The Average Grocery Bill
October 6, 2007 by christine
Filed under The Menu Mom Chit Chat
I was just reading in an article in Refund Cents that said the average family of four spends $244 per week on groceries. That is almost $1000 per month. Yowza! We are a family of five and we do not spend anywhere near that! I suppose we probably would if I didn’t shop sales, stock up on sales, shop only 2-3 times per month and use coupons. I also like to use The Grocery Game when I get a chance to save as well. How about you? Do you spend that much each week? If not, what are your money saving tips?
We are a family of 9. I go grocery shopping once a month (this is by big shopping trip), and hubby may stop in one a week to pick up fresh salad fixin’s, or if I run out of detergent or something.
Today’s grocery shopping was just under $195.00 (majority of it was food and I only bought 4 things that were non-food ….2 bottles of shampoo and 2 bottles of toilet blow cleaner though).
We are a family of four, shopping twice a month, but we do stop for a quick thing like another gallon of milk or such. We spend between $5-600 a month – I tried the Grocery Game but we didn’t shop those stores for the majority of our foods so it didn’t work for me. I wish we could get our bill lower – I need to get better at coupons and sales!
We are a family of 5 (our oldest daughter doesn’t live with us all the time). We spend between $200 and $250 a week on groceries. I haven’t used the Grocery Game yet, so I’ll look into it. I’m always trying to find ways to save! We go to the grocery store several times a week, but I like it that way because I’ll get fresh fruit and veggies, and my 17 mo. old twins like to get out and do something.
That is a lot of money. Of course my kids are only 3 (twins) but we spend about $400.00 a month. We do eat out on the weekends so I guess that makes up for it! Thank you for the easy, family friendly meal plans! and I love the new hair cut! I may go get mine done today too! Kelly
Sneakers Now!!! You are a very brave woman to shop with your 17 mo. twins!! Do you do it alone??? Last week we went to Walmart I had my son in a cart and my husband had my daughter in a cart….I came home with a can of Hispanic Formula that “MR. Grab everything” put in the cart….When I got home and said “OK who put the Hispanic formula in our cart….the kids both said…”Daddy”…Ok “Daddy” that’s what you get to eat this week! ha ha
HELP! We (family of five 7,3,1 yr old kids) spend $1200 on groceries and $2-400 on eating out. Diapers $50/mo), toiletries, detergent are in there but I can’t figure out how to reduce some months. I coupon and use the stores discount cards and save avg $30 per big shop 1x mo $250-300. “They” say you buy stuff you wouldn’t normally if you use coupons. I clean out the pantry as if we’re going on vacation then break the bank to replenish. I use a list. Eat fresh and healthy. Plan weekly lunch/dinner and shop for them. What am I missing?!?!
I’m frustrated. My husband and I have been trying to cut down our grocery bill in half. Currently we are spending for a family of 3, $1100 a month for groceries. I certainly don’t feel like we have that much food – I’ve been trying for the past 2 months to be more careful about the spending but it seems to be going up!? I’m exhausted, upset and sad. $1100 seems extremely high.
How do you only spend $400 a month with twins.
We are a family of 4, with a toddler boy and preschooler girl (who both eat like soldiers!) and they have food allergies so we often can’t buy regular stuff, but I cook everything from scratch, never buy bottled or ready-to-use spaghetti sauces or gravies or salad dressings. We just make it at home. We spend $400 to $450 a month most of the time.
I don’t use coupons usually because they are always for junk and processed “convenience” foods we don’t buy anyway.
I do shop “loss leaders” and stock up when chicken leg quarters are 49 cents a pound, or whole-grain pasta is 88 cents a box.
We buy Organic or do without for the “dirty dozen” items like apples, celery, stone fruit, bell peppers. For things like cabbage and broccoli, organic really doesn’t matter.
We also grow a LOT on our tiny urban lot, using the Square Foot method, so summer means my yard is the “grocery store” except for meat.
Using vegan recipes for baking and just using water in place of milk, and ground flaxseed in place of egg, in things like pancakes, waffles, banana bread, etc saves us a lot of money we don’t have to spend on eggs and milk (which my kids are allergic to anyway). So I would recommended vegan variations for anyone, to save $$.
Good luck to everyone trying to spend less on groceries. It doesn’t have to mean living on white flour and empty calorie potatoes and rice.
