What's your food budget?

[rubecube]

I brought a lunch with me to work today but then decided I didn't really want it and bought a quesadilla across the street.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

I started dehydrating watermelon this year.

Stuff is like crack, I can't get enough of it. I've never bought more watermelon in my life.

Isn't dehydrated watermelon just.... dust?

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

Isn't dehydrated watermelon just.... dust?

Not sure if serious because I get asked that in some form every single time I mention it.

Despite the name there's tons of fruit fibre/pulp in watermelon. The end product isn't much different than dried pineapple or apricot chunks found in trail mix as far as texture is concerned.

The flavour and sweetness is insanely concentrated. It quite honestly tastes like candy. One of my favourite sweet snacks now.

[Looch City]

I have to try this now. Thanks for bringing it up!

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by Iggy City

I have to try this now. Thanks for bringing it up!

Hope you enjoy it! A buddy of mine told me to try it and I thought he was nuts. It's my favourite thing to take hiking now.

If you weren't going to already, make sure you get the seedless variety. Saves a lot of time on prep.
I also found 1-2" long, thin strips work better than cubing it.

[To Be Quite Honest]

I cook for myself and I make huge amounts of food to last me. Right now I make coconut curry soup and homemade ramen noodles. Pizzas with healthier options and all home made ingredients. French onion soup with a bottle of red wine. Various sandwiches. Whole chicken with root veggies (I make it for the gravy really.) Homemade Spaghetti and sauce and Greek salad. These are my usual go to meals. My bills are about $60-80 a month.

Hey, this post came off my phone! MY PHONE!

[pseudoreality]

I travel a lot for work and get $115/day in per diems. Normally I spend barely any of it, but it's been a tough week and I'm spending it tonight.

[malcolmk14]

Bump

Two people, and we don't really watch our spending too closely in general. However, we've been keeping track the first 7 months of 2017 so far, and what we've found is this:

Groceries:

Low: $285.75 (June)
High: $935.10 (April)
Average: $615.09

Restaurants:

Low: $123.33 (July)
High: $262.50 (January)
Average: $199.05

Total food:

Low: $455.08 (June)
High: $1,156.47 (April)
Average: $814.15

[Locke]

Originally Posted by malcolmk14

Bump

Two people, and we don't really watch our spending too closely in general. However, we've been keeping track the first 7 months of 2017 so far, and what we've found is this:

Groceries:

Low: $285.75 (June)
High: $935.10 (April)
Average: $615.09

Restaurants:

Low: $123.33 (July)
High: $262.50 (January)
Average: $199.05

Total food:

Low: $455.08 (June)
High: $1,156.47 (April)
Average: $814.15

Good God man! What the hell happened in April?

[White Out 403]

[activeStick]

I'm single and I spend about $70 a week on groceries. I buy family pack meats that happen to be on sale at the stores (beef, pork or chicken) and veggies to last me the week. I spend another $50 a week on lunch.

So about $500 a month for me

[ASP#26525]

Originally Posted by Locke

Good God man! What the hell happened in April?

My exact thought. And the answer wasn't at the end of the thread so now I'm really curious

[ToewsFan]

Right now I am recovering from Mental Health issues, so I try to make appointments with the food bank. You can usually pick up a parcel for at least a couple of weeks.

[Nsd1]

Originally Posted by Locke

Good God man! What the hell happened in April?

4/20 can be hazardous to the bank account

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Reminds me of a book I read about a New Jersey school teacher who bought a crappy house 30 miles from his school, rode a bike every day to school, went o the shore to collect clams and lived on boiled potatoes and clams for 3 years. Cost him 50 cents a day and took up all his spare time.

He did become wealthy one day and eventually snagged a wife who took it to her ex.

Actually, this is the author of Millionaire Teacher - Andrew Hallam.

Fantastic book everyone should read. He's Canadian too.

On food costs, some things my wife and I are doing that save us quite a bit of money on groceries:

- get the Flipp app and price match on stuff you see on sale (we do this at Walmart, super easy)
- just buy meat on sale with yellow stickers. Take it home and freeze it right away. Most meat is on sale for 25-50% off and is perfectly edible.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

I recall when I was at U of T, and my spending habits were horrific, I had to go to a RBC ATM because that was the only ATM that spit out $5's - I had $5.22 left in my account to last a week until the next student loan advance. At the time that bought me a cheap pack of hot dogs and 2 or 3 packs of pasta (buying at a local grocery store in Little Italy), so I was able to live a week on $5.

Luxury! I survived for two weeks on a box of croutons!

[Dynamic]

Single Dad with two young kids four days a week, about 800 a month.

But that also includes household items and eating out (once a week). I could cut that budget more with some planning but it will take some planning.

[FlamingHomer]

We spend $400 (US dollars so add the exchange rate to get equivalent in $CAN) a month here for 2 people and that's after getting used to buying local brands compared to the more expensive US brands. Also the government subsidizes about 30 basic products so the lower class locals can afford to live. Medium eggs are $1.87 everywhere and a 20 lb tank of propane is about $4.50. So it's not much cheaper if at all to live in a sort-of third world country than some of the estimates I'm seeing above from Canada.

For the watermelon fanatics, they are $1.50 each here when in season.

[malcolmk14]

Originally Posted by Locke

Good God man! What the hell happened in April?

I think we made a Costco trip at the beginning and end of the month. Oops!

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Way too much, frankly. I have no idea how Hack & Lube can spend $100 on groceries a month. Are you living off Ramen? I spend more than that on one trip to Coop. This weekend I bought the ingredients to make about 6 dinners; it cost $150.

If you're buying everything at co-op then you certainly would be spending $150 on 6 dinners. That store is great for fresh produce and certain proteins, but purchasing all your groceries at that store is going to bloat your grocery budget substantially. Even sale prices are rarely better than most of the other stores.

By limiting Co-op purchases to only fruit and vegetables and filling the gaps at places like superstore, walmart and costco, our family weekly grocery budget has dropped almost 20%.