Grocery budget for 2 ?

**suzysaver** · 07-25-2007, 01:11 PM

Just a little curious how much people are budgeting for groceries?
I can't seem to nail down the right amount for 2 people. I will go on a huge shop trip and spend about $250, which includes everything and a well stocked freezer...then each week I seem to add on around $40-$70, I will buy creamer (hubby must have it) cottage cheese, yogurt (we eat a lot)and fresh veggies, fruit, more diet pop and cat litter. How many people are you feeding and how much do you usually budget? Are you eating the same meals each week?

**bibliomane** · 07-25-2007, 01:21 PM

The USDA made this plan for groceries:

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publication...fFoodJun07.pdf

It shows a family of 2 at four different levels of income. You can see what the average is there.

We are a family of five (2 adults, 3 kids all big eaters) and I spend about 100 per week. I am trying to get that down to 80 if possible by fall.

The THRIFT PLAN for a family of 4 is 125 a week, so apparently I'm below thrift. LOL!

Hope this helps!

**GMA21** · 07-25-2007, 01:25 PM

I don't seem to stay within a budget for the two of us either so I just gave up...lol {my dad moved in with me last year & ever since it seems like we spend more but by Fall things may slow down because we should be "well stocked".

**suzysaver** · 07-25-2007, 01:26 PM

Thank you Bibliomane. I really need to keep better track and work out a plan.

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 07-25-2007, 02:21 PM

Neat website! Even the thrifty and low-cost budget guidelines are pretty plentiful!! We don't spend that much and we eat well. Amazing what some of those budgets add up to!! Whew!!

**starsapphire** · 07-25-2007, 03:38 PM

Its just me and DH here and our grocery budget is high. I spend around $400/month which includes paper goods and HBA stuff. We live in a high COL area and we buy organic meat.

**nuisance26** · 07-25-2007, 04:30 PM

~Before our kids came along I spent $40 a week for the two of us with home and body products. Now I spend about $50 a week for food and $10 for home and body products. We don't eat steak often but I pretty much buy what we want, just on sale. Cooking most things from scratch is where I save the most. So no chips or store bought breads and cookies. It really depends on how much time you have at home and how many prepared foods you're willing to give up. Good luck!~

**YankeeMom** · 07-25-2007, 05:02 PM

I just did a month long experiment to see how far the federal food stamp amt a family our size would go. I didn't change any of our eating habits, no scrimping, no extra coupon usage, some stockpiling (not tons, because I assume the average shopper does not stockpile). I posted our menus too. It's on my frugal village blog
http://www.villageblogger.com/YankeeMom/

**YankeeMom** · 07-25-2007, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by bibliomane

The USDA made this plan for groceries:

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publication...fFoodJun07.pdf

It shows a family of 2 at four different levels of income. You can see what the average is there.

We are a family of five (2 adults, 3 kids all big eaters) and I spend about 100 per week. I am trying to get that down to 80 if possible by fall.

The THRIFT PLAN for a family of 4 is 125 a week, so apparently I'm below thrift. LOL!

Hope this helps!

Holy crap, the thrifty plan is nearly twice what I spend per month!!

**suzysaver** · 07-25-2007, 07:08 PM

Thank you Yankeemom. I just don't see how I could make it on $42 dollars a week for the 2 of us....$168 dollars a month. I really need to get back on track and start incorporating some meatless dishes and more beans and rice.
I'm going to try to stretch out what I have right now to last a month, I will need to get the weekly items: creamer, yogurt, cottage cheese, fruits and veggies. Hubby is my biggest challenge...he loves his goodies. I just can't figure out when to shop for what? If I go on a really big trip and get everything...I still must go weekly for a few dairy and fruit and veggies. If I split it up and go weekly then I'm sure to keep running out of things? Was thinking what if I went and got my usual weekly items and then focus on one area to keep stocked?? one week freezer and meats/ the next week pantry items/ then the next maybe canned items??? Maybe I'm just complicating things to much, but I really want to drop my costs.

**Jskell911** · 07-25-2007, 07:26 PM

Wow according to the thrift plan our budget should be $423 a month for food alone!!! I spend less that $300 including all paper.

**YankeeMom** · 07-25-2007, 08:08 PM

wrong thread...

**annymoll** · 07-25-2007, 09:01 PM

Ours is a two family household and try as I might I cannot rein in the grocery budget under $325-$350 monthly.I do not purchase beef, pork, lamb,eggs or chicken out of this amount.We purchase only off a farm for these items, and I budget out of a separate fund for those.I seldom have snack or junk foods. I purchase seafood,organic dairy, fruits , veggies and such.I do purchase coffee, tea and soda for DH.I purchase the HBA and all paper goods as well.I could lower it by using different types of food or goods but prefer not to.

**dcompton** · 07-25-2007, 09:32 PM

I'm just one, not two, and don't have exact amounts, but I find as much as I try to trim the budget it just keeps going up and up, mostly because the cost of fruits and vegetables seems to keep rising. I even drove across town today to check out the farmer's market -- it was as high as the grocery store, higher because the stores have sales, and the produce did not look any better or fresher. I have diabetes, so the tactic of stretching it all with pasta, rice, and beans is less of an option than it used to be, though of course I can eat some. I really don't see how I can do much better with it, so I've more or less given up and made peace with just spending what I have to spend. But food is definitely becoming a bigger bite out of the budget.

**paintedsky** · 07-26-2007, 09:49 PM

Wow that list is very overindulgent. I don't consider myself to be an extreme couponer or anything and I fall into the thrifty plan. I wonder what sorts of food they account for and what type of meals as I believe spending 324 for 2 people is a ton of money. 200 possibly but 324 seems crazy for a thrifty plan and I get the usual occasional steak as well as other higher priced foods.