What's your family food budget?

Also, keep in mind that when you own, you have to pay for maintenance. This can be minimal....new paint a room at a time....replacing a drain assembly etc.
Or expensive....new water heater....new roof....
It's been recommended to me to save 1-3% of the home's value towards maintenance annually. This will vary based on area (in high cost of living areas things tend to cost more, but may be not 100% more) and the house itself (some houses require more maintenance than others). But, if you start out saving 2%, then you can adjust up or down once you learn more about your house.
 
good lord prices are out of control!!!! i had to go shopping and do a door drop off for my eldest b/c she's quarantined awaiting her covid test results :guilty:-

4 cans of campbells chicken noodle soup
3 containers of store brand ('on sale') juice
4 frozen pot pies ('on sale'-not a premium brand)
4 tiny frozen entrees (4 for $10)
2 small containers of fruit
4 bagels (2 free b/c of safeway monopoly)

grand total.............................$68 and change:scared: freaking nuts.
Processed stuff always costs more.
Yesterday I bought
Kale bunch .99
Large green lettuce 1.59
Watermelon 2.99
cantaloupe 2.29
Zucchini .99 pp
Sqash .99 pp
Broccoli 1.59 pp
Markdown stir fry 1.79 each
Cherries 2.99 pp
Raspberries 1.50 each carton
Blue berry cheesecake ice cream 3.99
Pineapple fruit bars 3.99
And if we had needed chicken, leg quarters were on sale for $.49 pp. Roasted with a good sauce or rub, is my favorite meat.
Anyway all that was $40 something.
 
Processed stuff always costs more.
Yesterday I bought
Kale bunch .99
Large green lettuce 1.59
Watermelon 2.99
cantaloupe 2.29
Zucchini .99 pp
Sqash .99 pp
Broccoli 1.59 pp
Markdown stir fry 1.79 each
Cherries 2.99 pp
Raspberries 1.50 each carton
Blue berry cheesecake ice cream 3.99
Pineapple fruit bars 3.99
And if we had needed chicken, leg quarters were on sale for $.49 pp. Roasted with a good sauce or rub, is my favorite meat.
Anyway all that was $40 something.

Yeah, I'm finding produce is the CHEAP item right now...of course, it's the end of May:)...

Yesterday, I got (at Hmart)
4 lbs of strawberries $1.99/each
1 large pineapple $1.99
6 lbs of large gala apples $.99/lb or $6
4 lbs of bananas $.59/lb or $2.36
2 lbs of red grapes $1.99/lb or $3.98
5 lbs of russet potatoes $1.99
3lbs of yellow onions $1.29
.4 lbs of fresh ginger $1
1 cauliflower head $1.49
2 lbs of broccoli at $.99/lb for $1.98
1 lb of okra for $1.49
2 lbs of carrots for $.99
1 head of celery for $1.29
1 red leaf lettuce bunch for $.88
2 lbs of roma tomatoes for $.88/lb or about $1.75
6 ears of corn for $1.99

So, I'm pretty set for produce for the week - grand total for the produce was about $35 (with taxes) - I also got 2 packs of 18 medium eggs for $.99/each and 2 lbs of Korean marinated chicken breast for $5 that we're eating tonight, so the bill was actually about $42...and it's an enormous poundage of food...I told my spouse if I was vegan, we'd be so rich...but while he loves all the fruits and veg I add to his diet, he cannot live without his meat and fish...usually, I pick up fresh fish on my trips here, but with getting the chicken, I decided that would wait a week:)...if I don't eat fresh fish within 24 hours, I don't eat the fresh fish:)...
 
2 adults and 2 kids (7 and almost 5).

Our budget is there really isn’t one because things change for us based on what activities and rehearsals/competitions are going on with the kids. We’ve also found that prices change often and what the kids ask us to buy for lunch and snack changes from week to week. This is usually how it all works out:
-Coffee (daily for two adults): $100-$150/week
-Takeout: $40-$80/week now ($150-$200/week if activities like cheer and dance are running)
-Weekend family breakfast out: $50-$80/week
-Groceries: $400-$500/week ($300-$400/week of activities are running after school)

I’m curious what you are purchasing in your ~$2000/mo grocery amount. Do you purchase lots of pre-made meals at a higher end grocery store? Shop daily at small shops in a city?

Your coffee budget is about what my family of five spends on groceries (and that includes a good amount of alcohol). We don’t set a budget for food. Just buy whatever we want/need and it averages out to around $600 per month.

