The one expense category where my wife and I have not cut back on is food. The average cost for food, per household, was $9,343 in the last full year of measured data. Despite rarely dining out, our total food expenses are just below that national average. Food represents roughly one-third of our total cost of living! Our costs are a bit surprising when you consider that we have a Costco membership and try to buy bulk whenever possible, we compare prices between grocery stores on a volume basis to optimize where we purchase from, and the most processed item … Continue reading The 17-Item Grocery Challenge: Creating A Low-Cost Food Plan