I would say that is on the skinny side, especially if you are counting diapers. I run between 80 and 120 a week (about 400/month)with family of four (boys ages 7 and 4). It would also depend on how much you eat out. We don't eat out at all since around October because of a budget crunch. I also make and pack my sons lunch each day. I would think stayin under $550/mo would still be very reasonable if you don't go out to eat a lot. Hope this helps.
I spend about the same. It's usually between $100 and $120 per week. It definitely has gone up in the past two years, but don't stress out, you and your family have to eat. And I don't really have time for coupons. I do try to buy generic when I can. Mostly everything is the same now, but there are a few things that I just have to buy the brand name.
We are a family of 6 and we spend around $450-$500 a month on groceries and I have managed to build up at least a 1 month supply of food for emergencies or when the budget is a little tighter. I think you are doing fine. The best thing to do is shop with a list. Make your menu ahead of time and shop for that weeks menu. That way you are not going back to the store for one more item. How many times do you go for 1 item and come back out with 10? Find out which items you just have to have name brand and which ones it really doesn't matter. Buy the store brand to save money. Don't forget, WalMart will price match. Just take the other store ad in with you.
Julie
Independent Scentsy consultant
www.scentsy.com/21237
www.homemakeretc.com
We spend about $400 a month (family of 5 with 2 growing/hungry boys) and this does not include eating out. My new goal this year is to cut my grocery bill in half. So far, so good. There a hundreds of hints, tips, tricks of the trade online using coupons and sales. There are so many opportunities to find big time sales and free stuff. I'm working on bulking up my food storage and personal items (toothpaste, deodarant, shampoos, etc.) I've only been doing it for a few weeks now and I've already seen a difference! It's time consuming at first, but eventually you get the hang of it. It's fun and challenging! As a SAHM, you've got an advantage because you may be able to spend more time on the research. Google "how to cut my grocery bill in half" and see what you come up with. My favorite websites are http://www.moneysavingmom.com/ and http://www.thesavingsqueen.blogspot.com/
Good luck! Let us know how you do.
We are a family of 6 (2 adults, 6, 4, 2 and 7 mo). We get fastfood maybe 2 times a month. Otherwise, we don't eat out. I spend between 150-180 a week. That includes cat food, toiletries, cleaning supplies. It does NOT include diapers (2 are in diapers). My rule of thumb is if I can't easily pronounce the ingredients, I don't buy it for my family. The occasional junk food is ok. But, we avoid overly processed foods for most meals. It would be cheaper to buy the less healthy food, but not in the long run.
Oh, and I don't buy my meat in the store (except fresh fish). We have an awesome meat guy that raises grass fed beef. It is super yummy and every cut is 90% lean. Here's his website: www.paidom.com We've been using him for over a year and have been very satisfied. Every other month, he makes a trip across Texas and delivers the orders. The next one should be in June. He has pork sausage without nitrites.
I spend $75 to $100 per week for a family of four. We eat mainly organic food and don't buy a lot of packaged or pre-made foods, so our bill may be higher than some people's. That figure does not include diapers.
We are living with my parents and technically have a family of 7(5 adults and child and an infant) I usually spend between $300 and $350. This doesn't include the few times we eat out on the weekends. My sister and I just started a shopping company where we'll do your shopping for you if your interested. We are both great at Bargain shopping so we may be able to help you reduce what you spend. Let me know if you are intersted in more information. Our website should be completely up soon.
Michelle
I'm a sahm, too. We have a 4 year old and a 2 year old. I average about 400 a month. Including diapers.
if we really atock our house up--then it's about $600 a month and that doesn't include bread and butter runs--- i also have been known to spend $750.00 at the grocery store--but that also lasted about a couple of months.we have the same family size except i have a 14yo, 8yo(who eats almost as much as the 14 yo)and a 5 year old. and now summer is coming.......
I am also a SAHM with 2, 3, and 8 year old plus husband. We spend about $500 per month including the 2-year olds diapers. (Praying for potty training intervention soon.) With the economy shaky recently we have stopped shopping at Target though for groceries and reluctantly switched to the big W store! I can't stand going there because it is always too packed. Good luck.
We spend around 250-300 a month on groceries when I plan our meals. When I am at the store hungry or just really busy I am sure I go over those amounts within the month. We are a family of 3 right now.
