How much money spent on food weekly?

deadlyzach

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How much is everyone spending on food? I'm eating around 3600 cals daily and feel like I'm spending a fortune, around $100 weekly.
 
Dz23

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How much is everyone spending on food? I'm eating around 3600 cals daily and feel like I'm spending a fortune, around $100 weekly.
I spend about £140. Not inclusive of protein or supplements. All meat from butchers and a ridiculous amount of fruit.

Wish I could grow my own
 
AntM1564

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How much is everyone spending on food? I'm eating around 3600 cals daily and feel like I'm spending a fortune, around $100 weekly.
Think about it this way. Lifting and staying in shape is a hobby and lifestlye change. Ask anyone with a hobby they enjoy; think of fishing, golf, etc. All of these things cost a decent amount of money.

With that in mind, I would look at what you buy and when you buy it. For example, I do not buy my chicken or fish weekly. I wait for a sale and then purchase it in bulk. When Perdue chicken breast is on sale, I stock up. Sale price is 1.99/lb which is amazing. Fish, 2.5/3/lb and I stock up. Protein sources are going to be your most expensive, so stock up when you see the sales. Also for protein sources, look at meats that are marked down because they are near the sell by date. These foods are fine, just make sure you freeze them or cook them by the sell by.

For you other food sources, do you have a wholesale club near you? Some foods are worth buying in bulk and are a lot cheaper at wholesale clubs. Peanut butter, oatmeal, and rice come to mind.

Lastly, what are your current macros and current staple foods? Maybe we can help you out by suggesting alternative foods. use the website below if you are in the US as well, it really helps.

Livingrichwithcoupons.com

On a weekly basis, I only buy fruits, vegetables, and potatoes. So, 10-15 dollars a week or so. If I need protein sources, I buy in bulk, so that can add up, buy I only buy protein sources once a month.
 
mickc1965

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I spend about £140. Not inclusive of protein or supplements. All meat from butchers and a ridiculous amount of fruit.

Wish I could grow my own
£140 a week, are you shopping at M&S or Waitrose
 
AdelV

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Think about it this way. Lifting and staying in shape is a hobby and lifestlye change. Ask anyone with a hobby they enjoy; think of fishing, golf, etc. All of these things cost a decent amount of money.

With that in mind, I would look at what you buy and when you buy it. For example, I do not buy my chicken or fish weekly. I wait for a sale and then purchase it in bulk. When Perdue chicken breast is on sale, I stock up. Sale price is 1.99/lb which is amazing. Fish, 2.5/3/lb and I stock up. Protein sources are going to be your most expensive, so stock up when you see the sales. Also for protein sources, look at meats that are marked down because they are near the sell by date. These foods are fine, just make sure you freeze them or cook them by the sell by.

For you other food sources, do you have a wholesale club near you? Some foods are worth buying in bulk and are a lot cheaper at wholesale clubs. Peanut butter, oatmeal, and rice come to mind.

Lastly, what are your current macros and current staple foods? Maybe we can help you out by suggesting alternative foods. use the website below if you are in the US as well, it really helps.

Livingrichwithcoupons.com

On a weekly basis, I only buy fruits, vegetables, and potatoes. So, 10-15 dollars a week or so. If I need protein sources, I buy in bulk, so that can add up, buy I only buy protein sources once a month.
Chicken breast is like $10/KG here, and that's not free range or organic.

I think I've seen chicken breast for $7.99/KG at the cheapest.

Beef lean mince is around $15-16/KG

Australia isn't cheap, but I spose you can manage.
 
Dz23

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Chicken breast is like $10/KG here, and that's not free range or organic.

I think I've seen chicken breast for $7.99/KG at the cheapest.

Beef lean mince is around $15-16/KG

Australia isn't cheap, but I spose you can manage.
I lived in Oz and I couldn't believe how expensive food was. I mean ridiculously expensive. Also why do u have drive through alcohol shops? That is such a weird one.
 
Dz23

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£140 a week, are you shopping at M&S or Waitrose
Morrisons and my local butcher. I could do it more cheaply I guess but I have to have quality meat that am told is local rather than buying chicken imported from Indonesia like in the supermarkets here.

A side note, I visited the Caribbean and their chicken not only looked amazing even raw but the taste was fantastic. Our chicken seen to be slimy and pumped with water
 
mickc1965

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It is most certainly injected with water based on cooked weight versus raw weight
 
john.patterson

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I spend somewhere in the $70-$80 range per week on groceries. I eat very similar foods each week and I tend to keep it simple. Where do you live OP?
 
jtmass

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I keep my diet very simple and easy. In a week, I take around 3.5kgs of chicken breast- comes around $15. if it's beef it's around $20. Veggies/rice/oats- $10-12. Cheat meal once a week- $14-15.

