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When you make out your grocery list, you probably have meal preparation in mind. It's doubtful you're thinking in pie-chart terms, with expenditures by category. On the other hand, the Food Marketing Institute is very interested in analyzing how shoppers are spending their grocery dollars. According to statistics prepared by Progressive Grocer and posted on the institute's website (www.fmi.org), roughly half the money spent by customers goes toward perishable items, such as meats, produce, and dairy products, and about 8 percent is used for nonfood grocery products, such as soap, detergent, and paper goods. The breakdown of a typical $100 purchase:

Perishables $50.10
All other grocery food $11.30
Beverages $8.26
Nonfood grocery $7.94
Main meal items $6.84
Snack foods $4.42
General merchandise $4.38
Health & beauty care $3.58
Pharmacy $3.18