How much do you spend for groceries?

[BBQ Mikey]

I would say 40-60 dollars a week cooking for one. This week I have probably spent less. Some weeks I spend more depending on what I plan on making. When I entertain guests the bill rises exponentially, as I dont charge my friends to eat over ..

Heres some typical days and costs for anyone whos wondering. (this is for making at home, not ordering out)

Today:
Breakfast : 2 waffles (approx. cost .50-.75)

Lunch: Snacked on some Synders of Hanover Honey Mustard Preztels (busy day... cost. 1.00)

dinner: Hot Sausage Stacked Sandwhich (hot sausage (1.00) cheese (.25?) fresh cut cabbage slaw (.35/head) 1 white potato (under .50), 1/2 tomato (1.00?) (fresh italian bread 1.25 loaf (2 slices...40 cents?)

so one day was under 5 bucks.

Thursday
Dinner : Cheddar Burgers for myself and a friend yesterday (with kaiser rolls) somethin like 3.00
Lunch: Had imitation crab salad for lunch (2.00-3.00)

So another 5 dollar day.

Wednesday
Dinner : Tilapia (3.59) w/ Sushi, (8 rolls, approx 2.00) served on rice (.30?) plus the fruity salsa (tomatoes, onion, cilantro, guava nectar,garlic) about 2.00)
Lunch : chicken club sandwhich (approx. 2.00)

Theres a 10 dollar day cuz I got into dinner alittle.

I normally skip a meal, breakfast or lunch, never dinner.

I average about 7 bucks a day Id say, give or take. Some days Ill spend upwards of 30-50 bucks on a meal though if Im into it. I havent been going out to eat much recently either, which keeps costs low. Im about to move so I'm doing my best to keep costs low.

 

[bullseye]

I don't keep track of what I spend. I just get what we need.

That's me, too. Also, I tend to shop briefly but often. The fishmonger or butcher see me two or three times a week. I go to the farmer's market on Friday and get veg at other stands when in season. I go to "big box" grocers every 2 or 3 months for garbage bags, paper towels, etc. In the winter, the local health food store has organic produce. All in all, I probably go through $75-$100/week, but that's just a guess.

 

[justplainbill]

For all consumables, including cigs, booze, paper goods, soap etc., about $175 per week for two people. We haven’t been to a restaurant more than once a month for the last few years.

 

[Nicholas Mosher]

Cooking is a hobby of mine, so when I'm experimenting with recipes I may spend $150/wk for just me. When I'm busy with school/work it's more like $75/wk - but that includes an $8-$10 bottle of wine for dinner one night.

Last year I played around with some lobster recipes and blew $300 one week! But then that balances out with the weeks I play with recipes using grains/staples. Those weeks I might get by on $35-$40 worth of stuff.

My weekly grocery list is usually heavily polarized. A few extremely cheap items (the staples) and a few expensive items (like the wine, a nice cut of meat, some fresh spices, etc).

During the summer I tend to spend more on food though, because I tend to buy more expensive cuts of meat. During the winter I make a lot of braised dishes which use dirt-cheap cuts. I also tend to use more root vegetables rather than specially cultivated vegetables and lettuces.

Lately I haven't been eating very much meat - in the direct sense of the word. I cook with a LOT of stock/glaces and rendered fats, and with light summer dishes I tend to be quite happy with soups, salads, pastas, and grains. I do have my weekly two-rib cote du bouef though.... mmmm... (one of those expensive items on my list... usually about 25% of my grocery bill - haha!).

 

[healthyfoodie]

Today, I went grocery shopping in Reno, NV. I have picked a few common items and listed them below. I am curious as to how much other folks spend for these or similar items.