So, $40-50 and I am good for the week.
 

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I have 2 daughters (6 and 9) and my wife. We are all very active and compete in multiple sports, so the whole family tends to eat a lot and we eat better "quality" food whenever possible. On average, I would say our weekly grocery bill is around $500, not including anytime we eat out. It's pretty outrageous, but when my daughter comes home from lacrosse practice and then 2 hours of blackbelt class, sparring, grappling, etc, she will eat a couple bananas, a bowl of spaghetti, a handful of turkey, and then 30 min later raid the fridge again. Never gains a pound. This will be one of 4-5 meals/snacks she eats.

Me, I eat IF, so only 3 meals a day, but each one is around 1500 calories. That gets expensive.
 
Sdog77

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About the same $100 per week just for myself, but I can't think of a better investment to make. But thats just me....
 
AdelV

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I lived in Oz and I couldn't believe how expensive food was. I mean ridiculously expensive. Also why do u have drive through alcohol shops? That is such a weird one.
Everything is expensive here ?

I think if you hit the markets, you can buy bulk cheaper.
 

ericos_bob

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Also in Oz. I spend around $80 a week on groceries here. Oats are super cheap at $1 for 750g so they go down as a regular choice for breakfast. All meat is ridiculously expensive as is veg. I have chickens though so they give 1/2 dozen eggs ED. I buy bulk 20kg bag of Fonterra WPI once a year at around $450 or $9 a week. I suppose one could eat healthy nutritious foods and a high protein diet at around 4000 cals for $100 a week pretty easy. Starting to grow my own fruit now. Strawberries and Red Currants so far. The strawberries take a long time to get going from seedlings. I've thought about applying some leftover OL dermatrest I have to speed up the growth process.
 
Dz23

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Also in Oz. I spend around $80 a week on groceries here. Oats are super cheap at $1 for 750g so they go down as a regular choice for breakfast. All meat is ridiculously expensive as is veg. I have chickens though so they give 1/2 dozen eggs ED. I buy bulk 20kg bag of Fonterra WPI once a year at around $450 or $9 a week. I suppose one could eat healthy nutritious foods and a high protein diet at around 4000 cals for $100 a week pretty easy. Starting to grow my own fruit now. Strawberries and Red Currants so far. The strawberries take a long time to get going from seedlings. I've thought about applying some leftover OL dermatrest I have to speed up the growth process.
It's lovely to have such a climate so that u can grow you own fruit etc.. Much more limited here in that respect
 
Whisky

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Morrisons and my local butcher. I could do it more cheaply I guess but I have to have quality meat that am told is local rather than buying chicken imported from Indonesia like in the supermarkets here.

A side note, I visited the Caribbean and their chicken not only looked amazing even raw but the taste was fantastic. Our chicken seen to be slimy and pumped with water
I second that, chicken in the uk isn’t great. Sainsbury’s is the best I find (their freedom food range). Either that or Costco.....

I spend a lot on food tbh, family of 4 (kids are under 8) and we do £250 a week. But loads of fresh veg, fruit, meat and fish in that. On one hand I see it as a lot of money but on the other I struggle to think of anything more worthwhile spending on. As I got into my 30’s and sorted my health out I took the view that I’d like to enjoy my old age (not just be alive but actually be able to do stuff).

Don’t spend on going out or drinking (I’ve been sober for over 5 years and the missus only has an occasional glass of wine) so it balances out imo.....
 
Chados

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No idea actually , 100? It really depends on how much I eat at that period of time and if I spoil myself which I tend to do quite a lot.
 

swimfan65

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Why fruit? All sugar. Body builders..real ones and power lifters...real ones...tend to stay away from fruit. Fruit makes you fat. Not all fruits, but 90 percent of them, you should stay away from
 

kl1234

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Why fruit? All sugar. Body builders..real ones and power lifters...real ones...tend to stay away from fruit. Fruit makes you fat. Not all fruits, but 90 percent of them, you should stay away from
Huh?
 

