Average Cost of Groceries for a Family of 2

Do you lot spend more than you need to on groceries? I know I used to.

When I first started tracking my family's spending, our grocery bill was loftier. Non loftier compared to the country's average  (we'll talk more about that later).

Notwithstanding, it was high compared to what we're spending on groceries now.

What is "average" for a grocery bill? Are you spending more than others on groceries? Less?

Let'southward look at the numbers and talk about ways you reduce your grocery spending if you need or want to.

In This Article

• How Much Is the Average Grocery Bill for Two?
  • USDA Food Cost Report
  • Is the Average Grocery Bill for Two on the Ascension?
  • How Does Location Affect the Boilerplate Grocery Bill?
  • Does Income Play a Factor?
  • How Tin You lot Save Money on Groceries?
• Summary

How Much Is the Average Grocery Bill for 2?

When I first started tracking our grocery and other spending, nosotros had no "programme" for our shopping.

I'd just hitting the shop on a whim and get whatsoever foods sounded proficient, plus a few basics.

At that time, we were spending roughly $1,000 a month to feed our family of five.

That's not a lot according to nationwide averages. Nevertheless, information technology was a lot for u.s. at the fourth dimension. Nosotros were deep in debt and struggling to pay the bills.

Afterwards making a few changes to our grocery shopping habits, like using the money-saving app Ibotta, I was able to significantly reduce our spending.

These days I never spend more than $750 a month on groceries.

In fact, my average is usually closer to $650 a month — and that'due south with four teenagers in the firm.

My point in sharing my numbers is to prove that it is possible for most people to spend less on groceries.

Then, is it realistic for you to cut your grocery upkeep too? Permit's first past sharing what the average grocery pecker for two is.

We'll look at a diversity of statistics, and so nosotros'll share some tips for buying groceries on a upkeep. Set?

USDA Food Cost Report

Every month, the U.S. Department of Agronomics (USDA) issues its Toll of Food Report.

The report details the average weekly and monthly cost of nutrient for individuals, couples and families.

Nosotros'll utilize that report to talk about the average grocery bill for two. The USDA report details three levels of food cost plans:

• Low-cost programme
• Moderate programme
• Liberal plan

The report also counts historic period equally a factor. After all, a household of two adults will likely spend more on groceries than one adult and a two-year-old.

In this article, we'll share costs for two adults living in 1 household: a man and a woman. For the month of August of 2021, the average grocery bill for 2 was as follows:

Household of two adults, one female and one male, aged 19-50, August 2021

PLAN	AMOUNT
Low-cost plan:	$529.70 per month
Moderate plan:	$655.70 per month
Liberal programme:	$820.30 per month

For older couples, the boilerplate food costs were lower.

Household of two adults, one female and one male person, aged 51-70, August 2021

Plan	AMOUNT
Low-toll plan:	$507.l per month
Moderate program:	$633.lx per calendar month
Liberal program:	$766.twoscore per calendar month

Using the numbers stated above, we tin can summate what the boilerplate grocery neb for two is.

• The average grocery beak for two adults aged xix-50 is $668.57 per month
• The average grocery bill for two adults aged 51-70 is $635.83 per month

These are the most recent grocery spending numbers every bit of this writing.

Annotation: This written report used to include a quaternary programme; the Thrifty Plan. That plan is no longer included in the USDA report.

The Older We Get, The Less We Spend

An interesting point is that older couples spend less on groceries than younger couples. There could exist a number of reasons for this.

Nosotros as humans tend to eat less as nosotros get older. It's possible that many people get more frugal as they historic period, too.

And, there are other factors that influence what nosotros spend on groceries. We'll talk near those in a fleck, but kickoff let's talk history.

Are grocery costs on the rise? Do people spend more on groceries now than they did in years by? Permit'south take a look.

Is the Average Grocery Bill for Two on the Rise?

Luckily, the USDA keeps a historical record of nutrient costs. This enables united states of america to compare historical costs of food to see if food costs are on the ascension.

Let's look at a chart that's like to the i in a higher place, only with costs from May 2015 instead of May Baronial of 2021.

We'll share the numbers forth with the percentage of increase compared to current numbers.

Household of 2 adults, one female and one male, aged 19-50, May 2015:

PLAN	AMOUNT	INCREASE
Low-cost plan:	$496.thirty per calendar month	6.41% increase in half-dozen years
Moderate program:	$619.x per calendar month	5.62% increase in half-dozen years
Liberal plan:	$774.eighty per month	5.55% increase in vi years

Once again, for older couples, the boilerplate food costs were lower.

Household of ii adults, i female and one male person, age 51-70, May 2015:

PLAN	AMOUNT	INCREASE
Low-cost plan:	$475.00 per calendar month	half-dozen.40% increase in half dozen years
Moderate plan:	$592.ten per month	6.55% increase in half-dozen years
Liberal programme:	$713.lxx per month	vi.45% increase in six years

• The average grocery bill for 2 adults anile 19-fifty in 2015 was $630.07 per month, meaning average grocery costs for this historic period group accept risen v.76% in the last half-dozen years.
• The average grocery bill for two adults aged 51-lxx in 2015 was $593.lx per month, meaning average grocery costs for this historic period group have risen half-dozen.47% in the last five years.

