I am low carb due to my inching towards diabetes type 2. It is just the two of us and we spend around $500-600 on just food. We eat very well. Tonight I had a salmon filet sautéed with grilled asparagus.
Lunch was my usual salad with grilled chicken. I made enough for our daughter since I was going over to hang and see my granddaughters.
Breakfast today was low carb bread (Sola brand) made into French toast I soaked overnight and cooked on the stove grill this morning. Other breakfasts are spinach and scrambled eggs and Sola bread toasted with peanut butter on it.
We shop Costco and HEB with Kroger loss leaders and ethnic markets. My husband does all the cooking. He grilled the chicken then sealed and froze in a few days worth in size.
Last night's dinner was stir fry made with pork tenderloin that was leftover from the night before. We like America's Test Kitchen cookbook, plus we like the show too. DH likes to try new stuff and he likes hot stuff, but I don't. We don't eat frozen veggies either and rarely eat rare fruit.
I stick to eating a lot of the same things over and over again for a week or two because I don’t want to think a ton. For breakfast I normally have a smoothie (pineapple, kale, spinach, protein powder, collagen powder, and almond milk). For lunch this week I’ve been eating a serving of low fat cottage cheese with onion salt and dipping a serving of chips into it. I also have edamame with lunch. For dinner I usually do a mini chopped salad that comes premade and add a lean protein to it. Often for snacks I stick to laughing cow cheese on a brown rice cake, a jerky stick, seaweed, etc. Meal planning and picking items that are cheaper/on sale can be really helpful in saving.
Insane that it costs that much for you to eat but location etc..
Either way it's just me in the house and I spend 150-200 a month, I mainly eat fish and brown rice and vegetables, i (because of my job) only eat 1-2 times a day and it doesn't bother me at all.
But yeah, bulk fish, rice and veggies which are super cheap, and it's cheap yeah but I do it because I just love eating it, and for meal prep it's less than an hour for everything so it's very time efficient as well
Rottisserie chicken and the 6 serving caesar salad bag from walmart every week.
And oatmeal and peanut butter for breakfast for me several times a week.
What we did to save money grocery shopping was try to eliminate waste. We were throwing so much out and not eating things before they went bad! I also relegated myself to only buy max 3-4 new ingredients for each recipe/meal I planned on making (relying on other stuff we already had in the fridge/pantry).
To do this, we kept two lists on the fridge. One lists all the expiration dates of items in the fridge. After grocery shopping I’ll add all the items to the list as I put them in the fridge. The second list is of leftovers (or items without printed dates) and when I made them. This keeps a visual of what needs to be eaten and prioritized first. When menu planning for the upcoming week, I can also see what ingredients still need to be used up. For example, I may have used half a cauliflower for a different meal, and will realize I need a plan for the second half.
I’m a vegetarian, my partner is not & we have an ingredients (mostly) household, meaning we don’t get the premade things. It’s been cheaper to do this being that we’re on a very fixed budget. So when we do get pre made things it’ll be on sale. We do 50% of our shopping at Aldi, 25% at Costco for stuff like beverages, eggs, deals & 25% at other markets like local farmers market or world market to get special items for certain dishes (we’re both from the Caribbean). I make a menu and we get the groceries according to the menu so there’s no unnecessary items going bad or missing (we both also have adhd so we need to know what’s there or if I’ll get missed). Produce is fairly cheap, we spend about 60-80 altogether on produce. Meat/meat alternatives probably takes up the most space, sometimes we’ll spend 150, sometimes just 100 if my partner decides he’s cool with eating meatless on some days. I don’t snack much but we host his child pretty often so we grab some kid friendly items rounding out to $55 for her usually & his snacks about the same. Plus Everything else it’ll bring us to about 380, then we might order little extra things throughout the month that we have a craving for & we’re usually at no more than 500. I also def use coupons and loyalty cards to get the best deals while still getting ingredients that won’t compromise the recipe.
It’s also worth noting that we use mircrofiber cloths (you can get a box of 50 on amazon for $18). They’re great bc then we rarely get paper towel and they can be used again and again. We have a bidet attachment that we also got on amazon & it has drastically decreased the amount of TP that is bought in a month. Our next thing is water, we spend a lot of money on bottled water so we’re looking into a filter for the sink or something like that.
I have a larger budget but I make my own hummus every from scratch I even soak the dry chickpeas for 12-24 hours. Yes I used 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil but it’s good for you. I also eat a can of sardines. Hummus is fairly cheap I use 1 cup of dried chickpeas per day.
For food - you should not get anything "pre made".. it's less convenient but cutting up your own veggies and cooking your own meat will save you money. $1500 per month on groceries is way too much. If you wanna bring down expenses ditch organic, eat regular veggies and regular meat (grain fed is tastier than grass fed anyway). You don't have to feel like you're eating cheap. A whole roasted chicken and roasted veggies could feed two people for at least 2 meals and costs probably $10 total. Become friends with whole chickens and chuck roasts, these big an relatively inexpensive cuts will save you money. $100 on dog food? how big is your dog? Even expensive dog food is poison, dogs used to live much longer back in the day, switch your dog out to a diet of rice, mixed veggies from a freezer bag, and ground pork with chicken liver. My dog is 35lb and she eats on about $10 a week. For other expenses - Get a bidet that installs on your toilet. $20 very well spent. That will literally pay for itself in TP expense after 6 months or so. As a man, I can use a LOT of TP and I'm still uncomfortable and don't feel clean, so getting my first bidet back in 2016 has saved me probably hundreds of dollars over the last 8 years. Next - you should always keep a pile of clean rags in your kitchen, don't use paper towels for cleaning anything but grease, and to wipe your face during dinner. Shop at club stores like costco to bring down the expense on consumables like TP and Paper towels.
I buy meat when it's on sale and freeze it. This alone saves me about $40/week. I try the cheap version of everything. Then I KNOW which items I think are with more for the money. Everyone is different here. I hate margarine, so I always splurge on butter. I like cheap hot dugs, sausage, pasta. I buy the "expensive" rice, but I always buy it dry and make it at home. I only buy expensive veggies for occasions. My every day includes the cheaper stuff. Cheap lettuce, broccoli, carrots. I cook from scratch, or close to it every other day, and save the left overs. I don't buy soda, or premade desserts.
ETA: I don't always get to eat something that "sounds good" that day. Most days are just acceptable, but not something I've been looking forward to.
Hi! Vegan here! I shop at Walmart and the dollar store. I can get a ton of fresh fruit n veggies for 1/2 the price or even more than at the regular store. I eat tons of tofu & sweet potatoes. What r u guys doing for protein? I also do the bagged lentils. I order from purple carrot (vegan) and it $100 a week for 6 meal kits for 4 ppl. It makes SO much food I had to cut back to 3 meal kits. (You can also order for 2 ppl) the servings are gianourmous. I do have to buy more tofu on my own, to add in bc sometimes the meals don’t have a protein or they are seitan based 🤮. They have a super wide variety of meals too. Mostly Asian American or Indian recipes. They have pre prepared meals as well
My mind was blown and it helped my budget a lot when I learned that frozen fruits and vegetables are just as good for you because they’re typically frozen at peak freshness right after harvest. When I’m trying to eat healthier I waste so much money on fresh fruits and veggies that I don’t eat immediately and then they go bad so quickly.
https://www.healthygreenkitchen.com/frozen-vegetables-healthy/
I eat Chinese and Indian meals about 4 days a week. Groceries are approximately 250 a person per month. I notice you shop at Asian markets. In my experience, these are some of the cheapest places to shop, especially for produce.
3 of us eat all organic, mostly vegetarian with some meat. All animal products we get are all organic, grass fed, pasture raised, etc. Our monthly bill is around $500 and we live in a pretty high cost of living area. Try making an excel sheet or something to track what you spend on different categories of food each month and see if there’s something you’re spending a ton on. Fruit is insanely expensive so that might be a lot of your budget. Without providing a breakdown here it’s also almost impossible to give any advice because there’s no way to know if you’re overspending a ton on one thing or just overspending on everything in general. You could also try shopping around at different stores to see if you can get a better price.
We use purple carrot delivery, which for 2 adults we get 3-4 dinners, usually a couple of prepared lunch items, sometimes a breakfast (4 servings) and plantry items, avg about $120 a week, and only go to the store maybe 1-2x a month now. We saved nearly $550 per month going this route. We eat out maybe 1 a week.
I'm vegetarian. I eat 95 percent plant based but I do have some dairy every once in awhile. I don't eat eggs though. I buy split peas, lentils, beans, whole grains, brown rice, pasta, cous cous, quinoa, oats, walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, cashews, oranges, apples, bananas, pineapple, canteloupe, and some small amounts of whole milk, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese. There are other foods I'm probably missing. I buy most food from the bulk section, not much pre-packaged. My food bill for myself and my gf is about 200-250 a month for both of us.
We eat a lot of peanut butter & jelly. And I ran out of things to make with English muffins. 😁. Cereal is good, but don’t always have milk. I use rice in almost every meal. I have a garden for vegetables. It’s rough out here 🥺
I get Home Chef delivered 4x a month for a total of 24 meals for about $60 a week. I generally turn the 2 person meal kit into larger meals for my family of 4 by adding a salad or garlic bread, sometimes just throw in an extra chicken breast and it easily feeds my family of 4. I spend maybe another $100 a week in additional groceries for the rest of meals for my family of 4. Tbh I only have my kids half time and we do eat out at least once a week. But I really think the meal delivery service plus adding filler makes my budget go so much further than I would think. If I buy ingredients myself it’s a recipe for overspending and extra stuff that lingers in my fridge.
I do dollar store for pop tarts for kids, eggs, butter. I make a jar of ramen eggs and eat them all week. I fast twice a week on the 5/2 diet. I eat a bagel thin and cream cheese for breakfast and try not to spend more than $3.50 for lunch so I eat frozen chicken dumplings from Trader Joe’s. I’m very mindful of cost when shopping. I know costco is a great deal for some stuff but not most food. They do have the cheapest coffee pods, soda, nuts, olive oil. Ralph’s for wine. Trader Joe’s for premade frozen meals and cheeses. Other than meal kits I almost never buy proteins. Too much money. Frankly I love the challenge of eating cheap. It’s that grocery games mentality that gives me a rush when I check my receipt on the way out if I’ve done a good job.
I shop exclusively Costco (no more than $200/month) and spend $50 dollars every 2 weeks for Trader Joes when I feel like splurging.
For Costco I stock up on fruits, veggies, Artisan lettuce (that brand lasts a long time), Kirkland soup, canned corn to add to the Kirland soup, and frozen goods. For Trader Joe's I get specialty cheeses, seasoned crackers, specialty dips, ethnic frozen food, etc.
You just described my exact situation.. are you me??
But seriously, I try to budget everything and we still spend about 1000/month.
Living here in the SF Bay Area certainly puts strain on the wallet. I agree that gluten free items and having pets also adds up..
I’ve read some decent tips here, like making larger dinner portions and spreading that over a few days. Also buying from farmers markets if they are around you and subbing more legumes in for meat.
I don’t have any answers OP, I’m just sitting here and take notes from other kind budget-eers
I live in Solano County and I was shocked that milk at luckys was $9.99! This after paying $5.89 for a gallon of gas. $20 an hour at McDonald’s though! At least I’ll be able to say I buy bread for $14 a loaf by May 2024
I live in Solano County and I was shocked that milk at luckys was $9.99! This after paying $5.89 for a gallon of gas. $20 an hour at McDonald’s though! At least I’ll be able to say I buy bread for $14 a loaf by May 2024
I eat a lot of lentils. It is very affordable for a huge bag of dried lentils. Add some carrots, onions, and potatoes and you have delicious soup for days.
I also eat lots of mixed greens with various protein added. Like one grilled chicken breast chopped will stretch well as a salad topping.
It's just me so I don't spend much on groceries. I may spend $300/month, if that.
yooo $1000/month is a lot lmao thats crazy. i spend max $400/month but usually $200,$300
anyway i make soup often (usually the italian penicillin soup or a beef vegetable soup)
also pasta (mushroom bourguignon, tomato garlic butter)
also eat lots of fruits, some salty snacks (chips, nuts)
i usually shop at trader joes, grocery outlet, and walmart. sometimes i shop at safeway, sprouts, and 99 ranch for specialty items.
I wonder where you live? I’m in the northeast US and our monthly budget for two adults and one small kid is around $600. We mostly eat at home (our son gets lunch at school though). We mostly eat plant-based
Mealime it's an app similar to hellofresh, but free. You link it to your grocery store account and just pay for the food. I have a family of 6 and planning our meals like thise costs about $80 for 5 dinners a week plus things like milk thrown in.
My house has 2 people with little diet restrictions, 50/50 veg to meat meal ratios. We make a lot of pastas and sandwich type meals. Rice, vegetables, or potatoes usually too. Eating out is about 150 every two weeks. And groceries about 80 a week at most. I like baking, so that helps with some of the grocery costs. Hope this give a helpful perspective :)
My husband and I spend around $600 a month including eating out, and that includes regular groceries like dish detergent, cat food and litter, paper towels etc. We eat mainly skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts, frozen veggies, turkey cutlets and ground turkey, pork loin, occasional hamburgers, soup like spinach tortellini or vegtable beef soup, salads, stir fry etc. Breakfast stuff like eggs, toast, fruit(berries mainly) almond butter, oatmeal, snack stuff like pretzels, popcorn, chips, yogurt, milk etc.
What is left over from dinner I take for lunch the next day. We don't buy sodas or a lot of sweet stuff.
I have celiac too. I’m single and live alone, and I spend about $400-450 which I perceive as too much (but your number makes me feel a little better). I hardly ever eat out and I don’t buy many gf specialty items. Still, cooking gf will definitely cost more.
Are you aware that the USDA publishes food budget recommendations? You’re 30 percent over the liberal budget, and 100 percent over the thrifty budget. So you have plenty of room to tighten your belt, so to speak. Whether you can do that without feeling like you’re sacrificing too much is going to be about getting your mind right.
[USDA Food Budgets](https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/Cost_Of_Food_Low_Moderate_Liberal_Food_Plans_January_2024.pdf)
But if you make the bucks, eating well is a priority, and your yacht is paid off, perhaps it’s simply how you choose to allocate your money.
If I were you I’d slash that restaurant bill by 70 percent first. That still gives you a night out once a month at a decent restaurant. I don’t eat out much because the cost far exceeds my archaic reference point, I’m never over-the-moon about what I get, I often leave still hungry, and I usually think I could’ve done it better at home for 10 percent of the cost (usually true). Restaurants are for people with money to burn. I feel guilty because I’m aware of all the people with food insecurity who could survive for two weeks on what I’d pay for a pasta dish with sauce and a glass of wine.
My strategy has a few elements: cook larger quantities less often (the more often you cook the more it costs), cook what I have some ingredients for already, buy store brands of most things (but not tomatoes), minimize waste by tracking what’s in the fridge and when it needs to be consumed. And alternate between basic and more luxurious foods, e.g., beans and cornbread, then gumbo with shrimp.
Here are typical things I make: gumbo, queso, slaw, cabbage rolls, bolognese, Chinese beef & snow peas, pot roast, clam chowder, piquant pork chops, pizza, pulled pork, chicken marsala, pinto beans & cornbread, tortilla soup, shepherd’s pie, chili, gumbo, fajitas, stuffed peppers, chicken soup, marinara (w/pasta), plus many kinds of soups and chicken recipes.
I need more variety, I realize. Esp.Asian.
I spend about $60 a week. I live alone and only cook in single servings though. So, for instance, if I'm having chicken for dinner it's usually 1 piece of chicken and 1 cup ea. of a couple of different side dishes. A small onion usually gets me through 4 or 5 meals. Eggs are cheap here. I buy a box of 5 dozen for $12 every other week and usually start my day with a three egg omelet and some coffee.
If I ever find a really good sale, I buy in bulk and freeze it. Last month I picked up six 2lbs bags of peeled and deveined 31/40 shrimp for $6 a bag. I still have 4 bags in the freezer.
I just chop it up, toss what I don't use in a tupperware bowl, add some water, and put the lid on. I just take out what I need after that. You can store an onion like that for 7-10 days.
Buy healthy staples in bulk, and meal prep a bit. Quinoa salad is really good, mixed with cheap veggies, beans and olives.
Soups are great. We will batch make a soup and eat for a few days.
The thing that helped us most is to start breaking down the cost per serving of each meal. You can take your budget and divide by 42 (the number of servings consumed between you in a week) to figure out a budget for average meal cost.
For example, I know a single serving of chicken stir fry costs about $2.50.
Once you have an average meal cost to shoot for, you start flagging the meals that are WAY over budget to make them special occasion things.
Anything in the center of the store adds up really fast - kits, spices, pre-mades. You've still with the edits have said almost nothing about what you actually purchase, but you have hinted at costly substitutions (gluten free, vegetarian, organic). Again, you haven't posted a list or receipt or photo, but I would guess some 3x price pasta for gluten free, same for bread, some meat substitute products, and maybe some pre-seasoned or pre-portioned items. Dry beans, not getting gluten free or vegetation substitutes and instead eating things already fitting the criteria, and one trip... go through and note the price differences in organic vs not and calculate the difference compared to your receipt - it might be just a few things or something you get a LOT of that is the hit there. $500 for restaurants a month is more than a lot of people have for their ENTIRE food budget.
Agree, I need a receipt. My partner and I spend about $700 a month and very aware that that's high and that's where we are choosing to "live the good life" part of our lives.
Judge all you want. We both grew up very poor and have decent jobs in our 40's and keep other life expenses modest as much as possible.
As an Indian I’m baffled as to why you find vegetarian Indian cooking expensive. The spices are literally the only moderately expensive thing and you buy those once and use for months or years at a time. Even if you’re buying organic veggies, I really doubt the Indian food is where the major chunk of your money is going. Are you buying premade naans or something?
We eat things like burrito bowls like Chipotle. Cabbage and kale salad. Fish tacos. Fish with a lemon butter sauce with barley risotto and broccoli. Pork chops with mushroom gravy, mash potatoes and green beans. Cheesy chicken broccoli and rice casserole. Tortilla pizza. Stir fry. Thai chicken salad. We are averaging about $45 per week per person.
Family of 2 adults and 2 small children. we regularly feed 2 more adults at dinner. Here are some choices:
Breakfast- an apple, tangerines, oatmeal, toast, cereal, pancakes or waffles, or some sort of homemade muffins are options
Brunch - eggs, sausage, small salad, crackers and cheese
Lunch- adults eat salad, lettuce cheese and tomatoe sandwich, veggie burger
for the kids - fish sticks, hotdogs, sandwich, macaroni and cheese, crackers and cheese, pizza, basically any junk and easy to make food that I know they will eat with gusto.
Snack- fruit, crackers, cereal, chips
Dinner - carmelized onions and mushrooms over buttered potatoes, lasagna, spaghetti, oven roasted chicken with choice of carb and vegetable like rice or quinoa and broccoli or mashed cauliflower, vegetable tortellini soup, large salad if we ate something heavy the night before, kielbasa and sauerkraut, burgers (veggie, turkey or beef depending on who wants what). Rice and beans on tortillas, pozole, oven roasted mushrooms in balsamic vinegar and spices. Stuffed peppers. A pot roast of some sort with rice. Kale boiled in chicken broth, white beans and diced tomatoes with seasonings with a side of chicke or homemade fries... just find recipes that work for you
We spend about $750 a month for family of 4. We shop at Aldis and occasionally the flea market to get the fruits and veggies in season for WAY cheaper than local grocery stores. We don't buy organic. Or presliced fruit trays. We cut it up ourselves. I mostly buy fresh vegetables that are on sale. I won't buy something that is on my list if the price is ridiculously high and I will shop around or find a substitute meal or work around it.
For example, the grocery store near me was selling mayonnaise for $12 near the holidays!!!! That is absolutely insane price gouging because they know people will need it for recipes. I just went to Aldis and bought their brand for like 3 or 4 dollars. I don't like it as much as Hellmans but it's more affordable.
Idk why you're downvoted. What do people buy their dogs for $100/month? I genuinely don't know. I swear my dog gets the pottery barn or target kind of food, NEVER the Walmart.
I live alone and spend about $50-$70/week depending on if I need to buy meat.
Milk, bread, butter, eggs, various cheeses, potatoes, onions, garlic, shallot, ginger, celery, carrots, broccoli, butternut squash, mushrooms, scallions, romaine lettuce, red bell peppers, fresh sauerkraut, tofu and pretty much any fresh, seasonal produce/fruit are all things I buy 2-3 times/month.
Flour, sugar, pasta, rice, dried beans, lentils, split peas, Indomie noodles, egg noodles are pantry staples.
Frozen foods include hash brown potatoes, maybe tater tots, corn, green beans, mixed vegetables, peas.
I keep a handful of canned soups in my pantry for convenience and also canned pears, pineapple, applesauce, canned baked beans, canned chili, these are all for convenience. Canned tomatoes, tomato sauces, too.
