Food budget thread

TastyReuben said:
If I have time today, I’m going to go back through our bank statements last month and see what we spent.
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Ok, here’s my report for March:

$976US for the month
25 store visits
$39 avg/visit

This would include some non-food items, but not many, as I get those at Sam’s Club mainly.
 
Windigo said:
Not sure who you're asking? I specifically mentioned buying in bulk and keeping a pantry.

But I also think most people living in cities have a much smaller pantry than those in a rural area and often shop more frequently due to more stores being close by.
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We who live in the suburbs have the best of both worlds: big pantries (mine is a walk-in with 3 walls of shelves) and many nearby stores (there are 8 grocery stores within 10 miles of my house). This does allow me to comparison shop before going to the store and I sometimes will go to 3 different stores in a week to purchase specific items on my list rather than just shopping at 1 place. I am semi-retired but my work generally involves visiting retail stores and sometimes grocery stores so I can do shopping in between my tasks.
 
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Speaking of pantries, I’ve lived in…11 houses and apartments in my life and have never had a proper pantry - always just the usual kitchen cabinets for storage of everyday dishes and pantry items alike.
 
TastyReuben said:
Speaking of pantries, I’ve lived in…11 houses and apartments in my life and have never had a proper pantry - always just the usual kitchen cabinets for storage of everyday dishes and pantry items alike.
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I requested it from my husband when he was building the addition to our home. Big kitchen, lots of cabinets, large pantry, gas range with an electric oven, granite countertop with bar seating...must haves. We had 4 kids and lots of family visiting so we needed the space. Now I've become accustomed to it.
 
Morning Glory said:
That is about 3 to 4 times what I spend on food. But if I include all the alcohol then its a bit nearer (though still rather a bit more). We eat very little meat so that might make a difference.
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I’ll have to check next month as well. That price would include any booze/beer, because I generally get those at one of my usual grocery stops.
 
My spending varies so greatly it's impossible to put an amount. I do need fresh veggies and dairy weekly, plus bath tissue, facial tissues (we both have allergies), etc. But I might hit a meat or seafood sale (or both) and spend a few hundred in one trip, or I might just be buying the dairy/veggies/non food items (maybe $40 per week). Hubby buys the booze and I don't count that in my budget. I am the one who pays for the food except for the rare occasion where I have him run to the store to pick up an item or two, or maybe a small list if I am busy working or feeling ill (or he is going to the post office to drop off bills, which is right next to the grocery store). So I might spend $200 one month and $700 the next. I do have a well-stocked pantry, frig, and my garage freezer is usually full as well.
 
Since I write down what I spend every month on the google spreadsheet, I'm able to easily calculate the average for the year/past months. Of course some months I spend more but then other months I don't need to spend so much, but the average accounts for that.
 
LissaC said:
Since I write down what I spend every month on the google spreadsheet, I'm able to easily calculate the average for the year/past months. Of course some months I spend more but then other months I don't need to spend so much, but the average accounts for that.
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I don't think I was as conscientious about that kind of thing when I was your age, it shows a great sense of responsibility and frugality on your part. Nice going!
 
JAS_OH1 said:
I don't think I was as conscientious about that kind of thing when I was your age, it shows a great sense of responsibility and frugality on your part. Nice going!
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Thank you! Personally I think I'm just a bit of a control freak with some things 😂
 
SatNavSaysStraightOn said:
Why are people excluding the cost of pantry staples? I
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I´ve lived in 3 different places in the UK in the past year. There´s no such thing as a "pantry". You´re lucky if you can keep a kilo of sugar, flour, rice, pasta,etc. in the ridiculously limited spaces available. So there´s no question of what my son does in Ohio (a mega-purchase in Costco) or what I do in Caracas (let´s buy 10 kilos of flour because it´s cheap). You´d have to fill the bathroom cabinet with food if you bought in bulk.
 
karadekoolaid said:
I´ve lived in 3 different places in the UK in the past year. There´s no such thing as a "pantry". You´re lucky if you can keep a kilo of sugar, flour, rice, pasta,etc. in the ridiculously limited spaces available. So there´s no question of what my son does in Ohio (a mega-purchase in Costco) or what I do in Caracas (let´s buy 10 kilos of flour because it´s cheap). You´d have to fill the bathroom cabinet with food if you bought in bulk.
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I’m beginning to wonder where you go in the UK 😆

I have a large pantry, my mother in law has a largish pantry, my bezzie has a pantry.

Now I will freely admit it’s packed out and retrieving somethings is sometimes like engaging in a dangerous game of Jenga but that’s (apparently) not the pantry’s fault but mine. Who knew 🤣
 
karadekoolaid said:
I´ve lived in 3 different places in the UK in the past year. There´s no such thing as a "pantry". You´re lucky if you can keep a kilo of sugar, flour, rice, pasta,etc. in the ridiculously limited spaces available. So there´s no question of what my son does in Ohio (a mega-purchase in Costco) or what I do in Caracas (let´s buy 10 kilos of flour because it´s cheap). You´d have to fill the bathroom cabinet with food if you bought in bulk.
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That's disgusting to think about. Like when I stopped in to use the loo at a convenience store and noticed that they stored their hot dog buns, paper napkins, food "boats", etc. in the restroom. Yuck.
 
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