$885 in 2011!
No really, are you serious? Granted, I took the US Department of Labor’s estimate of a typical family of 4 eating “moderately” at home in 2011 but even so, the “low cost” (read, more processed foods and smaller portions) is $664. Basically this means if your family eats rather nutritiously, with whole grains, natural lean proteins and lots of fruits and veggies as the staples of your diet, it is estimated that you would spend nearly $900 this year!*Ok, so our food budget (for groceries only, not eating out, and not including household items like cleaning products or diapers, etc) is…$385 $400*** for 2012. And that’s for a month, so about $93 per week ($400 divided by about 30 days in a month x 7 days in a week). Now that I know what the average is, I’m feeling pretty good about myself. How are you doing?
A Quick Caveat:
We’re a family of 4 but my kids are 3 and 1 and we often have leftovers. So if your “family of 4” includes 2 teenage boys, your budget will likely be higher. Each family may be a little different.
Establishing a Budget:
I settled on a monthly budget of $385 $400*** over the last year as the kids have started eating a little more and I’ve evolved in my cooking and gastronomic** philosophy. Every family will be different depending on your needs, dietary restrictions, etc. The point is choose a food budget and stick to it, but make sure your family isn’t starving at the end of the month and decides to turn on you…I would feel awful.
Let’s be honest. These days we could all benefit from stretching our dollar while still living well. So let me show you how one Frugal Foodie Family does it…
*This study was from 2009 with an estimated 4% increase yearly which is how I arrived at 2011 estimates.
**This may very well be the first (and possibly last) time I use the word gastronomic on this blog. Just trying it on for size.
***Updated: I updated my budget to $400 for 2012 in keeping with the standard 4% increase in food costs. That would also make the moderate national monthly average $920 (up from $885 in 2011).
from the comments, back then.
Ok your food budget seriously impresses me! Our families are pretty much identical and we spend $500-600 a month.
I used to be in a community group with your parents and so that’s how I found your blog.
Interested to see how you accomplish this and how if it fits with our evolving food philosophy as well.
That is just disgusting! And I bet most of that includes unhealthy foods. I have been slacking lately, I don’t coupon, or shop sales like I used to, but we are a family of 7 (well 5, daddy is deployed to Afghanistan, and the baby won’t be on solids for a while, but two of my boys are teenagers) and my budget is $500 a month, and that includes either a expensive meal (t-bones on the grill, a nice big fresh salmon, etc) or going out to a restaurant every couple of weeks. If shop smart, I can usually get away with $400 a month, and that includes fresh produce every day and the 8-10 gallons of milk my kids go through a month.
Looking forward to trying new recipes and adding energy back into my menu.
It is a pet peeve of mine when people say it’s too expensive to eat healthy. Even if you can’t afford organic, you can still eat pretty healthy food! We just RAISED our monthly grocery budget to $320! We’re a family of 5, but Johnny doesn’t eat too much yet
, although he can work his way through a box of O’s pretty quickly.
Anyway, back to my point. I don’t buy junk food for my kids. We don’t have chips or cookies around (unless I make them). And I totally agree that meal planning is HUGE. That’s the only way I can afford our budget. I plan leftovers into our week, and sometimes our meals are smoothies and half a panini or quesadillas or something else.
Great blog, Kel! You’re definitely gonna be famous
I can see you on Today!
We spend that and sometimes a little more and there’s two of us. But a few special dinners at home can really up our budget and I include those in grocery costs. Unless we go out and this year’s special dinners have mainly been at home. My wife says we should look at ways to trim, but we’re pretty frugal all around. Wine and food, well and travel, are our indulgences.
Hi Kelly, thanks for all the great info! I know this is a food blog but I was wondering what your budget is for household goods? And what store(s) you prefer for household goods. We live in Orange County too. Our monthly budget is $800 for food and household goods combined (I should sit down with my receipts and separate them out but I don’t). We’re a family of five (our boys range from 4 – 9) and we’re always trying to trim our grocery budget (although most months we exceed it!). The boys are at an age where they eat a lot more and we also tend to need a ton of snacks for team practices, play-dates, school lunches, etc. I shop primarily at Trader Joe’s for food and Costco, Target and Stater Bros for household goods and odds and ends. I also go to the Costa Mesa Farmer’s Market every Thursday to buy fruits and veggies. We have a Sprouts really close by and I recently took your suggestion for buying meat there. Thanks again for sharing all your great recipes and how your family budgets!