How much per week do you spend on food?

[SunshineMama]

How much per week do you spend on food for your own family (how many are in your family), and for the daycare?

I am trying to keep our food expenses to around 500 a month for my family of 5, AND the daycare (additional 3 kids everyday per week). I don't know if this is realistic or not- have not been able to keep within budget, and I cook all meals, etc.

Was wondering what others spend.

[daycarediva]

I'm sure it varies by location, I'm in ny. We do mostly all organic, for my family of 6, plus 6 dcks and 1 Sa, I spend about 400-500/week.

I do shop sale ads, farmers market and get meat direct from organic farmers. We don't do/have extras, either. Ugh.

[TwinKristi]

We spend probably $200-300/wk on average. We have 6 of our own kids, plus 3 (soon to be 4 yay!) DCKs. I get about $550/mo in food program reimbursement. I must add that our area is a high COL area and food is expensive here. Apples are $1/lb when you buy the bagged, $3.50/gal for cheap milk, $5/gal for name brand milk, $6.50/gal for organic, $5/lb for cheese, $2.50-3/loaf of bread... We get 2 boxes of organic locally grown fruits & veggies for $88/mo.

[jenboo]

Its just my husband and I. We spend $50 a week for just us. We buy very little packaged/canned food (usually just bread, tomato paste....that kind of stuff.)
Its mostly meat, fresh fruits and veggies and almond milk.

I have 6 DCK (5 that eat the meals). I spend around $150-200 a month on them so thats about $38-50 a week. The bulk of it is the meat, milk and fresh fruits and veggies. No packaged food (no crackers, cereals, etc).

I do not shop sales. I do not coupon. To give you an idea of food costs here:
Milk (half gallon) $1.93 for the store brand... up to $5+ for organic
Apples $.98/ lb for the cheaper brand of apples...pink ladies go for $2-3/lb
Eggs $1.48/ dozen
Bread $1/ loaf for the cheap stuff $3 for the better quality

[Blackcat31]

Similar thread from last week

https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=69215

[butterfly]

I spend $150/week. Includes my family of 4 and 11-12 daycare kids daily. We eat dairy and gluten free as a family and the daycare is dairy free except for required milk on the food program (most of daycare drinks soy milk due to allergies as well) I shop sale ads and menu plan BEFORE grocery shopping each week. We eat nearly all meals at home due to our dietary needs. This $150 also includes toiletery items for both our family and the daycare.

ETA: I shop with a cash envelope and it helps me stay within my budget.

[MCC]

I spend about $250/week for my family of 3, and 6 daycare kids (only 3 of them eat food). I have tried many many times to lower this, but it keeps getting back to the $250. I don't use any processed foods, my H and I are sugar/flour free, so it's just meat and veggies and very few grains. I do clip coupons for paper towels, soup, etc, but it usually works out the the store brand is cheaper anyway.

I live in a HOC area, and buy only organic dairy. A gal of milk is $7.99. I just enrolled in the FP, and looks like I'll be getting about $200 back a month, we can not claim our own child, and are on Tier II.

[TaylorTots]

City-dweller here in Iowa. I do not purchase organic. I do buy healthy.

For 3 FT and 1 PT dcks + our family of 4 I spend $130-150 a week, not including tolietries (toliet paper/paper towels/wipes/all our regular stuff) - that's about $20-30 more a week. Both my DH and my DS take their lunches everyday as well and is included in that quote.

[Leigh]

I spend around $300/week for my household of 5 and for my 6 daycare kids (I buy formula for one DCK and 4-5 cans/month for my foster kid for what WIC doesn't provide for him). Some weeks are more, some less.