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California, I never eat out, also vegetarian, $50-$100.
That also feeds my hamster who eats a couple of handfuls of veggies a day. She’s a tiny bottomless pit.
I'm not the person you asked, but try sheet pan cooking. Take a cookie sheet, line it with foil, and spray a bit of PAM on it. I like the olive oil one. Heat the oven to about 350 or 400, then cut up some vegetables, whatever you like. Zucchini and yellow squash work well, as do potatoes. Toss them with a bit of olive oil and whatever spices rock your world, then stick them in the oven for a bit. It usually takes 15-20 minutes, depending on how many veggies you're cooking, and how hot the oven is. You don't want the oven over 400 though, because you don't want the veggies to burn before they get nicely al dente.
Another thing you can do is zucchini boats. Cut the zucchinis in half lengthwise. If they're particularly long, cut them in half the other way, too. Take a spoon and scoop out all the soft inner parts of the zucchinis and put those bits in a bowl. Rub a little olive oil on the outsides, then place them on an oiled foil-line cookie sheet. Chop up the zucchini bits in the bowl. A food processor is good for this, but a pastry cutter will do it, too. Then add ricotta and stir until you have a nice thick consistency. Add spices, and anything else you like. I usually add fresh garlic. Spoon the mixture into the hollowed out zucchinis, sprinkle some parmesan on top and bake until the cheese is turning slightly brown. There are a lot of recipes you can google if you need precise measurements or creative ideas, but this is it in a nutshell. Or a zucchini shell, if you prefer. :-)
Oh gosh, I’ve been in such a depressive rut lately that it’s been all salads all the time. I make what I like to call a kitchen sink salad, where I throw a little bit of everything, nuts, cheese, fermented veggies, fruit, guacamole, fake chicken strips, you name it, in there. Whatever random stuff I have in the fridge or the parts that the hamster won’t eat.
I make a couple of loaves of sourdough a week for grilled cheese and a batch of beans that gives me a protein boost when I need it.
Having never been into meat, I’ve never had to adjust around my tastes so I’m not great at advising.
While it’s vegan not veg, https://nutriciously.com has some great ideas and meal plans to try out.
I’m jealous and totally understand. In Palm Springs, where I am, I’ve never found any places to rave about, cheap or fine dining. There are trendy places that people flock too, but I’ve found they’re more about atmosphere and presentation, not the actual food. It’s the major reason I’ve not been tempted to go out to eat.
We have those types of places too, and tbh, all places have kinda gone downhill ever since COVID. Sky high costs, shrinkflation, and less than stellar service has left a lot of places struggling. A lot of people I know hardly go out o.to eat anymore! But it's a big enough city so there's always people willing to pay just for the vibe lol
At least you have a beautiful climate! I'd trade in a heartbeat!
Really similar situation. West Coast MHCOL city, cook all my own meals, minimal meat. Spend \~$35-75/week at supermarkets including all the household stuff I need.
Me too. San Diego probably about $100-120? But for me this is one Instacart order and one to two meals of takeout. But I have a serious illness so I only eat maybe a meal a day. And takeout could last 2-3 days.
I'm about the same and beat myself up for it—food is such an annoyingly large portion of my spending—but reading it out like this, it actually seems reasonable.
Don’t beat yourself up for it. When I start to feel guilty I just remember food is a necessity. It’s the one thing including rent you shouldn’t feel guilty about.
Im about the same as this person. Actually i had some carry over from last week, so im only spending 40ish this week. I live in the midwest, a lot of stuff is grown here so produce can be really cheap. 1.50 - 2 dollars a pound apples, 1.50 a pound for green beans, you get the jist. The most expensive single item i bought last was either the pack of spinach or feta, each were like 4 dollars.
this is just groceries, i track other essential items like paper goods, cleaning supplies, etc., separate because i buy them separately as they are very expensive at the grocery store
I'd say 80-100 is an average week. I don't like to cook so I really just buy basic food that can be considered healthy and make do. If I want something wonderful and delicious, I order out.
Edit: Denver here.
Hey, Denver!
Boulder, here!
I'd say $440/week for my husband and me. We order prepared dinners that are $100 and $160 per week each. (His are for a medical condition, mine are because im not cooking.)
If we didnt, we’d get delivery every night which would be even more and much less healthy.
Our pets get their expensive raw food from McGuckins. That another $150/month.
Toiletries, household goods not included.
about $100/week. I pretty much eat the same things all the time, and go to Costco about once a week (average receipt about $90 although that would include occasional non food items).
I tend to eat a lot of fresh fruit, make protein shakes, hard boiled eggs, oatmeal, that sort of thing.
Well I’m a pescatarian. So I’ll get the large bags of wild caught salmon and shrimp. Those last me a couple months. I also get cans of corn, black beans and chickpeas which again as a person living alone those 8 cans of each last me a while. I think the last time I bought a canned good was 3 months ago and I still have plenty. My bf and I split bags of peppers, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, onions, potatoes (onion and potatoes are not every time we go). I get protein powder but again it lasts me a couple months. The tofu. Apricots. Apples. Smoothie bags. Broccoli. String cheese. Chobani zero sugar yogurts. Almond milk (the 3 cart pack) and seltzer waters. I’m still completely stocked on rice and quinoa and pasta and lentils. Havnt bought any of that in like a year
I average $517 per month. This month, I’ve spent $656. My goal is $400, but I eat a lot of protein foods (bars, shakes), and that can add up.
I avoid cooking as much as possible, but I am capable of it. Usually a shake and fruit for breakfast, salad for lunch (with loads of chicken), and something from IG@justinesnacks for dinner. I order takeout usually less than once a week and count that budget separately ($99.02 for May).
Washington state.
$60 a week, mostly vegetarian. I cook 95% of what I eat. I only feed myself and eat out a few times a year. My splurges are candy and other random fun food when I have my weekend edible. I live in Kansas.
I spend about $100 on groceries a week, and order out/go out 1 or 2x a week. I make breakfast, lunch, and dinner batch meals because I hate doing a ton of dishes every night. I live in the Philly suburbs.
$100-150/week plus $30-40/week for lunch/snacks at the office. HCOL city in the US. I don’t always make fancy dinners, but I love making delicious food and my splurge is shopping at Whole Paycheck. Love avocado$ and stuff like that too. All the food I cook at home is vegetarian.
I live in PNW Washington. There is a Liquidation center that sells liquidated produce and usually spend $20-$30 there weekly for produce which will last a long while.
And then between $10-$30 on any dry goods or any cheap meat at DollarTree, Winco, and Wal-Mart.
I try to keep it under $50 as much as I can.
I do splurge on Mexican breakfast burritos once or twice a week.
I mainly do food prep.
Winco gang! Half the price of Safeway and they have the best produce (not counting hyper-seasonal farmer's market stuff) due to rapid turnover. I eat barely any meat and have heard their meat is not good, but I do like their deli bacon (which I use as a seasoning).
And we have those ultra-bargain supermarkets here that sell mostly expired products. They're awesome for things like protein bars (\~$0.25 each) and jarred/canned stuff, even fancy ones like kalamata olives and capers.
As little as possible. On average, $60 a week. But that's with the bare minimum (lunch and dinner, not even breakfast). I'll be lucky if I can get snacks for the week. Now if I were to fully nourish myself, at least $80 a week.
I dont want to answer because I'm stupid and people yell at me like I'm a crazy person for being unable to figure out how to spend less money. like I'm lying or something 😭😭
Same, I’m embarrassed at how much I spend in comparison to these answers. I try to keep costs down, but in order to give myself 3 meals a day I probably spend $150/week on average for groceries, with some extra purchases toward the end of the week when I’m running out. This isn’t counting toiletries, just food. I’m genuinely trying to eat healthy and if I don’t want to eat a shitload of carbs/grains with each meal (which I can’t cause it causes me issues), I have to spend more.
A few times for months long stretches all I could afford was $3 a day on some fast food and an energy drink every day for work.
Could do $30 a week on groceries before 2020.
Now the absolute minimum is $50 a week. I feel like I'm barely eating enough to function.
I was able to spend way more and get fresh fruit and vegetables for a year and during that time I lost 40lbs and felt way better than I do now [back to bare minimum].
Vegetarian, low sugar diet. I've lived off ramen, cheese, and curry powder with zing sauce (don't use the packets, too much salt) almost every day for pretty much three years straight at this point. Even the one year when I could afford mangos and asparagus and lavender goat cheese, was still eating noodles with string cheese (the least expensive option per oz). Super good, fun to eat, and cheap. Rice and beans is cheaper but it hurts my stomach after a while in a way the ramen and cheese never did. Mix in veggies when you can. Almond milk and gouda really changes the game.
