How Much Are You Spending For Groceries NOW?

The new government figures for how much it costs to feed a family at home are out now for November 2008. The figures have increased since I posted a similar chart in May 2008, with the increases ranging from three to slightly more than five percent during that six-month time span.

As with the last chart, these costs represent a nutritious diet with all meals and snacks prepared at home. How do these revised prices compare to your grocery budget? In our area, grocery stores have increased prices significantly more than three to five percent.

For one child,
age:		 Food costs for one week
Prices from November 2008
Thrifty plan Low-cost plan Moderate cost plan Liberal plan
1 year $20.80 $27.70 $31.60 $38.30
2-3 years $22.20 $27.90 $33.80 $41.10
4-5 years $23.10 $29.30 $36.00 $43.90
6-8 years $29.50 $39.70 $48.70 $57.40
9-11 years $34.10 $44.30 $56.60 $66.60
For one male,
age:		 Food costs for one week
Prices from November 2008
Thrifty plan Low-cost plan Moderate cost plan Liberal plan
12-13 years $36.00 $50.40 $62.50 $73.70
14-18 years $37.60 $52.40 $65.20 $75.00
19-50 years $40.30 $51.60 $64.50 $78.80
51-70 years $37.00 $49.00 $59.80 $72.40
71+ years $37.00 $48.50 $60.10 $73.80
For one female,
age:		 Food costs for one week
Prices from November 2008
Thrifty plan Low-cost plan Moderate cost plan Liberal plan
12-13 years $36.30 $44.20 $52.80 $64.10
14-18 years $36.00 $44.40 $53.50 $65.70
19-50 years $35.80 $45.00 $55.20 $70.90
51-70 years $35.50 $43.90 $54.40 $64.70
71+ years $34.80 $43.50 $54.30 $65.20

The food costs above are adjusted for a four-person family. If you have a smaller or larger family, you can still calculate the overall household food costs for YOUR family by making the following adjustments:

  • For one person, take the appropriate age cost figure amount and add 20 percent.
  • For a two-person family, take the total of the two appropriate age cost figures and add 10 percent.
  • For a three-person family, take the total of the three appropriate age cost figures and add 5 percent.
  • For a four-person family, no adjustment is needed… just add the four appropriate age cost figures.
  • For a five or six-person family, take the total of the five or six appropriate age cost figures and subtract 5 percent.
  • For a seven or more person family, take the total of the seven or more appropriate age cost figures and subtract 10 percent.

Written by Shirley | Filed Under Frugality & Nutrition series, Simple Living

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Comments

Comment by Ruth:

We are spending less than the amounts posted. What is less than thrifty? LOL
Ruth, PA

Comment by debby:

According to the chart, the thrifty plan budget for my family would be $117.50 per week. We actually spend around $70 at the grocery store (including all personal and cleaning products) and don’t eat out at all. Oh the things I could cook if I had the extra $42.50/week!!! The liberal plan for my family is $231.63. I can’t even imagine how to spend all that money!

Comment by Natasha:

Wow, we too are less that the Thrifty plan and that’s including cleaning supplies and toiletries. I’m impressed;)

Comment by Barefoot:

Yikes! We, too, spend less than the Thrifty plan. I suppose the difference is that this is the National Average, and groceries in some places are cheaper. Or maybe I am just really Thrifty-Cool…

Comment by debby:

I actually woke up in the middle of the night realizing my math mistake. I’d love the extra $47.50/week (not $42.50). Hopefully I’ll sleep better tonight.

Comment by Ohiomom9977:

My total for the thrifty plan was $121 and some change and that’s almost exactly what I spend per week, but not just on food – that includes food, toiletries and diapers. And to me that’s a high week. I strive to keep it lower than that.

Comment by Niki:

Wow, I am below the thrifty. That is good considering we don’t have coupons and sales are not that frequent.

Comment by anna:

wow! Until now, I was the only person I knew of who spent under 200.00 a week at the grocery store! Our grocery bill is also less than the thrifty plan and my family really feels like we eat good! No complaints about feeling deprived. Our bill usually comes to about 110.00-115.00 dollars a week including all toiletries and cleaning items….even the additional junk we buy at the local dollar store which we can surely do without!! (toys and nic-nacs we really don’t need). I am really enjoying the site here and hope to become more frugal and able to live more simply with right priorities. Thanks for all of your posts. I can’t wait to tell my husband!

Comment by sheri:

Where the heck does the government do their grocery shopping in order to come up with these outrageous, inflated figures? If these are the numbers they use for programs like food stamps, then no wonder they are going broke. And no wonder the majority of adults are obese. Seriously, what are people buying that they need to spend that much?

Comment by megan:

Congrats on spending less, folks, but these are averages for the whole country! The cost is going to depend a lot on where you live– there are big price differences between NYC and Hamilton, Montana, for example, so don’t get upset at the government about the estimate seeming high to you. There is a *lot* of local variation in prices that can’t be reflected in a national average.

Comment by megan:

Also, sheri, obesity is actually linked to poverty and the comparatively low cost of fast and junk foods compared to quality, nutritious foods. A simple, quality diet can be had at a much lower cost that a lot of people think– as the folks on this site show. However, it’s tough to blame obesity on an individual living in, say, the South Side of Chicago who hasn’t got a real grocery store within 15 miles.

Comment by Dee:

I have a family of 8 and 4 dogs and we spend $400-$450 a month between food and non food items. Groceries cost more here but we still manage to eat well and healthy, fast food is seldom. I cook and bake by scratch.

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