I'm budgeting for my apartment next year and trying to figure out how much I'll be spending a week on food. How much do you all spend? How much to you eat out vs. eating in? How much cheaper is eating in over the long run? Do you always eat cheaply or are you less that strict about costs? Any input is appreciated. Thanks.

4/2/2009 1:14:25 PM

I would do it on a monthly basis instead of weekly because you will probably fluctuate a lot week to week

I would ballpark I spend about 500 on food per month, separate from bar tabs

Eating in is significantly cheaper most of the time, but if you stop at fancy grocery stores for your ingredients, it can be comparable to a casual dinner out

4/2/2009 1:22:36 PM

You can dine at home in a healthy way for probably $8-$12 a day average including some typical non-essentials like the occasional soda, beer, etc. I figure each meal I eat is in the $2-$3 range, but I also add in some snacks and a couple of non-water drinks to make up the rest get to the $10/day deal.

Add to that the cost of going out to eat (differs by your personal preferences) and how much you think you'll do things like binge drinking.

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 1:34 PM. Reason : s]

4/2/2009 1:32:31 PM

$20 to $30 a week for me. No eating out. All the food I buy is either unprocessed (chicken breasts, veggies, brown rice) or super cheap/free with sales and coupons.

4/2/2009 1:36:30 PM

yea thats hard to say. When I make my own breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I'd budget for about $10-12 a day. If you buy all three meals (fast food, cafeteria, whatever), I'd budget $15 a day. If you take an average between those I'd say b/w $400 and $500 is a good estimate...lean towards one side or the other depending on how much you plan to eat out vs pack your lunch vs if you never eat breakfast etc. I could eat even cheaper but I hate making meals for 1 but I dont enjoy cooking so I just make sandwiches and stuff and I don't really clip coupons (I will when the girl moves in this summer tho :beatup

this does not include tabs because I don't budget that with food. It does however include snacks.

notice this is a budget...if you get by on the month cheaper (which I normally do) then thats great. Its always great to slighty over-budget essentials and underspend than do the opposite.

^I had gotten my budget down very low before but it was more trouble than it was worth and eating the same stuff got old fast. I'm just happy for now trying to keep it around $10-12 for the day.

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 1:47 PM. Reason : ]

4/2/2009 1:38:30 PM

You also need to take into account whether or not you'll have people over, who you'll be sharing food with, if you have a significant other... etc.

I eat significantly less than my fiance, so when he would spend more time at my place, I would be way over budget for food.

4/2/2009 1:49:02 PM

I keep track of all my expenses so I can give you a good answer for myself.

In the last four months I've spent between $175-440 on food. That includes eating out which I'd say I do about 25% of the time. I also eat pretty large portions.

$440 for a month is also on the high side (next highest was $327) b/c I was on vacation in California skiing for 5 days (a decent lunch at a ski resort is $20, as many ppl know ) Then again the low month ($175) was December so I attended a lot of parties and family functions, i.e. free food.

4/2/2009 1:57:15 PM

I shop at whole foods and spend 250 a month on groceries. I eat three meals a day and three separate snacks a day.

As for eating out I do that Fri/Sat night and it adds up. Give that 20/week. so about 330. Yeah 10/day is pretty realistic

4/2/2009 1:57:31 PM

^^^^ not eating that much helps with the food budget too. I get lots of variety. Chicken breasts, ground turkey, ground beef and roasts. Lots of frozen veggies.

The cat probably costs as much per lb to feed as I do, since she weighs 1/10 what I do and gets grain free kibble.

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 2:10 PM. Reason : ...]

4/2/2009 2:09:37 PM

^^^ yea mine fluctuates a lot. When I am at home for most of the month I'm 300 or less. But I am on the road a lot = eating out or fast food which pulls it up FAST

^ hah yea. I have a fairly big appetite and good metabolism and I try and keep it as healthy as I can (ie there are a lot of cheap meal items that I skip over). I could definitely be a better shopper still. I fully expect to actually spend LESS on food when my fiance moves in with me.

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 2:14 PM. Reason : ]

4/2/2009 2:11:34 PM

When I'm traveling I spend about the same, maybe a little more. With food intolerances I'm afraid of most fast food so I keep lots of snacks, energy bars, sodas and whatever in the car. I always eat small portions at restaurants of simple stuff too, then have a snack later. The fewer things I eat at the restaurant the fewer chances for it to be contaminated.

