Someone said it costs 5k to make pesach. Way too high?

amother

OP ↓

Thu, Nov 07 2024, 6:34 pm

someone was telling me it would cost 5k to make pesach at home. that seems like a wild exaggeration. what do you think is a reasonable cost for a family with, say, 4-5 kids under 10? this is also OOT where things will cost more.

amother

Seashell

Thu, Nov 07 2024, 6:37 pm

It's gonna be different for everyone.
What kind of matzos do you use? How much will that be?
Wine?
Produce?
Meat?
Fish?
Do you use manufactured items? Which? How much?
What about entertainment? Making pesach may mean less people around so maybe trip or something?
This is all pesach itself.

Of course there's all the prep as well, when you may need extra help/shortcuts

amother

Lemon

Thu, Nov 07 2024, 6:43 pm

amother OP wrote:

Technically, yes it costs $5k.

BUT
If you normally spend $2500 a month on food, know it will cost you $5000 that month. Not $5000 for the 8 days.

So technically, it's $2.5k extra.

amother

Bluebonnet ↓

Thu, Nov 07 2024, 6:44 pm

Ive been making Pesach for 15 years already - meaning we already have all pots, dishes, appliances, equipment.

We don't eat gebrochts and I buy very little matza.

We use almost all products and all produce.

I shop cheap sales and do the moadim lsimcha bulk order

I don't have much cleaning help.

I only buy takeout for a day or two of turning over.

I have 5 kids from 6-17.

Pesach last year cost me $2500. Including cheap Chol Hamoed activities, takeout and cleaning help, cleaning supplies, etc

So $5000 seems like a lot but if you've never made Pesach, it doesn't seem insane

amother

Ruby

Thu, Nov 07 2024, 7:12 pm

If you’re not including chol hamod trips and clothes shopping five thousand is very generous. If it’s your first year and you’ll buy a mixer, a food processor, pots etc, you might spend five thousand but you can spend less if you shop sales and try to save. If you know you’re making Pesach for the first time, this year, buy appliances and stuff over the winter whenever you see a good sale. There’s no law that you have to buy everything in one month and this way it’s easier on the budget.

amother

Steel

Thu, Nov 07 2024, 7:48 pm

Sukkos was about $2-3000 for me, family of 5, three kids under age 11. Lakewood.

Clothing for kids (this year it was cold and a three day yt)
Shoes
Food for yt
Esrog and Lulav
Chol hamoed trips ($100 two times)
Paper goods

For pesach I hire more cleaning help- an extra $400
Someone to kasher the sinks $200
Have to buy new spices and ingredients etc

If First time making pesach - then you need to add cost of all new stuff pots pans towels etc

Oh and matzah and wine of course! I forgot.

amother

Vanilla ↓

Thu, Nov 07 2024, 8:06 pm

It can be $5k. Two years ago it cost me $4,000 to make Pesach for 14 people. Last year I did a better job of shopping sales and it was closer to $2,500. But I have my pots and utensils and storage cabinet and kashering materials already (I bought things slowly over the years).

ETA we are frugal and don't make cakes or buy milchigs. I also don't buy new wardrobes for Pesach.

mizle10 ↓

Thu, Nov 07 2024, 8:18 pm

Matzah is very expensive
Wine is expensive
Meat is expensive

That's before you start with all the nuts and expensive oils for a simple cake
My kids eat a lot more yogurt/leben/string cheese than they usually do

I doubt it costs me less than 5k but I'm also not being particularly frugal

amother

DarkPurple

Thu, Nov 07 2024, 8:21 pm

Yes, it costs us approximately 5K to make pesach. I have 6 kids ka"h including some teens. Between clothing, food and trips, it definitely costs that much. It shocked me when I made the realization. By now I know to expect it

amother

Puce ↓

Thu, Nov 07 2024, 8:46 pm

It could cost that much. We live out of town, keep cy, host family and have guests. We're kids 4 adults, plus guests. Pesach costs me an extra $1000 more than regular groceries.

I don't pay extra for cleaning help before pesach, we only eat hand matza for seders, guests bring their own matza for seders. We eat regular machine matza. Kids wear their Shabbos clothes. We ise real dishes for the seudas and cheap disposables for chol hamoed.

amother

Vermilion

Thu, Nov 07 2024, 9:26 pm

I don't have a cheshbon but we use only hand matza & plenty because we don't eat many other foods. Only specific shechita so no deals on meat either (our " specials" are more than regular price in the cheaper stores) lots of fresh fruit & dairy. Karp fish. Basics like salt & sugar & dish soap & toothpaste only kfp. I wouldn't be surprised if we spend that much on groceries alone with our small family.

All the silver foil to cover counters & plastic tablecloths, grape juice etc- so many expensive required items. Pre checked Lettuce for marror..

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sat, Nov 09 2024, 7:42 pm

I'm not in town, but can someone explain why everyone needs lots of money to buy "clothes" for pesach. and if you're buying clothes for pesach, presumably they can be used for a while after that, so you're just really buying clothes as part of a year around budget and seems odd to allocate that to pesach spending.

amother

Seafoam

Sat, Nov 09 2024, 7:48 pm

amother OP wrote:

Yes, it's really summer and seasonal clothing- clothing you are buying for the season ahead.
I like to buy everything before Pesach if possible so we can enjoy it on YT if the weather allows for it and so that the stores don't run out of the sizes I need!
and there is a huge range. when I was in different financial positions, there were some years I spent under 1k on my whole bunch of kids, and some years I spent alot more than that..
also depends on ages and stages...outfitting teenagers is a whole different kettle of fish!! I used to spend way way way less on clothing when my kids were little!!

amother

Firebrick ↓

Sat, Nov 09 2024, 7:49 pm

amother OP wrote:

Of course it’s not only for Pesach but Children have growth spirts, seasonal changes

gottago

Sat, Nov 09 2024, 7:49 pm

OOT here. If you have made Pesach before and can get your groceries from "in town", and are frugal, it could cost about half that.
I find that things cost less out of town because the expectations are lower or non existent.
You're buying summer Shabbos clothing anyway, so that doesn't count as Pesach expenses.
If there's no takeout option, you'll save money, chol hamoed trips tend to be less elaborate...

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sat, Nov 09 2024, 7:57 pm

amother Firebrick wrote:

Of course it’s not only for Pesach but Children have growth spirts, seasonal changes

based on the responses so far, seems like it's really not appropriate at all to consider clothes as part of the cost of making pesach. plus, you need to buy the same clothes whether you make pesach at home or go to your parents or go to a pesach program. the cost of clothes is part of the cost of being alive.