Even though they are kind of a lot of work to write up, I enjoy sharing my Our $200 Grocery Budget: What I Spent & Saved this Week posts with you all.
I don’t do these posts because I think the way we live and grocery shop is so amazing. I do them because I love to help people save money.
These What I Spent & Saved posts allow me to share ideas and tips with you that help me save on our groceries, and then, in turn, can hopefully inspire you and give you ideas on ways that you can save too.
Many people are frustrated because they feel like it’s impossible to eat healthy on a budget. By showing exactly what I purchase on a tight budget, it gives people a chance to see that yes, you really can eat pretty healthy without needing to go broke.
I know many of you enjoy these posts because you have told me that you were inspired or that you learned something new that is helping you save. And seriously, when that happens it totally makes my day because I realize that my goal for these posts was accomplished!
But I’ve had a nagging worry ever since I first started doing these What I Spent & Saved posts 5 ½ years ago. Occasionally I’ve addressed it in my spending posts and in my response to people’s comments. And I’ve said it countless times to readers that I’ve talked to in real life.
But I feel like it needs to be said here too, in a blog post that hopefully will be seen by most of you.
So what is it that worries me? Simply that these posts will make you feel inadequate or less than because you don’t have a $200 grocery budget, or because you don’t coupon as much as I do, or because you hate grocery shopping. I worry because I know that as women we are so quick to do that, to compare ourselves with someone else, to feel inadequate.
And I really, really don’t want to be an enabler of that.
So I just want to be perfectly clear: I don’t expect everyone else to have a $200/mo. grocery budget. And I believe that you can be frugal and spend more than $200/mo. too!
Here’s why.
Why You Shouldn’t Have a $200/Mo. Grocery Budget (even though we do!)
1. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT STRENGTHS
One of my strengths is being able to save money. In fact, I’m wired in such a way that I about can’t keep myself from looking at life through the lens of frugality!
But you know what? There are plenty of other things that I don’t do so well.
I’m not a natural when it comes to decorating. It takes a lot of thought and effort for me to make a room look lovely. And I feel totally overwhelmed if I try to tackle a craft project because for as long as I can remember, creating things like that has just felt frustrating.
And while I love the idea of preserving memories with beautiful scrapbooks, I’ve finally accepted the fact that it’s just not my thing and I don’t even bother to attempt it. I don’t have a garden and I’m not an outdoor sort of person who loves creating beautiful flower beds.
Chances are, your strengths are quite different from mine and honestly, I think our diversity is part of what makes the world so interesting!
If being frugal doesn’t come naturally for you, that’s okay. No, it doesn’t give you a free pass to spend your money carelessly. But it does mean that how you spend your money is going to look different than what it does for me.
Or maybe you are frugal by nature, but still spend $450/mo. on groceries. You don’t necessarily need to feel bad about that either because….
2. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS AND PREFERENCES
We eat fairly simple meals. I think that our meals are tasty and filling and honestly, we enjoy the way and don’t feel deprived.
But we pretty much never eat steak (unless we go out to eat!) and meats are often served more as a side than as a main dish.
In the winter, we eat a lot of soups not only because we love them, but also because they are frugal. And we don’t have food allergies or eat organic (unless I can get it really inexpensively).
Your family’s needs and preferences are going to look different than ours. Your husband might really like to have large servings of meat at every meal and be pretty opposed to meatless meals. Or maybe he feels like soups shouldn’t really even be considered food. 
You might have a child that is gluten intolerant. And eating only organic may feel super important to you.
That is okay! Your family is not mine, my family is not yours. There is no cookie cutter grocery budget that will fit everyone’s needs.
3. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT DEMANDS ON OUR TIME
I’m not gonna lie. Shopping frugally, especially if you use coupons like I do, take a decent amount of extra time.
Many weeks I spend three hours planning my shopping trip and doing the shopping. It’s not that my life isn’t busy or that I don’t have plenty of other things to do, but for a variety of reasons, my husband and I have decided to continue to make this way of shopping a priority. At this point, for us, the benefits outweigh the negatives. But there may come a time when we decide otherwise.
You know your life, your schedule. Only you know what you have time for and it may be that even if you would love to coupon and deal shop, that you simply can’t right now due to life circumstances.
