Annual Grocery Budget

[Daydream Believer]

If you were to put a "lump sum" of money into a separate account to use only for the next 12 months worth of groceries, how much do you think you would need?

[Jessesbride]

$3800 would do for us! altho we could probably get by on about $3400... but this is probably about right for us... & everyone else we feed!

Dang that sounds like so much! lol!

Kim

[annertak]

I was going to say $4200, but we ruined that this last part of this year. I would say $5100 to be really comfortable. I also am a huge stockpiler, so I am always buying more than I need.....way more! lol

This is one of my New Year's resolutions for next year. I will cut this budget & like it!

[Cricketlegs]

Bare bones grocery and stockping FOOD only I would say $3600 for my current family of 3. This is about us now on a monthly basis. $150 for groceries and $150 for the food stockpile.

Comfort zone, I would say $4800 is the EXTREME.

[ladykemma2]

for me, this will skew your data but i need 370 a month x 12 for walmart for all the supplies this home needs (pet, HBA, food, lightbulbs, etc)

i work 12 hour days and don't have time to go all over town for shopping. just me and the pets.

[Momto2Boyz]

I actually just sat down yesterday and did my budget for all of 2009, it took me forever, but I'm glad I got it done!

I budget $100 per week for what I call groceries. This includes all personal and beauty products, household cleaning products, laundry, dog food, etc.

So for us, I guess it would be $5200 for the year!

[mickee311]

Yeah, roughly $100 a week, so around $5200. It's me, DH, 4 kids and 3 dogs.

[mommy4ever]

Due to the high prices and no sales in my area I'd be looking at $8400 for a family of six, one cat, one dog, fish and a home daycare with 4 full time kids and a few casuals.

[missyali]

$3600 is the goal for 2009. I just pulled a report from my bank on my spending habits for the year and I averaged $350/month (not AS bad as I thought). That included HBA and gift cards for random gifts as well as some shopping I did for a committee I am on. I'd like to get it down to $300 per month. I have dh helping in this area now (he's ALL about Aldi's). So, we'll see.....

[TheRootedNomad]

For the 4 of us if I don't count out to eat but do include HBA, cleaners, and pets I would probably go with $3900 as a very safe amount. That works out to $325 a month or $75 a week.

I 'd like to get this down but I don't know how much is truely realistic. I don't think I could get it down too much. Truth be told as long as I could INCLUDE out to eat in this figure as well I would be very happy.

[cheles2kids]

I would say somewhere in the ballpark of, $7,200.00 for the year.
This includes everything, pet items, cleaning supplies (garbage bags, lightbulbs, you name it), food items, personal care items and some stockpile items along the way as well.

We *average* spending around $600.00 a month for 4 adults, 4 large dogs, 1 small dog, and 1 kitty.

One of my "goals" for this upcoming year is to knock that amount down to around $400.00 per month.
Compared to everyone else, we are spending quite a bit more than others here.
That gives me even more courage to work more dilgently to get my grocery budget even more under control.
Accountability and all.

[geckoace]

i think we could get by on 3600. with 2 adults 2 kids (one will only be 1) & a pooch

[MomToTwoBoys]

I'd say $6000. That takes into account $250 for the four of us every two weeks.

[Jessesbride]

$3800 would do for us! altho we could probably get by on about $3400... but this is probably about right for us... & everyone else we feed!

Dang that sounds like so much! lol!

Kim

sorry that total DOES include HBA, pets, house things like light bulbs, etc! but I only need to buy makeup once every 2-3 months & even then it's only base... & I only use base, powdered blush & lipstick & on special occasions eye liner & mascara... so most of it goes a LONG way! Plus I have a bucket that has little bits of leftover base/powder etc that gets me thru the hard times!

Altho we have seemed to have added a new puppy to our home, as the neighbors across the street had 4 rottweiler pups & 1 has already died (pretty sure they aren't getting fed) & the one in our backyard kept coming over to our house (cuz it knew it would get fed!). As the neighbors are in Vegas this week we will keep pup until neighbors are back & if they are willing to let us have him (for free!) then we will keep him ~ we've already named him HALO... he's such a sweetie! & our 2 dogs are warming up to him quite nicely!

Kim

[nuisance26]

~Well, I spent $2645 in 2008, just food. I spent an additional $440 on home and personal products. So I averaged $220 a month for food/4 people. I'm raising my food allowance to $300 a month in 2009 so I can switch over to organics. Budget for 2009: $3600.~