How much do you spend on food?

[nissangirl74]

Since we are all watching our budgets, I was wondering how much you spend on food per week. This article says the woman in question feeds a family of four on <$10 a day. On average, I spend about $100 a week, depending largely on how much meat I buy and what kind. Do you think this is about right, too much, too little?

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budget ... n-10-a-day

[Dattebayo]

I used to do it for about $60-70 a week when I was on the wal-mart diet when I was traveling a year ago... Living out of a mini-fridge was super boring tho, and I had to drink to make up for it. Does that count?

[nissangirl74]

Beer budget is not included on this one. :-)

[Dattebayo]

Good, cause that was about another $30-40 for beer, but not every week. Some weeks I was too damn busy during the day and too tired to get a beer when I finally got back to my room. I actually thought I was incapable of sleeping in a hotel chair until I had that job.

[krash]

I usually stay under 20. Ramen is good stuff.

[Jesda]

I am impressed by this woman's thrift. It really is a skill to get your costs down that far. I had to do it years ago when I was poorer than a squirrel, but I didn't really know how to prepare my own meals so I just ate a lot of low-cost trash. I got so darn skinny my waist was 32" [can you even imagine it? you cant!]

These days I spend $600-$800 per month. :o

[krash]

It sucks that McDonalds is so cheap.

[Kompresshun]

I'd say we spend roughly $100-130 per week if we don't eat out a bunch(more than 2-3 times) The cost varies due to when we buy baby formula and ect. We can get it down lower when we use coupons and ect, but I'm usually the one that does the grocery shopping so I always forget them.

When we first got married we ate dirt cheap for almost a year while my wife was finishing nursing school. I bet we ate for $30-40 a week then. Ramen noodles still rock though!

[ProudNissanFreak]

$10 for dinner on Fridays, rest of the days I make food at home.

[HashiriyaS14]

Probably $600-700/month for my wife and I, which includes eating out. Less than that right now, because she's so pregnant that she doesn't want to sit still in a restaurant.

This is when I'm basically just buying whatever I want. I could get that number down a LOT if I wanted and still be reasonably healthy, but it would increase preparation time and right now I don't have that luxury.

I still manage to make a fair amount of healthy food from scratch though.

[King Ranzo]

For two people plus 4 animals, we spend from either $120 a week to $220, depending on what we need.

[PEZi]

my family for the three of us spends roughly $80 a week on food

we buy our meat from a local place so its pretty expensive but healthier... that's about $50
then we get all the sides, bread, etc. from the grocery store at about $30

[skydragoness]

Well, being that I work in a independent natural food store, I get a hefty discount. I'm spoiled. :x
Anyway, probably between $20-50 a week for myself depending how much I go dine-out on the weekend. On the low end if I don't end up dining out.

[krimsonviper]

~ $250/4 weeks= ~$62.5

$62.5 a week. My family does all the shopping in one day to last a month. It's great way to watch your budget IMO. I used to spend at least $5 a day on food while in school because I don't like packing lunches, so that used to come around $25 a week for myself alone.

[ka24boos13t]

I've gone as far as $15 for four weeks so (technically) $3.75 a week.

This is not proper nutrition however.

Normally I'm around $25-$30 a week.

[nissangirl74]

Well, being that I work in a independent natural food store, I get a hefty discount. I'm spoiled. :x
Anyway, probably between $20-50 a week for myself depending how much I go dine-out on the weekend. On the low end if I don't end up dining out.

Since it's just you, do you ever find that it's cheaper to eat out than to cook a lot? I imagine you could end up with a lot of leftovers.

[flohtingPoint]

Quite a bit. I like to eat well and have an expense limit of 50 bucks a day while on business. At home I still spend quite a bit because I like to cook very well for myself. I have very little luxuries in my life (I'm sleeping on a couch right now, for example), food is one of them.

[nissangirl74]

Quite a bit. I like to eat well and have an expense limit of 50 bucks a day while on business. At home I still spend quite a bit because I like to cook very well for myself. I have very little luxuries in my life (I'm sleeping on a couch right now, for example), food is one of them.

(Just a side not....I will be making the corn chowder this week! Yum!)

