How much do you spend on food?

flossy_log_lady

Merry Christmas!

Also: how much do people spend on food/dining? I have no idea how my food/dining spending habits (which I can conveniently see in chart-form on mint.com) compare to others'. Am I spending way too much on food? About right? My dining-out expenses have increased dramatically in the past two to three months, and I need to figure out how I feel about that.

Looks like I'm averaging about $250/mo for 2011.

1234

I spend so much I am embarrassed to figure it out.

If you ever feel guilty about it, just imagine me, drinking champagne and eating oysters and think to yourself, "Well, I'm glad I'm not that asshole." This works for everyone except myself, but I just think of John D. Rockefeller (except he never drank or smoked, so it's not as effective).

Matthew

Food is a good thing to spend money on.

1234

I guess my guilt is more about how little I make food at home. Which is related to money spent.

swamp_knobbler_mahan

Me too (embarrassed + I make very little food at home), but I bet it's at least $500-600 a month. I eat out for most meals. Does this include alcohol? Because then that figure would be EVEN HIGHER.

Leland

I thought flossy's food number seemed quite low, especially if it included drinks. Hard to judge though as I have been buying for about 2.5 people. I spent +$20 on cider last week (personally consuming about 30%). I think $250 is roughly my groceries/mo. Another $150 or so for dining out (if I have it.)

flossy_log_lady

Includes all food/alcohol consumption. I am a lightweight. Feeling like my dining budget is okay, now!

Death

I spend about 150-250 a month on groceries, but I'm in college and stuff. I can't really afford much more than that, but I try to eat healthy with my limited resources. Booze has been costing me a bit more lately, but for most of the first two years I lived in Portland I only spent maybe 12 bucks a month. SOMEDAY I WILL HAVE MONEY AND FRIENDS AND IT WILL BE RAD...maybe.

freddy

Our family of 2.5 spends about $120/week on groceries, including beer. I make most of our lunches. But that doesn't include our CSA, which is a big upfront cost, and it doesn't include Calvin's weekly pizza date ($2 for a slice of cheese pizza for him, $5 for a glass of wine for me).

YoursTruly

FREDDY HOW CAN THAT BE TRUE?!????

Gary and I spend like $800 a month on groceries! GROCERIES, not even restaurants!
I'm doing something wrong!

We just like to eat local organic fancytown stuff...we eat mostly at home

I think groceries are a great thing to spend money on but I think we're doing something wrong, if a family of 2.5 can spend only $480 a month! WTF?

Thus I too was shocked by how low Flossy's number was. Feel great about yourself Flossy!!!!!

freddy

Well, that's just the size of the bill during our weekly grocery trip. I don't keep detailed records but I'm sure we eat meals out a couple of times a week. And remember, CSA not included - so add in $900 once a year.

But I do think that, while you can save a ton of money cooking your own food from scratch, buying lots of seasonal vegetables and bulk grains and beans, limiting meat consumption, and avoiding highly-processed foods, there's more to life than just saving money on food.

Americans have gotten used to paying a shockingly small amount of their budget on food: We spend, on average, less than 10 percent of their income on food, down from 24 percent in 1947, and less than the citizens of any other nation (source). But people stress about about their grocery budget yet don't blink an eye at what they pay monthly for internet + cell phone + cable + netflix + xbox live + DVR subscription.

1234

"But people stress about about their grocery budget yet don't blink an eye at what they pay monthly for internet + cell phone + cable + netflix + xbox live + DVR subscription."

Who... me?

freddy

Sorry, did I forget GameFly?

1234

I don't have cable or gamefly or DVR... so, you know... not so bad... right?

And it's not like I'm skimping on food. The Juice & Salad™ Diet ain't cheap!

YoursTruly

It's so true Freddy. I was just with a bunch of people who it's like they all go to Fry's and buy Kroger-brand yogurt because yogurt is so expensive at Whole Foods (like, first of all, as if all "yogurt" is just exactly the same product, it just costs different amounts depending on where you buy it???) but they all have 60 inch TVs and drive brand-new luxury cars and stuff.

PRIORITIES! If I had to spend the majority of my income on one thing it would be food, for sure.

MirandaJuly

I don't really track the money I spend on food. I feel like as long as I have money, it's OK to spend it on whatever (reasonably priced) food I want. There were so many years where I couldn't afford to eat well, being able to buy food without guilt is one of my greatest joys. I'd say we're 50/50 for meals at home / meals away from home.

zin

Whoa, freddy knows what xbox live is?

curt

According to Mint, I spend between 500 and 600 a month on "food and groceries" (including coffee and alcohol). A large chunk of that is because I tend to eat out a lot, especially for lunch. I'm trying to get it down to $450 but I'm bad at brown-bagging it to work.

ManInTheIvoryTower

According to Mint our household averaged $569/mo this year for groceries for a family of three, which also includes some household spending because I don't split my Fred Meyer transactions anymore. That has taken some effort, previous year average was almost $700 and I was anal about splitting most of that time. We buy all organic produce and all sorts of weird all-natural snacks that are more expensive, and trips to New Seasons and speciality ethnic stores like Uwajimaya and those awesome asian groceries on 82nd, but have started to clip coupons and look for deals.

Startup idea: app that scans receipts with your phone camera and auto splits based on the SKUs listed and the store name and time on the receipt to match the Mint transaction.

YoursTruly

JESUS. How are Gary and I spending so much fucking money

Loose_Thread

A man asked me for a dollar then when I said no he asked me how much my hair cut cost

UncleBoatShoes2011

CONGRATS ON YOUR EXPENSIVE LOOKING HAIRCUT.
it's true.
you look great.

distant_shoe

life is too expensive, but live it we must.

YoursTruly

that's a pretty good burn, by that homeless dude.
your hair does look fancy. "I'm gonna ask this fancy fashionable millionaire for a dollar."

Loose_Thread

my hair cut costs $70..... including the ongoing bribery money to keep me looking good. Seems I can always find the dough for cuts and funny ciggys

1234

Things You Can Always Find Money For

I often feel justified in getting a meal that is a little more expensive than it should be (cocktail, oysters, adding the poached egg, etc.).

As I have limited my wardrobe to one purveyor of fine men's furnishings (and David and Alan Brooks did not set out to make a bargain hunter's dream palace) I have found the increased prices to have skewed by concept of value in clothing. Where I would have said "I'd NEVER pay that much for a jacket!" I know say, "Wow, that is an amazing deal for a jacket!" (I just bought a jacket that I am very excited about.)

YoursTruly

Always Find Money For:
- fancy groceries
- restaurant meals
- bottle of fine oatmeal stout of an evening
- dog food
- coffee

for me it is all consumables. when I'm broke I do not purchase clothing or haircuts or massages or anything else but I will always find a way to buy fancy foods!

MirandaJuly

weej

UncleBoatShoes2011

Always Find Money For:
Rock Band Downloadable Content (NEW SONGS)

the_owls

film film film film film film film film film

& pizza

Judar_Spitzer

Always Find Money For:

moisturizer, pizza pie, whiskey, travel

rare for me to spend a lot of money on clothes / haircut.

UncleBoatShoes2011

Always Find Money For:
Puppet Shoes

flossy_log_lady

AFMF: coffee + a muffin.

Leland

AFMF: Cidah!