In "The Tightwad Gazette III" Amy describes a chart one of her readers sent her in the mail from the USDA that gives the cost per person, based on age, that should be spent on food. It goes like this.

The following are the cost per week, based on age, that it should cost to feed your family. This does not include the cost of going to get the food, the electricity that goes into preparing the food, any non-food items (toothpaste, toilet paper, laundry soap, etc.) and it doesn't include eating out.

Thirfty Plan:

~ Child, 1 - 2 years: $13.50
~ Child, 3 - 5 years: $14.50
~ Child, 6 - 8 years: $17.60
~ Child, 9-11 years: $21.00

~ Male, 12 - 14 years: $21.80
~ Male, 15 - 19 years: $22.60
~ Male, 20 - 50 years: $24.30
~ Male, 50 years plus: $22.00

~ Female, 12 - 19 years: $22.10
~ Female, 20 - 50 years: $22.00
~ Female, 51 years plus: $21.70


Low-Cost Plan:

~ Child, 1 - 2 years: $16.40
~ Child, 3 - 5 years: $17.80
~ Child, 6 - 8 years: $23.60
~ Child, 9-11 years: $26.80

~ Male, 12 - 14 years: $30.40
~ Male, 15 - 19 years: $31.40
~ Male, 20 - 50 years: $31.10
~ Male, 50 years plus: $29.50

~ Female, 12 - 19 years: $26.30
~ Female, 20 - 50 years: $27.30
~ Female, 51 years plus: $26.50


Moderate-Cost Plan:

~ Child, 1 - 2 years: $19.10
~ Child, 3 - 5 years: $22.00
~ Child, 6 - 8 years: $29.05
~ Child, 9-11 years: $34.40

~ Male, 12 - 14 years: $37.80
~ Male, 15 - 19 years: $39.00
~ Male, 20 - 50 years: $38.70
~ Male, 50 years plus: $36.20

~ Female, 12 - 19 years: $31.80
~ Female, 20 - 50 years: $33.10
~ Female, 51 years plus: $32.60


Liberal Plan:

~ Child, 1 - 2 years: $23.50
~ Child, 3 - 5 years: $26.30
~ Child, 6 - 8 years: $34.40
~ Child, 9-11 years: $39.80

~ Male, 12 - 14 years: $44.50
~ Male, 15 - 19 years: $45.20
~ Male, 20 - 50 years: $46.90
~ Male, 50 years plus: $43.40

~ Female, 12 - 19 years: $38.50
~ Female, 20 - 50 years: $42.30
~ Female, 51 years plus: $39.00

Now of course, this table was published in November of 1993, so chances are, the cost of food has probably at least doubled since then. But has anyone got any idea where we could find a more updated version of this chart?

Furthermore, do you think it's possible to budget your groceries based on this? Becuase I'm pretty sure I could get by with a monthly budget of $88.00. (Not sure if that includes tax or not, doesn't specify.)

for USDA meal plans...I think you will find a fairly up-to-date plan there somewhere. I remember on another board I go to this same topic came up a few months ago and someone suggested that.

Sweet Majesty, you're right!!! :tay:

http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/foodplans.html Well thank you, that certainly answers that question! :D

Hmmm, the newest one is only for February, 2006, but it is certainly a better judgement than one from November, 1993. :) According to this one, a woman between the ages of 20 to 50 (i.e. me) sould cost me $30.80 per week, or $133.50 on the "Thrifty Plan". Well, that's certainly interesting. I'll bet dollars to donuts I could do at least that, if not better. :)

WOW! We would have $94.50 a week on the "Thrifty" plan. Holy smokes! That doesn't even include non-food items. That is almost double what I actually spend.

On the "old" thrifty plan we're projected to spend $77 a week. Some months we're there, but with budgeting and planning, we could beat that no problem:)

Mine said like $158 per week! No stinking way!!!! I don't spend $300 a MONTH and that's WITH non-food items!

But then again...are we surprised that the Federal Government is out of touch with main-stream America?

I think they are basing the costs on actual prices (no sales, coupons, etc...) with a country average which could be higher because of certain areas. If I didn't shop sales and I bought my meat fresh every week and cooked something new everyday and I didn't know how to stretch things out, I could easily spend the $470 (current thrifty plan) they project. If I didn't shop at the market for produce and bought it at the grocery store, it would be two to four times what I currently pay for it. Right now I spend about twenty a week on produce so $40 to $80 a week instead adds up quickly. I buy my milk at Aldi's or BJ's to save money. I only buy bread if I can find it for $1 or less. I can see how easy it would be to spend that much money. I'm glad I don't though:)

I'm just one person and I come in a little under the thrifty plan as well. But I wouldn't if I didn't shop at Aldi's and make the choice to eat a lot of left overs. I can easily see how my grocery bill could be much higher. As it is I don't eat many fresh vegies except during the summer when there in season and I can either get them cheaply or free. Well with the exception of zuccinni which I can get cheap at Aldi's. I eat a lot of frozen vegies which aren't as good for me but better than nothing and much cheaper.

