Grocery Budget & Frequency

How much do you usually spend on groceries? Do you limit yourself to a set amount to spend less or make sure you don't buy useless items, or the necessities?

How often do you buy the groceries? Monthly, weekly, I know some in Europe may buy groceries daily (or so I am aware of).

I'm curious as I feel I spend a lot and should make more trips instead of buying a lot in one go. Also sometimes things get bad if I buy more in one trip and I end up having to throw them out, which I dislike.

 

I spend about $1000/month for a family of 4. I go a couple times per week. I buy veggies and meat at Fresh Market and get the rest of the stuff at a chain grocery store (Publix) or Target. I like the perishables to be as fresh as possible. Have been looking in to a couple of organic farms that provide produce for set fees but you get a box of what they have a couple times a week and some of the stuff we would't eat. A few local farms are working on "farm to fork" programs so the public gets fresher stuff. I do hit a local green market from time to time for ultra fresh produce.

 

Everyday for the restaurant .

Personal, I go once every couple days, get what I need to make what ever I'm feeling at the moment. I will spend anywhere from $8 to $50 in one trip at Schnuck's (chain grocer in Evansville and St. Louis) just on food.

I've been getting sides of organic, pasture raised beef and pork and cuts of veal from a local farm. Its really top notch stuff for just pennies more than supermarket stuff. Just split the purchase up with my mother, half goes to my freezer the other half goes to hers.

This summer I may join a farm co-op thats been around for years. Great produce you can pick up anytime at the farm for free if you put in some time around the farm or if you donate.

 

Less than $50 a week for myself. I purchase a lot of frozen items as my free time is limited and I can purchase in larger bulk at WalMart and Sams when I travel to Billings or Great Falls.

 

I do Costco for staples and a variety of markets around here for fill in stuff.

Probably 7-900 or so (NOT including alcohol).

 

I eat reallly well but you'd never know it. My weight has always been very easy to maintain. I can eat most anything and I never gain a pound. I also never sit still either.

I eat lots of fresh foods but I do have one vice

My night stand drawer.
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$700 - $1k (excluding cigars and booze).... but we still have 1`kid at home. And
there's some stupid little fine print bit about having to "feed your children" blah blah blah....




Jedi

 

Trick-o-treat!!

 

The good stuff! Love Watchamacallits and Zeros.

My brother didn't ask for anything for Christmas this year. He got two boxes weighing 10lbs a piece of assorted candies. He said it was the best gift he'd ever gotten!

 

The wife and I write out a weekly menu. One of us goes to the store while the other beats......er....Ebays....er......nurtures the kids. We know exactly what to get every week and keep it at $180-200 a week. This includes the kiddo's lunches and mutt food. There are five of us....granted two of them dine on formula. Pretty sure I can keep it at the $200 mark even when the twins start sampling big people food.

We keep it simple. Pork, beef, fish, chicken, and pasta. We use Friday for a free-for-all and go out. Incorporate small salads, fruits, and veggies. We usually go about two months before we duplicate menu items. I keep a log in my recipe book.

 

I average around $50 per week.

I could do better I'm sure if I actually tried to save money. It's all the misc. toiletries that add up for me. I usually buy those in bulk at Sam's, but eye drops, face wash, and some other items just don't exist there (well the ones I use).

 

$50-60 per week on food, which is less than half what I was spending in Alaska, not to mention the stuff is much more fresh, and I only have to go two miles to get groceries versus the 60+ mile safaris in AK.

 

$100-$150 per person. Depends on how busy I am,

 

hey kids....free candy.

 

First guy who posts my cube van gets a FIST FULL OF VIRTUAL KNUCKLES!!
(That means YOU TOO, Mr. Gupta!)



Jedi

 

Believe it or not, you can get some damn good lamb and (beef) steaks at Costco.

We did get all the meat at Fresh Market, and no doubt its good, but Costco is pretty dog-gone good as well. Publix is pretty good for meat as well IMO.

 

Knuckles.
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I go whenever I need something and have no idea how much I spend. I buy a lot of sushi and other stuff at whole foods, not sure if that counts, but I know it adds up fast.