Home
Log in / Sign Up
    Private Messages   Advanced Search   Rules   New User Guide   FAQ   Advertise   Contact Us  
Forum -> Household Management -> Finances
Is this a normal grocery amount?!
1  2  Next



Post new topic   Reply to topic View latest: 24h 48h 72h

amother
OP


 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 8:39 am
Hard to judge when things have been so unstable lately. Dh does the grocery shopping and I don't want to accuse him of being too spendy without a good frame of reference.

Details:
Family of 6, includes teens, a couple of big eaters but somewhat balanced by a couple of picky girls.
This does NOT include meat, chicken, and fresh fish. We get that separately.
We tend to have a lot of Shabbos guests but we were away one Shabbos and I didn't notice the bill being much less that week. Again, it doesn't include meat and chicken which are the biggest Shabbos expenses.
It does include paper goods and foil pans.
It includes pet food, not an expensive brand though.
I buy some things on Amazon including toilet paper, laundry detergent, occasional foods on sale, which I'm not including in this grocery math because I'd have to start separating it from other Amazon math and I'm just doing a quick check here.

Coming from covid boxes and food stamps to no help and inflated prices is making me dizzy. I just reviewed credit card records and it looks like we're spending on average about $300 per WEEK, WITHOUT counting meat and chicken (we have several family members on low carb diets for vital health reasons so we do a lot of chicken and meat which we buy in bulk at a cheaper store farther away. So it's not showing up in our regular grocery spending)

I'm a little shocked and want to know if I should be...
Back to top

amother
Glitter


 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 8:41 am
$300 per week is very little for a family of 6. Everything is so expensive now. We're a family of 5 and our grocery are about $400 a week.
Back to top

nelliesmellie




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 8:42 am
Yes that sounds high. Pre-covid the recommended grocery amount including meat and chicken was $200-$250 per month per person. Adjust that for now and it’s probably closer to $375/400 per month per person- that would include meat and chicken and fish etc

Edited- on second thought it looks about right. Assuming with thr toilet paper and other stuff you buy elsewhere and your protein bill it isn’t more than 1200 ish
Back to top

amother
Magenta


 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 8:44 am
We spend lately between $500 and $650 for family of 7 a week. Includes everything.
Prior to Covid we spend $300-$350
Back to top

amother
Feverfew


 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 8:44 am
amother OP wrote:
Hard to judge when things have been so unstable lately. Dh does the grocery shopping and I don't want to accuse him of being too spendy without a good frame of reference.

Details:
Family of 6, includes teens, a couple of big eaters but somewhat balanced by a couple of picky girls.
This does NOT include meat, chicken, and fresh fish. We get that separately.
We tend to have a lot of Shabbos guests but we were away one Shabbos and I didn't notice the bill being much less that week. Again, it doesn't include meat and chicken which are the biggest Shabbos expenses.
It does include paper goods and foil pans.
It includes pet food, not an expensive brand though.
I buy some things on Amazon including toilet paper, laundry detergent, occasional foods on sale, which I'm not including in this grocery math because I'd have to start separating it from other Amazon math and I'm just doing a quick check here.

Coming from covid boxes and food stamps to no help and inflated prices is making me dizzy. I just reviewed credit card records and it looks like we're spending on average about $300 per WEEK, WITHOUT counting meat and chicken (we have several family members on low carb diets for vital health reasons so we do a lot of chicken and meat which we buy in bulk at a cheaper store farther away. So it's not showing up in our regular grocery spending)

I'm a little shocked and want to know if I should be...

My weekly bill, for a family of 6 (two teens, one super picky eater) not including meat, chicken, fish, etc. is $250-$350 (approximately, of course)
Back to top

amother
Feverfew


 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 8:45 am
amother Glitter wrote:
$300 per week is very little for a family of 6. Everything is so expensive now. We're a family of 5 and our grocery are about $400 a week.

It’s not so little when you don’t include meat, chicken, fish, etc.
Back to top

SuperWify




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 8:46 am
I’m my little family of 4 we spend $350 on everything.
Back to top

amother
Khaki


 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 8:47 am
Unfortunately our grocery bill has just about close to doubled from before covid to now , food prices are insane where I live - the best best once in a while sale on a product (esp meat or chicken or fish) is what the regular price used to be. It's insane .
Back to top

amother
Grape


 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 8:47 am
Yogurt, milk, eggs, oil, fruit and veggies all went up.
Also, depends how much eat person eats.


I wouldn’t accuse him either way. Why not open up a conversation,
Honey can we review our budget, I feel like we need to make some cuts, then in ur food budget go over a. What it can be, go over the list of stuff you buy weekly to see if there is something particular you can take out.
Back to top

amother
Apple


 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 8:51 am
Not a lot at all.

Actually I'm impressed at the thriftyness.

Exact same, family size, one is a nursing baby. Oldest 9. Noone is a big eater. We have a kid off wheat so she eats spelt amd off soy, corn, Canola and other foods and another kid off gluten and dairy.
So we spend a bit more for the healthier or gluten free options.
Out grocery order is around 300-350 a week.
This does not include detergents fish meat or chicken. Also doesn't include the GF bread amd dairy free yogurts. Gf oreos or other goodies we get at target or the occasion shoprite run for different fruits veggies.
Also doesn't include the stuff we have on autoship on Amazon. Like lays potato potato chips, strech island fruit leather, nuts, coffee... the likes.
Back to top

amother
OP


 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 8:59 am
amother Grape wrote:
Yogurt, milk, eggs, oil, fruit and veggies all went up.
Also, depends how much eat person eats.


