re: Family budget question re: groceries/food/consumables

SNAP (food stamps) allocates $1/meal, which equals $21/week per person. For a family of four, we're talking $336/mo. The $500/mo allocation is on the very low end, esp if you eat more expensive items (like breakfast cereal instead of oatmeal, or buy lots of processed/value added stuff).

Best way to trim your grocery budget is to buy less processed food. Forget the Poptarts, granola bars, cereal, and Little Debbies. Substitute beans and rice at least twice a week for a meat-centric meal. Learn to like lentils and chickpeas, and use meat sparingly as a treat or seasoning, rather than the focus of a meal.

My household of two probably spends $400/mo on groceries, exclusive of dining out and including packed lunches. I buy expensive cheese, higher quality dairy, farmer's market eggs, and other higher end stuff like chocolate. But I don't buy CAFO beef, cold cuts, boneless/skinless chicken or processed chicken stuff (nuggets, etc).

Planning is the best cost control in the kitchen. Make a vow to throw out nothing....get creative with the leftovers and trimmings. Most anything can be turned into a pasta toppping, burrito/taco filling, or mixed with rice. A few decent prepared sauces & salsas and a bit of good cheese are worth the upfront cost, as they make all the odds and ends palatable.