Grocery Bill?

Discussion in 'Other Conversation' started by cowpokemary, Feb 5, 2005.

  1. cowpokemary

    cowpokemary New Member

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    I am "budgeting" and am interested in what you all spend per month on food. I have no idea myself, but am on board to find out! Thanks!
     
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  3. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    Merryon,
    Before we did a budget, we kept every receipt for everything we spent in the run of a month (prescriptions, entertainment, gas, insurances, grocerires you name it). At the end of the month, we sat down to see what we spent on each "category" and that gave us an idea where to go from.

    It's easy to do and in the end might be more accurate for you.

    As a side note, we are a family of five and spend at least $600 a month on groceries (but that also includes lunch snacks, etc) and we have a teenager in the house :shock:

    Brenda
     
  4. CrystalB9

    CrystalB9 New Member

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    I shop for sales, shop at a whole sale club and also shop at a "dent" type store. We are a family of nine with two teenagers. My budget is $650 a month. I sometimes go a little over and have also gone under. This includes everything - lunches for dh at wk, laundry supplies, cleaning supplies, ect.
    Oh, in the summer I go to farmers markets. I get great deals there too - especially at the end of the night when they dont want to take home their produce.
     
  5. Deena

    Deena New Member

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    That's funny, Crystal, when I saw this question I thought, I wonder how much Crystal with her big family pays. You really have to bargain shop to stick to that budget! I try to get as much as I can in one or two trips a month, then go as little as possible, but needed, to get fresh foods. We have a family of 5 with one teenager and an 11-yo skinny boy that eats like a teenager!!! :lol: Our budget runs from $300 (on a really good month) to $500 for everything. Sometimes it's more depending on how many times we invite people over for lunch after church etc., but we try to keep it under $600! That's such a huge expense---think how much more money we'd all have if we didn't have to eat! :lol:
     
  6. Jackie

    Jackie Active Member

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    My husband gives me $180 in cash every two weeks for groceries. We have a family of five. I no longer do coupons, because we no longer take the newspaper. I will write a shopping list weekly based on what is on special. My parents live near a farm market with really good prices on meat and cheese. (Colby and co-jack cheese run $2.99/lb, and lunch meats run anywhere from $2.50 to 3.50/lb. And that's NOT when it's on special!) I also buy sugar, salt, flour, yeast, rice noodles, etc. there cheaper. It's been a while since I went to Sam's Club, but I do like to buy things like TP, detergent, paper towels, etc. there. And I use to buy my diapers there. No longer having one in diapers sure did my food budget wonders!!!
     
  7. CrystalB9

    CrystalB9 New Member

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    Yes, Jackie I do the same here - love the farmers market. I know not all are able to shop at farmer markets and small owned stores, but they really save on my grocery bill. There is a small Amish run store close to me. I can get lunch meats, cheeses, and baked goods for great prices there. Usually more then half the price of grocery stores.
     
  8. Anonymous

    Anonymous New Member

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    Either I'm not very good at shopping or our prices are higher here. I spend at least $200 a week at least/ That includes detergents, tp, tissues and everything. (Family of four.) We love the market in the summer too. Ours run May - October. I can't wait.
    Tammy
     
  9. joandsarah77

    joandsarah77 New Member

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    Well I guess our prices are probably different but for our family of 4 (me,dh,3 year old and baby) I spend about $160-$180 per fortnight with extra things like milk,bread,fruit inbetween. Ours does include nappies (diapers) the expensive kind as he pees out the cheaper ones :roll: and formular at about $17 a tin :shock:
     
  10. Deena

    Deena New Member

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    Jo,

    Is a fortnight 2 weeks? We Yanks don't use that word anymore. :wink: :lol:
     
  11. joandsarah77

    joandsarah77 New Member

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    lol I'm constantly being surprised at how much my accent shows on line. :lol:
    Yes a fortnight is two weeks :wink:
     
  12. Jackie

    Jackie Active Member

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    Part of it is I don't buy things unless they're on sale. I rarely pay more than $2/gallon for milk or for a 64 oz. carton of juice. It's rare that a week goes by without somewhere having it for that price; occasionally the juice will run $1.50! This week, boneless chicken breast is running $1.99/lb, and ground chuck 3 lbs for $5. That will keep me until it's on sale again. It helps to have a chest freezer. I also use real butter, and will buy it up when it's on sale, which isn't too often. Also, the farm market carries butter cheaper, but it's in a 1 lb. chunk, rather than quartered.
     
