What We Spent on Groceries This Week (A Real-Life Baseline)
Quick Answer
This week, I’m sharing exactly what we spent on groceries and household items for our family of five, including where we shop, what we bought, and why I’m using this as a baseline to start being more intentional with our grocery budget, without pretending we live in an ideal, Pinterest-perfect world.
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Why I’m Starting Here
Before I try to “do better,” cut costs, or optimize anything, I want to be honest about where we actually are.
We’re a family of five with 3 young kids (8, 6 & 5), a dog, picky eaters, and some dietary considerations. Almost all of our meals are eaten at home. We only eat out twice a month, and I’m not interested in extreme grocery challenges that only work on paper.
So instead of starting with rules or restrictions, I’m starting with reality.
This post is the baseline for a new series where I document what we spend, what works, what doesn’t, and how I’m learning to shop more intentionally over time.
Our Grocery Spending This Week: The Snapshot
Household size: 2 adults, 3 kids
Meals: Mostly eaten at home
Stores shopped:
Walmart - 3 receipts ($4.47, $38.50, $198.58)
Costco - 1 receipt ($224.83)
Total spent this week: $466.38
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This total includes groceries and a small number of household items we need regularly. I’ll call those out below so everything stays transparent. There was one HEB trip that is not included in this total. It was under $100 but over $65. My husband made this trip and doesn’t have a receipt for the items purchased. They are not included in this total.
About the Receipts (and Privacy)
I’m sharing screenshots of our receipts to show exactly what was purchased and how much it cost … and yes, I did have to make an additional pickup from Walmart for items that I missed and needed for the week. That’s why you’ll see 3 Walmart totals.
I want to note that there are two items that are intentionally blacked out to protect my kids’ privacy. While the prices remain visible and included in the total, I don’t feel comfortable putting certain personal/medical items online, even in the name of transparency.
Everything that impacts the budget is still counted.
What We Bought (High-Level Breakdown)
Rather than listing every single line item, here’s how this week’s spending breaks down:
Proteins
Boneless & skinless chicken thighs
Ground beef
Turkey Pepperoni
Ribs
Chicken nuggets
Chomps
Eggs
Produce
Strawberries
Grapes
Limes
Lemons
Avocados
Bananas
Broccoli
Corn
Baby Carrots
Green Apples
Pantry & Staples
Drink mixes
Orzo
Cheese
Frozen shredded hashbrowns
Cereal
Condiments
Bread
Nuts
Bone broth
Household Items
Toilet paper, dog poop bags, medicine, items for kiddos, cleaner, tissues
This mix reflects how we actually eat, not how I wish we ate on a perfect week.
High-Protein, Lower-Processed Choices (For Me, and the Family)
One goal I’m slowly working toward is reducing how many separate meals I’m making.
I’m currently focusing on higher-protein, lower-processed foods for myself, due to an autoimmune disease I have. Once I figure out what my triggers are I will be making changes for the whole family. In the meantime, I’m trying to not create friction or unneeded food waste until I figure it out. That means choosing foods that can overlap, be modified easily, or work across multiple meals.
This isn’t about eating “clean.”
It’s about less stress and fewer backup meals.
Some weeks this works better than others, and that’s okay.
Where I Think We Did Well
This week, a few things stood out as wins:
We stocked items that will stretch across multiple meals
We didn’t rely heavily on convenience foods
We bought foods I know will actually get eaten
I’m not looking for perfection here, just patterns.
Where I’m Watching for Improvement (Not Forcing It)
This post isn’t about proving anything.
It’s about creating a reference point so future changes are intentional, not reactionary. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing:
how I plan meals by shopping our pantry first,
how I track groceries and meals in one place,
and how I’m learning to balance budget, nutrition, and real-life family needs.
If you’re feeding a family with picky eaters, limited time, or dietary considerations, my hope is that this series feels realistic, not performative.
One Takeaway
You don’t need a perfect plan to start paying attention, just an honest baseline.
Why I’m Sharing This as a Series
This post isn’t meant to stand alone.
I’m turning this into a weekly series where I document our real grocery spending, how I plan meals around what we already have, and what actually changes over time, not what should change in theory.
Some weeks we’ll do better. Some weeks we won’t. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s awareness and consistency in a season of life where convenience and budget both matter.
What’s Coming Next
Next, I’ll be sharing how I plan our weekly meals by shopping our pantry and freezer first before stepping into the store.
I’ll walk through:
what we already have on hand,
how I decide what meals are realistic for the week, and
how that plan shapes what ends up on the grocery list.
This planning step is what makes the spending posts make sense.
If You’re Trying to Do This Too
If you’re feeding a family with picky eaters, limited time, or dietary needs, you don’t need extreme rules or a perfect system to start.
You just need a place to see:
what you already have,
what you actually use, and
what you’re buying out of habit.
That’s the piece I’m learning to focus on.
Follow Along
I’ll be updating this series weekly and linking each post together so you can follow along from planning → shopping → spending.
If you’re working on being more intentional with groceries without turning your life upside down, you’re in the right place.
This is real life, not a challenge, not a reset, and not a promise to cut our budget in half overnight.
