Just how much?

[boefixepa]

What do think you could average per person in your household per month over the year?

I thought $50.00 would be hard, but over the past three months it's been really easy. And I've remembered how much I love to cook and experiment and how much I like my own cooking!!! I've been challeneged and have loads of fun doing it and looking for new recipes and experimenting. It took some initial investment, but I think it's here to stay.

How low do you think you can go? I think next month I will shoot for $40.

As a side note I will add that I cook everything from scratch, buy in bulk with a price book, and cook and freeze meals for later. I find I need to cook two maybe three times a week (this are lunch/dinner meals) and I make homemade yogurt with fruit (sometimes fresh/sometimes frozen) for breakfast. I'm not a snacker, and no processed food are allowed. I also really watch portion sizes.

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Just how much?

400a month for 5 people is my budget.....though 2 youngest prolly add up to one real eater. (2.5 year old and 9 month old)

I think it could be done for less..... but I don't want to... I have enough trouble cooking as it is!

Meaning I generally have it around 500 a month for the 5 of us.... though that does include everything non utility (laundry, gas and such)

[lrjohnson]

Re: Just how much?

I averaged $102 last year easy breezy. I'm averaging $93 now. I think I could do $50, but I'm okay with the $93. I like my club sodas and smoked oysters. The $93 is pretty decadent....lots of strawberries this week.

I don't think I could go lower than $50 without some discomfort. My area of Northern California does not have low prices in most areas....we are always way above average on gas, milk, etc.

[DivaJen]

Re: Just how much?

We average about $105 per person here for groceries. I know it could be lower if I would cook more and do more from scratch, but for now it is what it is.

[getforfree]

Re: Just how much?

Mine is $40-50 per person per month. That includes toiletries, diapers and laundry stuff.

I could count my kids as one eater, becase they don't eat that much, but they usually get more expencive food, lots of milk, juice, yogurt, fresh fruit, nuts and other that I try not to eat any myself, because those foods are expencive.

[getforfree]

Re: Just how much?

Even though I can afford a higher budget, but I choose not to. I rather spend an hour or two extra cooking.

[Bookie]

Re: Just how much?

OK, I'm one of those OCD types who actually writes down every penny spent in a little notebook and logs it in an Excel spreadsheet. This makes it easy for me to tally my spending in any of my categories.

My food expenditures through June 2006 come to $356.47 and average of $59.41 a month. I would have guessed the numbers to be higher. That's only food. Household supplies get listed separately.

Of course, I'm older, live alone, eat sparsely, and rarely buy red meat. Aside from dairy and produce, I seldom buy anything that's not on sale, and when it is on sale, I stock enough to last until the next one.

My hat's off to you folks who cook for families and manage to hold costs down the way you do.