$400 monthly grocery budget for family of 4?

[afan]

Hmmm ... I buy almost all my chicken (breasts only) at Costco and then freeze those little packages. I almost never have to trim them. Maybe the thighs are different?

BTW, I thought about this thread when I spent $225 at Costco yesterday .

ETA: I also buy my cage free/organic eggs from Costco because I prefer the taste. I bought a pair of stakable plastic egg containers on Amazon to hold them in the fridge since the Costco container is so big. I *think* they are about $5-$6 for 2 dozen, which is actually a bargain for cage free and organic eggs. However ... if I were on a strict budget I wouldn't hesitate to buy cheaper commercial eggs.

We only buy breasts. It may be what we get here, I doubt Costco stocks all stores from the same plant/vendor. It also may be different levels of tolerance to what one person would leave on and another would trim.

 

[Sadeesmom]

I only skimmed this entire 6 page thread; I did not read it, but here are a few of my thoughts:


-I buy two bags of the $19.97 frozen chicken breasts at Walmart per month. Otherwise, we get all our meat in bundles from a processing plant (usually half a hog every few months). It is cheaper, healthier, & tastier in my opinion than anything I have bought at Kroger/Wal-mart/Hy-Vee. We do NOT buy a lot of beef, and definitely no seafood.
-I shop Aldi's first - monthly for staples, weekly for fresh fruits & veggies. Then I go to Walmart for anything else unless I saw somewhere else had it on a great sale (then I go in without a cart or basket so I ONLY get that item)
-Like mentioned multiple times already, eggs are amazing. I make egg muffins for breakfast a lot (think mini omelettes) and have hard boiled eggs for an afternoon snack with some fruit.
-Leftovers never go to waste.
-Drinks are water, orange juice, tea, and more water - nothing individually bottled except one $4 case of water monthly for on-the-go moments.
-Household items such as dish soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, etc are a separate budget item & not included in my grocery budget ($40/month).
-Eating out is a separate budget item & not included in my grocery budget ($100/month for two of us).

-I spend ~$170/month now for myself and my teenager. (This has increased ~$40/month since March when I started buying a few more junk food items to have around the house)
-Location plays a HUGE role in your food budget, so for reference, I am from the Midwest.

All that said, I think $400/ month for four is 100% possible depending on where you live.

 

[Rory607]

We are a family of four as well and I don’t think I could get down to $100/week unless we really changed and restricted what we ate. Covid has really increased our grocery bill due to everyone being home more and food prices going up. It’s crazy. I’ve been shopping at ALDI much more and then going somewhere else for a few other items. I try to do curbside for those other things so I don’t end up buying impulse items.

 

[barkley]

see I must be the only one who doesn;t think Costco has good meat prices.... they're so expensive! I do better at my local grocery store pricewise.

i'm on the same page with you.

i used to almost exclusively buy from costco our regularly consumed meat (ground beef, pork, chicken) but i've found that if i watch the sales at my local stores they all have (absent pandemic shortages) one weekly meat item they are offering as at enticement pricing so i watch the ads and stock up accordingly. i can get the same foster farm whole chickens for as low as 89 cents per pound (drum sticks and thighs as well), boneless/skinless chicken breasts for less than $2 per pound. steaks and roasts i've always found less expensive at my local stores. as far as ground beef goes-i can also get it on better sales and w/a lower fat content. pork? i can get a pork tenderloin and slice it myself for a fraction of what costco charges. the only meats i absolutely default to costco for are corned beefs (they get the nicest and best priced near st. patrick's day so i get 4 large ones to keep me set for a year) and boneless leg of lamb (consistently the lowest price).

 

[tasha99]

Shopping sales at a restaurant supply store and a freezer could help. For example, my smart food service store currently has boneless skinless chicken thighs for $40.80 for 40 pounds--$1.02 per pound. At Walmart, they're 2.5-3x that price. The downside is, you have to deal with a 40 pound box, and those boxes are separated into 4 10 pound frozen blocks. Many, many deals like that at restaurant supply if you are willing to deal with processing and preserving the food. Not worth it to many, but it can work well with some added effort.

