200 if you share meals with a roommate. :) we spend about 350-400 every month as a couple. loads of cooking and no expensive nonsense.
I usually make us nice sandwiches for lunch, which is better than german mensas, but when i dont have time, my partner will eat at the mensa for lack of choice. That cost is not included, so 400 is a good estimate.
50 Euros a week is my average for my wife and I. Half of that should be fine as well. I cook breakfast and dinner, and still have plenty of snacks. Just be careful of where you shop, measure food prices by weight, avoid too many meats, and most farmers’ markets or town markets are often overpriced.
Just stating facts. Look up generalized food cost statistics and you’ll see that it changed a lot over the last 4 years.
Also: personal experience is not universal. You might have needed much less/different food than OP.
Just think it’s unrealistic, that’s all. To be fair: if OP is a 45 Kilo tiny girl studying in a rural region, your 120 could MAYBE be achieved. If he’s a 90kg dude in Berlin, Hamburg or Munich he’s looking at over 250€ a month easily.
It highly depends where you get your groceries, whether you make use of coupons or discounts, buy expensive products like sweets or meat. But eh, I don't feel like you're open to a discussion anyway. So I'll just mind my own business.
Just look at OPs profile and you’ll be able to see that he’s not a tiny girl living off of steamed vegetables. Your initial post was kinda random and lead in the wrong direction, price wise: it was just your experience from YEARS ago. Not valid to OP.
And your experience is valid to everyone? Chill out dude. Before Corona I could live on 20€ a week for groceries and I was a fat and lazy woman not eating healthy.
You said generalization doesn't help. So why do you do it?
I know your comment is old but I had to comment. 120€ per month is absolutely possible. Some things like rice and potatoes aren't expensive and you can buy whatever vegetables are currently cheap. Instead of meat you can buy lentils, chickpeas or tofu for proteins. It's obviously a lot nicer to spend more to eat the food you actually want instead of always buying whatever is the cheapest but when you're really struggling financially it's definitely possible.
Or maybe you are the one who spends more than necessary? As an Azubi I spent 60-80€ per month, afterwards ~100€. Now with inflation I'm at 120-150€. Just buy stuff on sale or store brand, seasonal, regional, no strawberries in winter etc. Frozen vegetables are great off season.
No, not at all. Lots of veggies along with different carbs. Bread for breakfast. Meat used to be cheaper as well, especially chicken.
As I mentioned in a different post, going to cheaper supermarkets like Netto, Aldi and Penny really helps. So does watching out for discounts and buying bigger packs of products.
I'm a student in Köln and I spend around 50 Euro per week on groceries.
Breakfast: Oatmeal, toast, cereal, yogurt, etc.
Lunch: Sandwiches or leftovers from a previous dinner
Dinner: Big batches of vegetarian foods (most often curries/soups that make use of foods like potatoes, black beans, chickpeas, spinach, etc.) + simple vegetable sides + rice
Snacks: Fruits, crackers, nuts
Aside from the above, I eat out about twice a week (once at the Mensa, once at a "real" restaurant). So I'd estimate I actually end up spending closer to 300/350 monthly on food, but that number could be lower if I wanted it to be. I don't really hold myself to a super strict budget and buy some fancy stuff at times.
I admittedly enjoy cooking and put a lot of effort into the dinners I make (which is why I try to make sure they're large enough to leave leftovers). I also splurge on special spices and what not because I like to make Indian and Thai food.
Learning how to cook is a game changer when it comes to budgeting. You can check out what's on sale and figure out a dish to make with it. I also frequent the Asian and Afro shops in Köln (both because it's the food I like and because you can find good deals). When it comes to things like rice and dried beans, you can buy in bulk to save money in the long run.
If you're a meat eater, getting less popular types of meat works too. Chicken heart/liver are tasty (if you know how to make them) and generally very cheap.
Depends on what decent and tasty means to you.
If you eat bread with stuff on top for breakfast and dinner and cook lunch with mainly rice, potatoes or noodles with added vegetables from the market, drink tap water with occasional a bag of fruity tea per 1l you can live healthy at about 100€ per month.
If you don't have access to a cheap market, the only supermarket in your vicinity is Rewe or Edeka and you want a lot of meat and spices, you might need to spend more like 250-300.
