How Much Should You Be Spending on Groceries? (Money Article Monday) | JENNIFER COOK

#saveongroceries #foodbudget #frugalliving

Here is a link to the Easy 2 Step Process I used to plan and save the most at the grocery store...

The articles referenced in this video are linked below...

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Well hello there! My name is Jennifer! Follow along on our journey to paying off our mortgage by 2024. Along the way I will share my dumbest money mistakes, how we save money and our progress towards our goals. I hope that my journey will provide inspiration towards your own pursuit of financial independence.

Want to get in touch with me...


Old school snail mail to:
13663 Providence Rd.
PMB# 116
Weddington, NC 28104

[virginiainnes]

I have become very spend-conscious when it comes to my grocery budget. We are a family of six, and I used to spend upwards of $1500 per month on groceries. After careful budgeting, I now spend between $500 to $600 per month! And we very rarely eat out... usually every other week or so. I try to prepare everything from scratch, as much as possible. Thanks for the great video!

[samantharose]

I float around cost conscious here 🇦🇺 depending on where I shop. I can significantly reduce if I shop at Aldi (have to drive there), however I have a woolworths (not sure what your equivalent would be) in walking distance to my house so I tend to shop there more and head to farmers market on weekends. I know fruit & veg can be cheaper at Aldi but like to support local where I can. Great video. Definitely thought provoking. We eat a lot of plant based meals in our house with one vegan, one veggie and the two meat eaters 🌱

[patwagner]

😂🤣😆 3:00 " It's almost 3 bucks ! Geez, that's expensive !" Cracked me up how you said that & your facial expression. Loved that. 🙋‍♀️

[suefrack]

It depends on who's doing the shopping as to where we stand in the scale.

[rach]

Moderate category most months due to special foods needed for dietary restrictions/food allergies and eating out/take out about once a week on average. I do shop sales, clip digital coupons, use a list to reduce unnecessary purchases, and (for the most part) track our expenses. I need to get back to meal planning though, as I think that would help to reduce our overall food costs a bit more.

[lshipley]

Family of 5 here with 8 animals and we spend in total for groceries, household products and everything for the animals we spend around 700 a month. I dont go over 800 though that is my max limit. We eat out about once a week at most and it's normally the "dollar" menu.

[crystalh]

My grocery budget is ridiculous and even during the pandemic solely eating at home plant based it was expensive. California 😑 I think these calculators could be improved with a cost of living adjustment.

[CatherineAndersen-lq]

Here is the thing I understand about restaurants. But I also know if I compare going to arby's for a $4 meal compared to getting roast. Be fitted deli and making all this myself on some things you can say better. I mean to me eating out 12. A restaurant once a month should be a treat and all you can eat where you can pick up your own food and bring it home and have it for a couple days. But other than thit's, all some things are cheaper to eat out, especially when it comes to the price of meat.

[lisapitts]

We spend about $125 a week on groceries for the 2 of us. I have noticed that the quantity is less than it use to be.

[rosemarydoran]

I have tried to go from shopping weekly to every ten days or two weeks. I am single and admit I buy some convenience foods. I am disabled so I can do some cooking but complicated cooking isn't probably an option. I live in the Midwest. I just filled up Saturday and gas was $2.999. I had a $.42/gallon fuel saver which brought it down to $2.57/gallon. I only occasionally eat out.

[ItsMe-wjbe]

Great video! Side note..your skin is amazing and glowing! 👍🏻

[kellyshults]

Hello from San Diego! I never saw gas for $8.50 here, Aug/21 gas price in my area is $4.6/gallon. I am a thrift shopper for sure and I spend way bellow the average family of 4 (all adults). I shop at Costco once a month and Aldi weekly for produce. Great video Jennifer.

[kamicrum]

You tend to spend What you have, if you dont pay attention. do to very hard times Inhave lived on $21, 000/ year in ca.I have spent asblittke as $20/ week, , 1person, basics only! I have also stretch $20 to feed 5 people includeing 3 teens we ate inky what was in sal, if nit in the freezer. Not fun, luckily we had a large fruit stand right across the street! 7 pound bags if oranges $2.00👍🏻😄

[cynthiamyers]

I'm in the thrifty category -- and we almost never eat out, so I feel like I'm doing well.

[charlenebrissette]

I have budgeted $500/month for two adults in Canada.

[karenyee]

We fit pretty well into the "Cost Conscious" budget. However trying to knock out 3 more debts so I want to move into the "Thrifty" budget. Looking for more ideas on how to cook healthy, but cheaper.

[workgather]

I guess the main issue is the budget/income yo start with. I have a [food stamp / SNAP] [income/budget] so the monthly amount I have been getting in COVID times is 234.00 per month... it was less before then. I read an article stating the COVID amounts are going away.

In my quest to survive, I kept trying to find the ideal amount in a percentage for a basic low-income budget. I first decided it was 20% for food, after the government housing amount of 30%... so half of your income goes for rent and food... on paper.

For myself, I eventually decided a basic food amount for me would be $300/month -- with 100.00 for replacing staple foods like flour, sugar, etc. and then $50/week for meals. That still seems reasonable for me, but I don't eat a lot of meat. Now I am trying to buy more organic foods and that probably would work for those items. I am trying that out this year.

If I didn't have government food benefits, at 20%, my apx 400.00 retirement income would make an $80 monthly food budget... my 30% housing limit would be $120. Not an easy life in the USA. This is why government housing exists, and all the problems associated with it.

When you shop store brands there aren't many coupons available. :-) I never thought about that until I realized it was happening in my efforts to same more money. :-)

I eventually started allocating a fund for treats - eating at a fast food place when I go out shopping. I think it started at $5 month, and is now higher, depending on the month. :-)

I want to end this comment with a thought about how we see the world. There is a huge backlash against the poor, homeless, uneducated, low-income employed, seniors, etc., because they require financial help from the government. I hear about "middle class" incomes disappearing, but I have only barely earned over $10K one time. There are a lot of different reasons for poverty and wages and government programs. I personally do not want a socialistic country, but the only help I have is the government.

FOOD is the most critical benefit that the government can provide. People will steal and kill to survive when they are hungry. Shelter can be provided in many ways, but food is a necessary human requirement. The government, and conservative perspectives seem to think food programs are unnecessary. They are wrong. I have been homeless with food benefits... and I would not think about stealing and killing people to survive, but there are some who would. The most important benefit the government can provide is food benefits, at a level that will actually feed a family.

That's why I keep searching for that missing number. In most people's lives, and mine, what the government provides (and what looks good on paper) is never enough.

[TonyaApplegate]

Wow. 8.00 is high. It's 3.17 here in Michigan.

[melissalee]

Do you ( and these articles) consider your normal toiletries and misc items as groceries such as dish soap, toiletpaper, toothpaste, etc?

[denisecarter]

Do you count toilet paper, cleaning supplies, shampoo etc that you can get at the grocery store on that number?