We went to ALDI last night and got some GREAT deals! (Check out this post for the deals I found on coconut oil and eggs!)
Note: If you missed my post on Why I’m Back to Grocery Shopping, Menu-Planning, and Freezer Cooking, be sure to read it here.
Our Grocery Budget
We currently budget $125 per week for groceries for our family of 5. This does not include eating out once a week (we budget separately for that).
We also get some of our expensive groceries and personal products (such as makeup) via Amazon using credit earned from Swagbucks + we get the majority of our household products (cleaners, toothpaste, detergent, etc.) via credit earned from Grove.
I only spent $83, which leaves me wiggle room to buy markdowns at Kroger if I have time to swing by there later this week to see if they have some great markdowns. If I don’t have time or they don’t have good markdowns, I’ll roll over the extra $$ to next week.
Here’s what I bought:
- Cucumbers — $0.39 each (got $0.25 back Checkout 51)
- Milk — $2.29
- Bananas ($0.29 per pound) — $1.32 total
- Half & Half — $1.89
- 4 Plums ($0.25 each) — $1
- 2 bags of Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips — $1.39 each
- Strawberries — $1.69
- String Cheese — $1.99
- 3 cans Arizona Green Tea — $0.74 each
- 8 Kiwis — $1.98
- 2 cans Black Beans — $0.59 each
- Blackeye Peas — $0.65
- Macaroni & Cheese x 4 — $0.33 per box
- Brown Rice — $1.49
- 2 packages cheddar cheese — $1.69 each
- 2 bags of frozen Chicken Tenderloins — $5.79 per bag
- 2 avocado — $0.79 each
- Wheat Bread — $0.99
- Cabbage — $1.19
- Lettuce — $1.99
- Feta cheese — $1.79
- Butter — $2.49
- 10 lb. potatoes — $2.89
- Whipped cream — $2.29
- Grapes — $1.58
- Tomatoes — $1.49
- Bacon — $3.49
- Cantaloupe — $0.99
- Sweet Corn — $1.49
- Natural peanut butter — $1.49
- Sour Cream — $0.99
- 1 gallon water — $0.79
- Organic chicken broth — $1.79
- Refried Beans — $0.79
- Sauerkraut — $1.69
- Diced tomatoes — $0.55
- Crushed pineapple — $0.99
- Mandarin oranges — $2.49
- Peppers — $2.89
- Dried cranberries — $1.29
- Total with tax — $83.80 (Plus, I uploaded my receipt to Yaarlo & earned a little cashback for doing so. If you haven’t signed up with Yaarlo, use my coupon code MONEYSAVINGMOM when you sign up to earn more.)
This Week’s Menu Plan
Interested in what we’re eating this week? You can see our menu plan for this week here.
I plan our menu based upon what we already have on hand, so I didn’t have to buy every single item needed to make everything on our menu. However, because we were out of town the week before, I had to restock a lot of perishable items, so I bought the majority of items for this week’s menu.
Struggling with menu planning? Check out this post on How to Be a Meal Planning Mama.
What is your family’s grocery budget? I’d love to hear (and remember this is not a competition; we’re here to inspire one another not guilt others into feeling they are doing enough!)
Bethany says
This post encouraged me because we are also a family of five budgeting $125 a week ($600/mo) on groceries. That includes eating out. I thought we were crazy to budget so tightly in order to save more, but I love how many others are budgeting about the same! It’s nice to know I’m not alone in this little mission. ?
We are a gluten free family, and live on the west coast, so our grocery prices are higher, but we have a garden, orchard, and chickens, so that helps to offset. We cook a lot from scratch, and I use my crockpot and vitamix almost daily.
Ashley @ Cheap College Chick says
I love this! We are working to cut our grocery budget in hopes of me coming home full time to work on my blog but my husband doesn’t want to feel deprived and like we don’t have food options. We are learning slowly and are even looking into expanding the budget a bit in favor of cutting back eating out. I’m so glad your food budget is realistic and what works for your family versus look how low I can get it but we ate hamburger helper all week. Thanks for being so real!
Crystal Paine says
You’re so welcome! Thanks so much for your kind encouragement!
Clare C. says
Crystal, I love that you shared your grocery budget! You hadn’t done that in awhile and I was wondering what your target was… I spend $200 a week, which includes food, toiletries, cleaning products, and food for our large dog. We rarely eat out. We are a family of 6, including 3 teenagers and an 11-year old who can eat more than any of us (I don’t how he stays so slim!) This week our budget is a little different as we are in the culmination of a summer meal-planning challenge with the kids. They were each given $20 to plan, shop for, and prepare an entire meal for our family on their own, with me giving advice as needed as serving as their sous chef. 🙂
Debj says
Clare C. We do the same activity for the kids and it so much fun. I give them a little less money and show them how I find good deals on meat. It is educational and fun. It has also built up their confidence. Glad to hear you are teaching this life skill too!
