How Much Do You All Spend on Groceries per Week?

Submitted by BitterDropToSwallow t3_10m4y71 in newjersey

Hi all,

So, as one who lives in NJ is want to do I was in physical pain after I went food shopping. Not from hauling the groceries to my car, but rather after the financial impact slapped me across the face once per dollar spent. Anyway I'm curious how much do you all spend on groceries these days? What's your weekly and monthly bill at this point? And I'm including in this, things like paper towels, cleaners, dental and hygienic items. Pretty much anything you go to the supermarket for.

I'm trying to streamline my spending and even me, a single guy, with no pets or anything, I'm dishing out 160-170 dollars a week easy, And on a 'bad week' It can cross 200...

Does this sound about right? What's your grocery to income look like?

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BacktotheFutureTmw t1_j60zwu1 wrote

As a married couple, we go every other week and pay between $60-$100 each time. The trick is to buy things on sale and then take the time to eat what you have before you buy more of it. As for personal cleansing items and paper products, we get them at CVS for free by rolling coupons and extra care bucks.

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beowulf92 t1_j61idvr wrote

This is how we do it! Eggs are obviously way more expensive now, but we never used more than a dozen in a week so it's not breaking the bank now, and the only other thing I buy regularly that is super noticeably more expensive than it used to be is oat milk. I think focusing on sale items and buying in bulk at Costco really has helped keep us in that same range.

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OkBid1535 t1_j62o3k0 wrote

Eggs are cheaper at target and Walmart than the grocery store. Target has 18 eggs for $4 and ShopRite has the same eggs for $9.50

Also online shopping is how I budget my grocery trips and it’s been a blessing. Meat and produce items, rice and pasta, and bread. I do online through ShopRite. Any hygiene products or paper I do target curbside. They have constant deals where you get gift cards just for online shopping through target. I needed soap, buy 3 cleaning products get a $10 gift card. K don’t ask me twice!

Good luck everyone. It’s rough out there right now

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beowulf92 t1_j638iqu wrote

Oh shit, didn't know that about target eggs! I gotta check mine out this weekend. We usually get our cleaning supplies from Costco and they last forever for just the 2 of us so I never really did number crunching on those prices and don't take advantage of all the Target deals I see pop up like that. Gonna have to start paying more attention to those too lol

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OkBid1535 t1_j63f19w wrote

I’ve got three kids so if I’m getting a gift card for buying, done haha. Like with old navy. We get clothes from there because a) they last and b) the sales make it worth it and then you get the old navy cash to use later. Basically the next season you need clothes is when the cash kicks in. Which helps you budget personally

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SD-777 t1_j65fc1c wrote

Do you have a link to the eggs? Showing up as $6.89 for me (18 count), which still isn't bad at all.

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OkBid1535 t1_j65ht4e wrote

Maybe it’s based on location? Mines set for Tom’s river and that’s the price

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outcome--independent t1_j61jrxf wrote

Do you get much in the way of fresh produce?

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BacktotheFutureTmw t1_j61kozm wrote

Yes, we do buy fresh produce - but only when it's on sale. There are sales each week and they are cyclical. We also buy frozen steamed veggies which still have nutrients in them. If you notice the cycle of sales, you can stock up on certain staples that do not go bad like pasta and canned goods. For example, ShopRite's can can sale is going on so now is the time to get canned beans, veggies, and soups especially since they do not go bad for a long time.

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Linenoise77 t1_j61zci9 wrote

Yup, I load up on my soup for the year at the can-can sale. I'll usually have it for lunch once or twice a week. Full price its like 4 bucks a can, when it does go on sale outside of the can can, its still around 3 bucks.

Its about a buck during the can can sale.

Same thing for stuff like tomatoes, beans, etc. I'll buy a few cases of stuff, stack it in the basement, and get through the year with it.

Also handy to have around if you have a bad storm or whatever.

Also if you have the space, get a chest freezer. When stuff like french fries or whatever go on sale, we load up on them. They will last a long time if stored right.

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SnooWords4839 t1_j62cs90 wrote

We also use the cancan for soup, I cook beef and chicken to add to the soup for more protein.

We also get tons of the can can stuff for food pantries. I can donate 2 to 3 times as much with those sales.

We got a small chest freezer beginning of Covid and keep it stocked on sale meats. Great investment.

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outcome--independent t1_j61v9rl wrote

Thank you for this tip! (You mentioned canned veggies retaining nutrients - what about frozen fruits?)

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CaterpillarJungleGym t1_j64r4ze wrote

Anything frozen will have the same or even more nutrients than fresh. That's because they're usually picked at peak ripeness.