Oh and my Father owns beef cattle so I save on cost there as well. Although we are about to run out of beef and the next butchering calf won't be ready for a least a year or so. Meat is so expensive in the store, I'll have to cut back on how often I eat meat meals. Thankfully I like quite a few dishes without meat in them.

All this being said, I do think a lot of my problem is the fact that I am only one person and thus don't really get the chance to take advantage of bulk deals without food going bad.

You are right littlemotherhaywood....I don't think they take a lot of things like sales, etc into consideration.

If you look at the menu they provide, they don't have "leftover night" and they eat more than we would for breakfast and lunch. For example, they list for a breakfast cereal AND and an english muffin. We would eat cereal OR an english muffin. Lunch is the same...we usually just eat soup and crackers or sandwich and fruit/veggie sticks...pretty simple stuff. Dinner is a little more elaborate, but not much. I try to make 3 to 4 things like chicken, rice and 2 veggies or something. We also rarely eat dessert unless it is birthday cake or something. In the summer we usually have ice cream around or popcicles. This would account for the higher cost.

One thing I remember from the TWG books, is that Amy fed her kids the portion size listed on the package to help with food costs. Portion sizes are usually smaller than what most people eat. If a serving size was 21 pretzels...that's what they got! I'm not that anal, but I can see her point.

According to the USDA we should be spending $401.30US per month for food on the thrifty plan! LOL We spend $232! And we eat lavishly in my books...lots of organic fare, really good food. Man! I wonder what everyone is eating down south?

Jean

Yeah, I don't hardly think so!!
The thrifty plan is nearly TWICE what I pay...including pet food, paper/cleaning products, & hba!! For our family it would be $733/month!! These past few months I've been doing $250-$350/month and I could probably pare that back even more if I made better use of leftovers and cut out store bought snacks completely...but I don't want a mutiny on my hands :toothy:

Ours would be $461 per month. I spend less than that, and it includes EVERYTHING! Paper products, toothpaste, batteries, lotion, etc, etc.

Hmmm. It's an interesting concept, to be sure. I try to eat very healthy, plus I'm a vegetarian, so the only time I buy any meat is when I want to make something for my :smooch:. And he's picky about meat -- he only likes beef and chicken. So I stock up when there's a sale. Plus he eats a lot of meatless meals when I'm around. :)

Good grief! That so-called thrifty plan would have us spending about twice what we spend monthly on food! And usually my food costs include TP, tissues, toothpaste, etc.

I think this just drives home the point that many people today don't know how to cook, save, and shop responsibly. We're too focused on convenience items. Then again, that's easy for me to say because I don't work outside the home. If I did, we'd no doubt be relying more on convenience items to shave time.

I think if I feed my husband the "portion size" of anything he would think I am putting him on a diet :-)

I guess I have to really re-think what I am really spending on groceries because I am over these ranges!

Hmmmm

I spend right around the old Thrifty plan for 3. Gee I see I am behind the times as usual.

Kellie

:bump:

Got curious about this again, so I looked up the most recent USDA food plan. Here's what they say you should be spending on groceries a month. :smooch: and I should be spending, according to their math, $320.80/month. Based on current rate, that's <a href="http://www.bankofcanada.ca/en/rates/converter.html">$391.21</a>. I can say with confidence we spend at most half that a month.

Wow... just... wow.

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/USDAFoodPlansCostofFood-CostOfFoodAtHome.htm

According to the latest numbers for the cost of food on the thrify plan, we should be spending $291.60 on our food each month (just our food). We spend ~$160 on our food and I make our meals at home each month and we take our lunches to work (maybe one or two meals are eaten outside the home (I count that as an entertainment expense)). I spend around $225 or less each month on average and that's for our food, the cat's food/treats/litter, toiletries, tp, aluminum foil or plastic wrap and bags and any cleaning products.

I guess before I started shopping at Aldi we were spending close to the thrifty plan, but for everything grocery related, not just food. It surprises me that these numbers are for the thrifty plan, I imagine if people were really spending that kind of money on just food under the thrifty plan they would be eating like kings on the "thrify plan."

