I am using YNAB for more than a year now and I really love it.
The initial setup was a bit cumbersome since I had to configure budgets, tag transactions to "train the model" and learn the interface and concept behind YNAB in general.
But I can't live without it now. It feels very relieving to know exactly what "the job of every dollar" is. So I never get surprised by any bills since I can also set a budget for surprises.
Now I was wondering... how much money do other stackers spend on food every month? Last year, I tried to only spend 175€ on food every month so I can stack more, haha
But currently, I am struggling to keep it below 300€ per month. Not sure if that's mostly inflation or just my habits having changed (more takeway, more eating in general).
Also, do you use budgeting apps like YNAB? If not, why not? For me, it was a natural to start budgeting to know exactly how much sats I can stack per month.
Never skimp on food. Its a key input that determines your ability to function. I.e. your output.
If you must reduce the food budget, then reduce the experience of the food, not the food itself. E.x. cook at home instead of getting takeout, etc.
Too many people trim their budget by eating ramen instead of steak and then they have cravings or low energy that impacts their ability to earn.
Budgeting your TIME with the goal of increasing your income is the best way to budget IMO :)
Yes, everyone's food budget is up almost 2x from a few years ago. Nobody knows why, inflation is only 5% after all /s
Oh yea, stop paying for a "budgeting app" lmao spreadsheets are free!
reply
I agree with this! It pains me to shop at natural grocers and farmers markets because the price isn’t friendly but food is vital to well-being!!
The toxic pesticide filled crap at the local discount grocery is killing the People slowly.
reply
My family of four (2 adults, a tween & a teen) living in the southern United States has spent $1,072 on average every month this year for groceries, with the lowest month being $886 and the highest being $1,337. That's up from an average of $1015 per month in 2022. Note this is groceries only; we average an additional $662 each month eating at restaurants.
I have been tracking my spending with an Excel spreadsheet for the past 20 years, but I think tools like YNAB and Dave Ramsey's Everydollar are fine for those who like them.
reply
Yep sounds about right!
reply
I aim for <£10 a day, which is pretty comfortable. Me and my partner cook most nights which helps, and we know the dates and times grocery stores dump stuff into the discount section. Meals are usually based around the cheapest beef / fish / chicken we can acquire on a particular day.
reply
$240 approx. (not from US)
reply
I've been tracking my expenses for years and I can tell you some numbers.
We are two vegetarians and this number only include the food that we buy from the supermarkets not when we go to a restaurant to eat or drink.
On 2020 my monthly average was: 216,15 Euros On 2021 my monthly average was: 211,13 Euros On 2022 my monthly average was: 220,04 Euros On 2023 my monthly average was: 234,62 Euros
We have been going to the same supermarkets and very regulars with our habits.
reply
I'm not keeping track, but I think it's under 800k sats.
reply
Some SATS to you! for thinking on the right standard
reply
We (my partner and me) spend around $300/month.
reply
We also use YNAB but the past few months we’ve been slacking on keeping it updated (and by we I mean my spouse 😄).
I’d guess that we’re spending probably around $600-800/mo on groceries. We’re a family of six and the spouse and I have been upping our muscle game so more meat and supplements than usual.
We also probably spend $500-600 on dining out. We know we gotta cut that back a bit. I think this happens when we don’t keep YNAB up to date.
Food has gotten noticeably more expensive over the past year or two.
reply
Around $1200 a month for a family of 4.
reply
Also, do you use budgeting apps like YNAB? If not, why not?
The amount of information you give away is not very safe.. You can do the same without giving away your consumer habits and info being sold to banks and insurance
reply
The amount of information you give away is not very safe..
That's a good point. I know that I trust YNAB with this but I pay them for their service and they promise that that's the only way they make money. That's a trade-off I am willing to make to use their service.
I tried to write something like YNAB myself in the past (even using YNAB as a reference implementation) but I had to accept that my time is better spent elsewhere. I also self-hosted Firefly III in the past but it's not as good as YNAB.
You can do the same without giving away your consumer habits and info being sold to banks and insurance
How? And afaik, my info is not getting sold to other banks and insurance. My current bank already knows my financial transactions.
reply
I don't see the point of this method, I have only two rules and that is simpler :
  • Is it necessary ?
  • Can I delay the consumption ?
The goal is to consume just the less as possible, and buy Bitcoin with the rest. I just keep in euro 1 month of salary in bank.
reply
I'm back in a cowboy hat, it's a pleasure to communicate with you, I think I'm starting to understand) memes, sites in promotions, that's the whole secret))
reply
I am always surprised at how little people spend on food. As a family of four with two babies under 3, we spend about $300/week or $1200 a month on groceries.
Granted, I eat a lot of meat, but it’s cheap meat like ground beef from the supermarket. 2.99 per pound stuff. We don’t snack that much, don’t eat dessert, and don’t shop at top tier grocery stores like Whole Foods.
Granted, both adults work from home so it’s three meals a day at home, and we don’t price compare. We just buy what we want. I’ll have a ribeye once a week. I eat like 6-8 eggs for breakfast.
Anyway, this topic has always interested me because we seem to be at the higher end of grocery budgets but I certainly don’t feel like I’m eating luxurious cuisine.
reply
My family of 4 is about $1100/mo
My family is mostly eating fiat food, I’m carnivore. I eat about 8lbs ribeye and 5 lbs ground beef per week, if I don’t eat any game. 1 lb organ meat and some fruit. Eggs I buy the flat of 60, for only $6, that will last a week or 2. The ribeyes I get for $6 per lb from local meat distributor, which is where I buy chicken for my dogs at 60c/lb. The dogs eat about 30 lbs. of chicken per week.
reply
$6 per pound for ribeye is crazy cheap to me. I pay $20 for factory farmed stuff and $28 for local.
reply
450k in IDR
reply