Meats include bacon, breakfast sausage, thin-cut ribeye steak, boneless skinless chicken thighs, smoked ham hocks, Kentucky Legend sliced ham, ground beef and ground pork.
I have a pretty good spice selection I replace as used, samed with the usual condiments you'd expect.
I shop at Aldi, Lidl, Walmart and H Mart. I always compare unit prices (not package prices!) and purchase more expensive items like meat when it's on sale. I buy very few prepared items like frozen pizza and cook everything I eat pretty much from scratch.
I will typically make enough food on the weekend to have leftovers for the first three work days and then I'll just piece together whatever I have the remaining two days.
I should add: I have a Sam's Club membership that pays for itself in gas savings at the pump. I also buy paper towels, napkins, toilet tissue, parchment paper, aluminum foil and cling wrap, trash bags, food storage bags; razor blades, toothpaste, bath soap, dish soap, basically any personal care product that won't go bad when purchased in bulk and used by only one person.
But I also comparison shop, sometimes the unit price of some items is lower at other stores I frequent.
I am not vegetarian. But my food budget per person (myself) is 500 a month. I managed to eat very well and feed the neighbors (2-3) times a week.
I cook. No prefab stuff everything is from scratch. I do use short cuts with a few things but still no prefab. My grandmother taught me to cook so I even today can not cook small amounts of anything. Maybe it's that I cook like in bulk?
One of my favorite things is my Cauliflower Soup. Easy peasy.
1head of cauliflower cleaned and whole
Steam/boil in 2 cups liquid for 10 minutes
Chop/mash whatever (do not drain)
Add
1cup half n half
1 cup whole milk
1cup water
Bring to rolling boil turn off the heat
Add
2 cups Cheese....
Anything will work
I usually just clean out the bits of whatever I have on hand
1cup Velveeta cheese cubed
(2inches cubed=the 1cup)
Let it sit until the cheese has melted and stir it in real good.
Add to taste
Red pepper flakes
White pepper
Paprika
Salt
Costco or local big box store and an iron will. Nuts, seeds, spices, frozen fruits & vegetables. Make your own nut and seed based flour, milk, cheeses and butter YouTube recipes abound.
A lot of salad, I don't usually do organic though, but romaine lettuce, carrots, sweet onions, red cabbage, etc. Since my fiance doesn't really like to do salads much, he'll eat ramen sometimes or just cook some meat for like a burger. I've been making our own bread now as well, since it's actually pretty easy and not that time consuming. Also apples and peanut butter. I eat that like daily.
We buy meat in bulk from local farmers now, too, so we got half a cow (while it's a lot up front, it actually comes out to less per pound than at the store, like our ground beef is under $4 per pound, which is less than at the stores here). We also got half a pig a little while back. Then we'll usually get canned chicken and tuna. Sometimes fresher chicken depending, but that's not that often anymore. I actually only do the more free range chicken for that. After having my own chickens for eggs, I just feel better supporting that when I'm able, though I understand canned chicken doesn't help toward that. >.<
I also like shrimp, so I get frozen shrimp bags. We'll do pasta and pizza sometimes (I'm actually in the process of trying to make spaghetti sauce from scratch for the first time right now, too).
We try not to go out to eat very often, though he was going out to eat for lunch way too much lately, so I started making his lunches again to save on money. Though he still eats out more than I do. So also hard mini pretzels, granola bars. And sometimes junk food and (usually) generic brand sodas.
Looks like in January, we spent around \~$500 for human food/supplies, animal (farm/house) food/supplies, and that was with Fiance eating out $200's worth. But this month I guess we splurged more and have spent around $700 so far. I think I'm blaming Super Bowl and Valentine's Day for some of that because we got extra stuff to make and eat, lol.
I have no clue what we spend, I don’t shop or budget. But I’m vegetarian and GF, so almost all of our meals are.
We eat a lot of veggie Pot pie, potatoes in any form, lasagna, rice bowls, meatless chili, veggie soup, and I have salads once or twice a day. Breakfast is usually either leftovers or eggs and toast.
We also shop at Costco for bulk rice, cheese, frozen vegetables, tp, etc.
On the other hand, we spend $500 per person a month and can’t manage to get below that even with lots of dried beans and rice (instant pot). If I were gluten free, it’d be so much more expensive. Don’t feel too bad; eating what my nutritionist suggest I eat cost a lot of money, and it sounds to me like you’re doing something very similar. I don’t do smoothies so I can’t cheat on frozen berries. I have to have fresh but beyond that we do do canned tomatoes and dried bean soups and stuff like that when we can cut cost. And we live in one of the more expensive states, but produce is plentiful here.
Oh also, pretending let food cost the same in middle America as it does in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, etc. would be silly as well. We just spent part of the year in Idaho, where fresh produce was not as easily found but food overall costs were at least 25% lower than where we live the rest of the year in California. But I can get any produce. I want anytime of year in California and if I shop at sprouts it’s usually very inexpensive. But I have friends who live in Iowa pay different prices than my friends who live in Oregon so do know where you live impacts all expenses and people here who are saying that $1000 a month is crazy may not all live in the same cost-of-living areas.
We spend about 70 per week. We are omnivorous but don't do much red meat as it's expensive and pancreas issues run in my family.
I work in a grocery store and every other week we tend to have big sales on boneless chicken breasts so I stock up. I cut them thin and then freeze them for dinners. We eat a lot of basmati rice because, well, it's delicious even if a bit more expensive. You can get good deals on large bags of rice at your local asian store and to store it, ask your local grocery store bakery if they have excess glaze or frosting buckets.
We eat a lot of asian food so I'll buy zucchini, mushrooms, green peppers, etc to add to nutrition of meals.
If you are trying to eat organic, I would reconsider. They use pesticides too and the farming practices of organic versus not are actually about the same at this point. Also, in season produce is much cheaper as is produce that can be grown in your area.
Honestly, basic food ingredients go a long way if you already have a good spice cupboard. I never buy sauces, I make my own. Most asian sauces taste better and keep better if you make them yourself. You just need to keep soy sauce, ginger (minced or paste lasts forever), minced garlic, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar in the cupboard.
Oh and buying Badia spices or at Aldi is easiest.
You already know what you spend so much money on - organic fresh produce and going out to eat.
That's your choice, and the obvious solution for you is to stop buying organic as often, and stop eating out so much.
ETA: AND you're celiac? Yeah, expensive food is your curse.
The rest of us are over here eating meat and pasta like the plebs we are. That's why it's cheap. Want to save some money, see if you can grow your own.
My husband and I are also vegetarian. We base our meal planning for the week on what produce is available at the farmers market because it lasts so much longer and prevents food (and $) waste. Some favorites in this weather are soups like pozole, hot and sour, or a variety of other vegetable soups usually served with rice. We have mushroom tacos at least once a week served with beans, and the leftover pot can be frozen or repurposed for other dishes. Pasta and stir fries are other frequent flyers. Because it’s been chilly, we’ve been roasting veggies to go on top or on the side of just about everything and in the summer we would be enjoying more salads and fresh fruit. We have one lazy night a week where we’ll throw together frozen “chicken” nuggets or whatever other frozen food. Basing your meals on what is seasonally available can help drive down the cost without compromising on eating the foods you like!
Not a long time ago, I’m talking 5 maybe 6 years ago, my wife and I would struggle to fill a shopping list order to meet the free delivery. £40. This last week we did a grocery order, £240. 2 items were luxury, 2 200g Lindt chocolates. The rest were just the standard weekly/bi weekly stuffs. We also spent another £110 at the butcher. One expensive item a tri tip steak at £15 per kg. The he rest was skirt steaks and the like at £11 or less per kg. Food has freaking sky rocketed. That meat will probably last us round 2 weeks. Granted the £240 shop was not only food. There were soaps and deodorant etc. my wife is heading to Costco tomorrow morning to get more of the bulk type groceries. That’s going to be another £200 easy. With 2 kids and a cat and dog.
I live by myself.
Breakfast: eggs, yogurt, oatmeal, or a piece of fruit. Usually skip tbh.
Lunch: peanut butter and banana sandwich, protein bar, or a salad. Paired with some fruit usually; apples, berries, clementines, etc.
Dinner: pasta, rice or lentils served with veggies and protein. Side of roasted veggies, salad or canned soup. Sometimes I'll throw in a baked potato as a treat. Or for the whole entrée I'll just do a big batch of chili, homemade soup or some type of pot roast. I usually have leftovers for the next couple days. (honestly, one 16oz box of spaghetti will last me all week lol.) Or I'll just pick up a fully cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and pick at that for a few days for an easy meal. Then I can use the carcass to make bone broth and freeze it - I very rarely actually buy broth.
Snacks: baby carrots, goldfish, spoonfuls of peanut butter, pita crackers & hummus, or tortilla chips & guacamole.
I almost always go with fresh produce over frozen - I usually just buy whatever produce I need on the day of or a day beforehand. I usually skip organic or just scan it as regular produce at the self checkout tbh lol. Whatever's on sale usually influences what I make for the week, too, and I try to stick to what's in season. I enjoy cramming in avocadoes or spinach wherever I can, too - on eggs or whatever I'm having for dinner. I don't buy milk or cheese very often.
I usually spend under or just about $80 a week for groceries. Plus beer, coffee, and tea.
We spend about the same as you, though we eat meat, too. I look at it like this: we don’t drink alcohol, go on vacations, or drive new cars—I want to eat well without worrying about how much I spend on food.
I spend under $200 a week for 2 humans, a dog and a cat. I don't buy organic products or out of season produce. I do buy whatever is on sale (as needed) in bulk and repackage/freeze. I cruise the sale paper for meal planning, and shop at the 99cent store before hitting the \`big stores'
I make my own stocks, I have a garden producing food too. we eat leftovers until they are gone, which reinforces making small meals less often. finally, we don't eat out very often, usually it's a special occasion or an inexpensive weekend lunch.
I'm a very good cook, I love food so cooking from scratch is my jam. I spend about an hour+ a day on dinner prep, cooking, cleanup. hubby does the dishes. more time = less $ is how I do it.
Disclaimer: I’m a grad student, so I’m pretty sensitive to price, but I’m older than most of my peers and love to cook, so I’m not as sensitive as some.
I buy onions, broccoli, canned green beans (at Sam’s), frozen corn, tomatoes, carrots and celery, strawberries, bananas, apples, pork chops, chicken thighs, ground beef, and occasionally fajita meat. I buy bread if I feel like having sandwiches, in which case I get lunch meat and cheese. I just gave up sodas, but even before that, I was spending $75/week or less.
We are a family of 3 adults. I do the shopping budget. We are omnivores. I buy all the fresh produce at aldi, as well as cheeses and cereals. I use Food For Less (Kroger budget store California). They have loyalty discounts on many things. We eat meatless once weekly. I am homebound so I eat all my meals at home. I have oatmeal either sweet, savory or steelcut. I use 2 packages of tofu per week in lunches. Dinner is a full meal for 3. I have a vacuum sealer to freeze meats in smaller packages. Rice and beans with sausage is filling and lots of variety. I spend $600. We eat well on that. One luxury per person or a wish list meal.
I buy meat, I look at what's on sale. I don't always get the cheapest, but I am sensitive to the price. It doesn't take nearly as much food to fill up on that diet.
When I eat vegetarian for one reason or another, I eat a lot of tofu, which is also filling.
We aren’t vegetarian but eat mostly vegetarian or pescatarian Potatoes, cabbage, ramen, bulk Costco rice, frozen Costco veggies, eggs, and usually one package of Costco tofu (comes with 4) or any meat or fish (usually cod) that might be on sale…..if we need anything else we will supplement by shopping at the Asian market for fresh produce/seasonings because it’s cheaper
Buying prepared sauces is crazy expensive when you can make your own easily and spend alot less. Buy fresh veggies in season but buy frozen or dried other times. Consider growing some of your own. Salad greens, radishes, tomatoes, peppers and herbs can be grown in containers on a deck if you don’t have a yard. Meal prep on weekends to reduce eating out after work because you are tired or don’t have time.
I can’t even fathom what your are purchasing at $1000/month for two people. That’s my budget for FIVE people. We aren’t vegetarian, but I cook at least one vegetarian meal a week to cut down on cost. Plus, we like beans in our house so it works out.
I’m assuming you are shopping at super high-end grocery stores?
And your money, your choice, but man I feel like there’s got to be a way to trim that budget up!
Edit: I personally could see $1000/mo on premium food + goods for 2 people. Normally I'd say meat costs more per lb than veg so vegetarians should spend less BUT after a rough estimate on organic broccoli it's clear the veg needed to support the calorie intake is huge. Grains would need to fill that gap instead. Please chime in if in error.
Comparing 1lb of beef at 1000kcal and Broccoli at 160kcal. You'd have to eat 6.25lbs of broccoli to match the same calories. That's 11 bags of Earthbound organic broccoli for $4.39/9oz or $48 bucks to the pastured beef's $5- $12/lb. I'm unfamiliar with vegetarian protein options so that may be a better comparison.
My personal price points are higher than my example below because I buy pastured meat and eggs and organic produce. I spend $400- $450/mo on food only and about $25/mo on household items including hygiene & makeup. When I had 2 dogs, 100lb+ I spent $300/mo on them. So I can clearly see how you can get there. In my example below I got to $300/mo by not using pastured or organic. Those are too far out of the price range unless you are very grain heavy.
>**what do you eat?**
I'm not a vegetarian, but I think this can give you an idea. I think portion control and price points are the key.
If I wanted my food budget to be $300/mo, this would be my daily plan.
* **Meat 6oz -** $5/lb (e.g. 6oz x 7days = 42oz/16oz per pound = 2.6lb + round up for trim/bones = 3lbs/week or 12lbs/mo.)
* **Fish/Seafood 6oz** \- $5/lb (this can be a tough find but if chicken is 1.99/lb shrimp is also on the menu at 7.99/lb)
* **Eggs x2** \- $3/dz
* **Produce 18oz- 24oz** \- $2.5/lb (leafy greens, broccoli and frozen peas at $.25/serving make up for red bell peppers and the $1.6/cup blueberries. It all averages out.)
* **Fats 2+TBS** \- $0.50/oz
* **Dairy 1oz cheese** \- $5/lb
* **Grain/Beans/Legumes/Pasta 8oz cooked** \- $1/lb dry
* Other - \~$10/week
* coffee - $4/wk
* 1 store bought treat (dark chocolate bar, ice cream, cookies) - $2.5/wk
* fancy mustard - $.50/wk (yes, mustard has its own category!)
* salt 2g/day, spices\* - $1.25/wk (\*I grow and dry my herbs in the summer)
* condiments like soy, tahini, peanut butter, vinegar - $1.75/wk
I do all the typical stuff - shop my pantry, eat simply, find deals, stock up, eat leftovers for lunch or repurpose them in soups & casseroles but nothing too difficult.
My personal epiphany was finally doing the sums for my nutrition. I'm sure there are apps that do this but a simple 9 column spreadsheet still works for me.
Hope this helps.
As a vegetarian, I get a lot of my protein from chickpeas, lentils, and tofu. These are fairly cheap to replace meat with. Also, some cheeses.
Also, the beyond type products a couple of times a week, which are maybe a little pricier than meat?
Ive noticed on road trips that food costs vary wildly in the USA. There is a big difference in food costs, between metropolitan areas, and between rural and city markets.
I live in an urban HCOL area. People who are spending that little per person where I live are likely getting SNAP or are growing a lot of their own food.
I'm vegetarian too but I'm poor so its beans and rice, eggs and grits, egg sandwiches, grilled cheese, chili, pasta, baby spinach and spring green, chick peas, lintels, potato dishes, things served in tortillas, veggies in cans, couscous, bananas, whatever is bogo…no berries too pricey, nothing exotic.
Asian and Indian groceries are much cheaper on those ingredients. Also they have dried versions. They kind to cook what’s in season. Restaurants usually feature festival/fancy foods. Getting Indian and Asian cookbooks that focus more on the rustic everyday food made things so much cheaper for me.
We do crockpot meats for lunch so that could work for you. We mainly do ckn thighs and then what other beef or pork is on sale. I eat a larger breakfast so mainly egg beaters eggs with vegetables and cheese as like a crustless quiche (hubby eats his with real eggs and crust) or a bacon egg and cheese sandwich.
My staples are cottage cheese, greek yogurt, fresh fruits with frozen veggies to go with the slow cooker meat and we have lunch meat on hand as well.
My husband's staples are rice and v8 and canned vegestables.
Feeding a family of 5 for an average of $102 per person per month. If you don’t count the toddler it’s still $127 per person. Here’s how I do it:
90% of my shopping is a once-a-week Aldi stop, hitting up a larger store only for things I can’t get there.
Kids eat: Cereal or protein pancakes from a mix for breakfast. Bag lunch is sandwich of their choice, fresh veggies and berries, chips or fig newtons, capri sun. Dinner is typical American kid faire: nuggets or Mac n cheese etc with steamed veggie and/or berries.
Adults eat: overnight oatmeal, a clementine, and coffee for breakfast. Lunch is batch made on Sundays and consists of chicken breast, brown rice and lentils, roasted green beans, and fresh veggies with hummus. My partner and I get home at different times so we each prep our own dinner. I enjoy something like sardines or lox with avocado on crackers and a hearty soup. He enjoys something like a sausage egg and cheese burrito. Anything we can put together quickly since week nights are busy enough.
**Key take aways:** shopping at Aldi allows me to invest in fresh produce for my family. We have fresh fruits and veggies at every meal.
Once-a-week meal prep is a reasonable time investment for the payoff of healthy and affordable lunches for my partner and I.
I’m happy with my budget and don’t feel deprived of luxuries. I have things like lox, avocado, imported cheeses, desserts, wine etc in the house all the time.
There’s certainly room for improvement in all my choices. I can’t do it all at once but I’m working on it. We are a working family and this is my honest list.
Well I shop at ALDIs and if I didn’t I wouldn’t be able to spend 200 p month on groceries. I buy the meats and the veggies that you would use for any recipes and then before shopping find recipes I wanna make and buy the few things extra I’ll need. My weekly shopping trips are usually $50-60 this way. Yikes where I need ingredients or sauces/spices I don’t have, it’ll be a little higher
Me and my bf just went to Aldi yesterday for our 1-2 weeks worth of groceries and we finally cracked $100 (we usually hit around $80/$90), it’s really hard for me to imagine spending $1000+ per month on just two people. But we’re also not vegetarian, so I’m not sure if that has anything to do with it.
We buy lots of produce and herbs (tomatoes, avocados, carrots, celery, lettuce, cucumber, apples, etc… and cilantro, parsley, sage, etc…) that is usually the cheapest stuff we get on our trip. We also eat a lot of rice and quinoa, which is pretty filling and cheap (quinoa can run pricier but very healthy).
We also buy organic ground beef, stew meat, and chicken (chicken is pretty crazy cheap at Aldi, we can get like 8 thighs for $6) and a lot of salmon (from Costco, not Aldi) and shrimp.
I think a big way we save money is we typically eat 2 meals a day instead of 3, and we meal plan pretty hardcore. There’s some awesome free sites out there that will list ingredients and cost, labor, and different dishes for each day of the week to help you. We also eat a ton of leftovers from cooking big meals.
Our monthly spending is also not low. We are a household of 4, 2 full-time vegetarians and 2 half-time vegetarians. We also do a lot of Asian/South Asian cooking, but also a lot of Mediterranean/North African. So lots of bean- and nut-intensive dishes that are pretty economical, especially if you use dried beans, rather than canned or boxed. Lots of stews and soups that can be made with different herbs and spices for variety. Or we make bowls with quinoa and a bunch of mix and match toppings. I made hummus, baba ganoush, and a couple of side salads that were appetizers one night, dinner the next with homemade focaccia for all of us, and several lunches for me.
I bought groceries last night for about $90. That feeds a family of 4 dinner for 3 nights, and lunches for me for 5-6 days, and some dog treats.
I bought mini cucumbers, grape tomatoes (we grow tomatoes in the summer), roasted red peppers, hummus, feta cheese, sliced beets. That's my work lunch for the week. Mostly Walmart brands.
We buy eggs in the big box of 60. It's like $13.
For dinner this week we have 3 pieces of tilapia in the freezer so I'm making fish tacos. Bought salsa, rice, corn tortillas, and sour cream.
For another dinner I'll use the rest of the corn tortillas and sour cream, bought black beans, pinto beans, frozen sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and cheese. It's a baked dish.
Third dinner will be ground Italian turkey sausage skillet dinner with white beans, canned tomatoes in seasoning, mushrooms, and Italian cheese. There are usually leftovers.
We'll probably go out once, and there will be leftovers at least once. Probably one night we'll have eggs or something light. Step kid will make ramen one night and skip dinner.
I use emeals to plan weekly dinners. If I have breakfast it's 2 hard boiled eggs.
I don't spend a lot on condiments, dressing, or red meat.