ericos_bob

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Why fruit? All sugar. Body builders..real ones and power lifters...real ones...tend to stay away from fruit. Fruit makes you fat. Not all fruits, but 90 percent of them, you should stay away from
Better stop eating fruit if you want to get real guys:laugh2:
 

swimfan65

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Yep..eat chicken, beef, or fish instead. Fruit is all sugar. Ronnie Coleman7 time winner, Jay Cutler 4 time winner...no fruits. Shoot, Jay rarely ate veggies. Doubt we have any multiple Olympia winners on this site, so I'll just listen to guys who know what they are talking about. I'm not a body builder though, I'm a power lifter...still no reason for fruit. If I'm going to have sugar, I'll have ice cream
 

swimfan65

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Dennise James has even said that Ramy always looks soft because he eats to much fruit. When James was training him, he took Ramy off all fruits all season...just saying
 
muscleupcrohn

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Why fruit? All sugar. Body builders..real ones and power lifters...real ones...tend to stay away from fruit. Fruit makes you fat. Not all fruits, but 90 percent of them, you should stay away from
No. At least in the 70s-80s, where I’d be willing to bet that Arnold, Zane, etc were bigger than 99.9% of us will ever hope to be, often mentioned the importance of fruits and vegetables. Not going overboard with them, but they are actually very healthy. Eating fruits and vegetables as part of a balanced diet will not make you fat; eating too many calories will make you fat.
 
muscleupcrohn

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Yep..eat chicken, beef, or fish instead. Fruit is all sugar. Ronnie Coleman7 time winner, Jay Cutler 4 time winner...no fruits. Shoot, Jay rarely ate veggies. Doubt we have any multiple Olympia winners on this site, so I'll just listen to guys who know what they are talking about. I'm not a body builder though, I'm a power lifter...still no reason for fruit. If I'm going to have sugar, I'll have ice cream
If you think there’s no difference between an apple and a bowl of ice cream, there’s no point in even continuing this conversation.
 

swimfan65

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Well,we all know that in today's body building area, in order to be competitive, you cannot be healthy...unless you compete in natural shows..that no one really cares about. Sad, but the truth.
 

swimfan65

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Also, arnie and Zane weren't that big..not by today's standards. They looked better and were healthier, but not like the freaks on stage now.
 
muscleupcrohn

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Well,we all know that in today's body building area, in order to be competitive, you cannot be healthy...unless you compete in natural shows..that no one really cares about. Sad, but the truth.
Who in this thread realistically plans to be an elite-level bodybuilder though? It seems ill-advised to recommend elite-level bodybuilding diet/training/drug use/etc to someone who is not nearly at that level and has no intention of ever even coming close.
 
muscleupcrohn

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Also, arnie and Zane weren't that big..not by today's standards. They looked better and were healthier, but not like the freaks on stage now.
Who in this thread is anywhere near being in the same ballpark as Arnold? The vast majority of people on this forum would be happy even being able to stand on the same stage as Arnold and not look like a child. Why recommend protocols to look like Ronnie to people who don’t even want to be Arnold size? You may as well start recommending GH and insulin to everyone here since it’s necessary to look like Ronnie or Cutler.
 
jameschoi

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Who in this thread realistically plans to be an elite-level bodybuilder though? It seems ill-advised to recommend elite-level bodybuilding diet/training/drug use/etc to someone who is not nearly at that level and has no intention of ever even coming close.
You try to eat and train right and then they build a costco 2 miles from your house and those plans go to hell. I finish a workout and head to costco to try out all the free samples. That place is pure evil lol.
 
muscleupcrohn

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You try to eat and train right and then they build a costco 2 miles from your house and those plans go to hell. I finish a workout and head to costco to try out all the free samples. That place is pure evil lol.
Do you put on a wig, a fake mustache, and glasses to get a second round of samples?
 

swimfan65

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Never recommend any protocols..just saying limited fruit is better. You can eat whatever you want and do whatever you want...ive been doing this continuously for over 20 years, ive learned a few things
 
muscleupcrohn

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Never recommend any protocols..just saying limited fruit is better. You can eat whatever you want and do whatever you want...ive been doing this continuously for over 20 years, ive learned a few things
If you learned to never eat fruit, I’d suggest you stop learning and start unlearning, but as you said, do whatever you want. Just maybe don’t recommend that to other people who care even a little bit about their health. Very few people here want to look like Ronnie, so why recommend eating like him? The methods don’t match the goal, so why sacrifice your health for a goal that you don’t even have any intentions of achieving?
 

swimfan65

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Please compare your response to mine. I used the word limit..you used the word never.
 
muscleupcrohn

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Please compare your response to mine. I used the word limit..you used the word never.
You did in previous posts, like this one:
Yep..eat chicken, beef, or fish instead. Fruit is all sugar. Ronnie Coleman7 time winner, Jay Cutler 4 time winner...no fruits. Shoot, Jay rarely ate veggies. Doubt we have any multiple Olympia winners on this site, so I'll just listen to guys who know what they are talking about. I'm not a body builder though, I'm a power lifter...still no reason for fruit. If I'm going to have sugar, I'll have ice cream
You said Ronnie and Jay ate no fruit, and you listen to them, which means no fruit. You didn’t clarify until later after being pushed.
 
jameschoi

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Do you put on a wig, a fake mustache, and glasses to get a second round of samples?
They had the four different flavored chicken wings today, hit that station 5 times and the chicken pot pie station. I think they know me as the 'freeloader' now.
 

