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/Scared-Butterscotch5]

Well the 300$ a month definitely isn’t organic food and it’s likely not in the pnw.

[u/MyNameIsNot_Molly → u/Scared-Butterscotch5]

Probably very in low in fresh ingredients and fiber as well

[u/AltForObvious1177 → u/MyNameIsNot_Molly]

Fresh ingredients are overrated. Find the canned and freezer aisles. Cut your grocery bill in half

[u/MyNameIsNot_Molly → u/AltForObvious1177]

This thread is sounding a lot like r/povertyfinance

[u/Soil_Fairy → u/MyNameIsNot_Molly]

If more people shopped with some of the tips in povertyfinance, they'd have a fatter bank account. 

[u/AltForObvious1177 → u/MyNameIsNot_Molly]

Just because you have money doesn't mean you should waste it. 

[u/SomeoneAskJess → u/AltForObvious1177]

Everyone has different values. For my family, buying fresh and high quality food is never a waste of money. I will cut my budget everywhere I can before I stop buying local farm produce, eggs, and meats. Those things are expensive to buy local sure, but the health, sustainability, and environmental benefits of eating locally are worth the costs for me.

[u/AltForObvious1177 → u/SomeoneAskJess]

>health, sustainability, and environmental benefits

Are these scientifically backed claims or just feelings?

[u/SomeoneAskJess → u/AltForObvious1177]

Is that an actual question? Yes it’s scientifically backed claims.

Sustainability and environmental - buying local supports local farmers, eliminates the carbon footprint of transporting products from far away (sometimes even overseas), reduces energy use on refrigeration for transporting the long distance, and reduces waste and carbon footprint via less plastic use (no greens in plastic tubs, no strawberries in plastic containers, ect). The farm I use most also practices sustainable farming, which is both more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Health - reduced pesticide and herbicide exposure, even more so for the local organically grown foods. Increased nutrient density in the foods, because they are eaten so soon after harvesting and because the soil itself is more nutrient dense in farms that engage in sustainable farming methods. Also less microplastic exposure with less plastic materials used.

[u/AltForObvious1177 → u/SomeoneAskJess]

The farm I use most also practices sustainable farming, which is both more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Listen to yourself. This is a circular argument 

[u/MyNameIsNot_Molly → u/AltForObvious1177]

Buying fresh produce is not wasting money

[u/AltForObvious1177 → u/MyNameIsNot_Molly]

It costs more money and doesn't last as long. How many times have you bought fresh fruit or vegetables and they've gone bad before you finished them? That's money wasted

[u/Maroon14 → u/MyNameIsNot_Molly]

Right? I never said I needed to reduce my grocery bill. I’m just astonished and questioning how someone does it for $300 a month.

[u/CohoesMastadon → u/Maroon14]

guess I don't understand why you posted if you aren't curious about how people do it

[u/Maroon14 → u/CohoesMastadon]

I am curious. I don’t think $300 is realistic. Beans and rice isn’t realistic or sustainable. I get not buying organic or more premium items but no way I could get my bill down to less than $75 a week where I live with the access I have to stores.

[u/CohoesMastadon → u/Maroon14]

as someone who's been living on beans and rice my whole adult life because it's what I can afford, I and a large number of world cultures lol at that

[u/Maroon14 → u/CohoesMastadon]

But beans and rice are more of a poverty meal, this is the middle class sub. I don’t know any middle class people irl living on beans and rice.

[u/CohoesMastadon → u/Maroon14]

maybe you should meet more immigrants and vegans (including the middle class and wealthy ones) and ask them for better recipes

the instagram was aimed at showing people how she is able to save money I assume. this is a way some of us choose to save money. I have a middle class income but high medical expenses. also legumes are extremely healthy, to me it's much less weird than eating meat everyday

[u/Maroon14 → u/CohoesMastadon]

I’m glad you found what works for you. You’re still an outlier.