How much do you spend at the grocery store? (supplement, alcohol, relative)

[Edward Teach]

For a retired couple, how much do you spend on food and alcohol each month, excluding eating out? We are struggling to stay within $700 per month, which seems like a lot, although we often host friends and family. Just curious what others are spending. Thanks!

[athena53]

Food, nutritional supplements and cleaning products run about $400/month for just me. Alcohol is about $40/month YTD but that includes $130 I spent last month on some good wine and a bottle of wheat whisky on a trip to Hermann, MO. Restaurant expenses modest so that sum covers most of what I consume in a month. I rarely entertain and when I do, it's just the guy I'm dating.

I'm not sure why it's that high and I know it is relative to most people. I buy mostly at Costco, very little processed, very little meat. The rest comes from a good grocery store nearby- not always the cheapest prices but I like their selection and their service. I haven't really tried to cut back- my diet is very healthy and my spending is modest in other categories except travel.

[Trekker99]

I track our expenses in retirement and lump groceries & alcohol together for budgeting purposes.

We do go to some specialty shops for meat & seafood cuz we think it's worth it. We do just about all our meals as home cooking. No frozen meals, lots of fresh veggies, etc.

Our monthly average across the last 3 years is about $825/month - but that does include occasional 'spikes' for when our children come home to visit on holidays.

[Cuzzant]

Food, household items, and pet supplies - averaging right around $450/mo.

[Clemencia53]

Excluding eating out - maybe 25 dollars a week for food.

We don't eat a lot. I have coffee for breakfast.

I'm like Anderson Cooper. I can eat a sandwich for lunch every single day.

I go out to eat at least three times a week.

Only two meals at the most a day. No cooking for friends at home. We get together at restaurants. Most expensive meal is 30 bucks.

[NewbieHere]

I think about $800 per month. No alcohol though.

[Mikala43]

Food, pet food, super market stuff, about 1K a month, though a bunch is Costco stuff, so it rolls over to the next month because of the quantity. Food and stuff is expensive here.

[StealthRabbit]

$100/ month goes in the food envelope. (Since 1980). When it runs dry.... Get creative. ( Open the chest freezer, go get samples at Costco, go volunteer at a homeless shelter, glean from growers, go to church potluck). We eat very healthy, lots of fresh veggies, salmon, and Costco chickens (20 servings per bird) soups, salad, burrito...

[submart]

For the two of us we spend $800 a month on just food at the grocery store. This doesn't include personal care items. We don't drink alcohol. We eat very healthy minimally processed foods. Lots of wild caught fish. Some organic food. In addition we eat out about 4x a month.

[turkeydance]

"...how much do you spend on food and alcohol each month,...'

$200.
we do not eat out.
we do not order out.
we mind our own business
and live within our means which
"means" we enjoy debt-free living.