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Old 08-14-2011, 08:53 AM
 
9,229 posts, read 8,502,184 times
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We generally spend $125/wk for the two of us:

In order of volume in our bascart:

1. Produce (fresh fruits and veggies)
2. Whole grains, mostly unprocessed, but also a loaf of bread and some processed high-fiber cereals
3. Canned or frozen vegetables (tomatoes, beans, etc)
4. Meats, low fat, cut but not otherwise processed.
5. Household papers and cleaning products.
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Old 08-14-2011, 09:49 AM
 
Location: Kirkwood, DE and beautiful SXM!
12,054 posts, read 23,253,342 times
Reputation: 31917
We don't really have a budget, but we do our big shopping at Costco or BJ's and use our Food Saver. Last weekend we hit Costco and bought salmon, pork chops, ground beef, filets, chicken (their's comes two breasts to a package and freezer-ready), and beef tips. DH packaged them with the FS so that we have meals for at least through the next month.

Yesterday we went to BJ's and got milk ($2.89 a gallon), 4 butters, 2 pkgs. of bacon, 4 dozen eggs, box of green beans, and a box of tomato sauce.

We get bread, bagels, pet food, and deli items at the grocery. Fruits and veggies usually come from the local produce market.

Paper products and detergent (Tide and Downy) are purchased at Costco or BJ's.

We spend approximately $300 per month but many of the things that we buy last much more than a month.
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Old 08-14-2011, 10:02 AM
 
Location: Victoria TX
42,579 posts, read 86,637,395 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nmnita View Post
you only spend $80 a month on food? How many are in your family cause I find that almost impossible to believe. Do you eat any fresh produce other than potaotes?
One. When you cook only for yourself, you can have complete control over your food budget, menu and nutrition.

Yes, probably half, by weight, of what I carry home is fresh fruit/veggies. Onions go into nearly every meal, about a half an onion a day. A roma tomato every day, as a fruit-snack. Poblano peppers go into most meals. Carrots in a lot of them. Whatever green veg is cheapest--last week, green beans were 99 a pound, which also make nice raw munchies. A couple of big leafy salads a week (never iceberg), and lettuce leaves in every sandwich. Half a banana every morning on my cereal. Strawberries have been cheap (dollar a pound) for the past couple of months, so strawberry shortcake with homemade biscuits and sour cream every day. An ear of corn for lunch, whenever they are 3 or 4 for a dollar. Celery dipped in peanut butter is a frequent snack.

My basic day of food is:
Breakfast, nearly always a half banana with bran flakes.
Lunch very small, a half a sandwich or a salad, or some quick-cooked polenta with sour cream and a tomato, of one slice of leftover pizza.
Supper the main meal, on a plate. If I make something like curry or chicken paprika or gumbo, I make enough for 4 or 5 meals and eat it every day until its gone. Or beans and rice, same way. Or I make mashed potatos and a coked veg with a few ounces of pan-fried organ meat or pork sausage.
Snack at night, something like cheese and crackers, or tortilla chips dipped on refried beans.
I make my own cookies, and sweeten a batch of a dozen with about 2 Tbsp of molasses and some raisins.
About three canned beverages a week, like one beer and two sodas. Otherwise just tap water.

By the way, I usually don't buy the marked-down produce, I leave those there for the people who really can't afford the regular price of food.

Last edited by jtur88; 08-14-2011 at 10:22 AM..
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Old 08-14-2011, 10:21 AM
 
17,465 posts, read 38,886,587 times
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I don't really have a strict budget either, but generally speaking I spend between $100 and $150 per week for me and hubby plus our six cats. This includes all of our food and toiletry items and cat food, plus a few bottles of inexpensive wine. Groceries (food items) usually include

fish
shrimp
organic frozen pizza
whole grain pastas
cereal
coffee/tea
fruits/veggies
milk/eggs/cheeses
yogurt
seeds and nuts
whole grain crackers and chips
tuna fish (cans)
canned tomatoes and pasta sauce

Anyway, that's the main stuff. We don't eat deli food or meats anymore, except occasional ground beef (I love to make piccadillo!)
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Old 08-14-2011, 10:58 AM
 
831 posts, read 1,576,704 times
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I don't really have a set budget either. I try to go to Sam's once a month. Some things that I always buy are

milk
bread
eggs
butter
cheese
cereal/oatmeal
coffee
juice
tea
water
chicken
hamburger
fish/shrimp
pasta/sauce
potatoes
broccoli
carrot sticks
apples
bananas
grapes
strawberries
yogurt
can/frozen veggies
peanut butter
crackers
ice cream
sandwich stuff
dried beans
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Old 08-14-2011, 12:10 PM
 
16,977 posts, read 16,206,503 times
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We don't have a strict budget on food either. We bring a list and stick to it.

We go to Costco every 5 weeks and buy as needed - meat, fish, paper products, whole grain noodles, cereal, tuna, coffee, coffee filters, spaghetti sauce, rice, olive oil, nonstick spray, swiss cheese, tin foil, frozen tortellini/stuffed shells, soup, stuff for the dogs (Frontline, chew bones, dog food), garbage bags, toothpaste, dental floss, mouthwash, beef jerky, dried beans, crackers, wine, beer.

