[USER]

I’m looking for advice on setting a weekly or biweekly food budget for one person and one dog.

What’s a reasonable amount to allocate for groceries and pet food that ensures both quality and affordability?

I just spend and spend.

Then waste a lot.

I’d appreciate any insights or personal experiences to help me determine a good budget.

Thank you for letting me share.

Thanks in advance!

[Carol]

I am one person and one dog. My grocery budget is $300 a month. I buy my meat from butcher box every other month and it’s $169.

Last for a long long time still have money for vegetables, milk or whatever else I need.

I try not to think about how much that dog cost me.

At least 100 in food, treats, puppy pads because that’s the way she’s trained, but I love her.

[Carol]

$50 a week or less. Usually around 30- but my dogs have special foods dry/ wet.

Also watching Southern Frugal Momma or Struggle meals.

I also have special diet.

Use coupons / DollarTree and BOGO.

[Anne]

Try making a menu for one week and if it is easy for you to get to the store just shop for one week.

And think of items you use for more than one meal a dozen eggs, cheese, loaf of bread, lunch meat.

You can make poached eggs hard boil a couple for egg salad, omlett, french toast, lunch meat sandwiches, you get the idea

[Bethany]

You might want to track what you spend first, see what you waste and go from there. If you’re spending $300 and wasting half, cut your budget in half.

And take inventory of what you have and work with that.

[Regene]

First you need to make a plan- shop your cupboards, frig and freezer. What do have already?

Start there to make a menu for the week, the month or somewhere in between.

Why are you wasting so much? Eating out instead or buying more than you can use?

Next make your list from menu and sales ads.

DO NOT OVERLOOK FROZEN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

And include perishables that different shelf life, for example, cabbage can stored longer than lettuce- use lettuce in meals first- tacos this week, pulled pork with coleslaw next week.

You can buy larger quanties if you store correctly- a pound of bacon can be repackaged and some frozen for several weeks.

Limit your purchases to what you need only for meals and snacks- I then add a few “extras” to start working pantry- mostly staples, rice, pasta, canned goods, spices and seasonings & baking goods (flour, sugar, etc.)

Watch those spices and seasoning- most are expensive and some aren’t used often or if at all- do some research-

[Lisa]

I suggest strict meal planning and shopping from a list with no impule buys. Work out a menu-one week or two week and then just rotate it.

If it’s Monday, it’s always meatloaf and then Tuesday lunch is a meatloaf sandwich, Tuesday dinner is marzetti made with leftover meatloaf.

Don’t overcook and don’t overshop.

One pound of burger is plenty for a meatloaf for one person.

Perhaps you don’t eat meatloaf, but you get the idea.

Schedule 3-4 meals a week to ‘clean up leftovers’ and have a standing plan B in case there are no leftovers-such as a frozen dinner.

Around here several stores will pull the order you place online at no charge and you can just go pick it up.

I’ve eliminated ‘most’ of my impulse buys doing this since I no longer walk past the displays of pies and cakes while shopping.

[Louise]

Get a menu in place then shop for that, per week. 2 +dog ranges 62.00 to125.00 per week.

We eat what we use and use what we eat.

So far so good.

[Gina]

First think about what kind of life you want. Then budget. Put savings in the bank and decide what you want to do with your savings.

[Breanna]

Everyone’s budget will be different, personally I would focus more on the waste and that will help you spend less.

I like to buy “multi purpose” ingredients.. or things that I can use in multiple ways for multiple meals.

It keeps the variety but cuts down a lot on waste because I’m not buying lots of extra things that can only be used for 1 meal.

[Suzann]

I budget $800 a month for myself and hubby. This includes any eating out.

Wr have two dogs but they have their own budget category, their food comes from Chewy.

[Katheryn]

Start meal planning. Write down what you will eat when, plan for leftovers too.

Leftovers make a great lunch to take to work or the next dinner, sometimes even breakfast depending on what it is

[Mary]

Sounds like you need to meal plan and buy according to that. But when planning check what you have on hand first.

[Sarah]

Depends on where you live. As a vegetarian I keep my partners and I food budget to about 60 a week and pet is about 75 to 100 a month.

Meat does increase that price per week though

[Cindy]

I spend $700/month in groceries for 3 people. My pets are about $75 per month my cat is on a special food

[Sally]

I spend no more than $65 a week. This includes food, cat food, cleaning and paper products

[Tesse]

Bean and cheese burritos seasoned with taco seasoning. Meat if you feel fancy.

Spanish rice is a good side or another layer

[Sara]

In ohio: two adults,1 dog($40), 1 cat and maybe some strays($30). We spend about $300 total I would say for the month max.

I do bulk shop ($900) during income tax time if we get anyback and I fill the pantry to the brim and freezers

(1 small deep freezer and the fridge) along with a yrs worth of other household items.

By bulk shopping for a good amount of items that are also on sale I cut down on expenses and the savings carry over to each month so we can buy my fancy cheese once every three months and his favorite hummus.

We also make enough to pack for lunches the next day.

We limit to 1 can of soda a day and bring water to work (don’t drink the tap water where I work

[Author]

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