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BacktotheFutureTmw t1_j656zja wrote

I believe so, but you would have to read up a little on that. We don't really buy frozen fruits so not entirely sure.

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beowulf92 t1_j61l1c5 wrote

Yeap! Same as the other commenter. Watch for sales and buy frozen or canned vegetables to fill gaps when needed. Mostly kale, spinach, broccoli, peppers, bananas, apples, oranges etc. Whatever type of apple is on sale at the time. Buy all store brand stuff for the most part too. The farmers market on 46 in Totowa is also great for cheap produce.

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kittyglitther t1_j611eit wrote

Single, no pets, mostly vegetarian, probably $80-$100/week. But I don't want to talk about my grocery bill when I have to buy olive oil.

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keep_everything_good t1_j627lv3 wrote

Single, varied diet and this is about what I spend as well. I actively look at and compare prices when I shop.

Also, I opted for Avocado oil last time I needed olive oil. So much cheaper and no real difference for cooking at least (probably different if you’re doing salad dressings, though).

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kittyglitther t1_j63cv80 wrote

I have Avocado oil too, it has different purposes for me.

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MoJoe-21 t1_j61wgvs wrote

Olive oil is expensive but should last you a long time.. what do you use it for besides salad dressing ?

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OkBid1535 t1_j62obl3 wrote

Omg I use olive oil making potatoes in the oven. I use it to make my tofu. I have to mix it in with rice. Brownie mix, various other things I bake. I never use it on salad

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kittyglitther t1_j63dcv0 wrote

Olive oil shouldn't necessarily last you a long time, it degrades pretty quickly and I've met way too many people who are dunking their bread in rancid oil because they think it's like wine.

I use it for roasting veg (yes I've read the arguments against that and I don't care), it gets mixed in with farro/roasted veg salads, bean salads, roasted veg salads, regular salads. I use it in certain breads that I bake. I use it to eat a loaf of bread with (fresh boule + olive oil mixed with red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and some grated parm = the best). I use it in hummus even though I know that's non-traditional. I use it in pestos and other spreads. I toss it with pasta/garlic/parm when I'm too lazy for real cooking.

Tonight I'm making cod gyros (yes, homemade pita) so I'll use olive oil for that.

I just love olive oil, and life is too short for the mediocre stuff.

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MoJoe-21 t1_j6406se wrote

I used to cook with it often too but I cook mostly with butter now ( at least it's not oxidized ) there are some dishes where I still use OO because you're right the taste it gives is really good

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pixel_of_moral_decay t1_j62papb wrote

Omnivore male who’s been compared to a garbage disposal before…

$100 a week is the average. Tend to do bigger and smaller trips so one week 70 another week 120. But $400 a month is pretty spot on.

Nothing terribly fancy for the most part. Try to limit the processed crap too. But it adds up quickly.

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GM-the-DM t1_j62yg6r wrote

If you're ever near Lebanon, check out Metropolitan Seafood. I got a gallon of Jordanian extra virgin olive oil there for around twenty bucks. It's fantastic.

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Jeabers t1_j61bxmk wrote

Probably on the higher side here but about $1,200 a month for two adults and two toddlers. Mostly organic and we only eat out once a week.

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puzzlebuzz t1_j61lgsw wrote

I’m with you. We don’t eat out often. We cook a lot and have gotten pretty good at it. We get disappointed eating out. We spend on quality organic food. Two tweens and two adults.

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Homesickblues t1_j651fwn wrote

I am around this price point too with the same family size.

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partyzrfunny t1_j69pd8a wrote

I was gonna say we are two adults at around $800- same thing. Costco helps a lot.

Little fyi: organic eggs have been the same price (I’ve actually seen them cheaper) as non-organic eggs right now

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feetcold_eyesred t1_j61l3eo wrote

$200 like clockwork every freaking week. 2 normal sized adults and one tall, lanky teenage boy. Mostly organic/healthy stuff. Pizza out every Friday night. Otherwise we eat at home since we live up in the “mountains”.

Edit to add: by living in the “mountains”, we’re just so far away from a lot of stuff. Not a single restaurant/food place/door dash etc., delivers to our house. And driving to a decent restaurant ends up being not worth the long drive time, no matter how good it is, because of our busy schedules.

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BitterDropToSwallow OP t1_j63vztn wrote

lol I like how you emphasize the tall lanky teen boy 😂

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feetcold_eyesred t1_j641vxz wrote

Lol We joke that if we ate like our 16 year old, they’d have to cut a hole in the side of the house to get us out.