  13. Lornaabc

    Lornaabc New Member

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    Boy I really buy alot

    I spend more than most of you all. We always do about $130 per week for 5 people. May even go back for milk and bread during the week. We go out to eat alot too but I didn't know if that was included in the price. Also I may not use up all those groceries in one week. Sometimes I may buy trashbags or something that runs the bill up but will last several weeks or a month. We hit McDoanlds every Monday or Tuesday on cheap day. They do cheeseburgers for .59. We probably do about $50-60 a week in out to eat meals. Some weeks more. You may need to count that in the weekly amount too.
    Then usually get breakfast out at least once or twice a week. Then supper at least once a week too. Sometimes more depending on how busy we are running in the evening time to sports with the kids and homeschool things. Eating out gives me time out and a break from cooking. I hate to cook. Just do it because we have to eat. LOL
     
  14. Anonymous

    Anonymous New Member

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    Add $50 to $75 dollars every fortnight, I love that one. Due to the evil Swans Man. I forgot all about that extra until the truck pulled up. :roll:
    Tammy

    Jackie,
    I'm going to try shopping the sales more, but I like getting everything done in one stop Saturday morning.

    Lorna,
    I want to eat with you! I miss eating out. We live it up here after winter.
     
  15. Jackie

    Jackie Active Member

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    Lorna, I've been told that you either "spend time to save money, or spend money to save time". And I think that principle plays out SO MUCH when it comes to eating! If you were to cut out all the eating out you do, you would probably spend about what I do for meals. But the convenience (time factor) is more important to you; the money factor is more important to me. (Though there are times when I throw up my hands and say the heck with it, I DON'T CARE!!! We're eating OUT!!!, LOL!)

    Tammy, I try to do most of my shopping on Wednesday afternoon, because my girls are in their homeschool group. That means I go with one child, rather than three, LOL! I try to keep it down to once a week, as much as possible. I would love to sit down and plan meals for the week, but haven't been able to. I truely believe that would help with my food budget, too. I"ve read "Once a Month Cooking", but that's too extreme for me!
     
  16. becky

    becky New Member

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    Lorna, thanks for making me feel better!!!
    We spend about what you do per week, and we only get supper out once per week.
    We'll do Domino's 2x Tuesday, so a really good pizza is only 2/ about 17.00.

    CVS Pharmacy has a good deal on t.p. sometimes. 3 - 1,000 sheet rolls for 99 cents.
    I order a case of 80 rolls for $26 and some change.
    They also have good prices on deodorants some weeks. I'll use coupons for that, but not much else.
     
  17. Deena

    Deena New Member

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    With the prices of eating out, if all 5 of us go, it's anywhere from $20-$40 depending on where we go and if we need a tip, etc. So going out 3-5 times a week would add up FAST!!! Because of that, we eat out only a couple of times a month now. I used to take them out more, but that's when I could get one or two happy meals to share between the three kids! :D With one teenager and an 11-yo, we certainly can't do that anymore! :lol:
     
  18. Deena

    Deena New Member

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    Hey, I finally figured out how to change the color! Just never noticed before, so had to try it, and it worked! :lol:
     
  19. becky

    becky New Member

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    There is a column called Everyday Cheapskate.
    A lady sent this in-

    Their family of four eats out for 10.00.
    Dad orders a supersized meal.
    The kids get a two cheeseburger meal, also supersized.
    Mom gets a sandwich from the 99cent menu.
    They ask for two extra cups and lids for mom and one of the kids, and the drinks get divided up .
    Mom shares fries from Dad and the kids.

    I'd love to know where they live, because here that wouldn't fly.
    Where I used to work we made cups for McDonald's, and customers are really paying for the cup more so than the drink.

    To me, this family's way of saving takes the joy out of it!
    Neat idea, though.
     
  20. CrystalB9

    CrystalB9 New Member

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    Dont forget about those Book It coupons from Pizza Hut. We use those once a month between Oct. and May. That pays for the kids and then dh and I use a regular coupon. You cant get much cheaper for a family of nine.
    We do go out to eat in addition to the Book It coupons, but I dont ever budget eating out. I babysit part time and we dont count that money in our budget - well sometimes we need to, but for the most part that is our "play money". That pays for any extras and also goes towards our savings account and family vacations. Right now it is going towards baby items that we will need to purchase in the near future. Although I might need to dip into that money sooner, I am craving lobster something awful! :lol:
     
  21. Anonymous

    Anonymous New Member

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    Crystal,
    Thank you. I forgot all about those book-it coupons! I need to pull those out and use them.
    Tammy
     

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