To spend this much

[Cookeveryday]

DH wants to spend appx 6% of our household income on groceries (2 adults, 1 toddler & BF baby). It's really tight. I'd prefer to spend 10%. That would make meal planning, shopping & cooking everyday so much easier.

AIBU?

And, if you don't mind sharing, appx what % of household income do you spend on groceries?

Why are you doing on a percentage of income basis? I’ve never seen it done that way.

About 10% although that includes a few takeaways each month.

Just buy what you need, why do you need to put a % on it

Me and two primary aged kids, spend on average 20% of my income, but that's only about 220-250 a month, I guess the 10% depends on how much you actually have coming in, it could be 100 it could be 500 🤷🏻‍♀️

The percentage is irrelevant. It’s what you need that is relevant. Buy what’s needed.

Before lockdown, about 12% of household income went to food and household shopping. Now with lockdown and 3 people in the house all day and wages reduced due to furlough/change of contract for DH, we are spending about 15% of our household income

Thank flip I don't live with you - lockdown must be so much fun :)

Because it makes it easier to compare.

@hinge was that to me? What do you mean?

It doesn’t really, because it depends entirely on what your income is.

But one person could say I spent 0.2% and another could say 25% but they could both be £200?

Is there a reason why your DH only wants to spend 6%?
If your income is eg £2k a month that's only £120 per month on food! Not realistic at all imo.

Eh? Depends how much you earn surely?

It does help me. Obviously not for comparing how much groceries cost each family but it gives a sense check

It doesn’t really make it easier to compare. Pre divorce I used to spend about 5% of our family income on groceries including wine. That was still a 4 figure sum a month

Otherwise I wouldn't have asked

I don't get the % bit - you don't suddenly eat more if you earn more...do you?!??

% basis makes no sense. Real spend would make it possible to judge who is being reasonable!

I can't really visualise how much this is... 🤷‍♀️ it could be £50 a month it could be £500

Surely the higher you earn the lower the percentage? Unless you eat out a lot, but that wouldn’t be in the grocery budget I suppose.

I have just worked it out-we take home £4200 between us and probably spend £400 on food for all of us.

I would never think to limit our food shop by % though!

How do you expect anyone to know if YABU based on a percentage question like that?

If 6% = £120 then he's being unreasonable, it's not enough. If 6% = £600 then what's the problem?

It’s a sense check of nothing because the figures you are asking for show you literally nothing meaningful.

6% of our income would be £30 a week! family of 5 and avg weekly income of £500, our pre lockdown food bill was £80/100 main shop and maybe 23 top ups. its now around £100 min, more likely 125 and 30 top ups,
even 10% isnt much, we could survive i guess but its would be very very limited

Depends what 6% and 10% look like in real money. What are the amounts?