How Much Do You Spend On Groceries?

[Core12]

Hi friends!
How much do you spend per week on groceries for the daycare only? How much on supplies? How many children do you watch? Are they over 2 yrs old?
Does anyone use meal apps to configure costs?
Also, has anyone researched or have a low cost meal plan that I can see?

Thanks so much!!!

[jenboo]

When i was doing daycare last year, i spent $500 a month on groceries but this was for my family of 3 plus the daycare... 9 kids under 2.

I spent $80 a month on diapers and wipes... i didn't reallly buy anything else regularly

[storybookending]

I spend an average of $40 a week on daycare foods. I serve lunch and two snacks. I keep a smaller group than a lot of people on here. I have 5 to feed currently. I don’t buy name brands. The cost of living where I am is fairly cheap in general.


As for supplies it depends. Parents supply most things.

[Blackcat31]

Hi friends!
How much do you spend per week on groceries for the daycare only?

I spend roughly $100 on groceries.
Costs are dependent on our weekly menu and the season.

How much on supplies?

Nothing really spent on supplies. I have enough supplies to outfit a couple Kindergarten classrooms...

Regular disposable supplies such as toilet paper, garbage bags and paper towels are bought in bulk so I usually buy those things every 6-8 weeks or so.

Parents supply wet wipes and diapers

How many children do you watch?

I have 14 children enrolled.
10 full time and 4 part timers
Ages 20 months to 5 years old

Are they over 2 yrs old?

I have 2 children under age 2.
One of which will be 2 at the end of April and the other will turn 2 in July.

Does anyone use meal apps to configure costs?
Also, has anyone researched or have a low cost meal plan that I can see?
Thanks so much!!!

No, nope meal planner app.
I stick to the basics and tweak my menus according to my current group. I don't think I spend all that much on groceries and I am pretty savvy with buying what is on sale or what is in season so cutting costs in that area has never been something I've looked too deeply into.

[Country Kids]

I roughly spend $100 a week on groceries.

Supplies are bought as needed.

I have no kiddo's under 2.

[Country Kids]

When i was doing daycare last year, i spent $500 a month on groceries but this was for my family of 3 plus the daycare... 9 kids under 2.

I spent $80 a month on diapers and wipes... i didn't reallly buy anything else regularly

You were allowed to have 9 kiddo's under 2!?

[hwichlaz]

I’m not sure, because I don’t separate. But I spend about $225 per week right now, including paper goods and cleaning products. For 7 daycare children, my own 8 and 18 year old kids, and two adults.

Food program sends me about 550-600 per month.

[DaveA]

I usually spend between $100-$150 a week on groceries. Supplies tend to bought “as needed”, but I would SWAG it out at $20-$30 a week.

[HappyEverAfter]

I only have one child that I provide food for and so I dont spend much at all. Average is $15 per week for food for her. That covers 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 10 snacks. All my others are under the age of 1 so I require the parents provide all food/formula for them. I dont use a meal planner app, just make it up as I go along. An example of what I feed her: breakfast today was mixed fruit, a small waffle and juice. Lunch was bunless hot dog, beans, apples and milk. Snack was cheese and crackers this morning and will be peanut butter on celery sticks this afternoon. I’ve adapted to cooking for just one kid by breaking down large packages of food and freezing individual servings of things so they don’t go to waste before I get a chance to cook them.
As for supplies, parents provide wipes and diapers and I provide everything else. Things like paper towels and trash bags are bought in bulk at wholesale prices. I get any other supplies like construction paper, watercolors, books at places like dollar tree to help keep costs down.
I keep a total of 4 kids: 20mths, 11mths, 10mths, and 5mths.

[jenboo]

You were allowed to have 9 kiddo's under 2!?

10 under 2 but one is my own...with an assistant. Before I expanded, I had 5 under 2 on my own.

[Country Kids]

10 under 2 but one is my own...with an assistant. Before I expanded, I had 5 under 2 on my own.

Wow!! We can only have four under two with an assistant and by ourselves we can only have 2. I can't imagine that many little ones together! Baby whisperer you must be happyfacehappyfacehappyface

[Josiegirl]

I don't know how some of you manage to keep costs so low? I must be a horrible shopper.
Yesterday I spent about 90, 5 dcks and myself. That includes all cleansers and paper products. And I'll probably hit the store again to make sure I have enough produce to make it through the week.

[hwichlaz]

I don't know how some of you manage to keep costs so low? I must be a horrible shopper.
Yesterday I spent about 90, 5 dcks and myself. That includes all cleansers and paper products. And I'll probably hit the store again to make sure I have enough produce to make it through the week.

They live in the land of cheap grocery stores.

I have a Safeway and a small independently owned store. That is it. I have to travel about an hour and a half over mountainous terrain if I want cheap groceries.

[BrynleeJean]

I think it worked way better when i was feeding daycare kids actually! haha! ::
when i was feeding 6 kids under 5 and over 18 months, AND my husband and myself, my groceries/supply budget per week was about $100.
now that i don't feed the daycare kids and i only feed my husband and my 2 year old and me i still struggle around $100 a week for groceries!! go figure :roll eyes:
maybe its because we had a very basic meal plan every day and left overs were ALWAYS consumed so there was no waste. now theres so much waste and the family wants "variety"
meal prep is tedious work so i stopped but enjoy it while you can, i got reimbursed only for the kids i cared for not even my own son but it supplied sooo much income! good luck!

[Jamie]

I have 4 DCKs, occasionally 5. Alle 2 and younger.
I spend no more than 70 $ a week on groceries for our AM snack, lunch and PM snack. Being infants and toddlers, they prefer simpler foods, and much of what we eat is homemade. I buy mostly organic.