*Note: I realized it may have come across like I was judging. I’m really just interested in how shopping habits, food, and lifestyles vary between families and locations.
 


I’m curious what you are purchasing in your ~$2000/mo grocery amount. Do you purchase lots of pre-made meals at a higher end grocery store? Shop daily at small shops in a city?

Your coffee budget is about what my family of five spends on groceries (and that includes a good amount of alcohol). We don’t set a budget for food. Just buy whatever we want/need and it averages out to around $600 per month.

*Note: I realized it may have come across like I was judging. I’m really just interested in how shopping habits, food, and lifestyles vary between families and locations.
Oh I didn’t think you were judging at all so no worries :) I live on the CT shoreline and everything is expensive here. I do a lot of my shopping at Whole Foods and local bakeries, and also at our local butcher and Italian/European market. But I buy a lot of organic fruit and veggies, free range and grass fed meat, fresh seafood, organic poultry and dairy, cereal for the kids, KerryGold butter (which we go through like crazy), prepackaged snacks for the kids and for my husband, Larabars, Kodiak Cake mixes, lunch meat, deli cheese, etc. The local bakery items are things I buy on Sunday and again on Wednesday (bagels, lunch rolls, baguettes, etc.) but usually their specialty cream cheese and spreads last a week. I also bake a lot of treats (usually on Wednesday and Sunday) because there’s always something between the kids and dessert.

It’s really the gimmicky stuff for the kids (unicorn treats, mermaid packaged treats, individual packs of Nutella and breadsticks, crazy cereal) that is unpredictable. But I also buy odd things that aren’t easy to find everywhere like pancetta, sopressata, mascarpone, fontina, Martelli pasta, French butter with sea salt, chestnut paste, etc.

I also make a trip to the local Indian store every month (for things like turmeric, saffron, naan, cardamom pods, loose Indian chai, basmati rice, chickpea flour, etc.).
 
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Babies are extremely expensive. Diapers alone will cost an arm and a leg and formula is outrageous. Our kids are adults now and so they get some of their own food when they go out but we spend about $500-$600/month at the store. This includes household, non-food items also. But we don't exactly economize. We buy what we want. I would highly recommend buying a house that you can afford on 1 income. When our kids were young, I stayed home with them and cooked most meals, and I don't remember how much I spent. I know it was a lot with 2 little ones.

This is what we did and I'm so grateful that we didn't get a larger, more expensive house just because we could. We would be just fine on husband's income and there's a lot of security in knowing that I could work or not, but choose to because I love what I do.
 
We have 3 kids (12, 8, 6) and I spend on average at least $300 week on groceries. Actually, I’m happy if I only spend $300 when I go. This does not include eating out. I spend a lot on fresh fruits, vegetables, pre-portioned snacks and what I call “healthy convenience dinners.” Due to our busy work schedules we don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen, so dinner items must be quick to prepare. I assume this is why my bill is pretty high. We also live in a high cost of living area, but I usually shop at the cheaper grocery stores.
Congrats on starting a family soon!
 


Processed stuff always costs more.
Yesterday I bought
Kale bunch .99
Large green lettuce 1.59
Watermelon 2.99
cantaloupe 2.29
Zucchini .99 pp
Sqash .99 pp
Broccoli 1.59 pp
Markdown stir fry 1.79 each
Cherries 2.99 pp
Raspberries 1.50 each carton
Blue berry cheesecake ice cream 3.99
Pineapple fruit bars 3.99
And if we had needed chicken, leg quarters were on sale for $.49 pp. Roasted with a good sauce or rub, is my favorite meat.
Anyway all that was $40 something.

we haven't seen prices like that in ages. if we can find any non organic produce (supply chain interruptions have most of our stores with just the stuff they can get locally from the organic providers which goes bad within a day or two of purchase) prices here for some of the items you got run-

kale/chards-about $2.99 bunch
haven't seen watermelon or cantaloupe except in precut containers-$4.99 pp
zucc/squash-$1.79 pp
berries-only in prepared containers (no cartons or bulk)-$4.99 minimum pp
chicken leg quarters were supposedly on sale this week at one of the stores but i would be surprised if they had any (and if they did they would limit to 2 small packages, i haven't seen the big family size packages for a couple of months)-$1.49 pp.