Yup, my bf spends more on his food than I would to feed both of us because he doesn't like cooking for just himself. I have to skip over a lot of the junk food too, but if I see it really cheap I'll get it for him ($1 or less for a box of poptarts or ritz crackers or something).

For anyone that's lactose intolerant, adding liquid lactase to regular milk instead of buying lactaid brand can save you a ton of money. Just have to wait 48h for the enzymes to do their work.

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 2:18 PM. Reason : ...]

4/2/2009 2:15:47 PM

i budget 125 a week for food. but I also go out 3 nights a week and normally at least one of those is a date

4/2/2009 3:24:41 PM

$70/week for two people


Here's a good guide to grocery budgeting, although I think its a little overpriced...

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/FoodPlans/2008/CostofFoodJun08.pdf

4/2/2009 3:28:39 PM

what is it that you eat.

I spend 55 a week twice a month and 65 a week twice a month.

I eat nothing canned or prepackaged because thats just how I roll and prefer those which are as fresh as possible.

If you eat meat, its hard to get under a certain amount a week, I feel.

4/2/2009 3:49:01 PM

cooking at home is an economy of scale; you can save a lot more in comparison to eating out with a greater number of people

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 4:29 PM. Reason : phraseology]

4/2/2009 4:27:25 PM

I spend about $70 a week on food on average.

4/2/2009 4:47:33 PM

When it comes to meat, I usually glance at all the weekly sales to determine what I'll eat for the upcoming week. If chicken is all the rage, then I'll probably have plenty of chicken dishes. If steak is cheap, I end up doing a lot with it.

Harris Teeter switches up on Wednesdays, Food Lion on Tuesdays (I think) and Kroger on Saturdays. Between the three of them, one of them usually has a sale between chicken/beef/pork and I don't feel like I'm eating too much of one thing.

Dinner I've cooked this week: Chicken cordon bleu, grilled pork chops, hamburger steak, and grilled salmon.

4/2/2009 5:17:56 PM

My brother and I spend about $120 a week on food, so $60 each.

Basically breads, lunch meats, chicken, cheese, eggs, burger meat, just to name a few. It all adds up though.

4/2/2009 5:52:54 PM

i spend about $25 dollar bux at the grocery store each week and about $20 out to eat each week

4/2/2009 5:55:41 PM

I have found that it is best to buy a membership at a wholesale club and buy meat there. Be sure to buy as much gas from them as possible in order to get back your membership fees.

4/2/2009 5:57:39 PM

I live by myself and have found that eating take-out is roughly the same cost as cooking, unless you're talking pb&j, canned food, etc...Not to mention preparing and eating nice meals alone doesn't really do it for me. If there are 2 or more people in the house, though, eating in in is far cheaper overall.

4/2/2009 6:21:40 PM

Husband and I spend $100/week* on food with frequent entertaining. We shop at BJs weekly, Whole Foods at least twice a month, Food Dog once or twice, and Grand Asia occasionally. Lunch out is usually $5 and happens 2-5 times a week, but we usually have leftovers from dinner. Vending machines are a huge wash so I keep a stash of snacks and soda around. I clip coupons weekly and make use of whatever I'm mailed, but I don't invest enough time in it to get negative balances like some of the super shoppers in the coupon thread.

*After you establish a pantry and spice rack costs drop a lot.

**I split my BJs membership with my father, and one of my friends goes shopping with me on my card so that cost got split up three ways and paid for itself fast.

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 7:19 PM. Reason : **]

4/2/2009 7:18:36 PM

I spend about $150/a week on food. granted I shop at Whole Foods and I drink Delirium Tremens beer and always keep fresh flowers.


I eat out maybe 2 times a week. mostly because I'm away from home and I refuse to ever pack a lunch.

4/2/2009 7:35:08 PM

Quote :

"I live by myself and have found that eating take-out is roughly the same cost as cooking"

You're doing it wrong dude. What did you try cooking that costs as much as take-out? I make stuff like chicken and rice, beef stew, baked pork chops/chicken, squash, brussel sprouts (yum), stir fry etc. for just myself all the time and it is cheaper by far.

