Thursday, January 17, 2008

Grocery Bill

Just interested in how much you each budget for groceries. Would you mind leaving a comment on what your grocery allowance is each month and then for general comparisons, the price of milk in your area? Thanks!

18 comments:

highdeekay said...

I'll answer my own questions:
$350-400/month and a gallon of milk is about $4.25. (there are two adults and an infant in our household)

Bethany said...

Two adults and one toddler.

Monthly allowance: $192.00. Why such random a number? Thats the BAS from the USAF. BAS=Basic Allowance for Subsistance.

We buy whole milk at Costco for toddler: $3.49

For us adults we buy powdered milk because we go through milk quickly.

Lindsey said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Stephanie said...

Two adults and one toddler:

It's hard to say exactly how much we spend each month. I get full groceries every two weeks, and usually spend between $100 and $150. However, that includes some non-food items too. I try to get non-food items at Wal-mart, but sometimes it's easier to do the one-stop shopping. Also, there are always random trips for bread, milk, or other misc. items in between those two weeks. So, very generally speaking, I'd say $350 a mos.or so for food.

I think a gallon of milk in MI is like $3.65, but it's on sale a lot for 2 for $5 where I get groceries.

Chantel said...

We have two adults and two kids.

We spend about $650 a month, but our grocery budget includes diapers and other household items and our restuarant budget. We buy alot at Costco so it is easier to lump it all together.

Milk for us costs 3.49 for whole, about 3.10 for skim, and 3.29 a half gallon for lacto-free skim.

Unknown said...

$300/mo. on food, diapers, and Target runs for two adults, a preschooler and a toddler. Milk is about $3/gallon.

Claire said...

2 adults and a nine month old...

I pull out $150 in cash for groceries a month, and $25 for diapers and wipes. That doesn't include restaurant visits (which we try to keep to a minimum) and other household products... cleaning supplies, toilet paper etc. I tend to buy those in bulk at Costco every 4-6 months.

Claire said...

Oops... forgot to put the cost of milk... I think its close to $4 a gallon, but I always buy it on sale, so I never pay that much.

The Schacher Family said...

I usually spend $300 including diapers, wipes, and other toiletries. Milk is $2.98 at walmart.

Amanda said...

I spend about $250-$300 a month. Two adults and an almost 10 month old!). When he turns one the bill will drop about $50 per month that I now spend on formula.

Regular price of milk is $3.99. I usually buy a couple at a time when it is on sale for $2-3 per gallon.

Good question, Heidi! I was wondering this same thing - or close to it. I feel like I spend a ton on groceries for my small family so it is good to get an idea of what others spend.

kristi said...

I have never really kept great track on how much we spend. However, I have just made ourselves a new budget and have given us $300 for just food. We have 2 adults and 3 growing boys. Milk here is about $3.50/gallon, but I can get it a little cheaper at Sam's Club.

Linz said...

I spend at least $500 with toiletries, diapers, and groceries. I can get Costco milk for around $3.50, grocery store milk around $4.35.

How do you all spend so little? Maybe I need to write a post...I could use some advice in this area!!

katie said...

Our budget is $300, including household and diapers. Milk is $3.79 when it's not on sale. I buy organic for my daughter which is about $5.00 when not on sale.

Stephanie said...

Linz, I spend that much too with toiletries and diapers and stuff. I think one difference is fresh produce. We always buy fruit and stuff, and I know from other posts that you do too. I'd also be curious to know other ways people save though!

kristi said...

Making menues and actually sticking to them can be a great way to save money.

Bethany said...

Just to clarify...my $192 is JUST for groceries. It does not include household items like TP, diapers, wipes, cleaning products, etc.

I too have been working really hard to keep a menu. I plan a month at a time. I usually shop once a week. Sometimes at the end of the week for the upcoming week or at the beginning of the week. Having a menu helps me keep track of what food I have so I actually use it. Before, when I wouldn't plan I would forget about food we already had and it would just sit in the freezer or in the fridge and go bad and then we'd spend more money.

katie said...

We buy lots of fresh produce each week too. A few ways that I have found to save money are:
1) Making more meatless dishes. Meat is super expensive, so I buy it sparingly unless it is a great sale - and then I stock up.
2) I plan my weekly menu based on the sale ads. I see what is on sale and try to make meals that use those items, especially when it comes to produce.
3) I take out $75 in cash each week for groceries. That means I have to keep track of what I am spending, and if it looks like I am going over budget then I have to look at my cart and see if I NEED everything or if I am impulse buying.
Don't know if that helps at all. I would love to hear anyone else's strategies.

Liz said...

Katie, I am so impressed with how disciplined you are. I didn't want to post my budget because I'm in Linz's range and I was embarrassed! :) We are meat eaters though AND we buy a lot of produce. Milk is around 4.30 and we go through a gallon and a half a week.

And Bethany VH, I'm sooooo impressed that you make yourself drink powdered milk! I say "make" because my Mom used to "make" us drink it! :)