# Food Budget For Families?



## Amal_44 (Nov 15, 2011)

so a family of four- what would be a reasonable food budget? shopping only not going out cause we only do that once a week or so. we seem to need a lot of groceries cause my kids eat breakfast and small dinner in addition to lunch, which primarily consists of a big middle eastern style meal or something readily available here, no trifles or turkeys lol. but were not vegetarians so theres lamb, chicken and beef. we've cut out desserts too though.


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

I spend a minimum of AED 500/- a week on groceries but we're a family of three and we have decent quality food, fresh meats, fish, fruits and vegetables. So I assuming, AED 500 a week should suffice for a family of 4 too.

Oh I do shop at Lulu's for the fish, Chothrams for meat and Spinney's for fruits and vegetables so the price does vary.


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## rikmeister (Jun 14, 2009)

We do most of our shopping at either Spinneys or Waitrose (they're closer - we're not snobs! Haha), and our weekly shopping ranges from anywhere between 300 - 700dhs for a family of 2 humans and 2 cats. I know it seems expensive, but it totally depends on what meals we're cooking and also if I'm taking lunches to work with me, which most of the time I am. 

LuLus and Carrefour are much cheaper, but my wife isn't a fan of the hordes of people there and feels its a bit too cramped to get the job done properly. If you don't mind hustle and bustle, you'll get a good week's shopping for much less in those 2 shops


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## Amal_44 (Nov 15, 2011)

Ohhh thank you, I have no choice but to go to Lulu and Carrefour (and Lulu is his first choice) as my husband is very thrifty. His budget is 500 a week but I almost never make it, its so tight. but to be fair I also have to pick up paper good at the same time (bath tissue, foils, etc). I said 750 was more reasonable but he isnt buying it. Why be so frugal with food I dont know. What percentage of the household income should go towards food, like 10 % ??


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## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

get a new husband! he he


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## Amal_44 (Nov 15, 2011)

wandabug said:


> get a new husband! he he


I wish (unfortunately not joking)


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Amal_44 said:


> I wish (unfortunately not joking)


aaawwww hugs to you

Tell your hubbie that on that budget you will only be able to feed the kids and yourself 

seriously though, 500 for a family is VERY low... !


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

I live on my own but have a significant other and we cook many meals together at my apartment.

Weekly food budget ( for 1 and 1/2 people and a cat) is probably 350 AED. Sometimes it's as high as 500 if I'm cooking a special meal. Other times it's been as low as 150 (when my SO is out of town). 

Friends with families spend as much as 1500 AED/week on groceries. These are people who buy everything at Spinneys. 

I shop mostly at Carrefour but buy the meat either at Choithrams or the Prime Gourmet butcher ind the Gold and Diamond Park. Very rarely do I venture into Spinneys or Waitrose. Carrefour can be a madhouse but not if you go at 9 AM Friday mornings when the store first opens.


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## Amal_44 (Nov 15, 2011)

dizzyizzy said:


> aaawwww hugs to you
> 
> Tell your hubbie that on that budget you will only be able to feed the kids and yourself
> 
> seriously though, 500 for a family is VERY low... !


thank you! 

I tried my best but its getting a bit strenuous as the kids dont have snacks or treats and every week he invites people over, 5 or 6 at least, and he counts that in the budget. now hes started rationing off the meat.


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## Amal_44 (Nov 15, 2011)

TallyHo said:


> Carrefour can be a madhouse but not if you go at 9 AM Friday mornings when the store first opens.


I totally agree, we are just on weekly shopping trips and thats usually when we go. the one here I think they close from 11:30-1:00 but before the first closing they arent crowded at all.


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## pamela0810 (Apr 5, 2010)

Tell your husband that YOU will go to work and HE can stay at home and take care of the family. Otherwise, let him make his own meals and you only cook for yourself and your kids.

There is nothing more annoying than a person who skimps on food for the children. Let him stop inviting people over and spend that cash on his family instead! Empower yourself girl!


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## ccr (Jun 20, 2010)

Amal_44 said:


> ...now hes started rationing off the meat.


My wife is on an unlimited budget (in the sense that we like to eat good) and I still have to constantly ask her to buy more food / meat... 

"Where is the beef ?" (for those Americans still remember 80's commercials  )


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

wandabug said:


> get a new husband! he he


That was terrible I would like to "dislike" this comment


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

Amal,


As you know, most of us do groceries close to our homes and this is natural. . We have small groceries stores everywhere and therefore people will be willing to buy for a little bit more on groceries close to their homes. Some people have different tastes and buy stuff from different places.

Carrefour and LULU are indeed supermarkets and therefore can offer better pricing

So if you want to maximize the return on your buck you will need to do your groceries in supermarkets and do some research. Buying items in bulk also helps, but that also means stocking.

