Weekly groceries for a family of 5

amother

Yellow

Sun, Nov 26 2017, 5:35 am

We are a family of 5 two adults and 3 kids ages 4 3 and 1. I spend around 150 on groceries a week- sometimes a little more some less but its 600 at the end of the month. The two older kids get lunch in school and I work in a school that provides lunch for staff. We rarely go away for shabbos and we have guests very infrequently. I feel like my grocery bill should not be this much but if im able to cut back one week I just end up with a huge order the next week so it all evens out at the end. How much do u spend on your family?

amother

Apricot

Sun, Nov 26 2017, 7:13 am

amother wrote:

We spend $350.

LittleDucky

Sun, Nov 26 2017, 7:22 am

I think that might be reasonable but it also depends on where you live, if you keep cholov yisroel or not and a host of other factors. Instead of thinking just a total number, can you look at any individual expenses you can cut? For instance - yogurt? Soft drinks? These aren’t daily necessities and can make a big dent.
I am not sure if you are counting paper goods in there as well but personally I cut paper towels out for the most part and it saves me a lot. I don’t keep them in the kitchen and only take it out when it’s something my cleaning rags can’t do. But not having them on my counter stopped me from automatically taking one to dry my hands. I think I have had the same package for 6 months or more...

creditcards

Sun, Nov 26 2017, 8:25 am

I do orders over the phone and have it delivered and I pay a delivery fee. My grocery is always double when I go to the grocery. All of a sudden I see a million things that I need.
I write a very detailed list exactly what company of everything, so I order only what I really need in the house. Whenever I run out of something I add it to my list.
Is chicken part of your grocery order. I order everything from the grocery including fish and chicken and a hairbrush, toothbrush, shampoo and vitamins. Some people order fish from fish store. Chicken from butcher. Shampoo from Costco, paper goods from another place, so there is really no way to compare...also each location has different pricing depending on the competition...

nicole81

Sun, Nov 26 2017, 8:38 am

amother wrote:

I think you're doing great. We spend the same amount for a family of 7, but we buy sale prices in bulk, have the luxury of going to a few different places a week for sale items, I bake my own bread and pizza, and we serve eggs once every 1-2 weeks for dinner to keep the food bill down. If you can do that, it will probably save you a decent amount, but if that's not for you, you're probably doing close to the best that you can.

amother

Oak

Sun, Nov 26 2017, 10:39 am

We spend very similarly, also about 150/ week for a family of five, with the exception that I send lunches with my kids to school. I already feel like I am very frugal when shopping, and definitely buy less convenience foods and luxury items than most of my friends and family in the grocery. I shop sales and try to menu plan and use leftovers as much as possible. I think around 600 /month for a family of five is already on the lower end

amother

Papaya

Sun, Nov 26 2017, 12:47 pm

Wow I wish I can spend so little. I always get things on sale but food is very expensive. Shabbos chicken and meat is around $30 and milk which has calcium (important) alone is around $30 a week. Challahs for shabbos can cost around $15. Snacks cost a lot and I try to get cheapest, but buying in bjs saves me money except that a lot of things are dairy.

Even rye bread keeps going up. Kosher food is very expensive. Where I live even though there are a few stores, they are not in competition and charge a fortune. I feel like as frugal as I am, a lot of foods I just cant get cheaper like chicken, cholov yisroel milk, challahs, parve snacks......it is hard.

thunderstorm

Sun, Nov 26 2017, 12:55 pm

amother wrote:

That's ALOT of milk! wouldnt that be at least 10 bottles of milk??? That's an awful lot, no?

amother

Chocolate

Sun, Nov 26 2017, 12:59 pm

amother wrote:

I spend around $150 a week for my family of three (2 adults, one toddler)

Same here. And I am very frugal, think chicken only once a week, no meat ever etc.

amother

Papaya

Sun, Nov 26 2017, 1:42 pm

Bizzydizzymommy wrote:

That's ALOT of milk! wouldnt that be at least 10 bottles of milk??? That's an awful lot, no?

But if everyone in the family is having cereal every day and drinking the amount of milk required for 5 people, with milk around $3 a bottle.

Oh and I forgot to mention fruits and vegetables are so expensive too.

amother

Burgundy

Sun, Nov 26 2017, 2:00 pm

I spend about $175 a week on groceries for a family of 7. $50 of that is for fruits and vegetables. The only paper goods I buy are plastic cups (which are washed and reused), napkins (2.50 for a pack of 1000 last for 2-3 months, tissues and toilet paper. We use cholov yisroel milk. I think ur budgeting well.

amother

Apricot

Sun, Nov 26 2017, 2:19 pm

amother wrote:

Wow. We go though 1000 napkins in a month. Family of 4.