How much do you spend on food a week/month?

[fords8]

we use cash for everything. I may use the debit card, but its still cash. I know within 1 dollar how much the food in my cart should cost, how much my budget is and that if I over spend here, something else may do without. This is not an option. We don't have credit card debt, car payments ect. We do have regular monthly bills(gas, electric, cable, phone, taxes, insurances) but we aren't buried in debts.

 

[sporush]

I would say i spend between $100 and $150/week for a family of 6. $40-50 of that is at the produce store, and I spend between $50 and $100 for everything else between jewel, wags, cvs, aldi, and target (not including the insane back to school shopping I've been doing.
Recently i got $300 in jewel gcs and they lasted me about 2 months so I was spending less than $50/week on average there.
We keep kosher so i pay a lot for meat, chicken,and cheese.

 

[blonditz]

See, I am horribewith cash. Once I break a big bill I have no idea were the rest goes, I use a modified enveope system ,where I spend it on the card (for rewards ) and the pay the card every other day for the expenses I charge and track my "envelopes" in excel. I admire cash people, I lack the discipline.

I'm the opposite. If I use credit/debit card I don't really keep track of what I'm spending. Then I go to add it all up (if I can find all the receipts) and am shocked at how much I've spent. With cash I can see exactly how much I've spent and how much I have left without having to keep track.

 

[2kittens]

about 300-350 a month but that includes 5 people, 4 dogs and 3 cats.

 

[hsmomof6]

I love the idea of using cash, but I would never know where it went either. I also believe myself to be too much of a rob Peter to pay Paul kind of person. I'd probably cheat if I saw something I thought was really good. That could probably get out of hand for me and I wouldn't know what I was really spending. I check my CC online at least weekly and pay on it often a couple of times a week. I try to accumulate all the $$ in rewards on my CC that I can. A lot of my expenditures come from medical bills (thousands lately) and school expenses. That's where my rewards add up. I tend to shop too much. I am trying to cut back by cutting back on my papers. I think there are many reasons to overbuy but part of it is, I think, when you have gone a lot of years where you couldn't afford this stuff you just want to grab it up when you can get it like this. Before couponing I was really trying to get into extreme frugality. Pinto beans and lentils were staples. I made my own laundry soap (which I really hated) and I used to be too cheap to buy mop heads for my mop so I would wash the floor on my hands and knees - not cause I wanted to just cause I wasn't going to spend precious $ that we had so few of. How many people can say they made milk shakes without any ice cream? There was a website called Hillbilly Housewife that had a recipe for it.

 

[bonnie48]

I have a family of 4...11 dd (still with cast) and ds 16. I used to spend about $100.00 to $120.00 at Jewel alone and about $40-$60 at Aldi and 2x per month did paper and laundry soap and IMPULSE buy at Wal-Fart at about $100-$150 absolutely ridiculous! I still have a lot to learn, but love every minute of it. I just added up what I spent this week it is $132.00, but I did quite a few deals on the Krill Oil at Wags, so I have $56.00 in RR to spend this week. I still think I stay very close to $75 per week for everything ...I watch my stock pile to make sure I'm not getting too low on something and have max in my head of what I will spend for any one item. I definitely do shop the deals, but try to consolidate my trips or go on my lunch hour. I do Swag Bucks to help with cost of coupons and donate to CW...I do Coke Rewards and Recycle Bank (love the Kashi coupons) and magazines. These 3 things I can't do as much as I would like, because of work, but they sure help a lot. I also send away for any free sample offers and just started rolling rebates at Menards. I recycle my ink and do staples rebates too. It is very hard to keep track especially if there is a good deal and I stop on my way to work, at lunch and on my way home...I was giving a lot of things away at work, but that has stopped...now if I bring something in...I charge a little for it! Hey, I'm doing all the work!....this is too long ....going to stop! but I could go on and on!

 

[kewpon addict]

I would recommend checking out the lunchmeat at Aldi. It's $3.29 a pound for ham, chicken breast or turkey breast. Certainly you can do well at Valli, but I don't think their prices compare with the Aldi stuff unless you have coupons for Sara Lee $1 off 1/2 lb.

The other problem w/aldi lunchmeat is that it is SUPER HIGH in sodium content..my DH has to watch his salt intake and the amount is insane...since I do all the shopping I look at salt content...another reason why I HATE hamburger helper as well..the salt is insane..might work well for you younguns though who don't have to worry about salt intake or blood pressure yet! :lol:

 

[nelliescloset]

I spend $100-$150 a week on food for our family of 5 humans (DH, myself, DS19, DS17, DD10) and 3 dogs (doberman, boxer, chihuahua) and 2 huge Ragdoll cats.
We grow veggies every summer to try save money on produce.
My garden is doing great this year. I have tons of tomatoes and peppers (different varieties), zucchini, eggplant and herbs. We will eat some, share some, and freeze some. My master plan is to expand next year and have my own farmer's market in my backyard.
I picked my first tomatoes and jalapenos on Saturday. Homemade salsa...yummy!

