HOW MUCH on groceries EACH WEEK?

I was just wondering how much other people spend on groceries each week. I only shop for myself and it seems that i spend a lot of money, so i was wondering what the average person spends!! thanks a ton. oh, and if you have any tips on how you actually shop and not ones based on some internet article..lol. i've read them but i want to hear what real people do!!

edit...MESSED UP AND SAID $50 A MONTH AND MEANT A WEEK

I spend about $50 a WEEK!!  on myself and i get foods that i actually like, the grains last a while so i don't have to buy them every single week. bread, pitas, english muffins about 1x per 2 weeks. i buy the perishables weekly and goodies. the veggies are what cost a lot. is $50 a lot...is that me being too self indulgent. i get severe buyer's remorse when i buy ANYTHING, so i feel like i'm being too self indulgent.

Hi, My husband and I spend about 100$ a week. This includes personal items, and non grocery stuff. We are on aver y tight budget and can not seem to spend less than this amount and get what we need. We used to be able to spend about 50-70$ but prices have gone up.

Hello,

I spend about 150 a week for my husband, myself and two kids. this also includes non grocery stuff. i should just be honest and call it my wal mart budget but about half gets spent at sam's club. same thing though i guess.

It all depends. Some weeks, I can get away with $30 a week for just myself. Stock up on basics like whole grains, cereals, bagged beans, pasta sauces, and frozen vegetables when they're on sale, then just add in perishables like produce and dairy when you need them.

I'm not "average" by any means, but I probably spend $200.00 +/- month)limited income.  Become a value shopper, look for sales, buy in bulk and portion it out.  The one single food group that I spend the most on is for fruits and vegetables.  I eat a lot of legumes, rice, potatoes, practically no beef and that's only because of the price (ouch!)  I shop a lot at Walmart.  We don't have a SuperCenter close by, but the one that's the closest is constantly expanding it's food selections.  If you use Splenda or other artificial sweeteners, Great Value brand (Walmart) sells boxes that contain 200 packets for around $2.29.  I don't buy Lean Cuisines, mainly because freezer space is limited for me.  I have a roommate that will eat my food if I don't disguise it as something that it's not.  I store tortillas (when I have them in an empty bag of Splenda powder.  I use powdered milk, because I only cook with it.  I've also seen the roommate drink from the carton of fresh milk, so that put a stop to that.  I have a pantry in my bedroom that would rival any convenience store.  I do print coupons off the internet; but be careful not to print too far in advance (expiration dates seem sort of short).  I prefer some name brand items so I'll hunt down their websites and get put on a mailing list, but for the most part the store brands are fine.  Tobasco sends me a new one (coupon) every month.  Hillshire farms is good about  sending their coupons as well.  If you have a Grocery Outlet where you live, by all means shop there.  You can't always get what you are looking for, but it's a great start for tuna, canned shrimp, crab, scallops, mushrooms.

Hope I gave you a few tips.  I've never had money to waste, so becoming frugal has become sort of a mission for me.  When I get that really great unexpected deal and can mentally think SCORE!, I smile all day.

Another helpful item is buying Ziplock vacuum storage bags.  I have a regular vacuum sealer, but idiot roommate can't seem to cut off the right end, rendering the bags useless.  They're expensive.  Ziplock bags come with a hand pump that removes the air to prevent freezer burn and you can get the whole set up for around $6.00 (well spent).  Reynolds wraps also makes one, but it is battery operated (yikes, batteries), and from what I've read, they seem to die rather quickly, plus cost twice as much to get started using.  The bags are reusable for both brands.

Good luck to you!  Keep me posted. 

Fifty dollars a month is peanuts! You have no reason whatsoever to feel guilty about that kind of personal expenditure.

Me and my husband spend about $80-$100 a week, sometimes a bit more if we run out of dog food for the poochie.

50.00 a month is nothing!!!  I second that post.  It is just me and I easily go to the store about 2-3x a week and easily spend 70.00 a WEEK!!  And I live in TX, groceries are pretty cheap here...but I am picky..and I pay for it apparently!