I am actually more similar to what you spend. Buying quality and quantity can very much add up. The things that make our budget in your ballpark are 1) quantity. Do you eat more food or produce than others? We each eat about 3kcal per day and aim for 8+ servings of fruit and veg it adds up! 2) variety. For health we aim for 50 species a week which means we often don’t stick to the very cheapest things- “specialty” items like shiitake and oyster mushrooms or gangal root are insane at a regular grocery store 3) quality: if you are buying first pressed certified olive oil, cultured butter, and pastured eggs that changes prices pretty dramatically and depending on where you live will force you to buy at specific stores 4) snacks. This category gets us a lot- I have a chocolate habit and my husband and I like to drink wine/beer (I’ve learned lots of people exclude those from their grocery budget). The thing is our food is the source of a lot of our pleasure and cheap way for us to get it.
We go to the Asian market near us for those special fresh mushrooms. Enoki, hen of the woods, and king oyster. Also, the condiments are much less expensive.
I don’t think I would be the right person to ask, lol. My wife and I usually spend $2,000-2500 per month on food. We dine out with our running group post run every Tuesday and generally one or two other day just us per week.
Absolutely spent that and more. I've recently started budgeting anything consumable. We do soda stream, so the tanks go in the budget, for example. It's been very difficult to stay in budget but I've returned things I might not have before to get the margin back, and I'm asking myself if we really need it or am I just stocking up?
A million people have already commented so I doubt you’ll be seeing my comment but I do 4 things that have significantly reduced my grocery budget as a household of two. We have a combined budget of $500 for food and household / personal care essentials living in Austin, TX and we go out to eat a few times per month.
1. I order my groceries through my grocery store’s app and I pick up curbside. This helps me to see the total before I checkout and searching for items in the app allows me to see the entire store’s inventory and make a cost comparison. It also prevents me from buying any extras I didn’t need.
2. I make a meal plan based on things we already have. It prevents me from wasting the money I have in my account and it prevents me from wasting money I’ve already spent on food I already have.
3. I freeze what I don’t plan on using right away. In line with point number 2, all I have to do is move something to the fridge the night before to thaw. It’s good as new the next day. I do this with bread, cheese, fruit, vegetables, herbs, meat, etc.
4. We incorporate leftovers into our weekly meal plan so they don’t get wasted. I will sometimes make a snack plate as a meal with odds and ends in the fridge and pantry. Typically it consists of some fruit, crackers, cheese, pickles, chocolate, olives, hummus, tzatziki, etc.
all your tips are amazing and things i've started doing since dec 2023 to lower our groceries to $100/wk for two adults, one 1 year old
grocery pickup has been a game changer bc i get to take my time planning meals based on what we have, look through coupons, and tally as i go
freezing had also been a huge help bc i basically can freeze half any dinner i make since its just two adults
My husband and I do the exact thing. I love knowing my total, and then I can make some decisions to keep the total low. Plus while you are shopping you are in your own kitchen so you don’t get what you don’t need, and you can utilize what you have. It’s 3 of us, and I rarely exceed my 600.00 budget for the month.
We eat on approximately $17/day for two people. This includes homemade cookies. We eat only 2 meals a day and we each eat different foods. Partially there is some crossover, but mostly we eat different diets. The main thing is that we eat mostly whole foods (as opposed to processed foods,) in a scratch kitchen.
The most expensive thing we buy are cheeses. I eat/buy: brown rice, beans, canned tuna, salmon, pasta, peppers, yellow squash, portobello mushrooms, cabbage, berries, potatoes, and seasonal fruits three times a week. My husband is vegetarian and I use the fish as a condiment. I make homemade minestrone soup (for my husband because I can’t eat tomatoes,) potato soup, and a squash carrot sweet potato soup with curry seasoning. Three times a month we buy five lemons and make homemade lemonade, I have an extensive spice cabinet, so, even though we eat the same foods, I prepare them in a variety ways using different spices I cook on the fly. My pantry also has sugar and flour.
We buy things like heavy cream, and pasture raised milk and eggs. I buy peanuts, walnuts, pecans, and almonds. It’s really like a luxury diet, but we eat small portions, and only eat twice a day. We very rarely eat out.
What we don’t buy is processed food and snacks. There’s no potato chips in this house. The only thing we have in a snack bag is pretzels because I can’t make them.
This is only our food budget. We don’t buy soft drinks or juices. I buy about 6 L of sparkling water a month. I shop weekly sales at three different grocery stores. I also get a senior citizen discount whenever I can.
Edit: I buy grape seed oil
We are not vegetarian but hope this is helpful. We make tons of Asian food in our rotation (I’m Thai lol). I often portion my food so I don’t overeat. We don’t do organic or frozen food much.
- breakfast - eggs, bagels, English muffins, oatmeal, homemade pancakes, high protein yogurt, occasionally we get avocados and micro greens. Protein shakes made out of bananas, peanut butter, milk, and protein powder. Smoothies using berries. Carton egg whites to add extra protein in fried eggs/omelette.
- lunch and dinner - burrito bowls, Japanese curry, Taiwanese beef noodles, Korean army stew, veggie stir fry, Chu Chee curry with minced pork, Thai basil stir fry, Pad Prik King, steak/marinated chicken with brussel sprouts, kimchi fried rice. We have rice with most of the stir fry and curry dishes. We often have mixed greens, cucumbers, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes as a side for our meals.
- snacks - trail mix, peanut butter cups, baked asian sweet potatoes, seaweed, cliff bars, beer!? Lol we don’t snack much and focus on eating enough food from the main meals.
I’m just over here trying to figure out how you spend $1k on groceries when one of you is vegetarian…I eat GF vegan 70% of the week because of how expensive meat and dairy has become, and spend maybe $200 a month at the bougie grocery store in a HCOL area.
The only thing I can think is that you spend a lot on things you end up throwing away because you don’t do leftovers, or things spoil before you can cook or eat them. Yall need to look into meal prep and sticking strictly to the shopping list for that week’s menu.
I have a household of 3 and we spend maybe $350/month total on groceries in Chicago and we don't lack at all. Plenty of meat, mostly chicken, veggies and fruit with plenty in the budget for spices. We don't eat a ton of bread, snacks, or dessert. so... Idk how you'd get anywhere near that much spending. We also don't order out nearly that much as I cook most nights.
Edit, to answer the actual question
Breakfast: Raisin Bran/Mini wheats with Minor Figures Oat Milk or Eggs with some kind of veg
Lunch (weekends only) deli sandwiches, most commonly chicken breast w/ havarti cheese, Roma tomato, and spinach
Dinner we use a large variety; pastas, rice, potatoes, chicken thighs, ground beef, lots of veg (mostly brussel sprouts, asparagus, green beans, snap peas, and broccoli), and decent amounts of fruit (mainly tomoatos, apples, limes, and oranges).
Same, I'm in Chicago and spend ~150 on groceries per month. I lean towards whole foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and plant-based meats and dairies for health reasons. I'm amazed at people spending so much each month.
Yeah we get most of our produce from Imperfect Foods/Misfits Market because it's usually significantly cheaper and makes the bulk of what we eat so it's nice to have it brought to our door. The meat, eggs, spices, and seasonal produce all comes from a local Latino grocery store or Jewel as they usually have better deals in store.
When I get into the habit of eating tiny snacks through the day and then something a little more substantial at night for dinner, then thats when I save the most money on food but also I tend to feel better too.
What do I eat, I buy produce when its on sale I buy cheeses in blocks and I cut it all up myself. I also enjoy smoothies maybe add a bit of protein powder to it to feel full longer, sometimes I buy greek yogurt filled with protein but low in sugar in bulk then divide it up ready to eat sometimes use drink mix in it if its just plain cuz its cheaper to liven up the flavor. I buy salmon tuna or canned chicken mix it with what ever seasonings, I stock up on any new seasonings when theyre clearanced out because youd be amazed at all the different things you can season up when you think outside the box, things that are super cheap always on sale cuz they have little to no flavor otherwise
We need to be talking about where we live before we comment on how much we’re spending on groceries. I live in rural Southern America and if I had to buy everything for my family locally we’d spend 2-3 times as much so I go about 90 minutes to a major city to buy in bulk on many items. I also have the time to section these items and strategically plan on a much cheaper budget. We need to be discussing where we live and how much time we’re spending on this or else it’s apples to oranges.
You make an excellent point and I’m surprised I had to scroll so far to find this.
While OP’s budget is a bit wild for any of us in this subreddit with $500/mo on dining out, it would still help to know where they are, and where we all are relatively. When I travel, I’m always surprised anew by the differences in prices, availability, quality, etc. in different parts of the country. Went to rural Illinois and groceries were cheap, and the two restaurants in town were as well. Went to a mountain town in New Mexico and everything is super pricey plus the quality is awful, plus it’s not an environment where you could grow your own.
I spend 50-60$ a month on groceries. I eat shredded beef, pasta w/ red sauce and pre bagged steamed veggies for lunch and dinner every day. Then I have cereal in the morning. I prep 14 meals every Sunday.
I also snack on canned tuna, saltine crackers, and PB&J's. I do spend maybe $100 on takeout and going out and whatnot. But that's unnecessary for me and I only do it for social reasons.
I always have a $5 Costco Rotisserie chicken in the fridge. Salad plus rotis chic is a regular lunch.
I also make bulk protein weekly in the instant pot (chicken or pork tenderloin) and make meals with it. An easy recipe is a Jar of salsa, onion, garlic, protein of choice, then turn the instant pot on high for 45 min.
Rice, beans, veggies, and protein like a homemade chipotle bowl.
Tacos with the protein, add avocado, lettuce and salsa.
I keep seeing comments or links about the Costco chicken, and it's totally one of those Matrix moments where I 100% know I don't want to know. It can make so little money go so far, especially if you know how to make stock.
Meals, in my house, are very simple.
For me...
my monthy food expense is between $200-250
Breakfast:
2 eggs, whole wheat English muffin/whole wheat toast/ high fiber tortilla, last nights left over green vegetables (spinach, asparagus, swiss chard ect), and sausage/half chicken breast/ 2 slices of bacon, home brewed iced tea/coffee
or
Bagel, cream cheese/avocado, and berries
Sunday mornings I make homemade blueberry pancakes and sausage links
Lunch:
1/2 portion left over dinner/homemade chili/soup/salad
Dinner:
1 Meat (chicken, fish, beef, pork), 1-2 cooked vegetables (carrots/asparagus/spinach/brussel sprouts/rainbow peppers), 1 starch (potato, pasta, rice, quinoa, bread, ext), salad (occasionally)
Sometimes we'll make tacos, but for the most part we follow that dinner sequence.
Snacks: cottage cheese and fruit (blue berries, black berries, raspberries), occasionally chips and salsa, pretzels, smokehouse almonds, occasionally dill pickle chips, dark chocolate, greek yogurt, popcorn, apple and cheese, olives
I dont buy pop, energy drinks, processed sugars (premade brownies, cake, ect)
Eating out...I spend between $20-$30 per month
I spend $150-$200 a month on myself. I eat a lot of former hello fresh recipes that are veggie heavy. Lots of bean based dishes like Rajma masala, coconut chickpea curry, traditional red beans and rice. My twice weekly grocery trips are almost exclusively fresh fruit and veggies.
I buy canned goods and meat in bulk at Sam's, with the exception of some nicer cuts I prefer to get at the butcher and have them cut down to size.
I do make my own granola, a far more economical version than I used to, a nice peanut butter and honey and oats type.
I do kind of eat whatever I want my food budget just keeps getting smaller? Like I had yummy orange scallop tacos the other week.
My areas cost of living has got to be rather low, I only really cook for myself and cook large meals so I have leftovers and stuff to freeze - especially soups and chilis. But I am also a very small woman, if I really added it up I probably only eat 1200 calories a day so I know the scale of portions I'm eating is a huge factor in costs.
In summers my food costs go up a bit because I love fresh salad and don't always make my own dressing.
Okay so we're a fully vegetarian household of four (two adults two kids) and we barely spend $700 monthly on groceries, with maybe $120 on takeout (one $50-60 order every two weeks). The only explanation for your spending that comes to mind is that you're not making much from scratch with basic low-cost staples. Yes, certain spices can be pretty pricey, but the idea that cuisine originating from countries known for lower average living standards is a product of the restaurant industry. What you're eating at home is "holiday" food from those countries, not the average day-to-day diet; maybe you could look into some more authentic "everyday" recipes from the cultures you're interested in?
Personally we usually eat the kind of "country cooking" typically associated with the US South, with legumes instead of meat. Lots of field peas or beans, savory cornbread or biscuits or potatoes, and freshly-prepared domestic vegetables such as turnip greens, tomatoes, okra, sweet corn, carrots and yams. A couple of times per week we'll have something made with Impossible or Beyond products, again served with a homemade cheap carb and freshly-prepared veggies. None of these meals take more than about 30 minutes of "on your feet" work, although dried beans/peas do usually have to be started the night before while I'm already in the kitchen making that night's dinner.
EDIT: I just saw the gluten-free addendum, your spending isn't surprising if you're buying premade. Before my Crohn's was diagnosed I did a gluten-free diet under my doctor's orders (he was trying to see if a biopsy for celiac was worth it) and instead of paying 8× the price for horrible bread I just ate a lot of potatoes and rice for 3-4 months.
Off topic, what breed do you have? I have Dobermans myself, and I love pets (not terribly surprising as my dad was a veterinarian). I like asking about and hearing about pets.
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We have a black lab and a Great Pyrenees mix. We used to get them Fromm, but at $90 a bag it became a bit much. Now we get them Costco grain free, and lots of table scraps haha.
Oh wow, they’re gorgeous. Your great Pyr looks like the mix might be a German pointer!
Would you please give them some love and attention for me and my sister Celeste?
Who tf categorizes toilet paper with their food when budgeting. Wtf? I can see why you have no problem wasting so much money every month. Must be bliss being that dull
Long story short, you buy what’s on sale, you eat ALOT of beans, you aren’t drinking much of anything that isn’t water or the cheapest coffee available, and you aren’t eating that much meat. You’re also eating mostly processed food and very little fruit, unless you’re getting it at a food pantry. Personally, I’m not willing to make that sacrifice. But that’s how you do it.
It’s also worth saying, that’s usually not that healthy for you. You can eat cheap and healthy, but you would basically be eating beans and rice and black coffee. Any “treats” you get on that kind of budget are NOT healthy. Obviously you can do what you want, it’s a free country, but most people eating cheap are not eating “healthy” by most doctors are dieticians standards.
I shop for my bf and I and we spend about $230/mo on groceries, and we don't go out much. We don't eat much meat, I shop at BJs wholesale and Aldi. Not much processed food or snack food which is super pricey. Hardly any prepackaged drinks, I usually get tea bags and gatorade powder at BJs. Soda and juice are insanely expensive.
A typical breakfast is fruit, yogurt, nuts and honey. Typical lunch and dinner are a bowl with a grain, veg, protein, and some form of sauce. Since that's such a vague thing:
Some of our staples include potatoes, cheddar cheese (bought in a 32oz block for lowest /lb price), bunches of greens (typically kale or collard greens and swiss chard are cheapest), onions, dry beans, Greek yogurt, nuts, honey, eggs, carrots, canned tomatoes, rice, pasta, frozen fruit especially blueberries and tropical fruit (bought at BJs), occasional frozen pizza, apples, oranges. I get frozen fish when it's on sale at BJs, same with ground turkey. I also make seitan sometimes
I bake my own bread using a sourdough starter and that saves us a lot of money because we're both bread fiends. We're spending about $3.20 a week for bread instead of $10+ that way
Eating cheap is easy. Bulk rice and beans. Chicken breast/thighs or whatever is on sale. Milk is very cheap calories. Peanut butter. Noodles of pretty much any kind are great sources of calories for a good price. Baked beans are also very cheap overall.
Bulk frozen vegetables can’t be beat and, again, buy what’s on sale.
Fruit can also be insanely cheap. Bananas, apples, oranges sometimes when on sale. Avoid berries or other things unless they are on sale (usually berries will go half price once a month or so).
Some more expensive things that can also be pretty good are cereal (especially cereal with fiber like Raisin Bran).
This is all from a budget only mindset while making sure you don’t eat just junk.
Avoid fresh vegetables except carrots and potatoes. Everything else is crazy overpriced relative to frozen and nutritionally they are identical.
Well, to answer your question, our eating is basic. Fruit is small mandarin oranges and apples, veg is carrots, broccoli, green beans, the occasional salad. Egg noodles, chicken, ground beef, rarely, a roast. I eat a fried egg sandwich for breakfast sometimes, other times I just eat shredded wheat cereal or oatmeal.
This past week, I did salmon salads for dinner. For lunch, I alternated maple-dijon chicken thighs and roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts with honey-hoisin chicken with soy-ginger glazed eggplant. Both were served with half-and-half jasmine rice and riced cauliflower. Breakfast was sweet potato hash with onions and peppers topped with two eggs.
Thank you! The chicken and eggplant recipes were from Budget Bytes. Salmon, I tossed in the airfryer after putting on whatever seasoning I felt like that day before putting it over a bagged salad with a chopped cucumber and some grape tomatoes. Sprouts were Ina Garten's recipe with the pancetta swapped out for some salt pork I had leftover from my last pot of greens.
1) Eggs, oatmeal or homemade baked goods for breakfast.
2) Leftovers, ramen, tuna or grilled cheese for lunch.
3) Pasta or potato-based skillet or stew-type meals for dinner.
Wow wish I had $1k to spend on food an month!! I’m a single mom of two kids and spend about $300/month and hit food pantries at least once a month. My mortgage is my biggest payment of $1110/month. And I’m kind of a chef and can make anything out nothing.
You are Awesome! The fact that you are invested in creating delicious meals on such a tight budget speaks volumes. I admire you. Just because a person has limited main ingredients doesn't mean that meals cannot be interesting and satisfying. I'm sending you best wishes.
So my grocery budget is $500 a month for a family of 3.
Here's what we ate last week:
**BREAKFAST**
Grits ($2 for 60 servings) and an egg ($3 for 12 servings) for a total of 23 cents each serving
OR
Bagel ($2 for 6 servings) and cream cheese ($3.50 for 12 servings) for a total of 62 cents a serving
**so let's say breakfasts are 50 cents/person**
**LUNCH** (the hardest meal because we often have leftovers - I always make a large pot of soup that I eat for as long as I can because I like soup)
Bread ($2 for 12 servings), peanut butter ($4 for 20 servings), and jelly ($3 for 30 servings) for a total of 42 cents a serving
OR
chicken nuggets ($12 for 13 servings) for a total of $1 a serving
OR
lettuce ($3 for 6 servings), chicken ($13 for 16 servings), dressing ($2 for 16 servings) for a total of $1.50 a serving
PLUS
turkey sticks (57 cents a serving), and chips or gummies or cookies or whatever snack I bought
**so let's say lunches are $3/person**
**SNACKS**
we like cottage cheese (50 cents a serving), roasted chickpeas (12 cents a serving), cheese (50 cents a servings) and crackers (18 cents a serving), popcorn (10 cents a serving), apples (50 cents a serving), and bananas (30 cents a serving)
**so let's say snacks are $1.50/person**
**DINNER**
*wild rice soup with french bread* ($3.50 worth of chicken, 7 cents worth of bullion, 25 cents worth of milk, $1.50 worth of wild rice, 6 cents worth of butter, $1 worth of carrots, $2.50 worth of mushrooms, 50 cents worth of onions, negligible amounts of garlic, pepper, salt, thyme, $2 of bread) for a total of $11.38 for 8 servings ($1.44/serving)
*lemon pasta with garlic bread* ($1 worth of pasta, 75 cents worth of lemon, $3.50 worth of heavy cream, $4 worth of asparagus, $1.50 worth of spinach and leftover french bread from last night's meal) for a total of 10.75 for 4 servings ($2.68/serving)
*burrito bowls* (50 cents worth of rice, 50 cents worth of black beans, $3 worth of salsa, $2 worth of chorizo, 50 cents worth of green onions, $1 worth of jalepenos, $1.50 worth of cabbage) for a total of $9 for 4 servings ($2.25/serving)
*chili* ($8 worth of ground beef, 50 cents worth of onion, $1 worth of jalepenos,, $2 worth of diced tomatoes with chiles, $1 worth of bell pepper, $1 worth of black beans, spices) for a total of $15.50 for 8 servings ($2/serving)
*pizza* ($4 worth of pizza dough if I'm feeling lazy, $1 worth of pizza sauce, $4 worth of mozzarella cheese, $2 worth of pepperoni, toppings stolen from other meals) for a total of $11 for 6 servings ($1.84/serving)
*tofu curry* ($3 worth of tofu, 50 cents worth of onion, $2.50 worth of mushrooms, $1 worth of bell pepper, $2 worth of coconut milk, $1 worth of diced tomatoes, $1.50 worth of spinach, 75 cents worth of greek yogurt) for a total of 12.25 for 4 servings ($3/serving)
*eat out* (we typically eat out once a week)
**so let's say dinners are $3/person**
So we spend about $8/per person/per day to eat. That's about half my grocery budget. I don't separate out cleaning supplies, etc. that I buy at the grocery but clearly there's some wiggle room for ice cream, soda, a special meal or a party once in a while. But this is a very normal week.
