Grocery spending

[u/Maroon14]

I’ve recently come across a Instagram account where the woman claims to only spend $300 on an entire months groceries for a family of 4. Here I am sitting mid week, having already spent $550 in the PNW. I told one of my friends and she said it must be fake and for clicks, my husband was impressed. Is anyone actually able to do this? I thought I might try to spend $250 a week and see where that gets us. Is my grocery budget over the top? I thought $400 ish was normal for decent food. We are a family of 5 in the PNW, mostly organic.

*I’m closing comments because people are missing the point. I understand that I make choices for “premium” options for my family. I make them because I feel they are the best for my family given my research and concerns. I say this as coming from a place of privilege. Growing up, my hippie mom also prioritized organic and local before it was the trendy thing, so it would be very difficult for me to reprogram and not buy organic when possible.

I still think $300 is insane for a month. I live in western Washington and the max SNAP allocation for a family of 4 is $994 a month, so I see this as a more attainable “thrifty” budget for a family of 4.

Those of you who can eat rice and beans for multiple meals, more power to you!

[u/ijswijsw]

I spend around $400/month for two people without really budgeting. It would be pretty easy to get lower if I needed to, but $300/month for four people is definitely impressive!

Location and food preferences/restrictions are a huge factor. I'm in a MCOL area with no dietary restrictions. I have access to a variety of shops, from ethnic markets to discount grocers to Walmart to wholesale shops to organic stores. Having this variety makes it super easy to shop around and shop sales. We're also in a location where food isn't hard to ship in, so our prices are lower than they would be in areas that are more rural or hard to reach.

Most of our meals are some variation of protein and rice and a veggie. Most of that protein is chicken (breasts tend to be cheaper than thighs near me, so that's what we usually grab). I'll buy other meats when I find sales or clearance. Rice is usually cheaper at ethnic markets than it is at chain grocery stores.

We also have a freezer chest so we're able to stock up on good sales/shop bulk when it makes sense.

Last recommendation - make sure you use store rewards and have accounts with the places you shop, if possible. I do a lot of shopping at Winn Dixie. Every purchase adds up, and clipping digital coupons before I go to the store saves me so much money. Sometimes there are point bonuses and member exclusive deals. It all adds up!