Grocery costs in New Orleans
What should a family of four--two adults, one teenage boy who eats like a bird, and an infant--expect to pay for groceries in New Orleans?
I've spent the past three months carefully monitoring our grocery costs, and I'm shocked to find that we are averaging something like $800/ month.
Some of it can be explained by impulse purchases, like the big bin of biscotti for eight bucks at Sam's. We also patronize Whole Foods for some of our purchases, and that goes a long way toward busting a budget.
But still--$200 per week? Even when we are still eating out two or three times a week? There are people out there on financial sites who claim to be feeding families of four for $150 a month. I can't go to Sam's for a single visit and get out for less than that.
Are these $150/month families eating nothing but cheap 60% fat ground beef and white rice? Do they eat any fresh vegetables and fruit on that kind of budget? Coupon clipping doesn't appear to offer much for those of us who prefer to shop the perimeters of the grocery stores, where the fresh or unprocessed foods are found.
I'm aghast.
I've spent the past three months carefully monitoring our grocery costs, and I'm shocked to find that we are averaging something like $800/ month.
Some of it can be explained by impulse purchases, like the big bin of biscotti for eight bucks at Sam's. We also patronize Whole Foods for some of our purchases, and that goes a long way toward busting a budget.
But still--$200 per week? Even when we are still eating out two or three times a week? There are people out there on financial sites who claim to be feeding families of four for $150 a month. I can't go to Sam's for a single visit and get out for less than that.
Are these $150/month families eating nothing but cheap 60% fat ground beef and white rice? Do they eat any fresh vegetables and fruit on that kind of budget? Coupon clipping doesn't appear to offer much for those of us who prefer to shop the perimeters of the grocery stores, where the fresh or unprocessed foods are found.
I'm aghast.