Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Is it really cheaper to eat fast food than to cook for yourself?

I'm going to set my question in the context of a group of 4. I have not been to a fast food place in over 10 years, and I am still a college student. Therefore my income isn't very high, but I still manage to spend maybe $60 a month on vegetables, cereals, milk, etc etc. I love to cook, so I always buy raw ingredients, and it doesn't bother me that I have to prepare it.



People always say that part of America's obesity problem is because fast food is so available and so cheap. IS eating at a fast food place, not even daily, but let's say 2 or 3 times a week, really cheaper than going to a grocery store? Please think before you answer. Don't just consider the fact that it's about $5 to get a burger or whatever, and at a supermarket, that's about 2lbs of tomatoes. Please consider that when you're shopping at a supermarket, you're purchasing ingredients that make more than just the singular serving one might be purchasing from a fast food place.Is it really cheaper to eat fast food than to cook for yourself?
I would say it's cheaper to Cook at home then to eat fast food because If you figure about $5 for each fast food meal that's like $15-$20 a day if you eat 3 meals and a snack. If you go to the grocery store you can get larger quanities and use them for a couple different meals especially if your only cooking for yourself.
For smaller families ( single person) making may be bit costly. For 3 persons it maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay be chearer. In all fast food price, the cooking cost may be slightly lower but the cost of ambience, premises and labor is very high in all countries (specially in deveoled Western economies). Cooking home is cheaper.Is it really cheaper to eat fast food than to cook for yourself?
Yes, it is cheaper. When you buy bulk packs of chicken etc. you can break it down for future use this saves money, since you can buy at least 2 weeks worth of meat and freeze and the nice part is you make less trips to the store.
it is so simple. if your time buying and cooking is much expensive than the price of your fast food order, then it would be better for you to eat at fast food. just study the cost of your time, then you will have the answer.
Hello 鈾?br>


It's cheapest if you cook yourself !!



Have a nice day,



Cat.
I have actually took the time to analyze this question from an economic standpoint(viewing food consumption today vs when the baby boomer generation were kids) and from my own standpoint. Let me first start off saying, there is no way you spend only 60 dollars a month on food, especially if you are eating as healthy as you do. The more healthy you eat the more money it cost. Right now, food is more expensive than it has ever been in history (on a cost adjusted basis). It is definitely cheaper to eat fast food now then going grocery shopping.



Crazy isn't it, that food has become so expensive.



Fact about fast food....

Unhealthy food is cheaper because our government's policies support its production.



We're spending nearly $30 billion a year to subsidize corn and soy production.



Where do those foods go?



Into our food supply as high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated soybean oil (trans fats), that's where!



Since the 1970s -- when our agricultural policies where changed to support corn and soy farmers -- we're consuming, on average, an extra 500 calories (mostly in the form of cheap, artificial high-fructose corn syrup) per person.



Corn and soy are also used to feed cattle for the production of meat and dairy. In fact, 70 percent of the wheat, corn, and soy farmed in this country is used to feed animals used for our food.



The world's cattle alone consume a quantity of food equal to the caloric needs of 8.7 billion people -- more than the entire human population on Earth!



So, when our government helps pay for these foods -- well, of course they're cheaper!



That explains the low price tag. But what about the OTHER costs to you?

Bad foods are bad for your health...
According to your question as eating fast food 2 or 3 times a week only, I would say it is about the same spending if you are single or have small-sized family (2-3 people). Grocery stores sell prepared meals that are similar to fast food, and pre-cut produce which costs more.

There are a lot more to consider in terms of saving money. However, I think the question here is about the health, not the money. If I can eat out once a while, I wouldn't go to the fast food restaurant.
I'm disagree with the opinion that fastfood more cheaper than if we cook by ourselves. This opinion maybe if we can't cook by ourselves.

Fastfood look more cheaper only for especially moment like if we don't have time to cook or we need the different taste to eat.

But for a long time, it's so more expensive. Why ? Because we only eat one kind of food without the complete nutrition (maybe we only get carbohydrat and fat)

But if we cook by ourselves, we can modify this food and combine it as my body needed, of course the nutrition more guaranted.

The value added again, we more trust about the clean of food than we buy fastfood.

The last with avoid eat fastfood, we can make our body more healthy.

Try imagine, how much that we must be paid to go doctor and to buy medicine if we get ill like cancer, only because of eat fastfood
It is absolutely, positively, definitely, without question cheaper to cook for yourself. Especially, if you are a wise shopper.

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