What's your average monthly grocery bill?

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  c64 on 20/01/2014 - 13:02

  +1

  $600 seems high. cut out the junk food.

  • 

    mick123 on 20/01/2014 - 13:17

    +1

    Nice assumption.. mate!!

    We have barely any junk food. We are both very healthy eaters and both work out a few times a week. I am guessing most the $$ goes on stuff for baby, then meat/poultry, fish, fruit and veg.

    • 

      yk300 on 20/01/2014 - 17:06

      +1

      since last year I have been attempting to eat cleaner and found out that it was more expensive to do so.

      • 

        Lapse on 20/01/2014 - 18:59

        There's your problem: you are meant to clean with the cleaner, and eat the food! Not the other way around!

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  Velocita on 20/01/2014 - 13:31

  I think my partner and I have a similar bill, but that caters for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day with good quality ingredients. We don't eat cheap and we make a conscious decision to limit sugar intake and junk food overall.

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  baycie on 20/01/2014 - 13:31

  +1

  Wow, that seems really high. We are a family of 5, including a 18 month old, we spend $300 to $400 a month including nappies. We eat healthy and stock up when things are on special. What the heck are you buying to have such a high bill?

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  DarthAntz on 20/01/2014 - 13:42

  As a solo Ozbargainer, I always avoid supermarkets (Coles and Woolworths) and have adjusted my diet around it. I'll go to Aldi once a fortnight for a few select items, and then the rest comes from the fruit shop up the road and the local butcher (Shout out to Pearce's and Bellas). I'm averaging under $25 a week for food, and that's making a 10 minute meal each night for dinner and lunch the next day (vegetarian 2+ times a week). Breakfast is bananas and mixed nuts. Naturally the weekend allows for some splurging above that, but the ~$25 fundamentals is whats most important and what to eat.

  If you cut out coles and woolworths, heighten your awareness of what is already in your fridge and cupboards, know what you are going to eat then you should have an awesome strategy for cutting your grocery bill.

  Having a baby definitely adds to your bill, but again organisation helps. I have no experience there.

  For your situation, i'd aim for $100 a week on groceries, to feed 2 adults and a baby. IMO thats a good budget range and its achievable.

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  danield on 20/01/2014 - 14:10

  +3

  Hmmm, this is not making me feel good about my shopping, but for a couple we usually spend around $600 a month. This includes lunches taken to work too. We have no wastage and only a small fridge/cuboard space so nothing is ever missed etc…
  Although mostly the Missus does the shopping, I seem to be the one that blows out a quick trip to the supermarket for milk and turn it into a $50 snackfest.. Think Im the problem here.

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  Mimbula on 20/01/2014 - 14:20

  I live with my partner and we try to buy most items from Aldi, meat from the butcher and veggies from the green grocer. Coles and Woolies are for specials from catalogues that cannot be bought from Aldi, and we'll buy in bulk when items are cheap to stock up. We also do our best to plan meals in advance to ensure that leftovers provide for lunch the next day as well as the next night. Because this is boring, we only do this about once a week (where there are enough leftovers for two more meals), but that still is a good money saver. All up I estimate that we spend between $100-$200 a week. I find that catalogues are great, and will create shopping lists which I try to stick to, to ensure I don't over spend or be tempted by that chocolate bar.
  Ah, also, if I've made a huge meal such as lasange, I'll often have it for dinner, and then lunch the next day, but freeze the rest for emergency meals.
  I am aware that our pantry has so many cans of food that we've forgotten about, but hey, that might be useful in an natural disaster.

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  baycie on 20/01/2014 - 14:54

  I think the way you shop can have a huge impact on your grocery bill. I buy my groceries at a shopping centre that has a Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and a fruit shop all near each other so I can compare prices, it is amazing how much difference there can be in price, especially for meat, fruit and vege. We stock up when things are on special, for example, we use Huggies nappies, but I won't spend more than $30 on a box and I will buy 2 to 4 boxes at a time, other people will only buy one box when they need it at full price, the same goes for all types of groceries, if porterhouse steak is on special, I will buy in bulk and freeze it. For fruit and vege, if tomatoes are $10kg, well we can go without tomatoes for a week, we buy what produce is on special and in season and we buy up as well, lots of fruit and vege can last for weeks if stored correctly.

  • 

    goosegog on 20/01/2014 - 18:37

    Gordon Bennett!! - Why would anyone contemplate spending $10.00 for a kg. of tomatoes? I thought Perth was expensive but never seen that price charged.
    There are 2 of us + 2 large dogs. I spend apx. $300.00 month + a few incidentals i.e if we need to go to the pet store for supplies. Fruit & veg. are bought separately as coles & woollies charge like a wounded bull - one of my main gripes is re the cost of fruit & veg. here in Perth.
    We too are fortunate enough to have an undercover storeroom so do stock up on non perishables when they're on special- learn to play the majors at their own game & even when they stipulate a limit of numbers to purchase just take one lot of shopping out then come back to stock up with more. Even better if there are 2 or more of you go to separate check-outs with the allowed supply to purchase.
    Also we always bulk buy meat on special, then freeze. I've tried this with vegies , followed all instructions from my freezer book but they always defrost inedible ( but the dogs love them ) - don't know where i'm going wrong there.

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  TheGMan on 20/01/2014 - 17:21

  my monthly grocery bill, just for myself is around $600. Don't buy any junk food or anything special. I also don't live on baked beans or 2 minute noodles ;)

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    DarthAntz on 20/01/2014 - 17:43

    Are you eating $5-$10 worth of meat/fish for dinner every night of the month? doesnt $600 equate to $20 worth of food every day (30 days)?

    You definitely dont live on 2 minute noodles or baked beans. That diet would cost roughly $2 per meal.

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  msmhw on 20/01/2014 - 18:08

  For me its around $400, we have 1.5 years old kid.
  Usually we just have breakfast and dinner there is no much time for a lunch. But we eat some snacks.