Expenses

[Cami]

We're moving soon so we'll be refiguring our budget. The way that has worked for us in the past is that I figure how much I need weekly and I either take it in cash or keep it in a separate account. We've only been away from the US for just over a year but I can't remember what I typically spent each week.

Not including mortgage, car payment, insurance, utilities, what do you think you spend in a week? I'm including groceries, household/baby stuff, gas for the car, other misc stuff (places we go, lunches out, daily fountain Diet Coke :) )

I know it differs for everyone but I'm just curious and trying to come up with an estimate.

[Lynn]

Groceries - $90-150 for our small family of 3. :) I'm including misc. trips to the store for stuff I forgot during my regular grocery run.

Household stuff - cleaning supplies, garbage bags, dog food, etc - $20 give or take

Gas - $40 for keith, $20 for me (but probably more since it's $3.25 :complain: )


I normally get $20 out of the bank in cash at the beginning of the week to use for stuff like lunches, coffees (very rare), weekly DQ runs, :lick: misc. stuff for school, etc. Sometimes I don't use it and carry it over for the next week.

[Karri]

Oh crap. I don't know. :lol: Chris would be able to tell me, but I'm going to estimate....oh - this is just for me, not him....

Groceries: $150/wk

Gas: $50 every other week, if that (I don't drive much). I actually think it costs more than $50 to fill the tank at this cost, but the place I go to, the pump stops at $50 :dunno:

Target: $150/mo

Misc (coffee, lunch, parking, library fines :scan: , Michaels, etc): $20/wk

I also go out to dinner once a month w/ friends. That costs me $45/mo.

I am probably missing something :scratch:

[Cami]

:scan: ok, it's scaring me that $20 more or less covers all the random little things.

But your responses are just the kind of info I am looking for! Thanks. :)

[Karri]

We really don't eat out, though. I don't drink soda. And the places we go don't cost anything (we have zoo & children's museum memberships, playgroups & parks are free, etc) So that's why ours is low.

[Jillian]

ok, we spend way too much on groceries, it's embarassing to admit how much...probably close to $300 a week, but that does include diapers, cat food/litter, cleaning/laundry supplies, hair products...basically anything bought at target or the grocery store.

I limit myself to $100 per month per kid for clothes/toys/art supplies, so about $75 a week right now (this includes stuff we need for Travis).

Gas is about $20 a week, we don't drive much or very far from home, so we don't need to fill up every week.

The kids school lunches/breakfast are about $80-$90 a month depending on how many days they are in school(this is for breakfast/lunch for Caid and lunch for Janelle).

I think that's about it for our expenses, though I'm probably missing something.

[Michele]

I'm not sure of exact numbers either, but for us...

Groceries - about $100/week - I try to do less, but if you add in any extra trips for stuff I forgot, it is around $100

Target - this is my trouble spot...I need to stop going to Target so much I probably spend $60-70 a week at Target :shuffle:

Gas - around $50 every 9 or 10 days

Misc - I have limited my coffee buying drastically, but I will get an iced coffee sometimes when it is nice out, we rarely go out to lunch, and like Karri we have memberships to most of the places we frequent - so I probably only spend $20/week on this.

We also usually get takeout for dinner and/or go out for breakfast on the weekends, so that's another $40 or so.

I probably spend close to $25 a week on wine too :shuffle:

[MrsPeacefrog]

I am so jealous at your small grocery bills! I spend close to $300 a week on our groceries :shuffle:

I was going to answer this, then I realised you were finding out what it costs to Americans being that is where you are going back :giggle:

[sabrina]

Truthfully, I think we spend way too much on groceries but by these lists we are pretty close to everyone else.

Groceries including misc household items: 100-125 and that includes dinners out once a week (after church on sunday)

Gas: It cost about 37 to fill up and that will last me anywhere from 10-14 days. It all depends on how much driving I have to do during the week.

Other miscellaneous stuff: we have zoo memberships, spend time at the park, playground. We do go to dq once a week, but on thursday when it family night and cones are 50 cents and peanut buster parfait are $2. I will get $100 out every other week and whatever is left goes into an envelope to save for an emergency (such as power out and can't use ATM's) or if there is enough in the envelope I use it for groceries that week instead of the debit card.

For clothing we do big shopping trips twice a year at the change of seasons. However, I shop for the next year for the kids and try to buy everything on sale or clearance.

[Karri]

I probably spend close to $25 a week on wine too :shuffle:

Ah. I build mine into my grocery bill b/c I usually just buy my beer and wine there.

[Cami]

Deb, you could still reply. :)

Sabrina, I like the idea of taking out x amount and putting away any extra. I'd rather do that than take too little and have to keep taking money out.

I was pretty good at sticking to a tight budget but I swear it seemed like I spent a lot more money than this. Guess I'll find out. :)

[Michele]

Ah. I build mine into my grocery bill b/c I usually just buy my beer and wine there.

We can't really buy it a grocery stores here...we have to go to the packy... :lol:

Cami, I don't think it would be weird if you spent more. We put ourselves on a really tight budget about 2 years ago to pay off some debt, and I've kind of just stuck to it. If you had asked this question before then, my totals would have been higher....

[Karri]

LIke Michele, we did too. Chris is a total tightwad now :lol: That's probably why its so low. Plus I'd rather not spend money on disposable things (lunches, coffee) and save it for clothes :lol:

[Cami]

I am SO missing Chipotle burritos and big yummy deli sandwiches. And Houston has Jack in the Box which I haven't had for years. Put all that together and I'm going to spend a freaking fortune on stuff I shouldn't when we first get there. Luckily our meals can be expensed for the first two months. :woo: