Having just finished the first half of 2025 (!), I am updating our grocery/household spending for the year. While our results were not as spectacular as first quarter, the second quarter came in far better than I had dared hope.
Second quarter spending for food and common household items: $728.94. $29.23 was spent on household items: a whopping 4% of the overall outlay. Okay, that was a little bit more spent on household items than first quarter, but not by much.
The food expenditures were higher than first quarter for a number of reasons. We were so frugal in the first quarter that the month of April saw some major restocking. We also had guest artists over in April, and that involves some extra food purchases. Eggs were still staggering high that month; I only bought 1 dozen (@ $4.99), but did buy Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer, a worthy substitute in baking (2 bags at $4.99 each; 1 bag equals 34 eggs). And yes, April spending included two hams when they went on sale around Easter.
To my surprise, as I look at May in preparing this, it too included another major restocking. We also had guests coming through and staying with us, always requiring extra purchases. Still, I was a little taken aback at the dollars spent.
It was the June figures I was braced for: June included my hospitalization and a lot of typical and untypical purchases following, including preparing for guests and, gulp, BUYING DESSERT (for the same guests) instead of making it myself. (Two reasons for that: (1) During our recent heat dome, we avoided cooking or baking anything that required turning on the oven and (2) I did not have (and still lack) the energy to bake. Period.) We also "splurged" on a rotisserie chicken from Kroger for the same two reasons: heat and my continuing lack of capacity. That all being said, June came in at $172.56 for food and household items.
And let's not forget the continuing rising prices on food. Yes, eggs have come way down and milk has stayed fairly stable, but other items have gone up.
It is what it is.
The second quarter average monthly expenditure came out to $242.98, almost $100.00 higher than first quarter. For the year, we have spent $1165.04 on groceries, which averages out to $194.17 a month. I have been hoping to hold to $200/month, but realize, the first quarter aside, that may be a tad unrealistic in this uncertain economy. We are only sitting just below that figure because of the first quarter spending of this year. Can we maybe maybe just maybe hit $225.00 a month?
Time will tell!
8 comments:
Interesting about Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer. I'd never heard of it, but just looked it up, and could use it. I've been making "flax eggs" for baking, and using potato flakes for a scramble, but nice to know there's something else out there. As always, you do an admirable job with your finances, despite some extra expenditures, due to life circumstances. I hope you have a beautiful week!
Laurie, when eggs hit sky high, I looked for alternatives and Bob's Red Mill seemed the best. I think they have a GF version too. As for this coming week, once the heat breaks (again), it should be great. Hope you have one too and don't catch too much off of Chantal.
My oh my you bought a dessert instead of making from scratch, when you were ill and hospitalized. I mean how could you? I don't know if we can be friends now.....:)
Kim, I KNEW I was risking our friendship with that admission but I had to come clean!!! ;)
I'm astonished how low your budget still is. I say splurge a bit when you need a pick me up.
Like SAM, I'm also astonished by your budget for a month. I live with just a cat, and what you spend a month is about 2 weeks for me. And I rarely buy eggs, nor is cat food all that expensive! Yes, splurge when you need to and don't feel bad about it.
Sam, we “splurge” a bit from time to time. Little splurges…
Celine, I don’t guilt trip too much over splurging. I am interested about your car food comment; friends recently talked about the higher cost of cat food, especially in the tins, compared to a few years back.
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