Family Grocery Budget: How we feed our family of 5 on $600 a month
I am one of the few people in the world who actually enjoys grocery shopping. Yes, yes I know- I am weird. There is just something about the organization of a grocery store and the neatly stocked (most of the time) shelves that I enjoy. I have even mentioned to people I think it would be so interesting to be a personal shopper for online pick-up orders. I can totally see myself questioning people’s food choices or being excited about a new-to-me food I discovered as I filled their order.
Don’t get me wrong - it is not the outing itself of grocery shopping that I enjoy. Instead, it’s the challenge of incorporating seasonal ingredients, making the most of those clearance items, and planning out meals with what’s available - that’s what I enjoy; all while staying within a pretty low grocery budget. I by no means do this whole cooking and grocery shopping thing perfectly, but I want to share how our family does it in hopes of helping others save money and time. It’s always better to learn from someone who actually likes what they are teaching and for some reason I like the topic of groceries…anyways, read on to find tips for how to feed your family quality, good-for-you food, while spending less money and saving time in the process.
Then and now
Growing up, I would go grocery shopping with my mom every two weeks. We would load that minivan full of food that would last us for half of the month and not be back until the fourteen or so days were up. While some things have changed (goodbye paper coupons), I still to this day shop every two weeks for the majority of my family’s food. I think this may be one reason I don’t mind grocery shopping - I don’t do it all the time. I am always amazed when people mention how they go every few days. I wouldn’t like it either if I did it so often. So, lesson number one: save yourself time, money, and energy by strategizing on how to shop a for a week (or more) at a time.
Years down the road and a few kids later, my grocery shopping has continued to evolve. I started buying almost exclusively in bulk. I learned what it meant to buy seasonally. I am strategic in my meat purchases. I started growing some of our own food. I learned how to cook creatively so that I could transform the same ingredient into several different foods.
How We Shop
Everyone knows buying in bulk gives you more bang for your buck. When I switched from a local grocery store to a membership at the nearest bulk foods provider, I wasn’t sure if it would work. Let me tell you, it worked! I was amazed how less stressful shopping was. Plus, we were spending the same amount, but we had more food. We went from averaging 70 items in our cart to 25! Now, obviously those items were larger quantities, but it was actually freeing to have less boxes and packages to try to figure out what to do with. Unloading and putting away groceries was easier too.
I buy the same things over and over again. I’m sure that sounds boring and terrible, but when you buy ingredients, not ready-made food, you allow yourself so many more options. I basically keep a running mental list of my pantry staples (you can download a digital version here). When I am getting low, I restock. I’m not constantly buying new foods - I instead am trying new recipes with my arsenal of foundational ingredients. A potato can become a mashed potato, hashbrowns, a baked potato, fries, or part of a casserole. Is it a little more work? Yes, sometimes, but at the same time I am not running to the grocery store mid-week because I don’t have a bag of frozen hashbrowns on hand.
The Budget Breakdown
I averaged our purchases over the past five months. Here’s what I found.
Overall, we spend around $600 a month on groceries for two adults and 3 young kids. This also includes personal hygiene and household supply items. Let’s break this down further.
Every two weeks I spend an average of $193.18 at Sam’s Club. I recognize my shopping here also includes a membership fee, which comes out to an additional $9.16 per month. This is where I buy the majority of our food, personal hygiene, and household items.
Azure Standard - I spend an average of $75 at Azure each month. This includes the cost of shipping, which is typically around $8. This health foods company in Oregon has a unique approach to supplying families with food. Once a month I make an order and at the designated time determined by the delivery schedule, Azure’s truck will stop at the community drop location for my town and deliver the orders for everyone part of that community drop. From their wide variety of food options, I buy my grains (wheat and oats), seeds, and dried beans in bulk. I am so thankful for them, as I have options for organic, bulk food items at reasonable prices to which I otherwise would not have access.
Local grocery store (Harps) - I spend another $60 or so on odds and ends at our local grocery store. Things I don’t need in bulk, last-minute get-together items, school party supplies - you know what I’m talking about.
There you have it. Between those three suppliers, we spend on average $521.36 a month. Now, I realize this does not include the price of feed for raising our own meat and eggs, which is why I rounded it up to $600. I opted not to get into the nitty gritty of farm store receipts because, as any farm store visitor may know, you never go inside and come out with just feed. There is always an extra purchase for a project. Plus, some of our feed goes to animals that do not support our food supply (like our pony, Samson). All of that being said, $600 is a good number.
