It's now been a little over two months since we finally created an action plan to lower our food spending.
At the end of December, I published the post Our Plan To Finally Cut Our Food Spending. Below is a snippet from that post:
When I first started blogging back in 2011, we were spending over $1,000 on food each month JUST for the two of us.
Food spending is something that we have always had a problem with. Whether it be spending too much money at restaurants or spending too much money on processed junk food, it's been a problem.
We are no longer spending over $1,000 a month on food, but it is an area that we still need to work on.
Some have asked why we want to spend less money on food.
I'm not sure what to say except for why wouldn't we?
While we both love food, we know that we spend too much money on it and it could be saved for better things. It's not like we are eating well just because we are spending so much money on food.
Usually our expensive food months are the months when we eat the unhealthiest.
We are wanting to lower our monthly food spending for many reasons. We want to save money, eat healthier meals, eat together at home, and be able to make delicious meals at home.
This is why I am publishing a monthly food budget check in. I want to stay motivated with our food spending goal, and having this check in once a month is a great motivational reminder.
Below is our February food spending check in.
How much money did we spent on food in February?
February was a good month for our food budget, but we could have done better. We moved into our new home in February and things were a little chaotic. The long distance move didn't completely kill our food budget, but it did make things a little harder.
One reason for this is because we had to pack all of our things into the moving trailer (including plates, pans, etc.) so we didn't have much to eat on after the moving trailer was picked up. Another reason is because we got lazy when it came to cooking because we were tired from all of the packing. The last reason for our higher food spending is because we had a lot of get-togethers at restaurants with friends to say goodbye to them. The get-togethers though could be classified as “Entertainment” as well, so it is a little hard to say whether I actually believe we failed with our goal or not.
Due to all of those reasons, our food spending was a little higher, but we still did well. One reason for why we still did well was because we tried to eat everything out of our fridge and pantry that we could because we didn't want to transport anything that we didn't have to. We also knew that some things would spoil on a long distance trip so there would be no point in bringing those items, so we tried to eat as much of that while we still lived in Missouri as well.
Below is an estimate of what we spent on food and household supplies (including toilet paper, dog food, etc.) during the month of February.
- $202 at grocery stores
- $447 at restaurants
That brings us to a total food spending of $649, or an average of around $23.18 per day for the both of us combined.
As I stated in my original food budget post, our goal for our food budget was to spend less than $500 each month. This means we failed our food budget goal for February.
While we did much worse than the previous month, I am not upset at all. I am happy that I was able to able to enjoy February with my friends and loved ones before we moved. Yes, I could have said goodbye to everyone for much cheaper, but I had a great time and I don't regret it.
Even though we failed, we are still working hard to eat more healthy meals. Whenever we did go out, the majority of the time we did order healthier meals than what we would normally order.
What’s working when it comes to our food situation?
I think what hurt us was that I completely failed at meal planning in February. I hardly meal planned last month, and that is obvious.
I plan on getting back into meal planning though. I took a short break from using $5 Meal plans since I knew we would be moving, but I plan on changing that this month and getting back into meal planning. Even Wes misses the meals, and usually he doesn't notice where I get my recipes from.
Another thing that is working is posting this food budget check in each month. Having this in front of me makes me want to make March a great month! Even if you do not have a blog, I highly recommend writing your goal down and putting it somewhere that can be easily seen. This way you can have a reminder of what you are working towards.
The last thing that is working is that food in our new town is a little lower than where we lived in Missouri. This won't save us a ton of money, but I'm assuming that we will probably be able to save around $40 to $50 a month on food because of the difference.
What’s not working?
Everything seems to be going well, even with the expensive food month that we had last month. That was explainable, and I don't think we will have repeats of that any time soon.
What is your average food budget each month? Are you trying to spend less? What works for you and what doesn't?
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Rebecca @ Stapler Confessions says
March 13, 2015 at 3:35 amCongratulations on your move! We’re moving at the end of the month too, so we are trying to eat all the food in our home too 😉
Our average monthly budget is $500 for 3 people. We don’t do a lot of takeout or dining out, and I use coupons and a stockpile, in addition to meal planning, to cut costs.
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 10:57 amGood luck with your move!
Victoria@ The British Berliner says
March 13, 2015 at 3:55 amI’d say that our avearge spend is about $1,500 per month but we are 2 adults and 1 almost-13 year old son. We eat a lot of fresh organic food and we live in Germany. We take sandwiches for lunch and we do eat out (the cost I wrote above doesn’t include that!) and we drink wine, as we’re not that big on beer unless it’s the summer LOL!
When we go out, it’s mainly from April to December ‘cos of the lovely weather and the various festivities that we have all over Europe! We also like champagne and cocktails. Again, best in the summer and on rooftop bars or at live classical concerts, then our bill goes horrifically upward as we like river bars and restaurants too LOL!