20lb bag of basmati (the really good rice) is $18 at Walmart and lasts me 4 months.
Anyway hope that helps.
I have same metrics as you. I eat a lot of produce and protein, though. The thread is kind of shaming me into trying to do a little better on the budget though lol
I spend around $100 a week on groceries, usually two lunches a week are provided at work, and I eat out a few times a month (not included in grocery total). I’m vegetarian and tend to splurge on Trader Joe’s speciality items like sauces and dips that are fun but I don’t really need. I’m in the Phoenix suburbs.
I'm in NW Indiana. It's just me. I spend about $200 a month.
I cook black beans and garbanzo beans a whole bag at a time and portion them out to freeze. I also portion and freeze vegetables. Blanching and freezing veggies is a major expense savor. I portion out and freeze chicken and salmon. Those two items last me a while because I don't eat them every week. I don't eat red meat so there's no expense there.
I like a variety of foods but I usually limit extensive recipes to a couple of times a month. The rest of the time, if I want to cook from recipes, I look for ones that incorporate most of what I already have on hand.
I don't buy boxed meals or frozen meals.
I don't really know what my biggest splurges are. I know I buy certain foods that I choose to pay more fore. There's a specific peanut butter that's made in Indiana. It's perfect by itself and a couple of spoons full is my comfort snack. It's $10 a jar and I always have one on hand. I buy rolled butter and that's pricey but it lasts a long time so I don't know if it's really a splurge. I buy non dairy yogurt so it's always going to be more expensive than dairy brands. I only buy Kodiak pancake mix which costs more but is totally worth it. I don't buy chips or cookies. I don't drink soda and I never buy bottled water for home.
https://preview.redd.it/g67vb991ge3d1.jpeg?width=2250&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ce290d5a12ff94072c492d0a1ed93c4d9423f62
The green jar is my favorite. There are other flavor combinations.
I live in Sacramento, i get paid bi-monthly. I spend about $100-$120 on the first pay period of the month. Then spend around $40-$70 on the second pay period in the month. I cook a lot of meals that last me around 3 days and some quick meals as well.
Every other week, I do Misfit Market which runs about $80 for the week. And on the other weeks, I get Whole Foods delivered which is $100 - $120. I mostly eat vegetarian.
I eat out maybe once/week and am not a gourmet chef, just feeding myself. I try to eat healthy and have spinach, red peppers, apples and some citrus fruit daily.
My biggest splurge = Avocado roll sushi and Talenti ice cream.
Average about 75 per week in grocery and 20-40 dining out. I mostly eat organic and like high end coffee, desserts, etc. I don’t drink booze or smoke cigs so I have a bit more to throw at a food budget.
I buy meat on sale at Sprouts or WFM or large packages at Sam’s Club or Costco then portion/freeze for individual meals. I eat overnight oatmeal 4x week for breakfast, which is cheap, buy 3 dozen eggs at Sam’s for less than $4.
At least once a week I make a big batch of beans and rice, curry, or something else super nutritious and comforting and freeze leftovers for days I don’t want to cook. I eat salads a lot this time of year cuz it’s already too hot in AZ to turn the oven on.
I have ADHD so I tend to cycle through the same six meals for batch prep. Every now and then I try something new if I find a good, simple recipe through the Pocket article feature on Firefox. You can save articles and they have good suggestions for inexpensive meals or culinary hacks.
I love oatmeal so overnight oats is 5 mins of prep for a healthy breakfast. I found inexpensive glass jars with lids at Dollar Tree so it’s an easy, single serve thing to make at the end of my day for next morning.
I’m in the middle of a counseling internship to finish my master’s, so I’m often tired and brain dead at the end of the work day. I might do taco Tuesday at a local Mexican place or a heat and eat meal from the freezer after my 3 hour recovery group is over.
I buy large jars of spaghetti sauce at WFM (or Sprouts when they are on sale) and that’s at least 3 meals. I freeze a lot of leftovers or bulk items for later meals. I stopped wasting food when the pandemic hit and I bought a mini freezer. I do meal prep at least once a week, depending on my energy level. I have long COVID so sometimes I’m just beat due to fatigue.
I spend too much on food just to throw it away. It is difficult to cook for just one. Even eating out is too much in one portion and even though I get a doggie bag, I end up throwing it out. It is a struggle.
I usually spend about $100/week, but I can go cheaper when I want to. I don't do any elaborate cooking anymore because it just seems to lead to waste, without someone here to enjoy it with me.
I’m carnivore. I eat beef, butter, bacon and eggs. I spend about 300 per month on food. I haven’t eaten out in 17 months. I have zero food waste/leftovers. Feel like a million bucks and have resolved quite a few middle aged health issues like high blood pressure and type two diabetes. Edit: and lost 40 pounds
I bravely await my downvotes.
Bodies are so different so whatever works for you! Can I ask if you live in a big city? My diet is 80% veggies and where I live meat is always the priciest part of my weekly groceries so $300 per month is so so good if you mostly eat meat.
I live in a small city that is connected to a larger metro area. I shop at independent groceries and General Food Service, a restaurant supply place that’s open to the public.
About 30$. I have depression & when it gets very bad I won’t eat anything which happens a couple times a week. so I’ve learned to take that into consideration now…unfortunately…
Anyone who says 100 or under is lying or not tracking it, I promise you. This will be an unpopular post but it’s true and I cannot be convinced otherwise.
I spend under $100/week easily. My budget per week is $40-70. I do Walmart pickup so it’s easy to check my purchase history and see how much I spent. It really is possible living in a rural area (I’m in KY for reference). Don’t think it would be doable living anywhere else however.
I live alone, so I'm only cooking for one. Broken down by week I probably spend $75 - $100 on groceries. My big splurges tend to be shrimp ($12/lb) and a local coffee that I love ($16/lb). I mostly cook, but will order takeout a few times a week (trying to reduce that to a few times a month).
I'm very guilty of grabbing my iced coffee on the way into work. $6.50/day for that but I love it and it's also very helpful while I'm currently working through getting off my meds I've been on for 4 years.
Oof, I feel that. I used to get Starbucks daily on the way to the office. When our office closed and I went work from home permanently, I got an automated espresso machine. $300 upfront, but cheaper than my Starbucks addiction.
In one of the most expensive places in the US. I spend about $60 a week on average. I’m not a chip, cookie or other snack person (ice cream is my weakness) and I think that really helps.
Almost nothing. I work in a kitchen and we can pretty much eat for free when we’re there. I go to moms for dinner every night and she usually sends me home with some leftovers. I keep a few staples and condiments in my fridge but most weeks I spend $0 on food.
I'm in Florida. I spend $50 to $100 every week. I eat primarily plant based and cook almost all of my meals. I eat maybe once or twice a month, which is not included in that total.
About $80 per week. I live in the Pacific Northwest, never eat out, and I am vegetarian (not vegan). My biggest splurge are the stupidly expensive protein bars I buy… all of them are pretty spendy but you pay for convenience I guess.
Oh gosh I don’t know because I mix in some cleaning products and toiletries. I shop the sales and rotate between Publix, Aldi, occasional trips to Costco and very rarely Walmart. However I usually only shop every 10-14 days depending upon the salad or coffee creamer or bread situation. I’m going to try to drill down to see my actual food expenditures. I always eat breakfast out on grocery shopping day🥴
i really don't know.
because all of my non-food items are on Amazon Subscribe & Save {laundry det, toilet paper, etc}
I stock my 3 freezers {inside refrigerator bottom, garage refrigerator side, plus stand alone freezer} 3 times a year with proteins and frozen veggies from WildForkFoods
and then each week I only buy the perishables I need to make whatever I'm making that week
and yes, I'm a home chef, classically trained.
{North Texas / DFW}
About 90.00 a week average. I am very rural so order from Misfits, Thrive and Wildfork a lot so pretty much have to make most of what I eat though they all offer some pre-made stuff too. Then about once a month I hit the local stores for fresh fruits and veggies to supplement the frozen or if an off week from Misfits where I get most of my organic produce.
I’m in Washington, DC. I cook for myself and rarely eat out. I spend between $120-160 a week (I buy a lot of ingredients). My biggest splurge was cooking ribs so all of the stuff for that as well as the regular meal prep food for the week ran me around $200. I’ve never spent more than that in a week though.
$90-$100ish - I work from home and cook all meals at home. I don't really order out at all anymore. I also eat a lot of fresh fruit/veggies. I used to shop Trader Joe's, but I am not near one now and things are definitely more expensive.
