How to Plan a Grocery Budget for 2
Finding states in the United States that allow you to maintain the lifestyle and budget that you have always wanted at a reasonable cost could be uphill, but it is not impossible. There is one factor that could help you in your choice.
Which is it? The cost of living is the main factor. This is usually the amount of money you would need to maintain a certain social status and maintain a specific budget. This index includes the average basic household expenses, such as the cost of housing, access to utilities, food, clothing, and medical care.
Food Related Expenses
Food-related expenses vary greatly depending on how often you eat out since restaurants in the United States are generally quite expensive (except for fast food). Also, remember that you will have to leave a tip, which cannot be less than 15% of the price of the bill. If you are buying groceries every week, your expenses will be a little different.
For example, an American family of 2 spends between $250 and $400 a month on food expenses. If you have no family obligations, you just have to divide by 2 to get an idea of the money you will have to spend to eat as an individual. A grocery budget for 2 can be scaled back if you know how to shop.
Average Grocery Prices Across The United States
Lettuce (1 unit) $1.64
Onions (1kg) $1.54
Potatoes (1 kg) $2.60
Tomatoes (1 kg) $1.03
Oranges (1 kg) $1.24
Bananas (1kg) $1.08
Apples (1 kg) $1.16
Veal (1kg) $14.29
Cheese (1 kg) $4.2
A dozen eggs $4.2
Rice (1kg) $3.77
Bread (loaf) $2.50
Milk (1 liter) $1.98
In New York, one of the most expensive cities in the United States and in the world, the people who live there have indicated that the increases are already showing in their household budgets when it comes to food costs. A family of 2 that used to spend $30 on a few grocery items is now spending $60. Not only do they buy essential items, limiting their needs as much as possible, perhaps skipping some products such as fresh meat or fish, but they are also avoiding buying well-known name brands.
However, it is important to remember that price increases always vary according to the state where you live.
Nearly every food category - such as fresh and processed fruits, sweets, cereals and bakery products - is expected to increase in price this year, according to the USDA report.
Average Budget
1. The average grocery budget for one person (an adult) would be about $175 per month, depending on specific factors such as:
Location
Income
Shopping habits
What you eat
What you like
2. The average grocery budget for 2 (adults) would be around $350 per month, depending on the same factors.
This figure can be reduced if the household consists of one adult and a child between the ages of 1-year-old and 11 years old. The budget would change to $300 per month instead. If the child is between the age of 12 and 18 years old, then you would spend $350 per month or more, but no more than $450, depending on your spending habits, location, food items, how you cook, what you like to eat, income, and other factors.
Shopping For Groceries
Shopping for groceries is a recurring task that is at the heart of our concerns. In addition, the amount that should be allocated is also a subject that has generated a lot of concern in recent months. You will have questions about which supermarket to visit, how to properly plan the menu for the week, how to make the right choices for your health and your wallet?
These are all considerations that come into play when it comes to shopping for groceries. However, how much does a grocery store really cost for a family of two? What are the products that raise or lower the bill? This is what we have demystified for you!
Categories Of Products
The three categories of products that cost families the most are meat, dairy products, and fruits and vegetables (especially out of season). To help you reduce your total grocery bill, several tips and tricks will allow you to make wise choices when it comes time to buy these products. What are the most economical cuts of meat? We know that meat is expensive! A well-known trick to saving on meat is to buy large packs and freeze them. Buying the family size can be very advantageous.
Meat Cuts
On the beef side, you can choose boneless cuts, but by checking with your butcher, you'll likely find bone-in cuts at a better price. Indeed, although they represent a little more work, untrimmed meats are opportunities to make great savings. In order to save even more, you can use the bones (the carcass of a whole chicken, for example) to concoct a delicious homemade broth or to add them to soups or stews (the bone of a roast in chili, for example). The bones are removed after cooking when they have released all their flavor.
The freezer is the number one element that supports saving on food. Meat is one of the foods whose price has increased the most in recent years. When you find it on special, you should try to build your menu around that. The rest is frozen! It is suggested that you replace the beef, in whole or in part, in some traditional recipes with pork or tofu, which will reduce your monthly grocery bill because these are cheaper.
Dairy Products
Which formats of dairy products are the cheapest? When it comes to dairy products, there is no shortage of options. You can choose large formats, individual portions, bottles, cartons, bags, grated or block cheese. In this context, it is difficult to find real bargains! You can save more money when it comes to buying cheese, yogurt, and milk.