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 10:58 amSounds like you probably eat some delicious meals! 🙂
Amy @ DebtGal says
March 13, 2015 at 6:19 amI think it’s admirable that you want to keep your food costs as low as possible, but given all you had going on in February, you did very well.
I’ve been aiming for $400 a month for the three of us, but I’m also trying to get as much healthier stuff as possible. I use coupons and shop sales when possible, meal plan, and we all bring lunches to work/school, so I’m comfortable with what I spend, even though I almost always go a little over the $400 mark.
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 11:03 amSounds like you are doing well Amy!
Holly@ClubThrifty says
March 13, 2015 at 6:44 amOur food budget is $600 right now. We did awesome with it in February because it was too cold to go anywhere! The key for us is not going out to eat very often. I’m great at meal planning and saving money at the store, but restaurant spending tends to ruin it.
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 11:05 am$600 sounds great!
Taylor Lee @ Engineer Cents says
March 13, 2015 at 6:54 amThis year I wanted to spend less on food, but between the impossible winter and my general malaise it has not gone well. The failure point has definitely been insufficiently planning out meals. Luckily though, with the exception of a schmancy dinner with BF, March seems to be going a lot better!
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 11:07 amMarch is going somewhat better for us as well. I’m hoping for a better April 🙂
Melane @ Good Job Mom says
March 13, 2015 at 7:12 amWe struggle with this area as well. When the kids lived at home we spent well over $1,000 a month on food for four people. Now it is just two of us, and we still bump $600/650 on food.
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 11:07 amIt seems like a lot of us struggle in this area!
Nicole Carter (Weasley) says
March 13, 2015 at 9:04 amWow, I wish I would even have that much money for food a month! I have 4 people in my house and we prolly spend about $400 a month. It’s not easy but we manage. Good luck to you!
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 11:07 amWow great job Nicole!
Chonce says
March 13, 2015 at 9:53 amWe went a little over our food budget of $300/month in February and it’s probably because I wasn’t dining out at all. I’m still working on balancing and limiting how many times we eat restaurant food and I’m always on the lookout for new recipes to spice up my meal planning. But since you recently moved, I don’t see how you could’ve planned meals as much as you would have wanted to. Moving is time consuming and can get hectic. But now that you’re settling in, I’m sure you’ll get back on track!
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 11:08 amThanks!
Kayla @ Femme Frugality says
March 13, 2015 at 10:17 amI don’t usually have trouble with the grocery end of my food budget, but I always go over on eating out. (Literally every single month!)
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 11:09 amSame here 🙁
Michelle S says
March 13, 2015 at 10:52 amI don’t know the exact amount, but we eat out more than we cook. I’ll get burned out after one week of meal prepping since my husband won’t help, so it’s frustrating. Lately we’ve been eating at home more. I would say we spend $400 or so a month.
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 11:09 amThat’s not too bad. Good job!
MarieMakesCents says
March 13, 2015 at 12:04 pmOur food budget for just my husband and I is pretty conservative, but we’re going to try and see if we can get it into the $250 range now that I’m working from home and can cook more.
Our problems have been that my husband was trying gluten-free for some health reasons and that stuff is waaaay more expensive. Plus baking with gluten-free flour leaves a lot to be desired.
Also, just found out I’m pregnant and there are a very specific number of foods I can handle right now. Maybe in another month or two we’ll be able to try out a smaller budget. But then who knows what it’ll look like once we have a kid on the grocery roll!
Good luck next month! I hear that meal planning around what’s on sale is the easiest way to save. Still need to try this.
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 12:19 pmSounds like you have a lot of things to work around, so good job on staying within a budget 🙂
Jessica says
March 13, 2015 at 3:10 pmI’m working on reducing our food spending. We actually do pretty good about not eating out too much by capping the amount of times we go out per week. I buy lunch at work once a week and we go out once or twice for dinner max. Our problem is that I tend to justify splurges on specialty items like fancy ingredients or really good cheese and my husband loves junk food. I think you did great considering what you had going on in your lives. The eating out with friends and because of the move seemed to balance out using the food you already had.
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 4:27 pmIt sounds like a lot of us are working on spending less money on food. Good luck to you!
Rust says
March 13, 2015 at 4:29 pmWhen I get really serious about cooking and eating only at home we save quite a bit. We spend about 400-500 a moth on food for two but I am very conscientious about using coupons and shopping the sales. It also helps that my brain (I blame my mother) holds this enormous database of prices so I always know if I can get a better deal elsewhere.
