‘Big Family, Big City’: The De La Mottes Spend $900 a Week on Groceries

Think your family’s grocery bill is high? Just look at the monthly tab for the De La Motte family.

The musically inclined clan is making their TLC debut on Feb. 25 in Big Family, Big City. In a clip from the 1-hour special, mom Amber De La Motte opens up about what it takes to feed her family of 13. 

The De La Motte’s grocery bill is nearly $4,000 per month 

Amber and her husband Mark De La Motte have moved themselves and their 11 kids from California to New York City so that their talented children can train as elite musicians. But they might not have been prepared for the cost of raising a large family in one of the most expensive cities in the world. 

Even before they relocated to Manhattan, meal planning was a challenge for the De La Mottes. 

“We have 11 kids to feed. You can’t just [be like], ‘Hey what are we making for dinner? Let’s look in the cupboard.’ You have to really plan that out,” she says in a clip from the special shared on TLC’s Instagram. 

“Even with all the careful planning, a trip to the grocery store can be $900. And that’s every week,” she adds. 

The ‘Big Family, Big City’ stars do a lot of shopping at Costco

The family’s costs have skyrocketed in their new city, Amber admits. 

“Back in San Diego, it was closer to $300 or $400,” she says. 

“It makes me sick just thinking about it,” Matt says. 

Sometimes, the De La Mottes struggle to make the numbers work. 

“There have been times when our bank card has been denied and we have to, like, shimmy things around or use different cards. Cause we need the food,” Amber confesses. 

On her personal Instagram, Amber often shares more details about shopping and cooking for a big family. She does a once-a-month grocery haul at a Costco in Manhattan, as she explained in a September 2024 video, supplementing with additional items from stores as needed. 

On that trip, she filled four carts with collagen peptide proteins, chicken stock, mayonnaise, tuna, olive oil, dried beans, maple syrup, coffee, ground beef, peanut butter, cereal, various varieties of canned tomatoes, and other staples, as well as a few non-food items, such as laundry detergent, diapers, and deodorant. 

The final total for that trip came to $1,788. But Amber noted that the shopping wasn’t done, and she planned a run to Trader Joe’s the next day. They also supplement with a few items from their garden, she said in an October 2024 video. 

While Amber and Matt cook a lot at home, they do sometimes eat out. But even a quick fast food run isn’t cheap. A trip to McDonald’s for the whole gang will set them back more than $100, Amber has shared.

Big Family, Big City airs Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 10 p.m. ET on TLC. 

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