We all have to know our limits, to decide what is best for us.
THE BOTTOM LINE…
Yes, I think it’s important to shop smart and be mindful of how we spend the money that God has trusted us with.
But I think it’s equally important to remember that it is going to look different for everyone.
So, if you’ve been feeling bad that you spend more than $200/mo. on your groceries, go ahead and extend yourself some grace.
And remember, it doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t frugal!
However…if you are looking for more ways to lower your grocery budget, you might enjoy getting some inspiration from these posts!
- 8 Simple Ways to Save Money on Groceries
- 4 Tips to Begin Reducing Your Grocery Spending
- 6 Ways to Save on Groceries Without Using Coupons
- 7 Ways to Reduce Food Waste and Save Money
This post blows me away for several reasons. It is exactly the type of how-to post that the world needs more of because we can’t all be painted with the broad brush of do-that-and-not-this-all-of-the-time. It’s graceful, but still encouraging. I’ve come to accept that although I like grocery shopping, and I actually enjoy spending time planning my deals, there are many complicating factors that come into play when it comes to our household budget and $200 is kind of just aspirational at this point in time. However, because of the tips you’ve provided on your blog, I get A LOT more now for what I do spend, and we are rarely “all out” of anything important. I love how much you share about your frugal habits, and recognize it must be hard to put yourself out there like that.
You are kind as usual, Monica. And I like your “complicating factors” wording. Describes it well!
I’ve had readers ask me how much we spend per month on groceries and I couldn’t really tell you. Most of our groceries are bought in the fall, with a little topping-up over the winter. But I doubt we spend more than $2400/year for a family of six. (Medically necessary hypo-allergenic baby formula NOT included) I suspect we eat much like you do. We eat venison (free!), our own chickens when we cull them, on-sale meat from the grocery store, produce from the garden. Lots of potatoes, which come in 50 pound bags or from our garden. We buy in bulk, we eat a *lot* of soup, and I do a lot of preserving.
I don’t decorate, scrap book or have flower gardens, either. 🙂 Around here, I let God take care of the flowers and I enjoy a variety of wild flowers in the fields from spring until fall. And I can’t sew.
Marie, that is so inspiring! I love how you grow or raise so much of your own food- cheaper and healthier! And your letting God taking care of the flowers comment made me chuckle. Sounds like my style of landscaping!
If I had a family to feed on the same diet I eat, my budget would SURELY be over $200. I feed just myself on $200/mo. I come in under that sometimes but I find my priority is getting the healthier options of things even if they cost a bit more. Before I really started paying attention to ingredients lists, and buying some stuff organic I was able to stick to $150, but that hardly does it for me now. I love how this post addresses our habit of always comparing ourselves to others…such a bad habit to have! I’m constantly trying to remind myself not to do that.
Yes, it’s so easy to compare ourselves with others and forget that there are so many variable differences that really, it doesn’t even make sense to do it!
This is so true! I would add that family size and the age of your kids is also important. We were able to spend about $200/mo for the four of us when the kids were toddlers. Now that they are nearly teens, they eat a LOT more so it naturally costs more.
Very good point, Keri! And actually, I meant to include that in my post and forgot. So I’m glad you mentioned it. Our kids are already big eaters and I often wonder how much we are going to need to up our budget once they are teenagers! 🙂
I enjoy these posts for money-saving ideas. We will never see $200 a month again until my kids move out of the house–lol!
And by then grocery prices will probably have increased so much it still won’t be possible! Lol! 🙂
So true. My hubby and I have a grocery budget of $400/month (though we do include things like laundry and dish stuff, bathroom essentials and our toothpaste, face wash, etc). But we usually do pretty well with the food itself. I am always trying to find ways to save money.
Sounds like you are doing a great job, Heather!
When I was a stay-at-home mom, staying under budget was critical. I probably spent 5 hours a week working on it, clipping coupons and shopping sales. Now that I work as a part-time attorney (about 15 hours a week), I’ve cut it down to 3 hours (including shopping time). I don’t save as much, but I need the time now.
Your experience shows so well how depending on the stage of life we are in, really working at saving money on groceries may or may not be worth it! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your empathy.
This is a great post! I love that it’s truthful and graceful!