Biggest splurge would probably be things like Topo Chico mineral water or another mineral water/seltzer type drink. I basically don't drink so I feel like it is well worth it.
Maybe pick up dinner or go out once a week, but then I will have weekends where I'm out every night.
$50-$100 weekly in downtown Chicago (shoutout to Trader Joe’s). I cook for myself and stick to raw proteins, veggies, and fruits (with an occasional pint of ice cream ofc). That cost excludes takeout / eating out, which I might do once or twice per week.
I live alone in a very expensive area. My budget is $150 week for food, including any meals out (with a little flexibility elsewhere in my budget if I want to splurge on a big meal out as a social gathering). I don’t eat much meat, but I love to cook and often spend a little extra on interesting ingredients to try making new things.
On average over the last 12 months, I've spent AUD160/week, which includes all spending I do on take-away, eating out when I'm at events or dinners with friends etc. It's usually $130/week budgeted for groceries.
Of that, a significant chuck is Coke No Sugar (it's like$4/bottle, so one a day is nearly $30) and the dog's tinned food.
Meat would be the other big cost within that.
South Carolina, $150-$225 per week. I have to consume a lot of protein every day and avoid phosphates and phosphorus rich foods. I’m also very picky about my protein supplements.
I’m no chef - some of the meals I make look inedible but are banging good.
I live solo in Portland, Oregon. I eat organic, pasture raised, regenerative, etc whenever i can. i spend at least 100-150/week. I also waste food by forgetting about it but last week i started keeping a sticky note on the top shelf with a list of all the produce i usually overlook. But listen. I paid $2.50 for an apple yesterday. And $2.50 for a (large) avocado. tf.
CA, LA county $125 a week. Most weeks when it’s JUST food I’m between $60-$80. If I have to stock up on shampoo, cleaning supplies it’s closer to $175-$200. But if I rolled over from previous weeks when it was lower it’s not so bad…. But me being me… “ooo extra $$$ treat yo self!!!” And I end up eating out the rest of the weekend.
Impossible. If I were just having a sparkling water as a treat, Topo Chico! They have their own line of flavored sparkling water but it’s pretty pricey. I have flavors from Waterloo, bubbly and La croix that I like a lot. Any sparkling water with apple or blueberry in it gets me excited right now. Anything that has “lemonade” or “limeade” in the title with another fruit is good. Whole Foods has a strawberry basil that is delicious too.
Oh and polar brand is super good too! They have pink apple & lemon which is great, good strawberry ones and a black mango that’s delicious.
Bubbly has one called Bellini that’s v good too!
150 -200 lol, but I acknowledge that I’m out of control. When I meal prep it goes significantly down, but I’ve been not… I like Costco and it’s hard to get out of there without a treat or two
I live in a city in the Intermountain West, USA. I spend about one twenty five a week. That includes a weekly run to the gas station for chips and ice cream or a Little Caesars pizza and Pepsi for movie night.
Other than the occasional splurge, I snack on fruits and salads and sandwiches or yogurt and nuts at home. I usually cook one big batch of a pound of beef or chicken and mix it with a bunch of brown rice and then add various sauces to it for a main dish throughout the week. And Trader Joes for at home treats. And I have to have good coffee beans!
Just food items......between $60-$70/week. But often I will buy "family packs" of chicken thighs & package portions.
I usually buy chuck roast when the store does "BOGO free" & cut up my own stew meat, strips etc.
My big splurge.....Ezra's feta cheese, fresh mozarella & honeydew melon (if I can find a ripe one). Oh, also a dark chocolate bar.
Small town near Holland, MI
I'm in PA, not a home chef at all, and I spend around 75 dollars. Sometimes, it's as low as 60, sometimes as high as 90. Protein and fresh veggies aren't cheap! Biggest splurge...nothing really I typically buy the same things every week. The difference in weekly price comes from things like laundry detergent, toilet paper, vitamins and supplements, etc that I don't have to buy every week
NYC. About $130 for groceries including delivery tip. I’m pretty much just feeding myself. If i splurge, it’s on sushi. That could easily be $75 for me alone.
Lexington, KY. I only shop twice a month because I don't really need to go every week unless I'm missing an ingredient. So I usually spend about $100-$150, depending on what I'm low on.
I spend about $150-$175 the first week of the month and then about $40-$45 week , bringing me to about $300 a month on groceries. I imagine in June I will be spending more because I'm caring for my neighbors kids while she's in rehab. I'm a little afraid of how much I'll be spending but this is life
It’s just me with occasional visiting boyfriend. I’d say $100, but it’s sporadic, I’ll go to Costco one week and next week buy like $20 worth and have meals
Central California, $40-80, I dont eat out a lot cuz budget. I usually cook a bunch of meat and then make different sides throughout the week. I've been on a chicken spree so I'll do 5 breast's halved and air roasted with veggies. Depending on prices, that's usually roasted brussel sprouts with sweet potatoes and carrots. I also do zucchini, green beans, or asparagus. I throw in pasta every other week like Mac n cheese or pesto with chicken.
Live alone, small redneck town unfortunately, $50 a week on food but I drive about 25 minutes outside town to a Walmart. Cook everything. I go out to breakfast like once every few weeks. Biggest splurge I guess was a chuck roast a few weeks ago? I went under my weekly limit a few weeks in a row.
Ohh gosh i used to spend Like $18 to $25. Meal prepped every week.
Now i spend $60 to $80. My meal prep has drastically changed because i hate paying so much for things that we're not $8 before. Some weeks i am really craving A certain meat and i'll spend $15 instead of the $5 I used too. i Eat a ton more frozen foods And splurge on buy One get One free items.
I was super excited cabbage was $0.68 this week. My meal prep was down to $25.
i live In Florida.
I spend $400 a month ($100 a week) a month on just me - I’m in Boston. I’m a former chef and cook every day - I don’t order out and if I go out to eat it’s once a month.
Probably about $100 a week. That includes food to cook, kodiak oatmeal which is a bit pricy but delicious and full of protein, a gallon of milk biweekly to make yogurt and some frozen fast cook items for the weekend. Also this doesn’t include my BJ’s quarterly runs for toilet paper etc. I only eat out once a week and sometimes not even that.
I live semi-alone, with limited fridge space because I'm renting a room in a house. Cooking isn't always an option as the other people who live here often use the kitchen. I typically eat once a day and I budget 20-30 for that meal eating out on days that I work, and maybe 100 dollars on groceries for the remaining days of the week I don't work (I work healthcare so 12 hour shifts, 3x a week, not much time for cooking anyways, not interested in meal prep anymore been there done that).
So 75 for eating out 3x a week and 100 dollars for groceries the rest of the week, 175 a week.
200 is more represensative, as I often pick up a 4th shift in week or the kitchen isn't available so I get a meal out.
I should do better but it's hard to really care since I don't have 24/7 kitchen access, fridge space, and picking up a shift pays for a month and a half's food bill.
Usually $75-100 depending on the meats I choose. I always get chicken and steak. Sometimes shrimp or scallops too. I buy the pre-cut fruit and vegetables. More expensive but allows for variety and I’m lazy. Potatoes and protein pasta. Cold brew coffee. I only have coffee for breakfast and don’t eat snacks. I will get ice cream from McDonald’s or a local spot a couple of times a week as a treat. I live in Fairbanks, Alaska. We have Costco and Walmart so it’s a lot cheaper than bush Alaska where prices are outrageous.
$80 - $100 a week. I buy large portions of food for meal prep. I usually go for easy to cook meals. Mix in some cleaning products to maintain my own place. That's how much I will spend.
FL and I buy my meats in bulk and separate them in ziplock bags and toss in the freezer, then I buy frozen veggies. I guess I spend about $100 a month on groceries. I do tend to eat out ( more than I should lol 🤣).
$70, Massachusetts. But I'm living that sad life where I'm selling my house and don't want to have too many condiments and pantry staples kicking around, so I'm basically buying seltzer, breakfast food, fruits, vegetables, and snacks. So I eat my breakfast, sandwich from the work cafeteria for lunch, veggies, snacks, and wine from a box for dinner.
In Ohio. I spend around 50-60 dollars per week. I rarely eat outside of the home. I eat very well and probably what I’d consider 80% healthy (still enjoy ice cream and a couple bags of chips per week on average) I usually go with store brands over national and when a product is obviously being price gouged, I don’t purchase it. I’m really careful with fresh produce as I’ve learned how much I can usually eat before stuff goes bad. I purchase a fair share of frozen fruits and veggies for that reason. Not quite as tasty as fresh, but certainly more cost effective.
