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That's just what I was thinking. So $30 divided by 10 portions = $3/portion. Not bad!
I agree
This is the 'smoke and mirrors' mathematics of the pre-packed dinner delivery dealios that they are trying to slip by all the wary veteran consumers
The skimpy per person portions they are shipping you most likely leave a family of 4-5 looking at each other 1/2 way thru the meal when: teenage Jimmy reaches for that extra pork chop that isn't there or sister Sally opts for alittle more augratten potatoes and there is none to be had
I am very frugal do all my own cooking and grocery shopping ( yes I do eat out a various places also )
I see the benefits of in home prep vs delivery meals easily tilted 4/1 in favor of in home prep.
factoring in everything from: freshness - quality - quantity - leftovers - COST - knowing all items stored properly and option to add extra sauce if needed etc etc ...
I think its a fad that will soon wear out its welcome as word spreads that there is not real advantage other than the delivery aspect of it.
I hope my life is never so hectic I do not have 20 min to swing by the store and grab a few things to make for dinner
Because people who are on a very tight budget only have so much to spend every week. While buying bulk is generally less expensive per pound, not everyone can afford to pay $20 for a huge bag of rice up front. They have to buy the more expensive per pound rice that only costs $3.50 because they have to be able to buy the rest of their groceries for the week with the rest of their grocery budget. Been there, done that.
My mother fed a large family on very little money. I learned from her how to stretch our food budget and create meals where nobody else would think there was a meal to create. I definitely can make a nice dinner for 2 people for less than $9.95.
The affording to stock up is a problem for many people, especially those with families. People who only get paid once a week often find it hard to allow for extra groceries, plus, as I mentioned storage can be a huge problem. I too can cook for both of us under $10 but have to admit it isn't easy. We can only eat chicken so often.
Of course not. But if expense is a long term concern, people could make a small investment in buying a small deep freezer. It will pay for itself in under 3 months.
again, it is a matter of having the cash up front and storage space for even a 5 cubic foot freezer. Not everything is as easy as some might think. I taught an adult education class many years ago on budget cooking. Most in the class were either on food stamps or very close. Some took the class seriously, some may have wanted to but simply didn't have the means to stock up, nor the time to spend cooking healthy on a budget.
I can see it if you buy high quality meat, fresh chiles, cheese, some other toppings, bread
Meat $10
Beans $4
Tomato sauce- $5
Misc- $5
Spices/produce-$7
Do you buying all new spices every time you make something? That does sound like it would make all your meals more expensive.
I hate meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking..all of it. I tried a free trial of the Eat Fresh or whatever, their vegetarian option. I didn't like the food, I didn't like thinking of it sitting out on my porch (even if it's kept cold), and I still had to cook lol Plus some of the veggies in my first box were starting to go bad.
It's def. cheaper for me to just suck it up and grocery shop. If I wasn't currently so budget focused and also weird about food going bad I might do it. It's just convenient.
The affording to stock up is a problem for many people, especially those with families. People who only get paid once a week often find it hard to allow for extra groceries, plus, as I mentioned storage can be a huge problem. I too can cook for both of us under $10 but have to admit it isn't easy. We can only eat chicken so often.
I don't understand how getting paid "only" once a week is a problem. Isn't that how most companies operate? Either weekly, biweekly, or monthly?
Also, chicken isn't the only cheap food you can find. Pork is relatively cheap, as are certain types of fish, especially the frozen cod, flounder, etc.
As for buying larger quantities of food. You KNOW you're going to need it. It's also considerably cheaper in the long run. The same money you're spending weekly on small packages of food can instead be spent maybe monthly on larger quantities at a much lower price. Why spend $50/week on small quantities when you can spend $150/month and get much more, and then have an extra $50 left in your pocket? This is saving 101. Being poor shouldn't make a difference. How is it that the poorer person can't afford to stock up, but yet can afford to spend so much more monthly?
Do you buying all new spices every time you make something? That does sound like it would make all your meals more expensive.
Of course not, I have the basic herbs & spices that I use a lot, in stock at all times. You can buy some of the more common ones at the dollar tree, it is oK to start out like that. The same as most people always have some kind of flour or salt & pepper in their homes. You don't go out & buy a container of salt, every time you cook, do you? The dollar tree has them & also many markets or even drug stores carry packets of things like bay leaves for .99
I hate meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking..all of it. I tried a free trial of the Eat Fresh or whatever, their vegetarian option. I didn't like the food, I didn't like thinking of it sitting out on my porch (even if it's kept cold), and I still had to cook lol Plus some of the veggies in my first box were starting to go bad.
It's def. cheaper for me to just suck it up and grocery shop. If I wasn't currently so budget focused and also weird about food going bad I might do it. It's just convenient.
The one we did was Hello Fresh as well. It was ok, but for many,the amount of cooking was as much as if you started from scratch. I did like everything was measured out. As I said yesterday, they have a place, great for when you want to clean out the fridge before a trip or something and have these meals to depend on. For most of us, cooking our own is better. The big question is still. are they any cheaper and the answer is: NO.
I don't understand how getting paid "only" once a week is a problem. Isn't that how most companies operate? Either weekly, biweekly, or monthly?
Also, chicken isn't the only cheap food you can find. Pork is relatively cheap, as are certain types of fish, especially the frozen cod, flounder, etc.
As for buying larger quantities of food. You KNOW you're going to need it. It's also considerably cheaper in the long run. The same money you're spending weekly on small packages of food can instead be spent maybe monthly on larger quantities at a much lower price. Why spend $50/week on small quantities when you can spend $150/month and get much more, and then have an extra $50 left in your pocket? This is saving 101. Being poor shouldn't make a difference. How is it that the poorer person can't afford to stock up, but yet can afford to spend so much more monthly?
Of course pork is not expensive, and dried beans are a great bargain. I was just giving that as an example.
As a foods and nutrition major I have a good idea on how to shop and cook as inexpensively as one can pretty much and still eat healthy. My point on the once a week was directed on a poster who said "buy in bulk: people living on a very tight fix income rarely have enough extra to buy in bulk. As for fish, decent fish is not inexpensive and most frozen fish isn't good quality. It is fine in a pinch, I know we use it but still not quality.
I do not think some of you realize how tight some people's budgets are and how few extra $$s they have each week?
I can ride my bike over to vons in 5 minutes grab a whole cooked chicken for 5 bucks, a can or bag of veggies and a cup full of minute rice for a family of 4 for 10 bucks.
But I've got 3 freezers and a garage full of canned stuff from the garden. I shoot at least 1 deer a year and I've got some wild boar still from 2 years ago that's almost gone.
No way 30 bucks a day for one person is cheaper. That's a weeks worth of decent food for one person.
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