Shaun Groves
I married an accountant, something every flakey math-challenged musician should look into before moving out of mom’s house. She’s sitting at the kitchen table across form me crafting a spreadsheet. Crafting. Seriously. It’s a beauty. Lengthy. Detailed. Small font. Beautiful.
The purpose of this masterpiece? Compare the average cost of everything we buy at three different local grocery stores. The goal? To cut our grocery budget.
Since changing to a 75% raw diet, and 100% chemical-free and organic, our grocery bill has doubled. I’ll use round numbers here because that stuff after that little dot – I think she calls it a “decibel” – is even scarier than a green breakfast smoothy with extra beet juice. Yikes.
Eating like normal people we spent about $200 a week. Now we’re spending about $400 a week…according to the last two months’ receipts.
So, to sponsor a child at my house write a check for any amount every month and send it to:
CompaShaun International
PO Box 680055
Franklin, TN 37068
Tamara Cosby says:
Cost of grocery shopping for a family of 6: $180/wk
Cost of DESIRED grocery shopping for a family of 6: $400/wk
Cost of driving to Franklin for grocery shopping at decent grocery stores: $7000/wk for gas.
So…any tips on the grocery stores, GREATLY appreciated
We just have to get a Whole Foods in the Boro SOMEDAY! OH and a Trader Joes. SOMEONE HELP US! 
Good Luck with your grocery shopping…I hear ya!!!
Jenn says:
While I would love to to help, I need sponsorship too these days – my primarily organic, vegan diet is not always cost effective – but I’m sure as you’ve found with your diet change it’s worth it.
Fred McKinnon says:
CompaShaun International
Dude, that is HILARIOUS.
Grovesfan says:
Keep up those grocery bills and you’ll undoubtedly be the healthiest homeless people in town. Just kidding!
That’s A LOT of money for groceries! Our family would not be eating if we didn’t have the commissary privileges that come with military service. Average about 30% cheaper than civilian grocery stores. Why? It’s sold at cost, plus 5% to fund the building of new commissaries and maintainence of current ones. Ours here is rather small, and the selection isn’t the same as the Super Target, but it’s good enough and we can afford it. I spend about $250 every TWO weeks at the commissary on average. Combine the eating out food budget with that and it’s about $650/month.
I’ll gladly sponsor your children as long as I can shop for them at the commissary!
Beth
Sarah Chia says:
This makes me feel better about my bill. We do about $120/wk for 4 people. I was thinking that was high, but I guess if you guys were spending $200 on your family, then we’re good to to.
Your post is more incentive to not eat healthy…unfortunately.
keith says:
My wife’s doing the exact same thing, but she wants to compare more than three stores. We talked briefly about what it would take to create a website where this task could be shared by an on-line community. Anything out there like this? There’s already one for gasoline.
Cali Amy says:
yikes!
just remember the benefits!
erin says:
Wow, I think we spend $400 in a month, but we don’t have kids and don’t eat raw.
lorijo says:
haha. that’s silly. compaShaun. hehe.
Scott says:
Let me know which items (UPC codes, please), stores, and city where you are comparing and I can get that data for you, probably. We have access to that market research at work.
Zach says:
CompaShaun.. lololol. You’re probably going to get some money in the mail. I really hope you do. Or at least something that will make you laugh.
Shaun Groves says:
I hope not, Zach. I don’t need it, really. Seriously. Nobody send me money.
Becca says:
My 6-month-old is on formula that costs $75 a week. Sounds like it’s a good thing the other 3 family members eat like crap, or we’d never be able to afford his formula.
Fay says:
Yeah, I’m slowly making the switch to organic food and my budget is taking a hit. I’m tracking all my food expenses this month and I’m already $50 over my total for last month. (sigh)
Why’d I have to read that stupid Dominion book and get all convicted? And why does Whole Foods sell everything in large portions? I’m a single girl, I’m not cooking for an Army! Ok, I’ll stop now.
Redneck Neighbor says:
Now you know why I went on the liquid diet……well cost and the fact that I have 4 kids.
MamasBoy says:
I hope you like the food 100% more. I have a tough time imagining what would happen to my families food budget if beans and rice and flour were cut out, so $400/month sounds pretty good for a family of your size. Of course, your son is still pretty young.
You seem to have kept this up for a while now. That’s impressive. Raw food just doesn’t sound good to me. I love oatmeal and raisins for breakfast, but I don’t think I could do that raw. You and your wife must be amazing cooks… I mean food preparers/mixers/raw food chefs.
MB