what's your weekly budget?

[....]

Every week, I'm given approx $500. to spend on groceries, transportation (no car, so this is for taxi's and MRT rides), children's items ie: new school shoes, any extracurricular activities, birthday presents, etc.  Utility bills are paid separately.  We are a family of 5 people (2 adults).  I find that each week, I end up going over my budget or just barely get by.  Is this what you would typically spend weekly? Don't know where else to cut costs, as we do wet market shopping weekly, and the occasional NTUC for the other items? thanks...

[Journey xxx]

I typically spend much more per week than you for a family with 1 kid only.

[andme]

Same here.

[....]

Guess I should ask for an increase in my weekly budget!

[NMS1]

We spend somewhere just under $200/week on food - that covers three meals a day for 3 adults & one fussy toddler but usually eating out at least once over the weekend.

We eat mainly local/Asian food so that probably keeps the price down a bit.

[This message has been edited by NMS1 (edited 06-02-2007).]

[chicken curry]

I also have around $500 per week for 2 children (primary age).  We get by on it.  I shop around, Cold Storage, NTUC, Giant, wet market/hdb shops etc.  Sometimes money is tight but most of the time, we manage on that.  

Are you given this $500 because you and your husband have agreed on this figure or is it all he'll give you?  This is all we can afford really but we do manage to have a night out once a month or so (most of the time with the kids so we save on a babysitter!).

I think $500 is 'do-able', you just have to shop carefully.  We've started having 'on-toast' night once each week (beans, spaghetti, egg etc).  That saves money.  A noodle night is a good one too.

[possum magic]

I have been using one of the companies that delivers your groceries.  They call everymorning and you tell them what you would like and it gets delivered every afternoon.  Have done it for past 3 weeks and have saved a heap of money compared to going to Cold Storage 2-3 times a week and paying for taxis.  Certainly cuts down on the impulse buying!

[Can be done]

We spend about that, but I do find the NTUC much cheaper than the wet market for certain items (fruit is one) and have saved a lot by buying my fruit there instead of the wet market.  We use a large NTUC for the bulk of our shopping with the occassional cold storage/swiss butcher trip for stuff we can't get elsewhere.  Kids don't do much extra-curricular stuff that needs paying for- we mainly playdate at friends houses, go to parks, get books from the library etc, so it is do-able.  

[No Budget As Such]

I don't have a budget as such because we have a joint bank account.

Having said that I probably spend about  $3,000 per month and that doesn't include transport as we have an expensed car.  Also doesn't include anything social that my husband attends (like Saturday night out) as he will usually pay out of what he has in his wallet.  He probably spends about $500 per week but some of that will be expensed.

I honestly think I would have to "do without" on $500 per week - doable but not comfortable!

I would ask for at least $700 if you have to pay for transport etc as well!