How Much Do You Spend On Groceries?
I generally think that we’re pretty frugal, but sometimes I wonder. So I thought I would share how much we spend on food and groceries, and some of the rationale behind the choices that are appropriate for us. ‘We’ are currently a household of two adults and a cat.
I keep a detailed cash flow budget in excel – basically we track every cent we earn and spend. This year, I did something a little different: I track our groceries in a separate sheet, linking the totals into our overall expenditure. What does this mean? It means that not only can I see at a glance how much we’ve spent on groceries for the month, I can click over a sheet and tell you exactly how much we’ve spent on milk v meat v toothpaste etc for each month and for the year. This also reveals how often we buy things like toothpaste.
Before I give a weekly total I want to tell you exactly what our ‘grocery’ amount includes and how I calculate it.
It includes all food: meat, vegetables, dairy, dry goods, tea coffee etc., all toiletries such as toothpaste, toilet paper, moisturiser, shampoo etc., all cleaning and laundry items including brushes and essential oils etc. It includes cat food and cat litter. It includes little gourmet things we might buy like jam at the markets or herbal tea from the health food store. It includes all alcohol that we buy in bottles to consume at home or at friend’s. It includes any extra trips to the store or servo for bread or milk or chocolate.
Apart from the spinach and a bit of lettuce that we grew this year, we buy all of our food. I have made bread and yogurt a couple of times, and have visions of making them regularly, but the reality is that we buy everything.
As we purchase meat in bulk and our vegetables every two weeks at the market, our actual weekly spending can fluctuate quite a bit, so I take the total and average it out over the year. Our weekly grocery spending comes to an average weekly amount of $85.
But let’s not stop there. We also buy takeaway about once every ten days. Seeing that this is food that we consume regularly, there’s no point ignoring it – it puts our weekly average up to $115.
(Eating out at restaurants is something we do once in a blue moon and it goes under “entertainment” along with the fortnightly coffee that I have with my MIL).
Sometimes I feel like this amount seems a lot for two people. Obviously, the first thing to go is the takeaway. There really is no good reason to buy takeaway except that I get lazy (which is not a good reason). All the menu planning in the world doesn’t seem to save me from the “I can’t be bothered” nights. KFC is $25 worth of garbage that makes me feel sick afterwards, so why don’t we kick the habit?
No really, why don’t we kick the habit?
When I look at my spreadsheet, I can see immediately where else I can save money (even without gardening and home baking), but I’m not necessarily willing to make these changes unless I really, really have to.
For example, I buy organic, un-homogenised milk, which is over twice the price of home brand. For some things I buy the more expensive brand name items because home brand quality just doesn’t cut the mustard (ugh! Woolworths mustard!) or because home brand often has more ingredients or unhealthy ones we don’t want to eat. For example, I like to buy pure, no additives coconut cream, also twice the price of other brands. Brown rice is more expensive than white. Wholemeal flour is more expensive than plain. Pure cold-pressed olive oil is more expensive than heart stopping vegetable oil.
One of the things that we did learn straight away when breaking up and tracking our groceries, was just how much we spend on bread. I didn’t think I even ate that much bread. We now buy reduced to clear bread at the end of the day, and that has cut our bread bill in half.
So what do we do to save money on the groceries? Well as I mentioned above, we buy meat in bulk from the wholesaler and freeze it in portions. I menu plan vegetarian meals in between meat meals and also plan meat stretcher meals like stir fry. We buy our vegetables from a grocer/market, much of it is local and it is a lot cheaper and better quality than the supermarket. We steer clear as much as possible from packaged foods, making almost all meals from scratch. There are a few conveniences that I feel are well worth the outlay, like curry paste and mayonnaise, but generally we stick to the basic vegies, meat and carbs. I make cakes, biscuits and deserts, but occasionally we buy ice cream. We eat leftovers and try not to waste anything. One day we’ll be more self-sufficient, but not yet.