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JusticeJaunt t1_j60yq4l wrote

I spend for my wife and I about $80 average per weekend with my bi weekly bills budget is about 600. When I need to get multiple staples at once (soy sauce jug, peanut oil, vinegar, etc) it can go to about 140.

I go to the ShopRite in Woodbridge.

Biggest cost saving measure is to buy items that can be used for multiple meals. Cost per use has become my main metric for anything such as food or clothes. Groceries are probably the only thing in my financial life I have under control.

Value pack thighs for lunch meal preps. 1 pack is good enough for both of us. 1 pack of sweet potatoes, bok choy for greens. We have rice but my wife is the only one that eats it with lunch so usually just leftover from the night before.

A whole chicken can be good for at least 2 or 3 meals.

1 pork shoulder is good for at least 3 meals. Cook at 275 until about 205° and you have pulled pork. Great to stir fry with eggs on the weekend, tacos, mixed with greens and shit.

I really try to limit the single meal items and almost never buy beef because the cost is unjustifiable unless I'm getting a brisket from the butcher for a family gathering.

This may have been way more than was necessary but it is what came to mind so I'm sorry.

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outcome--independent t1_j61k1cp wrote

>This may have been way more than was necessary but it is what came to mind so I'm sorry.

No this is great detail, thank you. I also just do Shoprite, so thanks for sharing your strategy - because my Shoprite bill is more like OP's.

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frizz1111 t1_j61841b wrote

$150 a week. My wife and I.

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Wild-Supermarket-443 t1_j616y1y wrote

About $60-70 per week and that’s for one person shopping at Aldi

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HopingMechanism t1_j618tyf wrote

Family of 5, 2 grade school kids and a baby, we go through at least $1000 a month. Shit is expensive.

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RedditorUser99 t1_j61qvld wrote

Last year it was about $200 a week for my wife and I and 2 adult children.

One of those children has now moved out and we’re trying to be more careful but it’s still about $150 a week.

I’m not sure how these people who are saying less than $100 a week are doing it.

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Crazy-Insane t1_j6nompx wrote

They're feeding themselves and a scrawny cat most likely.

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Joobebe514 t1_j61gak4 wrote

I’m spending an average of $180 per week for 2 people

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vc1914 t1_j616n76 wrote

$70-100 for two adults and two young kids. Used to be $70 a week before COVID but with inflation we’ve been hitting $100 sometimes.

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SpellboundInertia t1_j619lil wrote

We are around $150-200/week for a family of 3. We mostly shop at Aldi. I do go to Shop Rite for lunchmeat weekly as well as other things I can't get at Aldi. Only going to Shop Rite will rob you blind. My monthly grocery would probably 1.5 times bigger if we did.

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BagCareless1759 t1_j61bnsl wrote

I shop for my husband and myself and 2 adult children and I spend $200 a week.

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Rude-Bison-2050 t1_j61lsp7 wrote

monthly for 2 people is around $700-800 which is pretty average.

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Swoah t1_j6255s9 wrote

Not an answer but it’s crazy how much more money i spend on food when I go to the store hungry

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GsilentT t1_j61qfl7 wrote

Single, live alone. About $150 a week on average. Groceries are getting expensive. I cook/prepare all my meals at home throughout the week, very rarely dine out. Lots of fresh produce, meats and eggs. All the expensive stuff these days, unfortunately.

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xiixiilxxv t1_j61u2kt wrote

Family of 4, $280-$320 weekly

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grand_speckle t1_j61vctz wrote

Buying just for myself I spend around $30-50 a week, plus maybe another $20 on takeout when I’m feeling too lazy to cook which is usually at least once or twice a week lol

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Linenoise77 t1_j61ywff wrote

Couple with a kid.

The weekly bill at shoprite is usually between 250-300 bucks. We eat out usually once a week, i work from home, wife takes her lunch to work from home 4 out of 5 times a week usually. Kid is half and half.

Then on top of it is usually a monthly costco run for some bulk stuff which is a couple hundred bucks.

I don't do a ton of coupon clipping, and we go with brands we know and prefer for most things, so there is some savings to be had if we dialed it up a bit. We also do our best to eat healthy so a lot of the cost is fresh stuff. You have to be pretty diligent about your meal planning if you don't want to waste a ton of stuff.

Like, tomorrow night i am having chicken fajitas for dinner. I really don't want them, i've honestly been meh about it all week knowing that is what it would be, but if i don't have them, about 20 bucks in food is going to get tossed, and then we will spend whatever on what we do eat. So fucking fajitas it is.

