With farmers' markets closed for the winter here in the Mid-Atlantic - it's tough feeding a family of four with good, local fruits and veggies. We also buy foods without HFCS and organic milk and eggs so that raises prices for us. We're at about $120/week which is more than I'd like to spend.

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We spend entirely too much on food but it's our only real indulgence. Part of the problem is we have 3-4 different places to get food. We also conscientiously choose more expensive items which doesn't help the purse. The farmers market is brutally expensive in a 'get what you pay for' kind of way. Our Whole Foods has better prices on cheese and is the only one to carry some things. Harris Teeter and Food Lion have the Utz baked tortillas and I can walk there. There is the butcher for tripe, rabbits, and other animal parts not available at the farmers market and occasionally going out. That being said we have enough stock in the root cellar, pantry, and freezer to not buy food for weeks (and have done it). I'd guess we are in the $40/person range most weeks.

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Due to various food sensitivities, my husband and I spend well over $15/week. We buy fresh, do a lot of cooking, purchase fair trade coffee (which costs a lot more than Folgers), and are fortunately in a position where we can be more worried about the environment and fair pay for farmers than eating cheaply. We still cut costs where we can - my latest endeavour is baking our own bread - but quality and fairness are worth the cost.

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I can spend at most $20/week because most of my diet is dried beans/lentils, carrots, peanut butter, whatever is on sale in the produce department and home made bread. But I really like to bake and make more extravagant meals with ingredients I don't always have on hand thus require special, and more costly, trips to the store.

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I usually spend about $50 to $60 per week for two people. I could spend even less if my boyfriend didn't eat meat, like me ...

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This was a great post. Love the idea of rehydrating milk, for some reason I'd never really considered this before, and just given up on having milk in the hour entirely.

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Rehydrating milk isn't so bad. You can buy a gallon of whole milk, and when it's half gone, fill it back up with reconstituted. You instantly half a full gallon of 2%. I have 4 mouths to feed (2 adult plus my 4 year old & 2 year old). I have used the $45/week menu from hillbillyhousewife.com when we're really in a pickle. But typically I can go on $60 or so and cook fairly normal meals. This doesn't count diapers or laundry detergent or other non-food items. I also don't factor in the emergency milk runs, since my kids can drink more than their share. I buy my meat in bulk so I never have to worry about the main course. And we almost always have enough leftovers for lunch the next day.

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I have, in the past, made do with as little as $10.00 a week spent on food for two. It's not easy to be that poor, but you certainly wouldn't have to starve to death. You really learn how to slow-cook. Beans, rice, cabbage, potatoes, whatever veg you can grow in whatever space you can find... Making your own bread helps you save money, as well.

You can make dinner for three hungry people with nothing more than a head of cabbage, one onion, a turnip, three potatoes, a dollop of cheap yellow margarine (The kind that comes in a giant flat plastic tub, around 4 or 5 bucks for 1.97 kilos), salt and pepper.
1. Bake potatoes.
2. While potatoes are baking, peel and cut the turnip into 1 inch cubes. Heat a large wok with the dollop of cheap margarine until it melts and starts to bubble. Toss in turnip and a shot glass of water. Cover and leave on Medium heat for 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally without removing the lid.
3. Dice onion and cabbage. Toss into the pan and give everything a really good stir. Add another bit of margarine if it's sticking. Turn the heat up to high until the an is sizzling, add another shot glass of water and cover. Steam for 15 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste and whatever other seasonings you like.
4. Once the potatoes are done, place one split baked potato on a plate and cover with the vegetables.


Also: Dried beans soaked overnight, drained, rinsed and cooked with chopped onion. Once they're done add a bit of water to make them "juicy" and add either a 39 cent can of tomato paste, or in summer a couple of cheap tomatoes, chopped. Ladle over a slice of brown bread or a scoop of brown rice.

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Buying groceries isn't a religion - well, maybe it is to some. That certain products or certain stores are the only ones to buy(from) is the root of the problem.

Basic math tells you which are the better bargains - only your taste buds can tell you if there is a difference. If you are susceptible to media influence then you will suffer for that. If you can't taste the difference then you are over-paying. There is a consumer tax on ignorance.

Those with special considerations can still find reduced prices if they shop. Perhaps that is the key word - shop. Shopping requires time and skills (basic math). Some people make many arguments against reasons to shop - I think there are also many in favor of shopping.

Financially, the biggest impact will be on the foods you buy the most. Versatility is a key here - cook what is cheap. The first lesson of the chef is 'buy what is in season' - it tastes the best and is the cheapest. The second lesson of the chef is 'use all of it' - if it can't be made into another dish then it goes into the stock pot.

I didn't bother with the link - I'm so tight I squeak :) The comments here speak for themselves.

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It's hard for me to say how much I spend per week on food. I am actually the type to prepare food ahead. I hate eating out for lunch every week, but I also like to have people come over and cook for them, so that adds up over time. If I want to eat fresh fish, that's going to be expensive.
On the other hand: a great tip is to buy bulk foods. I do this a lot. I'll just stalk up on tons on grains, and you'll be surprised how far a few basic veggies can take you: broccoli, mushrooms, onions and garlic can seriously make you a whole meal.
Obviously, eating vegetarian will save you money too. Me and my friends have started a veggie stew night, which ends up being a cheap way to entertain ourselves. It may cost about 10 bucks to make, but at least we aren't out spending money at a restaurant!

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