How much do YOU PERSONALLY spend on food per month?

[spintheblackcircle]

I'm the first to admit I spend a fair amount on food for myself. I was having this conversation with my fiancee yesterday and decided today to look over my CC statements for all of 2012 to how much I actually spend (on average) per month on food for myself. I looked at my CC statements because the majority of the time that's what I use. I never take a lunch to work and a lot of the time I will buy lunch even when I'm off.

I did NOT include the following in my monthly food spending...

- Grocery shopping: On a different joint CC even though it would obviously include items that only I eat. I think we say we spend $200-300 a month in groceries.
- Restaurants: Where we ate together (joint CC) or made on my personal CC where it was obvious that I paid for multiple people based on the amount. If it was obviously just for me then I included it.
- Delivery: Any type of order-in food (different CC anyway) or if for some reason I paid on my CC. I would say between restaurants and delivery we do $200-250 a month.
- Cash: Any food I bought for myself using cash. Obviously difficult to track, but I will estimate that I personally spend $20 a month cash of food for myself (probably conservative).

Average personal food bill per month: $190 on my CC + $20 (likely conservative) cash purchases = $210

$210 (personal) + $400 (low end) for other mutual food purchases = $610 a month for food for 2 people. Does that seem high? Keep in mind my fiancee says she only buys lunch ($10) at max once a week (she always makes a lunch).

[Milfman]

Quick search showed this thread

http://forums.redflagdeals.com/how-m...-food-1069003/

[Super_Chicken]

milfman that's a super old thread though

I spend around $50-$150 a month on food (living at home ) depending on the month. Of which I would say that's 100% restaurants ($50/mth) /bars ($50/mth) /fast food ($20/mth).

[Rhaegar]

I track my expenses pretty closely and have been for a few years

Groceries kind of varies for me as sometimes one or the other of us does more or less shopping in a month, but my wife and I combined, do about $450 a month in groceries

Restaurants we don't share expenses and I probably pay more than her, but I have averaged $300 or so per month over the last few years. She does about $100-150 probably

[DarkMemoria]

Single mid 20's male - I spend ~$600-700 / month for groceries + eating out for lunch / dinners.

Had a browse through that old thread and theres people that live on like $5 a day or less and feed their entire families for less than $100 / week. WTF.

[Jungle]

^^Yup
2012 grocery cost came in $201.79 month, (two people.) OR $3.31 per day, one person lol
Resturant spending came in $28.01 month. (two people)

[adamtheman]

These threads have proven to be irrelevant. The answer is anywhere from $100 a month to $1000 a month. It would be like me starting a thread asking "How much do you spend on gas each month?" and people just posted their amounts, without posting how far they drive or what type of car they have. Without seeing the type of groceries people are buying, then for all we know someone could be eating nothing but macaroni. Also, some people use coupons and some don't. Some shop at discount stores and others shop at more expensive stores. Some eat natural and organic foods, and some don't.

[Jungle]

Some tips on how we save:

1. Do not waste food-ever. Learn how to plan properly so it's not thrown in the garbage.
2. Always shop at the discount grocery stores and price match loss leaders and sales items. Same products are 10-40% cheaper!
3. Prepare as much food as possible. Don't be lazy. Pre-packaged. or box/container food is often 100-1000% more expensive than making it yourself.

I can go on, but do a google search for "how to save on grocery"

[bill0326]

The best thing to do is make a list and when you go to the supermarket, don't go on an empty stomach. You will buy allot of crap you don't need.

[nalababe]

800-1000 a month on groceries.
Very little waste
Lots of fruits and Vegetables.
Fish
Limited Red Meat
Both kids are eating machines...and thin.

Family going to restaurants 200-300 a month. Minimum is 75 dollars a each time
Probably Pizza once a month - $40-50

As an aside, I don't make a list and then shop as you end up paying more in the end. I visualize my meals based on what is on sale at the time. I also shop 3-4 times a week for food.

[cashinstinct]

about $450-500 grocery total for 2 people a month.

Restaurants around $100-150 total per month ?

Make a list, once a week grocery, try to base meals on the specials, go to 2 grocery stores maximum (maxi and maybe another, depending on sales, go to the market during the summer...).

[LostInTruth]

Too much. I am definitely cutting back this year and making my own food.

[starboy869]

Eating properly for two people your looking to spend on avg $400-$500/m.
Ie. Meats, veg, dairy, fish, etc.,

Eating crap/garbage food is cheaper. but your personal health is affected. A bag of chips vs some broccoli.

[dgnr8]

Last year Mint revealed that we spent $656 a month on groceries and restaurants, we are 2 people. This year we are challenging ourselves to alternate between spending $300 1 month and then $500 the next. So we will have one tight month followed by a month with more fun. Our strategy is going to be focusing on batch cooking and freezing on 1 Saturday a month. We are doing our first batch tomorrow. I have 6 recipes that we are going to batch cook for 4 full meals each. The total cost of the 24 meals for 2 people is going to be $103.

We are only doing all this because we want to pay our mortgage off in 8.5 years.

[LostInTruth]

Eating properly for two people your looking to spend on avg $400-$500/m.
Ie. Meats, veg, dairy, fish, etc.,

Eating crap/garbage food is cheaper. but your personal health is affected. A bag of chips vs some broccoli.

Keep in mind eating healthier also keeps you feeling fuller. Whole grain is always better.