Early Retirement Extreme Forums

I have been pondering how much money I spend on food lately, always having this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that I could do more to lower my costs. Well, it turns out that we aren't spending that much on food and I should probably stop thinking so much about it......

This article lays out a nice chart that groups food budget levels by groups of people.



I cannot believe these costs! What are people purchasing that costs so much money?

I was curious where I sat on this chart and so found a few quick stats on organic food. About 90% of our grocery bill is certified organic and so there is a large premium to pay. Turns out its about 47% on average.

If I'm doing my math right, 90% of 47 is about 42% premium we are paying. Our monthly bill has averaged $249/month this year. At a 42% reduction our costs would be about $144/month.......for two people! $72/month/person.

That puts us well under the "thrifty female" category which is the lowest on that chart.


Where do you sit?

I used to pay an ungodly amoutn before ERE because I ate so much food. I calculated that on some days I was eating literally 5 lbs of food, 3 of which were meat (not counting bone weight). I've restructured it with the goal of staying under $10/day, which is tough for me given that I eat paleo, lots of meat, and organic produce.

Lately I have easily been under $10, with leaner days being more like $4, and pig-outs being around $10. And I only go to restaurants on the rare occasion necessary to keep my gf happy. Date nights and such. I'd say my average is around $8/day, ($6 for 1-1.5 lbs of meat, $2 for organic produce) so ~$250/momth. For most of you that would be absurd, but for me this is a significant improvement.

I've looked in to buying meat in massive bulk, but it is actually cheaper to just wait for sales and buy a mini-cache of what's on sale. CSA's are also no cheaper than buying produce on sale. The only two recourses that I can see to further reduce my costs are to simply eat less food, or move to the country where I can grow my produce and run some chickens.

I just checked my YTD monthly average expense for groceries and it is just under $40.

Groceries is italicized because I do not consider meals out to be food as much as entertainment, considering I eat for ~$1.33 per day with groceries and I frequently spend 10X that on a single meal out. I don't go out to eat for nutrition, I go out for fun.

A few things that keep the grocery bill low: buying bulk staples, only buying produce that is in-season/preferably on-sale/just plain cheap (bananas), a plant-focused diet with the majority of protein calories coming from legumes, a diet of less-frequent eating (theoretically it shouldn't matter, but I find that I eat less on Warrior Diet), family who always send me home with leftovers, and a desire and appreciation for simplicity in my life.

Interesting table, but I don't understand how for example the "family of 2" sums end up being more than simply adding M+F costs in the columns above for the relevant age ranges? Two single people spend less on food individually than a couple together? Makes no sense.

In general their numbers look inflated to me. They must include a lot of processed foods. We spend about $600/mo on groceries, so $150-$200 per person, depending on whether or not you count the (100lb) dog and his special, expensive diet. Clearly a lot among EREs, but we would be deemed 'thrifty/low-cost' by this chart. And I basically don't sacrifice. If there is organic option I choose it. Milk is $6.50/half gallon, eggs $7-8/dozen, shrimp $20/lb, and so on. I suppose DH being vegetarian is a naturally frugalizing factor. And the kid and I don't need to eat a lot quantity-wise. Five jumbo prawns for two is a filling lunch.

Currently we spend $350/mo for an average of 5 people per meal (multiple kids coming/going).

@Peanut, I'd say it's accurate that a couple spends significantly less than two singles, especially if they prepare food at home. If I live with you, we don't each need our own personal container of butter, or our own jar of jam, or our own paprika. We likely go through it quicker, yes, but most people throw such items out eventually because they sit unused too long. A couple who pools infrequently used items probably buys them on the same schedule but is much less likely to waste them.

So far in 2015 I'm averaging about $206/mo which is really pretty lousy, although according to the chart I'm in between thrifty and low cost. My reason is that I've spent a lot of extra time at work and so relied a little more on convenience food from the grocery store than I would like. That reason doesn't serve as an excuse because I could invest more time on the weekend to adapt to the longer work days. I just haven't.

We average about $259 (£185) on food for two adults and a baby (formula).

Core food budget is about $200/mo for two adults. Luxury (restaurants, junk food, & E-Z-cook) can bump that to as much as $400/mo if we're not judicious.

I spend about $100/mo on groceries. I buy mostly whole foods (ie. nothing processed or premade), and find it pretty easy to meet my needs with what I spend.

Considering the chart is based on nationwide price averages, it might seem higher- or lower- than what individuals spend simply based on regional differences and spending habits (i.e. buying paper towels instead of getting a reusable washcloth). If you're below the thifty average, I'd say you're doing well, though, in terms of ERE.

$183/month on average for the last 7 months for a family of four in a middle income developing country.

£40-£60 a month for one adult male 19 years old (with plenty of protein for my weight lifting lifestyle)

In the interest of TBT, I went back over my CC statements and pulled all charges from where I food shop. The totals may ( I hope) be high, since a number of big numbers come from a Walmart supercenter and probably include nonfood purchases.

The weekly average is $61.20. This is for 1 adult.
I rarely buy "heat and eat" type of food, And I do inventory foods on sale.

Still, it's way higher than the more frugal among us. I was surprised. I'm pretty sure I'm over $50 per week in fact.

Maybe like $0-100 a month for me, depending on how much free food I can find. (:

When I lived with a previous partner and we shared food, the cost went down to $0-75 per person because of economies of scale. There was A LOT of food.

The higher end of the cost spectrum includes liberal veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, grains, spices, oils and other foodstuff bought at Aldi, a local food store, and "ethnic" stores. I haven't really gotten down to figuring out when the loss leaders occur or only buying food that's in season, but maybe I will...eventually.

For any interested in replicating this, I only buy unprocessed plant-based food with a mix of organic and non-organic food. (I'll eat unprocessed animal products if they're prospected after an event or safely preserved in the back of a grocery store). The local food stuff has even taken to offer a $.99 reduced produced section--excellent for smoothies, and some of the stuff only has a tiny smudge or cut!

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I could definitely foresee myself paying the premium for only organic food and for avoiding in-store food packaging. This would likely double my food cost every month to $0-200 a month for me, so I'll likely make the change later in life. For now I'll trade some economic efficiency for environmental efficiency....and FIERE faster.

I went back from the beginning of the year and pulled every purchase listed under groceries between the big box store card and my regular card. I have to say, I'm shocked to see the monthly average at $605.63 for two people and a cat. That's including everything that can be bought at a big-box store outside of food, and cat food, plus paying for the food for most BBQ gatherings with friends. Take out just the non-food items and the average goes down to $545.30 a month. Drop the cat, and it's closer to $535. That puts us between a low-cost and moderate plan.