Comments on: Cook at home, you lazy bastard

By: maggie

maggie — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:58:12 +0000

Ten Lean Cuisine spaghetti with meat sauce @ $2.39 =$23.90; sometimes on sale for $1.99 = $19.90.
versus
3 1 lb boxes of pasta @ .59 = $1.77
3 jars sauce @ $1.69 = $5.07
fresh mushrooms @ $3.00
1 lb ground beef $3.00
Total $12.84
Okay, I’m gonna try it this month. Gonna miss my lean cusines though.

By: Barbara Saunders

Barbara Saunders — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 18:04:38 +0000

I think this one is a little more complicated than it seems. First, some food goes bad. So, I’ve got to spend a lot of time shopping, i.e., going to the grocery store twice a week to get veggies as opposed to getting fresh veggies at a meal eaten out. Ditto sandwich meats. A half sandwich with meat, cheese, and added veggies (fresh tomato, lettuce) at the deli near my office costs $2.99. A whole sandwich that lasts two meals costs $5.99

I don’t think I could beat that if you account for spoilage and time spent shopping – let alone labor. Like others have mentioned, the only way I’ve saved money is by eating a lot more processed foods with a lot less variety. Two possible factors: I think this might change if I were cooking/eating with a family rather than as a single.

Second, eating out is serving a lot of different purposes — entertainment, relaxation, people-watching.

That said, the one thing I can never bring myself to buy out is tea! The reality that it’s just water and $0.25 worth of plant materials, and that there is NO difference in quality in what I can get out from what I can make (as opposed to, say, pizza!)

By: Pamela Grundy

Pamela Grundy — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 23:24:19 +0000

So true! recently I realized that the two sugarless iced teas and bag 2 ounce bag of crackers I buy from the vending machine at work each day cost me $20 a week. Bring my own tea made in a plastic half gallon container and an apple costs about $1.35 each week. That’s $1040 versus $71. When I realized how stupid and expensive that ‘convenience’ was I quit doing that immediately! $1040 a year to drink tea at work! Good lord!

By: Rachel

Rachel — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 21:11:51 +0000

If you buy your food at a grocery store you will most likely save money; but you have to put *thought* behind it. Many prepared dinners available at grocery stores, like rotisserie chicken, are almost as expensive as a meal out. Another option (and the cheapest one) is to buy uncooked chicken (preferably on sale) and prepare it yourself. In general, eating in is considerably less expensive than eating out.

With this…like other lifestyle changes…It’s best to take it slow. Maybe start eating in a few times a week. Oatmeal or Cereal may be fine for some people…but most people would get bored of this and then opt to make meals with more variety.

By: Kevin Ho

Kevin Ho — Mon, 26 May 2008 19:56:11 +0000

this is so true. SO true.

By: Xylene

Xylene — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:53:46 +0000

I have to agree with the posters who point out that a 90% savings on dining in is just not realistic.

Basic home economics and portion accounting shows that the cost reduction is no where near that high on any apples to apples comparison.

In my experience creating restaurant grade meals at home is more costly per portion than at the restaurant, excluding any value for my labor. Why? ECONOMY OF SCALE. I just don’t buy 500 lbs of tomatoes each week.

The only way to make dining in a money saver remotely close to the degree suggested while eating healthy (not just ramens) is eat small portions and very plainly. Forget meat, sauces and condiments.

The point about beverages is true at home and dining out. The jack your per meal costs, but a free refills restaurant is a lot less than dining in beverages… (I am a soda junky)

Drink tap water. Healthy and low cost.

By: BML

BML — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 20:56:02 +0000

Something that is easy and smells so good is to saute fresh garlic in some olive oil and a bit of butter. (Hint — smack each garlic clove with the flat of your knife to help get the skin off).

Boil up some pasta (egg noodles are quick), pour the olive oil/butter/garlic over the cooked noodles and maybe sprinkle some dried basil (or chop up fresh — even better!)…

And you’ve got a tasty, easy, pretty quick meal.

By: Friedsweet

Friedsweet — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:12:47 +0000

Cooking healthy meals at homeis the best gift that you can give to yourself and your family. Eating out is fine once in a while, but cooking your foods at home is the best. If you are concerned about your health, then you need to start eating healthy at home. When you eat out, do you know what is really in the foods you are consumming? If you need to watch your sugar, salt and fat intake, how do you know how much is in the foods you’re eating at fast food stores or restaurants? Keep in mind that they may add ingredients just to make the foods taste good. Cooking at home is not hard. All you have to do is plan it and you’ll not only be healthier you will also save money.

By: the chosen one

the chosen one — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 18:19:59 +0000

lol @ loop telling people stuck in the house that they have to cook, I don’t have to do any cooking loop, I have being surviving off cereal and crisps since I was a kid and now I am 21, and still doing fine with no problems, and I am pretty skinny as well.

Cereal and 24 packs of crisps aren’t really expensive, obviously this kind of eating isn’t for everyone since some people like different varieties of food, but with me I just like different varieties of crisps, as for drinking, I just like to drink water or pure orange juice, I avoid sugar at all costs.

The most cooking you are going to get out of me is a pot noodle haha.

By: chris

chris — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 01:00:07 +0000

This is funny. I eat at chipotle or subway for dinner and usually eat at the corner vendor for a great chicken sub for lunch at work.

dinner:
chipotle buritto bowl (tomato,blackbeans,rice,chicken,dab of cream,lettus) = $5.40/day
Subway(6″ with double meat) = ~$5/day

lunch:
vendor (chicken sub, cheese,onions) = $4/day

$9.40 * (365 – 30) = $3149/year or $265/month

still alot, but i think i can live with it, without having to deal with the time it takes to cook. The trick is to bring your own drinks that you bought from your local grocery store. Or fill a water bottle with water, or just order water to go. I am sure that you could get it down to $200 or even $150 by cooking yourself. The article said 1/10, so hell thats only $670/year

A good question is how much savings should there be before the benefit is worthless? Thats another part of being rich isnt it. Knowing when paying for something actually gains you more than (or maybe even equal to) doing it yourself.