How Much a Florida Family of 2 Spends on a Week’s Worth of Groceries

Name: Erica
Location: Tampa, Florida
Number of people in household: 2
Age: 37
Occupation: Freelance writer
Salary: $50,000/year
Where you shopped: Sprouts Farmers Market and Publix
Weekly food budget: $125
Amount spent: $93.37 for groceries; $46 dining out 

This week I shopped at Sprouts first to see what markdowns or sale items I could scoop up. I also made two trips to Publix for BOGO items, pantry basics, and produce. My partner and I had a few appointments out this week, so we bought deli lunches at Publix one day, shared a bagel with cream cheese another day, and went to Chick-fil-A for lunch at the end of the week.

I typically start by checking out the weekly BOGOs at Publix and taking stock of what’s in my freezer (which is usually frozen meat I bought on sale at Sprouts or in bulk at Costco). Then, I plan a browse-and-buy trip to Sprouts (or sometimes Aldi) to scoop up good deals on items I know I’ll use during the week: salads, vegetables, meats on markdown, or pantry staples like pasta, jarred sauce, and spices.

I rely heavily on go-to meals. Nachos are on repeat at my house on Wednesday nights, and we also typically have tacos at least once a week. Having tried-and-true but flexible recipes eliminates some decision fatigue and also keeps me on budget. 

I also often buy at least one pre-prepped meal each week and save it for a busy night, but I didn’t find any good deals on those this week. We started intermittent fasting at least three to four days a week, so I don’t plan breakfast every day. On the days we do eat before noon, we typically eat a protein bar or something small and pre-made.

My partner is inspired by a viral video of grain-free pumpkin protein waffles, but there’s no recipe included. After tracking down a simple version using pumpkin purée, an egg, protein powder, and ground cinnamon, we make pumpkin protein waffles with a drizzle of peanut butter and maple syrup. I have two overripe bananas, so I make a banana and peanut butter smoothie to go with the waffles.

Lunch is leftover shrimp ceviche that we made with friends the night before. I don’t want it on chips because tonight is nacho night, so we have it on toast that I keep stashed in the freezer. To boost the protein, I make a few hard-boiled eggs and sprinkle them with Tajín and salt. 

Dinner is the same every Wednesday: nacho night. I use a package of the ground beef I picked up at Sprouts and load up my nachos with a coleslaw mix, plain yogurt, verde salsa, and hot sauce.

No breakfast today, so we skip straight to lunch: an Italian wrap from Publix, plus Cheez-Its for a combined $12.58. They’re BOGO, so I get two boxes but only open one at lunch (a zesty ranch flavor with a ridged texture that is good but nothing like a Cheez-It). I wash it all down with a Yerba Mate. 

Later in the afternoon, we spring for a frozen sprite lemonade from McDonald’s and share a small fry, which sets us back $6. Today must be a day of small snacks. When we get home, we have salami, pickles, and more Cheez-Its for good measure. 

For dinner, I repurpose the leftover beef crumbles from nacho night into crispy baked tacos with a smoked shredded cheese blend I have in the fridge. There’s just a smidge of ceviche left, so I serve that up with the tacos and some tortilla chips.

We skip breakfast again, but are feeling hungry around 11 a.m. We are out and about so we stop at our favorite Italian coffee shop for an Americano and split an everything bagel with cream cheese for $10.26. 

When we get home around 1 p.m., we have leftover beef tacos. There aren’t many, so I also make a salad with ranch dressing and leftover chicken. 

On Friday nights, I try to make something exciting for dinner to kick off the weekend. This week, I put a boneless chuck steak in our indoor smoker and let it go for a few hours. I forget to set the timer correctly and it goes much longer than necessary, but I catch it before it turns to leather. (PSA: Boneless chuck steak is often a great value and delivers big flavor. I highly recommend it!)

Even with a little overcooking, it hits the spot and I serve it with crispy polenta I cubed and cooked in the air fryer plus spinach that my husband seasoned and sautéed with garlic, ginger, salt, vinegar, and a dash of Taíin. 

For dessert, we have individual pumpkin cheesecake cups.

We each have a protein bar to get through the 10:30 a.m. tummy grumbles. 

For lunch, I make one of our favorite “fast freezer” meals, which is beef taquitos topped with all the fixins. For us, that means cheese, taco sauce, lettuce, and a few dollops of plain yogurt. 

Dinner is a homemade pizza dough with a schmear of leftover lemon Alfredo sauce I have in the fridge, plus the rest of the steak sliced thin and accompanied by spinach, olives, and green onions. I serve it with a vinaigrette salad. 

We each have another pumpkin cheesecake for dessert.

On Sundays we usually have brunch around 11 a.m. This week I make scrambled egg tacos with a cheddar cheese crumble on lightly fried corn tortillas. 

For an early dinner, my husband has a chicken and noodle stir-fry using a can of chicken, a mix of spinach and coleslaw that I sauté in coconut oil, and an herb paste. I go solo to a party that my friend is hosting, and graze a taco bar. 

I bring home dessert: red velvet cake and a few chocolate-covered goodies. 

The week starts with an early appointment two hours from home, so we eat protein bars as we drive and sip on coffee. 

When the appointment is over, we head to the closest Chick-fil-A for lunch. I order a spicy chicken sandwich with a large waffle fry to share, and my husband gets the regular chicken sandwich for $17.21. That holds us over for quite awhile, and we’re too busy in the afternoon to snack. 

Tonight’s dinner is one of my favorites: spaghetti and meatballs. I’m excited to make homemade meatballs using the ground beef I bought. They’re delicious and have great flavor. I top the dish with a generous coating of Parmesan cheese and some fresh basil a friend gave me.

In a strange turn of events, we’re eating Chick-fil-A for the second day in a row this week. This time, our community is hosting a free grab-and-go breakfast. We take advantage and each have a chicken biscuit and a juice. 

Lunch is leftover spaghetti and meatballs from last night. I’m a little low on sauce, but fortunately I bought pesto this week at Publix as a BOGO, so I have plenty to slick up the noodles. 

I’ll own up to my biggest fail of the week: I bought a small pork tenderloin at Sprouts on markdown and waited too long to cook it. It was six days past the sell-by date and it smelled passable, so I put it in the slow cooker with a vision for smoky, cumin-laden shredded pork. Instead, I had an off-smelling hunk of meat after four hours. Food waste makes me sad — but when in doubt, throw it out. 

Back to the drawing board for dinner. I made a sticky honey chicken in the air fryer. I serve it over jasmine rice with coconut oil. My husband had to head out for an appointment, so he missed out on that, but brought home ice cream from Publix and ate a big bowl of that for dinner. 

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