First, just let me say that grocery shopping has to be one of my least favorite activities. It is annoying to me to spend that much time and money on something like food that is so fleeting.
Since 1998, I have used Quicken to track finances. There is some interesting data in all of those entries. Take grocery bills, for example. Starting the first full year we were married (2003), here is what we have spent on groceries:
2003 $2859.79
2004 $4211.39
2005 $5413.42
2006 $5661.68
2007 $6675.73
2008 $6681.77
We are on pace in 2009 to spend about the same as in 2008.
Clearly, the amount we have spent has more than doubled in six years. What I don’t know is how much of that can be attributed to inflation and rising food costs on one hand and just increased spending on our part.
How does that 6681.77 break down? That fed three people, three meals a day; W and I both pack a lunch. Let’s say on average we ate out two meals a week*, which is accounted for in a different Quicken category. 3 meals a day x 7 days a week - 2 restaurant meals = 19 meals a week x 3 people = 57 meals a week x 52 weeks a year = 2964 meals / 6681.77 = $2.25/meal. Is that right? That seems ridiculously low.
*Most weeks we don’t eat out at all, but times like vacation we eat at restaurants more.