Elisabetn says
Our food budget breaks down to $100/wk for 10 people (we have 8 children, ranging in age from 2 to 15). I grocery shop twice a month, so I can spend up to $200 each time. Honestly, I wish our budget was higher so we could eat something besides ground turkey or chicken occasionally. We live in a small southern rural town so there’s no grocery store competition or coupon wars going on here. I cook a lot of food from scratch because one of our kids has food allergies, which in turn helps the food budget. One funny story- I had just done the shopping and was going to be gone for the evening for a “mama’s night out” and my husband called wanting to know what to cook for supper. He said, “I’ve looked in the refrigerator and all the cabinets and all I can find is ingredients” !!!
Crystal Paine says
Your husband’s comment was funny! 🙂
Kristy MeYeR says
HI Crystal and friends! Our grocery budget is right about $125 a week, and that includes most of our household supplies (TP, toothpaste, soaps, some of the pet food, etc.) We are currently a household of four, teenage soon, tween son, hubster and I. Also, we host company for dinner at least once a week, and older teen son lives just down the road and “just happens” to pop in around dinner time a few times a week, LOL!
I cook from scratch as often as I can, and we rarely eat out except when we are simply too busy to cook anything. I pack Hercules a lunch everyday, and younger son and I eat at work each day so that helps keep our costs down a well.
LOVE your site and am so glad you are back to cooking and finding deals again!
Blessings,
Kristy- aka Mama to the Man Crew
Crystal Paine says
Thanks so much for sharing!
sue says
No Aldi anywhere near here in the PNW….Those are great prices ..nothing like it here….Its a good things we are vegetarians (hubby eats fish)and we don’t buy much junk food,…just lots of veggies, fruit , beans etc…we have a garden, fruit trees and berries….just water and coffee to drink. I spend about $30 /week but still am using up deod, toothpaste, shampoo etc. stash from the great couponing days a few yrs ago….I find I prefer simple real food and that tends to be less expensive in the long run….
Nicole says
If I’m able to really plan, look around for deals, do freezer cooking and such, I’ve been able to get it to $35 a week for my husband and I (doesn’t include money for eating out once a week or so 🙂 I’ve learned so much from this website and other women in my life – it’s been huge as my husband has been finishing school.
Crystal Paine says
Yay! This makes me SO happy! Way to go!!!
Debj says
I just wanted to add that I spend little time couponing but save alot. I file each weeks coupons in a dated file folder or pocket portfolio(cost 10 for $1 right now). I write date in pencil and the folders get reused too. The deals are usually posted by date so I can find them easily. I cut them out and add them to weekly envelope (which are like 50 for $1). Different envelope for different stores. The envelopes are stashed in my purse so I never forget them. Forget all that cutting and filing! I couldn’t do it!
Crystal Paine says
Thanks SO much for sharing!!
Kristina says
My budget is the same of yours for a fanily of four now, since one went to college a few years ago. We go through about 4 gallons of milk each week because we have 2 littles in the house and 3-4 dozen eggs because we love em! I live in a small town with one expensive small town grocery store and a Wal-Mart so most of my shopping is done at Wal-Mart. I go early every Friday morning and I get a lot of great deals on meat marked down a lot of times more than half price. I wish we had an Aldi here but we got one in a town about 30 miles from here so we get the ad in our paper now and I’m able to price match the produce and things like that. I used to be an avid couponer but I just don’t have time anymore and I’ve found that buying mostly the store brand items I actually save even more now than when I was couponing all the time 🙂 Pretty much the only things I won’t buy generic are chips and soda on the occasions that we buy those…. But I think the Great Value/Equate brands at Wal-Mart are excellent quality and I can’t see any difference in any of it. For the last couple of years I’ve been buying the Equate brand of most of our personal/household products and saved a ton of money. The only exception is diapers.
Debj says
Our weekly budget for 4 is $80 which includes two teenage boys. This also includes hygiene and paper products. I use ShopRite and drugstores. No organic but lots of healthy foods. I use many tips, mostly from your site. I shop the pantry and sales ads before I do weekly menu plan. I learned to make our fav foods so we rarely eat out. Baked goods from scratch each week. Make my own yogurt, muffins, freezer burritos, pizza dough from your recipes. Thank you go for all of your help.
Sherri says
We have a budget of $250 a month for our family of 5. This will decrease to $125 when the oldest 2 go back to college soon. This is for food only. Our “secret weapon” is a small grocery outlet chain called Sharp Shopper. I regularly get cereal for $1, yogurt for a quarter, and granola bars for $1. You never know what they will have in stock, but it’s almost always a great deal.
Crystal Paine says
I’ve heard so much about Sharp Shopper and always wanted to find one to shop at!!
Sherri says
There are only 8 of them, and they are all located in either Pennsylvania or Virginia. That might be a bit of a drive for you.
Crystal Paine says
😉 Yes, a bit of a drive! But hopefully someday I’ll be near one and get to check it out!
Jenna says
Would it be worth going 30-45 min out of the way to go to a Sharp Shopper? On a typical day, would the deals and prices be worth it? We are going through PA on way home from family wedding next month.
I mean, we are doing fun stuff for the kids on our trip, so why not a grocery store stop for me? 😉
Sherri says
Because it’s an outlet, the items in stock are constantly changing. What’s there one day may be gone the next time you visit, and they may or may not have certain kinds of items all the time. I have witnessed people driving here from long distances, loading up big coolers from overflowing carts, so I’d say it’s worth a shot (especially if you can fit a cooler in the trunk).
The things I get there are cereal, granola bars/snack crackers, yogurt, juice, canned fruit, pasta, and frozen foods. They do not have a meat department, so any meat is prepackaged and probably frozen (before the sell by date). My store currently has lots of Jennie-O ground turkey products for under $2 a pound. Produce isn’t fabulous, but sometimes they have great stuff.
Hope that helps you decide.
Chris says
Is there any way to use Ibotta and/or Check out 51 if you don’t have a Smart phone, like on a computer? Thanks
Desirae says
you can use it on a computer 🙂
Jodi says
I average about $100 for my family of 5. I have 3 sons, ages 12,18 and 19. My 18 year old is about to go out of state for college, so that figure may change. I keep kosher, so I am unable to take advantage of Aldi for meat, but I can buy some items from them. I use coupons and digital coupons, plus saving apps at Shoprite. I am a homemaker, so I do a lot of cooking, and don’t buy many processed foods. I consider my toiletries free, as I buy from CVS, using the drugstore deals. (This is what got me started on moneysavingmom many years ago, which changed my life!)
The Jewish Lady says
Checkout 51 has rebates for Empire kosher chicken and turkey sometimes. Always worth a look. Also, if you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, they carry kosher meat at a reasonable price. Hope that helps.
Jodi says
Thanks! You are the second person to tell me about kosher meat at TJs in a week! I had no idea!
Karina says
Thank you for sharing, you’re such an inspiration.
Laura Tierney says
Wish we had an Aldi! Love grocery posts for ideas, but envy the cost. The milk comparison alone is crazy! Your price of a Gallon of Milk … $2.29 compared to mine at $4.89! That’s a grocery store price, I know Costco is cheaper, but driving to multiple stores for better prices uses a lot of gas and time. Organic Milk in the grocery store is getting close to $8.00! Cost as much for a package of beef as a gallon of milk, really hard to stretch your dollars in Long Island, NY. But hey, the beaches here are beautiful! 🙂
Jodi says
There are several Aldi’s on LI. I live near the Lake Grove location. There is also Bay Shore, Lindenhurst,Selden and Patchogue. Hopefully soon one will be near you. Meanwhile, I buy my milk at CVS for $3.29, and get 1 EB back.
Cory says
Mm.. We spend a lot on groceries. Probably around $500+ a month. I’ve been meaning to break it down more to streamline our shopping. *However, I cook from scratch and rarely buy box mixes or processed foods. We don’t shop weekly either. My budget includes lunchbox items for my husband/sons and beverages.
Some of my best meals come from having odds and ends in the pantry/fridge and we hate throwing food away!! So,a roasted chicken will also make chicken sandwiches, chicken enchiladas and chicken broth. I also try & make 1 new recipe a week. It could be anything and we entertain at home quite a bit so our budget is a bit bigger! Last week’s NEW recipe was Asian potstickers the wrappers for 40 per pack were $2 everything else was in the fridge. BONUS- is I was able to use up veggies in the crisper- I like Aldi for some things but, not produce it goes bad too quickly. We also have a vitamix which I use to whip up a fresh vegetables sauce, soup etc. Keeps waste to a minimum.
Maureen says
How did you get an Ibotta credit at Aldi? It doesn’t appear as a store option.
Crystal Paine says
Whoops! That was from Checkout 51! I just fixed that on the post. Sorry!
Maureen says
At least you know we read the details! 🙂
Crystal Paine says
Yes! And that makes me SO happy and grateful!
Savannah says
We are a family of 3, with a soon-to-be 3 year old. You would think she wouldn’t eat as much as an adult…WRONG! We currently budget $60 per week for groceries. I include our household items in this as well. We “purchase” our pork and beef from my Dad’s farm (although it’s mostly given as Christmas gifts and lasts us through the year), and my husband hunts. Our garden is AMAZING this year! We’ve pulled 100 lbs of tomatoes and canned various pasta sauces, salsas, and diced tomatoes…so that will give us some more wiggle room in the budget from here on out!
