Meal plans · 7 min read
Feeding four dinners for about $70
What the number actually includes, what it doesn’t, and where mums quietly go over.
Dinners only — say it out loud
The plan on this site is seven dinners for four people, using this week’s specials. Breakfast, lunch, milk and snacks live in a different column.
A realistic all-in grocery number for a family of four in 2026 is often $250–$400 a week depending on city and ages. Beating that starts with dinners, because dinners are where Uber Eats sneaks in.
The overage traps
Fresh berries, branded snacks, and “just grabbing” cheese. Those three lines blow more budgets than steak.
If you want a treat, budget it. A $7 bakery loaf you planned for is not the same as a $7 loaf you didn’t.