Groceries Budget | Imamother

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Groceries Budget

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amother

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 10:35 am

Can I (or how can I) keep my groceries Budget monthly down to $1850 per month for a family of 2 parents and 2 kids 5 and under?

We do keep chalav
yisroel and pas yisroel but happen to have issues with gluten and dairy in the family so I keep dairy and baked goods purchases to a minimum already.

Any recommendations of suppers, shopping lists, tricks or tips to make this a reality?

amother

Pistachio

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 10:37 am

How much do you spend now?
(I read your numbers and couldn't believe it, similar family size avd we spend £800-£1000 and that's with splurging and buying convenience food and I think it's loads!)

amother

Clover

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 10:40 am

you make me feel better. that it's not just me seriously I'm starting to feel sick to my stomach when I go to the store Sad

amother

Cognac

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 10:54 am

I find that it really depends where you do your grocery shopping. Shopping at lower priced/discount stores (like Moishas, bingo, kolsave) help a lot. If you’re in place with limited grocery options, that makes a difference. Some people buy basics at Aldi/shoprite/walmart. And also shopping what’s on sale and stocking up. I buy meat/chicken/salmon when on sale and fill my freezer.

amother

Winterberry

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 11:24 am

You absolutely can.
I spend half WITH splurges.

The easiest way to tell you how to cut down is for you to tell us how you spend...

tichellady

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 11:26 am

Probably more beans and legumes and less meat and fish

amother

Cyan

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 11:28 am

When you say groceries, are you including non food items like diapers, cups, paper towel, etc?

amother

Denim

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 11:38 am

Where do you live? People can give you tips on where to shop more cheaply. In Lakewood Kosher West sells ground beef for $4.99 pretty often. I look out for their ads in the voice and stock my freezer. Aldi sells fruits and veggies plus pantry staples like rice, flour, sugar etc for very low prices.

amother

Scarlet

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 11:40 am

amother OP wrote:

We have a grocery budget of 2000$ a month for our family of 7, 4 adult sized eaters, 3 child sized eaters.

We eat lots and lots of protein - Chicken, fish, meat, milk, cheese, eggs. Still able to keep to the budget.

What does a typical week's shopping look like? What are you buying?

You should be able to keep to a $1850 budget.

amother

Clear

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 11:49 am

Does this include household items like paper towels, diapers etc?
If not, then you spend the half the amount easily!
We spend about 1k a month with the same size family. We buy a lot in Aldi and Costco and the remainder in Jewish stores. We rarely buy prepared foods like pizza bagels etc. but overall we buy normal food and it's not difficult to stay in budget.

amother

Seablue

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 11:49 am

amother Pistachio wrote:

How much do you spend now?
(I read your numbers and couldn't believe it, similar family size avd we spend £800-£1000 and that's with splurging and buying convenience food and I think it's loads!)

How?? I spend minimum £250/week generally £300.

USA prices are more expensive .

amother

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 1:22 pm

amother Cyan wrote:

When you say groceries, are you including non food items like diapers, cups, paper towel, etc?

Yes.

amother

Daphne

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 1:24 pm

amother OP wrote:

Yes.

where do you live and where do you shop presently? I think you should absolutely be able to stay within budget.

amother

Sunflower

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 1:29 pm

amother Seablue wrote:

How?? I spend minimum £250/week generally £300.

USA prices are more expensive .

Same I'm spending around £80 Tesco £80 kosher shops £60 butchers £40 top up shop. And added another £60 if I host for Shabbat

amother

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 1:29 pm

amother Scarlet wrote:

I have to pack lunches for the two kids so need snacks and things for them. The refuse to eat sandwiches so it's either cheese sticks or yogurt or crackers and tuna with apple sauce or raisins and a bag of cheerios.

They eat either cereal with milk or oatmeal for breakfast (buy in big containers and flavor myself)

I eat eggs for breakfast with coffee.

Husband and I don't eat lunch, if I do it is leftovers.

Suppers we do fleishigs on shabbos plus one night a week of chicken on the bone. The rest is tofu or tempe stirfries, bean/lentil and veggie soups, egg based dishes. I have been trying to serve more vegetables and less unhealthy recently due to health issues for all of us. I usually serve a protein, salad and brown rice or potatoes as a side.

I have one kid still in diapers.

amother

Currant

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 1:37 pm

What you posted sounds very reasonable.

Can you write down your actual grocery list for the week? If you don't have one, that is a good place to start. Make a list and stick to it.

amother

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 2:50 pm

This was our shopping list this past week:
Detergent
Onions
Potatoes
Mushrooms
Cherries
Raisins
Bananas
Mangos
1 cabbage
1 butternut squash
5 lbs brown rice
3 packs tofu
Veggie straws
Salmon
3 boxes store brand cereal (do this once in a few months)
Oil
One can chickpeas
One can olives
Bag dry beans
Frozen peas
Frozen green beans
Eggs
Curry powder
2 loaves of bread.
2 packs applesauce cups
8 yogurts
1 qt milk

Two stores $174 and $40 ($214)

My freezer is full of chicken and gefilte fish for shabbos

amother

Currant

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 3:22 pm

amother OP wrote:

Is this a pretty typical week? If your weekly spending was similar most weeks, or even double, you'd be well within your budget. So where are the extra expenses coming in?

amother

Royalblue

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 3:28 pm

All of you guys in the UK are you including nappies/plasticware/soaps??

Btw meat/chicken is cheaper in USA

amother

Whitewash

Tue, Jul 02 2024, 3:31 pm

Your food shopping sounds pretty reasonable. It's it dry goods breaking the budget? We buy store brand everything and try to eat on real dishes (I bought hard plastic sets for the kids) as much as my sanity allows

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