foodshopping ??

How much do you spend when you foodshop? I am a family of 5 (well baby is just 4 w/o tomorrow, so she doesn't count in the food dept. yet), and go shopping twice a month. It is soooooo frustrating to keep on a budget that my DH has set and want to know what is spent by others per month. Included in the food is cleaning products, paper products and anything toddler related (bath products/sippy cups - stuff from Target - etc. - everything except diapers and wipes, which are purchased at BJ's). So it is very difficult to get everything needed - forget wanted. I feel like I make crappy dinners because I can't spend what I want on each meal. We eat a lot of pasta - boring. What do you do?

Re: foodshopping ??

I shop every two weeks when DH gets paid. I use peapod, and spent about $120-140 twice a month. I get a lot of chicken, by family packs of things like pork chops, and chopmeat. I break it up into meals. I do BJ's for diapers and formula. By the end of week two, we are a pasta train. I will make sauce once a montha nd freeze it into meals. I've made french toast and bacon for dinner if we are completly bored with the food we have. I just try and buy lots of veggies that can go with a lot of different meals. I have def saved money using peapod. I only get what I need, opposed to walking around inthe store and buying a lot of crap. We are a family of 2 1/2.


ETA: that $120-140 icludes food, baby food and cleaning, paper towels etc.

Message edited 10/15/2009 12:28:20 PM.

Re: foodshopping ??

We've been spending maybe $140-160 a week for a family of 3 b/c baby doesn't really count at this point. And we generally don't eat a lot of meat.

Re: foodshopping ??

I shop once a week for the 3 of us (me, DH and 18 month DD) and we spent about $120 a week.

Re: foodshopping ??

I shop once a week and spend about $160/wk We need to cut WAY back but just don't know how too (and we don't buy alot of meat).

ETA: 2 adults/ 1 infant

Message edited 10/15/2009 1:43:45 PM.

Re: foodshopping ??

I would say roughly 75 a week... the best way for me to save is to actually go to a smaller store every other week.. so this week i went to pathmark, next week i will go to best yet... the reason being that i can get more produce, cold cuts, and meat which are at good prices but i tend to skip their middle aisles

Re: foodshopping ??

I go once a week and spend between 125 and 150 for our family of 5

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I go weekly and I can spend anywhere from $40-$80/ week. One week out the month I may spend $100.

This does not include the formula & diapers that we get from Bjs.

Family of 3, DS is 10 months old.

Message edited 10/15/2009 2:45:58 PM.

Re: foodshopping ??

we go shopping 1x a month and usually spend about $500 each time. We go to Stop & Shop and but mostly store brand (Doesn't taste any different!) For our meats, we buy a lot of family packs and I try to use leftovers as much as possible.

We are a family of 3 (2yo son) and one on the way, but my 20 yr old nephew also lives with us. If I can, we try to go to BJs for meats, and diapers/wipes are always from Target. (I use their brand of diapers and they are the same as pampers and a lot cheaper!)

Re: foodshopping ??

Last month we spent $600 but I have enough meat for over a month.

I was told that in NY State the average family of 4 spends $500 - $600 a month.

Re: foodshopping ??

i go for a big shopping about 1x a month, (paper products, cleaning products, big packs of water etc)

Then i try to do 2 other shoppings besides that, for meat and stuff ill need for dinners..

Id say monthly for a family of 4 (couting dd, since i buy her all organic produce/snacks/food) we spend about 400-500 monthly..

to make sure it lasts, we definately have one nite of leftover/fend for yourself nite..(dh will eat leftovers, ds will eat veggie nuggets and a baked potatoe, something easy)
I do alot of stuffed peppers, which is essentially a meal in a meal along with a salad, or stuffed artichoke..
I do one pasta nite with homemade sauce per week, whether its Manicotti or stuffed shells or tortellini, with cutlets..
I think if you buy the family packs and break them down youre better off...we do that..

Re: foodshopping ??

I have a family of 5 and I spend about $180-$200 a week. That includes all the stuff for meals for 4 days, cold cuts for lunches. It does not include my paper goods. It helps to plan your meals out and then go shopping so you know exactly what you need. Food, especially fruits and veggies are expensive.