The Rachel Cruze Show - Average Family Grocery Budget (Are You Over or Under?)

Starting point is 00:00:05 In terms of spending, sometimes it's helpful to know where you fall compared to the quote-unquote average American. So today we're specifically looking at grocery spending because it is a massive pain point. This one expense always in people's budget seems to go over. So make sure to stick around to see where you fall with all of the averages and how you can save money every month. Make sure to like, subscribe, and show this episode with a friend. All right, you guys, so here are a few numbers to kind of give you a clear picture of the grocery cost landscape. out there. And these are based on a few factors, but these numbers are monthly. So the USDA estimates per month that one person's food budget is around $200 to $97 to $558 for one person's food budget.

Starting point is 00:00:52 So again, I like rounding numbers, like $300 to $5.50. Next is $614 to $9.63 per couple. So if it's just a couple, you got about $600 to $9.50. And then for a family of four, you average Americans out there, your families out there, $996 to $1,603. So 1,500 to $1,500, basically, if you are a family of four. Now, some of you may be kind of like freaking out because either you're like, oh my gosh, we're way over. Or maybe some of you were like, oh, we're way under. And I would be honest, when I saw those numbers, I immediately went to the grocery line item in my every dollar budget. And I was like, all right, we're pretty good.

Starting point is 00:01:37 We're actually a little bit below the family average, if I'm being honest with the cruise budget. And then what I didn't calculate in my head was Costco. And Costco's its own separate line item in our budget. And I thought, oh, if you had Costco, then we're probably right back there at the average. But again, always kind of knowing where you're at is helpful just to know, okay, are we under, are we over? And again, depending on your situation, you may not have a lot of control over it. But again, just kind of comparing, it's good to know. Now, if you feel like inflation has affected your family's grocery spending, then you are not wrong

Starting point is 00:02:10 because Americans spent approximately 2.4% more on groceries from March of 2024 to March of 2025. And again, 2.4% may not feel like a lot, but when you're looking at those numbers, a bump month after month, you're going to feel that. Okay, so now that we've talked about your what? and why this is happening. Let's talk about how. So how much should you be spending per month depending on your financial status and your goals?

Starting point is 00:02:38 Now, regardless of where you are, you guys, you need to be budgeting. When you know how much you plan on spending and you stay within that number, that's going to give you such control and such power. Every dollar is my favorite budgeting app. You can download it. I'll put a link down below,

Starting point is 00:02:52 but this is going to help you actually keep track and know how much you're spending per month. So let's look at the breakdown, though. of what the USDA says, as of 2025, what you should be spending on groceries. So for singles, if you do a thrifty or a low-cost plan, that'll cost you around $297 to $372. Now, I like round numbers. So you got about $300 to $350. A moderate plan would be $386 to $458. So closer to that $400,450 range. And then more of a liberal plan. You're just spending where you want to spend around $356. $493 to $558, so $5 to $5.50. Those are for singles. All right, couples, if you want a

Starting point is 00:03:35 thrifty or low-cost plan, $614 to $627. That range is not a lot. So right over $600. A moderate plan is going to cost you $774 plus, and more of a liberal plan, it's going to be $963 plus. So when you look at that as a couple, that's what you're seeing the breakdown as. Now, as a family a four, if you want a low-cost plan, it's going to be around $996 to $1,076. So right at that $1,000 mark, if you can grocery shop for $1,000 as a family per month, you're doing good. Now, a moderate plan, you bump it up, get a little bit bougier, that's going to be $1,3. And then the big plan, the liberal plan, where you're just spending and enjoying, that is $1,603. Now, before I share my recent go-to grocery hack, I do want to tell you about one of our sponsors, Christian Healthcare Ministries.

Starting point is 00:04:32 So more than a hundred million Americans carry medical debt, which shows that traditional coverage often leaves people to face big bills alone. So families need more than just coverage. They need community. And that's why I love Christian health care ministries. CHM is a budget-friendly, faith-based alternative to health insurance, and they paid over $12 billion in medical bills. I mean, that is faith in action. With CHM, there are no networks. no insurance headaches. Y'all, CHM is where your faith and your finances agree. So go to CHministries.org slash budget to learn more today. All right. So when it comes to grocery shopping, if those numbers freaked you out, if you just thought, we can do better. Because I'll be honest,

Starting point is 00:05:14 that's even how we are. Like, you kind of get into this pattern of where you shop and what you buy, and ours is pretty consistent, I would say most weeks. But when you just think, hey, we need to uproot all of this and we need to figure out a way to save money, can I tell you the best hack that I have, and I'm not kidding. It is literally so shocking to me how amazing it is. That is shopping at Aldi. Y'all, Aldi is incredible. So you're going to get more of like a basic shopping experience. But when I tell you that we have saved hundreds of dollars per month, that is what we have found. Now, Aldi, on average, is saving shoppers up to 36% for households on their shopping lists. And a family of four, you guys, that's almost $4,000 a year that they are saving

Starting point is 00:05:57 just by shopping at Aldi. So when I talk about college and avoiding student loans and all that whole conversation, I always say the number one mistake people make is where they go to school. That school choice is going to factor in whether you're going to hit your budget or not when it comes to tuition. The same is true with groceries. If you go shop at the nice organic store, it's not bad if it's in your budget and that's what you want to do, that's fine. But if you're looking at ways to save money, And I'm going to say even save time because the simplicity of Aldi I have found, like I'm in and out faster, is to be able to say, okay, where I shop, the moment I step into a store, that's going to really determine how much I spend. So why is it so cheap? Well, it's because they do a lot of small, subtle things to cut the overall cost for you.

Starting point is 00:06:46 So thing about this, there's no music in Aldi. So when you go in, yeah, you're not, you're in like, I don't know, whatever the musics are because they're not paying royalty payments. So they're saving money as a store, which is going again back to you as the consumer. You pay for and put your cart up yourself. So you do have to have a quarter and I've learned this. But you slide that quarter in and you get a cart, shop, shop, shop. You return it. You get your quarter back.

Starting point is 00:07:12 But that means that they have minimal staff so that they don't have to have people that they pay to go and return carts. Because for some people, that's their full-time job. They go and gather carts in the parking lot and bring it back. There's none of that. And also overall, they have minimal staff. So sometimes the shelves are not fully unpacked. So it can kind of feel like a Costco vibe to a degree where it's still like the big boxes that you see and you just take out of the boxes. But for me, it is, I'm like all day, all day.

Starting point is 00:07:41 And then even their variety, y'all, there's not like an overwhelming amount. Some grocery stores that I would shop at, it's like, I need cheddar cheese. And there's like literally 84 different versions. And I always end up grabbing the same one. but this one, it was like, oh no, there's like three or four you get to choose from or whatever it is. You're like, thank you. Like, even the mental calories of having to choose things is slimmed down. So I love it.

Starting point is 00:08:05 Now, if you need a spending check in other categories outside of food, make sure to check out my episode, five quick ways to cut costs even if you overspend. Click right here to check it out. Or if you're listening on podcast, I'll put a link in the description. All right, you guys, remember to take control of your money and, create a life you love.

The Rachel Cruze Show - Average Family Grocery Budget (Are You Over or Under?)

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