How Much Does a Family of 6 Spend on Groceries in 1 Year? Check Out ALL the Grocery Prices!

It's been a great year of grocery shopping with SO many deals! But now it's time to crunch all the numbers. I set a frugal grocery budget of $475 a month for our large family of 6. Did I stick to it in 2023? Let's go through all the shopping trips to see how I did - and I'll give you some tips to set your new grocery budget for 2024. #groceryhaulonabudget #groceryshopping #groceryhaul
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[@kathygarner1383]

Your hair looks great! Your videos are always informative. My kids are grown and gone, but I , budget and stockpile too.

[@joyfullythriving]

Love that! And thank you! That is always my goal to be helpful and encouraging!

[@KalynBrookeCo]

You are such an inspiration, Kristen! I’d like to keep our budget under $400 for the two of us. It’s still a lot, but we don’t have a lot of room for extra food and grocery stores are always changing. But I’d like to do a better job of trying to find the sales at the places we do go!

[@joyfullythriving]

Traveling full-time in your RV - with very little storage room - is definitely a whole new adventure and challenge. I think $400 sounds like a great goal! The good thing is, you can look up grocery ads of the grocery stores before you get to a big town. I think this would be a gold way to save on produce and who knows what else, if you occasionally check the sales! And keep shopping Aldi and Walmart! You have mastered that skill! 👏👏👏

[@ritaslade2989]

You're really a fantastic encouragement you have helped me alot so thankful for you God Bless You 😊

[@joyfullythriving]

I am truly happy to help encourage you and others! 😊 Thank you for your encouragement to me as well!

[@kdonor]

Ours was averaged to be $346 last year for 6 of us but it also included eating down foods I over stocked in the years before.

[@joyfullythriving]

Good for you! That is very impressive! 👏🥳👏

[@bernadettebill9104]

You have tought me about sale cycles. I am lucky and don't have strict budget. Around $600 though.

[@joyfullythriving]

There is always something to learn! I am glad you have the flexibility and freedom in your budget to shop as you choose! 😀

[@conniemcclanahan1122]

Thank you for going into great detail on your thought process of budgeting and rationale on keeping a combined list of groceries, paper products, and toiletries.

[@joyfullythriving]

You are so welcome! I am glad it was helpful! 😊

[@nanar.8088]

You did awesome on that budget but you are smart to increase with the inflation and children growing. Our budget for 2 retired people $300.00 per month and $100 for bulk which includes household.

[@joyfullythriving]

Thank you! I like how you keep a separate amount for the occasional bulk purchases. Very smart move on your part! 👏👏

[@nanar.8088]

@joyfullythriving I tried keeping household separate but took too much time to subtract then add to my log. I too pick up household at same time as grocery.

[@joyfullythriving]

@@nanar.8088 YES! That is my fear as well. Much easier just to keep them all together!

[@michelledee9304]

I wish our budget was as low as yours. We are a family of 4 adults. I have to be gluten free, dairy free and soy free and choose to be vegan. We averaged 850.27 per month. We can only shop 1 day a week due to work schedules. I am hoping to keep the budget the same this year or lower. One of the adults works a very physically demanding job and the other 3 are home 99% of the time.

[@joyfullythriving]

You have to adjust based on your family and with adults - and so many dietary restrictions- I think that sounds like a very reasonable budget amount. Just keep doing the best you can! 👏👏

[@kathrynlehman9201]

We're a family of 6 in NE AR and similar to you I'm pulling out health and wellness from my grocery budget for 2024. I found that's almost always the amount I'm over each month. So we're sticking to $600! With my new found confidence in canning (thank you for the push on that!) I'm hoping to re-evaluate mid year and possibly decrease even maybe. I'll report back this summer!

[@joyfullythriving]

Good job tracking the numbers and adjusting. It's funny that it was the same area putting me over budget as well! 😂 I am SO proud of you for embracing canning...and trying so many new things. I definitely want to can potatoes, as soon as I can find time. How did the canned French fries turn out? 🤔

[@kdonor]

Off topic, but I have a hard time finding old comments, but I wondered if you perchance went to Concordia. My dad's family is LCMS and he had family attend there and one of my very good friends has had children go there (they're Wisconsin Lutheran). If you don't want to share that, it's fine, I just wondered.

