Typical Grocery List for 2

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

I am used to helping my mom shop for the whole family and it seems like buying for two would be as easy as 1/2 the portions but it just isn't that simple. It just seems like no matter what I but we don't have anything for dinner!!

Any advice would help.

[Katy]

grocery lists? :confused: I'm supposed to have a LIST?!?!?! oops! :o

[luvnu43]

Well first of all you have to figure out what you like to eat and what meals you want to prepare for the week. We usually plan 4-5 dinner meals a week and then purchase what we need to make them. It could be tacos, chili, spaghetti, etc.

We usually have soup, sandwiches or left overs for lunch. Also we buy fruit and fresh veggies every week.

I have to say that when you plan your meals ahead of time it makes things so much easier during the week, especially if you are pressed for time.

Hope this helps!!!

[mrstim]

not sure how much this will help, but there's just two of us - eating at home every meal but normally friday nights. Here's what we bought for the month of February and the price afterwards, which is just the way I have it typed out:
7 bottles Gatorade 7.49
Cream Cheese x 2 @.84 = 1.68
yogurt x 2 @ .47 = .94
Sunflower seeds .44
sour cream x 3 = 3.98
Tortillas x 2 @ 1.38 = 2.76
Sandwich Turkey .77
30 lg eggs 1.72
vanilla wafers 1.00
8.5 lb bananas 3.58
2 gallons milk 5.55
2 lbs sausage 3.61
bacon 5.23
15 lbs sugar 5.82
3 loaves bread 2.91
evaporated milk .54
2 2liters cola 1.60
tea bags 2.44 (have to have decaf for me)
taco seasoning 1.24
French Fries 2.96
hamburger buns .87
apples 2lb at .94 - 1.88
4 tomatoes 2.50
2 gal. apple juice 2.43
navel oranges 4.62
2 heads lettuce 1.76
orange juice 1.50
purple hull peas 1.16
2 tubes cream corn 1.97
chocolate milk 3.44
Huge 5 lb. baby shrimp 7.00
tortilla chips 2.40
Ruffles & dip 3.00
yeast 3.02 for 2 lbs.
10 lbs. Chicken Quarters at $.33 per lb
poptarts 1.25
pretzels 2.14
crackers 1.98
Oil 4.48
pb crackers 1.24
Chicken Marinade 2.28
Cream of Mushroom soup 3 x .42

Now granted I have all my spices, and most of the time I buy cheese every other month, and I have most of my meat from by-gone months when it was on sale. We also don't do any frozen dinners, so that's why they're not on the list. I mostly do fresh veggies and meats. :D Sorry I can't help more - I also suggest writing out menus, then writing down what you need, and going from there. That's what I do!

Good Luck!

[Tonysweetie]

It's just the two of us as well, well 3 if you count the kitty, hehe. I usually spend about 120 dollers per 2 weeks. Here is what we buy

Milk
Water
Cat Food (if needed)
Cat Litter
Chicken
Lean Ground Beef
Cheese (if needed)
Lunch meats
Sour Cream
Cream Cheese
Bread
Bagels
PNut butter (if needed)
Crackers
Chips
Salsa
Veggies
Fruits
Gatorade
Cranberry Juice
Orange Juice
Spices (if needed)
2 Frozen Dinners (for DH lunches)
Soups (usually about 3 for quick lunches)
Spagettii Sauce and noodles
Pasta
Rice
Beans
Beer (on special Occassions)
Wine (on special Occassions)
Taco dinner kit


That about wraps it up. I usually cook at least 3 meals a week, and we usually can feast on leftovers for 2 days and we usually cook out or go on on the weekends. So I think 120 dollers every 2 weeks isn't too bad. We could cut back but DH has to take his dinner ot work every night so it makes it a little more expensive. HTH!

[looch]

I had this same problem! So, I decided to start planning menus as much as possible. I planned for some nights when i just don't want to cook as well as one night out a week. I try not to be too fancy because i don't want to get discouraged.
If you don't want to do the meal planning, shopping in categories may help you. For example, fruit and vegetables, dairy, meat and poutlry, frozen items.

[jenjunum]

I usually have some standby dinners on hand all the time. I buy the bags of frozen chichen breasts. Those are easy to bake (from frozen) and then add some kind of pasta or rice side and a veggie. I also buy the pre-washed lettuce to have an easy salad with meals all week or something to add to a lunch. I also have stuff for spaghetti and meatballs on hand (frozen meatballs).

I basically buy what's on sale every week. I'm a member of www.thegrocerygame.com so I buy what shows up on that list every week. Then a few extra things that we've run out of or for things that I want to make special (fresh herbs, a veggie that looks good that week, etc). I also usually buy bread, milk, eggs, and cereal almost every week.

