How Much Your Monthly Grocery Budget Should Be

If you're trying to save money on food, then one of the best ways to do that is to create a budget.

Mint, a budget tracking app, has come up with a food budget calculator to help you gauge how much you should be spending on groceries.

Try This Free Grocery Budget Calculator

For guidance, Mint used the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) monthly food plan, which outlines nutritious meals at different cost levels based on dietary recommendations.

The calculator will prompt you to enter the following data:

Number of members in your household
Age of each household member
Gluten-free or meatless dietary needs for each household member
Number of meals each household member eats out (or orders from takeout) each week

After you enter the information, you’ll be shown two amounts that make up a moderate grocery budget:

A weekly grocery cost
A monthly grocery cost

To see other cost outcomes, Mint’s grocery budget calculator allows you to choose different lifestyles including “Thrifty,” “Cost-Conscious” and “Generous.”

Try Mint’s food budget calculator here.

How Much Should Your Monthly Grocery Budget Be?

Here is a chart from Mint that shows the monthly grocery budget it suggests. Compare the chart below to the total you got using the grocery budget calculator.

Family Size	Suggested Monthly Budget
1 Person	$251
2 People	$553
3 People	$722
4 People	$892

When I put my information into the calculator, it said that my household should spend around $522 a month on food. That’s pretty good, considering that it’s a little cheaper than what the table suggests for a two people.

What about you? Is the monthly grocery budget for your family size higher than the amount listed above? If so, here are some ways you can save: