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May 27, 2009

Are You Average?



According to the USDA, an "average" family of 4 will spend between $800-$900 on groceries PER MONTH! Ouch! Even if you follow what the USDA considers to be the "thrifty plan", a family of 4 can expect to pay around $600/month.

For my family of 6, the government expects me to spend almost $900/month on the Thrifty plan. $900? Thrifty?!?

Check it out here to see how your family fits.

We never spend more than half of the average. No need to!  With coupons and careful shopping, menu planning, and making most meals from scratch, we keep our grocery spending MUCH lower than the USDA averages.

There is always room for improvement, so here is my question--what strategies have you found to keep your grocery budget manageable? Have any great tips to share?

Posted by Pam Labels: ,

3 comments:

  1. To save money and time, a year ago our family began using a menu system for meals. We sit down 1 day a week and come up with a menu for the following week's meals. I compile my grocery list from the menu, buying only the necessary items needed to make each meal. This has cut our grocery bill by 1/3. It saves time because you are able to plan ahead when you know what you are making for dinner (no guessing). It also eliminates the waste of unused food that has spoiled.

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  2. yikes! That's incredible! I guess "average" isn't very good, huh?

    Thanks for this good info - also enjoyed your guest post at ChaChing. Fun ideas!

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  3. Thanks! This is one time in life I am happy to be "below average!" :)

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Thank you for your input!

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