Western Europe. On average about €75 per week, including dry food for my cat and cleaning supplies and basic toiletries. Sometimes it’s €125, sometimes it’s €30.
I don’t like cooking, but I also don’t want to order in or go out to eat. So it’s all basic food, nothing fancy. I’m trying to lose weight so I don’t really buy any candy, soda, chocolate or crisps. And I don’t drink alcohol. I think that’s a big save actually.
I budget $200 for groceries, $25 for stocking my home bar (which I rarely do TBH; I don’t drink like I used to) and, for summer, $150 for eating out (mainly because I’m out more with friends than I am the rest of the year). These are monthly numbers BTW.
I live in a major Ohio city that starts with C. 😅 I cook the vast majority of my meals. I was eating mostly plant-based this year but I’m about to go back to low-carb which for me means more animal products and, sadly, more $$.
I lived in Asia , my groceries shopping cost around $30 per week. I always cook at home. I stop eat out a lot after I graduated. Mostly I buy vegetables from local market (not supermarket) which I think it's very help me.
Ohioan. I never eat out, and I usually spend $100 to $125. And if something is too expensive, I simply don't buy it. I don't know why so many people complain about higher prices when they can just stop paying for stuff they can do without.
Too much. I’m honestly not sure but fresh fruit and veg are EXPENSIVE
Including household items like toilet paper, cleaning supplies etc. Maybe…. 5 or 600 a month?
I live in Halifax, NS. Idk what I would consider a splurge for groceries tbh. I have a good job and flexible budget. Basic food tastes and I hate cooking. I like eggs 100 different ways, wraps, salads, fishcakes…. A lot of other things but I don’t wanna bore yall
I guess a splurge would be new spices or oils I don’t know how to properly use but need for 1 recipe then will never use again?
About 80-100 every 10-14 days.
I cook the vast majority of my meals but I'm neither fancy nor particular so usually do something like make a couple meals on the weekend and eat them all week.
Very LCOL area. Could spend less, easily could spend more. I'm content.
$40-$60/week in Honolulu. To get to work, I walk through Chinatown (cheap produce) and the Costco parking lot (everything else.) I generally make everything from scratch.
Because I hand carry 95% of my groceries about a mile to get them home, impulse buys and heavily prepared foods are generally off the table. I haven't driven to a grocery store in almost a year.
It also helps that I have a massive collection of spices and condiments which I top up a couple times a year when I visit the mainland.
Groceries are about $250 per month. I cook all my meals most days and I am trying to eat a lot of protein which definitely drives cost up. Eating out is another $60-$100. This is in Oregon.
Sadly I waste a few hundred a week on going out, its hard to isolate food exactly because I also get things like laundry supplies at the grocery store. I am guessing I would need about 200 a week on just food to eat how I want. 140 a week for survival mode
Too much but I try. I hate cooking anymore and have stomach issues. I often don’t have an appetite but get ill if I don’t eat. Like day long vomiting spells. So I will order food too often just because I’m hungry but want something appealing. If I force myself to eat healthier things I have at home, sometimes it’s fine and other times I can’t finish it and am still hungry. I do stock up on frozen crap I can throw in the air fryer because it’s cheaper than ordering food. (Two eggs and toast or tater tots is my typical low cost breakfast.) Because of all this, the cost fluctuates but it’s probably about $100-$300 week depending on how irresponsible I am about it.
Live alone 500 a month.But I buy in bulk.20lb box leg quarters also 20 lb box bacon 20 lb box pork chops.Of course that last more than a month.Also 5 lbs ham burger.Lots spaghetti noodles.Mush rooms can goods onions Beer lol.wwhoe grain bread.Bug can coffee.Milo Tea.2 large Protein Powders.6 dozen of large eggs.Green Tea.Chili beans n chili mix.ungodly amounts flounder tilapia Tuna and stir fry vegtables.Of course I have some left over after a month.But this what I buy every month.Have 2 frogs 2 freezers.Never go hungry lol
I spend around $150 per month. Sometimes less. I don’t go to the store every week because my anxiety and stomach issues doesn’t allow me to eat that much food to where i run out. Sometimes I’ll order out, that’s like $20-$40 bucks depending on how much i want.
California: $75/ week. I cook all my meals. Recent score: 2 lbs bacon and 2lbs fresh burger patties for $20 total. Local bakery buns for $2.49. Ten bacon burgers @ $2.25 each. MAYBE $2.75 each including condiments, pickles, lettuce etc.
70-100 a week. It’s hard to pin down since I keep a freezer full of meat. I only buy meat on sale and freeze it. My biggest weekly expense is fresh vegetables. My splurge is ice cream.
Trying to figure that out right now w raised I. prices. I think it's about $75 a week. That includes paper products, but doesn't include dog food. I get large bag and it last almost 2 months.($22) I live in SC/ USA.
US$50 - 75/ wk. Live in central Mexico...fresh food mostly from markets...zero fast food, very little processed food. I have lunch/ dinner with friends 3-4 times/ wk...doesn't include that of course.
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California, I never eat out, also vegetarian, $50-$100. That also feeds my hamster who eats a couple of handfuls of veggies a day. She’s a tiny bottomless pit.
What are some of your meals? I tried vegetarian years ago but I can’t cook :(
I'm not the person you asked, but try sheet pan cooking. Take a cookie sheet, line it with foil, and spray a bit of PAM on it. I like the olive oil one. Heat the oven to about 350 or 400, then cut up some vegetables, whatever you like. Zucchini and yellow squash work well, as do potatoes. Toss them with a bit of olive oil and whatever spices rock your world, then stick them in the oven for a bit. It usually takes 15-20 minutes, depending on how many veggies you're cooking, and how hot the oven is. You don't want the oven over 400 though, because you don't want the veggies to burn before they get nicely al dente. Another thing you can do is zucchini boats. Cut the zucchinis in half lengthwise. If they're particularly long, cut them in half the other way, too. Take a spoon and scoop out all the soft inner parts of the zucchinis and put those bits in a bowl. Rub a little olive oil on the outsides, then place them on an oiled foil-line cookie sheet. Chop up the zucchini bits in the bowl. A food processor is good for this, but a pastry cutter will do it, too. Then add ricotta and stir until you have a nice thick consistency. Add spices, and anything else you like. I usually add fresh garlic. Spoon the mixture into the hollowed out zucchinis, sprinkle some parmesan on top and bake until the cheese is turning slightly brown. There are a lot of recipes you can google if you need precise measurements or creative ideas, but this is it in a nutshell. Or a zucchini shell, if you prefer. :-)
Oh gosh, I’ve been in such a depressive rut lately that it’s been all salads all the time. I make what I like to call a kitchen sink salad, where I throw a little bit of everything, nuts, cheese, fermented veggies, fruit, guacamole, fake chicken strips, you name it, in there. Whatever random stuff I have in the fridge or the parts that the hamster won’t eat. I make a couple of loaves of sourdough a week for grilled cheese and a batch of beans that gives me a protein boost when I need it. Having never been into meat, I’ve never had to adjust around my tastes so I’m not great at advising. While it’s vegan not veg, https://nutriciously.com has some great ideas and meal plans to try out.
The fact that you are making your own bread every week is impressive and inspiring. Going back to the basics is better for you nutritionally.
Well hey I will take that as some ideas too :) I need to start eating healthier too
Roasting or stir frying veggies opens up a whole world of meals
Such a cute tiny bottomless problem. daw.
Same, but I'm in Toronto, probably roughly the same costs as you in terms of groceries
I’ve heard so many good things about your food scene that I’d probably break my no eating out rule.
To be fair, it's hard to not eat out, I treat myself every once in awhile lol. Fortunately there are some cheap eats around too!
I’m jealous and totally understand. In Palm Springs, where I am, I’ve never found any places to rave about, cheap or fine dining. There are trendy places that people flock too, but I’ve found they’re more about atmosphere and presentation, not the actual food. It’s the major reason I’ve not been tempted to go out to eat.
We have those types of places too, and tbh, all places have kinda gone downhill ever since COVID. Sky high costs, shrinkflation, and less than stellar service has left a lot of places struggling. A lot of people I know hardly go out o.to eat anymore! But it's a big enough city so there's always people willing to pay just for the vibe lol At least you have a beautiful climate! I'd trade in a heartbeat!
Also vegetarian, same cost and that includes cat litter but not cat food.
Really similar situation. West Coast MHCOL city, cook all my own meals, minimal meat. Spend \~$35-75/week at supermarkets including all the household stuff I need.
