Money and food.

I constantly surf the net for ways to save more money in our grocery shopping. Usually, though, I am already doing what each article says to do- and more. In fact, when the author gives enough information to figure a per-person budget, I am usually spending less than they do.

So, I decided to begin sharing what I do to keep our costs low, since a homemaker helps the family budget by keeping money from leaving the house instead of bringing it in.

Let's Get Personal

I don't talk about personal stuff on the internet. Very few pictures of my kids are out there, even.

Frankly, it's not your business, this, my personal life. 

But I think maybe I need to get real here. You will understand what I am saying more, maybe, if you have cold, hard numbers.

So here goes:

Hubby and I have been married for thirty years and have 9 children, ranging in age from 4-24. All are still at home.

Of the 11 of us, 4 are men (ok, 1 is 16, but he's 6' 2 1/2", so he counts as a man at the dinner table!), 4 1/2 are women (me, adult daughter, 14 and 12 year olds who appear to have pretty much quit growing, and an 11 that may not get much taller), and 2 little ones (8 and 4).

Hubby is in middle management and makes a dead-middle class income. However, our food bill is anything but average. It is our single biggest bill every month. By far. I mean, its ridiculous.

According to various Google searches, the average person in America spends somewhere between $50 and 60 per week on "groceries" (which includes toiletries and cleaning supplies.) This gives you a base line for what follows:

My weekly budget is $550. 

Ok, let the gasps roll. I'll wait.

Remember, this is for 11 people, so that's $50/person. Average.

But not really.

You see, "My Money" includes allowances (about $30 a week), clothes (mostly at the local thrift store, with shoes and undies bought at Walmart), occasional can of paint or other small home improvement items, and most of the animal/pet food.

So, really, by the time I take out all that, I only have roughly $450-500, or less, on average per week.

And the "but..."

We do eat lunch at our church once a week, but we bring enough that it evens out to what I would probably spend on a lunch at home just for us.

And we have lunch out with my dad about once a week.

Occasionally, Hubby takes a notion to Barbecue (increasingly often) and buys what he wants to cook himself.


I have only ever found one blog that claimed a lower per person number than mine, and she doesn't have an 85lb Labrador, and chickens eating off her people food. Her blog is at http://dontwastethecrumbs.com/ and by all means- please go read what she has to say!

In fact, the above numbers also cover most of the animals' food (cat, beta fish, finches, dog, chickens, and 2 ducks.) The dog and chickens eat lots of leftovers.


So how does that do compared to your budget per person per week?
Ready to learn how to reduce?

Next time: Dispose of Disposables