[Edited on April 2, 2009 at 7:48 PM. Reason : extra [quote]]

4/2/2009 7:48:04 PM

Quote :

"Whole Foods at least twice a month"

well that explains why you spend so much

4/2/2009 8:23:01 PM

My foods costs are silly. For two people I usually spend $75-100/week. I could probably trim that budget greatly if I was more restrictive with what I bought, but then we'd be eating cabbage and bean sprouts most days of the week

4/2/2009 8:59:21 PM

there's nothing wrong with spending extra on what's important to you

4/2/2009 9:21:13 PM

dont get me wrong 125 includes dinner somewhere that is going to cost me around 60 bucks. and I dont include alcohol in my food part of my budget. If i did it would be a weekly 275

4/2/2009 10:58:25 PM

holy god, alcoholic??

4/2/2009 10:59:46 PM

eh in quebec i spend 90-100 bucks on groceries every week-week.5 for 2


stuff is expensive up there, especially vegetables. we eat out once a week and husband eats lunches out too, so brings it up to 150-175 easy

4/3/2009 1:00:25 AM

probably averages to about 15/week with coupons etc only because i eat for free at work daily

4/3/2009 1:02:09 AM

Yeah I wasn't including alcohol in my quoted budget either. I mean alcohol isn't food. However for kicks I'll tell you that I spend between 150-250/month on alcohol. And that's actually pretty good.

I eat huge portions of food. When I make a meal I usually eat 2/3rds of what I made, and what I make is usually based on standard portions for a meal for two.

4/3/2009 2:05:02 PM

Restaurants: $180 /month
Fast Food: $58.5 /month
Groceries: $144.75 /month

4/5/2009 4:41:25 PM

^
I was going to say that myself. About $400/month for food budgeted. While in college, that was reduced that down to $20/week for myself while still eating relatively healthy (read, not ramen every meal).

Depends on your lifestyle, as others have said, moreso than anything else. I can still buy chicken leg quarters for $0.29/lb on special if I really wanted to, but to be honest, I'll pick up $2.50/lb boneless skinless chicken breast and be a lot happier. If you are single with a decent income, $40-$50/week should easily cover it, including take-out once or twice a week.

[Edited on April 6, 2009 at 10:30 AM. Reason : .]

4/6/2009 10:29:51 AM

groceries: $75-$100/mo
eating out: ~$100/mo (out to lunch twice a week, out to dinner twice a week - no expensive places)

this includes the girlfriend who i cook for 75% of the time and almost always pay for her when we go out to eat.

i cut my grocery bill at least in half by shopping the sales carefully and using coupons from the sunday paper. most of my grocery shopping is split between HT and Lowes because they double (or triple) manufacturer coupons. Occasionally I will go to BJs, Trader Joes, or the farmers market (for fresh local fruits & veggies).

as for eating out, i always use coupons if possible. we rarely pay full price for anything.

so its possible to eat good for around $200/month if you're frugal!

4/6/2009 7:46:38 PM

$6 / meal eating out doesn't sound too good especially for two people

4/6/2009 8:24:37 PM

$60-$70 a week. Usually doesn't include alcohol.

4/9/2009 8:12:16 AM

Yeah, mine didn't include alcohol either. That's $168 / month.

4/9/2009 10:32:28 AM

I spend about $30-40 on food when I cook for myself.

To give you an idea of what I buy, I usually make a stew or a chili for myself in the crock pot for dinners, and either do something else in the crock pot for lunch (roast, chicken, etc) or go with one of my favorites, hummus and carrots. Breakfast is either a few hard boiled eggs or some fruit.

I spend about $15 a week on coffee on the way to work, and don't count that in with my food total.

I live in NYC so my other #'s will be way off... meals out are more expensive here and drinks are SUPER expensive compared to NC.

I don't clip coupons and do most of my grocery shopping at Trader Joe's or one of the many fresh markets around me.

4/9/2009 12:24:14 PM

$50 should cover your bachelor college food budget including eating out a couple times a week.

It does mine, anyway.

4/9/2009 12:38:50 PM

get a lap band. you'd be amazed at how much you save of food

4/9/2009 12:58:40 PM