Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Monthly grocery budget
$1,767
Weekly equivalent
$408
Annual equivalent
$21,204
Average cost per person
$442
Psst — share this and help Rex grow
One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter adults in household.
- 2Enter kids age 2-5.
- 3Enter kids age 6-11.
- 4Enter teens age 12-18.
- 5Enter spending tier.
- 6Read your monthly grocery budget on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
The USDA publishes monthly food plan estimates at four spending tiers — Thrifty, Low-Cost, Moderate, and Liberal — broken out by age and sex, which is the most defensible public benchmark for grocery budgeting available. This calculator applies representative per-person monthly costs at each tier, adjusted for kids' ages (young children eat less than teenagers, who often eat more than adults), and totals them into a household grocery budget so you have a real number to compare against your actual spending instead of a guess.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Adults in household: 2
- Kids age 2-5: 1
- Kids age 6-11: 1
- Teens age 12-18: 0
- Spending tier: Moderate
Results
- Monthly grocery budget: $1,767
- Weekly equivalent: $408
- Annual equivalent: $21,204
- Average cost per person: $442
What each field means
Inputs
- Adults in household
- The adults in household used in the calculation. Starts at 2 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–6.
- Kids age 2-5
- The kids age 2-5 used in the calculation. Starts at 1 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–6.
- Kids age 6-11
- The kids age 6-11 used in the calculation. Starts at 1 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–6.
- Teens age 12-18
- The teens age 12-18 used in the calculation. Starts at 0 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–6.
- Spending tier
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Thrifty, Low-cost, Moderate, Liberal.
Results
- Monthly grocery budget
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Weekly equivalent
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Annual equivalent
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Average cost per person
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
What do the USDA spending tiers actually mean?
Thrifty is the basis for SNAP benefit calculations and assumes almost all meals cooked from scratch with minimal waste. Liberal assumes more convenience foods, name brands, and less price-consciousness. Most middle-income families land between Low-Cost and Moderate in practice.
Why do teenagers cost more to feed than adults in some models?
Teen boys in particular have higher caloric needs than the average adult during growth spurts, and USDA data reflects that a 16-year-old often eats more than a sedentary adult. If your teen has a smaller appetite, adjust the tier down manually.
Does this include household supplies like paper towels or cleaning products?
No, this is food-only, matching USDA methodology. Add a separate household supplies budget of roughly $40-80/month depending on household size if you want an all-in grocery-trip total.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Family Grocery Budget Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/family-grocery-budget
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/family-grocery-budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Family Grocery Budget Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Family Grocery Budget Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/family-grocery-budget) (2026).