1 gallon 1% milk = $2.28

Whole wheat flour 5 lbs. = $2.28

1lb. butter - $2.56

Asparagus 1lb. = $1.48

1lb. sliced salami = $4.34

1 can beef broth = $0.68

8 oz. can tomato sauce = $0.56

extra lean ground beef 1lb. = $2.68


My total bill came to $84.53. How much do you normally spend for a week of groceries?

like bbq mikey and michael in ftw, I spend about $40-$50 per week for one. i'll throw in a plug to BUY LOCAL. Not only are local veggies cheaper, they are usually fresher and don't have to travel across the world to get to my table.

About the prices above, I don't normally buy most of the items on your list but here's some prices (most are much more expensive here in the NY metro area):

1 gal milk: $4.00
5 lbs flour: $2.79
lb. butter: $4.00
lb. asparagus: $4.00 (local grown on sale can be around $1.99/lb)
lb. salami: the cheapest is $5.99 / lb
can of broth: $1.00
8 oz tomato sauce: $0.39
.lb ground beef (93% lean): $4.19

around here, everything is about double except the tomato sauce. ugh - I need a raise!

 

[Constance]

DH does the grocery shopping, so I'm not as up on prices as I used to be, but I do know that milk runs about $3.50 a gallon, $4.00 for the chocolate milk that he loves.
We spend about $100 a week for the two of us, not counting alcohol. If we're having guests, that amount goes up, of course.
I remember when I used to have $25 a week to feed a family of 4. Of course that bought a lot more then than it does now, but it still took a lot of penny pinching to put good, balanced meals on the table.

 

[BreezyCooking]

While we shop at all the local markets around here (CostCo, Giant, Food Lion, Safeway, the farmers' markets, & local gourmet markets), we definitely get most of our groceries from Wal-Mart. Prices on basics are just too good to pass up, & the quality of their produce is nearly always better than the other supermarkets, which is a BIG plus since we eat a lot of fruits & vegetables. (It's also a rather sad comment on how the other markets handle their produce.)

I'd estimate that we spend an average of $100-$150 per week for the two of us, including wine.

 

[Katie H]

Our nearest shopping area is almost 30 miles away, so I take a day to get everything and shop every 2 weeks. I have a set budget, currently $190 and take that amount in cash with me. When the money's gone, I'm done.

On my trip, I purchase everything we need, which includes all meat, fish, poultry, fruits, veggies, dairy, nonperishables, soft drinks, pastas, flours and baking goods, paper products, drug/cosmetic items, pet foods/supplies, greeting/holiday cards, etc.

It's a juggling act, especially when the prices keep going up. I depend heavily on sales and use coupons only on the items we need/use. I will only use a coupon on a new item if I'm sure we might like it and to see what it might be like.

I shop where the bargains are and purchase a great deal of our groceries at a bag-it-yourself store. The cost there for a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup is only 39 cents and a 3-pound bag of onions is 99 cents.

I'm very disciplined and make a detailed list and stick to it. I've refined my shopping to the extent that I can usually get everything on my list before I run out of money.

 

[Renee Attili]

My SO and I shop 1 time a month and the bill runs around $275-$300.Unlees I have to get like Detergent, toothpast, shampoo and such then it around
$35-$50 more.

 

[DaniaBchGirl]

I dont pay attention... if I want it... I get it. I probably should pay more attention though. I just try to take advantage of the Buy One=Get One's and load up on things I use alot even if I dont need them right then. Hopefully my impulse shopping balances out with some of the savings.

 

[oldcampcook]

There is a program in many states that you might check out. It is called Angel Food Ministries. Once a month you can purchase a box of food for $25. It is supposed to feed a family of 4 for a week or a single person for a month. The menu varies from month to month and the program is not available everywhere. The menu consists of meat/chicken, frozen veggies, dessert, sometimes pasta and sauce, sometimes frozen dinners, sometimes fruits.

I suggest you check it out. I have been participating for about 3 years now and figure that each $25 box would cost about $48 in the store.

I am also fortuante that I live near the truck garden center of Oklahoma and can stop by on the way home and get fresh fruits and veggies at reasonable prices.

