Budget Help!

[gotdairy]

What would be the average amount to budget for groceries for each adult in the household?

[gotdairy]

anybody?

...maybe I posted this in the wrong forum? Should I put this in the the food/recipe forum?

[jmjj215]

My wife and I spend $220 for me, her, and our 14 month old son. It used to be $150, but I'm on a bulking cycle at the moment.

[gotdairy]

Thanks Jesse!

I put $200/week for groceries (ie food) and $25/week for household items like detergent, cleansers, etc. That's for me. My advisor told me he thought that was unreasonable that it should be around $75/week for one person.

However, doesn't matter when I go to the gocery store it's $50 at least!! I'm not an extravagant spender on groceries either. I just don't think $75/week is reasonable so I'm trying to get input from others.

[Fern]

I'm a single person, and my monthly grocery usually comes to between $200 to $300. It really varies. It inlcudes non-food items.
$200 a week/$800 a month??? sounds like an awful lot to me Where could all that $ be going to?

[gotdairy]

Fern, that's what I'm trying to figure out!! So you're right around the 75/week margin that my advisor is talking about.

Is there anywhere on the internet where I can find "average" budget items per person or per household?

[gakline]

I would agree with Fern too. My food averages $200-$300 for 1 person. I think I end up shopping every other week and spending between $75-$90.

How often do you go grocery shopping, that you have to spend $50/ visit?

[Tree0164]

For a family of 5-2 adults, 6 yr 3yr 3yr we spend an average of $350 on food.

[marglo]

I figure $100 PER MONTH for each person plus I add another $100 due to buying mostly organic/natural foods. This is also for cleaning products etc. So this is about $75 a week.
The last several months I have been allowing myself to spend a little more sometimes but we can't afford it so I am now getting back to this this month. Money is very tight at our house this month so actually I think I'll even be spending less this month!

[meaghanchan]

I spend between $100-$160 a month on groceries, plus up to another $120 per month on restaurant meals/lunches at work. So at most that's $280 on food per month. If you want to know how you can cut your grocery bills, you might want to keep your receipts for a month and post them here. I'm sure everyone will have suggestions.

[mom-from-missouri]

ouch! I shop at Aldi's, Dollar General & Walgreens and spend $200 a month on food to feed my entire house--1 adult, 3 children, 2 cats, 2 rabbits, 1 dog, 3 fish and 2 hamsters. What I get at Walgreens I usually limit to items that I can rebate. I find with my coupons, I can get a lot of free items at Dollar General--for example, last week pringles--they are $1 a can at Dollar General. I got 3 cans and used 3 coupons for $1 off-thus, 3 free cans of pringles.
Rarely do I use paper plates and such. I pack my kids lunches daily, but use reusable containers (and I am proud to say I am a baggie washer!!). I clean usually with just bleach and vinegar, and we use cloth napkins. That cuts down a lot on the food bill.
At Walgreens, I wait till the laundry soap is on sale or rebated, then use my coupons and stock up on it--getting it for next to free. Same with shampoo. Right now I have 9 large containers of laundry soap, and close to 100 bottles of shampoo and conditioner I got this way.-also toothpaste. Just can not be brand loyal this way.
I also cook from scratch.

[zakity]

I am guessing we spend about $400 total (for 5 people-2 adults, one 9 yr old boy who eats like an adult, and two 7 yr olds). I could go less, but I have been really really bad lately, but I am starting to crack down on myself.

[cercis]

For a family of 2 adults and 2 boys (5&7) mostly organic, we average $300/month for groceries. For eating out, our 3 month average is $250 - but that's slightly inflated by bday dinners (4) and too much travel lately (I include dh's reimbursed travel meals). Without those, we average about $150 for eating out ($25 for meal, one night per week, and 2 meals thrown in for when it's just too hot to cook).

Our 3 month grocery average is also high because we bought a lot of beef from my MIL - a year's supply. We'll see that average go down over the next few months.

[PrincessPerky]

Our non bill budget is 400 (two small kids two adults) that includes cleaning stuff, food and any 'extras that may incur. Though I always go over some but not past 500.

One of the ways I slowly cut it down is by stopping the 'convenience foods' chicken nuggets or precut salads and well all the stuff that 'saves you time' which I put in quotes cause I never understood the need for a 30 minute cook book, I never spend more than that cooking less it is something fancy (roast) or something with a long ignore time (baked potatoes).

[jaksilee]

I am single, but live with my Sis and her 2yrold and spend $75 per week. We (sis and I) each cook supper 2 nights a week so I have a little help there.

[tamip]

We're a family of 4- 2 adults, 2 kids- and I spend $90 a week, that is including food and non-food items like toiletries and cleaning products, and also dog food. Our entertainment budget is $120/month. I also cook from scratch a lot, and it's cut down on our trash.

I think there is a place you can read about the average grocery spending on www.stretcher.com.

Tami

[gotdairy]

Ya'll are AWESOME...thank you so much for all the responses!

If you want to know how you can cut your grocery bills, you might want to keep your receipts for a month and post them here. I'm sure everyone will have suggestions.

meaghanchan: That's a great idea! I'll find receipts and see if I can get some input. I wonder where I should post that...here?

How often do you go grocery shopping, that you have to spend $50/ visit?

gakline: I go at least once a week and then stop a few extra days to pick up things I need like bread or milk, etc.

[jaksilee]

Originally Posted by tamip

I think there is a place you can read about the average grocery spending on www.stretcher.com.

Tami

Wow that is a great website!!! I havn't seen that one before but I just got some great stuff from it to hepl with the grocery shopping!

[gakline]

Originally Posted by gotdairy

I go at least once a week and then stop a few extra days to pick up things I need like bread or milk, etc.

You should try cutting that down to once a week. Pick up all the essentials once a week. That should help you stop the impulse buying every time you go to the store.

[robex]

We spend an average of 450.00 per month for 2 adults, ds11, dd9, and ds5. This includes toiletries and cleaning supplies.
I try to do one baking day each week and make 3 things all at once:muffins, cookies, cakes, pizza, breadsticks etc. This really helps with cutting down on snack buying at our house, and makes it easier for the kids to prepare their school lunches.