Budgeting for groceries is a challenge even during the best of times. For many households, groceries are one of their biggest expenses. Grocery shopping on a budget becomes almost impossible when prices increase monthly.
If your family is struggling to stay on top of inflation, there are any number of things you can do to decrease the cost of food. We’re all about stretching your meals, using every bit of leftovers and sharing recipes that are fast and frugal.
Can I Spend $50 a Week on Groceries?
If you live by yourself and you are intent on finding freebies and deals, you might possibly scrape by for $50 a week. However, $50 a week grocery shopping on a budget isn’t very realistic in today’s economy. If you have a family, you can reduce costs some by buying in bulk, but not everyone has a large household to feed.
When budgeting groceries, you must consider all your food costs. How many times a week do you eat out? Does your mom still cook a family dinner for everyone on Sundays? Do you treat others to a meal at times? Calculate all your spending in a month and then divide it by the weeks in the month.
Should You Budget $150 Per Month Per Person for Groceries?
Some experts recommend spending $150 per month per person in your household. This may or may not be realistic for you. For example, if you have teenage boys in your home, you may need far more than $150 a month to keep them full. On the other hand, if you have toddlers, they may eat very little and you may not need to budget quite as much.
The idea behind the $150 approach for families is that the costs even out across different age groups. However, each family is completely different, so you’ll have to make adjustments based on what works best for you.
Tips for Grocery Shopping on a Budget
Grocery shopping on a budget isn’t always fun. It can take some extra work. However, it is typically one of the top ways to save money for your family. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ last released average costs for consumer expenditures showed the top four categories include food, housing, transportation and insurance–costs are still rising. Food came in at $9,985 in 2023, an increase of 6.9%. The numbers don’t reflect the state of the economy in 2025 and the rising costs of eggs and other foods.
Here are our favorite ways to save money, especially now when it’s difficult to find as many coupons and sales prices.
1. Be Flexible
I think my mom thought I was crazy recently when I told her we might not have turkey for Thanksgiving this year. It is up from around .59 a pound most years to $1.69 per pound this year. I’m not paying it. I refuse. I’m bad at math, but that’s a huge increase. I am doing grocery shopping on a budget. I can’t justify spending $40 on a single turkey for a few meals.
I did mention I might do chicken because I recently found whole chickens on sale for $5 each and could just do two of those. Well, I guess my parents didn’t like that idea a lot, so they found turkey on sale for $1.09 per pound and said it was their contribution to the dinner before I could tell them no. They wouldn’t let me pay them back. Guess I got a free turkey? LOL Just kidding. I promise I’ll feed everyone well.
2. Plan Ahead
When you’re grocery shopping on a budget, you have to learn to buy the loss leaders. If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know I already push this idea of stocking up when things are on sale and I have for many years.
You also have to plan ahead for holidays and big events. I once watched an episode of Extreme Cheapskate where the lady was picking things up as cheaply as possible for an upcoming wedding. She served pasta–inexpensive–and bought things with coupons and at deep discounts. She fed her guests for a fraction of the cost.
I made a list back in August of the foods I serve for Thanksgiving and Christmas and started picking things up when they were on sale. I’ve already bought green beans, macaroni and cheese, cranberry sauce, pies (freezer), gravy. Also on the list is turkey, ham, rolls, mashed potatoes and salad. Some things I can’t buy until last minute, but I’ve saved about 35% by buying on sale and saving for later.
3. Research Prices
I’d like to tell you that grocery shopping on a budget is easy but it isn’t. You’ll need to spend some time researching who has the best price on the things you eat.
I want to share something here. Don’t buy something just because “it’s a good deal.” If your family doesn’t like or eat brussels sprouts and you put 100 bags in the freezer because they were half off, you’ve wasted your grocery money.
Let me give you an example so you can see what I mean. I wanted a certain brand of canned green beans for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners–Allen’s–but they hardly ever go on sale or are out. Fortunately, you can now pull almost any shopping site up on your phone and check prices and sales. I started looking and found they were cheapest at Sam’s Club for a HUGE can that will be more than enough to feed my family.
Hint: I bought two so I have them for Christmas when all the stores, including Sam’s, are aren’t. Grocery shopping on a budget means planning ahead.
4. Stick to Your Grocery Budget
Grocery shopping on a budget means sticking to the amount you’ve set and not going over. The best way to achieve this is to plan your meals. We have tons of frugal recipes on this site. Once you’ve set your meals, figure out what you already have.
Make a list of what you need and order via Kroger, Meijer, Walmart or elsewhere. You won’t go over your budget if you order ahead and pick up. It’s easy not to make impulse purchases when you plan ahead. You can also clip digital coupons via Kroger and similar grocery store apps.
5. Cook From Your Freezer and Pantry
One thing I’ve picked up in the last few months is using what I have in the freezer and pantry. I follow a gal named Jordan Page and she often shares tips for these things. For example, September was “Shelftember.” The goal was to only spend $30 per week on fresh items and cook everything else from what you have on hand.
I need to clean out my freezer anyway so my husband can replace the seal on the door for me. It’s been a challenge, but I’ve got one shelf clear. I’m working my way through it while still juggling a busy schedule. Hopefully by Christmas, it will be emptied out. It’s also very difficult for me to let it run low after the food shortages in 2020. I get almost panicky when I don’t have a stockpile of three to six months.
Imagine how nice it would be to use what you have, though, and only spend $50 to $80 a week on your groceries through the new year. You would have extra money for gifts, large family dinners and those crazy heating and cooling bills we’ll all likely see this year.
Are You Ready to Start Grocery Shopping on a Budget?
Start planning today for grocery shopping on a budget. How low can you get your weekly grocery costs? With a little planning, a lot of creativity and sheer determination, you’ll cut food costs as much as possible. Don’t worry, I’ll be here to help you with recipe ideas, tips and encouragement.
