I'm the first to admit I spend a fair amount on food for myself. I was having this conversation with my fiancee yesterday and decided today to look over my CC statements for all of 2012 to how much I actually spend (on average) per month on food for myself. I looked at my CC statements because the majority of the time that's what I use. I never take a lunch to work and a lot of the time I will buy lunch even when I'm off.
I did NOT include the following in my monthly food spending...
- Grocery shopping: On a different joint CC even though it would obviously include items that only I eat. I think we say we spend $200-300 a month in groceries.
- Restaurants: Where we ate together (joint CC) or made on my personal CC where it was obvious that I paid for multiple people based on the amount. If it was obviously just for me then I included it.
- Delivery: Any type of order-in food (different CC anyway) or if for some reason I paid on my CC. I would say between restaurants and delivery we do $200-250 a month.
- Cash: Any food I bought for myself using cash. Obviously difficult to track, but I will estimate that I personally spend $20 a month cash of food for myself (probably conservative).
Average personal food bill per month: $190 on my CC + $20 (likely conservative) cash purchases = $210
$210 (personal) + $400 (low end) for other mutual food purchases = $610 a month for food for 2 people. Does that seem high? Keep in mind my fiancee says she only buys lunch ($10) at max once a week (she always makes a lunch).
I did NOT include the following in my monthly food spending...
- Grocery shopping: On a different joint CC even though it would obviously include items that only I eat. I think we say we spend $200-300 a month in groceries.
- Restaurants: Where we ate together (joint CC) or made on my personal CC where it was obvious that I paid for multiple people based on the amount. If it was obviously just for me then I included it.
- Delivery: Any type of order-in food (different CC anyway) or if for some reason I paid on my CC. I would say between restaurants and delivery we do $200-250 a month.
- Cash: Any food I bought for myself using cash. Obviously difficult to track, but I will estimate that I personally spend $20 a month cash of food for myself (probably conservative).
Average personal food bill per month: $190 on my CC + $20 (likely conservative) cash purchases = $210
$210 (personal) + $400 (low end) for other mutual food purchases = $610 a month for food for 2 people. Does that seem high? Keep in mind my fiancee says she only buys lunch ($10) at max once a week (she always makes a lunch).