I buy fresh on sale in season fruit. For veggies unless it is a good deal, I buy mostly frozen. I used to buy fresh veggies and they ended up going bad before I had a chance to use them. They even sell frozen onions! (I do keep carrots and bagged salad in stock in my fridge)
We do not eat a lot of prepackaged foods or sodas or convenience items. When I crave something sweet, I make it from scratch. I usually buy the store brand items instead of name brand. I cut coupons and read the circulars to see who has the best deals. I buy a lot of turkey because it is cheaper than beef or chicken. I keep dried beans, peas and lentils in my cabinet just in case we need a quick, easy meal.
I am in nursing school and mostly stay at home with my son.
We are a family of only three (me, hubby, and 10 year old) and I spend on average $150 a week - sometimes a little less, sometimes a little more. Although, this does include entertaining friends or family once every couple of weeks. For five - I definitely think you should increase your budget guilt free if you have the means!
You are in the range for a family of 5. I have a family of 5 and I spend that much. Especially since the kids take their lunches to school. For the summer it reduce some, except for those special occasions when you wake up and decide to BBQ and now you have to go spend about another $100. But definitely use coupons it helps. HEB sends out a coupon book, with alot of free items and dollars off. I used it about a week ago and it was at least $25-$30 off alone. The cashier even asked me did they come in the mail. What was a $70.00 bill came out to be about $40 or so. Sunday coupons and catch the weekly sales at the grocery stores will save money. Using some of the generics is also a big savings. Then what is higher at the grocery store is $1.00 at the Dollar Stores.
Good Luck!!
For a family of 5 that sounds about right.
Our household is a tad smaller than yours, but in order make the most of our grocery budget we do several things:
- We clip coupons - this saves between $50-$80 each shopping trip
- We are members of an online coupon / grocery store price comparison - this saves another $20-$30 each trip when I use it properly
- We shop at Sam's and stock up on most used items - chicken nuggets, pasta, frozen goods, etc
- We purchase produce - veggies / fruits - at the Farmer's Market on Airline - you get a better product that lasts longer, tastes better and is cheaper than in the store
I don't spend a lot of time grocery shopping. I go to Farmer's Market early on Sat AM - around 7-8 - and I'm in / out in 30 minutes.
I clip coupons while I'm watching TV - have a sorter by category - and I keep it handy to grab on my way to store. The coupon site takes about 10 minutes to look through.
We only have a 2 year old, my husband and myself, and we spend about $170 a week. It is so expensive, and we really aren't buying a lot of junk.
Hi Suzanna,
sounds to me like you are doing a great job with your budget. There are two of us , we are retired, and I spend around 300 350 a month-
I try to use coupons when I can and I go on line for extra specials etc- Keep up the good work- and bless you for staying home with your children.
blessings
Hi Suzanna you need to start comparing coupons from other stores, I get the specials from several grocery stores every Tuesday and I compare which items are on sale even if I don't need them like cans goods it's always a good idea to stock up on them. I pay half of what you pay per month with the same amount of people but older. Good luck.
We are a family of four (parents, 4 yr old, and 2 yr old) I spend $150 a week, sometimes a bit more or a bit less. We eat very healthy, I buy very little meat (fish, free range chicken). I buy a lot of produce some organic and some not (some organic is not always better...and you really have to wash your organic produce). I do not buy very much processed foods. So, I have always felt that our food budget was on the high side, but if we want to eat as healthy as we do then we have to spend a bit more for some of the healthier alternatives. I do use coupons and store specials. I can't wait to read the other responses.
I liked your question, because I had fun reading the responses. I need to let my husband read this, because he thinks i spend too much! It is just the two of us, and I am a bargain shopper. I don't mess with coupons, I buy the store brand on most items. I shop both Walmart and HEB.I don't buy meats at WM except for their "steak house" brand. most of their other products are cheaper than HEB. But there are somethings besides meat that i prefer at HEB. So I shop one week at one and one week at the other and that usually works out. I don't include diapers toiltries ( except TP,soap,toothpaste, and shampoo in my grocery budget) Also i help feed my stepson who is out of work. I also feed a crowd of 10 about every 6 weeks and I manage at around $250 a month! Much less than most of the posters that i read. I pretty much won't buy anything that I think is too expensive. it's hard to stay in that $250 budget, but I mostly do! We do use a little deer meat( only one deer a year) so it's not the real reason my budget stays low. Careful planning is the real reason!
I have a family of 5 also (3 children that are 4 and under). We budget $250 a week. But that includes things like gas for my car, little extra thngs like if I see shoes or something the kids need. In other words not just strictly food. Anyway, sometimes I go over, but most of the time I'm under that amount. So it pretty much evens out to $250 a week.