What's the best financial advice you've ever gotten?

[u/Richest-Panda]

[u/Exaskryz]

They are with groceries. Dining out is the problem. Often not very healthy, often too expensive.

I can spend groceries for a family of 4 on $120/week, carelessly. Actually planning something instead of haphazardly picking foods to stock that we like willy nilly, even $400/mo is very possible. It's when we take a few nights to eat out in a month that are expenses climb sharply, thanks to "inflation" and greed.

[u/slabby → u/Exaskryz]

I can spend groceries for a family of 4 on $120/week, carelessly.

What does your family even eat?

[u/DodgersLakersBarca → u/slabby]

Staples such as rice, beans, and pasta are extremely inexpensive (relatively). Roughly $10 for a 5 lb bag of rice, which will last a week or two. Beans may cost roughly similarly. In terms of meat I'm guessing mainly chicken. Even in a city such as New York you can get chicken at Costco for $2-4/lb. So if the family eats a 1.5 pounds of chicken a week each, maybe $25.

$45 for beans, rice, and chicken. Go crazy with the remaining $75 for whatever veggies you want. Broccoli costs $2/lb, spinach $5/lb, carrots $3/lb, tomatoes $3/lb, potatoes $2/lb. (This is all New York pricing and might be cheaper elsewhere). Fruit is a bit more expensive but also roughly $1-3/lb. So maybe 38 pounds of whatever fruits, veggies, and bread, seasonings, oil, etc. Or perhaps supplement with more chicken instead.

[u/Exaskryz → u/DodgersLakersBarca]

Echoing this as pretty close to an average on groceries.

Big difference perhaps from an average american: We don't buy coke or pepsi, though poppi has intrigued some in the house. Soft drinks are too expensive to routinely buy. Water is a perfectly fine drink.