks kc. Fri Jan 23 19:06:44 -0800 2009 4350153 255706 lifespan 1 4349827 This is an interesting thread. We previously spent less on groceries, but spent around $2000-2500 a month eating out 3-4 times/week. We had a baby in November, and I'm at home for a few months on maternity leave and cooking approximately 6 nights a week. For the two of us we spend around $600-700/month. That includes some household paper goods, but excludes all wine. Given that I've virtually had to give up eating out at new and exciting restaurants, I don't make any attempt to economize on groceries. I occasionally shop at Whole Foods, but not often because it's not convenient anymore. Most often I shop at Fresh Direct (online delivery in NYC), Garden of Eden and fill in with Key Food for items that I've forgotten to order or need to fill in before the next big delivery. We eat very well...great cuts of meats, seafood, wild and/or antibiotic free, when possible, occasionally organic dairy but not always with produce. During the summer I shop at the farmer's market, but less often in the winter. Now that I'm cooking more out of necessity vs. a creative outlet as I did before I am constantly searching for menus that are interesting, convnenient, healthy and delicious. Economical is less of a priority now, but I'm sure that I could save some if I tried without really sacrificing. Thu Jan 22 22:21:04 -0800 2009 4124085 12958 MAH 1 4362489 Interesting thread. I'm scared to add it up because I think it's way too much. Probably $600 a month for one adult, one tween and one dog. More if you include paper products, dish soap etc. Tue Jan 27 11:29:34 -0800 2009 4124085 126235 NYCkaren 2 4362730 Having the tween (beginning of the hollow leg syndrome) absolves you of high costs. :-) Tue Jan 27 12:32:26 -0800 2009 4362489 10532 LindaWhit 1 4364954 Our average grocery bill is also around $100 or so per week. We make a run to Trader Joe's every Tuesday for a few items, and at the weekend we go to Whole Foods for everything else. We order in about once a week, and rarely eat out, perhaps once every few months. We both take a lunch to work every day. My better half plays in a band, and sometimes after late night practice or gig, will grab a light meal with friends. I didn't factor ordering in or dining out into the grocery figure. I also didn't factor in cat food, as ours is on a prescription diet and we buy from the vet as opposed to Whole Foods. I'm vegan, he eats cheese and eggs but we don't buy them for use at home (he'll just have them if we order in or eat out), and we're nor drinkers, so perhaps our grocery bills are lower than average because we don't buy meat/eggs/dairy/wine/beer? Wed Jan 28 06:56:20 -0800 2009 4124085 207798 opehlia payne 2 4367235 Around $500.00 a month. Including beer, wine and spirits, and a $400.00 trip to Costco every other month, when we buy a whole pork and beef tenderloin, whole beef brisket and whole prime rib of beef. Wed Jan 28 16:18:21 -0800 2009 4364954 259011 Demented 1 4867516 I am so glad I found this thread. I have been watching our pennies this month. In the past, we spent $1,000/month on Groceries AND Dining Out (also including vitamins, wine, gum/candy). This month, we're cutting to $600 including Dining & Groceries. It's going to be a crunch, but we are increasing our savings. We've cut out going out for coffee (saves $40/month), impulsive Costco (at least $100), buying cheaper wine ($30 overall so far), no Pellegrino/Perrier, late night frozen yogurt runs, etc. We still get outr co-op food once per week ($25, included in the overall budget). But, we are swapping out goofy items (soap, honey, jams) for things we actually will cook with (veggies, proteins). I live in the Midwest, and I shop at Whole Foods, Aldi, the reg grocery store, and some international grocers, too. There are two of us!.. I use coupons for household products, rarely for food Fri Jul 17 10:12:54 -0700 2009 4124085 88683 stellamystar 1 5127967 Location. location, location.....I live in the SF bay area I spend about $1200 a month on groceries, cleaning/ paper items, and pet food for: 2 adults, 2 cats and 2 dogs. That includes about 3 trips a week to various stores ie: Whole Foods, upscale grocery and Safeway. I do cook organic as much as possible (and yes that goes for the animals as well). This does not include alcohol or dinners out. Scary. Sat Oct 24 14:04:26 -0700 2009 4124085 17055 EAH 1 5128477 We spend $300-$400/month with the occasional light shopping at Whole Foods. We stock up at Costco or Sams every other month it seems, as well a trip to Pensy spices every few months, hence the $100 swing each month. We cook mostly from scratch and that helps keep the cost down a lot. We eat seafood twice a week and mom still sends home left overs for us which we usually eat once a week. In addition mom has a family dinner once a week, so that helps too. We dine out infrequently. Probably spend another $70 or so on alcohol a month. We live in Pittsburgh. Sat Oct 24 18:56:34 -0700 2009 4124085 15507 Rick 1 5158294 i think we spend around 300 per month. We live in a small town outside of SD our bills are low mainly because we no longer eat much meat or seafood; good cuts of meat are hard to find as wild caught or organic are non-existent in Oceanside. and so are decent restaurants. We go out while we are out of town or visiting friends/family on the weekends. I say we eat out 1-2 times per week. we don't drink much alcohol. i make most things from scratch, sometimes even juice. once in a month or so, i make my pilgrimage to whole foods to pick up good cheeses, mushrooms, olives, even the occasional pate or sliver of foie etc.. i spend around 30 in farmer's markets and pick up the rest at TJ's, co-op and local grocery stores for bulk items and baking supplies. We stock up on things like crushed tomato and cereals from costco. we live quite simply, my parents and sister has ducks and chickens in the backyard and i pick up eggs and veggies from them whenever i visit. save the yolks for thickening soups or ice cream. occasional coupons for m&m's, and soaps. Though we are trying to do biodegradable. Thu Nov 05 10:12:13 -0800 2009 4124085 133265 jeniyo