how much do you spend on Groceries every month?

[loria]

I know that we buy too much food at the store for our family, but I dont know how much we should be spending. I dont mean to sound like a bad wife, but it is because of my hubby. He is overweight (as am I) and likes processed foods way too much! Condoments are a must on everything for him and he eats seconds always and thrids most of the time. I try to make more than we need so that I can serve the left overs for lunch the next day, but he eats it all! If I make only enough for one serving each, he cooks more food for himself or goes to the store for chips and pop! Anyways this is what we spend for a married couple with 4 kids (9mths-8yol) and one on the way. We do not buy any dairy, meat or eggs (we raise that ourselves) $600/month this covers diapers, wipes, personal products and cleaning products as well. I have started using my cloth diapers 24/7 again and only use disposables when out once a week.
How bad is it? can I get this any lower, and how? Any ideas for how to get hubby to stop eating all of the money (that dont involve me treating him like a 5 year old)
Lori

[Dancing Lotus]

If I have my math correct you are averaging 100 dollars a month per person, 25 a week for one person is a reasonable budget.

[lparker]

Well, you could be the one to lose weight...tell him you plan on out-living him. Cook everything from scratch, use more high fiber foods - they're filling. You didn't say how much over-weight. He could be setting himself up for some serious health issues sooner than later. Is there heart disease in his family or diabetes? Diabetes sometimes goes along with kidney failure necessitating dialysis every three days with no guarantee of replacement kidneys. Scare the bejeebers out of him, but also put him onto some good food to replace the junk.

If you can get rid of the soda and junk food, I bet you could drop $100 off your food budget and everyone would eat healthier.

[Momto5RN]

i think where everyone lives ;what they have available ( farm or large garden area etc ) will make it differ i try to compare what a average family of like size spends in my area .

we do 560 a month for 7 of us dh and i a 22 yo a 19 yo a 16 yo a 14 yo and a 10 yo .

includes paper -beauty -cleaning . if i order a pizza out it often comes out of that too .

some months we do a little more- some months a little less.
we dont really do everyones lunches in that though - we let the 10 yo buy lunch @ 2.75 a day - the 14 yo brown bags it- the 16 yo takes snacks and spends a little of his allowance on food at school- older 2 and dh brown bag it or buy lunch on their own with their own money depending on what they want to do - i usually carry healthy snacks like fruit or protien bars for munching in the car .

i do know that if i had a family my size in my area and had the most food stamps $ i could get it would be over 800$

i do know most families of 4 spend close to 200 a week or so they say - so thats almost 800 a month and i have 7 of us eating in less then that .

its getting a lot harder though that is for sure .

[Momto5RN]

if you dont buy it its not there to eat - give him 20$ a week to buy the junk he wants with that so he can have to choose which he wants more .

stop planing for extra for lunch - if its not getting to lunch its not saving you any more money .

maybe approach it as the way he eats is setting a bad example for the kids - some people wont worry about themselves but will for their kids .

and now and then, i hate to say it - you have to act like they are 5 years old if they are unable to act like an adult .

[monkeywrangler71]

If you're doing the cooking then you can cut the processed foods out for him; just cook from scratch and make sure there's enough of it. If you know he is just going to go out and buy junk if supper isn't big enough, then you need to make sure supper is big enough. The extra you spend on making a big dinner will pay for itself in money saved on snacks. As suggested above, make sure that meals include high fibre, filling foods, so he isn't hungry 30 minutes later and looking to head to the store.

If you expect to get lunch out of something you cook for supper, then you need to save 'left-befores' rather than leftovers. Dish the lunch portion into a container and put it away before you serve supper.

[Cricketlegs]

$300 a month for me, dh and one kiddo still left in the roost.

I also spend $100 a month for when we go to our camper once a month(we have cut down from every weekend and from $400 for camping alone! yowsa)

I try to plan meals for the month and stick to it.

During the day no one is home but me. Dh eats on his allowance($250), dd takes lunch money($70 a month) and I eat whatever is floating around the kitchen!

[hotprincesscm]

Maybe you could set up an incentive budget. Maybe if you normally spend $800 on food a month if you only spend say $700 this month, you could put the extra 100 in a "vacation fund" or a entertainment fund or some other reward...then each month see how much you could shave off the total...maybe DH would like to pick the reward...You would all be getting healthier, not over eating and rewarding yourselves all in one....

[Contrary Housewife]

I agree with AnnK, $25 per person a week for scratch cooked food is reasonable. However, since you raise your own meat and dairy, you might do with less. This is for food only, not diapers or cleaning supplies.

Put DH on a junk food budget. Either give him the $10 to spend each month, or cut back on the snacks and let him know that when it's gone it's gone. If he eats all the chips before the end of the week then it's his tough luck.

[mndtrp]

For a family of two, I averaged the last 10 months, and came up with $270 a month. This is strictly grocery stores, but includes stuff for the pets, beauty supplies for the wife, toiletries, and whatever else we can get at the grocery store. We eat out a couple times a month, but that's about it for food. That amount also includes the 1/4 cow we bought last year.

