Go to Aldi.

Move from NYC.

your problem is you are a moron not that you are poor

I failed to include that alcohol is part of my "groceries." I buy very moderately priced beer, wine and liquor.

Hey, at least I don't smoke.

lolol so true. It blows my mind how people can fall for the marketing of this bull****. I once had a roomate that gloated how 'healthy' his 6$ non-pasteurized organic hemp milk was. Needless to say we didnt get along very well. He was quite effeminate.

I have to jump on the grocery band wagon. I have a family of five, and while not in NYC, I am on L.I., which is damn close in cost of living, and you spend about the same on food for one as I do for five. Clip some coupons, and go to three/four different stores each week, and get only what is on sale in each store.

Right now your monthly income is effectively $3200/mo with your CC payments. You're paying $1600/mo on housing - spending 1/2 your income on housing is pretty high (rule of thumb is 1/4 to 1/3 IIRC). Unfortunately $65k doesn't go nearly as far in NYC with high taxes and high rent.

Pay off that CC debt, cut your grocery expenses at least in half, and consider moving to a cheaper place ($1200ish? Consider finding roommates.) and you've got $1400+/mo left over.

And seriously consider finding a job in a place with a lower cost of living.

sigh...I've never even had a job that paid more than 50k

I bet I could live in the NYC area and would be unable to consume $800/mth on groceries (and the other items) if I tried.

2+2 has a lot of people from NY and other cities more expensive than average like SF, etc. My hunch is that every one of those people would be as confused by this $800/mth thing as I am.

How much do you spend on the other items? I mean, is it even possible to go through more than $20/wk in lightbulbs, detergent and toilet paper? Even if you went through an entire roll of TP every day I'm not sure you would get to $20/wk. So that is I guess $180/wk or so in food? Really?

When you said you spent $800/mth I wondered if maybe you had 5 kids or something. But I guess it's just you and your GF. WTF?

anybody notice this guy spends 800/mo on groceries?

and his credit card debt is outrageous!

I don't even eat breakfast, pack my own lunches, but do have dinner every night with my gf so the food I buy is for more than just me. I don't buy the stupid packaged food that was mentioned either. I buy some fruit, some vegetables, pasta, seafood (the most expensive), some meat, olive oil, eggs, coffee, milk, etc. Nothing organic that I can think of.

How much does your gf make?

Jesus I could spend less than 50 bucks a month on food if I had to.

how much of that is your GF paying for?

Okay, so you aren't even buying eggs or making breakfasts...yet you are still spending $800/mth on this stuff?

Break it down into the different sub-categories. How much do you spend on:
1. Food
2. Alcohol
3. Non-grocery essential stuff like light-bulbs, soap and TP.

You buy light bulbs every month?

I just made this list:

Fruit
Veggies
Meat
Seafood
Eggs
Coffee
Milk
Olive Oil
Pasta
Bread
Beer
Wine
Liquor
Vitamins
Aspirin
Detergent
Dish soap
Body soap
Shampoo/Conditioner
Toilet Paper
Paper Towels
Light Bulbs
Batteries
Toothpaste
Mouthwash
Deodarant
Razor Blades
Shaving Cream
Cologne
Hair Gel


I will look at price stickers and come back and edit this post with what I pay.

OP has to be ******ed.

I don't think it's surprising that someone who would jack up his credit cards for expensive gifts for the gf while having no money has no idea how to control his spending on food and sundries.

You make more than most people, but you

1. Live in a very expensive city
2. Have that credit card debt hanging over you

looking at that list you could probably cut that $800 figure in half if you stopped grooming yourself

65K / yr is above average.

You just have 3 really big problems.

1) 15K in debt... really?
2) Rent is disgustingly expensive...

live further out where it's cheaper since you have a car.

3) 800 a month on food? Really? I spend maybe 100, 120 tops on food every month. 800? I can't even believe it.

run - You don't buy anything that I don't buy really (except that I'm not much of a drinker so we don't have many beer or wine purchases).

Consider that many of the items you listed you are NOT purchasing every freaking month (unless you are drowning yourself in cologne while brushing your teeth 12x per day)

Just estimate how much in food you actually consume per day. Because right now it looks like you consume almost $30 worth of groceries and other items per day and I just don't see how this is possible.

You don't need to look up the price of every freaking item you bought.

I'm surprised that nobody's yet mentioned THE remedy for those needing to budget on food items:

Howard - Somebody already mentioned that.