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by Montserrat {Cranial Hiccups}7 Comments
Food. It’s necessary for survival. It’s good for you. It’s bad for you. What used to be good is now bad…what used to be bad is now good. Knowing what to feed your family can get confusing at times! And expensive.
Rather than re-write how we go about grocery shopping I thought I’d post links to past articles I have written. The process hasn’t changed except now we have 11 people in our family and our grocery budget has increased from $100/week to $150-$200/week.
Posted in order of how they should be read: How I Meal Plan Planning a Menu A Well Stocked Pantry
I just don’t know if I can possibly be that organised. Seriously. I have four kids and plan on having more, and I wonder if chaos will just be a permanent fixture in our home! You are an inspiration. 🙂
When I tell people that I feed our family (very well I might add) for $300/month and I only shop once a month, they are astounded.
It’s not hard or impossible.
I hope someday (if they ever send me some adopted children) when my family is large, I can keep it up like you. AND, I hope I can keep my sanity like you! 🙂
I’d love it if we were as good (frugal!) as you ladies, but we’re not there yet. Then again, we have 13 people in our house, including 3 teenage boys and 2 teenage girls, not to mention a pregnant mom, a dad, and six younger siblings.
We do not eat any processed food, we cook everything from scratch, and we only buy food on sale (we plan according to sales, chasing the loss leaders at each store) or at the bulk store. (And what we buy in bulk is things like cheese and butter.) We LOVE our local fresh fruits and veg market where we can fill a cart to overflowing and still have a bill around $30. (A perk of being so close to Mexico and California, I guess.)
We spend around $1000 a month, and since we have lots more teens growing for many years to come, I don’t see it shrinking any time soon! LOL! I still feel like we do a pretty dang good job, anyway. 🙂
Thanks for this post. I have read the articles you suggested and I have taken several notes. I need more of your recipes. Am I missing them on your blog? Thanks for your great example!!! you are pretty AWESOME!!! Shelly
I was just leaving you a novel of a comment and accidentally deleted it. 😛
A super BIG THANKS for this post and the ones you linked to. They are inspiring and educational. I’m making it a goal to do an inventory of my food storage to determine what I need to get still and how often I need to add to it to keep it up.
And your comment about the chocolate chips made me realize that prepping for desserts and treats is also an important part of food stoarge. Thanks!
this is such an inspiration, i need to do better! i’ve been reading your blog for a long time, but i’m kind of a lurker, not making many comments. we both comment a lot on Misty’s blogs though. i say this because i just got together with one of my fave cousins so we could sing together in a couple of wards on sunday while she was in town and i found out she dated your brother-in-law Ben. she was recommending your blog to me because she knew i was planning to homeschool and when she said the title i just laughed and said, “i’ve been reading her blog for years!” Her name is Mary and i thought i’d pass on that she really thought you and your family, and your brother-in-law, were awesome people!
First let's talk about how much people tend to spend on this budget line. The average cost of monthly groceries for one adult on the thrifty plan ranges from $242 to $303. And when it comes to a family of four, the average cost for their monthly grocery bill is about $975.
The 50/30/20 budget can help you work out how much to spend on groceries based on your specific income and expenses. Following this framework, you spend about 50% of your monthly after-tax income on needs, 30% on wants and 20% on savings and debt repayment.
Average Grocery Budget for American Family of Five
The average household spends roughly $438 per month or $5,259 per year, on at-home food, according to the most recent statistics available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
This includes purchasing items from your local grocery store or supermarket. On average, a family of four can expect to spend anywhere between $500 to $1,000 per month on groceries, depending on factors such as dietary choices, quality of ingredients, and location.
A typical family of four (mother, father, and two young children) would spend about $130 each week on groceries to meet the MyPlate recommendations. Families with elementary aged children would spend a little more, almost $150 per week.
Each adult will consume 1 pound of food total; children, about 1/2 pound. The more options you have, the less you need of each; decrease the main course portion sizes by 1 to 2 ounces if served on a buffet. Guests will always eat — and drink — more at night than during the day.
If you're doing a co*cktails-only party, 10–12 pieces of hors d'oeuvres PP , a few dips and dessert. For a dinner party; 3–4 hors each, a dip or two, a salad, two entrees (total 3/4 of a pound for each person; maybe a baked pasta and a meat choice), maybe a veggie side dish and then again, dessert.
Aim to provide around 6-8 courses of small bite size food per person. Each course should have enough for 1-1.5 pieces of food per person. When choosing recipes, consider whether you could eat it with one hand in one or two bites. Check your guests' dietary requirements.
On average, groceries cost between $290 and $548 per month for one person. However, expenses can vary depending on location, dietary choices and personal spending habits.
The 50-30-20 rule recommends putting 50% of your money toward needs, 30% toward wants, and 20% toward savings. The savings category also includes money you will need to realize your future goals.
The average weekly grocery budget for a single person can vary significantly depending on factors like location, dietary preferences, and income. However, a rough estimate might be between $50 to $100 per week.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the average weekly grocery bill for a family our size is $344.70; that means more than $1,400 each month. There are times when my weekly grocery bill approaches that number but for the most part, I'm able to keep it to $200 per week. Here's how.
According to the USDA guidelines, you might spend $979 a month on a thrifty plan, $1,028 on a low-cost plan, $1,252 on a moderate-cost plan and $1,604 on a liberal plan. The USDA guidelines can provide a starting point for a food budget, but they don't consider all the variables that can affect cost.
Well, there are a lot of ingredients that make up the recipe for food inflation—including droughts, high production costs and labor shortages. All these things and more affect the number you see on your grocery receipt and restaurant check. But let's break down some of the main causes happening right now.
A family of four, with two children between the ages of 6 and 8, will pay about $1,044.70 per month. Moderate-cost plan: This plan represents the second from the top quartile of food spending. An individual aged 19 – 50 will spend $306.90 – $371.70 per month.
Highlights: Average Grocery Bill For Family Of 4 Statistics
In 2019, 38% of US households with four persons report spending between $125 to $300 on groceries per week. On average a family of four spends about $166 per week on groceries.
According to a recent GOBankingRates article, average grocery costs range from $250 to $550 per person, per month. The USDA published a food plan, updated for 2023, that shares costs for a “nu*tritious, practical, cost-effective diet” for families of any size.
Introduction: My name is Greg O'Connell, I am a delightful, colorful, talented, kind, lively, modern, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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