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You are feeding a lot of mouths and food is expensive, but here goes:
Deli items? There isn't much located in the deli that you can't make for a fraction of the cost at home.
I save grocery money by buying in bulk and planning the menu to use what I have bought and not wasting anything. I buy meat in primal cuts and cut and package at home, although you need a freezer to do that.
But budget? How can anyone fix your budget for you? They don't know how much you have to spend or what you like to eat, or if anyone has food allergies.
Do price comparisons. Food prices seem out of wack. My family likes pot roast but the chuck roast last week cost as much as the steak. Guess who gets a little steak for dinner instead of pot roast?
I don't think carbs are particularly good for people, except in strict moderation. Humans don't need a large serving of meat. Unfortunately, veggies have gotten rather high priced, but buy what is in season and on sale. Sometimes the frozen veggies area better bargain. No waste from trimming or storing. Check the prices. Test some of the house brand frozen veggies. Some of them are good, some are not. Find the good ones.
Some of the foreign cuisines have some really tasty dishes that are made with less expensive ingredients. Take a look at some recipes. Pick a poor country and research what their recipes are. I;ve got some deliciou recipes from assorted African countries and from India.
I spend a lot of money on my dogs, but I can afford it. Still, I would never recommend to anyone to get rid of their pets, or that very expensive baby. The most expensive aspect of pets is the vet bills, so manage the pets so the vet is rarely needed. Your local humane society probably has a vaccination clinic for the rabies shot and maybe the distemper shot. They probably have a spay neuter clinic. That's a substantial savings and heads off expensive vet bills. Feed the pets a quality food to keep them healthy, but it doesn't have to be imported kangaroo and walrus dog food. Just a good medium grade with ordinary ingredients. Just don't feed them the stuff that costs 15 cents a pound.
If you research, you can do some of your minor vet care at home. There is no reason to pay a vet to deworm your animals, or to pull ticks, or to put antiseptic on minor scrapes.
With three adults does that mean three salaries coming in? Splitting the rent three ways? You should be able to eat with that much income.
Prepared foods cost a lot for the convenience. The more you can make things at home, the lower your food costs will be. The more you can buy in bulk, the lower your total costs will be.
If you would be specific about what you like to eat, perhaps the folks here can give suggestions on how to pare costs for that specific item, or something that is a good substitute.
But a generic "how do I cut grocery costs" is just about impossible to do.
I’d get rid of the baby and keep the pets but that’s just me The baby is an increasing cost while the pets are a fixed cost, so financially my way just makes a lot more sense. Plus the pets bring a lot more joy and less work, so there’s that.
As for the groceries it’s just the two of us, I have no idea what we spend now, probably $600-700. Cooking isn’t very economical for two people, but my wife is a great cook it’s just not something she wants to do constantly and that’s fine by me lol.
Two adults here and we spend about $650 / month on groceries and household goods (paper towels, ziplocs, cleaning supplies, etc.) But we aren't considered frugal....
2 adults here and we spend $500 on our food, cleaning supplies, paper products, toiletries etc. However, we have a separate category for alcohol and pet supplies. We have a pretty fluffy budget.
Put $100 in an envelope the first of the month for Food and Entertainment. If it ever runs dry... get creative.
Worked for our family for 40+ yrs, we eat VERY well, a little too well!
Lots of fresh fruits and veggies, salmon, and occasional steak and brisket.
Most of the produce I get from a company that takes blems from warehouse or grocery ! $0.30 - $0.60 / #
When kids were teenagers, we worked 2 nights / week in homeless shelter feeding the hungry (including our kids! if there were left-overs). If not... we got creative again. helps to have a big freezer, and gleaning during harvest and putting up food for winter.
USA grocery prices are dirt cheap. Just got a dozen Large eggs for $0.88, milk $.99 per 1/2 gal (lasts me a few weeks)
We usually fast at least one day / week and give the $ we would have spent to the hungry.
NO pasta or rice in our home (as I say we eat way too well ... trying to stay at HS weight (for last 50 yrs). Carbs or refined foods are minimal. Usually eat fresh, seldom eat out. NEVER have had a packaged / frozen meal in the last 60 yrs. Donuts are out
I am impressed. My husband and I spend about $600 month on food. (sometimes more). I cook everything from scratch. I never buy seed oils and rarely sugar and processed foods. So some of my ingredients are expensive (organic coconut oil , butter from grass fed cows, etc..) My goal is to get it down to $400.
Yeah I should have specified, my number was for edible goods not alcohol - that would add another $400 or so to the monthly budget. Hahaha just teasing
we spend more in restaurants than we do at the grocery store. No need to be frugal.
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The baby is an increasing cost while the pets are a fixed cost, so financially my way just makes a lot more sense. Plus the pets bring a lot more joy and less work, so there’s that.
