"I spend $100 a week on food only items. There are 6 in our family ranging in age from 14 year old to 22 year old + 2 adults. That divides out to $66.66 per person per month or $2.22 per person per day.  I have stopped buying milk. We don't eat the boxed cereal. I buy whole wheat bread from the discount store at $1 a loaf. We make everything from scratch. We eat a lot of potatos, rice, pastas etc. For Christmas we bought a soy milk maker and can make a gallon of soy milk for 50c. It tastes delicious. We also have started eating a lot of tofu which we can buy at the local Asian store for 80c a lb.  It's much better than tofu from the local grocery store. We don't eat a lot of meat. Chicken legs when I can find them for 30c a lb. We do eat tuna." ~ Debbie

"We spend approximately $82 per month on groceries for each member of our family. Having four kids makes it easier to purchase bulk containers of food because they don't last very long. We also shop at deep discount stores (Aldi), use a food co-op for some items, can our harvest during the summer, avoid junk food, and plan very creative menus. During the winter, we eat out of the crockpot 3-5 days per week. One of the things I do that saves a lot of money is to cook a roast in the crock pot one day, and then turn the leftovers into soup the next. This allows some variety and makes full use of every part of the meat. I typically add rice, barley, lentils, beans or a combination of all; add fresh veggies; add herbal teas or tomato sauce/juice to the broth; add appropriate leftovers that haven’t yet been eaten; and anything else that’s available. I save even tiny bits of leftovers in a single container in the freezer (larger amounts are stored in the fridge for the kids to eat) and then pour the entire container into the soup. This extends it a bit and adds a lot of interesting flavor. I also use fresh herbs to create great taste, and frequently add medicinal herbs to the soup during cold and flu season without anyone knowing. I’ll admit that we haven’t always eaten this frugally. After being downsized in September, my husband and I chose to have me stay home to homeschool our children. Since then, we’ve downsized our own spending in big ways, and haven’t missed a thing. We’re also eating healthier!" ~ Pamela 

"Over the past year I've really worked hard to shop with coupons and hit the sales. For the past eight months our grocery bill has consistently been down to $200 or less per month, for 3 people - I spend between $75 - $100 a payday at the military commissary and a few "BOGOs" and such at Safeway when the deals are really good.  I was down to $75 for quite some time but after a lengthy January power outage (where we lost everything in the fridge and freezer!) I've seen my grocery bill go up as we restock in stages.  I'm hoping it will be back down now that we are stocked up again.

This may seem like a lot to some people, but considering we were spending twice this - $200+ a payday - a year ago, it's quite the accomplishment for me.  Saving with coupons and the commissary has enabled us to absorb the costs of formula and diapers for my son, born last July, without our budget changing!" ~ Melonie K.

"2 adults about $200.00 a month. Great survey! Can't wait to see results!" ~ Anonymous

"My spending habits and shopping habits have changed in the last year. I've become a big coupon user and the local store has put out $10 coupons off of a $35 purchase, so that helps even more. My friends give me the coupons they don't use, so I get a lot. I share them with grandmothers brining up babies that are their grandchildren, and those who use cat and dog food. The average of $93 a month sounds like what I spend for eating at home and eating out, just one person in this house. I live near McDonald's and can get a double hamburger for $1, small fries for $1, and a senior coffee for $.25 -- a cheap lunch. Many times, I just get the burger and coffee, fast and cheap. This past week, in the Upstate of SC, I took advantage of triple coupons, up to $.60 coupons, limit of 10 on a $25 purchase. I did that on Wed. and the following Tues as the coupons were still being tripled. I spent $32 and paid $10. Did that twice, and the same at the store with the $10 off coupon. So, I got over $100 in food for $30.

Since I stock up on sale items and then use coupons, I have not been keeping a total of what I spend each week. I did notice a drastic increase in the cost of produce this week - honeydew melons, $3.48 and cantaloupes, $2.48 in today's newspaper ads, also 3 red bell peppers for $2. Seedless cucumbers were 2/$3. In the summer, I've seen cucumbers for $.25 each. Acorn squash is $.98 a lb, $.35 a lb. last summer.

The best way to keep the grocery bill down is to stock up when things are on sale, and for dinner, buy what is on sale. Also, using coupons to your advantage is helpful. I've gotten a lot of food free by using coupons, even the stores that only double it. They had one out for spaghetti, $.55. When the store doubled it, it was free as it was on sale for $1. The excess, I give to my church food pantry." ~ Betty

Editor's Note: Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond.

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