How much do you spend on groceries each week?

Robert - posted 1 hour ago

How do you do it...? That seems very good to me. I give my spouse 370 dollars a week & 300 of that is for food, yet our cubbard is always empty & we eat pasta & microwave chicken nuggets all the time.


Rob - North Carolina

Robert - posted 8 hours ago

We spend 300 dollars a week & still do not have enough food for a family of five. Could someone please explain how 200 a week would equate to having 7 dinners & enough for other meals & snacks too ?

Cherie - posted on 05/17/2013

$288/ week for the month of April. That was with quite a lot of eating out. We are a family of 5. My husband and myself, an 8 year old boy, a 5 year old girl and a 4 year old boy. I have figured into this cost my kids school lunch money as well. They don't eat hot lunch every day but 2-3 times a week average. Monthly this came out to $1,152.00 which seems insane when I look at that number. This is just food and doesn't include the cost of toiletries and pet food/litter or any other items. My goal is to keep our spending down by planning my shopping trips better. I buy for the week like most people and it always seems like the food just disappears by mid week. Eating out will get you though. Making it a 1 or 2 times a month thing is the way to stay on budget.

Melanie - posted on 02/02/2013

We're a household of 3 (two adults & one 4yr old) and spend on average $175 per week in Seattle, WA. Sometimes weeks $150 and others as high as $200. However, I've been in the practice for years of making a grocery list each week and shopping/cooking from that – maybe 60/40 fresh produce/pkg'd goods. We practice cooking at home daily, then eating leftovers for lunch the next day (and I send them to work with my husband, too). Lately, I've been wondering how normal our bill is, hence the check-in on this site.

Deena - posted on 01/30/2013

Not sure how someone receiving WIC can provide an answer that is helpful to folks trying to purchase groceries purely with cash.

Kristin - posted on 10/26/2012

I live in alberta Canada and I spend 200 to 250 a week on groceries to feed a family of 5. I buy lots of fruits and veggies and make lots from scratch but i find meat to be expensive and we eat a lot of chicken pork seafood and beef.

Kitty - posted on 10/26/2012

it is.. we spent recently 346 wow we dont NEED to spent that!.. max is 260 270 so i am happy we made it to end of month almost!

Sherry - posted on 10/25/2012

i've actually been keeping track of grocery spending pretty closely the past few months (saving receipts and tallying at month end). for two adults (one doesn't live here but eats here regularly) and one child, our grocery bills per month have been between $394 and $466. so the average weekly would be about $105.



a large part of my grocery shopping is fresh fruit and veggies. meat is mostly chicken and fish. i don't buy a lot of cheap junk like cookies and such. i joke that i don't have room in my freezer for ice cream because it is too full of real food after a grocery shop, lol.

Catharine - posted on 10/25/2012

I'm glad I'm not the only one spending a small fortune on food. We don't buy crackers or bread or cookies or anything pre-made. I spend one day a week cooking snacks and bread and all types of stuff for my family of 6 ( My husband myself my father and our 3 girls) even with me making everything buy hand and only sopping what's on sale our food bill is still $150-200 a week!!!

Elizabeth - posted on 08/31/2012

We are a family of five, that lives in the states! we spend 150 weekly, the boys and I eat a lot of fresh foods.

Kyle - posted on 08/26/2012

Wow as in reading all these people who spend $100 or so I just think wow. We are a family of 6 two boys and two girls we spend near $600 a week we get some organice stuff and some not we pretty much spend nearly $2500 on gorcies

Nelly - posted on 05/21/2012

there are 6 of us my husband and i plus our 4 children and we spend about $275- $350 a week

Kerry - posted on 05/19/2012

I'm in the Chicago area and spend about $150 a week. Would love to cut down the cost. Any suggestions on how would be great. We just moved here and it's much more expensive. There are 4 of us, my husband and I plus our 11 yr old daughter and 8 yr old son, 2 cats and 1 dog.

Wilmarie - posted on 05/19/2012

It really depends on what our meal plan is for the week. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables that most people may think is expensive but if you go to a local produce market you can get boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables for $3-$4. We have a very large family (myself, husband, 4 four children ages 7,6,2 and 5mo., and my mother just moved in with us). It is very easy to get carried away and spend approximately $200 a week when we dont look for good bargains and just shop at the chain food markets. I have noticed that the fresh produce market has awsome deals and at the meat markets we can get huge deals also. Our meals vary a lot. We like to try new things all the time. Id say looking for savings and clipping coupons we spend about $100 a week on food which is nearly saving us half.

Irina - posted on 05/14/2012

Could the ladies who spent under $100 please share what you cook?

Ashley - posted on 05/09/2012

We are a family of 4. A 4 year old and a 10 month old and I spend 50-70 a week in Texas.

Angie - posted on 05/08/2012

I was just wondering how much others were spending because every time I go it seems it goes up and can never get everything on the list. I used to be able to go for $150 every 2 weeks and that included food, pet food, paper, plastics, laundry and personal type items and maybe a little extras. Now I spend about $200-$250 every 2 weeks and that is just for food, paper, plastics with no extras and sometimes cannot even get everything on list. That is a shame!