[Red coupe]

Well, being that I work in a independent natural food store, I get a hefty discount. I'm spoiled. :x
Anyway, probably between $20-50 a week for myself depending how much I go dine-out on the weekend. On the low end if I don't end up dining out.

Since it's just you, do you ever find that it's cheaper to eat out than to cook a lot? I imagine you could end up with a lot of leftovers.

I can't imagine it being cheaper to eat out.

Maybe I am spoiled by having a pretty damn good budget grocery store near by but there is no way I could come close even eating every meal at del taco.

I spend about $30 a week now, before I had steady paychecks it was ~$20.

[nissangirl74]

there is no way I could come close even eating every meal at del taco.

I didn't eat like a king when I was in school the first time, but we ate well. I taught both of my roommates how to cook. We didn't eat a lot of Ramen (way too salty for my taste), but we did figure out a LOT of different ways to cook macaroni and cheese.

[Red coupe]

there is no way I could come close even eating every meal at del taco.

I didn't eat like a king when I was in school the first time, but we ate well. I taught both of my roommates how to cook. We didn't eat a lot of Ramen (way too salty for my taste), but we did figure out a LOT of different ways to cook macaroni and cheese.

Meh, you can get a pound of non brand bacon that is perfectly good for a buck fifty. Pancakes are almost free. I can make a pizza WAY better then any frozen one for like $2, potato are damn near free and $6 can usually get you a bag of frozen chicken breasts that are good if you trim them up and season them right... you could probably make BBQ chicken and potatoes for like $1.50 -$2.00 a plate. Rice bowls are also good, cheap and work well for left overs.

You really don't have to eat ramen to eat cheap (however the beef seasoning packets are awesome to cook rice in so it isn't so bland) just shop smarter, most large chain stores are an amazing rip off.
It is crazy when you go to Stater Brothers and see Farmer John's bacon for $6.50, then see the exact same product at Winco for $3.00.

[hbpignosePA]

honestly people spend more money in the prepared food isles than if they would stick to just the perishable departments. I spend probably 50-60 a week on food for two. now sometimes its a bit more if we do Sunday dinner with my sister and her husband, and in the summer my girlfriend eats dinner with us more frequently.

i try to make dinner 3 times a week, id cook everyday but i work at a small restaurant so i normally eat free while I'm working. (my boss is awesome) I do sometimes just make food to heat up later in the week though.

[drksolest]

For two people plus 4 animals, we spend from either $120 a week to $220, depending on what we need.

Same for us, $150- $50 for three people n' a cat, but that includes toiletries and sammich bags, ya know everything we need.

does not include wine.

[AppleBonker]

I'm probably at about $100/week for myself (and only me). But that includes all food as well as toiletries and cleaning supplies. It amounts to roughly $50/week on average at a local grocery store and maybe $300 every six weeks at Costco. The Costco trip frequently includes cleaning products and toiletries as well as personal hygiene products.

This does not include any alcohol or any cost to take the girlie out to dinner or cook her some sort of special meal.

[scotty-2-forty]

We spend about $200 a week on average at the grocery store for a family of 4; add in about $80 a week for our dinner-for-two night (yes, we actually manage to get out sometimes), bringing the average weekly total to $280.

[Jesda]

Always cheaper to eat in, but only if you know how to use ingredients.

[scotty-2-forty]

Always cheaper to eat in, but only if you know how to use ingredients.

Yes, but it's nice to get out and have others wait on you. We try to skip the fast-food routine.

[deathbyspoon]

About $125 a week or so for me and the girlfriend. More if we go out to dinner.

And that doesnt include the $2500-3200 i spend for a whole cow once a year (seriously. i buy a cow and have it butchered and vacuum packed)

[drksolest]

About $125 a week or so for me and the girlfriend. More if we go out to dinner.

And that doesnt include the $2500-3200 i spend for a whole cow once a year (seriously. i buy a cow and have it butchered and vacuum packed)

haha ya my boss does the same. he says it's cheaper that way... idk

[flohtingPoint]

(Just a side not....I will be making the corn chowder this week! Yum!)

Right on! Make sure to remember the bacon though, I made it w/out the bacon a while back and it didn't really taste right.