If it's cheaper (and you always have to check) buy eggs by the 5 dozen. Save your cartons so you can move the eggs into them for storage. People sometimes shy away from restaurant and Costco sized produce orders because of waste, but when that food gets wasted it's because it wasn't dealt with properly. Almost anything can be preserved. But . . . it's sort of a time vs. money problem. We do okay with just 2-3 people and buying bulk, but it's because I put a lot of thought and time into food management. If a gallon of milk is going bad, I make paneer cheese and serve it rather than letting it rot. Or with buttermilk, I might do that, or freeze it into ice cubes. A $4 #10 can of San Marzano style tomatoes works for us and is almost 4x as large as a 28 oz can of Centos tomatoes, but it mainly saves us money because I freeze the excess and manage to remember to thaw and use it next time I need tomatoes. Etc.

 

[StacyStrong]

I’ve been thinking about this a lot over the past couple days. I initially thought $400 was way too low. However, I didn’t start really paying attention to my grocery spend until COVID happened. I switched over to Whole Foods for their free delivery and haven’t looked back. I don’t suggest shopping Whole Foods if you’re on a tight budget, obviously, but I mention that to say I’m spending way less ($600) than I was previously even with shopping at Whole Foods. I guess cutting $200 more wouldn’t be a stretch if shopping elsewhere. We also buy what we want (save for steak because outrageously priced).

 

[Darcy03231]

We're a family of 3 and there's no way I could get to $100/wk and still eat healthy meals. I live in the Northeast where food prices tend to be high. Our local grocery store (Market Basket) is the least expensive and where we do the bulk of our shopping. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with a lot of fish (DH has cardiac issues and isn't a fan of poultry). We tend to make everything from scratch and avoid boxed/canned foods due to the sodium content. We average around $150-$175/wk, which also includes cleaning and paper products.

 

[crisi]

Shopping sales at a restaurant supply store and a freezer could help. For example, my smart food service store currently has boneless skinless chicken thighs for $40.80 for 40 pounds--$1.02 per pound. At Walmart, they're 2.5-3x that price. The downside is, you have to deal with a 40 pound box, and those boxes are separated into 4 10 pound frozen blocks. Many, many deals like that at restaurant supply if you are willing to deal with processing and preserving the food. Not worth it to many, but it can work well with some added effort.

If it's cheaper (and you always have to check) buy eggs by the 5 dozen. Save your cartons so you can move the eggs into them for storage. People sometimes shy away from restaurant and Costco sized produce orders because of waste, but when that food gets wasted it's because it wasn't dealt with properly. Almost anything can be preserved. But . . . it's sort of a time vs. money problem. We do okay with just 2-3 people and buying bulk, but it's because I put a lot of thought and time into food management. If a gallon of milk is going bad, I make paneer cheese and serve it rather than letting it rot. Or with buttermilk, I might do that, or freeze it into ice cubes. A $4 #10 can of San Marzano style tomatoes works for us and is almost 4x as large as a 28 oz can of Centos tomatoes, but it mainly saves us money because I freeze the excess and manage to remember to thaw and use it next time I need tomatoes. Etc.

Time, money and space. We have plenty of room - a refrigerator, an upright freezer, two bakers shelves worth of pantry in the basement - in addition to a walk in pantry and refrigerator in the kitchen (if anything there is too much space - anyone want a box of Rice-a-Roni from the 1990s? I think I might have one - making time for pantry management has never been a priority). But I know that in a lot of ways I'm privileged. The Costco is a mile and a half from my house. I live in an area with a lot of good farmers market option and where there are still a lot of food co-ops. We get much of our meat and eggs from a couple of friends with farms (which isn't cheaper, but we do it to support our friends who want to keep their small family farms going - they aren't making money off it either, we are paying what it costs for them to do small scale farming). When a friend called to say "this is the price for half a hog, or a whole hog" we had the money to buy all that meat at once. I know how to bake bread from scratch and the have time to do so as well. That's not something you can take for granted that everyone has - the time to cook from scratch, the money to stock a pantry, or the space to keep it all.

But our electrical bills - with a freezer and two fridges, plus the excessive number of PCs in our home.......

 

[2China2009]

We are family of 3. 1adult, 2 teens. Aldi’s is my favorite. Then Kroger. I find huge markdowns at my Kroger dairy,meat,cereal, veggies. I do quote well. I would say we are $300 month. Lots of fresh fruit/veggies etc. I cook from scratch most days. Kids have been home for 6 months. I think $400 is very reasonable especially if you all eat well. I have a deep freeze where I put put all my markdowns in. It is full and will last a long time.