For cleaning, we hardly spend anything ($80 per year) as I make my own cleaner and laundry powder, however this is balanced out by the fact that I buy all natural toiletries. Having said that, I found that my deodorant, for example, although twice as expensive as DH’s, lasted 5 times longer than his, so I’m actually spending less by spending more (yearly total of $9 (yes, I use it everyday) compared to DH’s $25).
So, how do I fair? How much do you spend on groceries? And what ways do you save money on those groceries?
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[...] It has been nearly a year and a half since I wrote about how much we spend on the groceries. [...]
good on you. We’re a similarly composed household – standard weekly shop probably about $150, plus takeaway(dinners, lunches, occasional breakfast) $200, drinks & snacks $100. Down to one income now so we must get our spending down if we’re to move forward rather than treading water. You’re an inspiration keep up the good work.
Thanks Waltersdad.
We’re on one income too, but at the moment not doing a whole lot more more than treading water.
Good luck with the budgeting – I hope this site helps
Thanks for this post! It has inspired me to do some sums & average out our spending. My partner & don’t have pets, and our combined weekly food spending is somewhere between $40 & $100, depending on whether we’re re-stocking bulk supplies or not. All my meals are vegetarian, and though my partner eats meat, our dinners are all veg so we can share them.
I agree, often better quality, more nutritious ingredients are dearer than than poor quality stuff. I tend to rationalise this against the savings in healthcare ie my mood and energy levels are more stable because I spend more on quality food. Because I’m not running myself down, I only visit the Dr when I need a pap test or a flu shot.
That said, I am lucky enough to live close to a food co-op, & a health food shop that sells in bulk, and has a 20% off day every month. I try to buy bulk staple ingredients at a discount when I can – not easy at your standard supermarket.
Waltersdad, I carry a water bottle and a little packet of nuts & dried fruit EVERYWHERE. My partner & I always have breakfast at home (muffins freeze really well if you need a takeaway brekky) and take lunch to work. I added each habit incrementally… once it became second nature, I added the next one… it adds up!
Hi msbetterhome, nice to hear from you.
Meat certainly makes a big difference, it’s our second biggest expense behind fruit and veg. It’s interesting you mention energy levels. It’s when I don’t eat properly that I get “too tired” to cook and we opt for the more expensive takeaway food.
I am very impressed by your spreadsheet tracking method and being able to see at a glance what you spend in each category. If I could set one up, that kind of information would really appeal to me!!
We are a family of 5 including 2 teenagers (girls) and a ten y.o.(girl) I’d say we spend around $120-150 per week. I don’t track it, but as I use only a cash budget the grocery money that gets held over from our fortnight shop is saved up to buy bulk flours, meat or dry goods every couple of months. I always keep a large stockpile so would say the average I’d spend is $150 to include the stockpile. I’d say our spending will increase when I add more whole foods like you do – i.e. brown rice, wholemeal flour. We still use a lot of white but I sneak in part wholemeal flour so my girls don’t notice too much. I also bake for school lunches etc. and try to make as much as possible from scratch. We stick to basics too – fruit and veg, lean meats and vegetarian options, dairy and carbs. We also make our own cleaning products and washing powder. I buy bulk toilet paper as I think maybe they eat it! (go through SO much!!) I buy Laucke bread flour in bulk and make bread, but not always. My girls love the crusty white the best and it goes far too quick! I like the german grain and rye mixes and my husband likes the wholemeal. I buy bread too on markdown though, but the markdowns are not so generous anymore I’ve found. So it will be bread baking every day in the school holidays to use up my stockpile!
You are doing very well with your budget amount considering you buy organic and other specific items.
We are also on a single income. It can be a bit of a juggling act to keep a tight lid on spending, but it can be done! Keep up the great work on your blog. I really enjoy reading your posts.
Kind regards,
Kaye
My family usually spends $140 on groceries a week for 4 people (+baby) and a dog. That includes my $20 hair dye and my husbands $30 razors that I buy every fortnight, all my cleaning supplies,toiletries and baby items
I prepare breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert every day with snacks in between.