Isn’t that the truth! Budgets definitely are not one size fits all, but there is always room for improvement and your posts can help others find inspiration to keep working at theirs! Since this is my first time visiting your blog, I haven’t had much of a chance to read them yet, but I’m looking forward to it! 🙂
Excited to have you here, Alison! You said, “but there is always room for improvement and your posts can help others find inspiration to keep working at theirs” and that is exactly why I blog about my grocery budget and menus.
I totally agree with your points here! I get frustrated too with people seeming to tout their “numbers” and others feeling like failures as a result.
There are just so many variables that it is unfair to compare without dissecting everyone’s very unique situations. Some eat out several times a week, and others have kids that eat school lunch. Ages of kids is another big impact (mom to a teenage boy here!), and with that the number of adults in household. We also may define “grocery” or “food” differently. Is everyone just looking at items they eat and drink, or are household items included. What about spices, oils, etc, used in cooking? How many meals and snacks are included per day? It just goes on and on.
I, too, like to share my tips and strategies for being frugal and saving. I truly want to encourage and help others, as I see so many feeling overwhelmed. I’m delighted to see that you also take the path of inspiring and encouraging, rather than making others feel bad about their own budgets.
I love the heart of this post. I completely agree with you.
Comparison can be a deadly trap. We need to learn to accept our differences and extend grace to one another and to ourselves.
We are a frugal family, but our current circumstances have us needing to cut back even more drastically. I think I’ll be spending a lot of time on your blog looking for anything I might have missed.
Thank you! May God continue to fill your cup to overflowing!
Yes, a deadly trap indeed! And I’m sorry that you’re needing to cut back even more. That is hard! I hope that you will be pleasantly surprised at the ways that God provides for you.
Thank you for this!! We have gluten allergies and dairy allergies in our family and we eat mostly clean because of that. Our grocery budget it high and no matter how much I try to get it down it stays around 400 a month with 4 kids. I used to read the $200 a month posts and think that something was wrong with me, and feel like I was some how failing but then I woke up and reality set in and I realized that, like you said, we are all different and we can’t all possibly follow the same exact pattern and spending. We are frugal in our spending but with so many allergies our regular items still cost more then normal regular items. I am seriously loving this post!! Thanks for sharing.
Wow, from what I know, $400 a month with gluten and dairy allergies is doing really well! And I’m so glad that this post encouraged you….totally made my day, because well, that is why I wrote it in the first place. 🙂 Blessings as you continue to bless and help provide for your family. It sounds like you are doing a great job!
We have to keep a $200 to $250 a month budget for our family of 5, simply due to financial constraints. I’ve learned how to make the money stretch and still be able to make sure the family doesn’t feel like they’re lacking. It isn’t always easy, but with work, planning, and creativity it can be done. It doesn’t work for everyone, but it does for us. We don’t eat organic, but we eat home grown and fresh as often as possible, make use of whole grains, beans, sales, baked/cooked from scratch, etc. We don’t go hungry, and if anyone in our home is hungry when they leave the table, it’s their own fault. The food isn’t fancy, but there’s plenty of it. 🙂
You said it well! And I especially liked your line: “the food isn’t fancy, but there’s plenty of it”. Sounds familiar. 🙂
It’s so hard to compare $$. The cost of living varies so much in different places. Thanks for posting.
I’m pretty frugal by nature too. I spend as little as I can on everything, because I feel a sense of accomplishment when I save money. Even though it’s usually just two adults that I have to feed, I still probably couldn’t do it on $250/month. Our grocery stores don’t really do coupons, and since I don’t buy processed foods as a general rule, manufacturer’s coupons are usually worthless to me.
As you’ve pointed out here, that doesn’t make me wrong and you right, and neither of us is inferior to the other. We just have different challenges.
Exactly, Stephanie! And I totally get that feeling a sense of accomplishment when saving money. 🙂
Something to consider though is the fact that you might still actually benefit from coupons even if you don’t buy processed foods typically. We don’t buy much processed food either, but I still can do quite well with coupons! There are lots of coupons for cosmetics, household supplies (think toilet paper, hand soap, Kleenex) and cleaning products too. Maybe you still haven’t found it worth it, but I just feel like a lot of people miss out on some big savings because of the misconceptions that coupons are only for processed foods. And I hate seeing people miss out on saving! 😉
I LOVE this! We’re a family of four, two of whom are in elementary school and our budget is $480/month (which includes household goods like toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.) When I see a lot of posts about how people eat so cheaply, especially with bigger families, I definitely compare and feel bad about myself at first.
