Budgeting for groceries

[CTDent88]

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Soon-to-be dental student here wondering how much I should set aside for groceries. I'm an "average" male (5'9", 170lbs) and I have no idea how much I should reserve for groceries per month. Any insight would be great! 👍

 

[dentaldawg32]

Soon-to-be dental student here wondering how much I should set aside for groceries. I'm an "average" male (5'9", 170lbs) and I have no idea how much I should reserve for groceries per month. Any insight would be great! 👍

That depends on how much you eat, what you like to eat, etc. I spend on average 70$ a week on groceries and cook nearly all my own meals, except for weekends when I go out. I like to eat pretty healthy, which tends to be more expensive (e.g. Whole Foods, Trader Joe's) and I eat a lot. Do you drink? Cause that'll be another expense worth considering.

 

[Bman1047]

That depends on how much you eat, what you like to eat, etc. I spend on average 70$ a week on groceries and cook nearly all my own meals, except for weekends when I go out. I like to eat pretty healthy, which tends to be more expensive (e.g. Whole Foods, Trader Joe's) and I eat a lot. Do you drink? Cause that'll be another expense worth considering.

haha...amen to that!

 

[eventualOMFS]

.

 

[Doc Smile]

Soon-to-be dental student here wondering how much I should set aside for groceries. I'm an "average" male (5'9", 170lbs) and I have no idea how much I should reserve for groceries per month. Any insight would be great! 👍

PACK YOUR LUNCH!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe how much money people waste in going to lunch everyday! Its crazy.

 

[Vapor1122]

Wait, did you not eat during undergrad or something?

 

[Doc Smile]

Wait, did you not eat during undergrad or something?

I always had the school cafeteria and/or fraternity kitchen cooking for me. I had no idea how to budget for groceries once I graduated! Thankfully, I have a smart wifey who just so happens to be a financial planner😀

 

[7 Iron]

Try spending $70 a week-- see how it works for you. Then adjust up or down. I think this will take a little trial and error if you've never had to budget for groceries before. Everyone's different in what they eat and how much they eat.

 

[youknowthedrill]

Can you cook? Will you have a roommate or live on your own? If you plan to cook most of your meals you will spend more at first while you are stocking up on spices and condiments. Its easy to waste money at the grocery store. When money is really tight I only take the amount of cash that we have budgeted and its less tempting to pick up the things you don't really need.

 

[WhichRoom]

My advice, take out a cow. Freeze all the meat, it will last you at least a year. All that you need would be vegetables, bread, milk, and some starches. Desperate times my friend 😀

 

[Daurang]

I survived on 25cents Cup-O-Noodles. Food is really such a small portion of your dental school experience it's not even worth considering.

 

[kitejunky27]

125/mo!!!!????

cant see how 2 people can live on less than $5 a day

 

[peanutb123]

I survived on 25cents Cup-O-Noodles. Food is really such a small portion of your dental school experience it's not even worth considering.

cup-o-noodles are not fulfilling. If you really want to be dirt cheap to save like 50-100 bucks a month. I say just get a big bag of rice at asian store ($40) and then buy your meat/veggies each week(and cook the whole thing and store it in refrigerator. All you have to do is cook your rice fresh everyday and its very fulfilling. Did that in undergrad. one bag of rice used to last me 1.5 months. ~100-120 bucks you would have a nice warm 3 means a day.

 

[gryffindor]

125/mo!!!!????

cant see how 2 people can live on less than $5 a day

Take a challenge and go vegetarian. I know, it sounds crazy, but it's amazing how much of your budget can get consumed by meat and fish. Cheap and nutritious things include dried beans & lentils, eggs, pasta, rice and bread, and veggies that are on sale (frozen and fresh). You don't have to resort to the cup-o-noodles. Also if you stay away from the pre-packaged stuff like Doritos and Oreos, your money goes further and your waistline stays in check.

To the OP, you have to shop around a bit as well. Some supermarkets are consistently higher priced than neighboring ones and after you visit a few, you'll get a feel for how things are priced and which are your favorites.

And yes, bring your lunch. Although I was guilty of eating the tater tots in our dental school cafeteria on numerous occasions. 😳

 

[dentaldawg32]

Take a challenge and go vegetarian. I know, it sounds crazy, but it's amazing how much of your budget can get consumed by meat and fish. Cheap and nutritious things include dried beans & lentils, eggs, pasta, rice and bread, and veggies that are on sale (frozen and fresh). You don't have to resort to the cup-o-noodles. Also if you stay away from the pre-packaged stuff like Doritos and Oreos, your money goes further and your waistline stays in check.

