Since high school I have wondered how eating out (cheaply) compares to a good home cooked meal. Once in dental school I had a buddy say that eating a whopper combo was "way cheaper" than anything you could cook at home. I was doubtful, but never did the exercise of calculating it all out. After being bugged by this question in the back of my mind for years I wanted to put it to rest. So, I took the stupidly, painstaking time to figure out what a spaghetti dinner would cost per person to eat. This if course doesn't calculate negative things like cook time or clean time or positives like nutrition value that you have much more of when cooking at home. Here are my calculations:
Spaghetti dinner
spaghetti sauce prego 26 oz $2.50 (1/6) = $ 0.42
noodles 16 0z $1 (1/6) = $ 0.17
frozen peas 32 oz $2.70 (1/10) = $ 0.27
milk 2% 1 gallon $2.70 (1/8 gallon) = $ 0.34
ground beef 96% fat free 1 lb (1/6) = $ 0.83
Salad 11oz $3.69 (1/2) = $ 1.85
Salad dressing $2.29 (1/16) = $ 0.14
salt/pepper $1.29 (1/75 to 1/100) = $ 0.01
Parmesan $5.00 (1/45 to 1/35) = $ 0.14
Total per person = $4.17 w/ meat, $3.34 w/o meat.
[from Safeway.com, all non-organic, all Safeway brand when possible, serving size from container]
So, it comes out cheaper and healthier to eat at home. You could even the score by just ordering off the dollar menu, but that increases the health disparities even more. BTW, back in college, my roommate and I set a goal to eat for $1/meal ($22/week) and we pretty much did it every time.
13 comments:
I always knew that eating at home was cheaper. Not to mention, that when you have a family I think you gain way more by taking the time and effort to prepare a home meal and sitting down to eat it together. Your kids will learn more from that than any restaurant could teach. And even couples without kids gain a lot from sitting down at home and eating together.
i'm all about eating home cooked meals, but i can't believe you found milk that cheap, and also, spaghetti is pretty much the cheapest thing you can make...
Yeah I kind of agree that it isn't the best comparison, you are putting the whopper up against one of he cheapest thing you can make at home. I think you should compare it burger and fries to burger and fries. I would totally be curious the outcome.
Also I don't understand why you said eating from the dollar menu increases health disparities...aren't portions smaller thus=less calories???
All that aside nothing beats a home cooked meal, especially when your husband does the dishes.
I felt like the comparison wasn't perfect, but pretty good. Here's my thoughts:
1-when you consider the spectrum of eating out (from two $1 menu hamburgers and a free water...to a very nice restaurant), to me, a whopper combo compares nicely (if not actually cheaper) to where a complete spaghetti dinner fits on the spectrum of what you can make at home.
2-remember, complete means all those other things that were on the list
Health disparities are so much more than calories. Calories are pretty insignificant when you consider the form that they come in and if you are getting vitamins, minerals, fiber, anti-oxidants, etc. Getting off the dollar menu increases both the quality of your calories and the amount of nutrition that comes along with those calories.
Oh, on the dollar menu you get way larger portions/dollar, and isn't that what were talking about?
i guess i'll dine in...what time should we be there?
haha
:)
You didn't include in your calculations, however, rule no. 2- never pay full price for anything. I have "twofer" coupons for whoppers, which would make eating much, much, cheaper....
Carson, you need a hobby. Your cousin Jayson
I think the calories, fat, sodium etc... are reason enough! I would pay much much more for a healthy meal than a fatty one! Who cares if a whopper is cheap, a trip to the ER from a major heart attack or medication to lower cholesterol sure isn't!
And Carson, what were you eating for $1 / meal?
Besides the obvious Top Ramen and hot dogs, there was a store called Storehouse Market, but they eventually went out of business because of not limiting the number of their loss-leaders. We bought spaghetti sauce 2 for a dollar and bought a whole box of them. That is until they went out of business and we secretly think that we did it!
I loved that place, my roomates and I would walk there every week. Remember the fresh food department that was like a big fridge? Or maybe you never hit that department. ;) Sad that they went out of business.
Nope, no memories of a big fridge...for that matter, no memories of eating fruit in college!
Did you notice the title of your post was "Dine in OUR take out?" not "Dine in OR take out?" just wondering. I do happen to agree with all you said.
Nope, didn't notice. Thanks.
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