I’m so happy that you’re going to be sharing more of this type of writing with us! Although, I’d still read anyways 🙂
Rosanna says
Currently our budget is $100/week for our family of 5, but I’m thinking I need to bump it up a bit. This includes toiletries as well. I make our own sourdough bread, granola, yogurt, and preserve lots of vegetables and fruit. Even so we eat ALOT:)
Alyssa says
We’re in Northern Canada. Our budget is $720/month for a family of 6. I make all our bread, granola, yogurt, sauerkraut, chicken broth and kombucha. Budget doesn’t include diapers, that’s a seperate category since I use Amazon Prime. Those prices are amazing, everything up here is twice that, minimum, except half and half, bizarrely!
Lisa H says
Great to see these types of posts from you again, Crystal!
Our grocery budget is $280 for our family of four (with a 9- and 6-year-old) in Southern California. I don’t seek out organics, and I make heavy use of the 99 Cent Store and a local international market that has killer produce, meat and deli deals. I also love shopping the markdowns at our Kroger affiliate (Ralphs). Eating out and cat supplies have their own envelopes; cleaning supplies and toiletries I tend to do through CVS (extra bucks) and use either the grocery budget or “miscellaneous” envelope. We also get toilet paper and a few other items at Costco every few months, and that expenditure has its own line item in our budget.
Liz says
I’m just jealous of your prices! Avocados at my local Aldi are $1.49 each. 🙁
Kathryn says
Would you consider doing a post on the different receipt cashback apps? Thanks!
Crystal Paine says
I’ve been experimenting with a number of new ones right now and plan to do that soon! Thanks so much for the recommendation!
Julia says
How do you use Ibotta for Aldi purchases? I don’t have that as an option on my Ibotta app?
Crystal Paine says
Hah! Whoops! I meant to say Checkout51! I’ll go change it!
Mireille says
I have been spending $130-140 a week for a family of 5 (I have three boys, 2, 5 and 10) but since my husband is out of town 3 days a week, I decided to bring my budget down to $100. I’ve been making my own yogurt and the granola bars from your website to help cut down on snack costs. I don’t include household items in that amount just food. Been successful the last two weeks and spent less than $100.
Crystal Paine says
I love this — and way to go!!
Kadee says
We average $900/month for our family of 5 and that is food only, no cleaning or personal items. We eat out once a week (not included in grocery budget). We live in an area with a very reasonable cost of living. But…I have 3 boys at various stages of puberty and they eat all.the.time. Someone is always in the kitchen eating. I’m actually surprised I only spend $900!
Crystal Paine says
Ha! I can only imagine how much 3 boys in the middle of puberty can eat!!
Kristi Stone says
Way too much, unfortunately, around $700/month. I’d really love to get it down lower and I think I can, but it will take some time. We are wasting some food right now, and I’m really not liking that.
Crystal Paine says
Don’t beat yourself up! Just choose one or two things you can do over the next month or two to shave off 1-3% off your grocery budget. Once you get those things down, then add one or two more things. And on and on… over time, it will really add up!
Cheryl says
We also budget $500-600 a month on groceries for a family of 4. This includes paper products, health/beauty, cleaning supplies, etc. We raise our own chickens for the eggs too so I never buy eggs. I bake and cook mostly from scratch and my husband and kids do pack lunches for work and school. Our 2 kids are in the “constantly eating stage” and are growing so I try and keep health options available for them. (ages 12 and almost 14). I use recipes from MSM site and Mel’s kitchen café to help me and meal and grocery plan too. We rarely go out to eat.
Crystal Paine says
Thanks so much for sharing!
Kimberly in nC says
Probably dumb question, but is Yaarlo only for a cel phone? I only have a desktop computer, so I was wondering if it was something I could use or not.
Thanks.
Crystal Paine says
Hmm, I think you can probably only download it to a device like a phone or an iPod or an iPad?
Jessica says
Mine is the same as yours. My husband and I are active and work out daily (he climbs and walks, I do the elliptical and resistance training). Our kids are ages 3, 6 and 9. We live in Ohio. My son and I love fruit. I make coffee in my Keurig brewer and in my French press. For my husband, it’s not a meal without meat. We rarely eat out. We don’t drink pop and I mostly cook from scratch. I make my own granola, but not my own buns or tortillas!
My grocery budget also includes stuff like toothpaste, cat food etc, because I pick that up when I get groceries at Kroger or Target. I now do about half of my shopping at Aldi and the other half is split between Kroger and Target… used to do almost all of it at Meijer, but the one near me closed.
Crystal Paine says
“I make my own granola, but not my own buns or tortillas!” <--- I love how you pick and choose what works for you!
Pam says
Jessica nice to see someone on here from Ohio.Are you close to Zanesville
Jessica says
I’m in Columbus.