Why You Can Afford to Eat at Home

Especially televised pros like Rachel Ray has a job that also happens to be a passion of hers as well. People saying that people like Rachel Ray should go to an office and work long hours are just jealous that she is doing something she loves rather than getting paid to sit in an office and doing something she doesn't like that much.

Anyways, back to the point. People don't need all those lavish items to have a great dinner at home. If people could take the time to go home instead of staying that extra hour or two in the office, they would realize how much cheaper it is. Following directions on a recipe isn't that hard to do. I think most supervisors would respect you more if you didn't stay late and left work on time to make time for yourself in the evening because it may send the message that you respect yourself enough to take of yourself. I would imagine any supervisor wouldn't want "damaged" goods or whatever they might call it when you're sick. Maybe I'm wrong, who knows. All I know is that I will respect all my faculty more when I become a leader if they went home on time rather than late and was ill all the time.

Adam of AZ 6:26PM May 30, 2008

For more tips on saving:

http://www.iampb.org/press/Anatomy_Food_Cost_Savings.pdf

Meal prep stores help consumers with food costs; provide dinnertime “diversity,” and healthy options

Oak Creek, Wisconsin (May 7, 2008)– The International Association of Meal Prep Businesses (IAMPB) today released results from an international customer survey. The survey of more than 1,800 customers from 23 states and Canada found that the majority of respondents enjoy greater diversity in the meals they eat at home, while spending less time and money grocery shopping, less time preparing meals at home, and eating out less. For a service that is often perceived as a luxury, it is notable that most customers are spending the same or less on their overall food budgets

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Forty eight percent of respondents report a decrease in their monthly grocery bill, while another 46 percent report no change in their bill but now provide healthier, home-cooked meals.

The meal assembly industry has evolved from last year’s “hot trend” to taking its place as an essential approach to dinnertime for tens of thousands of customers across the country. While the core concept of customer do-it-yourself assembly still remains, stores have added on additional convenience services such as retail sale of assembled meals, delivery and more in hopes of expanding their customer base. Though, 76 percent of respondents report that they choose to come into the store and assemble meals themselves. And customer feedback indicates that for a growing legion of customers meal prep is more than just a passing fad.

Economic Benefits & Beyond

Interestingly, customers don’t look to meal assembly for the economic benefit; rather they’re drawn by the overall value proposition that meal assembly has to offer. Survey respondents, identified the following primary benefits of meal assembly:

• 76% - minimized time and effort spent planning, shopping and preparing meals;

• 70% - more diversity in home cooked meals; and

• 59% - eating healthier or less processed foods Other key benefits cited included: eating out or take out less frequently, less time spent grocery shopping, making cooking enjoyable, less stress and spending more time with family.

Fifty eight percent of customers who use these stores report that they spend less time grocery shopping. While 79 percent report spending less time cooking their meals at home. When asked to quantify the timesavings, they reported spending 22.5 fewer minutes cooking meals prepared at a meal assembly store. These figures don’t take into account time saved planning meals and simplified clean up.

..."Apply your “hourly rate” to the time savings achieved – minimized time spent grocery shopping, prep work, and cooking- and then factor in the substantial reduction in wasted food and it all adds up to a good deal.”

Original release:http://www.iampb.org/press/Survey_Press_Release_05_07_08.pdf

JCrowder of VA 10:33PM May 12, 2008

I am working at a very popular .com company that most of you buy from. The problem is that I work 6 to 4:30 am or 6 to 6 depending on if its peak season for buying. I used to love cooking, but when and what can I cook when I can barely open my eyes an hour before going back to work?? My hubby would be happier if I were cooking since he is a diabetic.....even though I am dearly grateful for this job, paying all the bills in this terrible economy might be paying an even larger price for us both. Any easy recipes???

graveyard girl of NV 7:48PM April 25, 2008

Me and my husband like the home food. I prepare everything in home and even my daughter loves it too. Even evening snacks i will prepare, i learnt lot of variety snacks . We never go for resturants, monthly twice we will have French fries out as i can't prepare them. By this we saved lot, we have very less grocery expense per month i think max $250 for 3 of us.

So, i prefer cooking in home. It's healthy, cheap and above all we love it.

Love to cook of NY 7:29PM April 23, 2008