We have a vegetarian dish once a week.
I always meal plan for a fortnight and do the shopping once a fortnight as well.
Looking forward to your ebook!
In 2009, the USDA defined the weekly FOOD budget for a family of 4:
Thrifty $145.70
Low Cost ?
Moderate ?
Liberal $289.50
Our family of 4 (plus dog) spends a weekly average of:
Food $116
Non Food (toiletries, cleaners, paper goods) $ 12
Dining $ 22
TOTAL $150*
*in FL, was ~$100 in OR. For a decade we were a 1-income family, 2 yrs @1.5 income, 1/2 yr @1/2 income, and last yr @NO income (not by choice).
@Kaye, Hi Kaye, thanks for commenting. I’m thinking of putting a blank spreadsheet up, but it’s a bit of a Frankenstein that’s grown over the years, so I’m not sure how user friendly it is.
Your grocery spending is pretty awesome for 5! Although I prefer whole foods, DH still likes his white, so we eat plenty of white bread and rice too. Our fruit and veg is very occassionally organic, but mainly just the usual stuff, mostly local.
@Louise, Hi Louise. I’m lucky, DH has a beard – I didn’t know razors were $30! Preparing all those meals plus dessert and snacks – you put me way to shame.
@CheapNLazy Sue, Hi. I feel a bit rude calling you that! I read somewhere that here in Australia the “average basket of groceries” (whatever that means) is around $250 off the top of my head, so around the same ball park as the US. How have you been getting by this last year? I hope things are picking up!!
Hi there! I found the idea of keeping a track of everything you spend money on fantastic!! May I ask how you set up the grocery tracking on excel? Could you even send me a copy? I would love to do something like this, but want it to be efficient straight of the bat, rather than having to fiddle around with setting it up!
Thanks!
Hi Alli, I’m thinking of including the spreadsheet on the website, but not in its current form because I don’t think it is very user friendly at the moment.
Basically I list the months at the top of a sheet and the items down the side and type in $ amounts every time we spend on something under the relevant month. I take an average by dividing it by the number of weeks so far in the year – I have to do this manually – haven’t yet got it to the point where it’s automatic. I group like items and use subtotals and a grand total of the groceries at the bottom. This amount goes across to the complete budget sheet using a referential formula somthing like =sheet2!M85. I’m not sure if that makes sense. I admit, I sound a little OCD. Fiddling around with the setting up can take some time but the bonus is that it is customised to perfectly suits your situation and needs.
Hey Melissa and all! I’m “CheapNLazy” because I strive to be resourceful (frugal, efficient and effective) with my/family/earth’s resources (Space, Money, Time, Life + Energy/Environment = S.M.i.L.E.), so I can focus on what matters to me (my purpose, passions and priorities) and literally smile!
Frugality has served me well. From $5/week grocery budget in college in the 80s (potatoes, brown rice, wheat bread, eggs, peas, green onion, apples, peanut butter, hot dogs, bell pepper), to married life, 1-income family life, cancer expenses (2x), and now long-term double unemployment.
We do choose weekly non-frugal/nutritious TREATS ~$12.50 (1 box/bag/ tub of soda, cookies, chips and ice cream), and 1 TAKE OUT DINNER ~$22.
Frugality has been a productive hobby, and a helpful tool to help us strive toward our financial goals and meet the unexpected challenges of life. So although we’re currently jobless, we do have 1 car, sm savings & NO DEBT!
Also, I budget using Quicken personal finance software for 21+ years.
Thanks for your frugal tips and friendship!
-CheapNLazy Sue
“Embrace your S.M.i.L.E. with SMiLEorganizing.com!”
• Space Organizing • Money Management/Thrift • Time/Task Management
• Life Purpose/Passions • Energy/Earth Resourcefulness
I like your philosophy! It’s kind of where I’m coming from too. I’m looking forward to seeing your website.