To the OP, you have to shop around a bit as well. Some supermarkets are consistently higher priced than neighboring ones and after you visit a few, you'll get a feel for how things are priced and which are your favorites.

And yes, bring your lunch. Although I was guilty of eating the tater tots in our dental school cafeteria on numerous occasions. 😳

I buy large quantities of hamburger, flank steak, chuck, brisket, etc. and I freeze it for months at a time. It turns out to be very economical. And its very possible to make cheap cuts of meat taste delicious with the right seasoning and spices, especially in stews.

Let's face it: Protein > Carbs. Gotta have my essential amino acids.

I am guilty of eating out at lunch though. Sometimes I'm too lazy to make lunch in the morning and it's much easier to just grab something between clinic and classes.

 

[Daurang]

cup-o-noodles are not fulfilling. If you really want to be dirt cheap to save like 50-100 bucks a month. I say just get a big bag of rice at asian store ($40) and then buy your meat/veggies each week(and cook the whole thing and store it in refrigerator. All you have to do is cook your rice fresh everyday and its very fulfilling. Did that in undergrad. one bag of rice used to last me 1.5 months. ~100-120 bucks you would have a nice warm 3 means a day.

Yes I did that, too. With fried eggs or pork chops.

If you live near a Costco, get a huge roasted chicken there for only $4.99 that'll last you two days. On weekends, you can have a nice free lunch by sampling all the freebies like pizza, taco, bluecrab dip, wonton soup, shrimp scampi, cheesecake, vitamin water, dried cherries, roast pork, polish sausage, mango juice, chicken wing, etc.

 

[Bman1047]

Yes I did that, too. With fried eggs or pork chops.

If you live near a Costco, get a huge roasted chicken there for only $4.99 that'll last you two days. On weekends, you can have a nice free lunch by sampling all the freebies like pizza, taco, bluecrab dip, wonton soup, shrimp scampi, cheesecake, vitamin water, dried cherries, roast pork, polish sausage, mango juice, chicken wing, etc.

Costco is a store, not a cafeteria! Dont abuse the privledge of the samples. They are there to SELL not SERVE! Being greedy like that is just plain rude...

I work the demos at Costco, and people who do that piss me off...

 

[Daurang]

Costco is a store, not a cafeteria! Dont abuse the privledge of the samples. They are there to SELL not SERVE! Being greedy like that is just plain rude...

I work the demos at Costco, and people who do that piss me off...

Your job is to serve the demos on a tray and hand out corporate freebies with a smile. You got other serious issue if you're p!ssed off by someone repeatedly sampling, which happens more often than not.

 

[Bman1047]

Your job is to serve the demos on a tray and hand out corporate freebies with a smile. You got other serious issue if you're p!ssed off by someone repeatedly sampling, which happens more often than not.

Incorrect. My job is to sell, and my paycheck is based on my sales. What crazy to me ('piss' may have been too strong of a word) me is the entitlement people have toward it...when asked if you want to purchase it, yall choke on the very food you just sucked down as if I just said something absurd, and then you come up with all the exuses in the world: "Im diabetic", "I'll get fat", and my personal favorite "I would eat the whole thing". It's so pathetic it's funny! If you're going to be greedy, hell, at least own up to it!

None-the-less, me having an opinion about Costco freeloaders isn't going to change their ways I go to work, attemp to make my sales, and keep it moving...I start DS next month anyhow, so its actually not a huge deal, I'm just giving my 0.02 about it. 😀

 

[gryffindor]

Incorrect. My job is to sell, and my paycheck is based on my sales.

Now I see why the lady thanked me when I bought a jar of the stuff she was sampling. I suspected this was the case given her enthusiastic thank you.

 

[youknowthedrill]

You should just make a sign to put on your display: I don't get paid unless you buy. I'm sure it will cut down on all the greedy shoppers eating up your samples.

 

[beeho]

being a stress-eater, i don't really skim on my food habits...though late night fast food needs to stop. i'm about $50 and i don't cook much beyond my george foreman grill. i also allow myself good sushi here and there.

 

[beeho]

Now I see why the lady thanked me when I bought a jar of the stuff she was sampling. I suspected this was the case given her enthusiastic thank you.

i have learned something today. if i knew this before, i would have definitely bought more stuff to help out the cute ol' ladies serving the samples.

 

[Neutrophilomfs]

I am very cheap when it comes to buying food in D school. My problem is always having unlimited food in undergrad dining halls all 4 years so now when each item is priced I buy much less. I typically spend about $200 at the beginning of the semesters on bulk non-perishables/frozen stuff, then supplement every 2 weeks with milk, bread, eggs, etc maybe $12. I end up spending about $75/mo if you divide total cost by the 4 month semester. I do not eat glamorously but I get all the food groups in.