<p>Turns out I'm living off-campus, how much do you usually spend on groceries per month? I'm just trying to get a ballpark estimate. I'm a man of relatively simple tastes, probably the most expensive thing I buy is Kashi cereal.</p>
<p>Probably $100 a month. The most expensive shopping trips are always at the beginning of the semester when you don’t have anything.</p>
<p>Make sure you include eating out and getting food at school in your food budget. You might not always want to bring a lunch or go home during breaks.</p>
<p>I spend about $60 a month, but I don’t eat meat which cuts down costs considerably. I also shop at discount grocery stores which helps. Eating a lot of pasta is another huge money saver.</p>
<p>140$
I eat a fairly well balanced diet.
No processed meats (no meat squeezed into a shape from a tube)
I shop for “Great Value” stuff mostly. (Cereal/Canned goods)
I buy a lot of rice. (Not asian but if they can live 100+ years off the stuff so can I!)
Only eat whole grain breads/pasta.
I shop for fresh veggies/fruit every few days. (I don’t like that pre-bagged salad crap)
I shop for meat once every week. (Less time frozen in the fridge, fresh!, no freezer burn)
I cook all my meals. (excluding eating out)
I save and actually eat leftover meals.</p>
<p>Takes discipline to eat this way, taking the time to prepare a meal can be a pain in the arse, especially on long work days. But as compared to when I lived in the Barracks(Meaning no BAS) I was spending 250$ a month eating out, reducing that by 100$ = nice bit of cash in my pocket every month.</p>
<p>I don’t live off campus, but I’ve been buying my own groceries for a couple years now. I spend about $100/ month. Mostly on vegetables (bagged spinach, carrots, tofu), fruit, and staples to make cheap meals. Usually I buy a lot of oats (super cheap breakfast), refried beans, cheese, and tortillas (makes a pretty good quesadilla), and rice and beans. It’s pretty easy to live cheaply and healthy.</p>
<p>$200 a month. I’m… bad with food money. I’ll happily shell out for lunch at Starbucks, etc.
And I’m not adverse to eating out.
I don’t buy loads, but I don’t buy very wisely.</p>
<p>Overall I handle my money ok, just an unnecessary percentage goes on food.</p>
<p>I haven’t started school yet, but my sister lives off campus at her college. She spends about $100-140 for food.</p>
<p>No BAS in the barracks? Ouch, especially if you’re not in the AF :p</p>
<p>So it seems like 100-150 seems standard. Thanks all.</p>
<p>Sent from my PC36100 using CC App</p>
<p>I actually spent about $250-300/month while living in Bloomington, IN and now am adjusting my monthly grocery spending to $750-900/month while living in Manhattan (that’s what you get for living in US’s most expensive city)</p>
<p>^ I really feel like it would be cheaper to eat out every day if you’re spending that much…</p>
<p>Oops… I actually meant that’s my monthly spending on food as a whole, which includes eating out. I suspect that I will spend about $750 ($25 per day on food) but I’m being cautious and budgeting for $900, especially for the first month as I am going to buy a lot of stuff that lasts for a long time (ex. sugar) When budgeting, always budget at the max of what you suspect to spend as you never want to be over budget and have some give.</p>
<p>Just live off of protein shakes, tuna, oatmeal, pasta and other fish with the occasional red meat.</p>
<p>Ramen noodles! (not the cup o’ noodles kind or anything that just needs hot water or a microwave) Get the ramen noodles in packaging that you put in a saucepan with 19 1/2 oz of water. Just follow the simple directions, add an egg and some green onion while boiling, and some Sriracha for extra kick and flavor if you want after it’s done. That’s a way that Asians do it.</p>
<p>Never ever put a whole habenero in ramen. I did that once, the habenero sucked up all the juice and that burst in my mouth. Swallowing the concoction was a very very bad idea. I think I almost got stomach ulcers from that.</p>
<p>$750 - 900 for groceries in Manhattan? That’s crazy. I spent 4 months in NYC and didn’t spend that much. Have you tried Trader Joe’s on 14th? Great organic stuff at a low price.</p>
<p>$100-$120 (on each visit to the grocery store, I never spend more than $55). I end up eating a lot of random foods (fruits/healthy snacks) as replacements for meals. I’d rather eat when I’m hungry instead of eat at lunchtime or eat at dinnertime. That’s just me.</p>
<p>$200 a moth for groceries plus however much I need to eat out 3-4 times a week when I am too lazy to pack lunch.</p>
<p>$200 a moth? Where do you get your moths from? Mine are so expensive.</p>
<p>Oh, that’s actually the admission fee to the ranch where I catch them myself. You should try it too. I bet you would like the cheap shots!</p>
<p>zing!!!</p>