Can someone give me estimate of Price per week for Groceries for Single Woman in Chicago (home, to buy)

[Teranell]

I have recently cut out meat and dairy from my diet. I get my groceries from peapod. Can anyone tell me what they know of a single person, vegetarian/ vegan, paying per week for groceries?

I do buy about $8 - $10 in cat food and treats per week, and occassionally have to buy kitty litter, garbage bags, and toilet paper.

I don't buy beer or alcohol, or bread or condiments, and try to buy everything organic if available.

I'm trying to keep it at $150 - $170 per week, but it can easily get up to $200 per week. My mother says it seems rediculous to spend any more than $100 / week.

Anyone in my situation?

[mdand3boys]

Originally Posted by Teranell

I have recently cut out meat and dairy from my diet. I get my groceries from peapod. Can anyone tell me what they know of a single person, vegetarian/ vegan, paying per week for groceries?

I do buy about $8 - $10 in cat food and treats per week, and occassionally have to buy kitty litter, garbage bags, and toilet paper.

I don't buy beer or alcohol, or bread or condiments, and try to buy everything organic if available.

I'm trying to keep it at $150 - $170 per week, but it can easily get up to $200 per week. My mother says it seems rediculous to spend any more than $100 / week.

Anyone in my situation?

You will surely pay a lot more per week than a typical person who doesn't try to adhere to a vegetarian/organic diet. We feed a family of 4 - in Hawaii - with somewhere around $125 per week and we eat very well.

There is no real evidence that vegetarian/organic eating really does anything for you. You can simply buy smart and eat plenty of fruits, veggies and some meat and do just fine with your health. Flame away, people. (but you know it's true)

[surlycue]

Damn, that sounds like a ton of dough per week for one person. We eat out pretty regularly but I buy mostly organic or local for my family of 3 (plus a dog and some cats) and I only spend about $80 a week. I guess I'm a lot more frugal than most people.

I can't imagine spending $10 a week just on cat food. Do they eat caviar?

[linicx]

I could do it on $200 per month at Trader Joe's.

[Teranell]

One thing is, being disabled, I don't cook much so eat those organic vegetarian Amy's Bowls for dinner, and steam kale and another veggie for dinner ....

I also eat a lot of nuts and seeds, which are expensive, along with organic soymilk.

And I eat a lot of fresh organic fruit and vegetables. Every morning I drink the juice of a whole lemon, and I drink a protein powder in apple cider daily.

[Teranell]

Maybe Peapod is just a lot more expensive than other grocery stores that sell organic food ....

I also use a $10 jar of raw honey every week to make my daily pot of chai.

[deechee]

I voted for $75-$100 because it's the lowest you provided.

I'm a pretty overweight lady, I eat well on a budget of about $250 a month.

No, I don't shop at Aldi, Food 4 Less or Save A Lot. If you only buy staples and in bulk (I bake a lot) and eat out less, your food spoils less often and you spend a lot more time at home

I shop at Target, Eurofresh, and Walmart for my groceries. Sometimes I will shop at Jewel or Dominick's. Maybe even Ultra in Cal Park.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Teranell

...My mother says it seems rediculous to spend any more than $100 / week...

Originally Posted by Teranell

Maybe Peapod is just a lot more expensive than other grocery stores that sell organic food ....

I agree with your mother.

And yes, Peapod is way more expensive than shopping in stores. If you have no other choice than it can be a godsend though.

If you can find someone to shop at various stores for you and drop your groceries off-I am sure you can cut down your spending greatly.

[chirack]

Pea-pod all by itself is expensive. The vegan\vegetable thing can save money because meat is expensive. However the organic thing is expensive in two ways. One the food itself is more expensive and two lacking preservatives(like wax coating) the food just does not last as long.

I would look into seeing if there is an way around pea-pad. For instance, if you have a homemaker they can shop for you. There maybe charities and organizations that can help the disabled either get out to shop or bring it in.

I would see if there are any local stores that can deliver to you or would be willing to deliver(it may be cheaper). I would also think about dropping the organic requirement on some items.

[surlycue]

Have you thought about CSAs as well? I find them to be pretty pricey but if you use all of what you get they are a great deal for fruits and veggies.

The Local Beet: Chicago » 2009 CSA Guide

I liked New Leaf because they deliver year round.

Maybe this could eliminate some extra costs and you can just buy staples through Peapod. I use Amazon's subscribe and save for TP, paper towels, diapers, cat food, etc. They do not charge for shipping and you get an additional 15% from their list price if you schedule shipments.