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Rotaryknight t1_j62cbfe wrote

Single guy, living alone. Where I buy my grocery varies depending on what I want to eat but I make a lot of stir fry. I spend about 100-120 a week on grocery. Chicken Thighs saves lives!!! I also do go out maybe 2-3 times a week so add maybe 40-50 dollars on top of that

I buy huge rolls of paper towels and toilet paper, I look at how many sheets I can get off one roll. Huge scott roll and bounty last me about 2 months

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katwoman7643 t1_j62du41 wrote

3 people, junk food for the grandson and 1 cat who's spoiled, I spend about?400 a month. I cook from scratch, shop Aldi, Sam's club and Walmart.

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BzztYeow t1_j62n4eh wrote

Spending about 100 dollars per person, per week in our house, maybe a little less. Buying monster sizes really helps if you can afford it up front. For instance a 32 roll Ultra Soft Tp at Bj's is $20. These make a big difference over time. If you have a hard ass you can get the 36 roll for $16.50. While you pay more up front, it really saves in a budgeting situation because of the amount you receive.

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New_Stats t1_j63gzrp wrote

Single woman on a diet - $70-90 a week.

Are you buying a lot of pre made food?

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ansky201 t1_j63hdqh wrote

I spend about $100/week for a family of 3. None of us are big eaters, so we don't buy a large quantity of food. I make chicken for dinner at least 3 times a week. Luckily the price of chicken breast has been very reasonable. If you buy the Shop Rite brand it's usually about $1.99 per pound. The same chicken breast from Perdue is $4.99 per pound so you really need to check prices carefully. I usually grill or bake the chicken, and do rice, pasta, or potatoes on the side. All of these sides are generally pretty cheap.

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AnNJgal t1_j63m7j8 wrote

Between 150-200/week for a family of 2. We shop at Whole Foods which is probably part of the issue. :)

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Killian2526 t1_j63pgq5 wrote

$200 - $230 a week with two young boys my wife and myself. Maybe once a month under $200.

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billclintonsbunghole t1_j645pr1 wrote

Single woman, vegetarian, age 30 ad I spend about $50-60 a week on groceries from ALDI, TJ's, or Stop&Shop. Sometimes I spend less if I have things left over from a previous shop. There might be a week that I spend $20 more on things like toilet paper and household supplies, but I try to keep those as a different line on my budget because they're not a weekly expense.

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KayakHank t1_j61fcnr wrote

Usually go to sussex meat packing once a month. That runs about 2-300 for all the chicken, beef and pork for the month. Keep it frozen then pull dinner out of the fridge at lunch and put it in a bowl of water on the counter. It's room temp by dinner.

Costco runs occasionally for snacks, paper goods. Shampoos and household goods. Those can be 2-300 dollar trips. Maybe once every other month.

Then groceries run under 100/week for my wife and I. Usually just things like fresh veggies, fruits, breads, canned goods, salad...

My go-tos are oranges, onions, limes. Make a chicken marinated out of those. Onions also work with hoagie/turkey sandwiches and wraps. Put them in a salad too. Some beyond burgers or in chicken salad. I normally just make a salad, some sort of protein, and a canned side for dinner. Then some type of sandwich or salad for lunch. Then there's always a pasta, some sort of sauce, and a garlic bread for something quick and easy.

Then we mix it up with frozen pizzas, lasagna, potpies.. just something you toss in the oven.

Grocery costs don't really bother me if it costs us $100 to go eat at a resturant. 100 for a week of food is nothing in my book

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outcome--independent t1_j61jo7y wrote

Same here - I only have a shoprite near me, no wholesale stores (and even if I did, I'm not sure it'd be much better).

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BYNX0 t1_j61me4a wrote

around $200 a week at shoprite, for 3 family members, buying mostly organic items

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ktbg07 t1_j61my6x wrote

my husband and i go about once a month/month & a half and spend $200-$300 at walmart and/or shoprite. we luckily have chickens so don’t have to worry about eggs 😝

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Emptyplates t1_j61p3ol wrote

Close to $1000 for the two of us. We eat every meal at home, breakfast, lunch and dinner. We rarely go out to eat. We cook everything from scratch.

We both have some dietary restrictions. I'm type 2 so can't eat cheap carby fillers, no breads, pastas, rice or potatoes. I also can't eat legumes and am allergic to soy. Husband can't eat legumes or dairy. Every meal is meat, brought from a local farm or butcher, and two non-starchy vegetables. Vegetables are expensive as fuck as are eggs, a staple food for us.

So yeah, expensive to eat these days.

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Dk10c t1_j61x7c0 wrote

400 a month for two adults. No meat, shop at a Lidl. That’s for breakfast, lunch and dinner 6 days a week.

