S/O Finances $1000 a month for food?

amother

OP ↓

Yesterday at 6:19 pm

If you have a large family, and you are spending $1000 a month on food, can you PLEASE post how you do it? Please only post if you include chicken, meat and snacks for your kids (nobody here will eat rice and beans). Bonus points if you make all lunches yourself.

I thought it wasn't possible but I would love it if I were wrong, my food bill is many times that number, and we eat very simply, or so I thought.

Please?

amother

Dahlia ↓

Yesterday at 6:26 pm

Ours is about 1.2k a month for a family of 5.
Breakfast is either : Thomas’s bagel with cream cheese, oatmeal from a big can of quick oats, or generic cereal with milk.
Snack: kids are each allowed to take 1 snack bag (bought in bulk from Costco), 1 granola bar (also bulk from Costco) and have to supplement with bagging pretzels, home made popcorn, or fruits and veggies.
Lunch: one kid gets lunch at school. Other kids and I take pasta or a sandwich, husband takes dinner leftovers.
Dinner: 3 nights a week fleshig- either chicken or cheap cuts/ ground meat. It ends up being about $15 of protein a night I then stretch with rice etc. other nights are pareve.

ETA- my kids also know they’re only allowed 1 store bought yogurt a day- if they want more they have to take the homemade.

amother

NeonPurple

Yesterday at 6:33 pm

amother Dahlia wrote:

Ours is about 12k a month for a family of 5.
Breakfast is either : Thomas’s bagel with cream cheese, oatmeal from a big can of quick oats, or generic cereal with milk.
Snack: kids are each allowed to take 1 snack bag (bought in bulk from Costco), 1 granola bar (also bulk from Costco) and have to supplement with bagging pretzels, home made popcorn, or fruits and veggies.
Lunch: one kid gets lunch at school. Other kids and I take pasta or a sandwich, husband takes dinner leftovers.
Dinner: 3 nights a week fleshig- either chicken or cheap cuts/ ground meat. It ends up being about $15 of protein a night I then stretch with rice etc. other nights are pareve.

ETA- my kids also know they’re only allowed 1 store bought yogurt a day- if they want more they have to take the homemade.

I assume not 12K, but 1200 a month?

amother

Fuchsia

Yesterday at 6:35 pm

amother Dahlia wrote:

I hope your serving that with some gold

amother

Garnet

Yesterday at 6:37 pm

I shop sales all of the time. I stock up on sales. My kids know that they are only getting something if it's on sale, basics or a necessity. Aldi for almost all Fruits and vegetables and mostly whats on sale. I spend just over 1k a month for a family of 8. Bh, most kids receive lunch in school. However, my husband and one toddler do need lunch. It's not easy and I understand that most people can live without their favorite brands. Bh no allergies but I am very careful on hechsher so that's hard.

cupcake123 ↓

Yesterday at 7:11 pm

For breakfast we usually have eggs or pancakes (that I make) or cereal or oatmeal all relatively cheap
Lunch is Sandwiches and applesauce and cheese or similar...
I eat grilled cheese or avacado
My husband will often eat supper leftovers
Supper is chicken , shnitzel , meatballs ... we rarely have milchigs.
Shabbos:
Fri night we eat salad soup and meat
Shabb day cholent
I make my own challah dips and I bake a TON. My kids take my muffins, cookies...for snack daily. I'm very picky about snacks lol. I usually don't spend more then 30 cents each. I'm anyway picky about the unhealthy factor so mostly buy potatoe chips, pretzels....

I live in Lakewood here there are a lot of good sales on chicken and meats I find kosher west pretty consistent. 6.99 for chicken and for shabb meat I consistently find 9.99/10.99
Ground beef can be as low as 3.99

amother

Petunia ↓

Yesterday at 7:19 pm

cupcake123 wrote:

You mentioned in the other thread that you don’t know exactly how much you spend on groceries but you assume around $1k.

I think you would be surprised if you carefully track your actual expenses. It’s possible you are spending much more (also possible you’re not).

Btw, when most frum people list an amount they spend on groceries I think they’re included anhthing they bought at the grocery store even if it’s not actual food. Disposables, candles, cleaning spray, sometimes paper towels, etc.

amother

Beige

Yesterday at 7:22 pm

I spend about $2,500 per month for a family of 10, bh. I don't nickel and dime, and I'll buy something if my kids ask (unless it's something astronomical) but I do shop sales and I'll buy the cheaper option if there are 2. We're not big meat or protein eaters in my home, more starch and vegetables.

↑ cupcake123 ↓

Yesterday at 7:30 pm

amother Petunia wrote:

I can go back and look at my cc statement I'll try to report back.
I only include disposable in grocery bec I find that's cheaper in frum stores but all the other stuff I would buy in target/ Walmart.. (and don't include in my 1k)

amother

Mimosa ↓

Yesterday at 7:39 pm

cupcake123 wrote:

How many lbs of chicken cutlets does your family eat at dinner?

We have similar menu (although ground beef has not been 3.99 for years and I live in Lakewood)- but we spend closer to $1600 a month.

amother

↑ Petunia ↓

Yesterday at 7:40 pm

cupcake123 wrote:

Ok I’m actually so curious how accurate your estimate is! Not because I care to nitpick how much you specifically are spending on groceries lol, I’m just interested in the psychology behind finances in general and how well people estimate their expenses.

amother

↑ Petunia

Yesterday at 7:43 pm

We have 3 kids, I don’t drive myself nuts in the grocery but I also am price conscious to a certain extent. Don’t spend a lot on prepared or frozen foods, don’t buy expensive cuts, like to buy on sale, etc. I also host once or twice a month.

I spend about $1,500 a month on food.

BTW OP you should include restaurant/take out spending in your question! Because some people don’t realize they’re spending $300+ on food outside of their actual grocery bill. They’re not calculating their Starbucks or their pizza pie or their sandwich from the gas station.

↑ cupcake123 ↓

Yesterday at 7:44 pm

amother Mimosa wrote:

How many lbs of chicken cutlets does your family eat at dinner?

We have similar menu (although ground beef has not been 3.99 for years and I live in Lakewood)- but we spend closer to $1600 a month.

Really I bought 3.99 in KW and NPGS very recently. The very large packs.
For chicken cutlets I usually make around 1.5 pounds. Just putting it out there that I have young kids that don't eat a ton. I feel like if you have teenagers it's a whole different thing

↑ cupcake123 ↓

Yesterday at 7:46 pm

amother Petunia wrote:

Lol same. I'm also curious!
Calculated one cc and now I'm doing the other one