Oh and one more thing: Except Sundays, breakfast is porridge. Old Fashioned rolled oats cook in 2 minutes in a bowl in the microwave. So we NEVER EVER buy “quick” oats (which taste nasty) or anything that comes in individual little packets or envelopes. We also NEVER buy toaster pastries (pure junk food!) or boxed cold cereal (double whammy of high price and very bad for blood sugar and leaves you hungry 10 minutes later). So breakfast is porridge, either generic farina or rolled oats, with extras like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, etc for protein boost and fiber and minerals/vitamins.
Anything that comes in individual packets, tubs, portions, is financial and health disaster.
And a Kidco mill makes your own babyfood for under $20, out of whatever you are already making for dinner, whereas little plastic tubs of commercial baby food are packed in #7 “other” plastic, which is TERRIBLE for BPA leaching. They should at least package it in #5 HDPE, which is the most food-safe plastic. Sheesh.
I can not believe some of you can shop for so cheap… you should try to feed my 18 year old son who is 6′4″ and 250lbs. He can eat his own weight in food every time he sits at the table.. LOL wait till your children grow up and start eating you out of house and home. I also have a 19 year old daughter and a wife we spend any where between $1000.00 and 1500.00 per mounth ands thats since our kids got jobs and started eating out with there own money….LOL our average was around 1800.00 before
We are a family of 7 living in British Columbia – boys ages 21, 19, 17, 14, 11 – spend about $150/week tops on groceries (that includes toilet paper etc) I cook most everything from scratch. We also have a garden and three deep freezers lol….baking bread, buns, cookies, etc helps the food budget immensely!
For the family of three who spends $1100. If you plan meals to cook rather than eating a bunch of junk food it can really help on the grocery bill. also making a list and planning for a week of meals is a great money saver. My wife and I (with a little one on the way) spend $200 a month. this includes dog food, shampoo, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc. It is a little tight sometimes but we don’t even come close to going hungry but we don’t have desert every night either. (which is a lot healthier)
I agree with meal planning whole-heartedly. We were spending $100 per week and playing the “what’s for dinner” game regularly. Only our two year old had planned meals. Now I just buy exactly what we need. I also cook from scratch but all my dishes can be made in 30 minutes or less. We are vegetarian so I have to keep an eye on the organic produce prices but buy frozen when I must. It is a great deal cheaper and little nutrition is lost.
No desserts, no chips, no junk, no soda, no juice, etc….we eat as close to the vine as possible with a bit of seasoning (much cheaper and healthier than suaces and marinades).
The first week of planned meals cut the bill to $65 instead of $100. In the meantime, my luch consistes of whatever I find in the house until the backlog of uneaten food is gone.
By the way, being a vegetarian makes it much easier to skip fast food and eating out since there are few to no choices:)
I have a family of 6 in the Chicago ages 9,3 and 1yr old twins. We
d only spend $400on groceries and that includes hshld items. I shop monthly bases on the sales ads, clip coupons, shop with a list, and limit snacks unless they are on sale. I also shop at multiple stores to take adv. Of the best sales. It takes time to plan the meals and clip or print the coupons, but it is worth it. We have a healthy diet no canned foods plenty fresh fruit and veggies, but I don’t by a lot of juice.
We are a family of 3 and spend around 800.00 for everything; food, personal items, dog food,paper items. I was told from a friend who does debt management for a living that I spend way to much. I do not feel so bad now see some people spending 1100.00 a month for a family of 3. We could cut down around 150.00 month on juice, pop/sport drinks, and some snacks, but it is a small luxury.
I am wondering how so many of you grocery shop once a month. Most porduce barely lasts a week. I usually shop twice a week just for fresh produce and milk. We too have kids with allergies, and are Gluten Free. Our bill is about $300 a week. I don’t buy junk food, soda, or cleaning products, shampoo, etc. I make my cleaners, and cook mostly from scratch. I would love to lower my grocery bill, but find it impossible. Coupons are only for processed foods, and good produce is expensive. I sometimes buy frozen veggies and fruit (in the winter mostly), try to buy local and organic when I can. It’s simple, with the Federal Government subsidizing soy and corn so much, the processed foods are full of it and much cheaper than fresh healthy foods. My thought is cut the bills somewhere else and eat GOOD FOOD!
OK, first of all, I am not buying what most of you are trying to sell. Unless you only drink tap water, eat Quaker Oat meal, whoops, sorry, Generic oat meal three times a day, day after day w/o sugar or honey then you are really spending in the neighborhood of $200 a month on groceries. I am an athlete with a family of athletes who consume high carb, high protein, high vitamine and mineral items. Variety is the spice for us. We all are at or below optimum weight with the majority being muscle (fast metabolisms). My wife refuses to buy junk food and insists that we can survive on $500 a month. Good luck with that! All the coupons in the world wouldn’t get us in that neighborhood. So, to those that are trying to kid everyone else, continue to eat your yard grass and drink that tap water. PS, if you really are telling the truth put a picture of yourselves (full body with clothes please) out there so we can see how you are starving yourselves. Until then, see you at the next triathlon.
Stephanie Roth, you are right on the money. Eat healthy, buy often for freshness and cut out the cable TV or whatever! Im sorry I missed your comment b/f I went on a tirade. I even cut back on car fuel by cycling more often to work. It is no short commute either. But, being in shape has more than one benefit.
Anyone whom says they spend only $400.00 a month on grociers with a family of 4. Either does not know what they are talking about,lives in a dream world or is eating very unhealthy. This is imposible.
Back to you.
What the heck are you people eating? No wonder Americans are so obese. We are a family of 4 and we spend about $300 per month and I am 6′2 205lbs.
Use your brains people, buy the Sunday paper for $1.50 and you will save $60 per week in coupons. Stop buying name brand items except toilet paper and some cereals. If you know you are going to eat it immediately, buy the discounted items that are about to expire. Don’t go to specialty meat stores and pay $25 for 2 steaks. Make a huge dish and freeze half of it for the next month. And finally, put the food down and get off your butts.
KDog wrote: “What the heck are you people eating? No wonder Americans are so obese. We are a family of 4 and we spend about $300 per month and I am 6′2 205lbs. Use your brains people, buy the Sunday paper for $1.50 and you will save $60 per week in coupons. Stop buying name brand items except toilet paper and some cereals. If you know you are going to eat it immediately, buy the discounted items that are about to expire. Don’t go to specialty meat stores and pay $25 for 2 steaks. Make a huge dish and freeze half of it for the next month. And finally, put the food down and get off your butts.”
Kdog, I don’t know what planet you are from or where you get $60 in coupons each week for groceries. Most of that garbage is not worth buying. At most, I would say $3.00 per week coupons are more like it. We rarely buy steak, chips or junkfood and our family of three spends about $600 per month on food. We don’t go out out to dinner, except for the occassional hamburger from Burger King or Wendys. Diapers alone are about $40 per month!
(wo)man, is it ever funny to read Sean and the other upset shopaholics who can’t get their bills down HA HA.
My wife and I spend less than $50.00 a week on groceries.
How? E-Z.
1) We are vegan.
2) We eat no snack foods (not even crackers, why Google Acrylamide), no french fries, no potato chips, nothing with batter (ok, maybe 2-3 time a year)
3) I bake my own bread (light crust), can my own sauces, make my own salad dressings, make my own toppings, pickle my own pickles.
4) We go out for dinner 2-3 a year. (she goes out for lunch a lot with her friends, but always has <$10 entrees, no booze drinks)
5) We do not drink “juice”, alcohol or soft drinks – I make homemade iced tea… yes from a tea bag look for a recipe you like and stick with it. Did you know alcohol is a major cause of cancer? Yea, and so does red wine – but I don’t need red wine ’cause I’ve got perfect cholesterol because I eat no meat or dairy, see? No meat/dairy, no wine, money stays in pocket
6) Most importantly, we count calories! I am a type-1 diabetic so I have to measure carbs for my insulin, so I weigh all my food. I count every calorie with software (based on food type and weight). Guess what? I need about 1800 calories a day, if I’m re-shingling the roof, maybe 500 more for that day only…. unless you are a construction worker, a serious athlete, or the like, you are most likely eating too much anyway. If you are a male and weigh 170 LBS at 5′8″ you need only 65g of protein, unless you’re bodybuilder or are doing physical training. That’s less that a 8OZ steak, per day!
I’m betting that many of you are eating double that when you count bread, nuts, pasta, dairy products etc etc.