There are deals @different lulus and carrefours, but it will cost you time. Location is also important. If you live close to the expat neighbourhoods expect to pay a "premium"


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## Amal_44 (Nov 15, 2011)

ccr said:


> My wife is on an unlimited budget (in the sense that we like to eat good) and I still have to constantly ask her to buy more food / meat...
> 
> "Where is the beef ?" (for those Americans still remember 80's commercials  )


 
ohh so jealous am I lol 

I remember it, and I also remember coupons and weekly ads where you could get flour and sugar for 99cents haha


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## Amal_44 (Nov 15, 2011)

Ohh I didnt think they meant it to be taken seriously, but I did kinda want to know if he was being reasonable with that amount or what, cause he said "go and ask anyone, no one spends more than that" 

this was the meat we had last week for example, 3 times chicken, 2 times lamb and one time beef


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Amal_44 said:


> thank you!
> 
> I tried my best but its getting a bit strenuous as the kids dont have snacks or treats and every week he invites people over, 5 or 6 at least, and he counts that in the budget. now hes started rationing off the meat.


Sorry to hear. That does not sound very reasonable at all. If we were in another country I'd suggest go veggie but even veggies are super expensive here. 

I like this blog a lot: 

Cheap Healthy Good - Frugal Recipes, Food Tips, No Mayo

As its name says, its about cheap, healthy, good recipes  All recipes have nutritional content and cost per portion. 

I.e. Egg mc muffins 
Approximate Calories, Fat, and Price Per Serving
283 calories, 12.4 g fat, $0.93

Plenty of cheap but healthy snacks and treats for the kids


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## Amal_44 (Nov 15, 2011)

Thank you, I am clicking on it now!


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## OldFarmer (Jan 15, 2011)

Admittedly, I have not done a true tallying yet on our costs, because there are always the in-between runs for eggs, milk, bread and tomatoes every other day or so. I don't like to do a big weekly shop for produce because I find more spoils/goes to waste this way. We waste very little and we spend at least $600, and probably more like $700 or upward for a family of 4. My dh prefers a lot of red meat, and the kids also enjoy meat. We grill several times a week. Just picking up a gallon of milk, some bread and eggs is an expense here (we go for quality eggs, too). Dh buys the red meat if he's not on the road.

I've never spent this kind of money on groceries in my life, but we lived very differently in other locations and got used to eating well. At the same time, we do eat a lot of beans/pulses. More lentils, beans and soups?

Most of our snacks are apples, plums, grapes, oranges, and nuts. By keeping the snacks healthy, we tend to eat them when we really need something, and not just fancy something. That's not to say we've outlawed sweets. We like to stop at the sweets shop in Satwa for goodies, or pick up a cake for weekend coffee here and there, or get the kids ice cream.

I'm sure we could economize, but for gosh sakes. I'd take a cheaper TV package and put that money toward groceries (that's how we prioritized it). Lower speed internet? Cheaper mobile package? And entertaining people should not be considered the family food budget. That's entertainment.


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## Amal_44 (Nov 15, 2011)

same here with the produce, goes bad quicker than we can eat it but he wont tolerate more than one shopping trip a week. my son is still small so he cant digest much yet but loves apples and bananas. my daughter wont refuse any fruit lol. I've found nuts a bit expensive but she still gets a bit of those as well. Its not like we cannot afford it, cause I know we can. he makes a pretty good amount of money plus a housing allowance, so its not like we should be broke at any time. plus I never, ever ask for anything and I can almost count on one hand how many shirts I own. I feel like at a loss because this is the only thing I am supposed to be allowed to do and I cant even do it, if I go over the limit I have to listen to him complain and have a depressed/angry face when we are checking out and long after too. 

also, what do you guys cook, is it all middle eastern type food or what?


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## OldFarmer (Jan 15, 2011)

Amal_44 said:


> also, what do you guys cook, is it all middle eastern type food or what?


Not us. My dh is N African and doesn't like rice at all. But I cook a lot of N African dishes, so a lot of stew-type things (tagine/gamila) with a big veg-to-meat ratio, lots of potatoes and onions, and plenty of bread (and occasional couscous). We have a lot of stews that use a little meat and a lot of lentils/beans/split peas/chickpeas. We have a couple of favorite soups. We eat leftovers without hassle, as next day's lunch, or once in a while, I take out a bunch of leftovers from the past 2-3 days and our meal is to finish them off. 

I also like to cook Southwestern-type dishes like black bean soup, burritos, etc., always using plenty of beans. Dh also eats a lot of eggs, and my kids like eggs. Truthfully, they aren't picky and eat nearly anything. I'm lucky.

When dh travels for work, I'll cook pasta and rice. That's when we eat more Asian food. Kids like those, too, but dh doesn't, and then when he comes home, everyone's happy to have red meat and bread with him.


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

I have those large plastic containers with the clip tops and the kind of drainer thing inside it, I wash all my veg and dry them off and keep them in these containers in the fridge. I find the produce lasts much longer than when you just chuck it in the fridge.


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