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 4:44 pmI need to get better at using coupons and shopping the sales. I haven’t done that in awhile.
diane @smartmoneysimplelife says
March 13, 2015 at 4:57 pmI reckon you did extremely well in February. Moving house – and over such a distance – would have taken a lot of time and energy which wouldn’t have left much available for food prep!
We did a *lot* better in February and we were on track to replicate that this month, but a few social events have popped up which might blow out the total for the month. We’ll see…
It’s a learning process though so hopefully we’ll continue to refine the process.
Have you noticed a difference in prices in your new location? That might impact your budget, too.
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 6:20 pmYes! Food is a little cheaper here in Colorado. According to a cost of living calculator I looked at, it’s about 10% cheaper than in Missouri.
nicole dziedzic says
March 13, 2015 at 5:20 pmWow only $202 on grocery budget for the month! That is pretty amazing to me, I am at the grocery store every few days buying stuff.
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 6:15 pmMeh, it wasn’t anything special haha. We spent almost $450 at restaurants, and our fridge was already full of stockpiled meat, pantry items, and more, so we definitely could have done better.
Jayleen @ How Do The Jones Do It says
March 13, 2015 at 5:37 pmI think you did awesome on your food budget considering the big move! We usually spend $1000/month on expendables. I don’t break the expendables down but they include food, toiletries, prescriptions, dog food, groomers, etc. Of course, we try to be wise but we also want to eat healthy so we don’t stress about it too much.
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 6:22 pmThanks!
Gen Y Finance Guy says
March 13, 2015 at 5:50 pmWe saw our spending on eating out drop to $317 in the month of February vs. about $630 in January. We averaged a ridiculous $1,200/month in 2014. So far this month we have been doing really well and will likely be around the same as February. When we include groceries we may actually dip below $1,000 for the first time in…I have freakin clue.
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 6:24 pmWow great job!
Betsy Barnes says
March 13, 2015 at 5:54 pmWe budget $450 on food spending for each month. Usually, our average is around $300, so, it’s well below the food budget. Meal planning has been key to making our budget work. When things are planned out, we stick well to our budget. Also, cutting way back on eating out has helped. I fix lunch at home and hubby comes home to eat, really does make a difference. 🙂
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 6:25 pmWow great job Betsy!
Pamela Gurganus says
March 13, 2015 at 10:46 pmWe did better in February with our food budget. What’s working for me is cooking at home 6 days a week and only eating out once a week. I’ve been searching all the sale ads, coming up with meals and clipping coupons and using rewards cards, etc.
Michelle S. says
March 13, 2015 at 10:50 pmGood job!
Pamela Gurganus says
March 14, 2015 at 6:53 pmThanks Michelle! You’ve really given us some sound advice and tips on trying to manage every day finances better. We appreciate you!
Michelle S. says
March 14, 2015 at 7:10 pmAww thanks Pamela! 🙂
Ronald Gagnon says
March 14, 2015 at 3:03 amI can’t honestly say that I have a food budget, or plan. I am a 63 year old live alone bachelor who purchases on a whim, and always fills my freezer when great deals on food I like should appear.
Michelle S. says
March 14, 2015 at 11:13 amGood job on finding deals!
Tennille says
March 14, 2015 at 8:37 amTo be honest I have no idea what our exact food expense is. However, I’m estimating that it is around $400 every month. We use canned veggies from our garden and fruits from my in-laws fruit trees which cut down on those expenses a lot. I also stockpile and shop sales which helps some.
I would like to get our monthly food budget down to $300 a month which is less that $100 a week for our family of four. I don’t know if that is realistic or not but that is the goal.
Michelle S. says
March 14, 2015 at 11:21 amGood luck with your goal! Sounds like you are doing well 🙂
DEBRA GIFFORD says
March 14, 2015 at 11:10 amCongrats on your new home! I am shocked at these food bills of you and so many others. It’s no wonder I can’t gain as much weight like I want and need too. I simply can’t afford it! I am divorced and single and in school right now. Wish I could eat like that! lol It’s great that you lowered your grocery bill. Good luck to cutting back and saving money. Thanks for your tips, reviews, and giveaways!
Michelle S. says
March 14, 2015 at 11:22 amThanks Debra!
randie says
March 14, 2015 at 1:43 pmCongrats on your move. Spent a childhood, and my early adult-hood moving many times. I have now been in this house, raised my kids here, 30 yrs – and ready to move. The cost of eat in your area is crazy. But I’m sure the area’s economy on a whole is much different. We would not be able to survive with costs so high.
Thank you for the opportunity to win a cash prize.
Michelle S. says
March 14, 2015 at 7:06 pmThe food is actually cheaper where we live now 🙂
Michelle L says
March 14, 2015 at 1:58 pmDo you have any other tips you can share Michelle?