Ooops, I forgot to post the link! :blush: Thanks marie78.

Well, my hubby and I come in right about at the "thrifty" plan from the TWG in 1993...which is $46.30/week. The low-cost would be 58.40/week. I imagine we do that occasionally...but the "thrifty" is much more on par for us.

Looks like we're behind the times, too! ;)

this is very encouraging. We come in under the old 93 thrifty plan. And my grocerybudget includes hba and non-food items. WOOHOO!

I just checked that out too -- :smooch: and I still come in under the thrifty plan of 1993. That's good to know! In this case, being behind the times is a good thing!

OMG, according to the thrifty plan, we should spend $89 a week. DH and I budget $40 and usually have a few dollars left over!! I must be doing something right!!!

On the moderate plan it would seem I could more than do it on the old chart. I actually give myself the liberal plan though on the old chart which is also more than doable ;) I would never want to give myself the frugal plan as all I'd be eating would be plain basics. I never am to frugal to risk eating unhealthily whether to little or in excess from junkfood. In the end its more frugal to eat healthy :) Right now I give myself a ballpark 150 but will try to cut it down to 125. I'm trying to get myself on a tighter budget right no and will be tracking things alot better. Oh I also though wanted to add I only accounted me but it's for 3-4 people per MONTH.

~Thanks for the link to the most recent chart. Very interesting!
Thrifty Plan for us 1993: $322 month($74 week)
Thrifty Plan for us 2007:$462 month($107 week)
What I actually spend: $200 month
We could eat filet mignon, shrimp, bakery cakes and exotic fruit on a DAILY basis on their thrifty plan. I think the rise in estimates heavily factors in the cost of convenience foods. Maybe I'm remembering incorrectly but I thought 80% of women are in the workforce. Less time at home=higher need for convenience foods. It's nice to see some validation that my smart shopping and cooking save so much. I'd have to work 37 hours a month to pay for the convenience foods I needed because I worked. Very interesting. Of course, it's all speculation. And I put in those 37 hours at home saving the money in the first place.~

Thanks for posting the new link. I am going to check it out. I have really been trying to cut our grocery budget. Gas keeps rising and so does the cost of foods. This is a tough area for me.

I compared just our food part of my food budget and we still come in a few dollars under the thrifty plan each week from 1993. I can't imagine coming in close to today's numbers, my fiance and I still can't figure out how they arrived at the cost of food for the thrifty plan in 2007. Unless maybe most items were bought prepared or name brand without coupons. Did anyone check out the liberal food plan for 2007? I was trying to imagine having that kind of money to just spend on food for myself!

We are under the thrifty standard for 1993.

We eat very healthy. If you start from scratch, you can eat very healthy for very little. I think it's a misconception that eating healthy is expensive. I use the Canadian food guide, and my children get all their required food groups in a day. I think what some people forget is serving size. As a whole, north Americans have supersized everything! We eat double of nearly everything all the time. Over eating is an issue. We eat well. I feed my 6 plus 3 others 5 days a week, at about 3/4 of the budget for my family of 6. No convenience foods, minimal junkie snacks, those are occasional snacks, such as last night we had the monthly family pajama party so we had junk food. But it's nto all the time. Supper last night was porcupine meatballs, with shredded carrots inside, with mushroom gravy and peas, mashed potatoes. Leftovers are lunch for 2 of us, the picky eaters will have sandwiches(made with homemade bread). Dessert last night, there was none as we had pj party. Tonight it's rhubarb crisp, from my garden and from some gardens from freecycle.

Making cookies today, will end up with about 25 dozen..lol. Cost, umm... Let me figure it out. Cheap regardless..lol

But I make with whole wheat flour, add bran and oatmeal flour. Cut sugar in 1/2. I always use 1/2 the chocochips asked for and no one complains. As long as it's mixed well there's enough :)

I can feed my family for very little. Now they may complain that they don't get the convenience foods thier friends have on occasion, but their friends are always begging for the home made items they have. So it's all good in the longrun!

On the moderate plan it would seem I could more than do it on the old chart. I actually give myself the liberal plan though on the old chart which is also more than doable ;) I would never want to give myself the frugal plan as all I'd be eating would be plain basics. I never am to frugal to risk eating unhealthily whether to little or in excess from junkfood. In the end its more frugal to eat healthy :) Right now I give myself a ballpark 150 but will try to cut it down to 125. I'm trying to get myself on a tighter budget right no and will be tracking things alot better. Oh I also though wanted to add I only accounted me but it's for 3-4 people per MONTH.