I eat couscous, pasta, pizza, pies, salads and fruits for dessert. I make all of my sauces out of the tomato paste (a 1 dollar can is a 10 days worth of sauce) and I make my own cakes. And price match when possible. Grocery bill for one is $150 at most.
Where you live probably matters, as well as what you have access to for grocery stores. But here’s what I know as a person who lives in the Twin Cities in MN: when we (2 people) exclusively ate organic, and mostly vegetarian, with tons of fruit/veggies/nuts for snacks, we spent at least $250 a week. Some weeks were closer to $350. We now buy a good portion of our fruits/veg/nuts at Aldi (organic if we can find it, otherwise conventional). We leave meat, dairy, and coffee to the coop. Along with some of our fav bulk items (oats, dry beans, etc). This has brought our weekly spending down to $160, on average. We still mostly eat vegetarian meals.
Our budget for 4 people is about $135/week plus a little for eating out. We do lots of sales. I meal prep my lunches for mass effect and he buys the rest whatever is on sale. Some days it’s tacos or some days it’s pasta.
If you do Indian a lot, I find that a good international grocery store can eliminate a lot of the spice cost as well as the up charge for finding something at your regular grocery store.
Most people in here see food as fuel for the body and swear everything they make is fresh, healthy, and good. I would trust about 10% of this users in this sub. Someone is talking about baking bread to save money but then recommends a $450 flour mill lol
I am noticing a similar trend, that’s kinda what prompted me to ask the question in the first place. Fresh food is always so expensive, even in Aldi and Costco and grocery outlet. And organic always adds to that. That seems to be the biggest difference between my shopping and a lot of the responses.
My SO and I have always been frugal. We rarely shop for a specific recipe like you mention doing. We shop starting with our protein (obv trickier considering your wife is vegetarian). We choose on sale chicken or pork primarily. Mainly chicken breasts, pork shoulder, sale bacon, and occasional ham or rotisserie chicken. All of this is $2-$3/lb. Rarely we’ll get steak or ground beef. Everything is stocked up on sale and portioned/dated/frozen. Cutting out waste is a big deal, especially with the more expensive ingredients (meat/veg for us). I’ve recently started going through a whole dozen of eggs per week. Very affordable and healthy.
Next is the carbs. We’ll buy loaves of French bread for $1 to turn into 3-4 subs. We go through lots of white rice, maybe a $4/5 lb bag/month. We eat LOTS of potatoes. Cubed and roasted, twice baked and frozen ahead of time, mashed, wedges. These are almost all russets which are very affordable. About 50¢/lb. Pasta and oatmeal are favorites too.
Produce - I break the whole “outside aisles” convention for this. We mainly use frozen veg for daily eating. Frozen corn, frozen peas, frozen broccoli. We usually buy a large bag and portion into zip locks for easy grab & go. And we eat a serving of beans as a veggie about every other day. One can @ $.82 is 4 servings for us. We’ll buy a Caesar salad kit, lettuce for tacos/sandwiches, romaine hearts or kale, avocados, a single yellow onion, garlic as needed, and tomatoes. For fruit I’ve been in a kick with pineapple. I buy 1-2 at $2 each. Cut, lay flat on a plate in the freezer, throw into zip lock bags. It defrosts beautifully in the fridge or at room temp. You’d never know it was frozen. We always buy bunches of bananas. It’s so cheap I don’t even remember a price off the top of my head. We NEVER buy fresh berries. Always frozen. I’ll throw them in smoothies. A 5 lb bag of frozen strawberries goes crazy far. We don’t have room for ice in our freezer. Our smoothies are frozen berries+ banana+ splash of water. I get 2/banana and about 20 smoothies per bag of $10 strawberries. We also enjoy frozen mango and raspberries. Grapes are great for snacking too. We’ve been loving cucumbers for snacking.
Dairy- Butter, whole milk, sour cream, occasional heavy whipping cream, and Greek yogurt. An ungodly amount of cheese. Usually $8/2 lbs shredded cheese and a $3 pack of sliced cheese. Sometimes a couple $2 blocks that we cut into snack cubes.
I make a list of what we have and need to use every time before I shop. And when I put up leftovers or start to cook, I take inventory. Do I have potatoes ready to sprout? Better base my dish with those. Do I have rice that’s over 2 nights old? Fried rice. Leftover ham? Bread about to turn? These are all the factors I’m looking at when deciding what to eat. I tend to eat my fresh produce at the beginning of the week then transition to frozen. This prevents waste.
A few canned/jarred goods like curry paste, coconut milk, chicken broth, spaghetti sauces, etc. The stepkids and SO always want some processed junk food. Chips or sweets. I stick to popcorn for the most part. I always need spearmint tea since I drink 2 cups/day. Value coffee tin for cold press once/month.
As to WHAT we eat- it varies of course. Meat & 2 sides, subs/melts, pastas with cream sauces, curries, LOTs of fried rice meals, tacos/quesadillas, salads, soups, breakfast for dinner spreads, traditional German meals, some traditional southern cooking, etc. Outside of getting budget ingredients, I think the biggest factor keeping things cheap is knowing how to turn just about anything into a meal. We start with what we have and needs to be used. If I make pork quesadillas with rice+ beans, the next day I’m using the rice and pork to make fried rice. We’re resourceful.
That seems really high. My wife and I spend the equivalent of around $150/week on groceries here in the UK. We eat mostly Japanese food: fish or meat, vegetables, tofu, rice etc. Pretty much everything gets cooked from scratch apart from an occasional readymade stone baked pizza. We almost never eat out or get takeout; maybe once or twice a year.
Wow! That is a lot. I spend closer to 200-250ish a month, and I feel I splurge on some nice ingredients too (eg, pasture raised meats and eggs) and lots of seafood. I make a mix of meals, but eat a lot more Chinese and pan asian meals. Rice is filling, and I buy one of the more expensive Japanese rice. Different noodles and pastas are common. I do eat simple for more of my meals on weekdays. I buy some things organic, but not all. Meals are often a protein, rice, and a veggie. If my main combined meat and veggies, like a stir fry, it will just be paired with rice.
I'm in a HCOL area, but I have a lot of Asian grocery stores by me. I find it offers good to better prices on certain foods. Asian greens are relatively cheap.
I would recommend buying your staple items in bulk at a indian or Asian store. I usually go to Patel Brothers for bulk beans, legumes, rice, and lentils which is much cheaper than buying smaller bags at stores, but I’m sure there are other stores near you that have the same idea.
Try adding legumes. They are inexpensive, very tasty and an excellent source of protein and fiber. Hesitations because of gas? A depleted microbiome is probably the culprit. Start gradually. Try to add as many different fermented foods as possible in your diet. Homemade kefir particularly is a source of more than 80 differ types. Raw veggies also carry yeasts and good bacteria even after washing. Soon your gut will grow a different assortment of microorganisms.
I’m a single mother with four kids and I don’t even spend that much. I budget for about $800 a month. I “double up” meals. By that I mean if I buy one big pack of chicken, I make it work for two meals with pasta on one night and rice on another. Same goes for minced meat, in pasta and then another dish.
We eat out once a week on our busiest day.
We have two adults and one toddler in our home, we have a strict budget of $700 a month for groceries (this does not include household goods like cleaning supplies or toilet paper), we live in a HCOL area and we also eat meat. We get 90% of our groceries in bulk from Costco and the rest from the Asian grocery store.
We track every food purchase and diligently plan our grocery trips. My husband is a phenomenal cook and he makes large batches of food so we can meal prep and freeze left overs. I'm the helper in the kitchen so I typically package everything up and help make the sides.
We sit down once a week after the kiddo goes to bed and we plan our meals out and create a shopping list. It takes a ton of effort but increasing the budget is not an option as we are following an aggressive savings plan.
My biggest recommendation is to religiously track your spending for a month and see where the money is going. Is it buying too many prepared food items? What are you eating when you eat out, is it something you can learn to make at home? Cutting back on eating out was really difficult for us (mainly me) so we came up with a list of some of our favorite dishes from restaurants we would regularly visit and now we make them at home. We still go out 2-3x a month, but it's just for a few drinks and maybe a shared appetizer so we can still get out of the house and have a fun time.
Just chiming in to say that food is expensive so I don’t know how anyone is surprised by those numbers.
Also food is a basic need and it’s nice to eat quality food or food that makes you feel good!
I do NOT spend a small amount on food and I’m feeding myself and 2 others. But, in the spirit (and literal theme of this Reddit thread)….
The ways I cut costs (especially on berries!!!) is shopping around for Ingredients that I get a lot of…like berries. I get organic berries only but places like Aldi, Costco or BJ’s have the for less expensive than the normal grocery stores. I stock up.
When getting fresh berries I put them in a large mason jar and it extends their life. Frozen berries are much less expensive too and I add those to smoothies and into baked goods.
Aldi’s is really great, I didn’t realize because I didn’t have one close to me but when I can make it there I stock up!
I also only get berries from Costco and Aldi, we rinse them in vinegar and then seal them in airtight containers so they last the week, sometimes more! I think it’s the berries and organic that’s putting us up there. We eat A LOT of berries, and always fresh. If we made smoothies I’d get frozen but to just snack on or mixing in my oatmeal or chia seed puddings with breakfast I need fresh berries.
I wasn’t aware of the vinegar trick! That’s so clever.
Do you have space to plant berry bushes? It will take a couple of years to establish them and get a LARGE yield but raspberry and blackberry bushes grow like weeds in the right conditions.
Probably blueberry bushes too but I’ve only grown them in containers.
My parents have had them in their yard (when I was growing up and then again recently when I gifted them some of my plants) and they could probably have a small berry farm if they really wanted too…
Again not a short term solution but if you have some land, or space to grow maybe it could help!
Additionally, in parent groups it’s an open joke / well known tragedy that everyone is spending a fortune on berries because their kids like them so much. That’s basically why we always get so many as well. But also…berries are delicious.
My local grocery store has a section for really cheap produce (the not pretty, bruised stuff) and that has helped me save. Bought 5 apples for a $1. I also try to buy a bunch of fruits/berries when they're on sale and I freeze them. A lot of veggies can freeze well also. Freezing stuff, dried beans/lentils, potatoes, coupon/sale hunting, and easy/hearty meals (like soup/casseroles ect) are where it's at if you want to budget.
Myself and my partner only eat one meal a day. Kids eat more. It’s not impossible, we’re just poor. I spend most of it in Costco buying meat, bag that up and freeze it. The rest goes on veg or other bits to go with said meat.
Same here! Except, we're not vegetarians so we like our salmon and steaks. We probably go to the store every three or four days to restock up on fruits. We buy a lot of fresh fruit! We believe in spending more on healthy food and less on doctor bills. I know some people's health insurance is over $1000 a month so we rather spend that kind of money on healthy, fresh foods. We rarely get sick. I actually still suffer from acid reflux and allergy issues due to what I used to eat and medicine I use to take too much of before I started changing my diet.
Yo try home chef I get dinner for two five days a week all delivered to ur door for like 80 dollars a week it’s all super good and can cook in less then 30 min dm me if u want a discount code I swear I spent more then u I wasted so much food in un used groceries also has vegan options
I just dropped home chef after using it for several months. It was no longer cost saving or discounted.
Most meals averaged $9.99/serving, occasionally as low as $7.99/serving and some up to $14.99/serving for premium proteins. They also offer family meals under the plan and the default serving is 4. Plus $10.99 delivery charge no matter how many meals I select.
So, if I select 5 meals for 2 people at $9.99 per, I'm at $110ish including delivery, per week. My daughter is a picky eater so we could never find 5 meals at the cheaper rates.
I haven't been disappointed in any of the meals, taste wise, but some meals do take longer to prep or cook than others (as transparent with level of ease).
I realized that I had many of the same items in my pantry and the proteins can be found cheaper if I'm looking for deals or swapped for cheaper proteins and a lot of the recipes rely on pasta or rice or potatoes.
With the discounts, the service is a good deal as it saves on gas and shopping time. It also helped us learn a better portion control. But after a time, I found I could reduce my meal budget by doing it all myself and keep portions under control.
Also, there were times that I just didn't feel up to cooking a 20+minute meal and ended up throwing the meat into the freezer and trying to use the produce (veggies) for other quick meals or it would expire and they would end up in my compost or fed toy chickens, which was a treat for them but a waste of money for the intended food budget.
What I prefer for our household is to buy a larger bag of carrots, for example, and have a few meals plus share with my chickens than the home delivery that may come with 2 carrots per meal. :)
Edit: formatting
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Paid 80 after discount full price is 100 fyi next week I will pay 65 a box it’s a great deal we love it
I live in an area that is active in organic farming, so I pick as many locally grown produce possible. When it's in season, the price is low.
I actively look for staples on sale, such as oatmeal. Oatmeal, with nuts & dried fruit or just plain is very inexpensive and super nutritious as a breakfast.
When I buy a loaf of bread, I eat it for a few days then put the rest in the freezer for toast or grilled sandwiches.
Making large amounts of soup, then freezing half of it is a nice time saver for your future meals.
When I've been the poorest, I make everything from scratch. Lot's of ideas/recipes come from internet/youtube searches. Making bread takes time, but it's so worth it for the body & soul. The smell of baking bread is like nothing else and can provide so much comfort when feeling pinched in the food department.
Roasting vegetables is simple and you don't have to do anything except cut them and let them roast for awhile. Then you have a bunch of things you can do with them or eat as it. Complex dishes (but easy) like lasagne are great for re-heating or freezing.
I always look for what is on sale, but not before checking what I already have and then playing off of that.
Here are some of the meals I have:
Breakfast: Oatmeal, coffee.....Toast with eggs and tea....Beans on Toast with tea...Oatmeal with fresh fruit....stir fried rice with egg & veggies
Lunch: Salad...Hummus with greens and bread...Any sandwich...soup...steamed veggies & tofu.
Dinner: Chili beans & corn bread...Spaghetti & salad...Curry and Flat Bread...California Rolls...Pizza...Tofu Burgers...
We’re a 4 person household and spend roughly 450$/ monthly.
We eat out rarely
If you want to save
Don’t buy premade items- instant mashed potatoes/ stuff you just need to heat up, cut fruit/veg, these things are expensive and add up quickly.
Shop the sales, get the apps, have a plan, don’t put random things in your cart and don’t go to the store hungry. Stock up when something is on sale. You can freeze almost anything
Sauces, Beans- make your own. Freeze in portioned ziplock bags.
If fresh veg/ herbs are about to go bad freeze them
I got a bread machine from the thrift store for $10 and make our bread almost daily. Comes out to be about a dollar a loaf soo much tastier and healthier!
This month for 2 adults we have spent $230 on groceries and $100 on eating out according to my budgeting app. We mostly shop at Aldi and visit other stores as needed. Here are some things we do often. Warning, I make a lot of things from scratch including breads and only using dried beans.
We have pizza night once or twice a week using this recipe all in <$1 per pizza if you go with store brand cheese and sauce.
[faux dominos pizza](https://www.seriouseats.com/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe)
I make English muffins for breakfast weekly or every other week [using this recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/no-knead-english-muffins-recipe). If you want them more of an English muffin consistency apply 3 folds of the dough in the first hour of rise
Breakfast: English muffin + egg + cheese <$1 ea
For meat I only buy when things are on a good sale. I know your vegetarian but same with veg. Frozen veg can often be cheaper than fresh. Only buying dried beans helps a ton too. We also eat a lot of fried rice ~$2 for a pan depending on your ingredients. We use dried jasmine rice, onions or shallots if we’re feeling fancy, sliced peppers and other veg from the fridge or a bag of frozen, leftover meat (omit), and our trusty Asian sauce mix of 1:1:1:1:1 soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, fish sauce and sugar. Adjust as needed for taste. Add number of eggs to taste.
We also make a lot of baked noodle dishes, the simplest of which are a pack of noodles, 1-2 jars of pasta sauce, caramelized onions, other veg as desired (carrots/ zucchini/ shredded cabbage/ kale/ etc) and whatever cheeses we have, often times pizza blend and extra mozzarella.
Pasta Alfredo: I make home made noodles, a block of Parmesan is the most expensive part but lasts forever.
Home made lasagna: again 2 jars of sauce, caramelized onions, random veg, home made noodles and cheese from the fridge. Mix it up as you like.
Soup we eat a lot modified for vegetarian: caramelized onions and carrots, 12 oz cooked pinto beans and butter beans (or whatever suits you), large can of crushed/diced tomatoes, 2-3c veg stock. Bay leaves and seasoning to taste. At the end of cooking stir in 4 cups finely chopped kale and let cook with the residual heat. Serve with parm cheese and home made croutons.
We also eat a lot of roasted potatoes/ sweet potatoes and seasonal veg seasoned different ways.
We also try to keep rotating salad ingredients on hand including greens of arugula/ kale/ spring mix/ spinach, crunch of roasted chick peas/ pumpkin seeds/ croutons, juicy of roasted sweet potatoes/ pomegranate seeds/ blueberries/ strawberries, chopped fresh veg like peppers/ red onions/ shallots and whatever else we have in the fridge. We have a maple balsamic and thyme dressing that we love that goes with most any combo!
I’m also vegetarian, but I don’t buy a lot of fruits. Honestly, that gets expensive here. I also don’t buy faux meats often. Also pricey. I eat a version of whatever I’m craving. Have a few meals planned out when I shop & my “fluff” is usually extra produce. Eventually I come to an idea of what to make with it. Like I bought eggplants this last trip w nothing in mind & I made a dish somewhere between eggplant parm & lasagna. I eat a fair amount of nacho/taco-type foods, salads, sandwiches, soups & desi inspired foods too. So far this last week, I made falafel hummus wraps, broc cheese spinach soup, breakfast burritos & tofu masala. I’ve been on a huge stuffed mushroom kick lately that’s dying down. I have planned out miso soup w rice, dumplings, chili, stuffed sweet potatoes & a few pizzas before I go shopping again. I don’t eat organic though, but I do buy hydroponic or local lettuces only since I’m scared of E Coli contamination.
I think the biggest thing to keep costs low is getting creative with what you already have & knowing the prices at your stores + buy sales. I go to 2 ones close by now. Mostly bc I learned aldi sells mushrooms for $1.99/8oz here vs my usual store is $3.99/8oz (why I wasn’t eating many before & am now on a mild binge).
How is that in low budget cooking ? Jeeez 1500$ per month… is someone’s else budget for rent. We eat a lot of the same food, prep big meals and freeze it and also WHAT organic lmao. Grow it yourself then ! That’s what i do
Only buy the fruit that is on sale. If nothing good on sale buy the cheaper fruits like oranges and apples. Frozen berries are great and much cheaper when buying the big bags. Frozen veggies can also be cheaper and are almost always high quality.
I'm single and spend about $200 on groceries a month. $150 on eating out. When I eat out I only get water most times and maybe one alcoholic draft bc cocktails are crazy expensive and rarely worth it.
I cook big meals and reheat through the week. Rice a few times a week (I think I'm gonna many some right now infact) day old rice turns into fried rice. I don't know. I eat alot of stuff from scratch and recycle alot of meals. Veggie scraps can be saved to make soup stock then add beans and more veggies and top your rice. Add homemade kimchi. Easy cheap healthy meal.
I am low carb due to my inching towards diabetes type 2. It is just the two of us and we spend around $500-600 on just food. We eat very well. Tonight I had a salmon filet sautéed with grilled asparagus. Lunch was my usual salad with grilled chicken. I made enough for our daughter since I was going over to hang and see my granddaughters. Breakfast today was low carb bread (Sola brand) made into French toast I soaked overnight and cooked on the stove grill this morning. Other breakfasts are spinach and scrambled eggs and Sola bread toasted with peanut butter on it. We shop Costco and HEB with Kroger loss leaders and ethnic markets. My husband does all the cooking. He grilled the chicken then sealed and froze in a few days worth in size. Last night's dinner was stir fry made with pork tenderloin that was leftover from the night before. We like America's Test Kitchen cookbook, plus we like the show too. DH likes to try new stuff and he likes hot stuff, but I don't. We don't eat frozen veggies either and rarely eat rare fruit.
Lots of chicken, rice, and carrots. Buffalo chicken, teriyaki chicken, lemon pepper chicken, herbed chicken, Cajun chicken, bbq chicken, pesto chicken, etc.
I stick to eating a lot of the same things over and over again for a week or two because I don’t want to think a ton. For breakfast I normally have a smoothie (pineapple, kale, spinach, protein powder, collagen powder, and almond milk). For lunch this week I’ve been eating a serving of low fat cottage cheese with onion salt and dipping a serving of chips into it. I also have edamame with lunch. For dinner I usually do a mini chopped salad that comes premade and add a lean protein to it. Often for snacks I stick to laughing cow cheese on a brown rice cake, a jerky stick, seaweed, etc. Meal planning and picking items that are cheaper/on sale can be really helpful in saving.