 

[DLgal]

see I must be the only one who doesn;t think Costco has good meat prices.... they're so expensive! I do better at my local grocery store pricewise.

What? I get like 10 pounds of chicken tenderloins for $25. That's insanely cheap and it's air chilled, which is usually like $6.99/pound at the supermarket. I also get 4 pounds of grass fed ground beef (comes in a 3 pack) for $19.99. That would cost almost $30 anywhere else.

 

[DLgal]

And we don't agree with that. The chicken at our Costco looks awful compared to what we can get at the grocery store. It's all about the stores you have. We do buy ground beef at Costco though, works out better for us.

But I also think all chicken is worse now than it used to be. You have to trim way more fat and the gross stuff off than before. Or it's a difference in the brand I was buying in NC vs what we get here in WA, but even my mom who's always lived here thinks it's gotten worse.

I started buying breast tenderloins. It's ALL edible. I don't have to trim anything so the bang for the buck is better and no more issues with "woody breasts." That doesn't seem to happen with the tenderloin section. I used to have to throw away SO much tough chicken.

Think about switching to tenders. Best prices are TJs and Costco in the fresh meat section.

 

[afan]

I started buying breast tenderloins. It's ALL edible. I don't have to trim anything so the bang for the buck is better and no more issues with "woody breasts." That doesn't seem to happen with the tenderloin section. I used to have to throw away SO much tough chicken.

Think about switching to tenders. Best prices are TJs and Costco in the fresh meat section.

No idea what Woody breasts are. So I'll just post the grossness. Trimming fat is one thing and I get it, but I don't want bloody veins or other things in my chicken. It's gross.

It's also not just the fat you have to trim but on a lot of the chicken breasts, whether at costco, Safeway or somewhere else, you can see the lines of fat in it and it's not something you'd be able to trim off. It's not good quality. I looked at on sale chicken at Safeway last month and it looked horrible.

Switching to tenders doesn't help when it comes to trimming or for things we like to cook.

Like I said, it's entirely probable we're all looking at different brands and if not I'm sure they are coming from different farms. Not all chickens are raised the same not are they processed the same. So we buy the best of the options we have and pay a bit more for it. But we're also ok with that.

 

[barkley]

What? I get like 10 pounds of chicken tenderloins for $25. That's insanely cheap and it's air chilled, which is usually like $6.99/pound at the supermarket. I also get 4 pounds of grass fed ground beef (comes in a 3 pack) for $19.99. That would cost almost $30 anywhere else.

that's crazy expensive for tenderloins at $6.99 per pound. the non sale price around us runs around $3.59 per pound (on sale this week for $2.79 per pound). grass fed organic ground beef is comparable to the store price here as well except it's on sale right now for $15.49 for that 3 pack.

i agree that costco sells some meat items for less (like the legs of lamb i get exclusively there) or items that are hard for me to find elsewhere (i like ground bison) but with some i just can't beat my locals. i happened to go to costco yesterday but before i went i checked my local ads-they couldn't come close to the $1.69 per pound sale price that my local was having on fully trimmed boneless/skinless chicken breasts so for that item i went local.

 

[disneychrista]

that's crazy expensive for tenderloins at $6.99 per pound.

I just checked the prices here and it is closer to $7.99 per pound now. Up from about $6.99 earlier this year.

 

[hsmamato2]

What? I get like 10 pounds of chicken tenderloins for $25. That's insanely cheap and it's air chilled, which is usually like $6.99/pound at the supermarket. I also get 4 pounds of grass fed ground beef (comes in a 3 pack) for $19.99. That would cost almost $30 anywhere else.

I've never seen the chicken.... I've seen the OG ground beef,and while that is a decent price for the 3 pack,it's the same as I pay at Aldi for the same product. That's my point, the meats are either the same,or higher price,plus an annual fee to shop there.

 

[StacyStrong]

What? I get like 10 pounds of chicken tenderloins for $25. That's insanely cheap and it's air chilled, which is usually like $6.99/pound at the supermarket. I also get 4 pounds of grass fed ground beef (comes in a 3 pack) for $19.99. That would cost almost $30 anywhere else.

I don’t at all doubt what you pay, but I can get this at Whole Foods right now. I live outside Chicago. Granted, it’s not grass fed, but I also don’t think Costco is always the best option when you also have to pay for a membership.