Then I remember a few things: 1. I live in Southern California. The only thing around here that is cheaper than most of the US is produce and even that isn’t always true. 2. I don’t garden, I have a very black thumb. 3. I don’t cook/bake as often as others for certain items. For example, I have made bread and I can if I want to, but I usually don’t remember I need to make bread until the kids complain we are out and they can’t make pb&j. For me, it’s easier to add it to my grocery list and grab a loaf or two at the store.
Could I bring my grocery budget down? I’m sure I could, especially if I could remember to do stuff like make bread ahead of time! But it’s wonderful to remember that it works for me and as long as we’re fed and happy, I shouldn’t worry about it.
Yes, sometimes it is simply necessary to remember that we need to do what works for us. I know how easy it is to start being hard on yourself though- I find myself doing it in other areas.
Ps. Really, $480 a month is still on the low side for a grocery budget- at least from what I hear other people saying. 🙂
I like your non-snobbery! I found your blog from your post on parents.com and remember some of the comments you mentioned from people who didn’t like your attempts at frugality–I have been snobbed by people in real-life for simply mentioning that I’m trying to save on groceries, by the way. I think it’s crazy how some are so quick to judge and to assume that spending less means depriving our families. By the way, we do a lot of things the way you do–from scratch cooking, staples and we rarely eat meat and processed foods–in my first pregancy it looked like my daughter was too small and people gave me a serious tongue-lashing to the point where we consulted with a dietician–who told us we eat better than 90% of the population (and we live in France). Cheaper can, in fact, be healthier. Anyway it’s nice to see you don’t return the judgmental attitude. Here in France, I’ve noticed read that ‘average’ grocery budgets are more around 400-700 euros, but I think that translates basically to the USDA data (if you consider the euro to be equivalent to the dollar). I don’t think I’ll ever get our budget down to 200 a month, but I find your ideas insporing–lots of other sites when I look over the suggestions for saving money I find myself thinking, “yeah, ok, I already do that.” What I miss here in France is the lack of places like Costco for say, a year’s supply of toilet paper. Also, no cupons here. Just shifty ‘promotions’ which try to get you to buy three of something for the regular price! My current goal is to get our groceries stable at 4-500 a month (including diapers!!) and then maybe to switch over to organics on some items before going lower. Still, I find your budget inspiring. I even mentioned it to my husband and the fact that you don’t eat cheese. . .which can be quite a budget here in France–again for something that is enjoyable, but not really good for you or needed. My husband likes his wine and cheese but saving 2-300 a month also got his attention!
Thanks, Trish for your encouragement! Like you I don’t get why people are so unkind about someone wanting to save money, but there are plenty that are. And I found it interesting that your dietitian told you that you all ate better than 90% of the population. 🙂 Yes, being frugal with your groceries doesn’t have to mean you don’t eat well!
And I think you are doing amazing for not having coupons and many sales! From the little I know, it’s much harder to really save on groceries in the ways that I do if you don’t live in the States (or maybe Canada). But I’m so excited to know that you can still read this blog and be inspired and take away helpful tips and ideas. THAT is the whole reason I blog and it just blesses me to know that you are being blessed.
Great points! Taking the demands on your time into consideration is a big one. I’ve started having to ask myself “can I save more money doing this, than I would make if I were spending this time working?”
Sometimes, the answer is no.
Thanks for sharing with Waste Not Want Not Wednesday!
That’s a great question, Elise! I know I’ve definitely gotten choosier with how I save as life got busier with having 3 children and working from home as a blogger. It’s just so important to take the whole picture (time and money) into consideration!
It is so good to do what we can…. what God gifts us to do…. and to be careful to not compare ourselves to others…. you are so right that we all have different strengths and weaknesses… Saving money is great… and we do a lot of that, but I also realize there are so many factors involved.