Using Bulk
Buying bulk dairy products, when they are at the current price, is always cheaper. Analyze your real needs anyway. It is not advantageous to buy a 4 liter format of milk if you eventually have to throw away half of it because your family of 2 cannot finish it before the expiration date. It is also more beneficial to grate a block of cheddar yourself rather than buying it already grated in a bag. In addition, note that it is possible to freeze firm cheeses such as cheddar, mozzarella, and Parmesan. To do this, grate your cheese or cut it into small portions, wrap it in foil, and then place it in a freezer bag. Thus, you can favor large portions without fear of wasting a part of it, and in addition, you will have cheese in the freezer when needed.
Yogurt and milk can also freeze, but this can change their texture quite a bit. Frozen yogurt gets lumpy and runny, but it could very well be used to bake a cake or execute a popsicle recipe, for example. When it comes to milk, which can be stored in the freezer for up to six weeks, the fat may separate, but you only need to stir the milk to bring it back to roughly its original texture.
The Fruits
Eating well inevitably means consuming a lot of fruit, but it can drive up the grocery bill considerably, especially when the fruit is out of season. Many turn to frozen products in the hope of saving money, but is it really advantageous? Some families would rather eat healthier by buying organic fruits, but that is also very expensive. For a family of two, you can limit the portions to reduce the cost. You can also buy from a Farmer’s Market instead of the actual grocery stores as the prices will vary between the two. By comparing the price of fresh fruit out of season, organic fruits to frozen ones, frozen fruit can allow you to make real savings.
The Vegetables
You should also know that frozen vegetable shortly after harvest retains all their nutrients: so do not be afraid to consume them this way, since they represent great nutritious options sometimes at a fraction of the price. The price of vegetables does not seem to follow the same rules as that of fruit. Indeed, according to our analysis, frozen vegetables are, on average, 15% more expensive than fresh vegetables out of season. As a rule, you pay for the processing undergone by the products and for their transport, which explains the price difference, since frozen vegetables are usually trimmed and ready to eat.
So where can you save money in the vegetable department? You can do so by focusing on the most economical vegetables. Like meat and dairy products, most vegetables are good for freezing. It is, therefore, possible to buy larger quantities when they are at a low price, then to trim them and to freeze them so that they are always on hand. It may seem cliche, but eating in season is basic. A cucumber in the middle of winter will be more expensive than in summer. You should try to put more root vegetables in your diet in winter.
Using an App
One thing little known to the public is that there are competitive food prices. Indeed, several grocery chains like Walmart provide the lowest prices of their competitors. To find the best prices, an app exists, and it is called: “REEBEE” in lowercase. It is easy. You can easily save up to 40% at the grocery store. Use your smartphone and save on food. It works on all comparable products.
Using a Grocery List
The most important thing before leaving for the supermarket is to bring a list, but a list knowing what to do with the food after you have bought it. From your grocery list, you should be able to tell how much of the food will last for two people until your next paycheck or next shopping trip. Savings usually start by avoiding waste. They are dollars thrown in the trash. Therefore, try to do your research on discounts and deals, including which grocery stores offer them.
Make sure you take a shopping list with you so that you can stick to your grocery budget for 2. You can opt to shop at ethnic grocery stores in your neighborhood, if you live in the city, to buy fresh vegetables and herbs. You may find them much cheaper than at the supermarket. Otherwise, wholesalers such as fruit stores may offer better, fresher products at good prices.
The Different Stores
To save even further on your grocery bill, you could sign up for membership at stores like Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJs, depending on the state where you live. Most states do have a Costco monthly membership. The membership works by shopping wholesale. The store sets the items at membership price, which is lower than the basic grocery stores.
One of the reasons that Costco or Sam’s Club can do this is because they buy the items in bulk, so customers can enjoy the savings. You can also shop at your local Farmer’s Market, especially for fruits and vegetables. Your local community may also have mini-markets that provide you with the convenience of shopping, but they might sell more expensive items, and you won’t have a lot of options.
Conclusion
To stick to your grocery budget, use shopping apps, plan your shopping trip ahead of time, do your research, scale back on certain food items, clip coupons, try to avoid shopping on an impulse, and look out for discounts.
Consider signing up for a membership plan with Costco or Sam’s Club. In addition, visit the Goalry platform and go directly to the Budgetry store to learn more about how you can plan a grocery budget for two people.
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