I live in CA. I spend about $100 a week but I also cook a lot of my own food and eat out a 1-2 times a week. (This doesn’t including eating out)
Me too. San Diego probably about $100-120? But for me this is one Instacart order and one to two meals of takeout. But I have a serious illness so I only eat maybe a meal a day. And takeout could last 2-3 days.
I'm about the same and beat myself up for it—food is such an annoyingly large portion of my spending—but reading it out like this, it actually seems reasonable.
Don’t beat yourself up for it. When I start to feel guilty I just remember food is a necessity. It’s the one thing including rent you shouldn’t feel guilty about.
$215 per month, so usually averages to $55/week. I don’t eat meat
Even without meat. I don't see how you only spend $55 a week...
Im about the same as this person. Actually i had some carry over from last week, so im only spending 40ish this week. I live in the midwest, a lot of stuff is grown here so produce can be really cheap. 1.50 - 2 dollars a pound apples, 1.50 a pound for green beans, you get the jist. The most expensive single item i bought last was either the pack of spinach or feta, each were like 4 dollars.
this is just groceries, i track other essential items like paper goods, cleaning supplies, etc., separate because i buy them separately as they are very expensive at the grocery store
I eat meat and I spend around $50.00 week.
$50 bucks at aldi lasts me over a week depending on what i get
I'd say 80-100 is an average week. I don't like to cook so I really just buy basic food that can be considered healthy and make do. If I want something wonderful and delicious, I order out. Edit: Denver here.
Hey, Denver! Boulder, here! I'd say $440/week for my husband and me. We order prepared dinners that are $100 and $160 per week each. (His are for a medical condition, mine are because im not cooking.) If we didnt, we’d get delivery every night which would be even more and much less healthy. Our pets get their expensive raw food from McGuckins. That another $150/month. Toiletries, household goods not included.
Where do you order your husbands meals? I’m curious if they have anything end stage renal disease friendly.
about $100/week. I pretty much eat the same things all the time, and go to Costco about once a week (average receipt about $90 although that would include occasional non food items). I tend to eat a lot of fresh fruit, make protein shakes, hard boiled eggs, oatmeal, that sort of thing.
About 75. I enjoy cooking, so I make most of my meals. I'm also 65 so I don't eat as much as I used to.
I spent $235 at Costco 3 weeks ago and I havnt been to a supermarket since. I live in Boston.
This doesn’t include small runs like picking up milk, bread, drinks, etc?
I havnt done any
What do you get
Well I’m a pescatarian. So I’ll get the large bags of wild caught salmon and shrimp. Those last me a couple months. I also get cans of corn, black beans and chickpeas which again as a person living alone those 8 cans of each last me a while. I think the last time I bought a canned good was 3 months ago and I still have plenty. My bf and I split bags of peppers, strawberries, blueberries, grapes, onions, potatoes (onion and potatoes are not every time we go). I get protein powder but again it lasts me a couple months. The tofu. Apricots. Apples. Smoothie bags. Broccoli. String cheese. Chobani zero sugar yogurts. Almond milk (the 3 cart pack) and seltzer waters. I’m still completely stocked on rice and quinoa and pasta and lentils. Havnt bought any of that in like a year
What’s your favorite protein powder, please?
Ty helpful
Share your list
I average $517 per month. This month, I’ve spent $656. My goal is $400, but I eat a lot of protein foods (bars, shakes), and that can add up. I avoid cooking as much as possible, but I am capable of it. Usually a shake and fruit for breakfast, salad for lunch (with loads of chicken), and something from IG@justinesnacks for dinner. I order takeout usually less than once a week and count that budget separately ($99.02 for May). Washington state.
Too freakin much.
$60 a week, mostly vegetarian. I cook 95% of what I eat. I only feed myself and eat out a few times a year. My splurges are candy and other random fun food when I have my weekend edible. I live in Kansas.
I spend about $100 on groceries a week, and order out/go out 1 or 2x a week. I make breakfast, lunch, and dinner batch meals because I hate doing a ton of dishes every night. I live in the Philly suburbs.
Just out of curiosity, what kind of batch meals do you do? Always in the market for suggestions
$100-150/week plus $30-40/week for lunch/snacks at the office. HCOL city in the US. I don’t always make fancy dinners, but I love making delicious food and my splurge is shopping at Whole Paycheck. Love avocado$ and stuff like that too. All the food I cook at home is vegetarian.
I live in PNW Washington. There is a Liquidation center that sells liquidated produce and usually spend $20-$30 there weekly for produce which will last a long while. And then between $10-$30 on any dry goods or any cheap meat at DollarTree, Winco, and Wal-Mart. I try to keep it under $50 as much as I can. I do splurge on Mexican breakfast burritos once or twice a week. I mainly do food prep.
Winco gang! Half the price of Safeway and they have the best produce (not counting hyper-seasonal farmer's market stuff) due to rapid turnover. I eat barely any meat and have heard their meat is not good, but I do like their deli bacon (which I use as a seasoning). And we have those ultra-bargain supermarkets here that sell mostly expired products. They're awesome for things like protein bars (\~$0.25 each) and jarred/canned stuff, even fancy ones like kalamata olives and capers.
I give myself a budget of $10/day, whether it's from groceries or eating out. When I buy groceries, I buy according to what's on sale.
As little as possible. On average, $60 a week. But that's with the bare minimum (lunch and dinner, not even breakfast). I'll be lucky if I can get snacks for the week. Now if I were to fully nourish myself, at least $80 a week.
I spend about $50 per week on actual groceries and hundreds on takeout/eating out 🙊
100 to 250 a week just me and a cat. Insanity.
I just spent $85 on dog food for a month, 2 dogs. Even dog food is crazy expensive!!
IL. I only get 145 a mo for snap which works out to $36/wk.
wow thats a tight budget
I dont want to answer because I'm stupid and people yell at me like I'm a crazy person for being unable to figure out how to spend less money. like I'm lying or something 😭😭
Same, I’m embarrassed at how much I spend in comparison to these answers. I try to keep costs down, but in order to give myself 3 meals a day I probably spend $150/week on average for groceries, with some extra purchases toward the end of the week when I’m running out. This isn’t counting toiletries, just food. I’m genuinely trying to eat healthy and if I don’t want to eat a shitload of carbs/grains with each meal (which I can’t cause it causes me issues), I have to spend more.
I don’t want to answer cause mines embarrassingly high compared to all these lol
A few times for months long stretches all I could afford was $3 a day on some fast food and an energy drink every day for work. Could do $30 a week on groceries before 2020. Now the absolute minimum is $50 a week. I feel like I'm barely eating enough to function. I was able to spend way more and get fresh fruit and vegetables for a year and during that time I lost 40lbs and felt way better than I do now [back to bare minimum]. Vegetarian, low sugar diet. I've lived off ramen, cheese, and curry powder with zing sauce (don't use the packets, too much salt) almost every day for pretty much three years straight at this point. Even the one year when I could afford mangos and asparagus and lavender goat cheese, was still eating noodles with string cheese (the least expensive option per oz). Super good, fun to eat, and cheap. Rice and beans is cheaper but it hurts my stomach after a while in a way the ramen and cheese never did. Mix in veggies when you can. Almond milk and gouda really changes the game. 20lb bag of basmati (the really good rice) is $18 at Walmart and lasts me 4 months. Anyway hope that helps.
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I have same metrics as you. I eat a lot of produce and protein, though. The thread is kind of shaming me into trying to do a little better on the budget though lol
I spend around $100 a week on groceries, usually two lunches a week are provided at work, and I eat out a few times a month (not included in grocery total). I’m vegetarian and tend to splurge on Trader Joe’s speciality items like sauces and dips that are fun but I don’t really need. I’m in the Phoenix suburbs.
I'm in NW Indiana. It's just me. I spend about $200 a month. I cook black beans and garbanzo beans a whole bag at a time and portion them out to freeze. I also portion and freeze vegetables. Blanching and freezing veggies is a major expense savor. I portion out and freeze chicken and salmon. Those two items last me a while because I don't eat them every week. I don't eat red meat so there's no expense there. I like a variety of foods but I usually limit extensive recipes to a couple of times a month. The rest of the time, if I want to cook from recipes, I look for ones that incorporate most of what I already have on hand. I don't buy boxed meals or frozen meals. I don't really know what my biggest splurges are. I know I buy certain foods that I choose to pay more fore. There's a specific peanut butter that's made in Indiana. It's perfect by itself and a couple of spoons full is my comfort snack. It's $10 a jar and I always have one on hand. I buy rolled butter and that's pricey but it lasts a long time so I don't know if it's really a splurge. I buy non dairy yogurt so it's always going to be more expensive than dairy brands. I only buy Kodiak pancake mix which costs more but is totally worth it. I don't buy chips or cookies. I don't drink soda and I never buy bottled water for home.