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I probably ate 20 in food today. Just in chicken and fish. I'm 6'6 and 335 and train for power lifting though..I try to get 7 to 8k in calories a day with about 500 to 600 grams of protein. No protein shakes..just eggs, chicken, fish, beef, oats, etc. It does get expensive, but in order to compete you have to do it.
 

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Probably 600 a month in food..lol..never really thought about it
 

franks009

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Probably 600 a month in food..lol..never really thought about it
Your daily intake is 7k to 8k calories a day and your grocery bill is 600 a month? Its about $800 a month for me and my girl and she eats like 1,200 a day and i eat around 3k
 

ericos_bob

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Ever watch "The Unbelievable". Good ol chicken doused in BBQ sauce was a fave of Rons. That's 20g of sugar right there. The nutritional value of fruit is much higher than ice cream, toppings, energy drinks, flavoured protein powders etc provide. That should be reason enough to choose fruit over the aforementioned. I don't think Ronnie Coleman or Jay Cutler could attest their Mr.O success to a lack of fruit but they did kind of look like fruit. Jay Cutler looked a lot like an orange once he was tanned up on stage.
 

swimfan65

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Your daily intake is 7k to 8k calories a day and your grocery bill is 600 a month? Its about $800 a month for me and my girl and she eats like 1,200 a day and i eat around 3k
I shop super cheap. Aldis, Save a lot, but yeah, probably around 600 to 700. I don't buy anything other than good though. No drinks, no sweets, no condiments, etc. There is a place by me where I can get skinless, boneless breast, once a month for .59 cents a pound. My freezer is full of it
 
jameschoi

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Going to the gym and then heading to costco for another post workout free sample meal. Will only try to sample clean food lol.
 
muscleupcrohn

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I shop super cheap. Aldis, Save a lot, but yeah, probably around 600 to 700. I don't buy anything other than good though. No drinks, no sweets, no condiments, etc. There is a place by me where I can get skinless, boneless breast, once a month for .59 cents a pound. My freezer is full of it
That’s an amazing price. Is it good chicken? I know that the Walmart neighborhood market has boneless/skinless breast normally for $2/lb, but it’s not as good as, say, Publix chicken, and seems to be “inflated” in a way.
 
toddmuelheim

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Going to the gym and then heading to costco for another post workout free sample meal. Will only try to sample clean food lol.
Don’t lie to yourself that’s impossible at Costco
 
AntM1564

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That’s an amazing price. Is it good chicken? I know that the Walmart neighborhood market has boneless/skinless breast normally for $2/lb, but it’s not as good as, say, Publix chicken, and seems to be “inflated” in a way.
The Aldi chicken breast he is talking about is the same. It has so much water and shrinks considerably. I love Aldi, but the chicken tastes off. My local shoprite will have chicken breast on sale for 1.99/lb a few times per month and most of the time, it is Perdue. I stock up then.
 

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No, chicken I buy once a month...cause they only sell it at that price once a month...is Amish raised and you are limited to 15 pounds. I always bring family members and have each of them buy 15 pounds. I have an upright freezer stocked with it. Its a local butcher..chicken is great
 
tyga tyga

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I probably ate 20 in food today. Just in chicken and fish. I'm 6'6 and 335 and train for power lifting though..I try to get 7 to 8k in calories a day with about 500 to 600 grams of protein. No protein shakes..just eggs, chicken, fish, beef, oats, etc. It does get expensive, but in order to compete you have to do it.
6’6” and 335. That’s a lot of human. Interested to see how yoked you are from eating clean 24/7/365, shouldn’t have an ounce of body fat on you from skipping all the fruit, condiments and “sugar”.

Subd for photo
 

swimfan65

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Not ripped. I compete in power lifting. Respect the hell out of body builders though. I'm more of a Thor Bijonesson..or the mountain..look. Don't know how to spell his name. He's way bigger than me though..he's 400 plus
 
muscleupcrohn

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Not ripped. I compete in power lifting. Respect the hell out of body builders though. I'm more of a Thor Bijonesson..or the mountain..look. Don't know how to spell his name. He's way bigger than me though..he's 400 plus
If you don’t mind me asking, what are your lifts?
 
Whisky

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No, chicken I buy once a month...cause they only sell it at that price once a month...is Amish raised and you are limited to 15 pounds. I always bring family members and have each of them buy 15 pounds. I have an upright freezer stocked with it. Its a local butcher..chicken is great
Lol, your 6’6 and 335lbs. There isn’t anybody in their right mind limiting you bro. Just tell them your taking alllllll the chicken ��
 

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