Okay, so we've had threads about cost of living; cheaper than UK or not and huge variations on what people say they spend on food.

At the risk of being boring let's try to be more specific and cost some typical meals.

Here are a few of our dinners and total cost for FOUR.

Supermarket Meat Pie ($2), spud (70c) and mixed veg (70c) = $3.40
Chicken Portion ($3) Roast spuds (70c) fresh veg ($2.50) & gravy = $6.20
Steak ($5.50) & Chips (70c) = $6.20
Pork chop ($4.50) Rice (80c) Mushroom sauce (60c) = $5.90
Chicken Alfredo. Chicken breast ($2.50) Pasta (80c) sauce ingreds ($2) = $5.30
Our own recipe - salmon and shrimp, 'secret' sauce & rice = $6.00
Our own recipe - chicken breast, secret sauce & rice or pasta = $4.00
Hamburgers ($2) Rolls ($1.20) The 'works' ($1) chips (70c) = $4.90
Chicken casserole -chicken ($2.50) spud (70c) other ingreds ($3) = $6.20
Pollock ($2) spud (70c) mixed veg (70c) = $3.40
Lemon Sole ($2.50) salad ($1.50) garlic bread rolls (80c) = $4.80

The rice and pasta dishes always have leftovers and they become lunches over the next couple of days. Leftover spuds become next days breakfast; diced and fried with eggs.

I vary things - replace a plate of veggies with cauliflower cheese etc rice dishes can be Chow Mein, sweet & sour, curries.....

Our meals are ranging between $3.40 and $6.20. When my wife does her spagbol sauce, each meal for four comes to around $2.

We do treat ourselves but in the main, meals for four are costing between $3 and $6....or £1.50 and £3.

Anyone else want to give any examples?

Beanz on toast.....50c a head

Strangely, it's the Canadians in my family that don't like that.

Tonight's dinner for two is veal. That's ten bucks on meat alone. Add in the cream, asparagus etc and a bottle of wine, and you're looking at about $30. That is fairly typical for us but I suspect that we are not normal. A recent monthly visa statement shows grocery bills totalling $1163.49 and a cheek-reddeningly high bill from the SAQ.

I'd say that's not dissimilar to us. Not sure how the OP can buy steak for 4 people and only spend $5.50, or or how one $2.50 chicken breast can feed 4 either.

Guess I'm a greedy guts

I suspect you're still going to get huge, meaningless variations.

I have never actually costed our meals. I might do it over the next week because it would be quite interesting. My only problem is that we tend to eat a lot of meat out of the freezer that I buy in bulk so I have absolutely NO idea how much it cost now!

If it is any guide though, our weekly shopping bill tends to be around $150 for two adults and 4 children

We're not greedy either but we do like good food. We'll spend as much on a loaf as the OP spends on a meal. We don't eat out much. Few restaurants in these parts serve food as good as she cooks. When we do go, we never order the same dishes as each other. If we find one we like, we analyse the recipe and she re-creates it at home, usually improving it.

As I say, we're not normal. Good food has a high priority in our house.

You're not alone (in pondering the OP's costs or being a greedy guts). These costs must be per person surely? A $5.50 steak might feed one person but would be slim pickings for four!

In this part of the world, fresh fruit and veggies are the expensive thing. The Mrs was cock-a-hoop recently buying 4 red peppers for $2.99. Normally a single pepper is $2 or so.

Last nights supper was half a chorizo sausage, cooked in rather a nice shiraz with a jar of tomato pasta sauce and some mushrooms,served over wholewheat spaghetti. (& accompanied by the rest of the shiraz). Total cost probably around $25. For two.

That's a contradiction in terms. I'd rather drink gasoline.

'The Lackey' Shiraz. Not bad at all. I'm normally more a Cab Sauv person but one should expand one's horizons. I intend to do so more this weekend at this: http://www.nfliquor.com/events/winefest.asp

Tell me, do you prefer regular or premium gas?

I don't think that's unusual. We get beef from one farm, lamb from another, frozen baguettes at Costco, 'most everything else from the St. Lawrence Market (a 150 mile round trip). I don't know what it all costs but we choose according to what we perceive to be quality, not price. The price of food is never going to be an issue compared to the cost of wine and beer.

After chorizo sausage and red wine I'd have premium gas.

Parp.

We are Cab Sauv/Merlot folk. The spiciness of the Shiraz grape is not for us.

We are lucky here in being close to one of the few SAQ Depot stores in QC. You get a 15% discount when you buy by the case. We also split our grecoery shopping between stores that are fortunately all very close together. IGA, Metro, Loblaws and Costco all have their particular strengths and weaknesses.