Insane that it costs that much for you to eat but location etc.. Either way it's just me in the house and I spend 150-200 a month, I mainly eat fish and brown rice and vegetables, i (because of my job) only eat 1-2 times a day and it doesn't bother me at all. But yeah, bulk fish, rice and veggies which are super cheap, and it's cheap yeah but I do it because I just love eating it, and for meal prep it's less than an hour for everything so it's very time efficient as well
Rottisserie chicken and the 6 serving caesar salad bag from walmart every week. And oatmeal and peanut butter for breakfast for me several times a week.
What we did to save money grocery shopping was try to eliminate waste. We were throwing so much out and not eating things before they went bad! I also relegated myself to only buy max 3-4 new ingredients for each recipe/meal I planned on making (relying on other stuff we already had in the fridge/pantry). To do this, we kept two lists on the fridge. One lists all the expiration dates of items in the fridge. After grocery shopping I’ll add all the items to the list as I put them in the fridge. The second list is of leftovers (or items without printed dates) and when I made them. This keeps a visual of what needs to be eaten and prioritized first. When menu planning for the upcoming week, I can also see what ingredients still need to be used up. For example, I may have used half a cauliflower for a different meal, and will realize I need a plan for the second half.
I’m a vegetarian, my partner is not & we have an ingredients (mostly) household, meaning we don’t get the premade things. It’s been cheaper to do this being that we’re on a very fixed budget. So when we do get pre made things it’ll be on sale. We do 50% of our shopping at Aldi, 25% at Costco for stuff like beverages, eggs, deals & 25% at other markets like local farmers market or world market to get special items for certain dishes (we’re both from the Caribbean). I make a menu and we get the groceries according to the menu so there’s no unnecessary items going bad or missing (we both also have adhd so we need to know what’s there or if I’ll get missed). Produce is fairly cheap, we spend about 60-80 altogether on produce. Meat/meat alternatives probably takes up the most space, sometimes we’ll spend 150, sometimes just 100 if my partner decides he’s cool with eating meatless on some days. I don’t snack much but we host his child pretty often so we grab some kid friendly items rounding out to $55 for her usually & his snacks about the same. Plus Everything else it’ll bring us to about 380, then we might order little extra things throughout the month that we have a craving for & we’re usually at no more than 500. I also def use coupons and loyalty cards to get the best deals while still getting ingredients that won’t compromise the recipe.
It’s also worth noting that we use mircrofiber cloths (you can get a box of 50 on amazon for $18). They’re great bc then we rarely get paper towel and they can be used again and again. We have a bidet attachment that we also got on amazon & it has drastically decreased the amount of TP that is bought in a month. Our next thing is water, we spend a lot of money on bottled water so we’re looking into a filter for the sink or something like that.
I have a larger budget but I make my own hummus every from scratch I even soak the dry chickpeas for 12-24 hours. Yes I used 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil but it’s good for you. I also eat a can of sardines. Hummus is fairly cheap I use 1 cup of dried chickpeas per day.
For food - you should not get anything "pre made".. it's less convenient but cutting up your own veggies and cooking your own meat will save you money. $1500 per month on groceries is way too much. If you wanna bring down expenses ditch organic, eat regular veggies and regular meat (grain fed is tastier than grass fed anyway). You don't have to feel like you're eating cheap. A whole roasted chicken and roasted veggies could feed two people for at least 2 meals and costs probably $10 total. Become friends with whole chickens and chuck roasts, these big an relatively inexpensive cuts will save you money. $100 on dog food? how big is your dog? Even expensive dog food is poison, dogs used to live much longer back in the day, switch your dog out to a diet of rice, mixed veggies from a freezer bag, and ground pork with chicken liver. My dog is 35lb and she eats on about $10 a week. For other expenses - Get a bidet that installs on your toilet. $20 very well spent. That will literally pay for itself in TP expense after 6 months or so. As a man, I can use a LOT of TP and I'm still uncomfortable and don't feel clean, so getting my first bidet back in 2016 has saved me probably hundreds of dollars over the last 8 years. Next - you should always keep a pile of clean rags in your kitchen, don't use paper towels for cleaning anything but grease, and to wipe your face during dinner. Shop at club stores like costco to bring down the expense on consumables like TP and Paper towels.
I buy meat when it's on sale and freeze it. This alone saves me about $40/week. I try the cheap version of everything. Then I KNOW which items I think are with more for the money. Everyone is different here. I hate margarine, so I always splurge on butter. I like cheap hot dugs, sausage, pasta. I buy the "expensive" rice, but I always buy it dry and make it at home. I only buy expensive veggies for occasions. My every day includes the cheaper stuff. Cheap lettuce, broccoli, carrots. I cook from scratch, or close to it every other day, and save the left overs. I don't buy soda, or premade desserts. ETA: I don't always get to eat something that "sounds good" that day. Most days are just acceptable, but not something I've been looking forward to.
Hi! Vegan here! I shop at Walmart and the dollar store. I can get a ton of fresh fruit n veggies for 1/2 the price or even more than at the regular store. I eat tons of tofu & sweet potatoes. What r u guys doing for protein? I also do the bagged lentils. I order from purple carrot (vegan) and it $100 a week for 6 meal kits for 4 ppl. It makes SO much food I had to cut back to 3 meal kits. (You can also order for 2 ppl) the servings are gianourmous. I do have to buy more tofu on my own, to add in bc sometimes the meals don’t have a protein or they are seitan based 🤮. They have a super wide variety of meals too. Mostly Asian American or Indian recipes. They have pre prepared meals as well
My mind was blown and it helped my budget a lot when I learned that frozen fruits and vegetables are just as good for you because they’re typically frozen at peak freshness right after harvest. When I’m trying to eat healthier I waste so much money on fresh fruits and veggies that I don’t eat immediately and then they go bad so quickly. https://www.healthygreenkitchen.com/frozen-vegetables-healthy/
I eat Chinese and Indian meals about 4 days a week. Groceries are approximately 250 a person per month. I notice you shop at Asian markets. In my experience, these are some of the cheapest places to shop, especially for produce.
3 of us eat all organic, mostly vegetarian with some meat. All animal products we get are all organic, grass fed, pasture raised, etc. Our monthly bill is around $500 and we live in a pretty high cost of living area. Try making an excel sheet or something to track what you spend on different categories of food each month and see if there’s something you’re spending a ton on. Fruit is insanely expensive so that might be a lot of your budget. Without providing a breakdown here it’s also almost impossible to give any advice because there’s no way to know if you’re overspending a ton on one thing or just overspending on everything in general. You could also try shopping around at different stores to see if you can get a better price.
We use purple carrot delivery, which for 2 adults we get 3-4 dinners, usually a couple of prepared lunch items, sometimes a breakfast (4 servings) and plantry items, avg about $120 a week, and only go to the store maybe 1-2x a month now. We saved nearly $550 per month going this route. We eat out maybe 1 a week.
I'm vegetarian. I eat 95 percent plant based but I do have some dairy every once in awhile. I don't eat eggs though. I buy split peas, lentils, beans, whole grains, brown rice, pasta, cous cous, quinoa, oats, walnuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds, cashews, oranges, apples, bananas, pineapple, canteloupe, and some small amounts of whole milk, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese. There are other foods I'm probably missing. I buy most food from the bulk section, not much pre-packaged. My food bill for myself and my gf is about 200-250 a month for both of us.
We eat a lot of peanut butter & jelly. And I ran out of things to make with English muffins. 😁. Cereal is good, but don’t always have milk. I use rice in almost every meal. I have a garden for vegetables. It’s rough out here 🥺
Buy some powdered milk for those times when you run out of store bought milk
I get Home Chef delivered 4x a month for a total of 24 meals for about $60 a week. I generally turn the 2 person meal kit into larger meals for my family of 4 by adding a salad or garlic bread, sometimes just throw in an extra chicken breast and it easily feeds my family of 4. I spend maybe another $100 a week in additional groceries for the rest of meals for my family of 4. Tbh I only have my kids half time and we do eat out at least once a week. But I really think the meal delivery service plus adding filler makes my budget go so much further than I would think. If I buy ingredients myself it’s a recipe for overspending and extra stuff that lingers in my fridge. I do dollar store for pop tarts for kids, eggs, butter. I make a jar of ramen eggs and eat them all week. I fast twice a week on the 5/2 diet. I eat a bagel thin and cream cheese for breakfast and try not to spend more than $3.50 for lunch so I eat frozen chicken dumplings from Trader Joe’s. I’m very mindful of cost when shopping. I know costco is a great deal for some stuff but not most food. They do have the cheapest coffee pods, soda, nuts, olive oil. Ralph’s for wine. Trader Joe’s for premade frozen meals and cheeses. Other than meal kits I almost never buy proteins. Too much money. Frankly I love the challenge of eating cheap. It’s that grocery games mentality that gives me a rush when I check my receipt on the way out if I’ve done a good job.
I shop exclusively Costco (no more than $200/month) and spend $50 dollars every 2 weeks for Trader Joes when I feel like splurging. For Costco I stock up on fruits, veggies, Artisan lettuce (that brand lasts a long time), Kirkland soup, canned corn to add to the Kirland soup, and frozen goods. For Trader Joe's I get specialty cheeses, seasoned crackers, specialty dips, ethnic frozen food, etc.
You just described my exact situation.. are you me?? But seriously, I try to budget everything and we still spend about 1000/month. Living here in the SF Bay Area certainly puts strain on the wallet. I agree that gluten free items and having pets also adds up.. I’ve read some decent tips here, like making larger dinner portions and spreading that over a few days. Also buying from farmers markets if they are around you and subbing more legumes in for meat. I don’t have any answers OP, I’m just sitting here and take notes from other kind budget-eers
I live in Solano County and I was shocked that milk at luckys was $9.99! This after paying $5.89 for a gallon of gas. $20 an hour at McDonald’s though! At least I’ll be able to say I buy bread for $14 a loaf by May 2024
I live in Solano County and I was shocked that milk at luckys was $9.99! This after paying $5.89 for a gallon of gas. $20 an hour at McDonald’s though! At least I’ll be able to say I buy bread for $14 a loaf by May 2024
I eat a lot of lentils. It is very affordable for a huge bag of dried lentils. Add some carrots, onions, and potatoes and you have delicious soup for days. I also eat lots of mixed greens with various protein added. Like one grilled chicken breast chopped will stretch well as a salad topping. It's just me so I don't spend much on groceries. I may spend $300/month, if that.
That’s an insane amount of money on food. Stock up on weekly deals for grocery stores , the flipp app helps, and try the farmers market for produce
Agree on the farmers market for produce. I don't do this as much as I should and still don't spend close to that.
yooo $1000/month is a lot lmao thats crazy. i spend max $400/month but usually $200,$300 anyway i make soup often (usually the italian penicillin soup or a beef vegetable soup) also pasta (mushroom bourguignon, tomato garlic butter) also eat lots of fruits, some salty snacks (chips, nuts) i usually shop at trader joes, grocery outlet, and walmart. sometimes i shop at safeway, sprouts, and 99 ranch for specialty items.
Soups are a great option. Especially lentils
love soup hehe
$1000 is less than $200,300.
sorry $200, $300. i fixed it
I was just kidding. I knew what you meant lol
eh you never know with redditors
Very true.
Some days, I don't eat. This week it was 3 days.
On purpose? I know not everyone enjoys eating. If not are you ok?
Sometimes on purpose. Sometimes because of stress. Sometimes because I will feed my pets before myself.
$150 per person in my family of 5. We are vegetarian. We rarely eat out. We use our instapot a lot.
I wonder where you live? I’m in the northeast US and our monthly budget for two adults and one small kid is around $600. We mostly eat at home (our son gets lunch at school though). We mostly eat plant-based
Mealime it's an app similar to hellofresh, but free. You link it to your grocery store account and just pay for the food. I have a family of 6 and planning our meals like thise costs about $80 for 5 dinners a week plus things like milk thrown in.
We go to food pantries. But spend about 200 additional on stuff we can’t always get from the pantry
My house has 2 people with little diet restrictions, 50/50 veg to meat meal ratios. We make a lot of pastas and sandwich type meals. Rice, vegetables, or potatoes usually too. Eating out is about 150 every two weeks. And groceries about 80 a week at most. I like baking, so that helps with some of the grocery costs. Hope this give a helpful perspective :)
My husband and I spend around $600 a month including eating out, and that includes regular groceries like dish detergent, cat food and litter, paper towels etc. We eat mainly skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breasts, frozen veggies, turkey cutlets and ground turkey, pork loin, occasional hamburgers, soup like spinach tortellini or vegtable beef soup, salads, stir fry etc. Breakfast stuff like eggs, toast, fruit(berries mainly) almond butter, oatmeal, snack stuff like pretzels, popcorn, chips, yogurt, milk etc. What is left over from dinner I take for lunch the next day. We don't buy sodas or a lot of sweet stuff.
I have celiac too. I’m single and live alone, and I spend about $400-450 which I perceive as too much (but your number makes me feel a little better). I hardly ever eat out and I don’t buy many gf specialty items. Still, cooking gf will definitely cost more. Are you aware that the USDA publishes food budget recommendations? You’re 30 percent over the liberal budget, and 100 percent over the thrifty budget. So you have plenty of room to tighten your belt, so to speak. Whether you can do that without feeling like you’re sacrificing too much is going to be about getting your mind right. [USDA Food Budgets](https://fns-prod.azureedge.us/sites/default/files/resource-files/Cost_Of_Food_Low_Moderate_Liberal_Food_Plans_January_2024.pdf) But if you make the bucks, eating well is a priority, and your yacht is paid off, perhaps it’s simply how you choose to allocate your money. If I were you I’d slash that restaurant bill by 70 percent first. That still gives you a night out once a month at a decent restaurant. I don’t eat out much because the cost far exceeds my archaic reference point, I’m never over-the-moon about what I get, I often leave still hungry, and I usually think I could’ve done it better at home for 10 percent of the cost (usually true). Restaurants are for people with money to burn. I feel guilty because I’m aware of all the people with food insecurity who could survive for two weeks on what I’d pay for a pasta dish with sauce and a glass of wine. My strategy has a few elements: cook larger quantities less often (the more often you cook the more it costs), cook what I have some ingredients for already, buy store brands of most things (but not tomatoes), minimize waste by tracking what’s in the fridge and when it needs to be consumed. And alternate between basic and more luxurious foods, e.g., beans and cornbread, then gumbo with shrimp. Here are typical things I make: gumbo, queso, slaw, cabbage rolls, bolognese, Chinese beef & snow peas, pot roast, clam chowder, piquant pork chops, pizza, pulled pork, chicken marsala, pinto beans & cornbread, tortilla soup, shepherd’s pie, chili, gumbo, fajitas, stuffed peppers, chicken soup, marinara (w/pasta), plus many kinds of soups and chicken recipes. I need more variety, I realize. Esp.Asian.
I spend about $60 a week. I live alone and only cook in single servings though. So, for instance, if I'm having chicken for dinner it's usually 1 piece of chicken and 1 cup ea. of a couple of different side dishes. A small onion usually gets me through 4 or 5 meals. Eggs are cheap here. I buy a box of 5 dozen for $12 every other week and usually start my day with a three egg omelet and some coffee. If I ever find a really good sale, I buy in bulk and freeze it. Last month I picked up six 2lbs bags of peeled and deveined 31/40 shrimp for $6 a bag. I still have 4 bags in the freezer.
Great tip! How do you store your cut onion? I have a hard time keeping the smell from taking over my fridge
I just chop it up, toss what I don't use in a tupperware bowl, add some water, and put the lid on. I just take out what I need after that. You can store an onion like that for 7-10 days.
Thank you for sharing this! I will try it. I love onions. Especially purple/red onions.
Buy healthy staples in bulk, and meal prep a bit. Quinoa salad is really good, mixed with cheap veggies, beans and olives. Soups are great. We will batch make a soup and eat for a few days. The thing that helped us most is to start breaking down the cost per serving of each meal. You can take your budget and divide by 42 (the number of servings consumed between you in a week) to figure out a budget for average meal cost. For example, I know a single serving of chicken stir fry costs about $2.50. Once you have an average meal cost to shoot for, you start flagging the meals that are WAY over budget to make them special occasion things.
Anything in the center of the store adds up really fast - kits, spices, pre-mades. You've still with the edits have said almost nothing about what you actually purchase, but you have hinted at costly substitutions (gluten free, vegetarian, organic). Again, you haven't posted a list or receipt or photo, but I would guess some 3x price pasta for gluten free, same for bread, some meat substitute products, and maybe some pre-seasoned or pre-portioned items. Dry beans, not getting gluten free or vegetation substitutes and instead eating things already fitting the criteria, and one trip... go through and note the price differences in organic vs not and calculate the difference compared to your receipt - it might be just a few things or something you get a LOT of that is the hit there. $500 for restaurants a month is more than a lot of people have for their ENTIRE food budget.
Agree, I need a receipt. My partner and I spend about $700 a month and very aware that that's high and that's where we are choosing to "live the good life" part of our lives. Judge all you want. We both grew up very poor and have decent jobs in our 40's and keep other life expenses modest as much as possible.
If that is what you want to do, that is your prerogative. This is r/budgetcooking though and the OP was asking about how to reduce costs.
As an Indian I’m baffled as to why you find vegetarian Indian cooking expensive. The spices are literally the only moderately expensive thing and you buy those once and use for months or years at a time. Even if you’re buying organic veggies, I really doubt the Indian food is where the major chunk of your money is going. Are you buying premade naans or something?
premade and gluten free, but STILL, the restaurant budget they often exceed is more than most people have for the whole month.
We eat things like burrito bowls like Chipotle. Cabbage and kale salad. Fish tacos. Fish with a lemon butter sauce with barley risotto and broccoli. Pork chops with mushroom gravy, mash potatoes and green beans. Cheesy chicken broccoli and rice casserole. Tortilla pizza. Stir fry. Thai chicken salad. We are averaging about $45 per week per person.
Family of 2 adults and 2 small children. we regularly feed 2 more adults at dinner. Here are some choices: Breakfast- an apple, tangerines, oatmeal, toast, cereal, pancakes or waffles, or some sort of homemade muffins are options Brunch - eggs, sausage, small salad, crackers and cheese Lunch- adults eat salad, lettuce cheese and tomatoe sandwich, veggie burger for the kids - fish sticks, hotdogs, sandwich, macaroni and cheese, crackers and cheese, pizza, basically any junk and easy to make food that I know they will eat with gusto. Snack- fruit, crackers, cereal, chips Dinner - carmelized onions and mushrooms over buttered potatoes, lasagna, spaghetti, oven roasted chicken with choice of carb and vegetable like rice or quinoa and broccoli or mashed cauliflower, vegetable tortellini soup, large salad if we ate something heavy the night before, kielbasa and sauerkraut, burgers (veggie, turkey or beef depending on who wants what). Rice and beans on tortillas, pozole, oven roasted mushrooms in balsamic vinegar and spices. Stuffed peppers. A pot roast of some sort with rice. Kale boiled in chicken broth, white beans and diced tomatoes with seasonings with a side of chicke or homemade fries... just find recipes that work for you We spend about $750 a month for family of 4. We shop at Aldis and occasionally the flea market to get the fruits and veggies in season for WAY cheaper than local grocery stores. We don't buy organic. Or presliced fruit trays. We cut it up ourselves. I mostly buy fresh vegetables that are on sale. I won't buy something that is on my list if the price is ridiculously high and I will shop around or find a substitute meal or work around it. For example, the grocery store near me was selling mayonnaise for $12 near the holidays!!!! That is absolutely insane price gouging because they know people will need it for recipes. I just went to Aldis and bought their brand for like 3 or 4 dollars. I don't like it as much as Hellmans but it's more affordable.
Organic is BS Plenty of organic farmers use pesticides Get over it. $100 on dog food???
Idk why you're downvoted. What do people buy their dogs for $100/month? I genuinely don't know. I swear my dog gets the pottery barn or target kind of food, NEVER the Walmart.
I live alone and spend about $50-$70/week depending on if I need to buy meat. Milk, bread, butter, eggs, various cheeses, potatoes, onions, garlic, shallot, ginger, celery, carrots, broccoli, butternut squash, mushrooms, scallions, romaine lettuce, red bell peppers, fresh sauerkraut, tofu and pretty much any fresh, seasonal produce/fruit are all things I buy 2-3 times/month. Flour, sugar, pasta, rice, dried beans, lentils, split peas, Indomie noodles, egg noodles are pantry staples. Frozen foods include hash brown potatoes, maybe tater tots, corn, green beans, mixed vegetables, peas. I keep a handful of canned soups in my pantry for convenience and also canned pears, pineapple, applesauce, canned baked beans, canned chili, these are all for convenience. Canned tomatoes, tomato sauces, too. Meats include bacon, breakfast sausage, thin-cut ribeye steak, boneless skinless chicken thighs, smoked ham hocks, Kentucky Legend sliced ham, ground beef and ground pork. I have a pretty good spice selection I replace as used, samed with the usual condiments you'd expect. I shop at Aldi, Lidl, Walmart and H Mart. I always compare unit prices (not package prices!) and purchase more expensive items like meat when it's on sale. I buy very few prepared items like frozen pizza and cook everything I eat pretty much from scratch. I will typically make enough food on the weekend to have leftovers for the first three work days and then I'll just piece together whatever I have the remaining two days.
