Why You Can Afford to Eat at Home

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I'm single. To have a tossed salad and maybe a pasta dish for dinner.. I would have to spend a lot to get all the ingredients. Plus fresh fruits and veggies rot if I can't you them right away... so can't buy too much ahead of time. Plus to get any variety cheaper to eat out. I tend to eat more, too .. if I cook at home.

Lisa of MO 4:19PM April 23, 2008

If I cook at home, I know what is in it . I can cook whatever I want to eat and I can make it my way. It certainly saves me money. It also gives me a satisfaction of making it myself. My kids also like to eat whatever I cook. We go out for dinner once a week, but being a vegetarian, we don't have much choices in restaurants. Cooking home can give us more choices and more delitious food.

Vaishali Shah of MN 4:13PM April 23, 2008

If you live alone and cook for one, it's cheaper to get take out. A large pizza will run you about 10 to 15 dollars delivered with tip and normally lasts me about 3 meals. With the portions at most takeout places you can get a few meals out them without the food going bad. Where as cooking for a single person, you are either going to the store several times a week, dealing with freezer burn or throwing away spoiled food. Larger famiies it's easier to save cooking at home.

John of MA 4:02PM April 23, 2008

I cook at home always. I keep a window sill garden of my favorite herbs and even dry the excess to give to friends. Every recipe made in a retarauant can be duplicated at home if your palate is delicate enough to discern the different flavors you enjoy. You will also have the pleasure of making it yourself, the leftovers, and ossibly family time. This does not even mention the money and time you have by not driving to and from and tips for waiting staff.

RANDY S of SD 3:32PM April 23, 2008

When our 4 kids were younger, each one would ask "what's for supper"? Instead of repeating the same thing 4 times every day, I started posting a weekly menu.
I made my grocery list from the menu and little did I know how much money
I would be saving on the grocery bill! The key is to shop for what you need not walk up and down every isle and toss things in the shopping cart.
My kids are grown and on their own with their own little ones, and my daughters have carried on the tradition. You can most certainly home cook more for $20 than you can get eating out!

BRENDA of KS 3:26PM April 23, 2008

I don't really like to cook. But being a mother of 4 children and also being an at home mom I learned many ways to save money and provide delicious and nutrious meals. My children are grown now. It is just my husband and me. It is much easier to go out to eat. BUT! Wow is it expensive and unhealthy. We have decided that it is poor use of our money. If I cook we can help others around the world be able to eat. We only send a portion of what we would have spent on eating out and still have some money leftover. By the way, we did not eat any place extravagent when we were eating out, but at an average of $20 for dinner for both of us that adds up quick. Something to think about anyway. Don't believe everything you read.

Brenda of IL 12:34PM April 23, 2008

My husband & I are launching a new business and keeping our personal costs down as much as possible. A BIG part of this is making lots of soups & stews at home. They are delicious, cheap, healthy, I know what is in them, and as a bonus I have lost about 6 lbs in the last month without even trying! We use good quality ingredients, not cheaping out in any way, and our food budged is down by 30-40%.
And we still eat out lunch or breakfast once or twice per week.
No way is restaurant eating cheaper that making it yourself! I live in Canada, but that means our food is pretty expensive, especially in the winter. Still a bargain!

Michelle from Oakville Ontario 4:27PM March 04, 2008

Yikes, Chilly. That is expensive. And those prices sound pretty similar to other cities, too... but if you really enjoyed the soup and enjoyed making it, then maybe it was worth it. With some ingredient-heavy dishes though, I see how it could be a close call.

Kimberly Palmer of 9:44PM March 03, 2008

This could be relative, depending on where you are shopping and what you want when you go out to eat. I live in Manhattan where groceries are commonly priced out of the ball park. Take for example today. I went to the store, I bought a pound and a half of chicken at $6.73, I bought a packet of Thom Kai Gai soup mix at $2.46, one bell pepper at $1 (!?), a bunch of cilantro at $2, a small jalapeno pepper at 69 cents, ginger at 30 cents, a fistful of green beans at 70 cents, one container of chicken stock at $1.30 and one grapefruit for dessert for $2. Total: $17.18. Now I was really hell bent on having this soup for dinner but had I gone "out to eat" I could have eaten a Chinese main entree with two sides for $7. or I could have a sandwich from the deli with a drink and chips for $6. I could have this exact same soup at the local Thai place for $4. I could have had just about anything from one of the many local restaurants in my area for much cheaper. I do realize that I have and extra portion for later but still (I like it a certain way) I could have gotten an extra portion and still came out ahead. So see, it's all relative. You don't have to go to a fancy restaurant to go "out to eat".

Chilly of NY 7:35PM March 03, 2008

"it would be more lucrative to instead spend the time working longer hours" implies that professionals are on a totally hourly pay rate, which isn't always so. Anyway, they will be far more effective at what they do if they slow down and enjoy some family time! After all, isn't that what work is for? To make it possible to have good times with their families?

Helen Eby of OR 5:40PM March 03, 2008