(I don’t generally shop grass fed or organic to be fair)

 

[DLgal]

I've never seen the chicken.... I've seen the OG ground beef,and while that is a decent price for the 3 pack,it's the same as I pay at Aldi for the same product. That's my point, the meats are either the same,or higher price,plus an annual fee to shop there.

Trader Joe's sells a similar quality ground beef, but it's only a 1lb package. The individual packages at Costco are 1.35 pounds. I didn't notice that for a long time, but you basically get an extra pound for the price. Also, the Costco meat is much better quality. It's way more tender and flavorful. I've switched exclusively to the Costco beef.

 

[DLgal]

I don’t at all doubt what you pay, but I can get this at Whole Foods right now. I live outside Chicago. Granted, it’s not grass fed, but I also don’t think Costco is always the best option when you also have to pay for a membership.

(I don’t generally shop grass fed or organic to be fair)

We only eat grass fed beef. It's much healthier.

 

[Southernmiss]

Eating healthy is much cheaper than medical bills in the US.

I'd rather up my budget a bit to eat more fruits and vegetables and less rice and beans.

Many of our eating habits are formed as children and are tough to break when we get older.

I was a long time budget meal planner and could squeeze our grocery budget. But have really come to believe we are what we eat.

And now, the grocery budget slides depending on what healthy foods we need.

 

[LovesTimone]

I have been following along for a while and I think that I have read most of the post... Good Stuff...

Here's my take on it for what it's worth... I added a few things highlighted in green...

First off you have to know what you are spending month for Food, Household items, bath and beauty items, personal hygiene products, as well as other item like sunscreen or if you self color your hair stuff like this, bug spray stuff you buy but not consistently...

Then I would suggest you do a through clean out of your pantry, so you know what's there... then do a pantry shopping trip, having a well stocked pantry is essential to keeping your monthly food budget in line... Stock your pantry how you and your family likes to eat, and how you cook, don't buy things to stock the pantry with that you don't normally use on a weekly basis....

I shop Aldi first, you can not beat the price for pantry items, sugar, flour, canned goods, stock, cooking spray, etc... then Walmart for what I can't get at Aldi, some of the items I pick up at Walmart are more name brand like thing like Vlasic or Claussen pickles, or Hidden Valley Ranch, as well they have a large assortments of condiments, and a better array of seasonings, bread crumbs, different styles of rice, as well I like the flash frozen seasonal veggie's.. good prices, and nice to have on hand...

I shop Walmart for OTC med's, shampoo, conditioners, some paper products, household cleaners, normally the price can not be beat... with that said.. I have scored some pretty good deals at BJ's warehouse, I have been buying my face lotion, vitamins,( getting almost double the amount for only like a 2 dollars more than what I paid at Walmart) shower gel, razors ( for both DH and I), deodorant (for both DH and I) paper towels, bathroom tissue, tide, dish washer tabs, DH bath soap (bars), here's were knowing your price points come into play...

Next up, Ad or Flyer sales, seasonal items, meal planning, 2 or 3 for 1 meals, freezer meals... Now all this take practice and getting use to cooking and planning for this, once you get the hang of it...it will become second nature and you can put food on the table quicker, with less money, so a win win.... I had the best teacher in the world my Granny, she knew how to stretch a dollar, and how to flat out make something out of hardly nothing... and make it taste soooo good...

When people say meal planning, there are so many ways to meal plan...

My process is I sit down and plan my shopping trips, I have a old school calendar planner, and I write it down the list on paper, yep you still remember paper and pencils right? Lol , I have tried the notes in my phone and it just doesn't get it for me..... anyway... first I look at the calendar for that month, looking at are their birthdays, gatherings, holidays, kids home from school days, vacation time whatever, and all this goes into planning... Why I do all this is so that when I make the list's, I can include items that I might need later on in the month, so I am not scrambling around having to go to the store for items... With the holiday's approaching quickly, I start what I call a running list on what I will need to for the recipes, and such... so that if I am in a store and they have something like say vanilla on sale, and I know that I am going to needed it, and I can go ahead and pick it up and be ahead of the game...