Google “life extension low calorie” – you’ll see that the only proven way to significantly extend life is to greatly reduce caloric intake, and for the calories you do eat, eat low glycemic foods.
Don’t load up on more carbs or protein than you need, ‘cus it all turns to fat.
Incidentally, if you are worried about hunger, don’t be, as long as your diet is 30% FAT (with 10%-15% of it as omega-3, hence why I make my own salad dressings). You and your family will be ultra hungry if you eat low-fat. That’s the secret to weight loss: eat 30% – then, your low carb, low protein meal will fill you up. Google “fat satiety” and find out. The low-fat craze is a scam to get you to eat more food and spend more do, then get you spend more on weight loss gimmicks that never seem to work. Guess why? It was designed that way to scam you. Total calories counting with 30% fat is all you need. The pounds will melt off without lifting a finger.
I eat omega-3 fat from Flax and DHA from Brown red algae (in a special oil blend) – plus I put flax seeds, hemp and pumpkin seeds on my salad… I eat Almond butter, with flax oil added, in the morning (do not use peanut butter as it is risky, Google “Aflatoxins peanut butter”) with homemade 0-sugar added cherry salsa on my lightly toasted bread along with a banana, 3 plums, 1 nectarine and a pear (fruit on the plate, not the toast)… or some iteration of that….
It really is easy. Funny thing is, all this info is out there, available and free… if only we thought to look it up
Diapers alone are about $40 per month!
Comment by Cmos — August 5, 2009 @ 1:08 pm
Use cloth diapers
I have twin 4 1/2 year old boys, my husband lives elsewhere so doesn’t consume too much of our food as he is only here 4 or 5 times a month. When he is here he could eat a 1/2 tray of eggplant parm or the equivalent in 1 sitting and still be hungry although he weighs 165 lbs @ 5′9. I won’t count him anyway.
Our average grocery bill is $775 – $800 per month. Approx $100 of that goes towards soaps (Hair, body, Dish, Laundry), the littlest one gets hives so his I have to use aveeno baby (over $5.00 for a little bottle that lasts less than a week) & dreft, paper towels, toilet paper and wipes, night time pull ups because 1 still wets the bed, toothpaste & garbage bags. I do use lysol wipes. I believe in the studies that show how much bacteria stays in the sponges that you CLEAN your counters with and then spread germs around with. The sponges I use get sterilized in the dishwasher once a week. My kids were sick for 9 weeks out of 5 month period on & off. While they are still around other children they haven’t had a cold or virus in 3 1/2 months with the use of the lysol or clorox so I don’t feel that keeping that it is a waste of money.
That leaves about $650- $675 for food. On the high end that is $2.70 per meal per person. If you look up the food stamp info that is what they give people. How is that too much? Unless you just eat spaghetti rice and eggs only. I had a lot of trouble having my children and did a lot of research about chemicals, hormones and antibiotics in the food and how harmful it is. Is it mere coincidence that this is the most infertile generation to exist and it happens to be the time that all of these things were added to the food? So yes I am wasting money on feeding my children organic foods and we do eat meat. While becoming a vegan has crossed my mind in the past, I do know that humans were made to be carnivorous. I have had many vegan friends who are not very healthy. I do feed my children fresh fruit and vegetables every day and they may have a cup of O.J., lemonade or real fruit juice once a day besides their milk. We also indulge in all natural juice pops or a cookie once a day as treat. I do drink coffee , about 2 cups a day. They are the perfect height and weight for their age according to the dr.
What many of these people fail to calculate is their eating out, (restaurants, take out, lunches at work) That doesn’t count as the grocery bill although it is far more costly. We haven’t eaten out in about 2 years because frankly we can’t afford it. We have had McDonald’s a few times over the summer because they received Free happy meals for the library reading program. The kids usually only get a happy meal every 2-3 months.
If I am spending WAY TOO MUCH money because my kids are eating fresh healthy food than go ahead & criticize that if I can’t afford it they need to live on rice & beans. Too bad for them right?
