Is it cheaper to eat out than cook?

[Northendzone]

No name potato chips about $1.25 a bag........

It is way cheaper to buy groceries, and to some extent you can control the salt and other stuff.....

[Milt Schmidt]

One of the best things I ever did for my grocery budget was to start cutting up raw chickens at home and using every bit. I can cook at least three meals with the breasts/drumsticks/thighs from one chicken for my girlfriend and I, freeze the wings until I have enough for a wing night, and make stock out of the rest. At $8-$10 bucks regular price for a chicken, that's a pretty cheap way to eat for half the week.

Milt

[jeffman]

Eat out because you would have to pay for dinner first

[Derek Sutton]

Originally Posted by Language

I'm guessing at least someone here has done the math on this once. I recently moved to Calgary and am living on my own. If I bought food (lunch and dinner) each day of the week, would that be much greater than if I did weekly shopping? I usually have cereal or eggs for breakfast and wouldn't eat out.

Shopping would consist of things like potatoes, rice, chicken, salmon, bread, cold cuts, pasta, vegetables, etc. I've done a rough calculation and if I spent around $10 dollars a day on lunch, and bought some sort of dinner for $10 - $20, it doesn't seem that far off from if I had to do a weekly shopping trip for all those things.

The other factor is that I like to eat relatively healthy and don't know if I'd start feeling like crap eating out all the time. I wouldn't be going to places like A&W though. Probably Tim's for lunch and maybe Subway or Shawarama plate for dinner.

Thoughts? I've thought about just buying lunch every day and making dinners but every time I look at my visa bill and look at my spending, eating out always seems like something I could cut back on, but am unsure if by shopping I'd spend the same amount. Before I do the math thought someone else would have evaluated this.

Is this a serious question? How have you made it anywhere in life without knowing this? A ten year old would be able to figure this out. And eating healthy at home, you know buying fruits and vegetables is very inexpensive! and nothing at the grocery store comes cheaper then pasta.

[sun]

When I used to have a real job and brought lunch, I actually did do the math. IIRC it was about $3.50 for two sandwiches, piece of fruit, yoghurt, granola bar x2, and can of pepsi. Don't think you can find that much food for that price eating out.

[ma-skis.com]

Breakfast is the easiest comparison i find.

dozen eggs - 3.50
loaf of bread - 2-50
2l milk 2.00
box of cereal - 5.00
total 12.50 for a week.

if i go to tims
Breakfast sandwich and coffee - 5.00 one meal.

the trick to eating at home is not making one meal at a time, but planning ahead for two or three meals so you don't throw things away. If you use half a pepper for a salad, use the other half for a stirfry etc.

That is just the time and effort most single guys don't want to do, they go to the grocery store with the intent of one meal as opposed to meal planning the whole week. If you do one meal at a time, its probably the same or close to it. But if you plan properly, eating in is much cheaper.

[SHOGUN]

My good friend is a bodybuilder... spends about $100-150 dollars a week at Costco.

[skudr248]

I also bodybuild... buy that 4kg of chicken breast at Costco like every week and a half... I eat alot of it, sooo good

[rayne008]

I'm interested in the $3 quinoa mentioned above!

[Major Major]

I'm just happy to be a part of a thread in which the term 'designer salad' was used.

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Derek Sutton

Is this a serious question? How have you made it anywhere in life without knowing this? A ten year old would be able to figure this out. And eating healthy at home, you know buying fruits and vegetables is very inexpensive! and nothing at the grocery store comes cheaper then pasta.

Wow, way to be a dick. Food is expensive in Calgary, so he's got a legitimate point. There's absolutely nothing wrong with asking the question that he did; sometimes, even at age 29, I ask myself the same thing.

Eating particularly healthy may be marginally less than buying a healthy meal somewhere. It all depends how you perceive quality of meals and where your culinary priorities lay on a day-to-day basis.

Perhaps instead of making fun of the OP, you provide some effective solutions to his questions? We can't all be perfect like you.

[Minnie]

Language, do you have any family nearby that can sort of walk you through buying and eating on a budget? It can be done and you'll eat healthier and keep more of your hard earned money in your pocket, than if you eat out all the time.

Initial outset for the basics, including spices, might be a bit of a shock, but if you build a basic pantry, and buy some stuff in bulk and utilize your freezer, you can eat pretty well at home. If you have no family near you, I'd be happy to give you a hand some weekend, and get you going.

[To Be Quite Honest]

Language, where do you live? If you're close by I'll give you a tour through the shopping center and how to cook what you've got. We can do 5 basic meals and after that you can take cooking classes.

[NBC]

Originally Posted by Language

I must not know how to shop because a 5-pack of chicken breast on its own at Safeway to last me the week on its own is about 15-20 dollars.

This is your problem. It's always has been an expensive place to shop irrespective of geography.

[bubbsy]

The only time i think eating out vs cooking comes even close is if you are a bachelor/living on your own.

That being said, it is downright impossible to maintain a truly healthy diet when eating out, unless u have the will power to stick with the salads/healthy section of menus.

[To Be Quite Honest]

Originally Posted by To Be Quite Honest

Language, where do you live? If you're close by I'll give you a tour through the shopping center and how to cook what you've got. We can do 5 basic meals and after that you can take cooking classes.

holy crap. Minnie just thanked a post I made... CP would explode if only it thought as much about myself as I thought about myself... myself...




me.

[troutman]

Denny's = your birthday = free

[malcolmk14]

Just get 364 fake ID's printed and eat every meal at a different Denny's. Free!

[valo403]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

The only time i think eating out vs cooking comes even close is if you are a bachelor/living on your own.

That being said, it is downright impossible to maintain a truly healthy diet when eating out, unless u have the will power to stick with the salads/healthy section of menus.

Not really, you just have to pick your spots. If you know you're going to be eating at a restaurant without much for healthy options you need to fit that into your overall nutrition plan, basically make it your cheat meal. You can usually find plenty of healthy options for take out, but it will take some willpower.

As to the OP's question, I ask myself the same thing frequently. One big factor is your time and ability to cook, not just culinary skills but your kitchen setup. If you have a small crappy kitchen you don't want to be in and you're pressed for time the financial differences may not matter. You can definitely save money cooking at home, but if you hate doing it it may not be worth it.

[flamesfever]

Besides being much less expensive, cooking gives you a lot more control as to how your food is seasoned. I'm thinking of salt, and things like sodium glutamate in particular. In the long run, by keeping these things to a minimum, you are probably adding years to your life.

I'd recommend getting yourself a freezer, and learning to save money by following the sales on various items, particularly meat which can be a major part of your food costs.

Also, as part of the older generation where this is generally not the case, I think todays women appreciate a man that can cook.