Weekly (as needed) at the grocery store - fresh fruits/veggies, yogurt, milk, butter, cheese, bread, deli meat, kielbasa, wild rice, rotisserie chicken, club soda, ice cream.
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Old 08-14-2011, 04:36 PM
 
Location: Mountain girl trapped on the beach
604 posts, read 852,501 times
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I spend about $100/week on food for husband and me. The cost could double if it's a week where we need food, cleaning/laundry supplies, and cat food (I try not to let that happen--pricey!).

This week's grocery bill came to $88 and included the following:
half a gallon of milk (local dairy, no hormones added, pastured cows)
2 jars tomato and eggplant pasta sauce
1 bag pita chips
quinoa
2 boxes pasta
mochi
raisins
extra-firm tofu
a pint of blueberries
instant miso soup
2 pounds of grass-fed ground beef
1 pound deli turkey
loaf of bread
2 pounds of onions
2 pounds of red bell peppers
1 bunch green onions
1 head broccoli
1 bunch kale
1 bunch cilantro

I wish I had a garden but we live in a condo.
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Old 08-14-2011, 07:35 PM
 
Location: Bella Vista, Ark
77,772 posts, read 104,218,944 times
Reputation: 49245
Quote:
Originally Posted by jtur88 View Post
One. When you cook only for yourself, you can have complete control over your food budget, menu and nutrition.

Yes, probably half, by weight, of what I carry home is fresh fruit/veggies. Onions go into nearly every meal, about a half an onion a day. A roma tomato every day, as a fruit-snack. Poblano peppers go into most meals. Carrots in a lot of them. Whatever green veg is cheapest--last week, green beans were 99 a pound, which also make nice raw munchies. A couple of big leafy salads a week (never iceberg), and lettuce leaves in every sandwich. Half a banana every morning on my cereal. Strawberries have been cheap (dollar a pound) for the past couple of months, so strawberry shortcake with homemade biscuits and sour cream every day. An ear of corn for lunch, whenever they are 3 or 4 for a dollar. Celery dipped in peanut butter is a frequent snack.

My basic day of food is:
Breakfast, nearly always a half banana with bran flakes.
Lunch very small, a half a sandwich or a salad, or some quick-cooked polenta with sour cream and a tomato, of one slice of leftover pizza.
Supper the main meal, on a plate. If I make something like curry or chicken paprika or gumbo, I make enough for 4 or 5 meals and eat it every day until its gone. Or beans and rice, same way. Or I make mashed potatos and a coked veg with a few ounces of pan-fried organ meat or pork sausage.
Snack at night, something like cheese and crackers, or tortilla chips dipped on refried beans.
I make my own cookies, and sweeten a batch of a dozen with about 2 Tbsp of molasses and some raisins.
About three canned beverages a week, like one beer and two sodas. Otherwise just tap water.

By the way, I usually don't buy the marked-down produce, I leave those there for the people who really can't afford the regular price of food.
sounds like you eat healthy and don't have a huge appitite, but even for one you sure are doing better than most of us, budget wise that is.

Nita
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Old 08-14-2011, 08:24 PM
 
Location: Free From The Oppressive State
30,163 posts, read 23,548,828 times
Reputation: 38452
I have two budgets. One is for me, the other is for my pets. (They are fed raw.)

For me, I try not to go over $100-150 a month. Sometimes that works, other times, I realize that my zeal to cook my foods, conventionally, to prepare meats and side dishes, roasting them or baking them in the oven for a few hours, adding seasoning and spices and such, making salads and doing the frugal healthy thing is overpowered by my incredible laziness.

Or maybe I'm just really tired. Because, man, I'm tired and if maybe I had a month off where I could just sleep, and not worry about anything at all, except how much more sleep I can get, I'd be energized....but some people call it lazy so we'll stick with that.

Which means that sometimes I buy those Budget frozen dinners for $1 a pop and some burritos for .59 cents each and some Cup O' Noodles for .80 cents each...and then throw in a banana or package of strawberries...and then you throw in my milk consumption....I can go over. Not too much but I can.

The pets, I have an amount that I have to feed them so I look for sales and "manager's specials" and look for local butchers who can save me even more. I try to get as close to or under a dollar a pound for the meat and organs that they get. Not always possible at the store, but close.

So, in total, I say about $300 a month for myself and the pets.
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Old 08-14-2011, 08:31 PM
 
Location: Boonies
2,419 posts, read 3,543,766 times
Reputation: 3434
Quote:
Originally Posted by younglisa7 View Post
I don't have a budget. I usually spend between $80-$100.00 a week including paper goods, cleaning goods, and dog food. The summer months my bill goes down because I eat mostly from my garden.

I buy these things every week:
Milk
Bread
Eggs
O.J.
Bacon
Fruit
Veggies
Yogurt and/or cottage cheese


On top of that I stock up on sale meats and sale items. I buy shrimp and condiments about once a month.
How many in your family live on this?
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