How much do you spend on food each month?

[Pembroke_Corgi]

I am asking because apparently my husband and I should eat about 6,000 calories a day for all we spend on food. We should have budgeted long ago, but we are both avoiders...and it's only been a dire necessity recently due to Marta's expensive surgery and the fact we bought a new (used) car recently.

The grand total for October was....... $750

I am blown away! We eat out too much and buy too much of the non-staples! We are definitely towing the line. Part of the reason it's so high is also because my brother still lives with us (he is moving out next month!) and even though he buys some of his own food we all share. But this does not account for the outrageous amount!

Denver has high food prices, but we are just irresponsible!! Our new goal is to spend $75 a week (no eating out)! And with the extra pay down the vet bill faster, hopefully!

What do you spend per month on food (and how many people are there)?

[ScottieMommy]

WOW! I dont know how much per month but i go to the market almost everyday and spend $50 or more every day, just for that day's lunch and dinner. I need to start shopping for each week.

[beeniesmom]

Well, you can set a limit for the times you eat out... say, maybe just lunch on the weekend. Don't say you won't eat out at all because it's an unreasonable goal for someone who eats out often.

To spend less, an important thing to do is to plan your menu's ahead.
On Saturday morning or Friday night, make a list of the meals for the week.
Buy only the groceries you need to make the things you planned.

Don't throw out your Sunday paper. I save an average of 20 dollars a month just by clipping coupons.

It takes a few minutes but it's well worth it. It's like free money.

I think about 100 a week is reasonable for a 3 to 4 person household.

If you need menu ideas, I can help!

[ScottieMommy]

Well, you can set a limit for the times you eat out... say, maybe just lunch on the weekend. Don't say you won't eat out at all because it's an unreasonable goal for someone who eats out often.

To spend less, an important thing to do is to plan your menu's ahead.
On Saturday morning or Friday night, make a list of the meals for the week.
Buy only the groceries you need to make the things you planned.

Don't throw out your Sunday paper. I save an average of 20 dollars a month just by clipping coupons.

It takes a few minutes but it's well worth it. It's like free money.

I think about 100 a week is reasonable for a 3 to 4 person household.

If you need menu ideas, I can help!

Corgi if you dont take this advice i sure will lol, thanks Beenie

[beeniesmom]

Scottiemom, thanks.
I love to cook and grew up with a family of 8 at the table every night!
Mom sure knew how to make a dollar go far and the food was always great.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Well, you can set a limit for the times you eat out... say, maybe just lunch on the weekend. Don't say you won't eat out at all because it's an unreasonable goal for someone who eats out often.

To spend less, an important thing to do is to plan your menu's ahead.
On Saturday morning or Friday night, make a list of the meals for the week.
Buy only the groceries you need to make the things you planned.

Don't throw out your Sunday paper. I save an average of 20 dollars a month just by clipping coupons.

It takes a few minutes but it's well worth it. It's like free money.

I think about 100 a week is reasonable for a 3 to 4 person household.

If you need menu ideas, I can help!

Thanks for your help! Menu ideas would be great! We are vegetarians so if there's meat we can always substitute.

I know not eating out at all is unreasonable, but part of the problem is just my husband's laziness. I've agreed to pack his lunches so he doesn't eat out for lunch everyday, and then top it off with starbucks!

My husband and brother also love to cook and have been making elaborate meals every weekend. I enjoy eating them, but I think we have gone overboard!

[chocolatepuppy]

What do you spend per month on food (and how many people are there)?

Just two of us here. To tell you the truth, I don't know, but I do know we spend too much! Maybe next month I'll start keeping track.

[G535]

I can feed the cat and myself for less than $30 a week and the cat gets more than half of that. Does not include litter or the occasional block of chocolate (for me). I don't eat meat so I guess I'd save a fair bit there, I also don't eat out.

[ScottieMommy]

Scottiemom, thanks.
I love to cook and grew up with a family of 8 at the table every night!
Mom sure knew how to make a dollar go far and the food was always great.

Thats really sweet, same with us. All our meals are homecooked and delicious.

[Giselle]

Best tip: Shop at ethnic markets. I went to Whole Food's and bought a couple yogurts and two bottles of juice. It cost about $20.

Now, take that $20 to an asian market and you have enough food to last at least 2-3 days for a single person.

[DrKym]

over 700 for the hoomans and nearly 400 for the critters.

[Crazy-Cat-Lover]

We spend roughly $600.00 per month on groceries for a family of 4. That includes diapers, toiletries etc. We spend $20.00 on dog food per month and $60.00 on cat food every 2 months.

[beeniesmom]

I sent you a few meatless recipes.

[jackie]

I think about 70 euros a week.

[BitsyNaceyDog]

I have no idea how much we spend each month on food. Justin does the bills/ budget so he probably has some idea what we spend, but I have no clue. We don't eat out too often. We always make a menu for the week before going to the store. A lot our animals eat fresh fruits and vegetables and that adds into our grocery bill. The animals tend to share our weekly menu though- if we're having broccoli that week, so are they.

By simply me going to the store rather than Justin saves us a lot of money. I can't ask Justin to stop at the store for anything. I take a list to the store and stick to it. If Justin goes to the store he comes home with a lot of things that weren't on the list and we don't need. Justin's a sucker for 'buy one get one free" sales, and we rarely need any of the things that are on those sales. Justin once came home from the grocery store with 2 boxes of popcorn, they were "buy one get one free". (We eat popcorn, maybe a couple times a year.) I kid you not, a couple weeks later Justin was at the grocery store and another brand of popcorn was "buy one get one free" and he came home with 2 more boxes of popcorn.