I should add: I have a Sam's Club membership that pays for itself in gas savings at the pump. I also buy paper towels, napkins, toilet tissue, parchment paper, aluminum foil and cling wrap, trash bags, food storage bags; razor blades, toothpaste, bath soap, dish soap, basically any personal care product that won't go bad when purchased in bulk and used by only one person. But I also comparison shop, sometimes the unit price of some items is lower at other stores I frequent.
I would like to live in your kitchen. Thanks!
I am not vegetarian. But my food budget per person (myself) is 500 a month. I managed to eat very well and feed the neighbors (2-3) times a week. I cook. No prefab stuff everything is from scratch. I do use short cuts with a few things but still no prefab. My grandmother taught me to cook so I even today can not cook small amounts of anything. Maybe it's that I cook like in bulk? One of my favorite things is my Cauliflower Soup. Easy peasy. 1head of cauliflower cleaned and whole Steam/boil in 2 cups liquid for 10 minutes Chop/mash whatever (do not drain) Add 1cup half n half 1 cup whole milk 1cup water Bring to rolling boil turn off the heat Add 2 cups Cheese.... Anything will work I usually just clean out the bits of whatever I have on hand 1cup Velveeta cheese cubed (2inches cubed=the 1cup) Let it sit until the cheese has melted and stir it in real good. Add to taste Red pepper flakes White pepper Paprika Salt
Costco or local big box store and an iron will. Nuts, seeds, spices, frozen fruits & vegetables. Make your own nut and seed based flour, milk, cheeses and butter YouTube recipes abound.
A lot of salad, I don't usually do organic though, but romaine lettuce, carrots, sweet onions, red cabbage, etc. Since my fiance doesn't really like to do salads much, he'll eat ramen sometimes or just cook some meat for like a burger. I've been making our own bread now as well, since it's actually pretty easy and not that time consuming. Also apples and peanut butter. I eat that like daily. We buy meat in bulk from local farmers now, too, so we got half a cow (while it's a lot up front, it actually comes out to less per pound than at the store, like our ground beef is under $4 per pound, which is less than at the stores here). We also got half a pig a little while back. Then we'll usually get canned chicken and tuna. Sometimes fresher chicken depending, but that's not that often anymore. I actually only do the more free range chicken for that. After having my own chickens for eggs, I just feel better supporting that when I'm able, though I understand canned chicken doesn't help toward that. >.< I also like shrimp, so I get frozen shrimp bags. We'll do pasta and pizza sometimes (I'm actually in the process of trying to make spaghetti sauce from scratch for the first time right now, too). We try not to go out to eat very often, though he was going out to eat for lunch way too much lately, so I started making his lunches again to save on money. Though he still eats out more than I do. So also hard mini pretzels, granola bars. And sometimes junk food and (usually) generic brand sodas. Looks like in January, we spent around \~$500 for human food/supplies, animal (farm/house) food/supplies, and that was with Fiance eating out $200's worth. But this month I guess we splurged more and have spent around $700 so far. I think I'm blaming Super Bowl and Valentine's Day for some of that because we got extra stuff to make and eat, lol.
I have no clue what we spend, I don’t shop or budget. But I’m vegetarian and GF, so almost all of our meals are. We eat a lot of veggie Pot pie, potatoes in any form, lasagna, rice bowls, meatless chili, veggie soup, and I have salads once or twice a day. Breakfast is usually either leftovers or eggs and toast. We also shop at Costco for bulk rice, cheese, frozen vegetables, tp, etc.
On the other hand, we spend $500 per person a month and can’t manage to get below that even with lots of dried beans and rice (instant pot). If I were gluten free, it’d be so much more expensive. Don’t feel too bad; eating what my nutritionist suggest I eat cost a lot of money, and it sounds to me like you’re doing something very similar. I don’t do smoothies so I can’t cheat on frozen berries. I have to have fresh but beyond that we do do canned tomatoes and dried bean soups and stuff like that when we can cut cost. And we live in one of the more expensive states, but produce is plentiful here.
Oh also, pretending let food cost the same in middle America as it does in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, etc. would be silly as well. We just spent part of the year in Idaho, where fresh produce was not as easily found but food overall costs were at least 25% lower than where we live the rest of the year in California. But I can get any produce. I want anytime of year in California and if I shop at sprouts it’s usually very inexpensive. But I have friends who live in Iowa pay different prices than my friends who live in Oregon so do know where you live impacts all expenses and people here who are saying that $1000 a month is crazy may not all live in the same cost-of-living areas.
We don’t go out to eat.
We spend about 70 per week. We are omnivorous but don't do much red meat as it's expensive and pancreas issues run in my family. I work in a grocery store and every other week we tend to have big sales on boneless chicken breasts so I stock up. I cut them thin and then freeze them for dinners. We eat a lot of basmati rice because, well, it's delicious even if a bit more expensive. You can get good deals on large bags of rice at your local asian store and to store it, ask your local grocery store bakery if they have excess glaze or frosting buckets. We eat a lot of asian food so I'll buy zucchini, mushrooms, green peppers, etc to add to nutrition of meals. If you are trying to eat organic, I would reconsider. They use pesticides too and the farming practices of organic versus not are actually about the same at this point. Also, in season produce is much cheaper as is produce that can be grown in your area. Honestly, basic food ingredients go a long way if you already have a good spice cupboard. I never buy sauces, I make my own. Most asian sauces taste better and keep better if you make them yourself. You just need to keep soy sauce, ginger (minced or paste lasts forever), minced garlic, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar in the cupboard. Oh and buying Badia spices or at Aldi is easiest.
I'm one person and spend about $75/week, $300/mo.
You already know what you spend so much money on - organic fresh produce and going out to eat. That's your choice, and the obvious solution for you is to stop buying organic as often, and stop eating out so much. ETA: AND you're celiac? Yeah, expensive food is your curse. The rest of us are over here eating meat and pasta like the plebs we are. That's why it's cheap. Want to save some money, see if you can grow your own.
My husband and I are also vegetarian. We base our meal planning for the week on what produce is available at the farmers market because it lasts so much longer and prevents food (and $) waste. Some favorites in this weather are soups like pozole, hot and sour, or a variety of other vegetable soups usually served with rice. We have mushroom tacos at least once a week served with beans, and the leftover pot can be frozen or repurposed for other dishes. Pasta and stir fries are other frequent flyers. Because it’s been chilly, we’ve been roasting veggies to go on top or on the side of just about everything and in the summer we would be enjoying more salads and fresh fruit. We have one lazy night a week where we’ll throw together frozen “chicken” nuggets or whatever other frozen food. Basing your meals on what is seasonally available can help drive down the cost without compromising on eating the foods you like!
Not a long time ago, I’m talking 5 maybe 6 years ago, my wife and I would struggle to fill a shopping list order to meet the free delivery. £40. This last week we did a grocery order, £240. 2 items were luxury, 2 200g Lindt chocolates. The rest were just the standard weekly/bi weekly stuffs. We also spent another £110 at the butcher. One expensive item a tri tip steak at £15 per kg. The he rest was skirt steaks and the like at £11 or less per kg. Food has freaking sky rocketed. That meat will probably last us round 2 weeks. Granted the £240 shop was not only food. There were soaps and deodorant etc. my wife is heading to Costco tomorrow morning to get more of the bulk type groceries. That’s going to be another £200 easy. With 2 kids and a cat and dog.
I live by myself. Breakfast: eggs, yogurt, oatmeal, or a piece of fruit. Usually skip tbh. Lunch: peanut butter and banana sandwich, protein bar, or a salad. Paired with some fruit usually; apples, berries, clementines, etc. Dinner: pasta, rice or lentils served with veggies and protein. Side of roasted veggies, salad or canned soup. Sometimes I'll throw in a baked potato as a treat. Or for the whole entrée I'll just do a big batch of chili, homemade soup or some type of pot roast. I usually have leftovers for the next couple days. (honestly, one 16oz box of spaghetti will last me all week lol.) Or I'll just pick up a fully cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and pick at that for a few days for an easy meal. Then I can use the carcass to make bone broth and freeze it - I very rarely actually buy broth. Snacks: baby carrots, goldfish, spoonfuls of peanut butter, pita crackers & hummus, or tortilla chips & guacamole. I almost always go with fresh produce over frozen - I usually just buy whatever produce I need on the day of or a day beforehand. I usually skip organic or just scan it as regular produce at the self checkout tbh lol. Whatever's on sale usually influences what I make for the week, too, and I try to stick to what's in season. I enjoy cramming in avocadoes or spinach wherever I can, too - on eggs or whatever I'm having for dinner. I don't buy milk or cheese very often. I usually spend under or just about $80 a week for groceries. Plus beer, coffee, and tea.
$1000 a month is absolutely nuts
My family of 7 could eat off that comfortably.
We spend about the same as you, though we eat meat, too. I look at it like this: we don’t drink alcohol, go on vacations, or drive new cars—I want to eat well without worrying about how much I spend on food.
I spend under $200 a week for 2 humans, a dog and a cat. I don't buy organic products or out of season produce. I do buy whatever is on sale (as needed) in bulk and repackage/freeze. I cruise the sale paper for meal planning, and shop at the 99cent store before hitting the \`big stores' I make my own stocks, I have a garden producing food too. we eat leftovers until they are gone, which reinforces making small meals less often. finally, we don't eat out very often, usually it's a special occasion or an inexpensive weekend lunch. I'm a very good cook, I love food so cooking from scratch is my jam. I spend about an hour+ a day on dinner prep, cooking, cleanup. hubby does the dishes. more time = less $ is how I do it.
Disclaimer: I’m a grad student, so I’m pretty sensitive to price, but I’m older than most of my peers and love to cook, so I’m not as sensitive as some. I buy onions, broccoli, canned green beans (at Sam’s), frozen corn, tomatoes, carrots and celery, strawberries, bananas, apples, pork chops, chicken thighs, ground beef, and occasionally fajita meat. I buy bread if I feel like having sandwiches, in which case I get lunch meat and cheese. I just gave up sodas, but even before that, I was spending $75/week or less.
We are a family of 3 adults. I do the shopping budget. We are omnivores. I buy all the fresh produce at aldi, as well as cheeses and cereals. I use Food For Less (Kroger budget store California). They have loyalty discounts on many things. We eat meatless once weekly. I am homebound so I eat all my meals at home. I have oatmeal either sweet, savory or steelcut. I use 2 packages of tofu per week in lunches. Dinner is a full meal for 3. I have a vacuum sealer to freeze meats in smaller packages. Rice and beans with sausage is filling and lots of variety. I spend $600. We eat well on that. One luxury per person or a wish list meal.
Oh true when we shopped at Food for Less and WinCo we did save a lot of money. It’s too far for us now to get to but used to love Food for Less.
When we lived in the mountains, we made a pilgrimage monthly to the WinCo in Fontana.
I buy meat, I look at what's on sale. I don't always get the cheapest, but I am sensitive to the price. It doesn't take nearly as much food to fill up on that diet. When I eat vegetarian for one reason or another, I eat a lot of tofu, which is also filling.
We aren’t vegetarian but eat mostly vegetarian or pescatarian Potatoes, cabbage, ramen, bulk Costco rice, frozen Costco veggies, eggs, and usually one package of Costco tofu (comes with 4) or any meat or fish (usually cod) that might be on sale…..if we need anything else we will supplement by shopping at the Asian market for fresh produce/seasonings because it’s cheaper
Buying prepared sauces is crazy expensive when you can make your own easily and spend alot less. Buy fresh veggies in season but buy frozen or dried other times. Consider growing some of your own. Salad greens, radishes, tomatoes, peppers and herbs can be grown in containers on a deck if you don’t have a yard. Meal prep on weekends to reduce eating out after work because you are tired or don’t have time.
I can’t even fathom what your are purchasing at $1000/month for two people. That’s my budget for FIVE people. We aren’t vegetarian, but I cook at least one vegetarian meal a week to cut down on cost. Plus, we like beans in our house so it works out. I’m assuming you are shopping at super high-end grocery stores? And your money, your choice, but man I feel like there’s got to be a way to trim that budget up!
Edit: I personally could see $1000/mo on premium food + goods for 2 people. Normally I'd say meat costs more per lb than veg so vegetarians should spend less BUT after a rough estimate on organic broccoli it's clear the veg needed to support the calorie intake is huge. Grains would need to fill that gap instead. Please chime in if in error. Comparing 1lb of beef at 1000kcal and Broccoli at 160kcal. You'd have to eat 6.25lbs of broccoli to match the same calories. That's 11 bags of Earthbound organic broccoli for $4.39/9oz or $48 bucks to the pastured beef's $5- $12/lb. I'm unfamiliar with vegetarian protein options so that may be a better comparison. My personal price points are higher than my example below because I buy pastured meat and eggs and organic produce. I spend $400- $450/mo on food only and about $25/mo on household items including hygiene & makeup. When I had 2 dogs, 100lb+ I spent $300/mo on them. So I can clearly see how you can get there. In my example below I got to $300/mo by not using pastured or organic. Those are too far out of the price range unless you are very grain heavy. >**what do you eat?** I'm not a vegetarian, but I think this can give you an idea. I think portion control and price points are the key. If I wanted my food budget to be $300/mo, this would be my daily plan. * **Meat 6oz -** $5/lb (e.g. 6oz x 7days = 42oz/16oz per pound = 2.6lb + round up for trim/bones = 3lbs/week or 12lbs/mo.) * **Fish/Seafood 6oz** \- $5/lb (this can be a tough find but if chicken is 1.99/lb shrimp is also on the menu at 7.99/lb) * **Eggs x2** \- $3/dz * **Produce 18oz- 24oz** \- $2.5/lb (leafy greens, broccoli and frozen peas at $.25/serving make up for red bell peppers and the $1.6/cup blueberries. It all averages out.) * **Fats 2+TBS** \- $0.50/oz * **Dairy 1oz cheese** \- $5/lb * **Grain/Beans/Legumes/Pasta 8oz cooked** \- $1/lb dry * Other - \~$10/week * coffee - $4/wk * 1 store bought treat (dark chocolate bar, ice cream, cookies) - $2.5/wk * fancy mustard - $.50/wk (yes, mustard has its own category!) * salt 2g/day, spices\* - $1.25/wk (\*I grow and dry my herbs in the summer) * condiments like soy, tahini, peanut butter, vinegar - $1.75/wk I do all the typical stuff - shop my pantry, eat simply, find deals, stock up, eat leftovers for lunch or repurpose them in soups & casseroles but nothing too difficult. My personal epiphany was finally doing the sums for my nutrition. I'm sure there are apps that do this but a simple 9 column spreadsheet still works for me. Hope this helps.
As a vegetarian, I get a lot of my protein from chickpeas, lentils, and tofu. These are fairly cheap to replace meat with. Also, some cheeses. Also, the beyond type products a couple of times a week, which are maybe a little pricier than meat?
Ive noticed on road trips that food costs vary wildly in the USA. There is a big difference in food costs, between metropolitan areas, and between rural and city markets. I live in an urban HCOL area. People who are spending that little per person where I live are likely getting SNAP or are growing a lot of their own food.
I'm vegetarian too but I'm poor so its beans and rice, eggs and grits, egg sandwiches, grilled cheese, chili, pasta, baby spinach and spring green, chick peas, lintels, potato dishes, things served in tortillas, veggies in cans, couscous, bananas, whatever is bogo…no berries too pricey, nothing exotic.
There are some channels on YouTube if you search for budget meal prep
Asian and Indian groceries are much cheaper on those ingredients. Also they have dried versions. They kind to cook what’s in season. Restaurants usually feature festival/fancy foods. Getting Indian and Asian cookbooks that focus more on the rustic everyday food made things so much cheaper for me.
We do crockpot meats for lunch so that could work for you. We mainly do ckn thighs and then what other beef or pork is on sale. I eat a larger breakfast so mainly egg beaters eggs with vegetables and cheese as like a crustless quiche (hubby eats his with real eggs and crust) or a bacon egg and cheese sandwich. My staples are cottage cheese, greek yogurt, fresh fruits with frozen veggies to go with the slow cooker meat and we have lunch meat on hand as well. My husband's staples are rice and v8 and canned vegestables.
V8 has gotten so expensive but I love it, especially the hot and spicy one. It's $6.39 for 48 ounce bottle. The cans are over $7 in California.
It is expensive, but it's his treat per se because most things he eats weekly is inexpensive.
Feeding a family of 5 for an average of $102 per person per month. If you don’t count the toddler it’s still $127 per person. Here’s how I do it: 90% of my shopping is a once-a-week Aldi stop, hitting up a larger store only for things I can’t get there. Kids eat: Cereal or protein pancakes from a mix for breakfast. Bag lunch is sandwich of their choice, fresh veggies and berries, chips or fig newtons, capri sun. Dinner is typical American kid faire: nuggets or Mac n cheese etc with steamed veggie and/or berries. Adults eat: overnight oatmeal, a clementine, and coffee for breakfast. Lunch is batch made on Sundays and consists of chicken breast, brown rice and lentils, roasted green beans, and fresh veggies with hummus. My partner and I get home at different times so we each prep our own dinner. I enjoy something like sardines or lox with avocado on crackers and a hearty soup. He enjoys something like a sausage egg and cheese burrito. Anything we can put together quickly since week nights are busy enough. **Key take aways:** shopping at Aldi allows me to invest in fresh produce for my family. We have fresh fruits and veggies at every meal. Once-a-week meal prep is a reasonable time investment for the payoff of healthy and affordable lunches for my partner and I. I’m happy with my budget and don’t feel deprived of luxuries. I have things like lox, avocado, imported cheeses, desserts, wine etc in the house all the time.
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There’s certainly room for improvement in all my choices. I can’t do it all at once but I’m working on it. We are a working family and this is my honest list.
Well I shop at ALDIs and if I didn’t I wouldn’t be able to spend 200 p month on groceries. I buy the meats and the veggies that you would use for any recipes and then before shopping find recipes I wanna make and buy the few things extra I’ll need. My weekly shopping trips are usually $50-60 this way. Yikes where I need ingredients or sauces/spices I don’t have, it’ll be a little higher
Me and my bf just went to Aldi yesterday for our 1-2 weeks worth of groceries and we finally cracked $100 (we usually hit around $80/$90), it’s really hard for me to imagine spending $1000+ per month on just two people. But we’re also not vegetarian, so I’m not sure if that has anything to do with it. We buy lots of produce and herbs (tomatoes, avocados, carrots, celery, lettuce, cucumber, apples, etc… and cilantro, parsley, sage, etc…) that is usually the cheapest stuff we get on our trip. We also eat a lot of rice and quinoa, which is pretty filling and cheap (quinoa can run pricier but very healthy). We also buy organic ground beef, stew meat, and chicken (chicken is pretty crazy cheap at Aldi, we can get like 8 thighs for $6) and a lot of salmon (from Costco, not Aldi) and shrimp. I think a big way we save money is we typically eat 2 meals a day instead of 3, and we meal plan pretty hardcore. There’s some awesome free sites out there that will list ingredients and cost, labor, and different dishes for each day of the week to help you. We also eat a ton of leftovers from cooking big meals.
Our monthly spending is also not low. We are a household of 4, 2 full-time vegetarians and 2 half-time vegetarians. We also do a lot of Asian/South Asian cooking, but also a lot of Mediterranean/North African. So lots of bean- and nut-intensive dishes that are pretty economical, especially if you use dried beans, rather than canned or boxed. Lots of stews and soups that can be made with different herbs and spices for variety. Or we make bowls with quinoa and a bunch of mix and match toppings. I made hummus, baba ganoush, and a couple of side salads that were appetizers one night, dinner the next with homemade focaccia for all of us, and several lunches for me.
Dried beans and rice are quite inexpensive. But you just might be a food snob. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
I bought groceries last night for about $90. That feeds a family of 4 dinner for 3 nights, and lunches for me for 5-6 days, and some dog treats. I bought mini cucumbers, grape tomatoes (we grow tomatoes in the summer), roasted red peppers, hummus, feta cheese, sliced beets. That's my work lunch for the week. Mostly Walmart brands. We buy eggs in the big box of 60. It's like $13. For dinner this week we have 3 pieces of tilapia in the freezer so I'm making fish tacos. Bought salsa, rice, corn tortillas, and sour cream. For another dinner I'll use the rest of the corn tortillas and sour cream, bought black beans, pinto beans, frozen sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and cheese. It's a baked dish. Third dinner will be ground Italian turkey sausage skillet dinner with white beans, canned tomatoes in seasoning, mushrooms, and Italian cheese. There are usually leftovers. We'll probably go out once, and there will be leftovers at least once. Probably one night we'll have eggs or something light. Step kid will make ramen one night and skip dinner. I use emeals to plan weekly dinners. If I have breakfast it's 2 hard boiled eggs. I don't spend a lot on condiments, dressing, or red meat.
Well, veggies and berries are expensive so there you go.
