I spend around $130 a month these days, including toiletries, for 4. $35 of that is milk now that DH is away. Actually this month I only spent $45 excluding milk lol It pays to have your DH go away for the month!
Oh that includes cat food and litter too. I challenge myself every grocery trip to beat the previous month.
My budget is $50.00 for food, cleaning supplies, HBC and dog/cat food. I actually spend anywhere from $40-$65.00 a week. Oh, and we're a family of four.
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Maryalene
Proud Mama to Madeline, Donny and Max
we are a family of 3 and we spend 150$ a month. All things included, toiletries, pet food, cleaning supplies, etc.. And all whole foods, fresh foods, NO mixed prepackaged foods.
We spend about $350 a month for family of 6, but I can reduce it to around $250 if I OMC because I make enough for dinner and lunch the next day. I usually OMC for a few months then give it a break or a couple. I think I spend more in the summer because I want more convenient food and I hate to put things in the oven when it is hot, as if it is ever HOT in the PNW, LOL!
i thought i wass high onprices lol. but i spend anywhere from 64-100 a month on a family of 3 soon 2 be 4. and we always have allot of leftovers left before the next month time to shop.
you big spenders. lol just kidding. but thats my budget 64-100 a month. that INCLUDES. tissue, from sam's we get the one that has 36or 48 rolls in it, and they last us over a month. and soap and everything.
i shop at save a lot, and kayes, and everyewhere, except KROGERS' avoid KROGERS' unles they have a sale. lol, krogers food is exspensive. i spent 50 bucks there one time and came out with like 5 bags i was like no way.
so it can be done. trust me, and when u are in hard times and money is tight. we always spend 65 a month. and that includes meats, and all. i don't use tampons or pads, since i was using cloth diapers. for my pads, and had them for over a year. and they are still good. i just take them and fold them like a pad, and sew them up and down the sides, and for light days i take 1 and cut it in half, and do the same and have 2 pads from one diaper. oh yea and i use the cheap kind from walmartt. gerber i believe. 12 for like 12 bucks, and they have lasted me over a year. the only thing i did wrong was bleachthem, and got major holes and tears.
hth
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A FRIEND is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your
Brianne Nicole 10/9/96
A'Leah Bre'Asia 8/30/02
Jesus paid a bill HE didn't OWE!
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blessings
I need help too!!! I'm spending about $100 a month for a family of four (one 7 months) and thats with help from WIC. I thought I had something going on with my cheap shopping. Are we eating to well?
Any suggestions out there for those of us who are apparently spending TOO MUCH!
Originally posted by miltay I need help too!!! I'm spending about $100 a month for a family of four (one 7 months) and thats with help from WIC. I thought I had something going on with my cheap shopping. Are we eating to well?
Any suggestions out there for those of us who are apparently spending TOO MUCH!
I'm confused, , you are spending 100$ a MONTH and you think you are spending too much? I think spending 100$ a month is INCREDIBLE! I aspire to get that low and I am the queen of cheap!
BIG TYPO. I meant $100 a WEEK! Wish it was a month.
Quote:
I need help too!!! I'm spending about $100 a month for a family of four (one 7 months) and thats with help from WIC. I thought I had something going on with my cheap shopping. Are we eating to well?
i hit the pak n save every 2 weeks and spend about 60-100 each time. more if alot of staples are on sale, less otherwise. i dont 'usually buy nonfood stuff like tp and detergent, i get that at Costco every 6-8 weeks. i'm always looking for ways to cut it back but really food wise that amount is ok for us. We get a little caught up at Costco if we all shop together, dh like the electronics and tools and i get all excited w/ the books and clothes, lol.
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Amelia
mama to Olivia (3/98) and Michael (10/99)
*~*~Sell crazy somewhere else, we're all stocked up here~*~*
I spend about $500-600 per month for a family of 7. That includes all toiletries and sposies right now for 1 child. Also includes cleaning supplies... basically anything you can get at the grocery store. We do eat meat and some packaged stuff too. I have 5 kids and get easily overwhelmed, so I have been making some non-crunchy (sposies, some packaged foods) choices in order to be a more gentle mama.
miltay, what part of the country do you live in? Maybe you could save your receipts and make a list of what you buy for the month and we could give you some tips? That may be a bad thing to do though... don't know if I could open myself up like that, lol!
I had a friend who spent that much for a family of 4 (although no WIC). She was curious why we spent so much less and we asked her if she bought a lot of prepared foods and name brand stuff. She said nope, not at all.
Weeellll... then I was there when she opened her cupboard one day. All Campbell's soups and namebrand stuff, lots of it prepared. Heard her talk about always having a Stouffer's Lasagna in the freezer "for those nights" when she didn't want to cook. Dh worked for her dh for a while, and he always had Yoplait yogurt and other prepared/name brand things to eat.
My point isn't that she was making bad choices, b/c they were her choices to make of course. But her perception of what she was buying was entirely different then what the reality of her grocery shopping.
So my suggestion would be to record for one month absolutely everything you buy, and each item amount. Then take a look at that, noting which things you could do without (mine would be the inordinate amt of $ I spend on ice cream, lol!) and which you could make from scratch easily (for example making pancakes from scratch only takes a few extra minutes).
Another thought is to look at what types of items you are buying. It's cheaper to make homemade stroganoff then Hamburger Helper for instance. My friend makes Minute Rice which is *insanely* more expensive then regular. It saves her only 10 minutes of prep time (which just sits there, not like you have to stir rice or anything). She knows and it's worth it to her.. not judging her choice, just some things to calculate.
Make small changes... switch from soda to Kool Aid if that's a temptation. Then go to water only etc. Make a thick white sauce rather then buying those nearly $1 cans of cream of ... soups. Buy oatmeal in bulk for breakfast rather then having eggs or cereal. Lots of the "little things" can really add up.
I used to be really great at frugal grocery shopping. Now I'm just on survival mode... as in: what can I buy that will help me survive my chaotic family lifestyle!! So not trying to dole out advice like you "should" follow it, just giving some ideas of things that have helped me (and will again when I choose to implement them).
i was like no way.
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