As expected, prices were lower in 2015. While a roughly 5 to half dozen percent increase over v years isn't horrible, I'm certain the increase does make an touch on many families.

How Does Location Bear upon the Boilerplate Grocery Bill?

We tin't talk about grocery spending without taking location into account. Groceries on the East Coast, for example, oftentimes toll much more than than groceries in the Midwest.

But how does location affect the boilerplate grocery bill?

At that place are limited sources of reliable information recording grocery prices by country. Notwithstanding, I did find one USDA report on milk prices for the first few months of 2021.

The average prices reported from various cities was not what I expected.

I was surprised to find that milk in Dallas was quite a scrap cheaper than in Milwaukee. After all, Wisconsin is a loftier producer of dairy products.

And New York has notoriously loftier grocery prices. However, milk in Syracuse, New York was besides shown to be cheaper than in Milwaukee.

However, milk prices don't tell the whole story. This report from the Missouri Department of Economic Evolution rates the cost of living per country. It ranks costs including groceries,  housing and more.

Equally you can come across, the chart shows a noticeable divergence in grocery prices. Arkansas residents, for example, spend a lot less on groceries than those living in Nevada.

It's clear that where yous live does make a divergence in how much you'll spend on groceries.

Does Income Play a Gene?

Co-ordinate to the USDA, income likewise plays a factor in grocery spending.

A USDA Report on Food Prices and Spending from 2019 constitute that the average family spent roughly nine.v% of its dispensable income on food, which was an historically low number.

And an average of 54.8 percentage of that money was spent on food abroad from home.

If you lot're average, then your income makes a difference in your grocery spending.

For instance, if you bring home $two,000 per month and then y'all're apt to spend effectually 190 a month on groceries and eating out.

All the same, the higher your income goes, the lower the percentage of it you'll spend on groceries.

In 2019, households in the heart income bracket spent roughly xiii.v% of their income on food, while those in the everyman income bracket spend 35.i% of their income on food.

How Tin can You Save Money on Groceries?

Whether you lot're in line with the USDA's Low-Cost or the Liberal programme, you can save money on groceries.

Every bit I mentioned earlier, I spend an boilerplate of $650 a month on groceries for myself and my iv teens.

And guess what: We eat GOOD and healthy food. We even buy a lot of organic products.

Here are some tips to help you save money on groceries.

Outset With a Plan

A menu programme is cardinal to cutting down on grocery costs. It helps y'all avoid random trips to the grocery store. It also prevents last-minute take-out or restaurant runs.

Start by making a listing of dinners for the week. Try to keep dinner costs moderate.

We usually do ane or two expensive dinners, like pot roast. Then we sprinkle in low- and moderate-toll dinners for the rest of the week.

Some ideas for cheaper dinners include:

• Potatoes and vegetables (usually a green veggie like broccoli)
• Pasta dishes
• Beans and rice with homemade tortillas
• Burgers and a side salad

By balancing out how much yous spend on meals and including several cheaper meals in your menu plan, you can help keep costs lower.

Shop the Sales

When making our weekly carte du jour program, we try to plan meals around the week's sales. If craven is on auction, that's our chief meat for the week.

If apples are on auction, I've got apples to requite the kids for snacks. Work the sales to your reward and effort non to pay full toll if you lot don't have to.

Shop the sales to purchase stuff ahead of time, also. Stock upwardly on auction items yous know yous'll need and use in the future.

Also, use coin-saving apps like Ibottato get actress cashback on grocery purchases. Ibotta has paid over $1 billion to members in cashback on everyday purchases.

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But make sure y'all're not buying an item you won't eat just because it's on sale. The food is no bargain if it just goes to waste.

Ease Up on Processed Food Purchases and Eating Out

Candy nutrient and junk food purchases can get expensive. Trim your grocery budget by cutting soda and other processed foods from the listing.

If in that location'southward a food you buy that yous tin can make from scratch, exercise it. Information technology'll be better for yous (no chemical preservatives) and gustatory modality ameliorate, too.

The same goes with eating out. Eating out is almost always more than expensive than eating at abode.

Abound Your Own and Buy Local

If possible, plant a small-scale garden or use planters to abound vegetables. If you don't have a lot of space, choose to grow the items you swallow nigh often.

You can freeze or can them to make them last all year long.

Depending on where y'all live, buying local can help cut costs, too. Farmers markets and local meat farmers sometimes charge lower prices than grocery stores.

Shop your local farmers and see if you can save money on groceries.

Summary

The charts above on the cost of food for Americans vary greatly. There's a big difference in spending $507 a month and $820 per month on food.

Of grade, factors like income and location come up into play. That beingness said, at that place are almost always ways to cut down on grocery costs.

Follow the tips above to save where you lot can.

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Source: https://wellkeptwallet.com/average-grocery-bill-for-2/

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