What a typical family spends on food around the world

Hi- I ran across this on another board that I post, and I thought it was interesting. This site tells you what a typical family in 15 different countries spends on groceries in a week. It ranges all the way from $30 to I believe $600. The American family spends $342 a week on food, but they eat a ton of fast food. Seven of the 15 families spend less than $100 a week on groceries, and of course in those countries less meat is consumed on average. Here is the link.

http://likes.com/misc/what-a-week-of-gr ... TV9&page=1

Hi- I am just curious. Over on Jill Cataldo's site, nobody can believe that a family of 4 would spend $342 a week on food, and somebody said that they don't know anybody that does. Does anybody here spend that much every week? If you go out to eat a lot, I could see that happening. I know somebody that hates to cook and her family either does take out, or they go out to eat all the time, and she lives in a condo in the Streeterville area. I am sure she spends that much on food every week. Thanks, Nancy

I don't know what living in a Streeterville condo has to do with it, but many people spend what you would consider an enormous amount on food. My wife and I are working crazy hours on both sides of the clock, doing ridiculous amounts of separate take-out-- we are easily spending a combined $ 200 for a five day workweek. Add the other 2 days, and we are well over $ 300 for the two of us.

Perhaps the reason that people on Jill Cataldo's site don't believe that the typical American spends $342 a week on food is because Americans actually only spend about $150 a week on food, on average. See Gallup's survey here: http://goo.gl/x9x1P. See data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey (which actually finds a smaller number) here: http://goo.gl/tiuJw

I have just given conclusive proof that there are Americans ( my wife and I being two of them ) that spend that amount on food. If you wish, you could copy my comments to her site to prove that we exist.

Hi- I am not saying that everybody spends that much on food, but I am saying that some people do, and I wonder if that $150 a week factors in going out to eat. Thanks, Nancy

NFriday wrote:Hi- I am not saying that everybody spends that much on food, but I am saying that some people do, and I wonder if that $150 a week factors in going out to eat. Thanks, Nancy

Yes. The $150 is an estimate of the average amount spend on food during the week, both eaten in and out.

Yeah, clearly not everyone spends that much. But you said "typical" and I'm telling you that $300+/week is not typical. According to the data, that would be more than 90% of American families.

Darren72 wrote:

NFriday wrote:Hi- I am not saying that everybody spends that much on food, but I am saying that some people do, and I wonder if that $150 a week factors in going out to eat. Thanks, Nancy

Yes. The $150 is an estimate of the average amount spend on food during the week, both eaten in and out.

Yeah, clearly not everyone spends that much. But you said "typical" and I'm telling you that $300+/week is not typical. According to the data, that would be more than 90% of American families.

I would image the majority of people on this site spend above the average on food.

Between grocery stores, farmers markets, our local butcher plus 2 meals out a week, we're over $300 for a family of four.

I believe demographics play a huge roll (no pun intended) in cost per week.