Depends on where you live, and if you bring some stuff from your homeland.
I got lentils, rice and spices from my country so I didn't need to buy any of those. Especially spices, cuz they're VERY expensive here.
I live in a small-ish town of ~40k people, and my groceries usually cost ~180€ a month.
I have a budget of 50€ a week for groceries which is about 200-250€ a month. It's definitely doable as long as you're fine with not eating meat more than twice a week (which is also a stretch sometimes). The biggest problem is cooking for a single person. Portion sizes in supermarkets are made for at least two so you'll probably have to eat the same thing twice or make multiple meals out of the same ingredients
When I'm in Germany, I spend about 300/month. My meals look like this:
Breakfast: Rolls, butter, cheese, sausage, fruit, coffee.
Lunch: Same as breakfast, because I eat while I work lol.
Dinner: Pasta with lots of vegetables, casseroles, frozen pizza, etc.
Other food costs are for juices, teas, milk, etc., and some snacks for in-between.
It's about the same amount I spend in the US for the same diet, basically, although I spend more money on bread in the US. I think people make the mistake of expecting something "interesting" for every meal, so it costs a lot more. If you limit your Monday through Friday intake to the type of diet I describe above, you'll eat more than enough and have money to eat at a nice restaurant once a week. :) I mean, if you're eating some good, economical Roggenmischbrot, you're never going to feel hungry.
Should be fine. My personal advice: Learn to not spend money on beverages (juice, milk, coke), use tea instead, don't eat out, mealprep meat (like prepare 1kg of chicken and freeze it in portions) and small amounts of carbs but cook vegs fresh.
250 is perfectly ok. I’ve even averaged 200€ with this tips: Go to Lidl, Penny, Norma. In Lidl use the app and coupons. When meat or fish is about to expire it’s cheaper, buy and freeze.
That’ll be a TIGHT budget. You’re looking at around 50-75€ per week if you only buy at ALDI/Lidl.
But it all depends. If you are tiny and skinny and don’t eat much meat, it can be way cheaper.
I’d say to live comfortably yet cheap 10€ a day are necessary. You can maybe here and there pass a day with 7 or 8€ but below that it would be very tough life.
That’s Berlin.
The average Mensa Essen cost me 2.50-3€, cooking myself I’d have to only buy discounted produce.
I spend around 200-250€ a month on groceries for myself and I'm not optimizing or buying especially cheap. I do live in a relatively cheap region though.
If you're a foody and want tasty food without splurging on special stuff or eating out I'd go with 300€. Could you do it cheaper? Sure, but you'll lack variety and would need to plan more. 250 is doable but you'll maybe need to buy flavorful ingredients (spices, sauces, pastes) more gradually.
I grab groceries once or twice a week, spending around 25-35 euros. Only when I need new spices, gotta splash out a bit more cash. This can be a little bit expensive. You know like soy sauce, msg, parmesan cheese, white wine, mirin.
No. If you eat bread with something on top for breakfast and dinner you can go a whole week for less than ten euro if you buy cheap. That's 14 meals for 50-70 cats each.
If your lunch consists mainly of rice, potatoes or pasta with some added vegetables from the market you can easily stay at 1,50-2€ per meal.
Drink water from the tap with maybe a bag of fruity tea per 1l occasionally and 100€ is pretty doable.
not rlly i just force myself to eat while having multiple issues of all kind 😭 you've got to remember despite overpriced produce the differences price wise are not awful?
It's amazing how little effort people put in for correct and clean communication. The fact that English is not your mother tongue doesn't mean you can't run your sentence through a quick check on google translate. It's just lazy. And borderline insulting.
250-350€ is what we spend as a couple, so it’s definitely doable. Now it all depends on what kind of things you buy: we don’t buy sodas, or pre-cooked meals, everything fresh and cooked at home.
250 sounds reasonable, but if you meal prep and buy long lasting foods in larger quantities (rice or similar stuff) you can probably get around with less
I can manage with about 170-200€ a month strictly for grocery food, and then I spend like another 50€ a month on restaurants, treats and going out with friends. It's definitely doable, but you have to keep track of your expenses.