I have difficulty with my grocery budget based on the same feeling. I could easily reduce my costs by subsituting foods that have little to no nutritutional value and to limit fresh fruit and veggies. But healthcare costs are rising, I feel, in part to our diet and lifestyles.So the savings would be small in my opinion. If not more costly in the long run.I think we do reasonably well, we are in range of the 93 thrifty plan.

Well the most recent thrifty plan (Feb. 2007) allots us $93US to spend per week on groceries. We spend $44US. Interesting. I think groceries are generally cheaper in the US too. I don't know, for $93/week I'd be buying some real nice organic food for sure!

I dont know about that thrifty plan, I only spend $75 a month and we eat just fine.

Thanks! I was looking for the newest $$ plans

We spend around $600 a month on average around here. Some months more some less. January(a stock up month) for example we spent close to $1000, February and March were in the $400-$500 range and so far in April we have spent $200. We fall right around the moderate level if you average out our spending.

What is truly amazing about what you are referencing is these numbers are how much people receiving food stamps get. This is the basis. I used to live in a relatively poor area and would often get behind people paying with food stamp cards and they were getting coke, doritos, ribs, cakes, cookies, etc... I was always horrified at the amount that was given and the lack of direction on how to spend it. Pretty scary, huh?

What is truly amazing about what you are referencing is these numbers are how much people receiving food stamps get. This is the basis. I used to live in a relatively poor area and would often get behind people paying with food stamp cards and they were getting coke, doritos, ribs, cakes, cookies, etc... I was always horrified at the amount that was given and the lack of direction on how to spend it. Pretty scary, huh?

A real pet peeve here.:furious:

:weeping:
I'm so depressed now. I fall under 93's liberal plan...and that's on a good month.

I do have two children in diapers, one on formula, and my total includes that plus cleaning/paper products/HBA...but STILL....

-lukesmama, who is off to beat herself up and eat some leftovers or something.

lukesmama:

Don't beat yourself up. I do not include anything but actual food in my grocery budget, and think that is what you should be looking at for a comparison with the charts.

I learned a long time ago that it's the cleaning/HBA/paper products that eat up my money. I refuse to spend money on things that get thrown out or on things that are of questionable long term value. Find ways to replace those products with cheaper ones, and you'll make a big dent in your budget.

Course, it all depends what you're willing to sacrifice. I used cloth diapers (given to me by my sister in law), facecloth wipes (which can be made from an old towel), dishcloths to wipe up spills (who needs paper towels?), cloth napkins, real plates, etc. I see no need to waste money on disposable products. I wouldn't throw the money away, so why would I use it to buy things I'd throw away?

I must admit, this worked for me because I have a supportive husband. He offered to wash dishes and help change babies diapers. Makes a big difference! He also helped with cleaning, and his dad, a janitor, taught him there was only one cleaner really needed in this world...Bon Ami. Everything else could be handled with vinegar or dish detergent. I learned to make my own version of Bon Ami. The funny thing is, now the kids have left, they left behind a ton of cleaners. And Mom passed away and I have all her cleaners (except those I left with Dad). So my house is full of cleaners I don't use! Talk about ridiculous. Oh well. They'll last me a good 10 years...at least.

lukesmama:

Don't beat yourself up. I do not include anything but actual food in my grocery budget, and think that is what you should be looking at for a comparison with the charts.

I learned a long time ago that it's the cleaning/HBA/paper products that eat up my money. I refuse to spend money on things that get thrown out or on things that are of questionable long term value. Find ways to replace those products with cheaper ones, and you'll make a big dent in your budget.

Course, it all depends what you're willing to sacrifice. I used cloth diapers (given to me by my sister in law), facecloth wipes (which can be made from an old towel), dishcloths to wipe up spills (who needs paper towels?), cloth napkins, real plates, etc. I see no need to waste money on disposable products. I wouldn't throw the money away, so why would I use it to buy things I'd throw away?

I must admit, this worked for me because I have a supportive husband. He offered to wash dishes and help change babies diapers. Makes a big difference! He also helped with cleaning, and his dad, a janitor, taught him there was only one cleaner really needed in this world...Bon Ami. Everything else could be handled with vinegar or dish detergent. I learned to make my own version of Bon Ami. The funny thing is, now the kids have left, they left behind a ton of cleaners. And Mom passed away and I have all her cleaners (except those I left with Dad). So my house is full of cleaners I don't use! Talk about ridiculous. Oh well. They'll last me a good 10 years...at least.
You know Peanut, this is something that I am really starting to notice. Last time I went shopping, I sorted through what was groceries and what was household , cleaning or beauty items. I am spending as much, if not more ,for the household stuff. It has been a real eye opener for me.It is where I need the most work. It's stuff like candles, all the products that smell nice,I'm sure you hard core savers know what I mean.It's a hard habit to break.

