Personal Finance & Money Stack Exchange
Personal Finance & Money Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [groceries]

12 questions
76
votes
16 answers

How to prevent myself from buying things I don't want

We all buy stuff from time to time that only satisfies us for a short time. I was able to locate a few expenses that fall under that category. Unfortunately, there are a few products I've wanted to buy for a long time. Since I have a discount code…
Swizzler
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40
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14 answers

Is $20/day and $603/month (USD) a lot, average or little for one person's "food and related" costs?

I've calculated that I eat for $603/month or $20/day (assuming 30 days in an average month). I do not live in the USA, but "basically the same" ("the West"). I've been trying, but failing, to get a nice list of current average amounts per-country,…
Karnell A.
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20
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7 answers

Are warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam's Club worth it?

Are warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam's Club worth it? What's the best way to approach buying at these stores - buying everything there instead of the grocery store, or buying specific things? Which items tend to be cheaper at the warehouse club…
bms2
20
votes
10 answers

How to save money by shopping at a variety of grocery stores?

I am living close to a mall with several grocery stores. I would like to save money on the food I buy. I have tried using apps that show me the best prices, ads, and coupons from multiple stores, but have trouble coming up with a strategy. I have…
titchseason
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18
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10 answers

How much is a typical food budget per person?

In planning out a budget, what is a realistic amount to budget per person for food expenses per month? EDIT: Thanks to Ether's answer, here's a clarification: What guidelines or warning signs are there that we can use when planning out the food…
Don
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16
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13 answers

What are some good ways to control costs for groceries?

I find groceries to be one area where I have a hard time controlling costs. We want to eat well, buy healthy foods, good cuts of meat, etc. and limit eating out. I find it hard to know what is a reasonable amount to budget...or end up going over…
Little Miss Mocha
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11
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2 answers

How do I tell if I'm overspending on groceries?

I am wondering if I'm spending more than I could be on groceries. I get this impression because some of the individual items seem too expensive: I end up paying almost the cost of a full restaurant meal for individual ingredients. Granted, the…
Superbest
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10
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10 answers

What is the optimal number of months to base my "average spending" on?

My goal is to determine how much money I spend on groceries per month, "on average". I have a list of all my food shopping orders (timestamp + amount in USD). Currently, I do the sum() of all orders made within the last three months (that is, with…
O. Popple
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5
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7 answers

How can I stop wasting food?

I live a pretty busy lifestyle. I'm in my late 20s and go out often and I work a lot as well. I find that I'm always throwing out food. It's mainly becuase I do grocery shopping but I don't know when I'll be able to use it. And after a while, they…
Joe.E
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2
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4 answers

For which kinds of products does a generic brand tend to be just as good as a name brand?

Sometimes I buy the generic brand at the super market and it turns out it's just as good as the name brand. Other times, I totally regret buying the generic brand. For which kinds of products do you buy the generic brand and which do you buy the…
Joe.E
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2
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1 answer

Cash back at a grocery store; are there disadvantages besides those inherent in cash?

Suppose I need cash. Suppose I also need groceries. I go grocery shopping, and when it comes time to check out I also use that neat cash back thing, where I "spend" $20 off my debit card, and get $20 in cash immediately. This answer lists some…
JesseTG
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0
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2 answers

Why small retail stores ask for ID with a credit card while big don't

Why do small grocery stores in the US ask for my ID with a credit card, while big ones, like Whole Foods or Safe Way, never ask for it. It is not related to buying alcohol)? I know that merchants are allowed to ask for ID. I'm just wondering why…
Borys
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