Were a family of five with three boys 7,5 and 2. Im with you on eating this way. i just discovered we spend around $ 1100. a month on all the groceries which was a shocker at first. then i realize how picky i am at only buying what’s healthy. i dont have time to pickle, can, or make sauces and my husband is a carnivore and very particular as well. and i love to try new recipes. Indian curries, fresh salsas and organic salad dressings are a must. once you get spoiled with real flavor in food, it’s hard to buy processed foods. i love carrot juice or green goodness juice, my kids drink milk and orange juice daily. i pack their lunches with healthy food and a sweet occasionally. my two year old loves to eat ! he is constantly pulling cereal and chips out of the pantry. He detests veggies so i hide spinach in the sauces i make for dinner. my cooking style is a mix between Sandra Lee , Giada De Lorentis , and Gandi . hahahahahahaha ! bon apetit !
p.s.-i clean my kitchen rag with bleach daily, saves on wipes, but i love those wipes for the bathroom !
Use cloth diapers? Really Heather?
In Texas where we are on water restriction her bill would skyrocket due to the added laundry. My calculations have found if I clothed diapered including cleaning I would save $15 a month. This is using the data provided by cloth diaper advocates.
Every family is different, every region is different…stop comparing yourselves to others and focus on what is important for your family and what your family values. Some states tax their groceries (NC 2% for food).
We spend $600 a month for a family of three (using disposables!). This includes cleaning supplies which I believe some people keep out when bragging about their low grocery bills.
We:
Meal plan (yes…also a low carb diet with a Type I)
Do not purchase snacks
Eat out 2x a month
Buy in bulk from Costco
Purchase meat in bulk from a CSA
Mostly purchase generics (unless the few times the name brand is cheaper)
Are NOT overweight
Do not eat preprocessed food
The only debt we have is our mortgage which we have over 20% equity in
I am constantly working on trying to lower our bill. I have found through my regular assessment and work our bill has stayed steady despite inflation over the past year and a half.
BTW Heather – I breastfeed.
Thank-you for some really great ideas!
Cloth diapers God love ya!
We Have cut way down on our groceries and still are eating healthy and just have cutout much of the waste. We can feed our family of 4 on about $100. a week without using coupons.
Two easy meals we may have are
1 1 1/2 -2lb London broil cost $4.00, 1 5lb bag of potatoes Cost $3.00 use 5-7, 1 can of Campbell’s mushroom and garlic cream soup cost $1.69, use 8 carrots from lunch. Mix soup as per direction plus 1/4 can of water place beef, quarter potatoes and carrots, pour soup over top of all ingredients in baking pan and bake for 60-90 minutes until beef starts to fall apart. Don’t let it dry out cover with foil if needed. Total Cost $8.69
1 1lb canned ham cost $3.00, 5-7 potatoes, 1 1lb bag of frozen broccoli Cost $1.50 (you can save move by using can or ripened veggies I just prefer frozen), 1 can of cream of cheddar soup Cost 1.79, chunk ham and place in baking dish quarter potatoes, add frozen broccoli and top with cheddar soup mixed per instructions on can add a quarter can more water if needed bake at 350 degrees for about an hour until potatoes are soft lightly sprinkle with any leftover Parmesan cheese. Total Cost $6.29
For a grocery list and easy diner recipes for a week see http://feedafamilyunder100aweek.blogspot.com/
I spend around $500 – $600 per month on a family of 4 and I found that it really helped to cut down on costs by good planning. Create your menu for the week and use meats twice. One day make meatballs for meatball sandwiches, the next day use those same meatballs with marinara and spaghetti, use hotdog buns with the meatball sandwiches and then the next night for hot dogs so you don’t waste food. I think most people over buy without thinking about how to use the left overs again in another dish. If you have chicken one night, use leftovers to make chicken soup and so on. I hope this gives some people some ideas. I feel that this has really helped me to save some money for sure.
I live in NC, and my family of 4 spends about $100 per week on groceries…and when I say “groceries” I mean groceries. Food we can consume. My grocery list does not include items such as cleaning supplies, paper products, hair care items, or diapers and wipes. It is my experience that these items can usually be purchased less expensively at my local BJ’s or Sam’s or at Wal-Mart or K-Mart.
