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JD View Drop Down
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    Posted: 17 January 2012 at 3:48pm
Im trying to come up with a budget based on current prices, but don't really know what is a good budget amount?
We have 2 adults and 2 toddlers and 1 baby. We will also have a teenager coming and going a bit
Any ideas most appreciated

Edited by JD
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jazzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jazzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 January 2012 at 5:45pm
Congrats on the baby

I have the same problem, my budget was $400 for a family of 5 a fortnight. I don't stick to this & go way over but stop counting. The price of food does not help either.

I am going to meal plan better & put in a couple of cheap meals. I also don't use everything in the pantry which I need to start doing.

Do you meal plan? What type of meals do you do?



Edited by jazzy
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pudgy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pudgy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 January 2012 at 6:14pm
For 2 adults and 2 children ( 3.5 and 2 ) we have a budget of $200 per week. I find going to your local vege store helps and we go to the Aussie butcher for meat as it's usually a lot cheaper and better quality meat.

I just buy whatever meat is on special and plan around that.
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JD View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 January 2012 at 7:02pm
Yesterday I did a big clean out of my pantry to see what stuff I have and chuck out the spices etc which have expired. I used all the piles of ice cream containers to organise everything and now its looking great.
My plan is the start having more of a meal plan and buy just want I need...plus maybe a few things that might be on special. I just sort of didn't know what a weekly budget should be.
I sort of guessed about $200
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JD View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 January 2012 at 7:06pm
Actually now when I look at it...I feel very embarrased at the state I let it get to
There were onion skin peels and crumbs all over the floor. Loads of expired stuff and random empty containers
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jazzy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jazzy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 January 2012 at 7:11pm
I so need to do my pantry also. Its the other non food things that bump up the budget.
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jaz View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jaz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 January 2012 at 8:18pm
I would say $200 as well. We spend about $150-$180 for two adults and a preschooler but that includes wine etc. If you are buying disposables this will be higher though.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MamaT Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 January 2012 at 8:23pm
We spend about $140-160 for two adults and a toddler. We do eat really well though. If we were to scrimp a bit we could get it to $100-120 I think
 
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clover View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote clover Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 January 2012 at 9:19pm
We also spend $140-$160 on average for two adults and a baby. Could trim it if I needed to.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mrsmum Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 January 2012 at 9:50pm
I spend about $180 week, that's just for two adults and a baby - although we could easily trim up to $50 off that, I'm a shocker for buying magazines and a nice bottle of wine and packets of lollies... all totally unecessary

What does everyone do for a cheap meal, I've just rediscovered rice and it's my new best friend. Literally 20c worth does enough for two meals plus leftovers for my lunch.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote snugglebug Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 January 2012 at 9:56pm
We spend $150-$160 a week for 2 adults and a toddler. I cook every night and our meals sometimes have enough for leftovers, so I think if you meal plan, and make meals that stretch far enough for everyone eg pasta based meals, stirfries with noodles or on rice, lasagna/pasta bake/shepherds pie etc with salad/veges ie things you can make go far for everyone, and have at least one meat free night, then I think $200-$250 give or take could be do able, if baby is not eating yet? Depending on if you have formula, nappies or baby food costs in the budget it might be a little more. What might be an idea is to do a meal plan for a week, typical sorts of things, and then write down all else you'd need like fruit, snacks etc, and go shopping, try not to buy any extras etc just what's on your list, and that should give you a rough idea of what it will generally be like.
Me 28, DH 29
DS born 20 Nov 2010 (4 years old)
#2 due October 7
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JD View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JD Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 January 2012 at 10:03pm
Good plan wiggly_jiggly. I think I might do that...if I can have enough self control not to buy lollies
DS1 is still in night and afternoon sleep nappies, DS2 is in nappies full time but is just turned 2 so not having to change heaps. DS3 is 2 months so still going through a fair amount of nappies.
I buy homebrand nappies for the older two since they are cheap and do a great job. HB dont have them small enough for the little fella though.
We dont use formula, so no need for that cost, but we do go through a heap of milk. Thankfully there are quite a few places around here were you can get 2 x 2ltr for $5.50. A pretty good deal I recon.

No matter how much I cook, we never seem to have leftovers    
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote xLUCKYx Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 January 2012 at 10:39am
We spend $180 a week. I meal plan and buy only what we need for the week and sometimes a bit extra to go in the freezer/pantry. That's for 2 adults and 2 kids (3&4yo).

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hopes Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 January 2012 at 11:15am
Originally posted by JD JD wrote:

Good plan wiggly_jiggly. I think I might do that...if I can have enough self control not to buy lollies
   


Or if you're like me (that doesn't work ) decide what treats you're 'allowed' and put them on the list. I have much more success that way.

Another thing that helped me was forcing myself only to shop every fortnight. That way when the inevitable slip-ups occurred, at least they occurred less frequently

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GuestGuest Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 January 2012 at 2:10pm
We spend $180-$200 a week for two adults (plus $200 a month on our two dogs and cat).

Oh and Hopes....congratulations on Emily!
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jazzy View Drop Down
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Congrats Hopes, love the name
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fadeless Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 January 2012 at 8:38am
Groceries is one of our main expenses but we actually do really well at budgeting. For 2 adults, 5 kids and 3 cats we usually spend $200-$220 a week, doesnt include milk, bread or nappies. I meal plan and bake and freeze it for school lunches.

Edited by fadeless
DD 9 ~ DD 8 ~ DS 7 ~ DS 5 ~ DS 2 ~ DS 14mths ~ DD 3mths
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote emz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 January 2012 at 1:05pm
We spend about $260 a fortnight - 2 adults, 2 kids (4 and 2.5) and one cat. If we choose to have takeaways like McD's, that would go up to $300 a fortnight.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote blondie_2010 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 January 2012 at 5:30pm
Gosh I wish I was as good as some of you. Some weeks I spend $160, some weeks I spend $200 and it's just myself, my hubby and our toddler...we do eat quite healthily though (as in I only buy premium mince if at all, mostly chicken and fish etc) so I think that actually increases the cost! That's not even taking into account a meal our or takeaway of some sort on the weekend
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote JadeC Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 January 2012 at 7:54pm
We have a pretty strict budget - $250 for the fortnight, so most of our meals are very cheap and basic. That's for me, DH, and DS (1.5).
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