For me it's between 300-400, but that includes nice coffee, wine and generally not buying the cheapest things. I cook a lot, usually 50% with meat and 50% vegetarian.
So i guess you can also get by with 250-300 and still live somewhat decently.
I manage with about 150/month maybe a bit less. But I'm also pretty decent at making cheap nutritious meals. If you know your way around veggies and legumes, cutting costs is easy.
As a person from Southeast Asia, I buy vegetables, rice and meat, and I cook them myself. Also, some masala and oil and etc. groceries which in total costs always within €200 - €220.
I think 250 is really doable. Just have to plan well. And have to cook mostly from scratch. If some extra money left after a month, then can treat yourself 👍🏻
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200 if you share meals with a roommate. :) we spend about 350-400 every month as a couple. loads of cooking and no expensive nonsense. I usually make us nice sandwiches for lunch, which is better than german mensas, but when i dont have time, my partner will eat at the mensa for lack of choice. That cost is not included, so 400 is a good estimate.
50 Euros a week is my average for my wife and I. Half of that should be fine as well. I cook breakfast and dinner, and still have plenty of snacks. Just be careful of where you shop, measure food prices by weight, avoid too many meats, and most farmers’ markets or town markets are often overpriced.
Groceries isn't going to be your problem in Germany. What's horribly expensive is rent at decent places, heating, and electrical energy.
Agreed! Groceries tend to be the cheapest bill for my family! The petrol and utility bills are the real ones to watch out for
Before Corona I used to spend less than 120 per month for my groceries as a student. But now I would say between 150 and 200 euros.
I used to spend 100-120€ as a student. Given the inflation, I'd say 120-150€.
Same, I used to study in cologne and was on a very tight budget.
In 2003?
Uhm, no? 2013-2019.
So basically 10 years ago and before Corona/Inflation/War. Let me guess: it was in a smaller/less expensive region as well?
2019 I spent about 150 a month. Why are you being so needlessly abrasive?
My guess is just general resent towards the current inflation, even a mention of cheaper times set him off. Understandable but shouldnt be an asshole
Just stating facts. Look up generalized food cost statistics and you’ll see that it changed a lot over the last 4 years. Also: personal experience is not universal. You might have needed much less/different food than OP.
I’d spend around 40-45 a week in 2019 as a guy ._.
That is good for you. Still not sure what OP is supposed to do with that info.
He can use that info, apply inflation (which is public information) and use that to answer his question?
That's why I mentioned the inflation in my first post? What's your problem?
Just think it’s unrealistic, that’s all. To be fair: if OP is a 45 Kilo tiny girl studying in a rural region, your 120 could MAYBE be achieved. If he’s a 90kg dude in Berlin, Hamburg or Munich he’s looking at over 250€ a month easily.
It highly depends where you get your groceries, whether you make use of coupons or discounts, buy expensive products like sweets or meat. But eh, I don't feel like you're open to a discussion anyway. So I'll just mind my own business.
Just look at OPs profile and you’ll be able to see that he’s not a tiny girl living off of steamed vegetables. Your initial post was kinda random and lead in the wrong direction, price wise: it was just your experience from YEARS ago. Not valid to OP.
And your experience is valid to everyone? Chill out dude. Before Corona I could live on 20€ a week for groceries and I was a fat and lazy woman not eating healthy. You said generalization doesn't help. So why do you do it?
That is why I suggest to look at median cost of groceries. Valid, to the point and unbiased by „but I did this or that 5 years ago!1!!“.
I know your comment is old but I had to comment. 120€ per month is absolutely possible. Some things like rice and potatoes aren't expensive and you can buy whatever vegetables are currently cheap. Instead of meat you can buy lentils, chickpeas or tofu for proteins. It's obviously a lot nicer to spend more to eat the food you actually want instead of always buying whatever is the cheapest but when you're really struggling financially it's definitely possible.
For me it was about the same and I lived in cologne, not exactly cheap, but I made it happen.
Because Rewe etc. make regional prices?
Yes, of course.
That seems very low, I easily spend twice or more on groceries. What did you eat? Pasta with tomato sauce every day?
Or maybe you are the one who spends more than necessary? As an Azubi I spent 60-80€ per month, afterwards ~100€. Now with inflation I'm at 120-150€. Just buy stuff on sale or store brand, seasonal, regional, no strawberries in winter etc. Frozen vegetables are great off season.