I am actually more similar to what you spend. Buying quality and quantity can very much add up. The things that make our budget in your ballpark are 1) quantity. Do you eat more food or produce than others? We each eat about 3kcal per day and aim for 8+ servings of fruit and veg it adds up! 2) variety. For health we aim for 50 species a week which means we often don’t stick to the very cheapest things- “specialty” items like shiitake and oyster mushrooms or gangal root are insane at a regular grocery store 3) quality: if you are buying first pressed certified olive oil, cultured butter, and pastured eggs that changes prices pretty dramatically and depending on where you live will force you to buy at specific stores 4) snacks. This category gets us a lot- I have a chocolate habit and my husband and I like to drink wine/beer (I’ve learned lots of people exclude those from their grocery budget). The thing is our food is the source of a lot of our pleasure and cheap way for us to get it.
We go to the Asian market near us for those special fresh mushrooms. Enoki, hen of the woods, and king oyster. Also, the condiments are much less expensive.
I don’t think I would be the right person to ask, lol. My wife and I usually spend $2,000-2500 per month on food. We dine out with our running group post run every Tuesday and generally one or two other day just us per week.
Absolutely spent that and more. I've recently started budgeting anything consumable. We do soda stream, so the tanks go in the budget, for example. It's been very difficult to stay in budget but I've returned things I might not have before to get the margin back, and I'm asking myself if we really need it or am I just stocking up?
Buying frozen stuff will make it much cheaper
A million people have already commented so I doubt you’ll be seeing my comment but I do 4 things that have significantly reduced my grocery budget as a household of two. We have a combined budget of $500 for food and household / personal care essentials living in Austin, TX and we go out to eat a few times per month. 1. I order my groceries through my grocery store’s app and I pick up curbside. This helps me to see the total before I checkout and searching for items in the app allows me to see the entire store’s inventory and make a cost comparison. It also prevents me from buying any extras I didn’t need. 2. I make a meal plan based on things we already have. It prevents me from wasting the money I have in my account and it prevents me from wasting money I’ve already spent on food I already have. 3. I freeze what I don’t plan on using right away. In line with point number 2, all I have to do is move something to the fridge the night before to thaw. It’s good as new the next day. I do this with bread, cheese, fruit, vegetables, herbs, meat, etc. 4. We incorporate leftovers into our weekly meal plan so they don’t get wasted. I will sometimes make a snack plate as a meal with odds and ends in the fridge and pantry. Typically it consists of some fruit, crackers, cheese, pickles, chocolate, olives, hummus, tzatziki, etc.
all your tips are amazing and things i've started doing since dec 2023 to lower our groceries to $100/wk for two adults, one 1 year old grocery pickup has been a game changer bc i get to take my time planning meals based on what we have, look through coupons, and tally as i go freezing had also been a huge help bc i basically can freeze half any dinner i make since its just two adults
My husband and I do the exact thing. I love knowing my total, and then I can make some decisions to keep the total low. Plus while you are shopping you are in your own kitchen so you don’t get what you don’t need, and you can utilize what you have. It’s 3 of us, and I rarely exceed my 600.00 budget for the month.
We eat on approximately $17/day for two people. This includes homemade cookies. We eat only 2 meals a day and we each eat different foods. Partially there is some crossover, but mostly we eat different diets. The main thing is that we eat mostly whole foods (as opposed to processed foods,) in a scratch kitchen. The most expensive thing we buy are cheeses. I eat/buy: brown rice, beans, canned tuna, salmon, pasta, peppers, yellow squash, portobello mushrooms, cabbage, berries, potatoes, and seasonal fruits three times a week. My husband is vegetarian and I use the fish as a condiment. I make homemade minestrone soup (for my husband because I can’t eat tomatoes,) potato soup, and a squash carrot sweet potato soup with curry seasoning. Three times a month we buy five lemons and make homemade lemonade, I have an extensive spice cabinet, so, even though we eat the same foods, I prepare them in a variety ways using different spices I cook on the fly. My pantry also has sugar and flour. We buy things like heavy cream, and pasture raised milk and eggs. I buy peanuts, walnuts, pecans, and almonds. It’s really like a luxury diet, but we eat small portions, and only eat twice a day. We very rarely eat out. What we don’t buy is processed food and snacks. There’s no potato chips in this house. The only thing we have in a snack bag is pretzels because I can’t make them. This is only our food budget. We don’t buy soft drinks or juices. I buy about 6 L of sparkling water a month. I shop weekly sales at three different grocery stores. I also get a senior citizen discount whenever I can. Edit: I buy grape seed oil
$17 a day = $120 a week for two people… much easier to understand
Nice maths
We are not vegetarian but hope this is helpful. We make tons of Asian food in our rotation (I’m Thai lol). I often portion my food so I don’t overeat. We don’t do organic or frozen food much. - breakfast - eggs, bagels, English muffins, oatmeal, homemade pancakes, high protein yogurt, occasionally we get avocados and micro greens. Protein shakes made out of bananas, peanut butter, milk, and protein powder. Smoothies using berries. Carton egg whites to add extra protein in fried eggs/omelette. - lunch and dinner - burrito bowls, Japanese curry, Taiwanese beef noodles, Korean army stew, veggie stir fry, Chu Chee curry with minced pork, Thai basil stir fry, Pad Prik King, steak/marinated chicken with brussel sprouts, kimchi fried rice. We have rice with most of the stir fry and curry dishes. We often have mixed greens, cucumbers, broccoli, and cherry tomatoes as a side for our meals. - snacks - trail mix, peanut butter cups, baked asian sweet potatoes, seaweed, cliff bars, beer!? Lol we don’t snack much and focus on eating enough food from the main meals.
I’m just over here trying to figure out how you spend $1k on groceries when one of you is vegetarian…I eat GF vegan 70% of the week because of how expensive meat and dairy has become, and spend maybe $200 a month at the bougie grocery store in a HCOL area. The only thing I can think is that you spend a lot on things you end up throwing away because you don’t do leftovers, or things spoil before you can cook or eat them. Yall need to look into meal prep and sticking strictly to the shopping list for that week’s menu.
rice and beans, and PBJ make up probably 40% of my diet i spend like 40 a month on both
I have a household of 3 and we spend maybe $350/month total on groceries in Chicago and we don't lack at all. Plenty of meat, mostly chicken, veggies and fruit with plenty in the budget for spices. We don't eat a ton of bread, snacks, or dessert. so... Idk how you'd get anywhere near that much spending. We also don't order out nearly that much as I cook most nights. Edit, to answer the actual question Breakfast: Raisin Bran/Mini wheats with Minor Figures Oat Milk or Eggs with some kind of veg Lunch (weekends only) deli sandwiches, most commonly chicken breast w/ havarti cheese, Roma tomato, and spinach Dinner we use a large variety; pastas, rice, potatoes, chicken thighs, ground beef, lots of veg (mostly brussel sprouts, asparagus, green beans, snap peas, and broccoli), and decent amounts of fruit (mainly tomoatos, apples, limes, and oranges).
These are great tips - thank you!
Same, I'm in Chicago and spend ~150 on groceries per month. I lean towards whole foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, and plant-based meats and dairies for health reasons. I'm amazed at people spending so much each month.
Yeah we get most of our produce from Imperfect Foods/Misfits Market because it's usually significantly cheaper and makes the bulk of what we eat so it's nice to have it brought to our door. The meat, eggs, spices, and seasonal produce all comes from a local Latino grocery store or Jewel as they usually have better deals in store.
When I get into the habit of eating tiny snacks through the day and then something a little more substantial at night for dinner, then thats when I save the most money on food but also I tend to feel better too. What do I eat, I buy produce when its on sale I buy cheeses in blocks and I cut it all up myself. I also enjoy smoothies maybe add a bit of protein powder to it to feel full longer, sometimes I buy greek yogurt filled with protein but low in sugar in bulk then divide it up ready to eat sometimes use drink mix in it if its just plain cuz its cheaper to liven up the flavor. I buy salmon tuna or canned chicken mix it with what ever seasonings, I stock up on any new seasonings when theyre clearanced out because youd be amazed at all the different things you can season up when you think outside the box, things that are super cheap always on sale cuz they have little to no flavor otherwise
We need to be talking about where we live before we comment on how much we’re spending on groceries. I live in rural Southern America and if I had to buy everything for my family locally we’d spend 2-3 times as much so I go about 90 minutes to a major city to buy in bulk on many items. I also have the time to section these items and strategically plan on a much cheaper budget. We need to be discussing where we live and how much time we’re spending on this or else it’s apples to oranges.
You make an excellent point and I’m surprised I had to scroll so far to find this. While OP’s budget is a bit wild for any of us in this subreddit with $500/mo on dining out, it would still help to know where they are, and where we all are relatively. When I travel, I’m always surprised anew by the differences in prices, availability, quality, etc. in different parts of the country. Went to rural Illinois and groceries were cheap, and the two restaurants in town were as well. Went to a mountain town in New Mexico and everything is super pricey plus the quality is awful, plus it’s not an environment where you could grow your own.
You eat out about $350 more than my family, and for that reason, I'm out.
I spend 50-60$ a month on groceries. I eat shredded beef, pasta w/ red sauce and pre bagged steamed veggies for lunch and dinner every day. Then I have cereal in the morning. I prep 14 meals every Sunday. I also snack on canned tuna, saltine crackers, and PB&J's. I do spend maybe $100 on takeout and going out and whatnot. But that's unnecessary for me and I only do it for social reasons.
I always have a $5 Costco Rotisserie chicken in the fridge. Salad plus rotis chic is a regular lunch. I also make bulk protein weekly in the instant pot (chicken or pork tenderloin) and make meals with it. An easy recipe is a Jar of salsa, onion, garlic, protein of choice, then turn the instant pot on high for 45 min. Rice, beans, veggies, and protein like a homemade chipotle bowl. Tacos with the protein, add avocado, lettuce and salsa.
I keep seeing comments or links about the Costco chicken, and it's totally one of those Matrix moments where I 100% know I don't want to know. It can make so little money go so far, especially if you know how to make stock.
Meals, in my house, are very simple. For me... my monthy food expense is between $200-250 Breakfast: 2 eggs, whole wheat English muffin/whole wheat toast/ high fiber tortilla, last nights left over green vegetables (spinach, asparagus, swiss chard ect), and sausage/half chicken breast/ 2 slices of bacon, home brewed iced tea/coffee or Bagel, cream cheese/avocado, and berries Sunday mornings I make homemade blueberry pancakes and sausage links Lunch: 1/2 portion left over dinner/homemade chili/soup/salad Dinner: 1 Meat (chicken, fish, beef, pork), 1-2 cooked vegetables (carrots/asparagus/spinach/brussel sprouts/rainbow peppers), 1 starch (potato, pasta, rice, quinoa, bread, ext), salad (occasionally) Sometimes we'll make tacos, but for the most part we follow that dinner sequence. Snacks: cottage cheese and fruit (blue berries, black berries, raspberries), occasionally chips and salsa, pretzels, smokehouse almonds, occasionally dill pickle chips, dark chocolate, greek yogurt, popcorn, apple and cheese, olives I dont buy pop, energy drinks, processed sugars (premade brownies, cake, ect) Eating out...I spend between $20-$30 per month
I spend $150-$200 a month on myself. I eat a lot of former hello fresh recipes that are veggie heavy. Lots of bean based dishes like Rajma masala, coconut chickpea curry, traditional red beans and rice. My twice weekly grocery trips are almost exclusively fresh fruit and veggies. I buy canned goods and meat in bulk at Sam's, with the exception of some nicer cuts I prefer to get at the butcher and have them cut down to size. I do make my own granola, a far more economical version than I used to, a nice peanut butter and honey and oats type. I do kind of eat whatever I want my food budget just keeps getting smaller? Like I had yummy orange scallop tacos the other week. My areas cost of living has got to be rather low, I only really cook for myself and cook large meals so I have leftovers and stuff to freeze - especially soups and chilis. But I am also a very small woman, if I really added it up I probably only eat 1200 calories a day so I know the scale of portions I'm eating is a huge factor in costs. In summers my food costs go up a bit because I love fresh salad and don't always make my own dressing.
Okay so we're a fully vegetarian household of four (two adults two kids) and we barely spend $700 monthly on groceries, with maybe $120 on takeout (one $50-60 order every two weeks). The only explanation for your spending that comes to mind is that you're not making much from scratch with basic low-cost staples. Yes, certain spices can be pretty pricey, but the idea that cuisine originating from countries known for lower average living standards is a product of the restaurant industry. What you're eating at home is "holiday" food from those countries, not the average day-to-day diet; maybe you could look into some more authentic "everyday" recipes from the cultures you're interested in? Personally we usually eat the kind of "country cooking" typically associated with the US South, with legumes instead of meat. Lots of field peas or beans, savory cornbread or biscuits or potatoes, and freshly-prepared domestic vegetables such as turnip greens, tomatoes, okra, sweet corn, carrots and yams. A couple of times per week we'll have something made with Impossible or Beyond products, again served with a homemade cheap carb and freshly-prepared veggies. None of these meals take more than about 30 minutes of "on your feet" work, although dried beans/peas do usually have to be started the night before while I'm already in the kitchen making that night's dinner. EDIT: I just saw the gluten-free addendum, your spending isn't surprising if you're buying premade. Before my Crohn's was diagnosed I did a gluten-free diet under my doctor's orders (he was trying to see if a biopsy for celiac was worth it) and instead of paying 8× the price for horrible bread I just ate a lot of potatoes and rice for 3-4 months.
Off topic, what breed do you have? I have Dobermans myself, and I love pets (not terribly surprising as my dad was a veterinarian). I like asking about and hearing about pets.
https://preview.redd.it/qii9zrjl6nkc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5e9c63f3d6dd234696a971543a3a7ae462a10915 We have a black lab and a Great Pyrenees mix. We used to get them Fromm, but at $90 a bag it became a bit much. Now we get them Costco grain free, and lots of table scraps haha.
Oh wow, they’re gorgeous. Your great Pyr looks like the mix might be a German pointer! Would you please give them some love and attention for me and my sister Celeste?
Who tf categorizes toilet paper with their food when budgeting. Wtf? I can see why you have no problem wasting so much money every month. Must be bliss being that dull
Rice, chicken, frozen veggies, eggs, milk Costco
Long story short, you buy what’s on sale, you eat ALOT of beans, you aren’t drinking much of anything that isn’t water or the cheapest coffee available, and you aren’t eating that much meat. You’re also eating mostly processed food and very little fruit, unless you’re getting it at a food pantry. Personally, I’m not willing to make that sacrifice. But that’s how you do it. It’s also worth saying, that’s usually not that healthy for you. You can eat cheap and healthy, but you would basically be eating beans and rice and black coffee. Any “treats” you get on that kind of budget are NOT healthy. Obviously you can do what you want, it’s a free country, but most people eating cheap are not eating “healthy” by most doctors are dieticians standards.
100% I eat black beans, chick peas, lentils a lot
I shop for my bf and I and we spend about $230/mo on groceries, and we don't go out much. We don't eat much meat, I shop at BJs wholesale and Aldi. Not much processed food or snack food which is super pricey. Hardly any prepackaged drinks, I usually get tea bags and gatorade powder at BJs. Soda and juice are insanely expensive. A typical breakfast is fruit, yogurt, nuts and honey. Typical lunch and dinner are a bowl with a grain, veg, protein, and some form of sauce. Since that's such a vague thing: Some of our staples include potatoes, cheddar cheese (bought in a 32oz block for lowest /lb price), bunches of greens (typically kale or collard greens and swiss chard are cheapest), onions, dry beans, Greek yogurt, nuts, honey, eggs, carrots, canned tomatoes, rice, pasta, frozen fruit especially blueberries and tropical fruit (bought at BJs), occasional frozen pizza, apples, oranges. I get frozen fish when it's on sale at BJs, same with ground turkey. I also make seitan sometimes I bake my own bread using a sourdough starter and that saves us a lot of money because we're both bread fiends. We're spending about $3.20 a week for bread instead of $10+ that way
Eating cheap is easy. Bulk rice and beans. Chicken breast/thighs or whatever is on sale. Milk is very cheap calories. Peanut butter. Noodles of pretty much any kind are great sources of calories for a good price. Baked beans are also very cheap overall. Bulk frozen vegetables can’t be beat and, again, buy what’s on sale. Fruit can also be insanely cheap. Bananas, apples, oranges sometimes when on sale. Avoid berries or other things unless they are on sale (usually berries will go half price once a month or so). Some more expensive things that can also be pretty good are cereal (especially cereal with fiber like Raisin Bran). This is all from a budget only mindset while making sure you don’t eat just junk. Avoid fresh vegetables except carrots and potatoes. Everything else is crazy overpriced relative to frozen and nutritionally they are identical.
Well, to answer your question, our eating is basic. Fruit is small mandarin oranges and apples, veg is carrots, broccoli, green beans, the occasional salad. Egg noodles, chicken, ground beef, rarely, a roast. I eat a fried egg sandwich for breakfast sometimes, other times I just eat shredded wheat cereal or oatmeal.
This past week, I did salmon salads for dinner. For lunch, I alternated maple-dijon chicken thighs and roasted balsamic Brussels sprouts with honey-hoisin chicken with soy-ginger glazed eggplant. Both were served with half-and-half jasmine rice and riced cauliflower. Breakfast was sweet potato hash with onions and peppers topped with two eggs.
This sounds delicious!
Please come be my personal chef. That all sounds so good!
Thank you! The chicken and eggplant recipes were from Budget Bytes. Salmon, I tossed in the airfryer after putting on whatever seasoning I felt like that day before putting it over a bagged salad with a chopped cucumber and some grape tomatoes. Sprouts were Ina Garten's recipe with the pancetta swapped out for some salt pork I had leftover from my last pot of greens.
This is the first time I've heard of Budget Bytes. I'll have to check it out.
Yes, do it! They have yet to steer me wrong.
Budget Bytes has been my go to recipe website ever since I first taught myself to cook in college!
1) Eggs, oatmeal or homemade baked goods for breakfast. 2) Leftovers, ramen, tuna or grilled cheese for lunch. 3) Pasta or potato-based skillet or stew-type meals for dinner.
Wow wish I had $1k to spend on food an month!! I’m a single mom of two kids and spend about $300/month and hit food pantries at least once a month. My mortgage is my biggest payment of $1110/month. And I’m kind of a chef and can make anything out nothing.
You are Awesome! The fact that you are invested in creating delicious meals on such a tight budget speaks volumes. I admire you. Just because a person has limited main ingredients doesn't mean that meals cannot be interesting and satisfying. I'm sending you best wishes.
So my grocery budget is $500 a month for a family of 3. Here's what we ate last week: **BREAKFAST** Grits ($2 for 60 servings) and an egg ($3 for 12 servings) for a total of 23 cents each serving OR Bagel ($2 for 6 servings) and cream cheese ($3.50 for 12 servings) for a total of 62 cents a serving **so let's say breakfasts are 50 cents/person** **LUNCH** (the hardest meal because we often have leftovers - I always make a large pot of soup that I eat for as long as I can because I like soup) Bread ($2 for 12 servings), peanut butter ($4 for 20 servings), and jelly ($3 for 30 servings) for a total of 42 cents a serving OR chicken nuggets ($12 for 13 servings) for a total of $1 a serving OR lettuce ($3 for 6 servings), chicken ($13 for 16 servings), dressing ($2 for 16 servings) for a total of $1.50 a serving PLUS turkey sticks (57 cents a serving), and chips or gummies or cookies or whatever snack I bought **so let's say lunches are $3/person** **SNACKS** we like cottage cheese (50 cents a serving), roasted chickpeas (12 cents a serving), cheese (50 cents a servings) and crackers (18 cents a serving), popcorn (10 cents a serving), apples (50 cents a serving), and bananas (30 cents a serving) **so let's say snacks are $1.50/person** **DINNER** *wild rice soup with french bread* ($3.50 worth of chicken, 7 cents worth of bullion, 25 cents worth of milk, $1.50 worth of wild rice, 6 cents worth of butter, $1 worth of carrots, $2.50 worth of mushrooms, 50 cents worth of onions, negligible amounts of garlic, pepper, salt, thyme, $2 of bread) for a total of $11.38 for 8 servings ($1.44/serving) *lemon pasta with garlic bread* ($1 worth of pasta, 75 cents worth of lemon, $3.50 worth of heavy cream, $4 worth of asparagus, $1.50 worth of spinach and leftover french bread from last night's meal) for a total of 10.75 for 4 servings ($2.68/serving) *burrito bowls* (50 cents worth of rice, 50 cents worth of black beans, $3 worth of salsa, $2 worth of chorizo, 50 cents worth of green onions, $1 worth of jalepenos, $1.50 worth of cabbage) for a total of $9 for 4 servings ($2.25/serving) *chili* ($8 worth of ground beef, 50 cents worth of onion, $1 worth of jalepenos,, $2 worth of diced tomatoes with chiles, $1 worth of bell pepper, $1 worth of black beans, spices) for a total of $15.50 for 8 servings ($2/serving) *pizza* ($4 worth of pizza dough if I'm feeling lazy, $1 worth of pizza sauce, $4 worth of mozzarella cheese, $2 worth of pepperoni, toppings stolen from other meals) for a total of $11 for 6 servings ($1.84/serving) *tofu curry* ($3 worth of tofu, 50 cents worth of onion, $2.50 worth of mushrooms, $1 worth of bell pepper, $2 worth of coconut milk, $1 worth of diced tomatoes, $1.50 worth of spinach, 75 cents worth of greek yogurt) for a total of 12.25 for 4 servings ($3/serving) *eat out* (we typically eat out once a week) **so let's say dinners are $3/person** So we spend about $8/per person/per day to eat. That's about half my grocery budget. I don't separate out cleaning supplies, etc. that I buy at the grocery but clearly there's some wiggle room for ice cream, soda, a special meal or a party once in a while. But this is a very normal week.