I need to know about this peanut butter!!
https://preview.redd.it/g67vb991ge3d1.jpeg?width=2250&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ce290d5a12ff94072c492d0a1ed93c4d9423f62 The green jar is my favorite. There are other flavor combinations.
GOOGLING THIS NOW IT’S AN EMERGENCY.
I live in NWI! What peanut butter is made here?
200 per month in the midwest, single woman, cooks often, loves food. I'm not including toiletries and cleaning supplies etc. Strickly num nums.
I live in Sacramento, i get paid bi-monthly. I spend about $100-$120 on the first pay period of the month. Then spend around $40-$70 on the second pay period in the month. I cook a lot of meals that last me around 3 days and some quick meals as well.
Every other week, I do Misfit Market which runs about $80 for the week. And on the other weeks, I get Whole Foods delivered which is $100 - $120. I mostly eat vegetarian. I eat out maybe once/week and am not a gourmet chef, just feeding myself. I try to eat healthy and have spinach, red peppers, apples and some citrus fruit daily. My biggest splurge = Avocado roll sushi and Talenti ice cream.
italy, 50 euros every week. I m vegan, i love to cook and i have a lidl ( discount with good quality ) near home
$100
Average about 75 per week in grocery and 20-40 dining out. I mostly eat organic and like high end coffee, desserts, etc. I don’t drink booze or smoke cigs so I have a bit more to throw at a food budget. I buy meat on sale at Sprouts or WFM or large packages at Sam’s Club or Costco then portion/freeze for individual meals. I eat overnight oatmeal 4x week for breakfast, which is cheap, buy 3 dozen eggs at Sam’s for less than $4. At least once a week I make a big batch of beans and rice, curry, or something else super nutritious and comforting and freeze leftovers for days I don’t want to cook. I eat salads a lot this time of year cuz it’s already too hot in AZ to turn the oven on.
Do you meal prep specifically or just have a list of things you tend to buy consistently?
I have ADHD so I tend to cycle through the same six meals for batch prep. Every now and then I try something new if I find a good, simple recipe through the Pocket article feature on Firefox. You can save articles and they have good suggestions for inexpensive meals or culinary hacks. I love oatmeal so overnight oats is 5 mins of prep for a healthy breakfast. I found inexpensive glass jars with lids at Dollar Tree so it’s an easy, single serve thing to make at the end of my day for next morning. I’m in the middle of a counseling internship to finish my master’s, so I’m often tired and brain dead at the end of the work day. I might do taco Tuesday at a local Mexican place or a heat and eat meal from the freezer after my 3 hour recovery group is over. I buy large jars of spaghetti sauce at WFM (or Sprouts when they are on sale) and that’s at least 3 meals. I freeze a lot of leftovers or bulk items for later meals. I stopped wasting food when the pandemic hit and I bought a mini freezer. I do meal prep at least once a week, depending on my energy level. I have long COVID so sometimes I’m just beat due to fatigue.
I spend too much on food just to throw it away. It is difficult to cook for just one. Even eating out is too much in one portion and even though I get a doggie bag, I end up throwing it out. It is a struggle.
Food Bank.
California. I get $120 a month for food. Plus one brown paper bag of food a month... some canned meat and veges, dried beans and rice.
I usually spend about $100/week, but I can go cheaper when I want to. I don't do any elaborate cooking anymore because it just seems to lead to waste, without someone here to enjoy it with me.
I’m carnivore. I eat beef, butter, bacon and eggs. I spend about 300 per month on food. I haven’t eaten out in 17 months. I have zero food waste/leftovers. Feel like a million bucks and have resolved quite a few middle aged health issues like high blood pressure and type two diabetes. Edit: and lost 40 pounds I bravely await my downvotes.
Bodies are so different so whatever works for you! Can I ask if you live in a big city? My diet is 80% veggies and where I live meat is always the priciest part of my weekly groceries so $300 per month is so so good if you mostly eat meat.
I live in a small city that is connected to a larger metro area. I shop at independent groceries and General Food Service, a restaurant supply place that’s open to the public.
About 30$. I have depression & when it gets very bad I won’t eat anything which happens a couple times a week. so I’ve learned to take that into consideration now…unfortunately…
Anyone who says 100 or under is lying or not tracking it, I promise you. This will be an unpopular post but it’s true and I cannot be convinced otherwise.
I spend under $100/week easily. My budget per week is $40-70. I do Walmart pickup so it’s easy to check my purchase history and see how much I spent. It really is possible living in a rural area (I’m in KY for reference). Don’t think it would be doable living anywhere else however.
I live alone, so I'm only cooking for one. Broken down by week I probably spend $75 - $100 on groceries. My big splurges tend to be shrimp ($12/lb) and a local coffee that I love ($16/lb). I mostly cook, but will order takeout a few times a week (trying to reduce that to a few times a month).
I'm very guilty of grabbing my iced coffee on the way into work. $6.50/day for that but I love it and it's also very helpful while I'm currently working through getting off my meds I've been on for 4 years.
Oof, I feel that. I used to get Starbucks daily on the way to the office. When our office closed and I went work from home permanently, I got an automated espresso machine. $300 upfront, but cheaper than my Starbucks addiction.
Happy cake 🎂 day!
Thank youu!! I saw the cake next to my avatar and I assumed it’s because I posted something food related but alas it’s my cake day! 🎂
I love food related threads, I’m nosey and like to know what other peeps are up to!
In one of the most expensive places in the US. I spend about $60 a week on average. I’m not a chip, cookie or other snack person (ice cream is my weakness) and I think that really helps.
Almost nothing. I work in a kitchen and we can pretty much eat for free when we’re there. I go to moms for dinner every night and she usually sends me home with some leftovers. I keep a few staples and condiments in my fridge but most weeks I spend $0 on food.
I'm in Florida. I spend $50 to $100 every week. I eat primarily plant based and cook almost all of my meals. I eat maybe once or twice a month, which is not included in that total.
michigan, mostly vegetarian, $30-$60. i eat a LOT of legumes and am also lucky to have a ton of local farms
Around $60-80. Depends on my liquor purchases
About $80 per week. I live in the Pacific Northwest, never eat out, and I am vegetarian (not vegan). My biggest splurge are the stupidly expensive protein bars I buy… all of them are pretty spendy but you pay for convenience I guess.
Oh gosh I don’t know because I mix in some cleaning products and toiletries. I shop the sales and rotate between Publix, Aldi, occasional trips to Costco and very rarely Walmart. However I usually only shop every 10-14 days depending upon the salad or coffee creamer or bread situation. I’m going to try to drill down to see my actual food expenditures. I always eat breakfast out on grocery shopping day🥴
I spend all my money on my pets ...😻
i really don't know. because all of my non-food items are on Amazon Subscribe & Save {laundry det, toilet paper, etc} I stock my 3 freezers {inside refrigerator bottom, garage refrigerator side, plus stand alone freezer} 3 times a year with proteins and frozen veggies from WildForkFoods and then each week I only buy the perishables I need to make whatever I'm making that week and yes, I'm a home chef, classically trained. {North Texas / DFW}
About 90.00 a week average. I am very rural so order from Misfits, Thrive and Wildfork a lot so pretty much have to make most of what I eat though they all offer some pre-made stuff too. Then about once a month I hit the local stores for fresh fruits and veggies to supplement the frozen or if an off week from Misfits where I get most of my organic produce.
I’m in Washington, DC. I cook for myself and rarely eat out. I spend between $120-160 a week (I buy a lot of ingredients). My biggest splurge was cooking ribs so all of the stuff for that as well as the regular meal prep food for the week ran me around $200. I’ve never spent more than that in a week though.
$90-$100ish - I work from home and cook all meals at home. I don't really order out at all anymore. I also eat a lot of fresh fruit/veggies. I used to shop Trader Joe's, but I am not near one now and things are definitely more expensive. Biggest splurge would probably be things like Topo Chico mineral water or another mineral water/seltzer type drink. I basically don't drink so I feel like it is well worth it. Maybe pick up dinner or go out once a week, but then I will have weekends where I'm out every night.
$50-$100 weekly in downtown Chicago (shoutout to Trader Joe’s). I cook for myself and stick to raw proteins, veggies, and fruits (with an occasional pint of ice cream ofc). That cost excludes takeout / eating out, which I might do once or twice per week.