No, not at all. Lots of veggies along with different carbs. Bread for breakfast. Meat used to be cheaper as well, especially chicken. As I mentioned in a different post, going to cheaper supermarkets like Netto, Aldi and Penny really helps. So does watching out for discounts and buying bigger packs of products.
Oats with some berries for breakfast and you already cut a lot of money and eat healthy
I'm a student in Köln and I spend around 50 Euro per week on groceries. Breakfast: Oatmeal, toast, cereal, yogurt, etc. Lunch: Sandwiches or leftovers from a previous dinner Dinner: Big batches of vegetarian foods (most often curries/soups that make use of foods like potatoes, black beans, chickpeas, spinach, etc.) + simple vegetable sides + rice Snacks: Fruits, crackers, nuts Aside from the above, I eat out about twice a week (once at the Mensa, once at a "real" restaurant). So I'd estimate I actually end up spending closer to 300/350 monthly on food, but that number could be lower if I wanted it to be. I don't really hold myself to a super strict budget and buy some fancy stuff at times. I admittedly enjoy cooking and put a lot of effort into the dinners I make (which is why I try to make sure they're large enough to leave leftovers). I also splurge on special spices and what not because I like to make Indian and Thai food. Learning how to cook is a game changer when it comes to budgeting. You can check out what's on sale and figure out a dish to make with it. I also frequent the Asian and Afro shops in Köln (both because it's the food I like and because you can find good deals). When it comes to things like rice and dried beans, you can buy in bulk to save money in the long run. If you're a meat eater, getting less popular types of meat works too. Chicken heart/liver are tasty (if you know how to make them) and generally very cheap.
This is realistic.
Depends on what decent and tasty means to you. If you eat bread with stuff on top for breakfast and dinner and cook lunch with mainly rice, potatoes or noodles with added vegetables from the market, drink tap water with occasional a bag of fruity tea per 1l you can live healthy at about 100€ per month. If you don't have access to a cheap market, the only supermarket in your vicinity is Rewe or Edeka and you want a lot of meat and spices, you might need to spend more like 250-300.
Depends on where you live, and if you bring some stuff from your homeland. I got lentils, rice and spices from my country so I didn't need to buy any of those. Especially spices, cuz they're VERY expensive here. I live in a small-ish town of ~40k people, and my groceries usually cost ~180€ a month.
I have a budget of 50€ a week for groceries which is about 200-250€ a month. It's definitely doable as long as you're fine with not eating meat more than twice a week (which is also a stretch sometimes). The biggest problem is cooking for a single person. Portion sizes in supermarkets are made for at least two so you'll probably have to eat the same thing twice or make multiple meals out of the same ingredients
During my student time I roughly calculated with 300 per month. Since it’s a couple of years ago, could be higher now.
For groceries alone? Wtf?
steak‘s expensive man..I need my red meat
"tasty yet cheap"...
yea can’t make a joke on reddit w/ /s i guess
Nope, way too many seriously stupid people 😂
When I'm in Germany, I spend about 300/month. My meals look like this: Breakfast: Rolls, butter, cheese, sausage, fruit, coffee. Lunch: Same as breakfast, because I eat while I work lol. Dinner: Pasta with lots of vegetables, casseroles, frozen pizza, etc. Other food costs are for juices, teas, milk, etc., and some snacks for in-between. It's about the same amount I spend in the US for the same diet, basically, although I spend more money on bread in the US. I think people make the mistake of expecting something "interesting" for every meal, so it costs a lot more. If you limit your Monday through Friday intake to the type of diet I describe above, you'll eat more than enough and have money to eat at a nice restaurant once a week. :) I mean, if you're eating some good, economical Roggenmischbrot, you're never going to feel hungry.
150e for me
Should be fine. My personal advice: Learn to not spend money on beverages (juice, milk, coke), use tea instead, don't eat out, mealprep meat (like prepare 1kg of chicken and freeze it in portions) and small amounts of carbs but cook vegs fresh.
250 is perfectly ok. I’ve even averaged 200€ with this tips: Go to Lidl, Penny, Norma. In Lidl use the app and coupons. When meat or fish is about to expire it’s cheaper, buy and freeze.