[Katy]

I loved the thegrocerygame.com when we did it a year or so ago (I just opened the last tube of FREE toothpaste the other day). It taught me a lot, and I can now buy what I want/need and still save a lot of money (when I do it right, with coupons and sales, that is, and not impulse shop).

[Rosebud]

I tend to go to the market 2-3 times a week since it's right across the street from my work and I like to have very fresh meats and produce. There's also a weekly farmer's market down the street from my work on Tuesdays, so I walk over at lunch and buy our fruits and vegetables. These are the things I find myself buying pretty much every week.

Trader Joe's
Fresh salmon fillets (2)
Lean turkey burger patties (4)
Organic, free-range chicken breasts (2)
Kashi breakfast cereal (Strawberry Fields)
Soy Milk
Lowfat yogurt (2-4)
Whole wheat hamburger buns
Whole wheat pita
Hummus
Ready-made salad (spinach, usually)
Edamame
Egg Beaters (usually egg whites)

Farmer's Market
Apples (gala and braeburn)
Asparagus
Zucchini
Broccoli
Blueberries/Rapberries
And whatever is in season at the moment

These are the staples we make our meals with, adding simple spices, olive oil, balsamic vinagrette, and things like that which we don't have to buy as often. Every now and then I'll make a recipe that calls for more unique ingredients, but we mostly stick to simple proteins and vegetables for dinner. We cook at home maybe 4-5 days a week and the rest of the time we either eat at work or go out with friends after work.

[Lizzy]

I don't think that buying for two vs. buying for the whole family is really that different in terms of preparing a list and the number of different types of items bought. I go shopping once a week, and before I go I plan out our menus for the whole week. I cook from scratch, which probably translates into a slightly longer shopping time. It definitely translates into more time spent preparing a list. Shopping preparation isn't my favorite thing to do, but it saves time and money in the long run. I spend about an hour preparing a list and an hour shopping.

Another tip for creating the list is to organize your list according to your store's layout. I organize my list in terms of produce, deli, bakery, dairy, frozen, canned, etc.

[Lil_Mrs_0702]

Thanks guys for the great suggestions! I just realized that our problem is that DH is the cook but sends me to get the groceries. We need to start corrdinating so that I know what all he needs. When I try to get him to throw a grocery list together it is always milk, eggs, and cereal, then when he goes to make dinner he complains that we don't have anything.

[lawyerlee]

This is a pretty good representation of what we buy on a given week:

Co-op List:
fruit
Yukon Gold potatoes
an onion
green beans
baby carrots
ground beef
deli ham
Annie's mac & cheese - 2 boxes
canned black beans
soup
cereal
frozen peas
1 gallon milk
eggs (about once a month)
butter (about once a month)
cheddar cheese
chocolate

Grocery Store List:
chicken
bread
bagels
canned black eyed peas
white rice (about once a month)
pasta
pasta sauce
frozen mini pancakes
granola bars
soda
tortilla chips
orange juice
cream cheese

[KK812]

I go to the store every 2 weeks and off the top of my head, I usually buy:

Produce:
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Onion
2-3 pounds white potatoes
2-3 pounds red potatoes
Red/green peppers
A head of Garlic
Asparagus(once a month or so)
String Beans
Apples
Pears
Strawberries
Bananas
Grapes

Meats:
1 package ground turkey
1 packages boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 package spicy turkey sausage(if my menu has spaghetti or lasagna)
1 package low fat hebrew nationals
1 package lunch meat(DH usually takes leftovers, but we go out to eat once a week, so the next day he makes a sandwich)
1 package porkchops(once a month)
Either a roast, steaks, or a ham for sunday dinner

Dairy:
Skim organic milk
Eggs(once a month)
Butter(once a month)
Sour cream(when I need it)
Cheeses according to what Im cooking(mozzerella, ricotta, parmesan, etc.)
Orange juice
Yogurt
Cream Cheese if I need it

Other stuff
Bread according to what Im cooking
A couple of canned veggies
Canned tomato paste, diced/crushed tomatoes
Chicken Broth
Pasta
Cereal
Rice
Bottled Water
Any Spices I need
One dessert or muffin mix


I know this seems like a lot, but I cook 5 nights a week, we have leftovers one night, and go out one night. As soon as I get home from the store I split my meats in half so there's just enough for dinner and a small amount of leftovers. So 2 meals of turkey, 2 meals of chicken, etc out of each pack. I also transfer all of my produce that does better in plastic containers so that they last longer

Fortunately we have commissary privledges, so with this main list plus some extras and toiletries, we usually only spend $150 every 2 weeks. Last trip I spent $200 but we needed cat litter, I bought a big ham, extra toiletries, etc. I definitely recommend splitting the meat though before freezing-we used to throw away SO many leftovers, so this has definitely saved $$!