Shoutout to my sister's friend who told me my grocery budget was delusional

I used to budget 50 bucks a week for groceries in Austin and thought I was killing it. She pointed out I was eating microwave burritos half the time and ignoring fresh stuff. That hit different because she showed me her own budget breakdown with actual prices from HEB. So I bumped up to 75 a week and started meal planning around sales instead of cravings. But now I'm wondering if I'm overspending on things like produce that goes bad fast. Anyone else had a reality check from someone else's numbers? How do you balance fresh food with staying cheap?

2 comments

2 Comments

ruby5611mo ago

Honestly the bulk bins at HEB are a trap lol. I learned the hard way that buying one or two things I'll actually eat beats grabbing a bunch of stuff because it's cheap per pound. For me bagged spinach is the biggest waste because it goes slimy in like three days. I started buying whole veggies that last longer like bell peppers and carrots and just eating what I actually want right away. Also frozen fruit is a lifesaver for smoothies when fresh goes bad. Your 75 a week is fine if you're not throwing half of it in the trash.

victor_adams951mo ago

Is that 75 bucks per person or for a household? Because that matters a lot for figuring out if you're actually overspending on produce. I always overbuy at HEB's bulk bins thinking "I'll eat oranges every day" then toss half of them when they get soft. What kind of stuff specifically are you letting go bad? Like are we talking bagged spinach or whole veggies that last longer?