Food
Groceries and eating out are notoriously hungry budget categories. We’ve got plenty to read here on how to tame costs and cope!
Is Your Food Budget Bloated?
The grocery budget puts a whole new spin on the phrase, “Put your money where your mouth is.” Eating food is fun! But coming to terms with how much money you spend on food? More shocking than the latest celebrity scandal, in many cases. And, frankly, nowhere near as much fun.
Whether you’re eating out too often or wandering the aisles of the grocery store aimlessly, the food budget is typically one of the larger expenses that should be easy to tweak.
See Our Most Popular Posts All About Food
Our $298 Grocery Budget for a Family of 5
My family has always lived on a pretty tight budget for groceries. We’ve had such big financial goals, it made sense to cut back where we could. But I haven’t felt deprived. I think we eat very well. And, to be honest, I thought our grocery budget was typical.
Grocery Budget for Two: How We Eat Healthy for $600/Month
Wondering how much is a reasonable grocery budget for two? The USDA puts the average weekly cost of food at home for a family of two at $150 a week, or $600 per month (and that’s on their moderate cost food plan!).
I'm a Budgeter and I Love Eating Out
You’ve started a budget, and you’re coming to terms with that feeling of scarcity. You have fewer dollars than you’d like, and something’s gotta give. Keeping a roof over your head is priority number one. Keeping the lights on? Yep. Stocking the refrigerator? Definitely.
More on Budgeting for Food…
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How to Go Grocery Shopping Once a Month
I do meal planning and one primary grocery trip a month, and I’ve been doing this since 2014. Grocery shopping once a month has a ton of benefits for our family and helps us in the following ways: Save time—fewer grocery store trips. Save money—no grocery budget surprises plus the ability to buy in bulk …
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How to Budget for Groceries in YNAB
Our refrigerator died yesterday. Slowly. While we were away all day. We didn’t realize it until this morning. So I’ve been thinking about saving money on groceries while I bag and discard a lot of spoiled food. Goodbye pork tenderloin and frozen bananas, farewell ice cream and yogurt—it was fun while it lasted! One thing …
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How Much Should I Budget for Eating Out?
Ah, the unwieldy eating out budget. Feel like it’s out of control? Well, you’re certainly not the only one. And you’ve come to the right place. The average American dines out 5.9 times per week and according to BLS data, the average household spends about $3,500 on eating out every year, or just shy of …
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How To Stop Spending So Much Money On Food
If we had a quarter for every time we get asked about food (How much should I budget for groceries? Eating out? How much is too much? Why do I always overspend on food?) we could eat out every night of the week without going over budget. It’s a tough one. Because unlike so many …
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Why It’s OK to Blow Your Grocery Budget Sometimes
This one’s for anyone who thinks budgeting is all about restriction… I just don’t care about my food budget right now. I just DO NOT CARE. I’m not even trying to stay within my budget limit. I am actually consciously overspending on food. The best part? I’m not the least bit upset. In fact, I feel …
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8 Cheap, Healthy Alternatives to Restaurant Favorites
This post written in collaboration with Kelli McGrane, MS, RD dietitian at Lose It! Lose It! is like YNAB for weight loss. Tackle long-term health goals by making a plan for how you’ll “spend” your daily calorie budget and Lose It! makes it easy to track and adjust along the way. Whether you’re short for …
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Ready to Master Your Food Budget?
Budgeting is not restrictive. You won’t be spending less, you’ll be spending right. So what do you have to lose? Except all that debt and stress?