Yes, totally! The comparison thing can be so easy to fall into and that is just not helpful in any aspect of life, really.
You make some great points. I always feel bad that our grocery budget is hanging out somewhere between $400 and $500/month for a family of four. HOWEVER, my husband and I love big breakfasts (pancakes w/ hashbrowns and fruit). My husband will not eat meatless meals and loves his seafood. I’m as frugal as a I can be given our tastes. We like steak, ribs, and lobster. That’s just the way it is.
Yes, I know you aren’t the only people that would find it hard to eat entirely like we do! 🙂 It definitely helps that we both grew up living pretty simply. Blessings to you as you figure out creative ways to make your budget work for you and your family!
Thanks for the reminder that in Christ we are all unique with different strengths and weaknesses. I do appreciate that you help people save money. That’s a great ministry.
Yes, Leslie, I’m a fan of spending money wisely, at the same time, I realize that God created us all with unique gifts and so the way this looks for each person/family is going to be different. I think it’s so important to remember that and not play the comparison game! And thanks for your encouragement too. I pray often that this blog could be a blessing to others.
thoughtful, insightful and considerate post! keep up the good work!
What a great way to try helping other families/mothers know that we are all different and that’s ok. What, how, why you spend what you do on groceries/food each month can so easily become a comparison trap, that I do agree it’s important to recognize that everyone’s needs and likes are different, which is so very ok! 🙂
Thank you so much for posting. This brought tears to my eyes because I’m newly married and have high hopes to save money and meal plan, but I’ve been overwhelmed and have felt like a failure. Every meal I’ve been stressed about how much it costs. Thank you!
Oh, I wish I could give you a big hug! I remember so well how overwhelmed I felt when we first got married. And it didn’t help that my husband and I had different thoughts about how the food budget should look! Let’s just say there were some rather um, intense conversations about it numerous times. 🙂 Give yourself grace and remember that it takes time to get the hang of it all. For me it was about a 1 1/2 years until I really was at a place that I felt truly good about how I was doing. You obviously might get there more quickly than I did, but I just wanted to mention that so that you would realize you aren’t strange for finding it harder than you thought. There is just so much to learn about budgeting and meal planning, not to mention getting used to being married and keeping house etc. Keep taking baby steps with it all and you’ll get there! 🙂
I love that fact that your post is so open minded. It sounds like everyone that posted is doing pretty well. I am always trying to cut our budget and eat well. We have two adults and two elementary aged children. What you do is amazing. I read this article about grocery shopping, and from the sounds of it everyone that posted that thinks they are spending a lot really aren’t.
The article I read from 2009 said that the average costs of feed a family of four a healthy diet could range from $146-$289 a week. I try very hard to keep my month costs under $600, but it is a lot of work. Keep it up.
Sorry the article was from 2013. Here it is.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/01/grocery-costs-for-family/2104165/
Christine, thanks for linking to that article. What an interesting read! And yes, I think that unless you use coupons and deal shop 99% of the time, it’s pretty much impossible to keep your grocery expenses under $500 a month for a family of 4. And even that number, as you mention, is difficult to do. Food prices keep rising as well, so I think it’s only going to get more difficult to keep our grocery budgets low.
That’s part of the reason I thought it necessary to write this post. And I appreciate you adding your thoughts and the article link to help people get more perspective.
Blessings!
Thanks for posting this! I was starting to feel overwhelmed at the prospect of meal planning more frugally and I’m really glad that you wrote this blog post.
So glad it was a blessing for you, Jenna! Trying to figure out all this homemaking stuff (meal planning, budgeting, keeping your house clean) can be so overwhelming. I think it’s great to be able to learn from others, but then the tendency is to feel “less than” if we aren’t doing it as good as they are or the same way that they are. It’s so important that we all realize it’s going to look different for each of us and give grace for that. (Oops! And now I just did another mini post about it, didn’t I?!) 🙂
I am inspired that you only spend $200/month on groceries. I think that it is also worth mentioning that it is also very dependent upon where you live…I feel that I am fairly frugal with our grocery budget, yet still end up spending $700/month (friends have said they spend upto $1000+/month). We live in Vancouver, Canada. I am constantly looking on ways to cut our food budget down significantly and appreciate the tips that you have provided. I look forward to reading and getting some inspiration for more!