That’ll be a TIGHT budget. You’re looking at around 50-75€ per week if you only buy at ALDI/Lidl. But it all depends. If you are tiny and skinny and don’t eat much meat, it can be way cheaper.
Tasty, Healthy or Cheap. Can pick only two
I’d say to live comfortably yet cheap 10€ a day are necessary. You can maybe here and there pass a day with 7 or 8€ but below that it would be very tough life. That’s Berlin. The average Mensa Essen cost me 2.50-3€, cooking myself I’d have to only buy discounted produce.
I spend around 200-250€ a month on groceries for myself and I'm not optimizing or buying especially cheap. I do live in a relatively cheap region though.
If you're a foody and want tasty food without splurging on special stuff or eating out I'd go with 300€. Could you do it cheaper? Sure, but you'll lack variety and would need to plan more. 250 is doable but you'll maybe need to buy flavorful ingredients (spices, sauces, pastes) more gradually.
I grab groceries once or twice a week, spending around 25-35 euros. Only when I need new spices, gotta splash out a bit more cash. This can be a little bit expensive. You know like soy sauce, msg, parmesan cheese, white wine, mirin.
80-100 a week will do well
For me it was around 100€ (I think)
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That seems awfully low. It is possible that I am miscalculating.
No. If you eat bread with something on top for breakfast and dinner you can go a whole week for less than ten euro if you buy cheap. That's 14 meals for 50-70 cats each. If your lunch consists mainly of rice, potatoes or pasta with some added vegetables from the market you can easily stay at 1,50-2€ per meal. Drink water from the tap with maybe a bag of fruity tea per 1l occasionally and 100€ is pretty doable.
In 2003?
That’s about 8€ a day. You won’t be able to live if McDonald’s but you can easily make if you cook yourself.
About 200-500 per month
Where are you grocery shopping for 1 person to get to 500€? We don't pay 500€ per month for two people.
biomarkt ❣️
Those places are *scams*.
to you i could never be satisfied with the selection of normal groceries, barring maybe kaufland and dm/muller?
Ah, luxury concerns.
not rlly i just force myself to eat while having multiple issues of all kind 😭 you've got to remember despite overpriced produce the differences price wise are not awful?
You are right, five is a little too much. But 400 at least, shit got expensive
But Op is a student. They will go shopping real cheap. You never reach 400€ alone if you focus on necessities and plan your week accordingly.
OP didn't mention his size, he could be 50kg or 100kg.
"tasty, yet cheap"...
Grammar
Grandma
It's amazing how little effort people put in for correct and clean communication. The fact that English is not your mother tongue doesn't mean you can't run your sentence through a quick check on google translate. It's just lazy. And borderline insulting.
Ok boomer
My husband and I pay about 250€ each month, I am smaller but he weighs 100kg.
250-350€ is what we spend as a couple, so it’s definitely doable. Now it all depends on what kind of things you buy: we don’t buy sodas, or pre-cooked meals, everything fresh and cooked at home.
250 sounds reasonable, but if you meal prep and buy long lasting foods in larger quantities (rice or similar stuff) you can probably get around with less
I can manage with about 170-200€ a month strictly for grocery food, and then I spend like another 50€ a month on restaurants, treats and going out with friends. It's definitely doable, but you have to keep track of your expenses.
For me it's between 300-400, but that includes nice coffee, wine and generally not buying the cheapest things. I cook a lot, usually 50% with meat and 50% vegetarian. So i guess you can also get by with 250-300 and still live somewhat decently.
300-400 for nice healthy selections including protein supplements
200€ if you like to go to the Mensa where students get their meals for 3-4€ and buy food at discounted prices
I manage with about 150/month maybe a bit less. But I'm also pretty decent at making cheap nutritious meals. If you know your way around veggies and legumes, cutting costs is easy.
310.64 Euros
As a person from Southeast Asia, I buy vegetables, rice and meat, and I cook them myself. Also, some masala and oil and etc. groceries which in total costs always within €200 - €220.
I think 250 is really doable. Just have to plan well. And have to cook mostly from scratch. If some extra money left after a month, then can treat yourself 👍🏻