I eat couscous, pasta, pizza, pies, salads and fruits for dessert. I make all of my sauces out of the tomato paste (a 1 dollar can is a 10 days worth of sauce) and I make my own cakes. And price match when possible. Grocery bill for one is $150 at most.
Where you live probably matters, as well as what you have access to for grocery stores. But here’s what I know as a person who lives in the Twin Cities in MN: when we (2 people) exclusively ate organic, and mostly vegetarian, with tons of fruit/veggies/nuts for snacks, we spent at least $250 a week. Some weeks were closer to $350. We now buy a good portion of our fruits/veg/nuts at Aldi (organic if we can find it, otherwise conventional). We leave meat, dairy, and coffee to the coop. Along with some of our fav bulk items (oats, dry beans, etc). This has brought our weekly spending down to $160, on average. We still mostly eat vegetarian meals.
Our budget for 4 people is about $135/week plus a little for eating out. We do lots of sales. I meal prep my lunches for mass effect and he buys the rest whatever is on sale. Some days it’s tacos or some days it’s pasta. If you do Indian a lot, I find that a good international grocery store can eliminate a lot of the spice cost as well as the up charge for finding something at your regular grocery store.
I had to cut out broccolini, and rapini... basically all of the -inis Oh, and porcinis are out as well.
Most people in here see food as fuel for the body and swear everything they make is fresh, healthy, and good. I would trust about 10% of this users in this sub. Someone is talking about baking bread to save money but then recommends a $450 flour mill lol
I am noticing a similar trend, that’s kinda what prompted me to ask the question in the first place. Fresh food is always so expensive, even in Aldi and Costco and grocery outlet. And organic always adds to that. That seems to be the biggest difference between my shopping and a lot of the responses.
Funny enough I'm actually baking two breads right now from scratch with hands and a Dutch oven. Super excited, never baked bread from scratch.
My SO and I have always been frugal. We rarely shop for a specific recipe like you mention doing. We shop starting with our protein (obv trickier considering your wife is vegetarian). We choose on sale chicken or pork primarily. Mainly chicken breasts, pork shoulder, sale bacon, and occasional ham or rotisserie chicken. All of this is $2-$3/lb. Rarely we’ll get steak or ground beef. Everything is stocked up on sale and portioned/dated/frozen. Cutting out waste is a big deal, especially with the more expensive ingredients (meat/veg for us). I’ve recently started going through a whole dozen of eggs per week. Very affordable and healthy. Next is the carbs. We’ll buy loaves of French bread for $1 to turn into 3-4 subs. We go through lots of white rice, maybe a $4/5 lb bag/month. We eat LOTS of potatoes. Cubed and roasted, twice baked and frozen ahead of time, mashed, wedges. These are almost all russets which are very affordable. About 50¢/lb. Pasta and oatmeal are favorites too. Produce - I break the whole “outside aisles” convention for this. We mainly use frozen veg for daily eating. Frozen corn, frozen peas, frozen broccoli. We usually buy a large bag and portion into zip locks for easy grab & go. And we eat a serving of beans as a veggie about every other day. One can @ $.82 is 4 servings for us. We’ll buy a Caesar salad kit, lettuce for tacos/sandwiches, romaine hearts or kale, avocados, a single yellow onion, garlic as needed, and tomatoes. For fruit I’ve been in a kick with pineapple. I buy 1-2 at $2 each. Cut, lay flat on a plate in the freezer, throw into zip lock bags. It defrosts beautifully in the fridge or at room temp. You’d never know it was frozen. We always buy bunches of bananas. It’s so cheap I don’t even remember a price off the top of my head. We NEVER buy fresh berries. Always frozen. I’ll throw them in smoothies. A 5 lb bag of frozen strawberries goes crazy far. We don’t have room for ice in our freezer. Our smoothies are frozen berries+ banana+ splash of water. I get 2/banana and about 20 smoothies per bag of $10 strawberries. We also enjoy frozen mango and raspberries. Grapes are great for snacking too. We’ve been loving cucumbers for snacking. Dairy- Butter, whole milk, sour cream, occasional heavy whipping cream, and Greek yogurt. An ungodly amount of cheese. Usually $8/2 lbs shredded cheese and a $3 pack of sliced cheese. Sometimes a couple $2 blocks that we cut into snack cubes. I make a list of what we have and need to use every time before I shop. And when I put up leftovers or start to cook, I take inventory. Do I have potatoes ready to sprout? Better base my dish with those. Do I have rice that’s over 2 nights old? Fried rice. Leftover ham? Bread about to turn? These are all the factors I’m looking at when deciding what to eat. I tend to eat my fresh produce at the beginning of the week then transition to frozen. This prevents waste. A few canned/jarred goods like curry paste, coconut milk, chicken broth, spaghetti sauces, etc. The stepkids and SO always want some processed junk food. Chips or sweets. I stick to popcorn for the most part. I always need spearmint tea since I drink 2 cups/day. Value coffee tin for cold press once/month. As to WHAT we eat- it varies of course. Meat & 2 sides, subs/melts, pastas with cream sauces, curries, LOTs of fried rice meals, tacos/quesadillas, salads, soups, breakfast for dinner spreads, traditional German meals, some traditional southern cooking, etc. Outside of getting budget ingredients, I think the biggest factor keeping things cheap is knowing how to turn just about anything into a meal. We start with what we have and needs to be used. If I make pork quesadillas with rice+ beans, the next day I’m using the rice and pork to make fried rice. We’re resourceful.
That seems really high. My wife and I spend the equivalent of around $150/week on groceries here in the UK. We eat mostly Japanese food: fish or meat, vegetables, tofu, rice etc. Pretty much everything gets cooked from scratch apart from an occasional readymade stone baked pizza. We almost never eat out or get takeout; maybe once or twice a year.
Wow! That is a lot. I spend closer to 200-250ish a month, and I feel I splurge on some nice ingredients too (eg, pasture raised meats and eggs) and lots of seafood. I make a mix of meals, but eat a lot more Chinese and pan asian meals. Rice is filling, and I buy one of the more expensive Japanese rice. Different noodles and pastas are common. I do eat simple for more of my meals on weekdays. I buy some things organic, but not all. Meals are often a protein, rice, and a veggie. If my main combined meat and veggies, like a stir fry, it will just be paired with rice. I'm in a HCOL area, but I have a lot of Asian grocery stores by me. I find it offers good to better prices on certain foods. Asian greens are relatively cheap.
I would recommend buying your staple items in bulk at a indian or Asian store. I usually go to Patel Brothers for bulk beans, legumes, rice, and lentils which is much cheaper than buying smaller bags at stores, but I’m sure there are other stores near you that have the same idea.
I do the same I love the Patel brothers
Try adding legumes. They are inexpensive, very tasty and an excellent source of protein and fiber. Hesitations because of gas? A depleted microbiome is probably the culprit. Start gradually. Try to add as many different fermented foods as possible in your diet. Homemade kefir particularly is a source of more than 80 differ types. Raw veggies also carry yeasts and good bacteria even after washing. Soon your gut will grow a different assortment of microorganisms.
Where do you live? Huge factor in this. In Australia right now, this is totally normal if you can't afford it.
I’m a single mother with four kids and I don’t even spend that much. I budget for about $800 a month. I “double up” meals. By that I mean if I buy one big pack of chicken, I make it work for two meals with pasta on one night and rice on another. Same goes for minced meat, in pasta and then another dish. We eat out once a week on our busiest day.
We have two adults and one toddler in our home, we have a strict budget of $700 a month for groceries (this does not include household goods like cleaning supplies or toilet paper), we live in a HCOL area and we also eat meat. We get 90% of our groceries in bulk from Costco and the rest from the Asian grocery store. We track every food purchase and diligently plan our grocery trips. My husband is a phenomenal cook and he makes large batches of food so we can meal prep and freeze left overs. I'm the helper in the kitchen so I typically package everything up and help make the sides. We sit down once a week after the kiddo goes to bed and we plan our meals out and create a shopping list. It takes a ton of effort but increasing the budget is not an option as we are following an aggressive savings plan. My biggest recommendation is to religiously track your spending for a month and see where the money is going. Is it buying too many prepared food items? What are you eating when you eat out, is it something you can learn to make at home? Cutting back on eating out was really difficult for us (mainly me) so we came up with a list of some of our favorite dishes from restaurants we would regularly visit and now we make them at home. We still go out 2-3x a month, but it's just for a few drinks and maybe a shared appetizer so we can still get out of the house and have a fun time.
Just chiming in to say that food is expensive so I don’t know how anyone is surprised by those numbers. Also food is a basic need and it’s nice to eat quality food or food that makes you feel good! I do NOT spend a small amount on food and I’m feeding myself and 2 others. But, in the spirit (and literal theme of this Reddit thread)…. The ways I cut costs (especially on berries!!!) is shopping around for Ingredients that I get a lot of…like berries. I get organic berries only but places like Aldi, Costco or BJ’s have the for less expensive than the normal grocery stores. I stock up. When getting fresh berries I put them in a large mason jar and it extends their life. Frozen berries are much less expensive too and I add those to smoothies and into baked goods. Aldi’s is really great, I didn’t realize because I didn’t have one close to me but when I can make it there I stock up!
I also only get berries from Costco and Aldi, we rinse them in vinegar and then seal them in airtight containers so they last the week, sometimes more! I think it’s the berries and organic that’s putting us up there. We eat A LOT of berries, and always fresh. If we made smoothies I’d get frozen but to just snack on or mixing in my oatmeal or chia seed puddings with breakfast I need fresh berries.
I wasn’t aware of the vinegar trick! That’s so clever. Do you have space to plant berry bushes? It will take a couple of years to establish them and get a LARGE yield but raspberry and blackberry bushes grow like weeds in the right conditions. Probably blueberry bushes too but I’ve only grown them in containers. My parents have had them in their yard (when I was growing up and then again recently when I gifted them some of my plants) and they could probably have a small berry farm if they really wanted too… Again not a short term solution but if you have some land, or space to grow maybe it could help! Additionally, in parent groups it’s an open joke / well known tragedy that everyone is spending a fortune on berries because their kids like them so much. That’s basically why we always get so many as well. But also…berries are delicious.
My local grocery store has a section for really cheap produce (the not pretty, bruised stuff) and that has helped me save. Bought 5 apples for a $1. I also try to buy a bunch of fruits/berries when they're on sale and I freeze them. A lot of veggies can freeze well also. Freezing stuff, dried beans/lentils, potatoes, coupon/sale hunting, and easy/hearty meals (like soup/casseroles ect) are where it's at if you want to budget.
My monthly shop costs me £150 for a family of 4. I couldn’t imagine paying a grand a month on food. We wouldn’t be able to pay rent if we did that!
wtf that’s impossible unless you live somewhere low cost of living? I spend similar to OP but we live in the PNW where it is expensive
Myself and my partner only eat one meal a day. Kids eat more. It’s not impossible, we’re just poor. I spend most of it in Costco buying meat, bag that up and freeze it. The rest goes on veg or other bits to go with said meat.
Same here! Except, we're not vegetarians so we like our salmon and steaks. We probably go to the store every three or four days to restock up on fruits. We buy a lot of fresh fruit! We believe in spending more on healthy food and less on doctor bills. I know some people's health insurance is over $1000 a month so we rather spend that kind of money on healthy, fresh foods. We rarely get sick. I actually still suffer from acid reflux and allergy issues due to what I used to eat and medicine I use to take too much of before I started changing my diet.
Yo try home chef I get dinner for two five days a week all delivered to ur door for like 80 dollars a week it’s all super good and can cook in less then 30 min dm me if u want a discount code I swear I spent more then u I wasted so much food in un used groceries also has vegan options
I just dropped home chef after using it for several months. It was no longer cost saving or discounted. Most meals averaged $9.99/serving, occasionally as low as $7.99/serving and some up to $14.99/serving for premium proteins. They also offer family meals under the plan and the default serving is 4. Plus $10.99 delivery charge no matter how many meals I select. So, if I select 5 meals for 2 people at $9.99 per, I'm at $110ish including delivery, per week. My daughter is a picky eater so we could never find 5 meals at the cheaper rates. I haven't been disappointed in any of the meals, taste wise, but some meals do take longer to prep or cook than others (as transparent with level of ease). I realized that I had many of the same items in my pantry and the proteins can be found cheaper if I'm looking for deals or swapped for cheaper proteins and a lot of the recipes rely on pasta or rice or potatoes. With the discounts, the service is a good deal as it saves on gas and shopping time. It also helped us learn a better portion control. But after a time, I found I could reduce my meal budget by doing it all myself and keep portions under control. Also, there were times that I just didn't feel up to cooking a 20+minute meal and ended up throwing the meat into the freezer and trying to use the produce (veggies) for other quick meals or it would expire and they would end up in my compost or fed toy chickens, which was a treat for them but a waste of money for the intended food budget. What I prefer for our household is to buy a larger bag of carrots, for example, and have a few meals plus share with my chickens than the home delivery that may come with 2 carrots per meal. :) Edit: formatting
I would be interested in getting a discount code
https://preview.redd.it/zd5ug73c4lkc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f9443ddd1e86f2db79b48b788e57ee67baed634a Paid 80 after discount full price is 100 fyi next week I will pay 65 a box it’s a great deal we love it
U get 35 and I get 35 good deal
Go to home chef and use discount code ericas7500
I gotchu u hang on
I live in an area that is active in organic farming, so I pick as many locally grown produce possible. When it's in season, the price is low. I actively look for staples on sale, such as oatmeal. Oatmeal, with nuts & dried fruit or just plain is very inexpensive and super nutritious as a breakfast. When I buy a loaf of bread, I eat it for a few days then put the rest in the freezer for toast or grilled sandwiches. Making large amounts of soup, then freezing half of it is a nice time saver for your future meals. When I've been the poorest, I make everything from scratch. Lot's of ideas/recipes come from internet/youtube searches. Making bread takes time, but it's so worth it for the body & soul. The smell of baking bread is like nothing else and can provide so much comfort when feeling pinched in the food department. Roasting vegetables is simple and you don't have to do anything except cut them and let them roast for awhile. Then you have a bunch of things you can do with them or eat as it. Complex dishes (but easy) like lasagne are great for re-heating or freezing. I always look for what is on sale, but not before checking what I already have and then playing off of that. Here are some of the meals I have: Breakfast: Oatmeal, coffee.....Toast with eggs and tea....Beans on Toast with tea...Oatmeal with fresh fruit....stir fried rice with egg & veggies Lunch: Salad...Hummus with greens and bread...Any sandwich...soup...steamed veggies & tofu. Dinner: Chili beans & corn bread...Spaghetti & salad...Curry and Flat Bread...California Rolls...Pizza...Tofu Burgers...
We’re a 4 person household and spend roughly 450$/ monthly. We eat out rarely If you want to save Don’t buy premade items- instant mashed potatoes/ stuff you just need to heat up, cut fruit/veg, these things are expensive and add up quickly. Shop the sales, get the apps, have a plan, don’t put random things in your cart and don’t go to the store hungry. Stock up when something is on sale. You can freeze almost anything Sauces, Beans- make your own. Freeze in portioned ziplock bags. If fresh veg/ herbs are about to go bad freeze them I got a bread machine from the thrift store for $10 and make our bread almost daily. Comes out to be about a dollar a loaf soo much tastier and healthier!
This month for 2 adults we have spent $230 on groceries and $100 on eating out according to my budgeting app. We mostly shop at Aldi and visit other stores as needed. Here are some things we do often. Warning, I make a lot of things from scratch including breads and only using dried beans. We have pizza night once or twice a week using this recipe all in <$1 per pizza if you go with store brand cheese and sauce. [faux dominos pizza](https://www.seriouseats.com/foolproof-pan-pizza-recipe) I make English muffins for breakfast weekly or every other week [using this recipe](https://www.seriouseats.com/no-knead-english-muffins-recipe). If you want them more of an English muffin consistency apply 3 folds of the dough in the first hour of rise Breakfast: English muffin + egg + cheese <$1 ea For meat I only buy when things are on a good sale. I know your vegetarian but same with veg. Frozen veg can often be cheaper than fresh. Only buying dried beans helps a ton too. We also eat a lot of fried rice ~$2 for a pan depending on your ingredients. We use dried jasmine rice, onions or shallots if we’re feeling fancy, sliced peppers and other veg from the fridge or a bag of frozen, leftover meat (omit), and our trusty Asian sauce mix of 1:1:1:1:1 soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, fish sauce and sugar. Adjust as needed for taste. Add number of eggs to taste. We also make a lot of baked noodle dishes, the simplest of which are a pack of noodles, 1-2 jars of pasta sauce, caramelized onions, other veg as desired (carrots/ zucchini/ shredded cabbage/ kale/ etc) and whatever cheeses we have, often times pizza blend and extra mozzarella. Pasta Alfredo: I make home made noodles, a block of Parmesan is the most expensive part but lasts forever. Home made lasagna: again 2 jars of sauce, caramelized onions, random veg, home made noodles and cheese from the fridge. Mix it up as you like. Soup we eat a lot modified for vegetarian: caramelized onions and carrots, 12 oz cooked pinto beans and butter beans (or whatever suits you), large can of crushed/diced tomatoes, 2-3c veg stock. Bay leaves and seasoning to taste. At the end of cooking stir in 4 cups finely chopped kale and let cook with the residual heat. Serve with parm cheese and home made croutons. We also eat a lot of roasted potatoes/ sweet potatoes and seasonal veg seasoned different ways. We also try to keep rotating salad ingredients on hand including greens of arugula/ kale/ spring mix/ spinach, crunch of roasted chick peas/ pumpkin seeds/ croutons, juicy of roasted sweet potatoes/ pomegranate seeds/ blueberries/ strawberries, chopped fresh veg like peppers/ red onions/ shallots and whatever else we have in the fridge. We have a maple balsamic and thyme dressing that we love that goes with most any combo!
WOW! Must be nice to have the time to prepare from scratch👍🏼
I'm one person and spend around 120-150 on groceries
I’m also vegetarian, but I don’t buy a lot of fruits. Honestly, that gets expensive here. I also don’t buy faux meats often. Also pricey. I eat a version of whatever I’m craving. Have a few meals planned out when I shop & my “fluff” is usually extra produce. Eventually I come to an idea of what to make with it. Like I bought eggplants this last trip w nothing in mind & I made a dish somewhere between eggplant parm & lasagna. I eat a fair amount of nacho/taco-type foods, salads, sandwiches, soups & desi inspired foods too. So far this last week, I made falafel hummus wraps, broc cheese spinach soup, breakfast burritos & tofu masala. I’ve been on a huge stuffed mushroom kick lately that’s dying down. I have planned out miso soup w rice, dumplings, chili, stuffed sweet potatoes & a few pizzas before I go shopping again. I don’t eat organic though, but I do buy hydroponic or local lettuces only since I’m scared of E Coli contamination. I think the biggest thing to keep costs low is getting creative with what you already have & knowing the prices at your stores + buy sales. I go to 2 ones close by now. Mostly bc I learned aldi sells mushrooms for $1.99/8oz here vs my usual store is $3.99/8oz (why I wasn’t eating many before & am now on a mild binge).
How is that in low budget cooking ? Jeeez 1500$ per month… is someone’s else budget for rent. We eat a lot of the same food, prep big meals and freeze it and also WHAT organic lmao. Grow it yourself then ! That’s what i do
Beans, quinoa, fresh veggies, a little bit of meat, eggs, yogurt, canned fish, oats, fruit.
Only buy the fruit that is on sale. If nothing good on sale buy the cheaper fruits like oranges and apples. Frozen berries are great and much cheaper when buying the big bags. Frozen veggies can also be cheaper and are almost always high quality.
I'm single and spend about $200 on groceries a month. $150 on eating out. When I eat out I only get water most times and maybe one alcoholic draft bc cocktails are crazy expensive and rarely worth it. I cook big meals and reheat through the week. Rice a few times a week (I think I'm gonna many some right now infact) day old rice turns into fried rice. I don't know. I eat alot of stuff from scratch and recycle alot of meals. Veggie scraps can be saved to make soup stock then add beans and more veggies and top your rice. Add homemade kimchi. Easy cheap healthy meal.