Getting your husband to stop going to the store for crap is probably going to take him making an active choice in avoiding the act. He needs to decide if the soda and chips is truly satisfying, and what he could use in their place, if anything.

[2ndGenGranola]

For 6 people I spend $75-90 a week at the CSA and about $50 dried good (beans rice).

Quit buying the processed foods. I agree about the high fiber and cooking from scratch. Slip in some Benefiber until you get the hang of it. If you cook some beans and brown rice without a lot of fatty additives, he could pretty much eat his fill. Keep some popcorn for snacks. Start by making the gunky gooey kind then back a little each week until it is fairly healthy. Same with drinks. Go for sweet tea then each week back off on the amount of sweet.

[OOwl]

I used to have a horrible budget per week for food. I'm embarrassed to even cite how much. That included all health and beauty, cosmetics, and any of the other wonderful items one can get at Target. I quit that. Now, I'm averaging about $120/ week for a family of four, and feeding up to 8 on weekends, and which still includes most of my household needs, as well (paper towels, toilet paper, OTC medications, cleaners and laundry detergent). I owe my reduction in expenses to all the tips and hints and skills I've learned here reading the posts on the Village, and giving some of the simple, wholesome recipes posted here a chance (I used to cook with way too fancy ingredients from the specialty market).

Still, I'm AMAZED at some of the posts here that say that they bought an entire week's worth of groceries for four for $50. I just can't do that, nor do I think I want to. I'd like to read about the details of how that's done but I really wouldn't want to feed my family from a 100% Dollar Store offerings. I'm pretty happy with my current budget and will work hard to keep it about right there or a little more for stockpiling good deals or for special meals and holidays.

I have a household of big eaters, too, so I do sympathize with your problem of keeping your husband satisfied. That can be challenging. I just started complimenting my hubby on how much better he looked losing some girth, and I REALLY bragged on him when his bloodwork indicated that the new menu was having a positive health benefit. I wish you well.

[dancemommy]

I used to do a ton of couponing. I do use coupons now, but I print or cut as I go rather than buying items just because they were a good deal. We'd have boxes of Cheeseits or packages of cookies just because they were cheap. If we had them we would eat them. The little bit I spent to buy these good deals actually has added up. I spend the bulk of my money and time in the produce department. I buy some at the grocery store, some at Costco, and some at Trader joes. I now what price I want to pay and pay only that price. I also have gone kind of back to basics for snacks- pretzels (big bags here for $1), peanuts ($2), popcorn (pop it yourself- it is healthier), animal crackers are super cheap at Walmart (I don't buy them because they have hydrogenated oils, but they're cheap). We buy lots of frozen fruit for smoothies and whatever fruit is on sale for snacking. Chips and salsa are a typical snack around here too. If we want a "treat" I bake it. OH- I do buy ice cream. One carton a week and when it is gone, its gone (the double churned kind for under $3 per container). I buy very few items in the center of the store. Cereal in bulk, whole wheat pasta when it is free or really cheap, etc. Very few freezer items (just ice cream and maybe a frozen pizza when they are $2 to have on hand for the kids). I think by going a little healthier and simpler you may find that you spend less.

[HappyMama]

I average about 500.00 per month for a family of 4 and more on weekends. This includes organic whole grains, tons of veggies , fruit, and grass fed beef and good organic chicken. With that said I buy all my spices, salt, grains ( rice, beans , oatmeal etc) in bulk, and cook from scratch. I make all our bakery, breads, and things from scratch. I had to for health and now my family loves it and wouldn't have it any other way.

I make large amounts and freeze, use left overs for lunch, commuting needs etc. This does include my supplies ( organic for soaps, laundry soap ) and cleaning supplies. I do have to can , dehydrate, and buy large amounts of produce in the summer to make my own salsas and sauces , that last me through the winter to do this. But I avoid all the preservatives that made me so sick and save money so I am fine with it.

Good luck to you, seems you are doing good with your budget, just need to get the junk food out if possible. WIth little kids and a farm you already have so very much to do so not sure you would have the time, desire or whatever but if so maybe make some cookies, cupcakes and have him in charge of making homemade chips and that might help him.

Hugs and Blessings to you and great job for what you are doing so far.

[shoiji]

Cut out the soda and as much processed foods as possible. Read the labels, if they say high fructose or hydrogenated oils do not buy them. They just make you more hungry.

Since going cold turkey usually does not work, try slowly weaning your family off of these foods. Add more fiber to the diet and try to make as many snack foods as you can. Homemade popcorn, baked potato fries, hummus, cut up vegetables. Juice and some selzter water can substitute soda. Try flavoring water.

Sit down with your husband and state that you think it is important to set a good example for the children. After dinner you can go for a walk with the whole family. Maybe that will help your husband overcome the urge to continue eating. Does he get enough sleep. Also agree that getting a check up might help convince your husband to take better care of himself.

Fortunately men tend to loose weight faster which may make him more motivated to keep on living a healthier lifestyle. It is not easy and I still find myself falling back on bad habits.