How much should I be spending on food each month? (plus suggestions)

This video will tell you how much to spend on food each month:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU

 

Probably about $40-$50 a week. I usually fix a bunch of stuff on the weekend to eat through out the week (grilled chicken breasts, pot of homemade chili, pasta, etc) so I won't have to waste time during the week preparing lunches & dinner. Also eggs will become your best friend.

 

rickroll'd damn......

 

Foods to buy to save money:

Basmati and Long Grain Rice (not instant)
Spaghetti and canned sauce
Bone and Skin Chicken Breasts (cut and skin yourself, save about $2/lb)
Eggs
Potatoes
Tomatoes
KoolAid (Packets + bag of sugar)
Tea Bags
Oatmeal
Vegetable Oil


Avoid prepackaged food at all costs. Cooking is incredibly easy. Invest in spices, they're god-sent. Since you post here, you can access all sorts of recipes.

Example Meal from above:
Slice potato and dice tomato, add to warm oil (1tbsp?) and heat for about 10 minutes until a sauce forms.
Cook basmati rice. Rinse the rice, cook with 2tbsp butter or 1tbsp oil, and some salt, steam for about 15 minutes at low heat.
Cook filleted chicken breast in oil, seasoning to taste.
Serve and enjoy.

Man, I am hungry now...

 

I spend about $250/week eating out. It is killing my bank account but I love it. It's actually not the food that costs so much, it's all the drinks I consume while eating.

 

Hard to say. I still live with the parents, but I pay for a pretty good majority of the meals / leech off of household groceries from the store .

Probably just eating out alone... $10-15 a day. Depends really, sometimes while at work on deliveries, I'll go for lunch at McDonalds etc. Usually if I spend $10-15 thats just on one meal and then breakfast/dinner at home.

 

wow, 3K a month is crazy.

My suggestion is if you like eating well invest in a inexpensive gas grill and grill everything you want to eat. Chicken , fish, steak, hot dogs, burgers, pork chops are all inexpensive and healthy if you buy the cuts of meat when they are on sale and trim the fat down. Also grilled food tastes great.

I mean with chicken and fish all you really need to do is add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne pepper if you enjoy it and the stuff tastes great. Steaks you can do the same or just do salt an pepper or buy a ready made marinade. Smoke sausage is easy too and it takes literally 5 minutes. Slap on some sauce during the last minute and you are done.

Plus with a gas grill it takes 5 minutes to heat up and propane is 17 bucks a jug and will last you forever and a day.

 

I was wondering when that stuff would make it here.

 

i drop about 75 bucks a week on groceries, maybe a little less

but i only eat out about once a week, so it evens out

i do not like to buy crappy, nutrient depleted food.. i also like to buy fresh.. so my grocery bills are big

 

Be careful, I posted one rickroll then promptly got demoted to rookie and had my posts deleted. you have been warned. clutch does not take rick astley lightly

 

Someone here able to find and link to the cheap eats thread a few weeks back? Some were pretty horrible ideas, but there were also some good recipes.

I like to avoid spending lots of time cooking if I can. One quicky is chopping up a chicken breast or two, season and cook then cook a box of Pasta-Roni in the same pan. Then throw in some diced tomatoes to garnish.

An easy side dish you can make in bulk are baking small red potatoes, sprinkled w/ a box of onion soup mix and olive oil.

 

Bearpaws, what is the point of this?

 

Let the George Foreman grill be your best friend. Marinate some chicken for the whole week on a Sunday and cook as needed.

 

Well I'm a chef so I have it pretty easy when it comes to food. The last time I went shopping for food was when I cooked a romantic dinner for my girlfriend and I didn't even have to pay for that. She said she was paying for my "expertise". The only money i spend a week on food is one my two off days. But not having to spend any regular amount on groceries I can eat out nicely those 2 days.

I maybe spend at the most 40$ a week on food.

 

Try doing your shopping / eating in Chinatown.


For 2.99 + tax, you can get a great box lunch at Dynasty Market (Bellaire / Corporate Drive). Go around 10 Sunday morning, buy 14 box lunches and you're set for the week, at less than $50.


Do you grocery shopping at the Asian grocers, the prices are definitely less.

 

Who could possibly eat chinese food for every meal all week?

 

Yao Ming

 

chinese people.

 

When Im on the road, my company gives me $60. Obviously I don't eat out everyday but when I do eat out, $50 is not a ton.

For example, let's assume you order an entree $15, a soda $2, a desert $5.
That's $22 plus tax = $24 plus tip $6. You're at $30 x 2 meals.

If you eat out all the time, the key is to eat at least 1 meal where a tip is not required (takeout instead of sit down).