How Our Family Saved Over $1000 a Month on Food
This expense was “eating” up a huge chunk of our monthly budget… and we had no idea! With this one change we were able to save enough money to live comfortably on one income.
Updated March 2024 — Originally published in 2015, this post detailing our family’s easy weekly food budget is still our #1 most visited blog post of all time! Keep reading to learn exactly what our family did to save money on our food budget and live comfortably on one income.
How Can I Afford to be a Stay at Home Mom?
As a member of mommy support groups, I frequently see the question posed: how can I afford to be a stay at home mom? Â
I’ve been a working mom, so I get it that some of us crave “adult time” and enjoy career accomplishments. Â But I also know what a crappy feeling it is to leave your kids in the care of someone else all day.
Ultimately, I made the choice to leave the corporate world and I wanted to share the one lifestyle change that made it possible.
Note: This post contains affiliate links to the products and apps that helped make our weekly food budget successful, so you can try them too. Read our disclosure policy here.
The One Lifestyle Change That Allowed Me to be a Stay at Home Mom
In November 2015, I quit my job. The plan was for me to enjoy the holidays with my family and start the search for a better employer in the new year. I did that, and things went so wonderfully that my husband and I decided it would be best for our family (and my health) if I stayed home indefinitely.
There was just one problem— we cut our income in half.
While I was working, I always stressed about money. Even with two solid paychecks, it never felt like enough. How would we be able to make it on just my husband’s income?
Aside from monthly non-negotiables (housing, utilities, insurance), there was one expense that dwarfed them all. Once we seriously reevaluated our spending in this area, it freed up a huge chunk of our budget.
I’ll give you a hint: it wasn’t our cable bill…
It was FOOD.
My husband has always loved to cook, and did so on a regular basis. However, we never planned out meals for the week. As a result, we were forced to pop in to the grocery store on multiple occasions throughout the week for whatever he decided to fix on a whim, or pick up take-out when we were short on time.
It seems hard to believe that food could have such an impact on the budget, so to prove it, I’ll show you what we used to spend.
Our former food “budget”
Wait!! Before you read the numbers below, keep in mind that I originally wrote this post in 2015, almost 10 years ago. As we all know, groceries and restaurant meals cost more now. In 2024 money, these numbers would probably be almost DOUBLE!
Here were our food expenses in 2015:
- $240 – We made at least 3 grocery trips every week, spending about $80 each time.  Going to the grocery store without a list means you’re likely to forget items and end up having to return later.  Multiple visits make it easier to succumb to impulse buys, as you are tempted over and over.
- $160 –Â We ordered take-out about four times a week. Â Whether for lunch or dinner, with tax and tip it’s about $40 for our family.
- $50 –Â While working, I spent about $10 per day on lunch.
- $50 –Â Hubby also would order out food at work.
Add that up and you get $500 in one week!  That’s $2000 every month — wow! This doesn’t even take into account any occasions where we would go out to eat in a restaurant.
It was money we spent without even thinking — we had to eat, right?
And again, in 2024 money, that would probably be more like $4000, which is just wild!
The Weekly Food Budget That Saved us Over $1000 a Month
It was actually my husband’s idea to start weekly meal planning. Amazingly, a commitment to this one concept was the key to a budget that worked.
On Sunday evenings, my husband and I sit down and talk about what we’d like to eat for dinner each night.  To make it easier, we’ve designated days such as “Salmon Mondays,” so all we have to decide is sauce and sides. Other days, my husband might have a new recipe he wants to sample. When the week’s menu is determined, we make the grocery list so we know exactly what needs to be bought.
Want to start meal planning…but not sure where to start? Grab The Ultimate Meal Planner Bundle and make keeping track of your weekly meal plan and food budget a breeze! It’s only $6 and worth every penny!
Why meal planning works
- No more inefficient daily trips to the store. We figure everything out in advance, which allows us to grocery shop once a week.
- Impulse buys are a thing of the past. We go in with a plan and don’t end up buying things that aren’t on our list.
- Bye-bye-expensive restaurant meals. Since we’ve got a meal planned for each night of the week, we don’t need to order take-out because we’re hungry and unprepared.
- Lunch is no longer a separate expense. My husband cooks for an army, so there are always plenty of leftovers for lunch.
Here’s a look at our weekly food budget now:
- $150-200: One grocery shopping trip for the ingredients needed for dinner every night of the week.
- With our couponing experiment, we slashed our weekly grocery bill to only $100-140, so our monthly food total averages less than $600!)
- We also stock up on pantry essentials and save money buying in bulk. Click here for our free pantry checklist!
That’s it. We’ve gone from spending $2000 a month on food to no more than $600.
It’s an incredible change and all it took was setting aside 30 minutes on Sunday night to create a meal plan.
