February Grocery Audit – Family of 6 Grocery Budget

on Mar 03, 2018, Updated Jul 18, 2020

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Another look at our Family of 6 Grocery Budget! One of my goals for 2018 is to take more control of our family grocery budget to better understand our finances. At the end of January, I shared the first ever Grocery Audit, and today, I’m sharing part two in that series. Here’s my February 2018 Grocery Audit.

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February Grocery Audit – Family of 6 Grocery Budget

If you’re new to these posts, you might want to head over to January’s Grocery Audit and take a look at all of the details I shared about the USDA Cost of Food at Home at Four Levels. Last month, we spent a little over $800 to feed our family of six.. I thought $800 was a little more than we normally spend. Here’s how we compared in February.

Hy-Vee 2/4 TOTAL $26.27 (Super Bowl Sunday)

This is what happens when I’m out of town. This is my husband’s purchase. Ironically, I was at a ShiftCon – an Eco Wellness / Green Living Conference eating a 100% non-gmo diet when he bought all this stuff. LOL. Clearly, we’re not perfect.

French Onion Dip, $3.69
Tyson Crispy Chicken Strips, $9.76
Doritos, $3.99
BBQ Potato Chips, $1.99
Ruffles, $3.99
Bananas, $1.09
Limes, $1.50

ALDI 2/6 TOTAL $61.39

Missing receipt but took pictures. 🙂 I pretty much suck at keeping receipts.

Hy-Vee 2/6 TOTAL $26.39

Missing receipt but took pictures. New goal for March: Keep EVERY SINGLE receipt.

3 organic peppers
uncured lunchmeat
organic kale (I’m trying not to buy clamshells to reduce the amount of plastic I buy, but it’s really, really hard!)
organic chocolate milk (We love this stuff. It’s a real treat.)

Costco 2/10 TOTAL $229.74

Organic OJ, $7.99
Organic 1/2 & 1/2, $5.79
Organic frozen blueberries, $9.89
Organic pizza kit, $7.99 (I had high hopes for this, but it was pretty nasty. I won’t buy it again.)
Organic frozen mango, $10.49
Clif Z Bars, $16.99
Organic frozen raspberries, $9.79
Raw Almonds, $12.99
Shredded Mozzarella, $10.49
Salame, $7.49
Stonyfield organic yogurt squeezer x2, $11.98
Organic frozen peas, $6.59
White Sharp Cheddar Cheese x 2, $21.58
Sliced havarti, $7.99
Organic EVOO, $15.49
Wild albacore tuna, $14.99
Bagels, $5.99
Organic hummus, $5.89
Organic tortilla chips, $4.49
Organic maple syrup, $10.99
Organic triscuits, $8.99
Organic granola, $4.89
Organic romaine lettuce, $3.99
Organic broccoli, $5.99

ALDI 2/11 TOTAL $62.77

Frozen shrimp, $4.99
Wild caught Alaska Salmon, $9.99
Almond milk, $1.99
Organic whole milk, $2.95
Organic apples $4.99
ABF lunchmeat x2, $6.58
Plain organic yogurt x2, $5.98
Mushrooms, $1.49
Limes, $1.69
Lemons, $2.89
Pineapples, $1.29
Organic grape tomatoes x2, $5.98
Organic brown eggs x2, $6.98
Organic bread, $3.99

WALMART 2/16 TOTAL $38.58

Organic potatoes x2, $7.92
Organic cauliflower, $3.46
Organic green onions, $1.38
Organic granola, $3.98
Organic cereal x2, $5.96
Organic kale, $3.56
Organic granola x2, $6.56
Organic apples, $5.76

ALDI 2/18 TOTAL $81.37

Frozen shrimp, $4.49
Wild caught Alaska Salmon, $9.99
Organic spaghetti noodles x2, $2.18
ABF Salami x2, $5.98
ABF lunchmeat x2, $6.58
Organic whole milk, $2.95
Navel oranges x3, $7.47
Yellow onions, $1.59
Red onions, $1.69
Mushrooms, $1.49
Organic plain yogurt x3, $5.97
Organic grape tomatoes, $2.49
Organic apples, $4.99
Organic brown eggs x3, $10.47

Costco 2/18 TOTAL $60 ish?

Dan made a quick Costco and brought home organic frozen fruit, bagels, organic bread, organic tortilla chips. The receipt has vanished, so this is my best guess.

ALDI 2/25 TOTAL $98.47

Kettle Chips x2, $2.78
Organic Tortilla chips, $1.99
Organic diced canned tomatoes x2, %3.18
Extra sharp cheddar cheese x2, $3.58
Pistachio snack for starving child, $.99
Organic frozen berries x4, $11.56
Organic chocolate chips, $1.99 (first time I’ve seen organic chocolate chips at ALDI!)
Organic whole milk, $2.95
Organic granola bars x3, $5.57
Apple sauce pouches x2, $3.78
Oregano x3, $3.57
ABF lunchemat x2, $6.58
ABF bacon, $5.39
Bananas, $2.67
Mandarins, $2.49
Organic apples x2, 8.78
OJ, $1.99
Avocados x6, $3.54
Almond milk, $1.99
Navel oranges, $3.89
Bagels x2, $3.58
Organic bread, $3.99
Organic tomatoes, $3.29
Flour tortillas, $1.99
Dry pinto beans, $1.49
Cilantro, $.69
Cabbage, $1.49
Red Onions, $1.69

Hy-Vee 2/25 TOTAL $23.86

Organic unsalted butter, $7.99
Organic whole milk, $4.99
Organic plain yogurt x2, $5.57 (Used BOGO coupons but they didn’t credit me for the entire cost)
Bean sprouts, $1.89
Egg roll wrappers, $2.99 (Had to return these because they were moldy THE SAME DAY OF PURCHASE!) I was bummed to have to return the eggroll wrappers, because I had the egg roll filling all ready before I realized the wrappers were moldy. So we had egg roll bowls instead. They were pretty good, and probably a lot healthier than the pan fried egg rolls I usually make.
Snow peas, $3.47

Considerations for my Family of 6 Grocery Budget

I buy beef and pork by the animal from local farmers and don’t buy much meat at the grocery store. I raise my own meat chickens. So we eat a lot more meat than is reflected in my grocery purchases.
I have a well stocked pantry with many staples like dried beans, rice, and wheat which I buy in bulk quantities (25+ pounds) and store.
If I find a pantry staple on sale, I will likely buy a large quantity and store.
I have an aging egg laying chicken flock who better start laying me eggs again soon so I can stop buying them. There’s no comparison to farm fresh eggs from free-ranging birds! 🙂
I like to garden and can food. I currently have pickles, tomatoes, and salsa left over from last year still, but I just ran out of garlic and we ran out of potatoes and onions a while ago.
My kids pack a school lunch 4 out of 5 days each the week.