I am in NY and things here are expensive. I can reach $70 - $100 a week just for me. 

I live by myself, and spend about $70 total on food each week.  About $30 of that goes to the farmer's market, and the rest goes to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's.  In the summer, those numbers get switched.  I pretty much don't go out to eat, so, even though I spend more on groceries and produce than most people I know, the total amount I spend on food is less.  

whew...i am normal...lol. i am quite small so $50 seemed like a lot. especially compared to all the girls who i live with. i get severe buyer's remorse and feel like i don't deserve ANYTHING not just to spend money on food. i can't buy a $5 shirt without thinking about returning it. when i do buy something it has to be really on sale. hmm...i don't know how to overcome this. 

I've been watching my spending closely lately, and it seems to be averaging ~$300CDN a month at the grocery store for one person.  Admittedly, that includes toilet paper, laundry detergent, stuff like that, but these 49 cents for a pound of apples deals that I read about on CC simply don't exist where I live - especially not during the winter months!  *Nothing* grows here between October and May.  I'm hoping summer groceries will be cheaper.  Two more weeks 'till I can go to the farmer's market...

i spend about 30$ a week. i always buy lots of fruit, veggies, dairy products, muesli.. and a few non grocery items. i don't buy a lot of meat - too expensive! that's just for myself, if my boyfriend stays for lunch or dinner i have to spend a little more, because he eats A LOT.

Im in the UK and i end up spending the equivelent of $70-80 per week just on myself(inc household stuff and dry cat food).

It amazes me how fresh vegetables can be so expensive when i can buy junk food like pizza and burgers for half the price!

As others have said, $50 a month is next to NOTHING!

I spend about $200-250 a month and I buy my lunch nearly every day at work besides (there's a decent cafeteria with plenty of lower cal and vegetarian options).

I also live in the UK and $50 is approx £33 at the current exchange rate... If I could spend this little, I would be incredibly happy. I buy for myself and my bf, we are seriously trying to cut back on our food budget but it is hard to get out of the old routine. We would easily spend £85-100 ($130-150) a week on food, household stuff and maybe a magazine or two, but this was before I joined CC and before seeing sense!

Not sure whether food in the UK is just generally more expensive(?) Fresh fruit and vegetables are ridiculously priced, rarely look edible and go off within days. Frozen alternatives are much better in price and quality I find.

I don't know of any greengrocers local to me, there was one where I live but it closed down within a month. The only place I know (other than the chain supermarkets) to buy fruit and veg is at the market in the city centre which, although is only 5 miles from me, is absolutely manic at the weekends and I can't go in the week as I am working.

The UK government is very much 'get your 5 a day' in the last couple of years, but they certainly don't make it easier to buy the stuff. As windra06 said, the burgers, pizzas etc are much cheaper.

Original Post by safina1:

I am in NY and things here are expensive. I can reach $70 - $100 a week just for me. 

me too

I'm married with 4 kids (all under 12), and we budget about $225/week, although we often go over for things like extra milk, bread, and eggs throught out the week. This number also includes non-grocery items like diapers, wipes, shampoo, laundry deteregent, kleenex, etc.

We are two people, a cat, and a dog. We spend anywhere from $20 to $70 a week on groceries and other items. We try to keep it under $50. We always shop at Wal-Mart to get the best prices. I think we do a good job of budgeting!

It's just me and my dog and I spend $50-70/ week depending on how much produce I buy. Produce is really expensive and it can make my total go up really fast. 

Original Post by cryndigo:

We are two people, a cat, and a dog. We spend anywhere from $20 to $70 a week on groceries and other items. We try to keep it under $50. We always shop at Wal-Mart to get the best prices. I think we do a good job of budgeting!

2 people a cat and a dog, for less than $50 a week?? wow, i am unusual. i am tiny and spend 50 each week. i knew i was being too self indulgent. i live in LA and it is pretty expensive but sheesh, 2-3 people can live off of my food budget.