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ParallelUkulele t1_j623hod wrote

About $60 - $80 per week for 2 adults eating primarily WFPB. $100 for both of us if I add some processed/pre made stuff in the mix. We rarely eat out. Sometimes I'll travel to Wegmans and splurge on the niche plant based stuff and spend maybe twice as much.

That doesn't count the rice and TVP I buy in bulk online.

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dethskwirl t1_j624izs wrote

$100 - $150 for two adults and two kids

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CPandaClimb t1_j6274yd wrote

About $125 per adult per week which includes toiletries - also includes following the sales and being a savvy shopper. This does not include the occasional take out or restaurant meal.

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Jfield24 t1_j627rd2 wrote

$250 a week for a family of 5.

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Jfield24 t1_j627sn0 wrote

$250 a week for a family of 5.

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oneeyedwilly278 t1_j6287re wrote

If I had to save I'd be buying wholesale chicken beans rice veggies for my main prepped foods. Then I'd be buy treats to spice it up here and there while things are on sale or just other veggies and fruits to supplement the meals (avocados, nuts, tuna). I feel like you could do that for much less even including snacks and what not. What are you buying?

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relevant_trad t1_j636ed0 wrote

Shop rite and whole foods weekly trip, family of 4 with two small kids.. $800 per week. Eat out every friday and that’s additional.

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siamesecat1935 t1_j63g50y wrote

Single, and while I don't shop every week like clockwork, when I do a larger grocery run, generally 100-125. I also don't shop at any one store; I like Wegmans, Trader Joes, and a lot of staples I get at Walmart as they're cheaper.

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foxhagen t1_j63hxwv wrote

Partnered, nine cats, and feed outside animals. Between human food, cat food, litter, and feed for outside, I'm spending roughly $900 - $1000 a month.

Jeezus.

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BitterDropToSwallow OP t1_j6412b2 wrote

9 cats? wow. you must be ahome owner clearly.. Invite me over! I want to pet the cats!

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foxhagen t1_j643cfq wrote

Omg, yes, no way we could have this many in an apartment!

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Moomass t1_j63i7y6 wrote

Family of 4, includes 2 young children- probably around $150-$200 a week.

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snarfydog t1_j63k5i6 wrote

About $350-400 for a family of 4, not including paper goods. Call it $300 on a grocery run plus an extra $50-100 on mid-week produce, fresh fish, and mail-order meats. Probably cook 6 nights a week. Kids buy lunch at school most days, adults have leftovers or homemade sandwiches for lunch.

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Flashinglights0101 t1_j63ll9e wrote

If you live near Costco, you should consider shopping there. A lot of basic items are stupid cheap at Costco compared to the supermarket. If you are a creature of routine and buy the same things every week, buy them in larger quantities and save a ton of money. Most of the items are not even bigger in size.

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BitterDropToSwallow OP t1_j6416k1 wrote

yep, I literally and I kid you not am in walking distance of Costco. You've all convinced me I may get a membership. I eat the same stuff for sure...

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Flashinglights0101 t1_j642hfz wrote

Go to the customer service desk and buy a gift card. You can then shop without a membership to see if it is good for you.

Fruits and vegetables are really cheap at Costco. Cereal is retarded cheap. You get two huge bags of brand name cereal for like $6 compared to a small box at the supermarket for $4. Washing machine detergent is amazingly cheap at Costco.

The key to Costco is self control and not buying random stuff.

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TheRealThordic t1_j63ukvr wrote

$400-600 per month, two adults one kid. Its gotten crazy.

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SnooEagles4657 t1_j6465h0 wrote

Married and we spend about 200 a week, too. It’s actually insane

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xBaconater t1_j648xlz wrote

$100-$160 a week for my girlfriend and I depending if we need to buy cleaning supplies.

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Saito1337 t1_j64oyuq wrote

It's about $50 a week per person here.

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HighPriestess216 t1_j657rpv wrote

About $150-170/week for me and my husband, both vegetarians, both working from home. We do tend to buy prepped or semi-prepped foods, which are a little more expensive, so sometimes we’re choosing to spend money instead of time.

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PandaSlanda t1_j68kghg wrote

Married with three cats and a large breed dog, I budget to spend $350 to $450 just for the non bulk stores a month and then between $300 to $400 at Coscto once or twice a month where we get the paper products, meats, and other stuff. That is NOT including standard pet stuff though as we get all that from Chewy or Petsmart and only occasionally do I grab a pet related product there like an emergency box of littler or something if the Chewy delivery is late.

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ArtyFeasting t1_j69sasc wrote

150-200 a week for 2 people. One is a body builder so he eats significantly more than the average person. We shop at a few places but primarily at Wegmans and Walmart.

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