Grocery bill out of control. 400 dollars this week!

Log in / Sign Up

List of Forums + New Post Recipe Box Usergroups Following My Posts Bookmarks

Private Messages Advanced Search Rules New User Guide FAQ Advertise Contact Us

Forum -> Household Management -> Finances

1 2 3 Next

View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 1:51 pm

Ok. I wonder if it's just me.
We are a family of 6 with 4 older kids.
Apparently they/we eat.
Alot!
I spent 400 dollars this week, between a kosher grocery store, and a regular one.
My kids eat tons of salads.
All day, there's tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers being eaten. I check my own lettuce as well, to save on that. But it's a total food fest. I never have had all of us home for three meals a day, 7 days a week. Am I the only one spending a bloody fortune?
My dinners aren't extravagant, no meat during the week, except on shabbos. Snacks, breakfast. Lunch. A loaf of lite bread a day.
Not a complaint at all, just wondering, am I completely spending outrageous amounts on food?

amother

Ivory

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 1:56 pm

Its doesnt sound like a lot to me at all

I spent over 100 for just 2 of us and no meat or fancy ingredients at all except one bag of checked lettuce for 4.5. Rest was bread, eggs, milk, a few veggies, cream cheese, potatoes onions etc

Some of it may last more than a week. Still it wasn't tons

Things add up

amother

Goldenrod

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 1:56 pm

$400 a week seems so little to me!!! We're a family of 5, no teens, and our groceries are almost $300 a week.

amother

Forestgreen

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 2:06 pm

We've been spending $650 (including paper goods, disposables, detergents, meat/poultry and everything included) 🙈

amother

Mistyrose

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 2:10 pm

snack on cheaper produce Smile

amother

Pumpkin

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 2:17 pm

just curious do they usually get free lunch at school or are you just paying for groceries now instead of paying for school lunches?

I always have to pay for the food we eat, it just gets divided differently.

amother

Hotpink

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 2:19 pm

It's not nuts.

But if you want to decrease costs, you need to make a meal and snack plan. Compare actual costs for the meals you generally make, and see which ones are most expensive. You may be surprised - a ground beef based meal can end up cheaper than a dairy meal, for example. Be sure to include a small amount for spices, oil, etc. Examples below:

Pasta & Sauce:
2 lb ground beef - $12
3 boxes pasta - $3
1 large can sauce - $3.50
1 bag frozen vegetables - $2.50
oil & spices - $1
= $22, feeds 11 with leftovers, $2 per person

Baked Ziti:
3 boxes ziti - $3
3 jars pasta sauce - $7
3 bags cheese (8 oz) - $10.50
1/2 bottle milk - $1.50
1 bag frozen vegetables - $2.50
oil & spices - $.50
= $25, feeds 11 without leftovers, about $2.25 per person

Try to minimize your "expensive" meals, and save them for treats.

Fresh produce is expensive, not too much to do about that, unless you buy in bulk or find cheaper options that you can make available (carrots and dip, celery, etc.)

amother

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 2:22 pm

amother [ Pumpkin ] wrote:

3 of the kids, I pay for lunch. It's much cheaper . I pay like 400 for the year per kid. The 4th DC prepares for himself. They don't get gourmet salads in school!

amother

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 2:24 pm

amother [ Mistyrose ] wrote:

snack on cheaper produce Smile

I can't make them eat what they dont like.
They like salads. Im grateful. I won't make them eat junk.

amother

Turquoise

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 2:25 pm

I have a few ideas based off what my kids like:

1. Oatmeal with raisins or manna porridge with half milk/half water and raisins for breakfast. My kids love it anyway.

2. Sunflower seeds and raw vegetables.

3. Eggs, buckwheat and raw vegetables for lunch.

4. Large pots of chicken soup made with whole chicken, carrots, potatoes, onions, cabbage, garlic and garnished with dill. (You can also remove the chicken at the end for another meal).

5. Dry beans (rinsed, soaked and cooked) used to make falafel and homemade (or store bought) hummus. We also like spiced and roasted chickpeas as a snack.

6. Hot chocolate made with milk, coca powder and stevia sweetener

7. Homemade whole grain bread and butter

8. Wraps made with vegetables, tofu or chicken, hummus or pesto

9. Use less meat (we eat meat once a week usually)

10. Buy potatoes, carrots and similar vegetables/starches in bulk quantities

11. Hard boiled eggs, milk, beand, nuts and seeds are excellent protein sources, so feed your kids these foods during snacks and meals.

12. Instead of juice give your kids herbal or fruit iced teas. They are healthier, sugar-free and cheaper.

13. Is your Shabbos food bill high? We lowered ours by making our own desserts and having only the Friday night meal fleishigs, with the lunch meal paerve.

I hope this helps. We don't live in the US, but baruch Hashem our food bill is extremely reasonable, and we eat very healthily.

amother

Linen

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 2:27 pm

I pay tons more, for a family of 9. I don't think your bill is high at all. My weekly grocery order is approximately $500, plus we end up supplementing daily for odds and ends, at least another $200 weekly.

amother

Beige

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 2:28 pm

Well, I spent around $300 for family of 6 this week.
I also ordered a little from Amazon and target and I’m not counting that.
In addition, a few times a week I picked up the free lunches. Some of it my kids won’t eat and I have them lunch anyway.

amother

Jade

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 2:28 pm

I can't tell you our bill because it's not weekly - I bought a case of chicken, I split packs of meat, etc.
I know we've been spending more - when other people shop for you (and kudos to all the personal shoppers!!! I love you all!), when more people are at home for longer.
Hatzlacha and I hope you get some good, sustainable ideas.

L25

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 2:30 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

3 of the kids, I pay for lunch. It's much cheaper . I pay like 400 for the year per kid. The 4th DC prepares for himself. They don't get gourmet salads in school!

wow. I have to pay 4 dollars a lunch per child for school.

amother

Orchid

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 2:31 pm

I spend more than that a week and we are only a family of five. Kids are under 8

groisamomma

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 2:34 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

I have the same setup as you, I'm surprised it's so similar. 6 people, 4 big kids, salad alllll day, check my own lettuce, meat on Shabbos. All familiar.

Except that's the cost of my regular food bill. How did you get away with less than that until now??

challahchallah

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 2:53 pm

I find the best produce deals at restaurant supply stores.

amother

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 2:57 pm

groisamomma wrote:

Because I didn't have 6 people sitting home all day eating!!!

One kid isn't usually home at all

I am a good shopper. Now, I'm paying premium price. Like a dollar more a lb than usual for chicken. Everyone has raised their prices. It's a free for all, I cant shop in my regular cheaper grocery store, they don't practice safe social distancing, and I'm afraid, so I shop in the safest most expensive store

tichellady

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 3:04 pm

Doesn’t sound out of the ordinary to me

thunderstorm

Thu, Apr 30 2020, 3:17 pm

amother [ Beige ] wrote:

Well, I spent around $300 for family of 6 this week.
I also ordered a little from amazon and target and I’m not counting that.
In addition, a few times a week I picked up the free lunches. Some of it my kids won’t eat and I have them lunch anyway.

We are a family of 7and I just received my receipt from this week...it’s $100 more than my normal weekly shopping. We’ve been getting the government lunches and I cut back a lot on my grocery order. I was shocked to see how much it costs

Page 1 of 3

1 2 3 Next