If you think about all the time saved by consolidating grocery trips, it might actually be less time to meal plan than to try to go through the week without one.
Of course, we’ve made other adjustments to our lifestyle since I left my job, but none as significant as the meal plan. Maybe it sounds overwhelming to cook every single night, but just look at how much money you can save (for us it was more than $1400 a month!)
An added bonus is that when you cook your own dinners, you know exactly what you’re getting — it’s healthier! (This helped me with my weight loss after baby).
Even if you don’t aspire to be a stay at home mom, you could put up to an extra thousand dollars in the bank every month. That’s a weekend vacation!
If you take a realistic look at what you’re spending on food, you might find that you don’t want to “eat up” a large portion your income any more.
And yes, this even works in 2024.
Our Meal Planning Essentials:
Here are some of the tools and apps we’ve used to help save money on groceries and our food budget:
- Money-saving apps to get cash back on groceries — My absolute favorite is Ibotta — I save more with their rebates than I do with coupons and I get the cash back right away! Plus you get $10 just for signing up!) Click here to sign up for Ibotta through my special link and claim your $10 welcome bonus!
- The Ultimate Meal Planner Bundle — Our customizable printable set makes it easy to keep track of what you have on hand, plan shopping trips and weekly menus, as well as save favorite recipes for years to come… and it’s only $6! Click here to grab one and make meal planning a breeze.
- This magnetic dry erase calendar is awesome for keeping your menu handy on your fridge & these magnetic hanging dry erase markers (you’ll never lose them!)
- Gallon Freezer Bags (Not only do you save money buying them in bulk, but you’ll be less likely to run out! These are a must-have for freezing meat when you find it on sale & stock up!)
- Plenty of storage containers for keeping leftovers fresh
- Vacuum sealer for maximum freshness and even more savings! We have the Food Saver brand!
- eMeals meal planning app which provides weekly menu plans, builds your shopping list, and integrates with your favorite grocery store’s pickup and delivery apps!
More Money Saving Tips
- 7 Ways to Make Meal Planning Easier
- 5 Steps to Save $10,000 in One Year
- How we Lived Well for a Year on $30,000 – A Yearly Budget That Works
- How to Have an Awesome Christmas on a Budget
- 4 Keys to Living Well as a One Income Family
- How to Stop Worrying About Money
This really has changed our lives and I’m so excited to share it all with you! There’s no reason you can’t start saving money right away too!
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It’s so true! We started using cash envelopes to budget. $200 a month goes in my food envelope. I also put $80 in a miscellaneous envelope for unexpected expenses. Sometimes we have to pull from that, but usually we stay under $200 a month for my family of 6. I can’t imagine spending $2000 a month on food! We’d be homeless!
The envelope system is such a good idea! I use cash when I go places like Target, so I won’t overspend lol. If I can’t pay for it with the cash I brought then it goes back on the shelf!
I am glad you took control of your spending. For the life if me I dint know how you were spending so much in such a small family. Your current budget is still a lot higher than mine. I dont thi most people spend $2,000 a month on food. Yes, people should relook at all their expenses, I think your food budget is not typical though,
Hi Kristine, thanks for reading! I can only write from my personal experiences; hopefully like you said it can encourage people to take a closer look at their own budget. Our family lives in a large city, and things are much more expensive here than the small town where I grew up. I think where you live can play a role in how much things cost too.
One thing I do because a lot of time, I’m too busy to meal plan is make up a list of 20 meals for summer (with recipes) and 20 meals for winter (also with recipes.) Then when I’m just to busy to sit down and think up stuff to eat, it’s all ready for me and I just make a list and go to the grocery store. I only use family favorites to make up the lists and it’s worked out just fine. If I see a recipe I want to try, I’ll add it in but if I don’t, it’s done anyway.
That’s an awesome idea Rebecca! Once you do the initial work making the list, it would be so easy the next time around to just grab a recipe and go!
Great job, I also am a mother of 2, and your story sounds just like mine and my husbands! So relieved to know were not alone! Thank you for sharing your story. Its inspired me to try this as we’ve discussed many many times about me being a stay at home mom. Your success has made it seem more possible then we have ever thought…thanks again!
Hi Whitney, I’m so glad to hear you could relate to our story! Once you get started and see how much money you can save, you won’t ever go back 🙂 Thanks for reading and good luck! Keep me posted!
Fantastic! I literally just quit my job November 5th (2015) to concentrate on my writing full time. This is a great article; so well written, hugely informative and just what I’m looking to do.
Thanks! I can’t wait to dive into your other tips!
I’m so excited for you Nanette! Quitting a job is terrifying, but for me it was one of the best decisions I ever made.
Im enjoying your blog, but I have a question….since most of you are stay at home Moms, do any of you ladies have a garden? I grew up on a ranch, and my Mom always had a huge garden. We always had fresh veggies & fruit, and did tons of home canning. I was a single Mom, and my garden & home canning was my money in the bank.
