I budget $6000 a year for all the things we buy at a grocery or drug store (exclusive of prescription medicines or alcohol). That's about $115 a week for two retired adults.

Since I charge everything (!) I can look back over the past year's statements. It was slightly less than $6000 for 2008.

I was surprised to receive '$10 Off' coupons from one local grocery. I won't be using them though. It's $10 off if you buy $160 at one time. In the past they've had coupons for $6 off on a bill of $80. Local grocery chains are competing against big box stores that have expanded into the grocery business.

We spend an average of about $120. a week, but that includes pet food/treats (the dog likes the $2.00 a can dogfood) and paper products too. Plus my DD is home from college and likes lots of fresh fruit. The bill will drop by about $25. once she goes back to college in the fall.

We spent at least $80 and usually more, upwards of $110. But we also get a lot of free fish from my father (he takes big fishing trips where he comes back with hundreds of pounds), so that cuts down the bill some. That does not include cat food, which I buy at a pet store. When my "all organic and natural" niece stayed with us the bill was more like $140 a week (her cereal alone was $7 a bag!).

I am just guest-imating here, but I think about $150 to $200 per week. That includes food, prescriptions, pet food and supplies. Two adults (old and taking lots of meds) and 4 animals. In summertime, we eat lots of vegetables from the garden and do some canning with the excess. (or freezing)

Helen

I spend between $80 - $100 a week for the 2 of us.

We eat very well with that budget, no junk food, very little boxed foods. When meat is on special I stock up the freezer.

People also say it is more expensive to eat healthy but I disagree.

About 120-140/wk for the two of us. Includes paper/cleaning products and pet supplies.

I also buy very little canned/frozen/boxed food.

We like fresh vegs and fruits - they do cost more than canned or frozen. Same for fresh, high quality meat and fish.

But - worth it.

It depends. We have foster children so we receive food stamps. I use coupons on top of that so it all depends on what's on sale.

I can't really say. I don't budget and track food. It's something you need. Sometimes I'll splurge and get extra good stuff, sometimes I'll eat out a lot and I'm not one to go to the store on a regular basis. I go when I need something and when there's good to great deals and I'll stock up a bit. Right now I'm trying to buy less. I had to throw out the contents of my freezer so I'm not in a hurry to fill it back up again.

i'm sure my food bill is probably what i used to spend on a family of 6 back in the 1970's...but now i can afford to eat more than ground beef, lol...

did draw the line today for our normal salmon sunday... the package i was going to buy, we could go out for a moderate priced meal...(it was about $8.90 per lb)

I feed two teen boys, 5 dogs and 8 cats. Not to mention DH & I. I don't think my heart could take it if I actually added it up.

We have a budget of $150.00 a week. That does not include medication, which thankfully we only have 1 with all 4 of us. SOmetimes I spend more, sometimes less. I take my lunch everyday but I do buy Gatoraide during the summer months. I get far less headaches this way.

Trish

Wow, what's in the Gatorade that keeps headaches at bay? Just the electrolytes?

I don't know. I usually shop bimonthy will fill ins. I don't track it.

I buy alot of organic and locally grown/raised. And what's growing in my own yard....

Probably for our family of 5 and depending on the time of year.
$600 a month, maybe a bit more.

Just for eggs I buy 2 dozen a week at $4 a dozen. Sometimes I need another dozen if I'm doing alot of baking. ~Local, pastured, glorious orange yolked fabulous eggs!

Sjerin- someone told me it is the potassium. I have had migrane issues since I was a young girl and they got worse when we moved here to SC. During the summer they are terrible. Gatoraide was suggested and I thought why not- so I tried it. It works for me- I also work outside all day. I drink the one or two smaller bottles and fill in with 10 or so water bottles of well water. I can't drink city water unless it is filtered. We only have well water at the nursery anyway.

Trish

Thanks, trish, that's so interesting. Both my dh and one of my dd's gets them, and most of the time it seems like there's no rhyme nor reason. I will pass this info along!

*Sorry, classact, for the hyjack.

Not sure. Probably about $30.00.

Hey, cynic ... this Frugal Fella feels for you in having to throw out your freezer-more-or-less-full of food!!

ole joyful

I just looked at my latest receipt and I think it is about average. Just two of us, but I buy extra meals for husband and son in law to eat at work also. Plus I like to bake and give things away. This was the holiday weekend and my total was, $122.94. That can inclued extra vegetables and chicken for Izzi, cat food, cleaning and paper products, medicines and prescriptions. Sometimes it is less and sometimes it is more. If there is a good price on something, I will buy extra. I am in Indiana. I know prices vary.

Sue

About $50 a week. Sometimes more if we need to buy things like laundry soap or cat food.

SamKaren
your resident DJ

Probably $150/week for myself, 19-yr. old stepson and 2 young grandsons, whom I have on the weekends. I also buy dog food for one dog. We buy what we want and I don't really keep track of it.

I don't keep track either. About once a month I get sticker shock when I see the total!

I put $250. a month in a separate purse just for groceries for my son and I. There is usually some left over. I watch for sales and stock up when theee is a good one. That cuts the cost a lot.

I would say around $150 but I often go to Sam's and stock up on my staples especially meat. My husband keeps an exact record of our expenditures so he can tell me to the penny...but when he worked, I budgeted about $125 to $130 per week and since he has retired, it has gone up some. I have to admit though that I spend and shop wisely, however, if it is something I want, I buy it..no limits. I splurge often on things like frozen crab legs and the prime tenderloins. We feel pretty comfortable with our retirement funds and figure that we might as well use it as leave it for the kids.

The orginal poster mentioned $ 85.00 for two people so I thought I would try $ 40.00 a week since it is just me. Went grocery shopping today and have already spent $ 35.00 so that means $ 5.00 left for the week. LOL!
Lois

With the way prices are right now, my answer is 'way too much'.....no matter how I try to cut down.

Shirley

DH and I get by on about 50.00 to 65.00 a week for us two. We have cut out all eating out, packaged foods or convenience foods, most snack foods or cereal products. I buy stuff that I have to prepare myself at home. We cut way, way back. Especially since the economy is so bad. Rainy day syndrome, I guess. But, since I won a gift certificate this week to my local grocery store, I might indulge a tiny bit, but I will be very frugal with the rest. We are on a mission to see how much we can save by the end of this year. May sound stupid to some.

I don't post here often, mostly a lurker. We are a family of 6. I have four kids, three of which are boys. I spend $85.00 a week for our family. That includes the cat food, cleaning supplies, etc.

I do a LOT of couponing though, I grocery shop every two weeks or so. My bill usually comes to around $215.00 but with coupons, I have only had to pay $85.00 every two weeks. I also shop at a military commissary. So that helps.

I can get 2% milk for $1.77 a gallon. So that helps as well.