 

[Katie H]

Yes, oldcampcook, I'm familiar with angelfoodministries.org. They serve our area and my youngest brother participated in the June menu. The jury's still out on the quality of some of the food he received. I've been watching the menus since May and, from what has been offered, many of the food items are not the kinds of things Buck and I would/could eat. That is, there were quite a few breaded things and boxed dinners. Chicken nuggets, Hamburger Helper-type stuff, etc.

I'm still watching the menus and will probably try a month, if for nothing else, but to report to my readers who could use the grocery help.

 

[BBQ Mikey]

I also might add I shop 3-5 times a week, even if I only spend a few dollars (yesterday i just bought bread, cabbage and some fresh basil and onion)

I find that if you have time to shop a few more times a week, the quality of your meals improves since your ingrediants are always fresher (no need to store everything)

 

[oldcampcook]

Katie E,

I concur. I don't order every month, depending on the menu. The serloin steaks are not fit to eat. They are thin and marinated for restaurant use.

However, the things we don't like or eat go across the road to one of my neighbors who are both on disability. They are also the recipients of all of my bread baking endeavors. They love my sourdough and my pizza dough.

 

[Katie H]

Katie E,

I concur. I don't order every month, depending on the menu. The serloin steaks are not fit to eat. They are thin and marinated for restaurant use.

However, the things we don't like or eat go across the road to one of my neighbors who are both on disability. They are also the recipients of all of my bread baking endeavors. They love my sourdough and my pizza dough.

Yes, that's pretty much my brother's evaluation of those steaks. He said he cooked all 4 of them for one meal they were so thin. He only cooks for himself and he said they were adequate for one meal.

 

[Uncle Bob]

We buy everything we need, and all that we want. I really don't want to know! I'm afraid I would wind up with a heart attack, so we just

Have Fun & Enjoy!

 

[Constance]

Same here, Bob, and it's so nice to finally be able to do that.

You all know from my posts that I didn't have two nickles to rub together when my kids were little. Even after Kim and I got married, I watched my budget carefully, because what with building the house and the greenhouses, and then taking in a 3 year old boy to raise, we had a lot of expenses.
But we worked hard, saved our money, got the boy raised and everything paid off, and are now able to really enjoy our retirement.

Of course, we never know what tomorrow might bring. There's a John Denver song that says, "Some days are diamonds, some days are stones," and that's a fact. We just enjoy the diamonds and endure the stones, knowing that nothing lasts forever.

 

[licia]

Most of my prices are in line with what you posted, except, 1% milk, 4.29 gal, asparagus $3.99 lb. I thought that was bad and saw it is 4.99 in one post. I didn't get any asparagus this week.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Of course, we never know what tomorrow might bring. There's a John Denver song that says, "Some days are diamonds, some days are stones," and that's a fact. We just enjoy the diamonds and endure the stones, knowing that nothing lasts forever

I'm right with ya Miss Connie! I also figured out a long time ago, ain't none of us gonna get out of here alive!

Have Fun % Enjoy!!

 

[velochic]

I noticed that this thread was from 2.5 years ago. I wonder if the prices listed in the first post by Sierra have gone up.

Just as an example from the midwest:

Milk, skim, organic, $5/gallon
Milk, skim, non-organic, $3.25/gallon

We are spending quite a bit on groceries, however, I like to have a very well-stocked pantry, and I have been working on fully supplying my huge pantry. I also shop many days a week. I guess it's a habit I picked up in Germany when I had no pantry at all, and a tiny fridge/freezer. When we were living there, I literally shopped every single day except Sunday (and only because everything closes on Sunday).

I do shop at Aldi here (although, surprisingly, I never shopped at Aldi in Germany because it was always packed to the rafters with shoppers) because I can find some great deals on fresh vegetables. I also like their salad mix ($1.69) and I bought a few flats of tinned vegetables for my pantry ($.49/can usually).