I know $30 just for razors!!!! Oh well poor darling has sensitive skin
Australian food prices are just too high! compared with other countries we pay far too much.
Thanks Melissa,
Yes, I think junkfood calls to more junkfood – that’s why it becomes such a hard habit to break
Hi,
We’re a 2 people household, I’m vegan and my partner does eat the occasional meat dish. The last month I’ve really tried to reduce our spending on everything – especially groceries.
Our last 4 weeks have averaged out at $50 per week. ($25 each! – we’re living together, but haven’t combined finances)
We do have the occasional subway meal once a week, but that’s about it.
I want to introduce more organic and wholemeal items into our kitchen, so I know the average will go up, but hopefully health and wellbeing-wise, it’ll be worth it.
Thanks for sharing your groceries, Fiona. I would love to include more organic stuff in our diet, but it’s a little beyond our means just at the moment. I also believe that the health and wellbeing would be worth it.
Our grocery budget is $300/month (includes toiletries and cleaning products, but not makeup). It’s just my husband and I and I usually come in just under budget.
I buy homebrand just about everything (know what you mean, there are just some things you can’t substitute home brand for).
Normally I go to the butcher at the start of the month, the fruit and veg shop fortnightly, do one big monthly shop at Coles and then just pick up bread/milk etc as needed.
I meal plan for a month before I start my shopping – it’s a bit of work, but it saves us so much money and time in the long run.
Thanks for sharing what you spend on the groceries. A lot of people come to this site after googling how much to spend on groceries. I think reading all your comments would be very helpful.
We are a family of six (2 adults, 4 small boys and another due soon) and our fortnightly grocery budget is $300. We buy junkfood outside that budget (sadly, we have a bad habit which is bad for saving and bad for health, but good for placebo effect!), but we can eat and survive well on the $150 a week. I buy nearly everything home brand like the rest of you, we are blessed to have a big fruit and veg shop which does bulk apples/spuds/oranges/carrots cheap. I go to two different butchers, one does bulk premium mince for $15 2kgs and the other has cheap packs of decent meat. I bake all the cakes and slices for school and snacks and cook dinners from scratch.
I discovered this website today
It’s great Melissa, thanks for all the good ideas! I’m doing alot of crochet at the moment, so after reading about your knitted discloths I’ve decided I’ll crochet some and it will be one less thing to buy. You’ve got some great laundry recipes too. I’ll be using my broccoli stems after reading that article 
I feel so bad throwing them (and the mangy zucchinis and other things that get forgotten about in the back of the fridge!) out.
Hi Angela, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. So nice to meet a new reader! Your grocery budget sounds really good with 4 boys!
OMG! I have a family of 4 Mum, Dad, 2 x girls (8 and 7yo). We spend $250 on average every week on groceries!!! I can’t believe we’re spending so much. AND that doesn’t include takeaway
Someone help me. I need to know how to change this – we are trying to save desperately for a holiday next year (haven’t been on a holiday for 10+ years). We don’t have a lot of packaged food – mostly fresh fruit and veg from the supermarket. I would like to know more about making my own cleaners and buying bulk meat and other things. Any good tips?
Hi Lisa,
There are some recipes on this site for homemade cleaners, a large bottle of vinegar costs about $1, lasts ages and cleans just about everything along with bi-carb. Check out the cleaning section and there are some posts on cleaning. I recently discovered homebrand toilet paper and I’m impressed with the quality, if you don’t use homebrand stuff already, give it a go to see what suits your family’s tastes.
For fruit and veg, try greengrocers or farmer’s markets to compare prices. It depends where you live as to whether the supermarket or greengrocer is cheaper. Here the grocer is cheaper, but where my mother lives, the supermarket is. I buy meat in bulk from the wholesaler and freeze it in individual portions about once a month. We have two (and a half) mouths to feed and we have a tiny box freezer above the fridge, it’s amazing how much we can pack in. Try your local butchers if you don’t have a wholesaler to compare prices because the supermarkets can be way over priced. Again, it depends where you live.