For me meal planning is not only the meal itself but what to do with everything that I buy, not letting anything go to waste... So if I buy a ham, what am I going to do with it, not just a meal or two, and then sandwiches, what can I use the whole ham for... Things like using the bone for ham and bean soup, which is a good freezer meal, as well you can chop up ham and freeze for use later in green beans or add into a breakfast potato casserole.... So the ham I baked to weeks ago, We had 2 meals, then Ham and rice casserole, ham and eggs for breakfast, sandwiches, DH took some for his lunch, I used the bone to make ham and veggie soup, and the rest I chopped and have in the freezer to add to recipes for later on...

Next I check the sales or flyers for the stores I shop in... making a list of each store and sales offers, and looking at what I need in the running list for the upcoming holidays.. as well working on the list for everyday... this is something that you can so use to your advantage, by knowing what is in your pantry, so you stock up when its on sale. Things like BOGO's or 5 for 5 or 10 for 10 deals... make sure you always know what the normal price is... As well things like condiments, and can goods, go in a cycle, so by the time you are getting low on somethings, it should be about time for them to come up on sale again to stock that pantry...

Shopping seasonal, or promotional is normally a good deal, I have found that a few times what seems like a good deal is really not a all the great... so knowing what you normally pay for something is important... things like fruit and veggies are always a good buy, so incorporate them into your menu rotation... don't buy them not unless you know what you are going to do with them...if you buy 15 bananas just because they are cheap, and then throw most of them away, is not a good deal... so with the 15 banana's, I am going to eat some for breakfast, take for lunch, and make banana bread or banana pudding with them... then that is a good deal..

Freezer meals, can save you from pulling your hair out especially when you have kids that are into everything, or you get stuck on the highway, or you have to stay late at work... Things like meatballs, and red sauce... I make 100 meatballs at a time, it really doesn't take that much more work to roll them, I buy the family pack on sale of ground chuck, and make a basic recipe... I bake them in the oven, on a rack, so they can get brown all the way, and the grease drips into the pan below, so that they are not sitting in fat, I turn them once or twice depending on the size... then we will have something with meatballs for dinner ( normally meatball subs), and then the rest of them go in the freezer - divided up. Same goes with red sauce make large pot, pulling out what you need for a meal if you are going to add in meat, or pasta into it, I divided it up, into Ziploc, you can store alot more in Ziploc... do put on a tray or something in the freezer under them until frozen, so that if you have a leak you can contain the mess, been there done that... red sauce freezes really well... you can use it later when life is throwing you curve, balls... things like meatball subs, quick spaghetti and meatballs... or throw in a crock pot with some Asian marinades for Sunday football, baseball, racing what ever you enjoy they make a great appetizer...

This is alot to take in at one time, here are some of the ways I found the time to make it happen...

I would work on my shopping list at lunch time, as well I use to clip coupons at lunch... I had a hour, so it used it wisely... Check out your favorite stores website, I know with Publix, you can load coupon to your account, and create a printable list, and it will print by aisle in your home store, as well you can add items, and it is as simple as putting in your phone number at the register... and they still take paper coupons...

We would cook on Sunday afternoon, for the week ahead.... DH might grill a bunch of leg quarters, and potatoes and other veggies, I might make a pot of red sauce, and make meatballs...for later in the week and freeze part of it... or a whole roast for beef stew or french dips...

Absolutely do not go to the store hungry... rookie move... as well, if you can keep from taking anyone with you work great, you can really focus on what you are trying to accomplish, I know that sometimes and situations don't allow for this... If you take kids with you, bring them a snack or something to do, once they get older there are this is a good time for a life lesson, teaching them how to shop, and make good food choice's. Really teaches them about budgeting.

Shop from your list - paper and pen in hand... I am saying not to be so ridged that you miss a good deal, sometimes stores will have a store special on something the other stores in the chain won't due to over ordering or items that missed the sales AD... if you are going to buy it and its a great price what are you going to do with it...

Holiday shopping, normally before the holidays get into full swing, most store put it on sale before the holiday rush... check out BOGO's, things like large cans of pumpkin in the can on BOGO, well I don't need both for Thanksgiving, I can use one for Thanksgiving for pumpkin pie and the other for Christmas for cookies or pumpkin bars or treats... by planning ahead and knowing what you are going to use items for, saves money and time...

I shop at Aldi, Walmart, BJ Warehouse, Traders Joe's, and Publix... these are my go to stores... Target and Whole Foods are a sometimes shopping stop, normally it is for certain items...

Good Luck I think that you can do it...

Keep us posted on how you are doing..