# How much do you spend on groceries each month? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 13, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-groceries-each-month/707153 "2014-12-13T19:47:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-groceries-each-month/707153/21 "2014-12-15T04:23:06Z")
I’m not entirely sure what I spend just on food. Anywhere from $70-$100 a week goes toward grocery/toiletries/makeup/sundries between the grocery store/farmer’s market/Target/CVS, and twice a month delivery of a couple meals worth from a restaurant. Probably a little more than that when you add in occasional purchases of craft beers/ciders, and bourbon plus splurges at local chocolate and tea stores. I’m sure I could spend a lot less if I put my mind to it. Now I have some chicken thighs to roast, this thread is making me hungry. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-groceries-each-month/707153/22 "2014-12-15T20:02:05Z")
I’d guess it’s about $1075 per month ($250 X 4.3). Factor in our dining-out and the number is probably closer to $2000 per month. We’re a family of 4. ---
**Author:** ![Grrlbrarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrlbrarian/32/4048_2.png) [@Grrlbrarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrlbrarian)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-groceries-each-month/707153/23 "2014-12-15T20:22:47Z")
My weekly grocery budget is $125. That’s for my husband, myself, and two teenage daughters. One has subsequently gone to college, but I do still buy her snacks occasionally. I know we buy a 40-pound bag of dog food for around 25 about every 6 weeks or so. The dog food bumps the monthly total up to about 587 from 562. I have no idea what our dining-out expenses would be, though we typically eat restaurant food no more than once per week for supper. Lunches vary - I brown bag 3 of the 5, and who knows what DH does. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Lowdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Lowdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowdown)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-groceries-each-month/707153/24 "2014-12-15T21:26:25Z")
$1100-$1500. Two adults, a 65lb dog, a two year old and a three month old. This excludes dining out/takeout/whatever, as that’s a separate budget category. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-groceries-each-month/707153/25 "2014-12-15T21:34:30Z")
I am glad some higher numbers are coming in because I was starting to feel self-conscious. According to [Mint.com](http://Mint.com), my grocery average over the past year has been $807 a month. That is just for me during the work week but add two kids on the weekend. It includes everything I buy at supermarkets and convenience stores but does not include eating out in sit-down restaurants. I cook for myself most nights but I don’t skimp on any ingredients. I might have swordfish one night, lobster the next and steak the night after that but I never thought I was spending an unusually high amount on food until this thread. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-groceries-each-month/707153/26 "2014-12-15T22:36:35Z")
I’m thinking that geographic location might have something to do with price disparity? I live in a very low cost-of-living part of the country and apart from grocery stores, do monthly shopping at a Middle Eastern store that is insanely cheap for a lot of things I like. But as I said in the OP - I don’t make a big effort to be thrifty, and I buy plenty of high-end (deli, name-brand, organic,) items, I think. I am pretty sure I couldn’t even manage to eat over $800 worth of food every week, though! Well on reflection - maybe. When I was still with the ex and we had his kids for weekends, it was like a swarm of locusts descending on the house and eating everything in their path. That said, while I love me a ribeye steak or shrimp or heritage pork steaks, a lot of my meals are vegetarian and sort of hippy-granola. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-groceries-each-month/707153/27 "2014-12-16T01:51:49Z")
We spend in the neighborhood of $200 a week for two adults, one 16-year-old son, two 60 pound dogs, and two cats. That includes food for all 7 of us, other household goods (cleaning supplies and whatnot), and the occasional dinner out or take-home meal (pizza, burgers, ice cream, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-groceries-each-month/707153/28 "2014-12-16T02:17:05Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I am glad some higher numbers are coming in because I was starting to feel self-conscious. According to [Mint.com](http://Mint.com), my grocery average over the past year has been $807 a month. That is just for me during the work week but add two kids on the weekend. It includes everything I buy at supermarkets and convenience stores but does not include eating out in sit-down restaurants. I cook for myself most nights but I don’t skimp on any ingredients. I might have swordfish one night, lobster the next and steak the night after that but I never thought I was spending an unusually high amount on food until this thread. $200 a week is an insane amount of money for one plus two more on weekends… Food in the US is way cheaper than here in Canada and I get by on about $50. I can’t imagine spending $200. Even when all four of us lived here 24/7 $200 would be a major re-stalking bill with paper towels and toilet paper and laundry detergent, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-groceries-each-month/707153/29 "2014-12-16T03:03:22Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > $200 a week is an insane amount of money for one plus two more on weekends… Food in the US is way cheaper than here in Canada and I get by on about $50. I can’t imagine spending $200. Even when all four of us lived here 24/7 $200 would be a major re-stalking bill with paper towels and toilet paper and laundry detergent, etc. Different strokes for different folks. I try really hard to keep my expenses down. I am affluent but not even close to the top of the scale in this area (suburban Boston). I can live on $50 worth of food for a month if I have to but it isn’t necessary these days. $800 a month is still only $9600 a year so it is still an insignificant portion of all expenses. ---
**Author:** ![sara20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@sara20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sara20)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-groceries-each-month/707153/30 "2014-12-16T15:02:11Z")
About 300. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-groceries-each-month/707153/31 "2014-12-16T19:45:16Z")
About $600 a month, for four adults and a dog. That does not include household items, or booze. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Cugel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cugel/32/1199_2.png) [@Cugel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cugel)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-groceries-each-month/707153/32 "2014-12-17T11:32:39Z")
$450-500 a month, one person, one cat. Fruit alone is about $100/mon. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-groceries-each-month/707153/33 "2014-12-17T14:46:32Z")
We just have two people, and I’d say $400-$500 a month. It might be lower - we go grocery shopping weekly and try to keep it around $100 or under, but we do go for small things during the week. We stock up in bulk with some things at the wholesale club, so that’s extra, but not a lot. We aren’t really too stingy with our groceries. If we wanted to, we could get that down a lot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-do-you-spend-on-groceries-each-month/707153.md?page=1)