What Is The Average Cost Of Food Per Month That People Are Spending?
Of course, there’s a difference between food spending guidelines and how much people actually end up spending. To figure out the average cost of groceries that American consumers are shelling out for food each year, we looked to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) annual Consumer Expenditures survey, which reports the amount that people spend on various consumer goods. We’ve used the most recent data from BLS, which is for 2022. The report will be updated again in September of 2024.
Let’s explore overall food spending along with grocery spending, which the BLS calls “food at home.”
By Income
In 2022, the average household spent $9,343 of its $94,003 pretax income on food. A total of $5,703 was spent eating at home, while $3,639 was spent eating at restaurants.
According to the Consumer Expenditures data, the third income bracket had the largest increase in food spending from 2021 – 2022. That bracket spent 16.1% more. The lowest bracket spent 4.4% more on food as the top income bracket spent 12.5% more.
This highlights why creating budgets for your groceries should be based on your individual finances. For example, someone making $15,000 a year and someone who makes $200,000 both require the same amount of food but are working with very different budgets.
By Family Size
The more people in the household, the higher the monthly food budget.
Single-person households, as you might expect, spent the least on food: $5,235 in 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Two-person households spent $9,363, up from $8,242 in 2021.
The national average for three-person households was $11,158. Four-person households spent $13.055. That’s up from $9,920 and $11,908 respectively from the previous year.
These figures combine groceries and dining out.
How Much Does A Family Of 2 Spend On Groceries?
As the family grows, so does the average grocery spend. Two-person households spent $5,635 in 2022 on groceries, or food at home. That’s up from $5,145 in 2021 – a $490 difference, or $254 per person. Between 2021 and 2020, two-person households saw a $354 increase ($177 per person).
Grocery Budget For A Family Of 3
When you add another person to the household, grocery spending goes up to $6,862. That’s up from $6,187 and $5,520, compared to 2021 and 2020, respectively.
Grocery Budget For A Family Of 4
Families of four averaged $8,012 monthly in 2022, compared to $7,803 and $7,354 in 2021 and 2020, respectively. That’s a difference of $658 over 2 years.
By Location
Let's examine how much your region and state might factor into your grocery budget.
Comparing Grocery Prices By Region
When you compare prices on grocery spending by region, the Northeast spends the most, followed by the West, the Midwest and then the South.
Do your annual food expenditures match up with your region’s average? The average Northeasterner spent $6,303 on food at home in 2022, residents of the West spent $6,342, Midwesterners spent $5,559, and those in the South spent $5,135.
City dwellers spent more on food than everyone else, according to the most-current data, which is from 2020. When looking at consumer units within urban areas versus those outside urban areas, the urbanites spent an average of $7,465 compared to $5,409 for outsiders.
In examining money spent on food away from home in particular, urban households spent $2,452 versus the nonurban group’s $1,425.
Highest And Lowest Average Grocery Bills By State
Here are the most populous areas of every state ranked by most-expensive and cheapest to buy groceries, according to Move.org for 2023 to date. Nationally, the monthly average for groceries per-person ranges from $638.57 in Honolulu to $335.97 in Manchester, New Hampshire.
In 2022, the range was $556.76 in Honolulu to $183 in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Average Cost Of Groceries Per Month: How Can I Save Money At The Grocery Store?
Now that you’ve looked at the data and have some reliable comparison benchmarks, it’s time to create a food budget that’s uniquely yours. To help, we’ve provided advice based on a few scenarios, with cost-saving tips that can be adapted to your life. But before we get to that, let’s identify areas where you might be overspending and how to cut back.
Audit YourRegular Spending
Evaluateyour regular spending and get an idea of how much you spend each week and month at the grocery store. If you eat out at any restaurants, tally that as well.
Check yourpast spending or take a few weeks or months to track your regular grocery spending. That way, you can get an accurate picture of your spending habits, what you tend to spend the biggest chunks of your grocery budget on, and the areas you could cut back on. An app like Rocket MoneySMcan automatically groupyour spending into categories once you link your accounts and set a budget.
Considercategories where you may be overspending. Maybe you’re dining out a disproportionate amount of the time. Maybe you spend too much on junk food.
Only you can say what’s right for your budget, but it’s important to know how you’re spending your money so you can make those decisions for yourself.
Create A Food Budget
When creating your new food budget, make the most of every dollar you spend–especially if you’re trying to cut back.
Identify some specific spending or saving goals that will impact your bottom line. Write them down. Don’t just commit to spending a certain amount or spending less than you are now. Having a specific budget in ink makes you less likely to deviate and fall victim to budget-busting impulse buys.
Have A PlanFor Every Grocery Shopping Trip
Going to the grocery store with a list can help you curb impulse buys, provided you stick to it.
Avoid browsing the store and only go grocery shopping after you’ve eaten. Shopping while hungry is a recipe forspending too much.
Although not always feasible, it can also be helpful to go grocery shopping withoutyour kids. Kids are classic impulsebuyers. Ifyou can shop while they’re in school or with someone else, you’ll likely save a bit of cash on sugary cereals and other unhealthy treats.Where You Shop Matters
Depending on what’s in your area, you should shop at the grocery store that works best for your budget.Here are a few considerations to stay within your grocery budget.
Store Loyalty Programs
Consider signing up for store reward programs.For example, Kroger offers Kroger Plus cards, which allow shoppers to build fuel points they can use at Kroger gas stations for discounts on gas.
Membership Warehouse Stores
A membership-only warehouse club like Sam’s Club or Costco might also be worth it, but be sure to compare the potential savings to the membership cost.
Discount Markets And Online Stores
Discount supermarkets like Aldi alsotend to offer lower food prices than some of the bigger stores.
You can also try shopping online, though it’s not always cheaper. However, grocery shopping online makes it much easier to compare shops because you can check out competing prices on an item with just a few clicks.
Of course, if you live in an area with only one grocery store, that’s likely where you’ll end up doing all your food shopping. If that’s the case, keep an eye out for regular deals and discounts.
