Money saved by cooking (or not)

[Anonymous]

We don't save much money by cooking. If we cook, it's usually fresh veggies and meat, which can be expensive. If we get takeout, it's usually something inexpensive like salads from Cava (<$25) or occasional kabobs/thai food (<$40, but usually lasts for atleast two dinners). It's the two of us plus a toddler. Toddler usually shares from one of our dishes. As we add on more kids and the kids get older, I imagine the cost savings would be worth it. But right now, it isn't it.

We still cook at home several times a week, but it's not driven by cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess it depends on what you're getting for take out. We tend to order from more expensive places so a take out order could be $50 (for 3-4 people). There's no way that buying raw ingredients would cost $50.

We do take out a lot but try to keep it under 25/meal.

+1. When I do cook, I feel like its a thankless job and no one wants to help clean up. No thanks.

I care more about what I put in my body. And who cares what no one wants to do. We clean up after ourselves. It's a basic life skill.

This. Cheap carry out and just about all dining out is full of crap. We only eat out on special occasions at places thay we couldn't cook thr food ourselves even if we wanted to. Usually we eat ethnoc cuisine. Plus, i love cooking and have a great kitchen.

In the process, it keeps us thin and we don't waste money.

[Anonymous]

Oh, I'm sure prepared food from TJs would be FAR cheaper!
How much are the meals? Like $6-$10?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a small family - only 3 - so we don't really save that much by cooking honestly. Sometimes it is cheaper for us to get take out and then spread out left overs for a couple days

Is there a reason why you don't have leftovers when you cook? Leftovers are great for us to take for lunches

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, I'm sure prepared food from TJs would be FAR cheaper!
How much are the meals? Like $6-$10?

You think 6 to $10 a meal is cheaper than what you can buy the grocery store cooked from scratch?

[Anonymous]

Guys... you use left over ingredients in other meals and recipes. It's not wasted. You just meal plan better or throw it into a stock pot bag in the freezer.

[Anonymous]

Tons. I can't wrap my head around all the people saying otherwise. I can make a good home cooked meal for DH and I with $5(ish) worth of food. Prepared meals are at least double that, takeout is waaaay more. Plus you freeze leftover scraps or use them in another recipe. It's not hard.

[Anonymous]

We don't eat particularly complicated food when we cook at home, and we tend toward more expensive foods when we eat out. So while I haven't done the math, I'm pretty sure cooking at home is cheaper.

Here, let me try: Tonight we're having thai yellow curry chicken. I'm guessing $10 on organic chicken, $4 on cans of coconut milk, and maybe $10 on assorted veggies that go into it? And I don't know, $1 worth of rice? So $25 is probably less than what we would spend at a thai restaurant, since it's unlikely we'd eat only one dish there. But if we were to eat only what we cooked, thai restaurant would be same or even cheaper (with lower quality ingredients).

IMHO, the savings come not because dishes are cheaper to make at home but because you tend to eat less. In general, though, we eat at home because it's healthier. I think prepared frozen meals from TJ's are probably just as cost-effective, honestly.

[Anonymous]

^^PP, the above will last through dinner and a couple leftover lunches, I'm guessing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cooking is cheaper if you stock your fridge and pantry well. I don't like to meal plan, I just stock up on what's on sale. I only buy halal meat (my butcher is a 30-min drive away), so I go once every month or two and stock up. I buy fruits and veg based on what is on sale each week.

On days I have time to cook, I can mentally plan the meal based on the ingredients I know I have in the pantry. Lately I've been on a kick to save money, so I'm really stretching my creativity with what I have on hand.

This.