Michelle S. says
March 14, 2015 at 7:07 pmWhat kind of tips are you looking for? 🙂
Linda Moffitt says
March 14, 2015 at 2:29 pmThanks for the tips this is really something I need to work on as the main shopper of the family
I am 99% sure I verified but I don’t know how to check searching my emails there is not an old verification from izea so I most likely did it then deleted it Can you check and be sure I am verified
Michelle S. says
March 14, 2015 at 7:08 pmHey Linda!
I am sure you are verified. I will keep this comment as proof that you tried too 🙂
Jayson @ Monster Piggy Bank says
March 14, 2015 at 4:36 pmThat’s fine, Michelle, considering that you just moved it. I know how it feels like because everything is like from the start. It is like you work here and arrange things on this side. We tend to eat more after work and not to mind the recipe what we’re eating. Good luck on you march budget.
Michelle S. says
March 14, 2015 at 7:09 pmThanks Jayson!
Kayla says
March 14, 2015 at 5:09 pmThis is a big problem for my family, too. We have a lot of health problems between the five of us, and finding food for our unusual meals is hard enough in itself that the majority of our paycheck goes towards food! It’s crazy, but we’re trying. We just don’t know where to even start, especially when coupons and deals usually aren’t offered on our food choices–and we live in a small town where food costs are higher. Great post! Nice to know we’re not the only ones struggling to spend less on food. We’ve been planning meals for a couple years now and it definitely helps.
Michelle S. says
March 14, 2015 at 7:09 pmThanks Kayla! It sounds like a lot of us have this problem :/
Barire says
March 14, 2015 at 6:25 pmI have a budget of $400/month for three people for food. I pay with cash so when the money runs out, we eat what is in the house which no one really wants! LOL
Michelle S. says
March 14, 2015 at 7:10 pmSounds like you have a good budget!
Sandra Watts says
March 14, 2015 at 6:50 pmI keep trying to start a budget but haven’t been very successful with it. We need to make some changes some where so we can get our debt down.
Michelle S. says
March 14, 2015 at 7:10 pmGood luck!
laurie damrose says
March 14, 2015 at 7:19 pmWe spend around $500 per month ,but we visit a food panty to stock up on extra food.
Michelle S. says
March 15, 2015 at 6:02 pm$500 isn’t bad at all. Good job!
Alison says
March 14, 2015 at 8:44 pmI’m glad you’re not beating yourself up for not meeting your goal this month! You had a good reason for spending a little more, and that’s what matters most — that you’re being mindful about how you’re spending your money and spending it on things that are worth it.
Michelle S. says
March 15, 2015 at 6:02 pmThank you Alison! 🙂
wen budro says
March 14, 2015 at 10:07 pmI think that you’re doing well with your new budget so far. My downfall is lack of planning along with impulsive splurges. Food where I live is priced higher than the continental US also….so I always pay more than I want to.
Michelle S. says
March 15, 2015 at 6:03 pmYes, that’s our problem as well.
Lesa says
March 15, 2015 at 12:04 amCongrats on your move! You guys are doing pretty good saving and moving! We spend probably close to $1000-1300 per month on food. We have two kids in college who shop, and us at home, so…it varies and it’s a lot of money!
Michelle S. says
March 15, 2015 at 6:04 pmThanks Lesa! I don’t think that’s too bad considering you are buying food for several adults.
hassan says
March 15, 2015 at 7:04 amI appreciate you. Thanks
we spending $300 each month for mael and margins of it.
Michelle S. says
March 15, 2015 at 6:05 pmThanks!
nicoleandmaggie says
March 15, 2015 at 5:30 pmFamily of 4… according to MINT we spent $409 on groceries in February and $267 on restaurants and fast food. I think that’s pretty low for us. We’ve already spent more than that on groceries in March and the month isn’t even half gone.
Michelle S. says
March 15, 2015 at 6:06 pmSounds like February was a good month. Why do you think March is so much higher already?
Mrs. Frugalwoods says
March 17, 2015 at 6:06 amI think you deserve a pass since you moved! Moving is such a crazy, stressful time, I always feel like it’s all we can do just to keep ourselves fed.
We spend between $300-330 per month on all food for the two of us. We don’t eat out at all, which helps a lot and, we eat very little meat or dairy.
The Money Spot says
March 17, 2015 at 8:59 amFor me, I usually go off budget when I give in to my cravings! So I just try to balance everything – healthy eating, restaurants, junk foods, etc.
Alicia Schmidt says
October 12, 2017 at 12:30 pmWe stay under $780 for 6 people. My son is dairy and gluten free. I home make almost every thing. We very rarely go out to eat mainly because of the allergies. I’ve planned meals for the next year and that’s how I make our grocery list. Its hard but doable.