Is $200 a week enough for groceries for 2 people? Let's see how Reddit users save money.

Recently, the Millennials zone on Reddit exploded, with a bunch of people comparing their grocery bills. A family of seven bluntly stated: monthly grocery expenses > mortgage. What the hell does this mean?

A netizen's family data stood out: 7 people spend 700 dollars every two weeks, averaging 1400 dollars per month, which is equivalent to 200 dollars per person per month. In contrast, a couple with a dog spends about 150-200 dollars a week.

What's even more outrageous is a guy who claims to be in South Florida, who only spends 80 bucks a month on groceries. I'm not exaggerating, this difference is a bit ridiculous.

What does the U.S. government say?

Data released by the USDA shows that the average food cost ranges from $250 to $550 per person per month. Among them, the “Thrifty” plan (low-income SNAP benefits) is about $242 per month for women and about $303 per month for men. The moderate and high plans are respectively in the range of $317 to $376 (moderate) and $405 to $457 (high).

Money-Saving Tips Revealed:

1. Costco Bulk Purchase: 25-pound bags of rice as a staple, stock up at once to reduce outings.

2. Seasonal Purchases: Buy 20-30 pounds of vacuum-sealed frozen chicken when it's cheap; sometimes you can find drumsticks for 79 cents per pound.

3. Local Sourcing: Aldi supermarkets, local vegetable markets, and butcher shops are cheaper than chain supermarkets.

4. Batch Cooking: Prepare a week's worth of lunch in one go over the weekend.

5. Planting + Pickling: Start planting vegetables and fruit trees in spring, and pickle vegetables to stock up for winter in autumn.

In simple terms, whether you save on groceries mainly depends on whether you have time, whether you have storage, and whether you are willing to give up convenience. Families whose monthly grocery bills are similar to their mortgage payments may not necessarily be spending recklessly; it could just be that there are many mouths to feed.