Irina - posted on 04/10/2012

It all depends what your family eats. My son is on a gluten and dairy free diet, so I can't use low-cost staples like pasta or bread with him. We only buy fresh food if possible, never anything packaged, no preservatives and food-colorings. We also eat a lot of fish. On average, we spend between $150 and $200 per week - we are a family of 3 and a dog. I wish we could cut down; we plan our meals, try to buy what's on sale and rarely get to spend less than $150. But we almost never go out, no take-outs, and make our breakfasts and lunches to take to school and work. So I guess, when you look at it this way, it's not that much.

Melissa - posted on 04/04/2012

I can but by price matching I have been able to skip some of the coupons and stay in budget

Leslie - posted on 04/04/2012

why can't you price match AND coupon

Melissa - posted on 04/04/2012

We are a family of five. Me my husband and our three daughters spend about $150.00 a week.. I go to Wall-mart and I price match. If you take the ads to all the other stores they will match all of the prices! By doing this I have been able to cut back on coupons big time!

Kacie - posted on 07/21/2011

we're a family of 3 plus a dog. I make a weekly menu and spend between $120-$150 depending on what household products we're out of. sometimes i shop for 2 weeks and its at $150. Making a menu is easier and helps ALOT! i never have to go to the store during the week for anything! i dont see how people do that! LOL

Casey - posted on 07/20/2011

Wow, wish my grocery bill was as low as some of you Mom's out there! Family of 4 here, Myself, Hubby, 2.5 year old and 1 year old and I make 2-3 trips to the grocery store atleast..every week!! I spend well over 200-250 a week!! hubby and kids need special milk due to allergies, that cost, and they drink a lot of it. We eat organic veggies so that is expensive too.

Casey - posted on 07/20/2011

Wow, wish my grocery bill was as low as some of you Mom's out there! Family of 4 here, Myself, Hubby, 2.5 year old and 1 year old and I make 2-3 trips to the grocery store atleast..every week!! I spend well over 200-250 a week!! hubby and kids need special milk due to allergies, that cost, and they drink a lot of it. We eat organic veggies so that is expensive too.

Bevely - posted on 05/26/2011

Our weekly grocery bill just went up big time, since my kids are now officially on summer break and I have to feed them breakfast and lunch 5 extra days a week.I try to keep it under $125 a week and that include papertowels, soap, etc. For a family of 4.

Wendy - posted on 05/24/2011

I used to spend between $140 and $175...we have 2 boys ages 6 & 10...we just started cutting back and by setting a strict budge we've been able to stay under $100

Kolbee - posted on 05/24/2011

1 hundred and fifty,yes it gets some what scary sometimes adding in all the food in a budget

Jeanne - posted on 05/23/2011

I spend just as much and have 3 boys (11,3,and 10 months). So I know what your going through.

Jeanne - posted on 05/23/2011

We are a family of 5 and I spend anywhere from $250 to $300 a week, and sometimes more.

Teresa - posted on 05/23/2011

We are a family of 3, my husband and 6 month old. I buy alot of organic food for homemade baby food, and we eat kosher and it's very expensive. We spend between $150-$250 per week. Kosher meat is at least double, if not triple the price!

Leslie - posted on 05/23/2011

Here in NC, I use coupons and sales and stock up when I shop. On average I spend ~$30.00. If I get meats it is a little more but I never go over $100.00.

Blossom - posted on 05/22/2011

I spend about 350 every 2 weeks and their are 4 of us me, my husband my 2 kids daughter who is 13 and my son who is 9

Melissa - posted on 05/22/2011

I know exactly what you mean, I have 3 boys and 2 girls! And right now my oldest boy who is only 11, eats like a grown man, it just amazes me how much he can eat.

Melissa - posted on 05/22/2011

I think I have everyone beat lol, I have 5 children 11, 9, 8, 6 and 2, myself and my husband. He is in the Military so I buy groceries twice a month and I spend between $300-$400 per payday! But part of that has to do with we dont buy cheap food anymore, some store brand items are ok but some of them just taste really bad.

Julie - posted on 05/22/2011

We eat lots of fresh fruits and vegies, plenty of meat, rice, potatoes, cereal, etc. -very healthy.

Julie - posted on 05/22/2011

Hi Naomi, not including the cow we buy every 18 mos or so, we spend about $100 a week. That includes make up, toiletries, cleaning products, and groceries. Our 2 kids are 10 and 5. I have been following a local couponing blog. www.pocketyourdollars.com. Since following them we have cut about $400 a month/ we used to spend closer to $800. Now 3 of us eat gluten, egg, and dairy free, and I am trying to eat MSG free. I also have chemical sensitivities and cannot use and scented products. The woman who runs the site I listed spend $55 a week, and she has 2 kiddos and a spouse. Her $55 includes diapers.

Maria - posted on 05/22/2011

I have a family of 4, 2 adults, 2 children and I spend about 200 a week. Where do these people live where they spend $100 or less a week?? I live in NY and everything is expensive!

Jen - posted on 05/19/2011

I spend about $150 a week in Ca. But I am saving about 50$ a week since I switched to shopping at Food 4 Less where I bag my own groceries. Totally worth it!

Rosie - posted on 05/18/2011

i have a family of 5 and we spend about $70 every week, and i get a package of meat from a farmer every month and usually spend $150 on that.

Jenn - posted on 05/18/2011

I use coupons, buy no name stuff, shop the 50% off racks, etc. and for our family of 5 we spend at LEAST $100 a week. I don't know how some of you eat for what you spend. I buy a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, yogurt, breads, cereal, milk, meat, etc. not a lot of processed stuff but some things like a bag a cookies for the week.

Tracy - posted on 05/18/2011

I have a budget of $180 per week for a family of 4. We don't splurge, I use coupons and go for the sales. I'm hoping to get "a raise" soon to $220 per week but will still very careful what I buy. I buy mostly meat, veggies, fruit and the basic but none of the packaged fun stuff too much. When school is out, I will be able to cut back a bit more from needing to buy the school lunch fare.

Kelley - posted on 05/18/2011

I have only 1 child a 6 yr old son. And just about every week we spend $125 on groceries. Granted we live in a suburb of NYC so everything is expensive in this region, but with gas prices rising we can probabaly expect grocery bill to rise as well.

Christina - posted on 05/18/2011

It depends on where we shop, too.
Lists, and sticking to them, works best.
I've taken to more fresh, less processed and that cuts back. The kids to pick two snacks if they come with me. We shop only once a week, a second time only for stuff we run out of. It's cheaper if we go alone.
Guideline: food is fuel not fun. The fun is creating, playing, painting, talking over dinner and enjoying each other. the food is the fuel for the bodies to be able to live out loud with bliss. "eat to live, don't live to eat"
Example: $200 at the grocery or $100 and use the other $100 to go to a water park? kids get this. make it a game. TAKE CASH ONLY!!!! A lost art - there is no way to overspend if you don't have it on you - works great for me, and is far more fun for the kids. "You have $8 - find what you want in your snack drawer - be creative, look around, check out the sales." I've taught the kids how to compare prices (they have to learn sometime!) and they feel so smart and savvy!

Jenny - posted on 05/18/2011

Wow reading through the answers I guess we eat a lot! We spend about $250-300/week for a family of 6 soon to be six - BUT one is a 13 year old boy who can clear out a cupboard in one sitting! We make most of our meals from scratch but do eat some processed food like lunchmeats, bagged cookies/snack cakes but very few on the whole. If your two children are boys, that's all I have to say is start saving now.... :-)

Stephany - posted on 05/18/2011

I spend about 100$ a week (avge) for me, my husband, and two boys 10 and 6. I have noticed that the price of groceries has definately gone up! I have just started couponing and the other day I saved over $23 in coupons then had about $40 worth of in store savings! I was pleased with myself :) A great website to go to is thekrazycouponlady. Check it out! I try to buy healthy foods for my family which are always more expensive

Leticia - posted on 05/17/2011

I have family of 5 and live in CA not cheap we spend about $150-200 a week.

Aimee - posted on 05/16/2011

i just spent about $165 on groceries for a week. 4 kids, 2 adults. and usually a meal for family company once a week. we do not eat hot dogs, prepackaged ramen noodles, sausages, lunchables etc... i do not buy chips, cookies or candies or soda. my kids eat fresh fruit and vegetables at each meal. they only drink 100% juice once a day and milk for meals only. water the rest of the time. i use coupons and the store specials like buy one get one free. also i buy store brands of some items. dry pasta/juices/cereal. i do buy snack foods--goldfish/crackers/100 calorie snack packs/pretzels. 3 of my kids are home during the day (ages 2, 2 and 1) so they need snacking stuff. breakfasts are no-sugar cereal/eggs/waffles/pancakes. i guess my point is, the healthier you want to make your food, the more expensive it is....and fresh fruit and veggies are expensive. most times i go to the local fruit stand for fruits/veggies and it is cheaper. i am happy if i can keep our weekly grocery bill under $200. :)

Cleo - posted on 05/16/2011

We spend $140 per week. I am hoping to find time to clip coupons again b/c it would cut our grocery bill by 30 to 40%. We are a family of five, three boys ages 6 to 8 along with me and my hubs.

Shirley - posted on 05/16/2011

Hi Naomi, wait til they get older, they eat even more. Mine are 19 & 14, spend over $100 wk. Have you started couponing yet? Try couponmom.com and match your coupons to your grocery stores weekly sale to get the best savings!

Maria - posted on 05/16/2011

Hi
Yes, shopping for groceries is getting more and more expensive to keep cost down I drive about 15 miles or so just to get cheaper shopping I go to the Farm-shop, Farmfoods & Asda my shopping is about £120 GBP per week this includes for stuff for my many pets it is just a case of shopping around. Its petrol that is ridiculously over priced here and is going up but if you can do it and shop around then you can get it at the lowest price I budget £45GBP per week for petrol which despite all the running around and going miles last me the whole week (I live in the country so things tend to be miles away) the trick is having the right car for the your area these small micro sized cars can't cope with all the up hill driving but a large car with the right sized engine MPV no smaller engine than a 2ltr copes well hence more economical.