Hmmm, the newest one is only for February, 2006, but it is certainly a better judgement than one from November, 1993. :) According to this one, a woman between the ages of 20 to 50 (i.e. me) sould cost me $30.80 per week, or $133.50 on the "Thrifty Plan". Well, that's certainly interesting. I'll bet dollars to donuts I could do at least that, if not better. :)

That'd be my budget too and I KNOW I can do better. $133? I was spending about that much when I wasn't paying attention. This month I think I'll honestly end up around $80.

Dollars to donuts, hehe :dollar::donut:

Annymoll:

Yes, it is a hard habit to break.

Candles, btw, are cheaper at Walmart or Zeller's (if you're Canadian). They have sales on them periodically and you can get nice ones cheap.

Or you can make your own. Buy wicking at a craft store, with little metal tabs to hold the bottoms in place. Save a milk carton (1 or 2 qt.) and cut it in half. Use 1 wick for a 1 qt. and 2 wicks for a 2 qt...or adjust wick size to candle size (I just buy one size wick and adjust the number of wicks per candle according to candle diameter). Tie one end of the wick to a pencil to lay across the top of the carton.

Fill with wax from recycled candle stubs. That is, melt down the old stubs (the old wicks sink to the bottom of the coffee can you should be melting these things in), being careful to watch which colours you combine. You don't want a mud coloured candle! I usually put blues and greens and yellows together, and red, orange and purples together. Makes a kind of dark forest green, and another burgundy colour candle.

Anyways, pour melted wax into the milk carton. let harden overnight, cut or tear the milk carton off, and voila! A candle. It'll be a little rough on the outside, but it will do the trick. You can polish it or add to the outside to make it look pretty.

Anyways, I am rambling. There are lots of options for HBA/cleaning/etc. supplies. It just takes some time to figure out your alternatives and price them out. I really encourage all of you to do it. It makes a huge difference. Miscellaneous, which includes 'household' (our HBA/cleaning/etc.), is our worst culprit for getting out of control...and our largest single category next to groceries!!!

Jean

lukesmama:

Don't beat yourself up. I do not include anything but actual food in my grocery budget, and think that is what you should be looking at for a comparison with the charts.

I learned a long time ago that it's the cleaning/HBA/paper products that eat up my money. I refuse to spend money on things that get thrown out or on things that are of questionable long term value. Find ways to replace those products with cheaper ones, and you'll make a big dent in your budget.

Course, it all depends what you're willing to sacrifice. I used cloth diapers (given to me by my sister in law), facecloth wipes (which can be made from an old towel), dishcloths to wipe up spills (who needs paper towels?), cloth napkins, real plates, etc. I see no need to waste money on disposable products. I wouldn't throw the money away, so why would I use it to buy things I'd throw away?

I must admit, this worked for me because I have a supportive husband. He offered to wash dishes and help change babies diapers. Makes a big difference! He also helped with cleaning, and his dad, a janitor, taught him there was only one cleaner really needed in this world...Bon Ami. Everything else could be handled with vinegar or dish detergent. I learned to make my own version of Bon Ami. The funny thing is, now the kids have left, they left behind a ton of cleaners. And Mom passed away and I have all her cleaners (except those I left with Dad). So my house is full of cleaners I don't use! Talk about ridiculous. Oh well. They'll last me a good 10 years...at least.

Thank you for the kind words. I know that probably a good $50+ a month is diapers (I've been stocking up on the weeks they go on sale so I don't have to buy them full price when I run out).

I tried cloth diapers with my firstborn for about 4 months. I tried a few different kinds. Unfortunately, when he got to be about 5-6 months old he started leaking badly, so I went to disposables. Plus the upkeep was getting to be too much. I know that now with two I'd never be able to keep up with it. But that's just me.

I'm trying to get on board with using vinegar and baking soda for more things. But I do like my lysol wipes (I buy on sale with coupons) and toilet bowl cleaner (same, coupon + sale). Otherwise, I just buy the standard dish detergent (machine and manual, I do both) and laundry detergent.

HBA - I'm trying to stock up on things free after rebate lately, at Rite Aid and Walgreens. I'm pretty low maintenance, so this isn't a huge spend area for us.

Thanks again for the suggestions, I know I need to be more conscious of spending on these items.