To save money on groceries, I plan my menu around what’s in the pantry/cabinets/freezer, and add to my grocery list those things I need to complete the dishes I’m planning on cooking and the staple things I need to restock. I buy meats based on what’s on sale (I use http://www.sundaysaver.com to compare the sales circulars from all my local grocery stores). I buy in family size packages, on sale, and/or marked down to keep the cost down. I shop early in the morning when my schedule permits because that’s when my local stores mark down their meat. I try to keep to a less-than-$2-per-pound mentality when buying, but I do occassionally splurge on steaks or seafood (my hubby and I have a fondness for king crab), but even then it has to have a good sales price. (Right now my local grocery store has ribeyes on sale for $3.99/lb and king crab for $5.99/lb so I’ll be picking up a little of both & stashing in the deep freeze for our next “special” dinner.) I buy shelf-stable things in quantity when I find them at a good price. I don’t buy convenience foods (no frozen lasangas or Chicken Viola! at our house), but the hubby & I do drink soft drinks, and I do serve my kids juice with breakfast. I do not buy bottled water, but because my kids like the “flavored” waters, I mix my own using my Brita filtered water and real juice. Truthfully, whether or not my vegetables are organic or my chicken is free-range isn’t a big factor for buying decisions. Right now my number one goal is feeding my family a healthy assortment of foods for the least amount of money possible.
We occassionally eat out for special celebrations (like when our extended family gets together to celebrate birthdays), but we plan for those occassions and consider those to be “entertainment expenses”. If something goes horribly wrong (like the day my slow cooker died) and we HAD to eat out, that cost of the meal out goes against my grocery budget.
I found that I could cut my “household” spending quite easily. I consider household stuff to be cleaning supplies, paper products (paper towels, napkins, toilet paper), laundry and dish detergents, etc. I buy these in larger packages, keep an eye out for coupons (BJ’s accepts manufacturers coupons), and watch for sales. In general I’m not brand-conscious when it comes to these items (though I am selective about my TP), but there are a few brands I won’t buy because I’ve tried them and don’t like them. Prices at my warehouse store don’t fluctuate much, so if the grocery store has paper items on sale and/or I’ve got a coupon that makes their price less expensive, that’s where I buy it. When my children were younger, all my diapers and wipes came from the warehouse store or Wal-Mart. I loved my Clorox wipes but gave them up in lieu of a sanitizing spray I make myself. I do not buy a huge variety of cleaning supplies — a multi-purpose spray cleaner of vinegar and water takes care of most the surfaces in my house.
As for hair care products, I don’t buy salon brands anymore — not from my stylist or from the drug and/or grocery store. They’re just too bloody expensive for my budget. I tried a lot of different shampoos & conditioners before I found one I liked and that made my hair feel and behave like the Biolage products that once inhabited my shower. We actually have a line item in our budget for hair care, and I include cuts, colors, and all hair products in that category.
So, when I say my grocery budget is around $100 a week, I mean my GROCERY budget is around $100 a week. I think many people think of their grocery spending as whatever they spent AT the grocery store. At least that’s what I hope when I read that some families are spending $800 or more. My bank account would scream in protest.
Our family of three lives in Arizona. Our grocery bill is ~$600 per month. I do all of the shopping and use coupons a little. I have club cards for all the stores that accept them. Once a week I make the rounds to Safeway, Fry’s, Food City, Walmart and Biglots. I have figured out which ones carry certain products cheaper. I also sheck the adds on them all. I always use a list. During growing season we maintain a garden and I would estimate that it provides us with a few hundred dollars worth of vegetables per year. The $600 includes all of our toilet paper, paper towels, toiletries, cleaning materials etc… We do eat a lot of beef, prok and chicken mostly ~$1.99 per pound. Also included are the diapers for our 3 year old @ ~$50 per month. Also included is my restaurant bill. Mostly I eat at Wendy’s and have the plain baked potato and side salad. No alcohol. I used to live on tuna (cat food) and water, but now I make good money and could afford to spend much more than I do. 1800 calories or less per day for me.
Lea it looks like some only account for food they buy not laundry supplies or diapers. a package of diapers at Costco is about $40. I’m kinda surprised people know how much they spend on anything in any detail. Does everyone use a money management program? I use quicken so I know I spent $318 last month on groceries and toiletries for just 2 people. It could be alot lower if I did like my neighbor whos yard is full of veggies but that’s a ton of work keeping it watered and tended. I did blow $17 on “eating out” 4 times, twice at Domino (walk in $5.99 large special) and twice at Carls Jr (two dollar burgers with water). It’s junk but the large pizza lasts us two days. I would probably spend more and live more if my only income was not $300 a week unemployment check.