I work in heavy construction trade, and some work years are better than others. Its a great feeling when you’re unemployed to see all the jars of goodness in the pantry!
Hi Debbie, that’s a great point! We do grow a few things in our backyard: herbs, lemons, limes, aloe. Unfortunately, since we are renters, I hesitate to do any major gardening when we plan on moving in the near future. A lot of things can take years to reach their full potential, so I will have to wait to we are in our forever home to create a garden that really will contribute to substantially lowering our food costs. But I fully intend to do so! Can’t beat organic produce readily available in your backyard! 🙂
My hubby doesn’t even make $2,000/month and I am a stay-at-home mom.
That is great that your family has found a budget that works!
I really must start doing the meal planning in advance for the week, didn’t realise it could make such a difference but it makes so much sense. Must also make sure I make a list and don’t miss anything out so I don’t need to go back to the shop!
It really does make such a difference! You’ll be so glad you made a list 🙂 Realizing you forgot something important is a bummer!
Great suggestions! I think this approach is also much less stressful! So nice to know what is planned for dinner.
I agree! A plan is much less stressful 🙂
Hi Stacey. I think your suggestions for reigning in your food spending is great. As you say, you can only do it from a personal viewpoint. I’ve taken the time to read all the comments posted and, like you, see something valuable in each one. I just wanted to let you know that your suggestions reach further than the borders of the US, Here in Australia, we don’t have coupons or any of the apps for stores like Target etc. We have 3 major supermarkets, who have stores all over the country and then in each state there may be 2 or 3 other players who try to outdo the big guys. In the last couple of years, Aldi has made a big impact here, with their cheaper prices, and i must confess, that I shop here for all my staples.
Here, Target is just a clothing and home wares store, as is our version on Walmart – KMart. So in the end, all we have to do is sit down with the weekly catalogues and try to budget from there. Of course, each one is trying to outdo the other, so sometimes you can pick up a real bargain. If there is a real bargain from one of the other smaller supermarkets, I find that the cost of petrol to get there, soon outweighs any benefits. But I find that most of their bargains are for things I wouldn’t even buy! I sit down with my 85yo mother every week before we go shopping so that she can try and budget down a bit, but being a bit set in her ways, she doesn’t want to try a new breakfast cereal or a packet of tea on special other than her usual brands. As a 60yo pensioner myself, who has had a gastric sleeve done, due to complications with other surgery. I don’t eat very much, I sort of graze, so I stock up on dry biscuits and cheese when they are on special and things like yoghurt and maybe a treat or two! (Although these days, there’s not many treats I can have) My daughter reckons I’m a cheap date, because if we happen to go out for a family function, I’ll only have water and maybe a small entree, and even then, someone usually has to finish it off for me,
My daughter now finds herself in a similar financial situation as yourself, although she doesn’t need to become a SAHM. Two of her children have osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bones) as does her husband. So from week to week she has no idea if she’s going to be spending some time in the hospital or buying special medication. Then she feels guilty because she feels that the other two healthy children might feel as if their brothers are getting more attention than them, so she compensates by giving them treats. I have recently been encouraging her to sit down and make a meal plan just so that they don’t eat so much take away each week, the cost of which sends me into a lather, She has started to do that and she hopes to be able to continue it. With our school year about to start, she also has the added expense of the children’s uniforms and books, so she has an added incentive.
I realise that all countries are different, but have found that food prices in Australia have almost spiralled out of control. We can buy a loaf of bread for 85 cents Australian, but if we want a small piece of rump steak, we are paying between $20 and $30AUS depending on where you live. Here it is much more expensive to live in a small town than it is in the city, unless they have a major supermarket somewhere close by.
Oh my, I didn’t realise I had prattled on so much. I just wanted to give you a view point from another country but also to encourage you to continue with all your helpful hints as they help people all over the world. Than you.
Hi Denise, thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment. It IS very encouraging to know that you found this post useful, and I find it interesting to get the perspective from another country. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be for your daughter and her family to have frequent hospital stays, and I can see how the convenience of take-out would seem easier at times. Perhaps on weeks like that it would be possible to make a crock-pot meal? It takes just a few minutes to toss in the ingredients and then it cooks on its own and will be available for anyone who is home. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and for reading the blog!
This is such a great post! I have been doing this for a few weeks now, and although I haven’t quite got the hang of it, I feel it coming right around the corner. We used to spend about the same amount, but now spend about $750 a month. It’s tough because every other weekend, we are a family of 7! Thanks for the wonderful blog post! 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind comments– I’m glad you enjoyed the post! It does take practice to get spending down, but making any effort at all will save something, and every little bit helps! It sounds like you’ve made some great changes already and are seeing results 🙂