[@joyfullythriving]

Yes! I am LCMS. My dad is an LCMS Pastor, and I attend Concordia Seward for college...as did a lot of my family! 😊

[@Claire-Rita]

I was almost exactly on budget this year so have decided to keep it the same. We are a family of 3 adults and 3 very spoiled dogs who I cook for. I only began tracking what I spent on groceries a year ago when I read an article talking about how much money the average family spends on food, I foolishly thought I spent less :) It was after realizing how much I was spending that I started really budgeting, now it's a game and I get excited when I show the receipts to my husband!

[@joyfullythriving]

There is something about the thrill of getting a great deal, isn't there? 😂 I love showing my husband how much I have saved too. It's so nice to have something concrete to save right away, which totally makes it worth the time spent, in my opinion.

[@queenofthehousehold]

You’re an inspiration! I often choose convenience over shopping sales, and stick to generic brands at Walmart and Aldi. But I’m going to try to do better in 2024! 🎉

[@joyfullythriving]

Thank you! The feeling is mutual because you inspire me too! 🥰 You are doing great, Emily, because generics are a huge part of keeping your budget low! But shopping the sales - even just on meat - would add more savings! You can do it! 🥳 Remind me...what is your closest chain grocery store? Outside of Walmart and Aldi?

[@rosannasauereisen2827]

I'm Canadian. My budget is $820/month for a family of 5. (3 teens) I also include everything in mine except vitamins. We've had this budget for about 3 or 4 years and we are keeping it the same. We do have a large garden and there are whole sections of food I basically never buy because they are in the freezer or canned. We do buy half a cow every 1.5 years or so and that is extra above our monthly budget.

[@joyfullythriving]

That is impressive that you have it the same for that long! Because with inflation, you've basically been cutting your budget for the past couple years. So bravo to you! 👏 And having a garden is a wonderful blessing! I also like that the occasional half a cow purchase doesn't come out of your normal budget. Smart.

[@rosannasauereisen2827]

Well, I didn't have a garden when I started this budget so that helps. I've also learned a ton about grocery shopping since. Lastly, we have other money goals and this is one way for us to meet them more quickly.

[@joyfullythriving]

​@@rosannasauereisen2827 YES!!! When you have other money goals, saving money on groceries is a great way to meet them! 🎉 You've got this!

[@conniekellenberger7117]

Family of 3 and i have a stock pile plus 2 full frezzers . I am to try very hard to do 200 a month but I will increase if I need too. Am going cook as much as can at home and not by the convenience food.

[@joyfullythriving]

That is awesome! Good for you! Full freezers and a stockpile make all the difference! 👏👏👏

[@lisaolson1345]

Family of three with dietary restrictions,I spend $600.00 monthly for food,clothes, toiletries,pet food, birthday gifts, Christmas gifts, eating out,etc. I have a feeling I can lower that amount though. I am doing low spend for January and February.

[@joyfullythriving]

Wow. You have a lot included in that budget amount so I think you are doing great! 👏 Having some no spend / low spend months does help budget wise too. 👌

[@brittneycook9304]

Family of 3, with 1 on the way. Budget of $300 a month, which I know is pushing it these days but im determined to make it work lol

[@joyfullythriving]

You can do it! I have every confidence in you! 😀 Just keep shopping the sales and saving however you can. And congratulations on the new little one you! Babies are such a blessing. 🥰

[@LindaASJ]

We have been married 9 year with just the two of us and I have yet to stick to a grocery budget. I’m trying a cash only grocery budget this year and drawing the line. Thank goodness I have a pantry! I’m doing $75 per week ($375 for January). I stashed the money in an envelope however I’m starting the year with no spend in January and February. I’ll use the January/February money for stock up later in the year

[@joyfullythriving]

I love how you are using envelopes to hold you accountable! Good for you in trying some different. Thank goodness indeed for having a pantry! I have every confidence in you that you can do it! 👏 🥳

[@chantal3172]

You did really well with your budget this year. Congratulations. I can't to keep seeing your grocery hauls.