What We Buy
Dry Goods - Just the basics. Flour, sugar, spices. We don’t eat a lot of pasta, but I like to have some on hand for the occasional mac’n’cheese craving. I do make all my own bread and am over-the-top with my grain mill. I purchase my grain fifty pounds at a time through the co-op mentioned earlier, Azure, that delivers once a month in our town. I also buy my dried beans, seeds of different kinds, and my oats in bulk.
What I don’t buy: chips, crackers, granola bars, snack cookies, pre-made seasoning blends
Where I could save money: I could save money by not purchasing organic grain and flour. However, the health benefits of high-quality bread is worth the extra money to me.
Canned goods- I really don’t buy much in this category. Pasta sauce, tomato paste, and oil (avocado, coconut, and olive) are about all we use. I make my own bone broth (a big money-saver) and most of my own sauces and salad dressings.
What I don’t buy: canned vegetables (high in sodium)
Where I could save: Avocado and organic olive oil are definitely more expensive than canola and vegetable oils. Once again, my interest in the health implications has guided my purchases.
Dairy - This is where we spend more money than most people. I buy 5-6 gallons of milk at a time, plus several pounds of cheese that I use for cooking and also as snacks. Why so much dairy? It provides protein and fat, which helps my family stay full for longer. And it adds so much flavor and texture to a meal!
What I don’t buy - shredded cheese (more expensive and contains preservatives)
Where I could save: purchasing less dairy altogether;)
Protein - This is another area where we differ from others. We purchase our beef and pork from family at a discounted price. I am so thankful for such an opportunity. In addition, we raise our own meat rabbits and butcher chickens occasionally. I realize not everyone is in a position to raise their own meat, but I will say this - I am a huge proponent purchasing from someone local who raises meat. Go in together with another family to buy a quarter or half of a cow or pig. Practically speaking, you skip the hard work and still get the benefits of home-raised meat this way! And if that is not an option, I suggest buying meat in bulk at the store to save money. Even with farm animals, I supplement with grocery store meat, and I prefer to save money by buying several pounds of ground beef or chicken at a time.
What I don’t buy: pre-seasoned and prepared meats, expensive cuts
Where I could save: Chicken and pork are much cheaper than beef, but I prefer beef for its nutrition.
Produce - I do a mixture of seasonal produce and some staples. Potatoes, carrots, and onions are always on hand. Bananas too, even though that goes against the whole locally grown, seasonality issue. My reasoning? They are cheap, a great start to many of our homemade snacks, and freeze well if they go past their prime.
What I don’t buy: pre-cut produce
Where I could save: Choosing non-organic produce
Frozen - For produce that is not in season, I prefer frozen. My go-tos are frozen fruit for smoothies.
Household items - Paper towels, toilet paper, dishwashing soap, laundry detergent, hygiene products, and even trash bags are all lumped into our grocery budget too. And, you guessed it, I buy these products in bulk too. Sometimes I have to get creative with storage, but the money saved and the convenience of always having extra on hand is worth it to me.
What I don’t buy: personalized soaps, shampoos, and conditioners for each family member, name brand cleaning products
A Few Quick Notes
There are a few things I would like to highlight about our grocery list.
It contains a minimal amount of highly processed foods. Any time you add ingredients to something, you are adding cost and paying for convenience. A prime example is cereal. We just don’t buy it. Another example is pre-cut produce or shredded cheese - you are paying extra for something that really wouldn’t take you very long to do yourself.
I reach for organic when I can, but am by no means a purist.
I don’t buy snacks. Cutting out granola bars, crackers, and chips makes a huge difference in the budget. My kids know that between meals they can have fruit, homemade bread, or yogurt. Not only is it a money-saver, it is much healthier too. Many snack foods are just “fillers”, not actually nutritional. I’d rather allot my money to real food than using it for empty calories.
It can take a while to transition to a bulk purchasing system. If you try to start purchasing large quantities of your groceries all at once, you will find a very large number on that receipt. Instead, try slowing replacing your items with the bulk version as you run out. It feels much less overwhelming this way and doesn’t make such a dent in your wallet.
We very rarely eat out. The $600 amount we spend on food truly is buying all the food we eat in a month.
With my husband being Type-1 diabetic, we keep candy and juice on hand for when his blood sugar is low. These purchases are also factored into our budget.
Whoo! We made it! I hope this discussion has been helpful to you some way. I don’t want to give the impression I have this whole budgeting thing figured out. Instead, as someone who actually enjoys groceries and budgeting, I would like to be open in sharing what we do. Maybe it can help someone who is less motivated to be invested in such boring things. It will look different for everyone and although it takes some effort, being intentional in your purchases is worth it. It can literally save you hundreds! Best of luck in your grocery shopping adventures!
