When it comes to spending money, it should come as no surprise that food is among the highest monthly recurring expenses for the majority of households. While we tend to fixate on high-price items, like a flight ticket or a new couch, the truth is that it’s the daily expenses that we simply cannot cut out of our life — like groceries! — that add up and cause the most damage to our budget.
What’s more, in a country like the US, where everything from a cable and internet bundle to a phone plan is designed to be most cost-effective for a family of four, groceries are no different.
It’s tough to buy groceries for one, simply because that means consistent leftovers or food going to waste — and there’s no one else to help you grocery shop, meal plan, or cook either.
Moreover, the average grocery bill for one changes based on location, age, gender, and other factors, so it’s tough to concretely determine how much you should spend on groceries. Average Weekly Grocery Bill for 1 Person
That being said, the U.S. Department of Agriculture determines that the average grocery bill for one person per month ranges from $165 to $345. The USDA also states that the average American spends 5.2% of their income on groceries and 4.7% on restaurants, totalling just under 10% of your income on all food consumed. Behind housing and transportation, this is the third largest expense that most American households face.
How to Reduce Your Monthly Grocery Bill
If your current grocery spending is closer to the “liberal” budget suggested by the USDA and you’re hoping to reduce it down to “thrifty,” here are a few tips:
- Keep a Food Journal
For at least one week, keep a food journal of what you eat, including how much of your grocery haul is going to waste. Chances are, if you’re buying for just 1, there are a number of items going to waste each week or being given to friends. If you’re able to track this, you can determine which purchases to cut out entirely from your weekly bill so that you can save money.
- Make a List
One of the biggest reasons for high grocery bills is that people often wander into the grocery store and pick up foods that they crave, which tends to happen more frequently at speciality shops like Trader Joe’s.
Instead, make a list beforehand — based on your food journal! — and stick to it. Moreover, embrace frozen and canned foods since (1) they’ll last longer, which is ideal for a single-person household and (2) they tend to be cheaper and just as nutritious as fresh items.
- Buy in Bulk
Families and large households tend to buy in bulk from stores like Costco and Sam’s Club, but single households rarely do. Instead, by embracing the bulk-buying lifestyle, a single person can save tremendously on groceries.
Unfortunately, the main drawback to this tip is that single people may not have the storage space in their apartments that larger households have, but if you can make more space, it’s well worth the savings.
- Take Advantage of Promotions
Sign up for email or text alerts on which grocery items are going on sale that week and create your weekly menu around that. Or you can simply shop at a plethora of stores, stocking up on deals from Whole Foods and Safeway, instead of just shopping at one store alone. While this may be more time-consuming, it certainly saves more in the long-term.
- Earn Cashback
A number of cards offer anywhere from 1.5% - 5% cashback on your groceries, which can help offset the cost in the long-run. By using your OnJuno debit card, you can cut down on credit card fees as well as earn money back on your grocery payments — a win-win!
- Freeze
Learn to love your freezer if you’re trying to reduce your average monthly grocery bill. Whether it’s freezing meat that will go bad otherwise, or freezing meals to reheat the next week so you’re not eating the same leftovers for days in a row, the freezer is your best friend.
- Visit Local Farms
While this tip is not applicable to all, many Americans live closer to farms than they think. And, those local farms often put together a box of “mystery” produce each season for residents to buy at a discounted price. You can receive fresh farm produce and save money — double win!
Of course, the catch here is that you don’t know what you might receive, so be prepared to be creative as a chef if you hope to try out this method. Otherwise, if you’re not comfortable with the “mystery” box, you can also try services like Imperfect Foods, which deliver produce and other grocery items to your door that actual grocery stores decline due to the shape or color of the items.
While these items are not bad in any way, most grocery stores only accept produce that resembles what the average person thinks a carrot, for example, looks like. Your “imperfect” carrot will be just as tasty and fresh — just at a lower price, allowing you to reduce food waste on the planet as well as spend less on groceries.
There are so many ways to save on groceries if you’re willing to get creative and think deeply about the foods you’re eating, but the bottom line remains that there is no perfect number of how much 1 person should spend on their groceries.
Still, the average grocery bill for one person in the US spans a range, and as long as you’re within roughly 10% of your salary for both groceries and eating out, you’re likely to be spending an adequate amount.
