The percentage of income spent on groceries varies by income level.
American's biggest expense is housing, and for the lowest-income households, food typically makes up the second-largest expense. The bottom 20 percent of earners spend an average of 12 percent of their annual income on food, the middle level earners spend an average of 9 percent of their income on food, and the higher income level earners spend an average of six percent of their annual income on food.
Different Levels of Spending
The United States Department of Agriculture differentiates between four different levels of grocery spending for American individuals and families. The levels are categorized into four plans: the thrifty plan, the low-cost plan, the moderate plan and the liberal plan.
Grocery Cost Differences Based on Gender
On average, more is spent on groceries for males than females. For example, the average amount spent on groceries per week in January 2011 for teens ages 14 to 18 on the thrifty plan was $37.10 for males and $35.40 for females. The differences are even more pronounced on the liberal plan, with the average weekly expenditure for males aged 14 to 18 being $74.90 and for females in the same age bracket being $65.80.
Differences in Grocery Costs Based on Age
The average amount spent on groceries each week in January of 2011 for a one-year old child was $20.40 on the thrifty plan, $27,30 on the low-cost plan, $31.30 on the moderate plan and $37.90 on the liberal plan. In contrast, the average weekly cost of groceries in January 2011 for males aged 19-50 was $39.80 for the thrifty plan, $57.30 for the low-cost plan, $64.00 for the moderate plan and $78.40 for the liberal plan.
The average amount of money spent on groceries drops for those who are aged 71 and older. Men age 71 and over spend on average a weekly amount of $36.40 on the thrifty plan, $47,80 on the low-cost plan, $59.60 on the moderate plan and $73.10 on the liberal plan.
Cost for a Family of Four
Since the average cost of groceries depends on many factors such as age and gender, the average cost of groceries for a family of four varies. For the sake of example, consider the average weekly cost of groceries for a family of four, with a mother and father who are both between 19 and 50 years of age, an 11-year-old son and a 14-year-old daughter.
The average amount spent on groceries each week for such a family would add up to $144.30 on the thrifty plan, $183.80 on the low-cost plan, $228.70 on the moderate plan and $279.60 on the liberal plan.
Tags: liberal plan, spent groceries, thrifty plan, low-cost plan, low-cost plan moderate, moderate plan, moderate plan liberal