'sale prices' for certain meats have increased like crazy-beef is up by at least $2 pp across the board. a person is better off going out to buy a burger than making one at home-between paying close to $6 pp for the meat and $4.99 pp for vine tomatoes it adds up quick.
 
we haven't seen prices like that in ages. if we can find any non organic produce (supply chain interruptions have most of our stores with just the stuff they can get locally from the organic providers which goes bad within a day or two of purchase) prices here for some of the items you got run-

kale/chards-about $2.99 bunch
haven't seen watermelon or cantaloupe except in precut containers-$4.99 pp
zucc/squash-$1.79 pp
berries-only in prepared containers (no cartons or bulk)-$4.99 minimum pp
chicken leg quarters were supposedly on sale this week at one of the stores but i would be surprised if they had any (and if they did they would limit to 2 small packages, i haven't seen the big family size packages for a couple of months)-$1.49 pp.

'sale prices' for certain meats have increased like crazy-beef is up by at least $2 pp across the board. a person is better off going out to buy a burger than making one at home-between paying close to $6 pp for the meat and $4.99 pp for vine tomatoes it adds up quick.

Funny enough, at my non-produce shop today, you're so right about the ground beef. $8/lb for 80% - no thank you. I got a deli full size rotisserie chicken plus an 8 piece fried chicken deal for $5 total (that was the super deal of the day)...so we have that now. And I got beef stew meat for $3.50/lb. I admit that I did get 2 1lb packs of $9.50/lb steakhouse meat to freeze b/c it was on the 50% off last day rack, so for $4.75/lb for the high end stuff, I got it b/c I didn't have any ground beef at all...but even then, that was like my "top end buy price" for ground beef...and my family is gonna just have to deal with way more chicken, fish, pork, and "non-ground" beef for awhile...
 
We spend an average of $400-$500/month on groceries pre-COVID. It's just my husband, two kids (5, 3) and I. We mainly shop at Costco, Trader Joe's & Stop and Shop. We get our staples such as bread, eggs, fruit, veggies, chocolate milk, Annie's mac & cheese, household essentials at Costco. We go to Trader Joe's in between Costco runs for their organic milk, avocados, ground beef, veggies, fruit, etc. I shop at Stop and Shop according to their sale. Lately, none of the supermarkets are running sales anymore, so our monthly grocery budget is about $100-150 more. There are no Wal-Marts, Aldi or Lidl where I live.
 
Groceries tend to be higher in Canada.
So about $1000-$1200 a month for 4 people including teen boys that eat a lot.
That includes paper and cleaning products.
We also don’t eat out much - once or twice a month- and take lunch and coffee to work.
So no extra budget line for buying coffees and lunches. Kids pack lunch too - no lunch program.
 
we haven't seen prices like that in ages. if we can find any non organic produce (supply chain interruptions have most of our stores with just the stuff they can get locally from the organic providers which goes bad within a day or two of purchase) prices here for some of the items you got run-

kale/chards-about $2.99 bunch
haven't seen watermelon or cantaloupe except in precut containers-$4.99 pp
zucc/squash-$1.79 pp
berries-only in prepared containers (no cartons or bulk)-$4.99 minimum pp
chicken leg quarters were supposedly on sale this week at one of the stores but i would be surprised if they had any (and if they did they would limit to 2 small packages, i haven't seen the big family size packages for a couple of months)-$1.49 pp.

'sale prices' for certain meats have increased like crazy-beef is up by at least $2 pp across the board. a person is better off going out to buy a burger than making one at home-between paying close to $6 pp for the meat and $4.99 pp for vine tomatoes it adds up quick.
Absolutely. Prices here are out of control. My husband bought ground beef for the dog for $9.50/lb at Sam’s Club. He also bought himself two rib eyes at $15.98/lb and said that he only got them because he wanted to grill out with the kids after over two months of living in the camper. It was definitely a memorable weekend in our house :lovestruc
 
Groceries tend to be higher in Canada.
So about $1000-$1200 a month for 4 people including teen boys that eat a lot.
That includes paper and cleaning products.
We also don’t eat out much - once or twice a month- and take lunch and coffee to work.
So no extra budget line for buying coffees and lunches. Kids pack lunch too - no lunch program.

after vacationing in canada a couple of summers ago and experiencing the higher grocery prices dh and i joked that we should take advantage of our close proximity to the boarder and smuggle costco rotisserie chickens to you folks :thumbsup2
 

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