I also really appreciate reading about not comparing yourself to others, as we all have different lives, and strengths!
Thanks,
Kristina
You are so right, Kristina! Location can make a huge difference as far as cost of things and even sales and deals that are available. For instance, where we live in PA there is a grocery store chain called Giant that offers gas savings when you purchase specific items each week. Nearly every week I am able to combine those gas saving sales with coupons and get things for free, nearly free or sometimes even make money on them! I realize that if I didn’t have this option, I would really struggle to stay within our $200 grocery budget. Not saying it couldn’t be done, but it would be extremely difficult….maybe impossible. At any rate, we wouldn’t be able to eat anywhere near as well as what we do now!
And yes, there is no cookie cutter grocery budget….and I’m rather grateful for that! 🙂
At first I thought I was doing great thinking…I usually spend less than $200… then I read that is per MONTH not per WEEK 🙂 A lot of our budget goes to fresh, organic local food which can get pricey. But, we cut a lot out in other areas and to us, it’s worth it. Thanks so much for the great article!
Ha, yes week vs. month kind of makes a difference, right? But honestly, just because you spend $600/mo. (or whatever you spend) doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t doing great, you know. 😉
Thanks for this Lydia! I’ve been budgeting for a few years now and since we’re married I’ve been trying to cut down on my groceries. This month I cut back another $100 and have found it doable but I’m afraid it’s still more than your $200 a month! I was getting a little frustrated that I can’t get it down to $20 but as my husband pointed out, we do eat different due to my food intolerances. So it’s good to be reminded that as long as I do my best it’s ok.:) also, your Aldi post helped me out, I do nearly all of my shopping there and it’s good to know I’m not imagining it when I think I’m saving by doing so even if I’m not using coupons.
I do enjoy the challenge of seeing how little I can spend and how much we can save and pay off each month. Except for occasional times when I’m sick of counting every penny.:/
Thanks for writing!
So glad that you found this post, Ruth Ann. It’s one that I kind of wish that I could make mandatory reading for all of my blog readers. 🙂 And yes, your husband is a wise man. If you have food intolerances that most definitely makes it a lot harder to cut expenses! I know if we ever would need a special diet of any kind that it would increase our budget pretty significantly. And I hear you on the enjoying the challenge (most of the time). There are days that I’m pumped about figuring out how to make it all work….and then there are the days that like you, I’m just sick of trying to figure out how to stretch those pennies! Keep doing your best….and enjoy the success of cutting your budget by $100 last month. That’s worth celebrating!
I don’t often meet someone as frugal and tight as I am, but I think u might be a soul sister in that department!! I love reading ur blog. Ive done a 200.00 budget for a long time but I have loosened up a bit cause it’s hard to be able to have company and make plenty of food for others and stick to it.
Hey, frugal soul sister! So glad to meet you! And I’d love for you to chime in here more with your tips and tricks, cause I’m sure you plenty and we could all benefit from the things you’ve learned.
And yeah, we’ve had a $225/mo. budget for a year or two now and may actually bump it up to $250 later this year depending how difficult it is to stick to $225. Part of what’s hurting it right now for me is the cost of eggs (around $2/doz.) and milk (close to $4) in this area. We have somewhat high prices on other stuff too but those two staples are things that I can’t totally do without, you know?
What a kind and thoughtful post Lydia. Its so true we tend to compare ourselves and then feel crushingly inadequate when we don’t measure up to others. I was more frugal when we had a young family and less money. But now retired and just the two of us its not as important, but I still stock up on sales for the freezer and won’t buy something that’s exhorbitant even if I want it! Just can’t do it. We buy pork and beef from a local farmer at $3/lb, buy chicken on sale and more for freezer. Hardly ever buy organic its too pricey! Its foolish to spend recklessly on groceries and saving is always important no matter our age or circumstances Thank you for another thoughtful post!
Thanks, Linda! And yes, in my 12 years of being a homemaker there sure have been seasons where we weren’t as tight and I loosened up some on grocery spending too. And I’m sure that will happen more once my husband is done school and working at a job again. But like you, I doubt that I’ll ever be able to buy something that is exhorbitant…being frugal is just too much a part of who I am! 🙂