[@joyfullythriving]

Thank you!! I was happy with how the year averaged out too. And thank YOU for watching my hauls so faithfully! 😍

[@sherriebyrd3784]

Thank you for sharing Kristen. I have enjoyed following you since last spring. I’ve adapted your approach to the Kroger sales. I too feel better with a stock pile. With the uncertain economy and the state of the world, we need to stay prepared. You are a wonderful encourager and a natural teacher. I appreciate you sharing your gifts with others. Thank you again!❤

[@joyfullythriving]

You are so welcome! And I am so glad to hear you are stocking up! Like you said, it gives me a peace of mind to know I have food at home - with everything going on around us. Here's to continuing stockpiling in 2024! 🥳

[@amymccarthy5304]

Well done on your shopping 🎉 new subscriber here ☺️

[@joyfullythriving]

Thank you so much! Glad you found me Amy! 👋

[@bethanyg153]

What do you teach? I teach part time as well at a Christian school and I teach science to the middle schoolers.

[@joyfullythriving]

Always nice to meet a fellow teacher! 👋 I am team teaching Kindergarten this year at a small Lutheran school. I teach Kindergarten every morning (while my youngest is in preschool) and my co-teacher comes in at lunchtime to finish out the day with Kindergarten. I admire middle school teachers so much! You have a special gift to deal with junior high kids and their attitudes! 😁

[@Sandrashideaway]

You do a great 👍 job staying on track and stocking up on budget! ❤

[@joyfullythriving]

Thank you so much! I really do try...but I also know that life happens and we need to give ourselves grace when we go over budget on occasion! 😊

[@Well-DoingMomma]

Very nice analysis. As a family of 10 we spend a lot on food. Our budget is about 1,000 for our family of 10. That includes our college daughter picking up some food at the grocery store to supplement her meal plan. I've done super tight budgets ( and can cook beans I'm alot of ways 😂). This is a realistic but not over the top budget for us

[@kathrynlehman9201]

I feel like that's totally reasonable! We're about $100/person since I'm moving into those teen years with mine.

[@rosannasauereisen2827]

$1,000.00 doesn't seem like a very high budget for a family of 10. I'm in Canada and my budget is $820 for a family of 5 and that isn't a big budget here at all.

[@joyfullythriving]

I think that is an amazingly frugal budget for a family of 10! Way to go! 👏👏👏 I totally get what you are saying though. I could have a tighter budget if absolutely necessary but I am thankful we have the flexibility now. 😊

[@Well-DoingMomma]

True it isn't high but I was so used to many years of a shoestring budget that it feels so nice to have a more reasonable frugal budget@@rosannasauereisen2827

[@terrychittam945]

Thanks for the help Kristin ❤

[@joyfullythriving]

Any time! 🥰

[@blessedhomesteader9665]

Did you include the extra money you had taken towards the end of the year to stock up at 3 different places or did I miss it? Maybe you had explained it…or not included it for a reason I missed.

[@joyfullythriving]

Good question! Since that was not part of my grocery budget, I did not include that stockpiling amount in this total. I meant to mention that. If I do that again this year, I will make sure to note that amount for total purposes. 😁

[@blessedhomesteader9665]

@@joyfullythriving thanks for clearing that up. I love your channel and shop like you do…so wondered how you had handled the stock-up budget.

[@rebeccamorgan5387]

What is the app you use?

[@joyfullythriving]

It is the Keep app. It's just a simple note taking app where I keep lots of digital notes but especially my grocery budget lists. 😁

[@JordanMom]

I’d love to see the “how much I saved”. You should Talley the savings of full price v sales and coupons. Easy data point - it’s on Kroger receipts. Compare Aldi sales yo regular Walmart pricing.

[@joyfullythriving]

Great idea! I will have to track that as well for the upcoming year. Thanks for that idea! 💡

[@Lovedbythealmightyforever]

I have no idea what to set my budget to for me and my son. Will try to figure it out. Thanks for this video

[@joyfullythriving]

You are welcome! The best thing to do would be to look back at receipts or save your receipts for the upcoming month to get a realistic picture of what you are spending. Then slowly aim to cut back from there.