Budget Living-Undefined

"Cooking on a budget".

I find the term genuinely laughable these days, it's about as specific as me saying "look over there" and rather misleading in a lot of cases it would seem.

I guess the majority of people, like myself, would assume "cooking on a budget" to mean a low grocery bill, however, what is low for some may seem extremely decadent to others.

Has "budget" become yet another buzzword? Tossed about the internet haphazardly, promising something low cost and delivering, (what I deem to be) excessive spending.

Curious about what an average budget might be and whether or not I should be switching my family status from 'middle' to 'lower' class, I took the question to a number of forums....

"What is your weekly grocery budget?"

Results: I read through 150-200 different responses, (keeping in mind there may be some double ups between different forums, I did not bother to cross check the names as this is not an official statistical review and should not be viewed as such) Small families, larger family sizes, special diets, pets, small families, working families. Budgets varied from $100-$1300 per week and no single group fit into any specific category.

For example:

A family of 7 can survive on a budget of just $120 p/w

While a family of 3 may struggle to keep it under $200

A remote family may pay a whooping $1300 while another spends only $500

What I did discover (within these responses) was that the average family grocery budget (regardless of size or special needs) was around $300-$400 per week.

Yikes! How sweet life must be! If I had that much to spend every week I'm sure I would be dancing down the aisles, in need of two trolleys, flinging food and frivolities in like nobody's business. It would be like watching a gymnastic ribbon dance..... with all the grace of a rhinoceros I am sure.

Of course, I discovered something else as one often does within these delightful discussion groups.... Assumption has no bounds!

Those who spend more accuse the lower budgets of having poor quality diet. The argument then fueled as 'Mrs lower' suggested 'Ms higher' was obviously spending more on junk food if she couldn't bring her bill down any lower.

The majority of 'Lowers' were quite keen to thrust their wonderfully balanced meal plans into the conversation, the majority of 'Highers' keen to get a copy for themselves.

The minority bickered and feuded back and forward, clogging my news feed with ridiculously misinformed views of the other side of the fence.

One comment stood out for me, so much more than any other though... It said:

"You can't feed a family on $100 week, it's impossible."

I felt desperately sad reading this one comment. My budget is a little under $150 for a family of five and my thoughts turned to those who have less, a whole lot less.

Impossible is not an option for some.


Fact, you can feed a family on $100 a week and I can assure you that for that amount, there is little to no room for junk food.

Be thankful for what you have, however frugal your life may be. You will not hear the voices of those who seriously have it tough, internet is a luxury they cannot afford.