 

[fords8]

I spend $100-$150 a week on food for our family of 5 humans (DH, myself, DS19, DS17, DD10) and 3 dogs (doberman, boxer, chihuahua)

Ok, ok, ok............I'll take that darling boxer off your hands to ease your bills. :bowing:











































So when should I arrive? :bee: :lol:

 

[lucyrevenge]

I love the idea of using cash, but I would never know where it went either.I also believe myself to be too much of a rob Peter to pay Paul kind of person. I'd probably cheat if I saw something I thought was really good. That could probably get out of hand for me and I wouldn't know what I was really spending. I check my CC online at least weekly and pay on it often a couple of times a week. I try to accumulate all the $$ in rewards on my CC that I can. A lot of my expenditures come from medical bills (thousands lately) and school expenses. That's where my rewards add up. I tend to shop too much. I am trying to cut back by cutting back on my papers. I think there are many reasons to overbuy but part of it is, I think, when you have gone a lot of years where you couldn't afford this stuff you just want to grab it up when you can get it like this. Before couponing I was really trying to get into extreme frugality. Pinto beans and lentils were staples. I made my own laundry soap (which I really hated) and I used to be too cheap to buy mop heads for my mop so I would wash the floor on my hands and knees - not cause I wanted to just cause I wasn't going to spend precious $ that we had so few of. How many people can say they made milk shakes without any ice cream? There was a website called Hillbilly Housewife that had a recipe for it.

Girl... You need something to hold yourself accountable. For me, using only cash works because I have a set budget that I came to after many months of fluctuation. My cash budget is only for my personal cash, grocery, & gas. Once I've spent my budget I then have to justify any over expenditure. If I continued to justify I would overspend all the time. Instead, I realize its just not something I can get at that time. I do, of course, understand there are sometimes circumstances beyond our control. I'm not a total hardass. :giggles:

 

[lucyrevenge]

See, I am horribewith cash. Once I break a big bill I have no idea were the rest goes, I use a modified enveope system ,where I spend it on the card (for rewards ) and the pay the card every other day for the expenses I charge and track my "envelopes" in excel. I admire cash people, I lack the discipline.

I've adapted my system to where I have it pulled out based on how I want to spend it. So normally every month I would pull out $200 in $50s for gas(been using the gas cards lately so I just switched over to using 4 a month). $100 in $20s for grocery shopping and $100 in $10s for my personal $$. Then when I go shopping I only take one $20 with me or if I go out I may only take one or two $10s. Visually limiting myself really helps me focus as I know I've only have XX amount so I have to make it work. Definitely doesn't work for everyone & it took some work on my part to make it work for me.

 

[blonditz]

3 dogs (doberman, boxer, chihuahua)

Ok, I have to ask. How did you pick that combination of dogs? I just can't picture the doberman and the chihuahua together.

 

[boyzrus]

The other problem w/aldi lunchmeat is that it is SUPER HIGH in sodium content..my DH has to watch his salt intake and the amount is insane...since I do all the shopping I look at salt content...another reason why I HATE hamburger helper as well..the salt is insane..might work well for you younguns though who don't have to worry about salt intake or blood pressure yet! :lol:

I actually pay the extra money for the Dietz and Watson lunchment because its lower in sodium, msg free, and lower in fat.

I've really been watching the chemicals in food lately because I've had some stomach problems.

 

[nelliescloset]

Ok, I have to ask. How did you pick that combination of dogs? I just can't picture the doberman and the chihuahua together.

We adopted the dobe and boxer within months of each other. We love big dogs. The chihuahua was a "bonus" dog. DD10 likes to visit the shelters and give the animals some lovin'. She plans on being a veterinarian, and running her own shelter. She's had this plan for as long as I can remember. Anywho, we were checking out the dogs and this little bitty chihuahua gives me the "look". I dispise little dogs, but I asked if I could play with him for a little while. I expected him to be nippy, bark or just be plain nasty. He was handed to me and he put his head on my shoulder and wrapped his paws around my neck. I played with him for a little while, put him back in his cage and went home. I thought about him all night. I told DH about him and DH said, "hell no, I hate little dogs, especially Chihuahuas!" He then told me a few minutes later that if I really felt he was meant for us we could go get him. We brought him home the next day. He's a sweetie pie. He is not a barker and he loves to snuggle.