A grocery budget works best when it is your own number. Here are illustrative ranges to start with, how to find your real figure, and five practical ways to bring the supermarket bill down.
Written by Alex BPublished 13 November 2026
Money Detective is built around practical household money tools for Australians.
A reasonable grocery budget is the one that matches what your household really buys. As a starting point to test, the illustrative ranges below are about $100 to $140 a week for one adult, $160 to $240 for a couple and $240 to $360 for a family of four. They are planning ranges and not official averages. The better number is yours: add up three months of supermarket spending, take out anything that is not groceries, and divide.
| Household | Per week | Per fortnight |
|---|---|---|
| One adult | $100 to $140 | $200 to $280 |
| Couple | $160 to $240 | $320 to $480 |
| Family of four (two adults, two kids) | $240 to $360 | $480 to $720 |
Invented ranges for planning only. Your location, ages of children, dietary needs and where you shop all change the real figure.
If everything from the supermarket goes into one number, it is hard to see what the food costs. Track these separately:
Everything else, the food you cook and eat at home, is your grocery budget.
| Step | Amount |
|---|---|
| Supermarket spending, 3 months | $5,200 |
| Less cleaning, toiletries and pharmacy | $640 |
| Groceries, 3 months | $4,560 |
| Per week ($4,560 ÷ 13) | $350.77 |
| Per fortnight | $701.54 |
This family of four now knows its real grocery figure is about $350 a week. It sits at the top of the illustrative range, so it can decide whether to aim to bring it down or accept it. The meal planning guide shows a weekly method for bringing it down.
When groceries and eating out share a line, a cheap supermarket shop can hide an expensive week of takeaway. Give each its own amount and compare them with what you spent each pay. The budget vs actual guide shows how to read the gap.
The Free Fortnightly Budget has 23 categories where you enter planned and actual amounts for each pay, including groceries.
A done-for-you shortcut: Fortnightly Budget Plus lets you set an amount for groceries and another for eating out, then compare each with your actual spending on a budget vs actual tab. You can also paste in transactions from your bank statement and let it sort them into categories. It is an Excel workbook and nothing connects to your bank. For the whole household, see how to build a household budget.
Start with an illustrative range for your household, then replace it with your own figure from three months of statements.
It helps to separate them. Groceries are a need, and takeaway is usually a want.
It depends on your household. A fortnightly shop is fewer trips, but fresh food may need a top-up. Try both for a pay and compare the totals.
This article provides general information only. It does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs, and it is not financial advice. Examples use invented figures. Money Detective's tools provide estimates and planning information. Consider your own circumstances, and seek independent advice if you need it, before making financial decisions.