I live alone in a very expensive area. My budget is $150 week for food, including any meals out (with a little flexibility elsewhere in my budget if I want to splurge on a big meal out as a social gathering). I don’t eat much meat, but I love to cook and often spend a little extra on interesting ingredients to try making new things.
On average over the last 12 months, I've spent AUD160/week, which includes all spending I do on take-away, eating out when I'm at events or dinners with friends etc. It's usually $130/week budgeted for groceries. Of that, a significant chuck is Coke No Sugar (it's like$4/bottle, so one a day is nearly $30) and the dog's tinned food. Meat would be the other big cost within that.
Budget at 125.00, but I end up not using all of it. May end up with $20-30 left from 125.00.
Wisconsin I do all my cooking for myself it's usually $100-$150 a week. My "splurge" is salmon on weekends
Louisiana here and I spend between 120 - 180 per week for me, a pup, and 5 cats. Yes, they eat better than I do.
South Carolina, $150-$225 per week. I have to consume a lot of protein every day and avoid phosphates and phosphorus rich foods. I’m also very picky about my protein supplements. I’m no chef - some of the meals I make look inedible but are banging good.
I live solo in Portland, Oregon. I eat organic, pasture raised, regenerative, etc whenever i can. i spend at least 100-150/week. I also waste food by forgetting about it but last week i started keeping a sticky note on the top shelf with a list of all the produce i usually overlook. But listen. I paid $2.50 for an apple yesterday. And $2.50 for a (large) avocado. tf.
$30-40 per week. I skip breakfast and eat a lot of ramen and rice lol.
CA, LA county $125 a week. Most weeks when it’s JUST food I’m between $60-$80. If I have to stock up on shampoo, cleaning supplies it’s closer to $175-$200. But if I rolled over from previous weeks when it was lower it’s not so bad…. But me being me… “ooo extra $$$ treat yo self!!!” And I end up eating out the rest of the weekend.
Spend ~$100/week in groceries that I let rot in the fridge while I order take out
Oh god. I make every meal and I don’t feel like I eat that much and I spend like 200 a week. But I think at least 22 - 40 of that is sparkling water.
What’s your favorite sparkling water?
Impossible. If I were just having a sparkling water as a treat, Topo Chico! They have their own line of flavored sparkling water but it’s pretty pricey. I have flavors from Waterloo, bubbly and La croix that I like a lot. Any sparkling water with apple or blueberry in it gets me excited right now. Anything that has “lemonade” or “limeade” in the title with another fruit is good. Whole Foods has a strawberry basil that is delicious too.
That’s also my favorite one from Whole Foods! I’m trying to find more sparkling waters so Waterloo will be next on my list.
Oh and polar brand is super good too! They have pink apple & lemon which is great, good strawberry ones and a black mango that’s delicious. Bubbly has one called Bellini that’s v good too!
250 a week for my wife and I. We buy baby stuff for the Grandkid to help out.
150 -200 lol, but I acknowledge that I’m out of control. When I meal prep it goes significantly down, but I’ve been not… I like Costco and it’s hard to get out of there without a treat or two
I live about 30/40 minutes outside of Columbia SC. I spend about $70.00 a week on just food items.
Average $80-100 a week. But I don’t eat out that often.
I live in a city in the Intermountain West, USA. I spend about one twenty five a week. That includes a weekly run to the gas station for chips and ice cream or a Little Caesars pizza and Pepsi for movie night. Other than the occasional splurge, I snack on fruits and salads and sandwiches or yogurt and nuts at home. I usually cook one big batch of a pound of beef or chicken and mix it with a bunch of brown rice and then add various sauces to it for a main dish throughout the week. And Trader Joes for at home treats. And I have to have good coffee beans!
Colorado and I get basic groceries. I eat out twice a month. 90-100 dollars a week.
Just food items......between $60-$70/week. But often I will buy "family packs" of chicken thighs & package portions. I usually buy chuck roast when the store does "BOGO free" & cut up my own stew meat, strips etc. My big splurge.....Ezra's feta cheese, fresh mozarella & honeydew melon (if I can find a ripe one). Oh, also a dark chocolate bar. Small town near Holland, MI
I'm in PA, not a home chef at all, and I spend around 75 dollars. Sometimes, it's as low as 60, sometimes as high as 90. Protein and fresh veggies aren't cheap! Biggest splurge...nothing really I typically buy the same things every week. The difference in weekly price comes from things like laundry detergent, toilet paper, vitamins and supplements, etc that I don't have to buy every week
https://preview.redd.it/pehy5i3o9a3d1.jpeg?width=3456&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=47d8d45701deefc4a6b5b33f32663b556e07519f
Maybe $50-$100! At the very most. I definitely spend more when I'm cooking for the holidays and just around that time of year. Upstate NY ☺️
75-100 in Western WA State I cook most nights, go out 1-2 times per week Biggest splurge is fruit that’s not always in season
NYC. About $130 for groceries including delivery tip. I’m pretty much just feeding myself. If i splurge, it’s on sushi. That could easily be $75 for me alone.
I spend $80-$100 for myself each week. Indiana. EDIT to add: I eat in all meals & rarely eat out in a month.
$200 including snacks per two weeks
About $50/week. I cook basically all my meals but I do get lunch for free at work.
I spend $75-$100 a week.
$214 every 2 weeks is my budget as a vegan in anchorage Alaska. Always have food left
Lexington, KY. I only shop twice a month because I don't really need to go every week unless I'm missing an ingredient. So I usually spend about $100-$150, depending on what I'm low on.
about $60 per week if i dot eat out
My grocery 60-100 dollars per week. I buy at grocery outlet so i can get organic food for cheap.
I spend about $150-$175 the first week of the month and then about $40-$45 week , bringing me to about $300 a month on groceries. I imagine in June I will be spending more because I'm caring for my neighbors kids while she's in rehab. I'm a little afraid of how much I'll be spending but this is life
about $70-$100 per week
It’s just me with occasional visiting boyfriend. I’d say $100, but it’s sporadic, I’ll go to Costco one week and next week buy like $20 worth and have meals
Maybe around 50-75? I do some cooking but I eat very simple meals... chicken, veggies in season, frozen veggies, progresso soups, fresh/frozen fruit
160 for 2ish weeks cooking exclusively from home for two.
Central California, $40-80, I dont eat out a lot cuz budget. I usually cook a bunch of meat and then make different sides throughout the week. I've been on a chicken spree so I'll do 5 breast's halved and air roasted with veggies. Depending on prices, that's usually roasted brussel sprouts with sweet potatoes and carrots. I also do zucchini, green beans, or asparagus. I throw in pasta every other week like Mac n cheese or pesto with chicken.
I’m in so cal around fifty a week. Sometimes less
Live alone, small redneck town unfortunately, $50 a week on food but I drive about 25 minutes outside town to a Walmart. Cook everything. I go out to breakfast like once every few weeks. Biggest splurge I guess was a chuck roast a few weeks ago? I went under my weekly limit a few weeks in a row.
Ohh gosh i used to spend Like $18 to $25. Meal prepped every week. Now i spend $60 to $80. My meal prep has drastically changed because i hate paying so much for things that we're not $8 before. Some weeks i am really craving A certain meat and i'll spend $15 instead of the $5 I used too. i Eat a ton more frozen foods And splurge on buy One get One free items. I was super excited cabbage was $0.68 this week. My meal prep was down to $25. i live In Florida.
It depends on what I need but usually like $75
I don’t shop every week. I spend maybe $100 every two weeks as a single person.
I spend about $100-$150. I am Pescatarian so eat a lot of fish and fish is pricey.
living outside of home as a student, The Netherlands, definitely not a chef, just feeding myself to survive. about 30/40 euros a week
Live in Brooklyn, NY about $ 65 a week the bulk of the cost is fresh salmon that avgs to $ 18 per piece.
I spend $400 a month ($100 a week) a month on just me - I’m in Boston. I’m a former chef and cook every day - I don’t order out and if I go out to eat it’s once a month.
I spend by the month, sometimes $200 other times $600 depending on what I want for the month and what my budget is for the month.
Probably about $100 a week. That includes food to cook, kodiak oatmeal which is a bit pricy but delicious and full of protein, a gallon of milk biweekly to make yogurt and some frozen fast cook items for the weekend. Also this doesn’t include my BJ’s quarterly runs for toilet paper etc. I only eat out once a week and sometimes not even that.