I use Google Express to have staples delivered from Costco (large quantities of quinoa, oatmeal, brown rice, and other shelf stable items). I grocery shop a few times a week and when something is on sale, I stock up on it and store it accordingly. I find I'm less likely to cave in and order takeout or spend a premium for a mediocre restaurant meal if the freezer is stocked with something easy to make or reheat (frozen leftovers, lasagna, and pizza, for example). We save money and waste less food by planning ahead. Mr. Money Mustache and Frugalwoods helped me with this.

http://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2012/03/29/killing-your-1000-grocery-bill/
http://www.frugalwoods.com/2017/01/18/our-complete-guide-to-frugal-healthy-eating/

Ha, we apparently just naturally follow Mr. Money Mustache's approach, though I don't consider myself particularly frugal. Aside from more expensive cuts of meat (chicken and ground turkey are pretty much the only things everyone in our house will eat), what else are people buying that's so expensive?

[Anonymous]

Family of 4 eaters here (plus baby). We save more at home. But I do know some meals out that cost less than home cooked. I just wouldn't want to eat them all the time.

Even a $13-18 roast + pantry ingredients to make a sauce + 4 red potatoes + 2 fresh carrots would come out to about $22 and would feed us for 2 meals.

An $11 meal out for our whole family is hard to actually make happen. and not healthy enough to eat more than once a month. Taco Bell / zaxbys / chick fil a just nuggets and fries / one large takeout pizza.

[Anonymous]

Family of 6--2 teenagers and 2 elem. Going out is 5 adult meals-- the elem kids split one. The bill for salad, entree, dessert, tax and tip is usually $100+ for something silly like eggplant parm. Constrast that with me making it at home. Salad for 6 is about $10. I add chicken to the teen salad to bulk it up. Eggplant is in abundance at the moment. Let's say $10 for 5 or 6 eggplants. Cheese I buy in quantity when on sale--same for breadcrumbs, sauce, and pasta. Let's say another $10 for 2lbs pasta, sauce and cheese.

Ice cream for dessert --1/2 gallon--$6

So let's say $35 (and that is generous) for me to make the same meal that would cost $100 going out. Oh and then I have leftovers for the teens second dinner. Multiple a $65 saving by 7 days and all of a sudden we're talking real money.

Kids have to help cook and clean. These are skills that they will need as adults. How many times are there threads on here where someone says they don't know how to cook. They don't know how to cook because no one taught them.

[Anonymous]

np, just reading the post.

Adding to the eggplant parm pp above, eating at home can also take away the soda temptation too.

I know you can turn it down and just order water, but the opportunity is there. And if you happen to drink soda at home anyway, at least it's $1-2 for everyone. instead of minimum 2.50/person who orders it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Family of 6--2 teenagers and 2 elem. Going out is 5 adult meals-- the elem kids split one. The bill for salad, entree, dessert, tax and tip is usually $100+ for something silly like eggplant parm. Constrast that with me making it at home. Salad for 6 is about $10. I add chicken to the teen salad to bulk it up. Eggplant is in abundance at the moment. Let's say $10 for 5 or 6 eggplants. Cheese I buy in quantity when on sale--same for breadcrumbs, sauce, and pasta. Let's say another $10 for 2lbs pasta, sauce and cheese.

Ice cream for dessert --1/2 gallon--$6

So let's say $35 (and that is generous) for me to make the same meal that would cost $100 going out. Oh and then I have leftovers for the teens second dinner. Multiple a $65 saving by 7 days and all of a sudden we're talking real money.

Kids have to help cook and clean. These are skills that they will need as adults. How many times are there threads on here where someone says they don't know how to cook. They don't know how to cook because no one taught them.

This. I have no idea why people are thinking it isn't cheaper to eat at home or it is comparable. Perhaps those people are shopping organic, buying more expensively prepared foods (pre-chopped onions, for example), or going to more expensive stores than I am. I go to cheaper stores and I make an effort to keep costs down. Most times I have food in the freezer or pantry I can use on the fly.

[Anonymous]

I really don't understand the number of people claiming take out is cheaper. It's simply not true. It's not hard to make a decent, healthy meal, that will provide leftovers for lunch. Heck, compare just making french toast to buying frozen at Trader Joes, home made is way cheaper. Sure, frozen shrimp stir fry is pretty cheap, but it's a light meal and there certainly aren't any leftovers.

Folks - learn to cook, it's o e of the best things you can do for your family!