Food Budget

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I have been reviewing a few months of expenses and surprised at how much we are spending on food. Family of 4, rarely eat out, and we are at $1,300/month

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That's not horrible. It's just me and I spend about $250/month with no snacks, no soft drinks, etc. Just meat and vegetables and Kroger brand LA Croix type stuff.

That's pretty much a long way to say you probably can't cut more than about $100 off of what you're spending.

We have 4 of us at home and a daughter in college. We typically spend $1000/month on groceries, however we eat out at least once/week.

It fluctuates a bit depending on the time of year with school for the 2 still at home.

We funnel all our grocery and fuel expenditures through our Amex and it normally runs$1400-$1600/month.

A couple of things if you're looking to reduce food costs.

First and foremost, read those sales papers that come each week, Buy meats in bulk when on sale and freeze. Get vegetables when they are fresh at the farmers market and do the same. You can feed them rib eyes on the cheap if you invest some time into shopping.

Next, and this one isn't always popular, plan your meals INCLUDING LEFTOVERS! They may bitch for a little while but they dont go to bed hungry. A pot of gumbo or chili in the cooler months or Chicken and dumplings in the spring or summer are OK as a meal a day or two after they were originally served.

Single. 20s. Spend roughly $250 a month on food.

Family of four with two picky children and if we plan it right we can spend about $150 a week not including eating out for a meal or two.

It is your basic tacos, spaghetti, pork chop, pizza mix, but it keeps everyone full.

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~$300/mo for the wife and I grocery budget.

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$1300 is very high. But I’m having trouble believing it’s possible to get this low for 2 grown adults. That’s a $5/day average per person for all meals that day.

I mean maybe y’all can get close to $300 assuming you don’t eat out even once. A lunch out costs $10 minimum for the most part. And going out to dinner even one time a month would make that $300/month impossible.

Family of 3, and we can be anywhere from $550-$850 depending on what's going on that month. $1,300 seems awfully high.

Chicken breast, ground meat, rice, pasta, veggies...these go a long way.

Also helps we go to my parents one night for dinner and also Sunday lunch.

My food budget swings to either side of these spectrum's depending on what you count as "food budget".

Paper towels? Coffee? Beer/wine?

Add those and my Wife and I are probable getting close to that upper number.

I'm single and I spend $350-$400 a month and that doesn't include any eating out for lunch at work. I'm not eating out at home very often and it's certainly not steak and lobster.

GAHHH Damn!

Family of 4 here, was spending about $950 month. Me and Wife wanted to start meal prepping, looked and expenses and noticed our food cost was ridiculous.

What I can tell you is to stop buying breakfast for kids and yourself on way to work. Get up and cook. Next, bring lunch to work! Then invest in a damn grill and crock pot. On sundays, I'll grill steak or bone in chicken breast (4 pack, $7-$8) and have meals for 3-4 days. Now, there's more planning involved but you get the idea. Just from breakfast and lunch, We save around $350-$400 per month. Become a value shopper, take advantage of those buy one get one for a $.01, deep freeze is full.

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We have eaten in a restaurant maybe 3 times in the last 6 months.

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Damn, that's crazy. For us, eating out is not just about the eating part, it's the experience. And most of the time fits under the "entertainment" category better.