What's your monthly average grocery spend? Do you track it?

Lerxst

Lerxst

spaghetti and blankets
We do our primary shopping at one of the least expensive stores in the area. Most of our shopping is centered around ingredients for meals and not prepared/boxed meals. There are a few things I'll periodically pick up at one of the more bougie stores, here and there...typically once a week.

I realized that I've been thinking about our average spend more of feel/perception than facts...like oh, this is about the same as last week and only as it applies to our primary grocery bill. Curious about how much we're spending in total, I started looking back though our charges and it's obvious my perception isn't accurate at all. Those higher end store trips happen with more frequency than I expected & can really rack up the $$ (granted some will include wine/beer or some oddball expensive item I just need!). Numbers to come.
 
I don’t have a clue. Food prices here swing up and down so much that trying to track it is a lost cause. I do buy lots of store brand stuff to save. And if one of our staples goes on sale I stock up. We rarely eat beef or pork, so we spend far less on meat than most people. The Boy is finally big enough to pour himself milk with a gallon jug and not make a mess, so I’m saving $4 a week not buying milk by the quart.
 
We started shopping at Aldi's once we discovered how cheap it is. Due to vairous dietary restrictions and preferences in the house we also get a few things at Trader Joes and Target. For four people including a 20 year old son and a 17 year old daughter we probably spend on average about $400/week between the three places. Plus we eat out usually about once a week.
 
Not sure. We don’t really have a set cadence for grocery shopping.
Mrs DCF shops deals for some stuff. The sale dates sometimes dictate when the shopping occurs.
I try to discourage running all over town for sale items. It doesn’t make sense once you factor in time and the cost of gas.
However, strategic “I have to be in that area anyway, I’ll grab X Y and Z from that sale while I’m there.” is totally cool.
And truth is, we could get to 6 different stores within a few miles from us.

Plus, we’ve got a meat guy that delivers to our door.
That happens every month and a half. Maybe..
 
On average we’re probably at around $150 to $200 per week on food not counting booze because I don’t know what my wife spends at the wine store or dining out.

Could probably get it down to $125/wk regularly with expert-level budgeting and planning/meal prep. Mostly we buy ingredients and a few convenience foods (bread, seitan. plant milks, occasional frozen meals for lunches). Run through a fair amount of fresh fruit and veg.
 
$50 to $60 a week. I rarely eat out. I spent $81 today, I’m making a pot roast to celebrate
 
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It varies a lot and purchases include non-grocery items like trash bags, laundry soap, shampoo, Metamucil. Weekly trip is almost always under $200, usually around $125 to $175.
 
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No idea. Gotta eat.

It's hard to calculate. I get almost all veggies and greens as compensation for helping out at the local farmers market.

Fish and meat are purchased at the farmers market as well. More expensive, but I know I'm getting really fresh, good, local product.

Really just at the store for dairy and bread. TJs for odds and ends.

I shop for my elderly mother. Her bill is about $100/week.
 
This has been my shopping list for the last 5 years. I don’t buy everything on it each time. Like I stopped buying store ice cream because I make my own when I want it. That takes 2 cups of heavy whipping cream and sweetened condensed milk and makes 5 or 6 cups. Ranch dressing doesn’t necessarily mean pre made but may mean the ingredients to make a batch. I keep the recipes on my phone. I cook about 4 pounds of boiled chicken breast a week for wraps, salads, and chili. Some times I make a spicy chicken, rice, shrimp, sausage boil. I look for managers specials on meats. Close to the self pull date, especially beef, can be half price. I’m retired so I can get it and cook it right away. I eat the same recipes over and over. No booze. No soda.

  • heavy whipping cream
  • green beans
  • Greek Yogurt
  • chicken breast
  • Sausage links
  • peanuts
  • blueberries
  • Ranch Dressing
  • Bananas
  • Red Bell Pepper
  • apples
  • peanut butter
  • sauerkraut
  • eggs
  • lettuce
  • Tomato
  • Cucumber
  • Block Monterey jack cheese
  • Tortillas
  • Pistatio nuts
  • lemon
  • Screaming Sicilian Pizza
  • Turkey Breast
  • frozen peas
  • Milk
  • cranberry juice
  • check shrimp
  • cocktail sauce
  • mashed potatoes
  • honey
  • lima beans
  • check steaks
  • unsalted butter
  • dog food
  • Block cheddar
  • Sweetened condensed milk
  • Coffee
  • pinto beans
 
No clue as my wife does all the shopping and concentrates on veggies for the most part. Since those are perishable she shops 2-3 times a week depending on what's on sale and what we already have. Some prepared stuff like frozen turkey burgers for quick lunches but mostly not that kind of stuff. Because there's very little red meat and only chicken generally I wouldn't expect it to be too high. Plus the wife is a very budget conscious person and will not buy certain things unless they are on sale :idea:
 
We buy the food and such that we need… same with putting gas in the car. After we pay bils and the essentials we determine how much is left over for entertainment, travel, or whatever. Doesn’t make sense to me to try and starve ourselves or buy crap food just to be able to afford something else that is optional.
 
I guess about $150-200 for two adults, and not approaching it in any particularly clever way. I have no idea how to compare prices here and in the US.
 
I don’t have the numbers, but I know it’s crazy expensive by the time all the food, vitamins, supplements, dog food, soaps and cleaning supplies are all included. We shop at the cheapest grocery most of the time. And we don’t buy expensive meats very often.

We are a family of 3 with 3 dogs and a bird. The dog food alone is $165 a month. The dog probiotics and Glandex cost even more. My dogs are old and on canned food at this point, Purina Beneful Medleys. For various health reasons, I don’t feed them dry food any longer. By the time you add medications and vet bills, I don’t know how people afford pets these days. But, they are much cheaper than human children.
 
No idea. We're fortunate enough to be mortgage free DINKS (double income no kids) so dont need to keep too much and eye on outgoings.

That being said, things are definitely getting £££. Meat in Lidl recently is about the same price as a local butcher which is nuts.

Even cheaper stuff weve always bought like bone in chicken thigh is going up as people are changing their habits. We only do a big shop once in a while, I usually pick a bag up every couple of days on the way home from work. Depending on booze it's usually anything from £10-40.

There's a couple of Asian places we try to bulk buy the fruit and veg, spices etc. from as it's better quality and usually cheaper. A massive one has just opened in the city which looks great but they're pushing hard on socials so not sure if it'll be as economical if they're trying to cater to everyone and not primarily geared toward Asian customers. One opened super local last year which was great but it's already failed a health inspection so I'm loathe to go there just now.
 
Honestly I've stopped trying to keep track. We don't eat out often, so whatever we get at the store is stuff we use to make meals at home, so I don't feel bad about it anyway. That being said, I will absolutely not buy any meats not on sale, and tend to lean my alcohol purchases toward sales as well. Actually, most of what I buy is on sale, unless I have a specific taste in mind.

I will say a paper bag of groceries costs about $65-75 usually :gah:
 
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