I wouldn’t accuse him either way. Why not open up a conversation,
Honey can we review our budget, I feel like we need to make some cuts, then in ur food budget go over a. What it can be, go over the list of stuff you buy weekly to see if there is something particular you can take out.

Right right I phrased lazily. I'm not about to hurl accusations, but if this is within the norm then I won't even bother picking on it in any form. I worry about the long term sustainability but right now we're managing ok bh
Back to top

justforfun87




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 9:01 am
Sounds about right. If I am being honest between multiple runs we probably spend average of 400-450 a week for everything. Family of 6 but kids are between 0-11.
Back to top

amother
Glitter


 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 9:03 am
amother Feverfew wrote:
It’s not so little when you don’t include meat, chicken, fish, etc.


Nowadays, it's little. Eggs, fruits n veggies, dairy... everything is more expensive.
Back to top

LittleDucky




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 9:40 am
It's hard to say what is "normal" because different people have specific dietary needs and include different things in "grocery". I personally only include food items. Detergent, diapers, cleaning supplies are all separate.

But either way- is the amount too high? Are you feeling pinched? Would you like it to be lower? Don't compare to others- figure out if and how it is working for you.
If you decided that you would like to reduce it, speak to DH in an open and not confrontational way about reducing expenses in general. Prices on everything are going up so it is a good time to look at what things can be cut.
Back to top

amother
Gray


 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 9:46 am
Yeah, that sounds about right. Same size family, plus I'm diabetic and also need to be low carb. I assume if you have a need for low carb you're also eating a lot of eggs, and the price of eggs has been ridiculous lately, so that's probably adding up. And for people in our situation, cutting back on eggs is really not an option.
Back to top

amother
NeonYellow


 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 9:50 am
I spend 400/450+300 (beg of week+shabbos sep). Yes meats, but dry goods I buy separately from target.
Family of 7 age 13-2.
Just saying, that 300 not tons AT ALL.
Back to top

TwinsMommy




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 9:51 am
We're at $250 a week before adding in chicken, meat and fish and we're 2 adults and 2 teens so I vote you're doing fine. Not that ANY of us want to be paying these prices. We could be doing better without my husband's insistence on $12 worth of candy a week and another $15 worth of soda a week--- lol. I nag him about that every week.
Back to top

amother
Blushpink


 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 10:08 am
Here it's about $650/week, family of 10
Includes papergoods but not toilet paper type of purchases.
I don't buy anything outrageously priced except eggs. If one pepper is more than a dollar, for example, I skip peppers.
Back to top

NotInNJMommy




 
 
    
 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 10:16 am
amother OP wrote:
Hard to judge when things have been so unstable lately. Dh does the grocery shopping and I don't want to accuse him of being too spendy without a good frame of reference.

Details:
Family of 6, includes teens, a couple of big eaters but somewhat balanced by a couple of picky girls.
This does NOT include meat, chicken, and fresh fish. We get that separately.
We tend to have a lot of Shabbos guests but we were away one Shabbos and I didn't notice the bill being much less that week. Again, it doesn't include meat and chicken which are the biggest Shabbos expenses.
It does include paper goods and foil pans.
It includes pet food, not an expensive brand though.
I buy some things on Amazon including toilet paper, laundry detergent, occasional foods on sale, which I'm not including in this grocery math because I'd have to start separating it from other Amazon math and I'm just doing a quick check here.

Coming from covid boxes and food stamps to no help and inflated prices is making me dizzy. I just reviewed credit card records and it looks like we're spending on average about $300 per WEEK, WITHOUT counting meat and chicken (we have several family members on low carb diets for vital health reasons so we do a lot of chicken and meat which we buy in bulk at a cheaper store farther away. So it's not showing up in our regular grocery spending)

I'm a little shocked and want to know if I should be...


In the US in 2023, $300 per week sounds on the cost conscious but not penny pinching side. I probably spend similar for a family of 5. (although we don't eat much meat/chicken at all)
Back to top

amother
Electricblue


 

Post Fri, Feb 03 2023, 10:17 am
amother Blushpink wrote:
Here it's about $650/week, family of 10
Includes papergoods but not toilet paper type of purchases.
I don't buy anything outrageously priced except eggs. If one pepper is more than a dollar, for example, I skip peppers.


I'm curious to see the breakdown of your grocery list.
Back to top
Page 1 of 2 1  2  Next Recent Topics




Post new topic   Reply to topic    Forum -> Household Management -> Finances

Related Topics Replies Last Post
Which grocery shopping app do you recommend?
by amother
5 Yesterday at 11:35 pm View last post
Tipping amount playgroup
by amother
6 Thu, Mar 21 2024, 12:04 am View last post
What’s the typical amount to tip elementary rebbi on Purim?
by galpal
98 Wed, Mar 20 2024, 5:25 pm View last post
There are no normal jobs for men
by amother
91 Thu, Mar 14 2024, 2:40 pm View last post
What grade is normal for a sleepover?
by amother
29 Fri, Mar 08 2024, 1:37 am View last post