Another huge expense in my opinion is cereal. I nearly die when I see the price of boxed cereal. Making your own, buying homebrand, having no cereal weekends may reduce your grocery bill if you eat cereal.
Finally, a good way to find out where you personally can save on the groceries is to track exactly what you’re spending your money on. I wrote a bit about how I do this in excel here. Tracking exactly what you spend your money on can be a real eye opener as to where you money goes. When I started I couldn’t believe how much money we were spending on bread, for example. It was our third biggest food expense after meat and veg. I could then target that expense and work out how to reduce our bread costs (we bought bread marked down at the end of the day. Now we make it. It actually costs us more to make but it’s healthier than homebrand white).
Good luck with saving for your holiday, we’re saving for a holiday too.
Silly me! I nearly forgot the most important one. Menu planning. One of the biggest household expenses when it comes to groceries is waste. If you’re throwing away food, you’re throwing away your money. Menu planning helps you to buy only that which you need and use it up before it goes bad. It can also save time by reducing trips to the shops.
I wish that i had your grocer bill. I have just been adding mine up for the month and it came to 258 $ a week
There are five of us to buy for all adults apart from a 13 year old who is always hungry. In my figure it did not count the cat food as they have food from the pet shop.
We only have one takeaway,wood fired pizza,wish works out about 37$ for all 5 of us
Hi Janet, thanks for sharing your grocery bill! Sounds like you’re doing pretty well with five adults to feed! I’m planning an update to this post because our grocery amount is ever changing. And of couse (shameless plug ahead) my grocery saving eBook is nearly finished
. We also get the cat’s food from the pet store. Royal something or other – not cheap but I think worth his health.
I’m a single mum on a disabilty pension in Brisbane, Australia. I have two daughters (13,15) and we budget for $50 per person per week but this includes cleaning supplies, toilet paper . . . If we shop at Woolies (Woolworths), or worse Coles we usually have to plan which items will go through the checkout last because the budget reaches its limit too soon at those places. If we shop at Aldi we can get everthing we want (‘need’ actually) and be well inside the budget. Of course there are some items we don’t like at Aldi – like the frozen sausage rolls YUK! So we get some special things from Woolies. Then again, we can also go to independant green grocers and butchers and get good prices on fresh food.
From what I’ve read here, food must be much cheaper in the USA!
Hi Sal, that’s a great way to meet your grocery budget.
I also get the impression that food is much, much cheaper in the US from what I’ve read, but I also get the impression that it’s not as good a quality as it is here, and their farming subsisidies makes it quite cheap to buy (but aren’t necessarily a good thing). Although, that’s just my impression from what I’ve read, I’ve never been, so can’t say for sure!
hi, id just like to let you now its the junk food thats cheap over in the USA – like maccas and other take out places. Its part of the obesity problem, people are buying junk because thats all they can afford.
I hope someone sees this, as I just found this great discussion page. You all sound like familiies, so it’s hard to compare expenses. As a ‘singleton’ maintaing a household alone (well, with 4 pets) I’d be really interested to know how other singles manage, esp. if they are paying mortgages on their own. Sometimes I feel completely overwhelmed by the price of utilities (electricity – eek) and I find the price of food (this is south east Qld) frighteningly expensive. Also, I walk out of the supermarket every week wondering if they (the big shops) think we’re stupid, ie, that we can’t see they are reducing sizes but charging us more ! My main interest is whether I’m overspending, compared to others in a similar situation. Any comments out there?
I can’t speak for single people, but I too found the price of food in SE QLD expensive when we first moved here (and yes I’ve noticed that goods are getting smaller and more expensive HB rolled oats comes to mind here!). It’s certainly challenging when you’re one person paying a mortgage! On the plus side, you have full control over all the spending decisions.
Will make this a reader question for the month and get some input from other single people!