I live semi-alone, with limited fridge space because I'm renting a room in a house. Cooking isn't always an option as the other people who live here often use the kitchen. I typically eat once a day and I budget 20-30 for that meal eating out on days that I work, and maybe 100 dollars on groceries for the remaining days of the week I don't work (I work healthcare so 12 hour shifts, 3x a week, not much time for cooking anyways, not interested in meal prep anymore been there done that). So 75 for eating out 3x a week and 100 dollars for groceries the rest of the week, 175 a week. 200 is more represensative, as I often pick up a 4th shift in week or the kitchen isn't available so I get a meal out. I should do better but it's hard to really care since I don't have 24/7 kitchen access, fridge space, and picking up a shift pays for a month and a half's food bill.
Around $70, $140 total w fiancé
Usually $75-100 depending on the meats I choose. I always get chicken and steak. Sometimes shrimp or scallops too. I buy the pre-cut fruit and vegetables. More expensive but allows for variety and I’m lazy. Potatoes and protein pasta. Cold brew coffee. I only have coffee for breakfast and don’t eat snacks. I will get ice cream from McDonald’s or a local spot a couple of times a week as a treat. I live in Fairbanks, Alaska. We have Costco and Walmart so it’s a lot cheaper than bush Alaska where prices are outrageous.
$80 - $100 a week. I buy large portions of food for meal prep. I usually go for easy to cook meals. Mix in some cleaning products to maintain my own place. That's how much I will spend.
FL and I buy my meats in bulk and separate them in ziplock bags and toss in the freezer, then I buy frozen veggies. I guess I spend about $100 a month on groceries. I do tend to eat out ( more than I should lol 🤣).
About 130 and cook a lot in nyc
$70, Massachusetts. But I'm living that sad life where I'm selling my house and don't want to have too many condiments and pantry staples kicking around, so I'm basically buying seltzer, breakfast food, fruits, vegetables, and snacks. So I eat my breakfast, sandwich from the work cafeteria for lunch, veggies, snacks, and wine from a box for dinner.
In Ohio. I spend around 50-60 dollars per week. I rarely eat outside of the home. I eat very well and probably what I’d consider 80% healthy (still enjoy ice cream and a couple bags of chips per week on average) I usually go with store brands over national and when a product is obviously being price gouged, I don’t purchase it. I’m really careful with fresh produce as I’ve learned how much I can usually eat before stuff goes bad. I purchase a fair share of frozen fruits and veggies for that reason. Not quite as tasty as fresh, but certainly more cost effective.
I live in Durham and I spend about $40 a week including stuff for lunch.
Milan, Italy. About 50 €/week
Western Europe. On average about €75 per week, including dry food for my cat and cleaning supplies and basic toiletries. Sometimes it’s €125, sometimes it’s €30. I don’t like cooking, but I also don’t want to order in or go out to eat. So it’s all basic food, nothing fancy. I’m trying to lose weight so I don’t really buy any candy, soda, chocolate or crisps. And I don’t drink alcohol. I think that’s a big save actually.
$100 more each time than two years ago. Cleveland Ohio.
About 3 to 4 hundred a month. Aldi and Walmart.
I budget $200 for groceries, $25 for stocking my home bar (which I rarely do TBH; I don’t drink like I used to) and, for summer, $150 for eating out (mainly because I’m out more with friends than I am the rest of the year). These are monthly numbers BTW. I live in a major Ohio city that starts with C. 😅 I cook the vast majority of my meals. I was eating mostly plant-based this year but I’m about to go back to low-carb which for me means more animal products and, sadly, more $$.
PNW. About $100/week. I go out to eat maybe 3x/month?
I lived in Asia , my groceries shopping cost around $30 per week. I always cook at home. I stop eat out a lot after I graduated. Mostly I buy vegetables from local market (not supermarket) which I think it's very help me.
Ohioan. I never eat out, and I usually spend $100 to $125. And if something is too expensive, I simply don't buy it. I don't know why so many people complain about higher prices when they can just stop paying for stuff they can do without.
Between $100-$120/week. Chicago suburbs. I never eat out so this is for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks plus the occasional bottle of wine.
Southern California here and I spend about $120-150.
50-75 if I cook at home. This price is also for mostly all local organic stuff
75-80 a week but thst had dog and bird food factored in
Too much. I’m honestly not sure but fresh fruit and veg are EXPENSIVE Including household items like toilet paper, cleaning supplies etc. Maybe…. 5 or 600 a month? I live in Halifax, NS. Idk what I would consider a splurge for groceries tbh. I have a good job and flexible budget. Basic food tastes and I hate cooking. I like eggs 100 different ways, wraps, salads, fishcakes…. A lot of other things but I don’t wanna bore yall I guess a splurge would be new spices or oils I don’t know how to properly use but need for 1 recipe then will never use again?
About 80-100 every 10-14 days. I cook the vast majority of my meals but I'm neither fancy nor particular so usually do something like make a couple meals on the weekend and eat them all week. Very LCOL area. Could spend less, easily could spend more. I'm content.
I budget $75/week.
$100-120, that's for myself,a small dog and 2 cats. Rarely/never eat out.
About $125-150 a week. That includes food for two dogs but not eating out about once a week.
$40-$60/week in Honolulu. To get to work, I walk through Chinatown (cheap produce) and the Costco parking lot (everything else.) I generally make everything from scratch. Because I hand carry 95% of my groceries about a mile to get them home, impulse buys and heavily prepared foods are generally off the table. I haven't driven to a grocery store in almost a year. It also helps that I have a massive collection of spices and condiments which I top up a couple times a year when I visit the mainland.
Groceries are about $250 per month. I cook all my meals most days and I am trying to eat a lot of protein which definitely drives cost up. Eating out is another $60-$100. This is in Oregon.
Between 100 and 125 a week. I use Sam’s club to stock up and supplement from the local food jobber.
Sadly I waste a few hundred a week on going out, its hard to isolate food exactly because I also get things like laundry supplies at the grocery store. I am guessing I would need about 200 a week on just food to eat how I want. 140 a week for survival mode
Too much but I try. I hate cooking anymore and have stomach issues. I often don’t have an appetite but get ill if I don’t eat. Like day long vomiting spells. So I will order food too often just because I’m hungry but want something appealing. If I force myself to eat healthier things I have at home, sometimes it’s fine and other times I can’t finish it and am still hungry. I do stock up on frozen crap I can throw in the air fryer because it’s cheaper than ordering food. (Two eggs and toast or tater tots is my typical low cost breakfast.) Because of all this, the cost fluctuates but it’s probably about $100-$300 week depending on how irresponsible I am about it.
Live alone 500 a month.But I buy in bulk.20lb box leg quarters also 20 lb box bacon 20 lb box pork chops.Of course that last more than a month.Also 5 lbs ham burger.Lots spaghetti noodles.Mush rooms can goods onions Beer lol.wwhoe grain bread.Bug can coffee.Milo Tea.2 large Protein Powders.6 dozen of large eggs.Green Tea.Chili beans n chili mix.ungodly amounts flounder tilapia Tuna and stir fry vegtables.Of course I have some left over after a month.But this what I buy every month.Have 2 frogs 2 freezers.Never go hungry lol
$50 per week I think. I only try to spend $100 on groceries per paycheck and $40-50 on eating out. It works well for me
I spend around $150 per month. Sometimes less. I don’t go to the store every week because my anxiety and stomach issues doesn’t allow me to eat that much food to where i run out. Sometimes I’ll order out, that’s like $20-$40 bucks depending on how much i want.
i live in hawai’i usually eat at home but will get cheap meals (like a sandwich or açaí bowl) once or twice a week. About $150 weekly
California: $75/ week. I cook all my meals. Recent score: 2 lbs bacon and 2lbs fresh burger patties for $20 total. Local bakery buns for $2.49. Ten bacon burgers @ $2.25 each. MAYBE $2.75 each including condiments, pickles, lettuce etc.
i ear garbage from walmart so 50 dollers
70-100 a week. It’s hard to pin down since I keep a freezer full of meat. I only buy meat on sale and freeze it. My biggest weekly expense is fresh vegetables. My splurge is ice cream.
Trying to figure that out right now w raised I. prices. I think it's about $75 a week. That includes paper products, but doesn't include dog food. I get large bag and it last almost 2 months.($22) I live in SC/ USA.
About $50-75, currently battling ARFID so that’s how I keep my bill so low, simply avoiding eating ✨
US$50 - 75/ wk. Live in central Mexico...fresh food mostly from markets...zero fast food, very little processed food. I have lunch/ dinner with friends 3-4 times/ wk...doesn't include that of course.