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Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,739
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

We eat out a lot, so I don't grocery shop every week. When I do buy food its only a couple of cloth bags full, or 1/2 full. It always seems like a lot of money.

 

We went today and I got a loaf of bread, ingredients to make 2 pumpkin pies, 3 boxes of K cups, 2 bananas,  some deodorant, and it was around $ 45.

 

I always feel it's cheaper in the long run to eat out

Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,886
Registered: ‎05-23-2015

Last week I remember thinking,  when did everything in here cost 3.99 ??  Some things were more of course, but it just seemed like even the small things were 3.99.

" You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts."
Daniel Patrick Moynihan
Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: grocery prices

[ Edited ]

It is certainly not cheaper to eat out, I can buy the groceries to eat at home for breakfast 7 days , dinner 7 days and lunch 4 to 5 days for about $125/week. You would never be able to eat 3 meals a day out for that much. Plus restaurant food is not usually very healthy - they use a ton of fat and salt & sugar in restaurants, plus the portions are much larger than you would eat at home. I can think up a lot of reasons to eat out every day but economy is certainly not one of them. I think people who always eat out do not usually eat 3 meals a day but we do at our house - I cook & serve 3 meals a day every day  - except the 1 or 2 times a week we go out for lunch.

Super Contributor
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Registered: ‎09-05-2013

I've always felt that for one person it would be less costly to eat out, and that's been my lifestyle.  However, I recently read an article that pointed out restaurant meals have risen in cost significantly, and its less expensive to buy meals at the grocery stores.  I believe they were referring to prepared meals.  Not sure which is less costly, but I also consider the time it takes to shop and prepare the food, and the ultimate waste involved. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 79,406
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

I absolutely do not think it's cheaper to eat out.  I can cook four complete meals with meat and vegetables for less than two meals purchased at a fast food restaurant,  which would consist of burgers,  fries and a soda.   The fast food meals contain too much fat and little nutrition.   Your recent purchase consisted mostly of non essential grocery items,  I. E.  K-cups and deodorant,  expensive and not nutritious. 

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
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The K cups are a killer.  You could have saved a lot by substituting for regular ground coffee.

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@151949 wrote:

It is certainly not cheaper to eat out, I can buy the groceries to eat at home for breakfast 7 days , dinner 7 days and lunch 4 to 5 days for about $125/week. You would never be able to eat 3 meals a day out for that much. Plus restaurant food is not usually very healthy - they use a ton of fat and salt & sugar in restaurants, pus the portions are much larger than you would eat at home. I can think up a lot of reasons to eat out every day but economy is certainly not one of them.


We don't eat 3 meals a day. Thats too much food for us. It depends on where you eat, and what you eat. My food comes unsalted and unsugared. The portions are average sized. Maybe Fl does it differently

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@cherry wrote:

@151949 wrote:

It is certainly not cheaper to eat out, I can buy the groceries to eat at home for breakfast 7 days , dinner 7 days and lunch 4 to 5 days for about $125/week. You would never be able to eat 3 meals a day out for that much. Plus restaurant food is not usually very healthy - they use a ton of fat and salt & sugar in restaurants, pus the portions are much larger than you would eat at home. I can think up a lot of reasons to eat out every day but economy is certainly not one of them.


We don't eat 3 meals a day. Thats too much food for us. It depends on where you eat, and what you eat. My food comes unsalted and unsugared. The portions are average sized. Maybe Fl does it differently


Unless you are eating at the hospital cafeteria every day you ARE eating food that is highly seasoned with salt & sugar and full of fat. Did you every watch the chefs cooking on TV? they throw in sugar & salt by the handful.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 30,249
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

@cherry I'm like you, I eat my big meal out 4 to 5 times a week at a restaurant (not fast food).  I have a friend (another  widow) I eat with.  Sometimes she pays, sometimes I pay, it all varies and is very comfortable and easy.

I still have someone shop groceries for me (I do it on the computer and pick it up).  My neighbor brings them in for me.  I pretty much buy the same things.  I just buy what I want as I'm not on a budget (can't take it with you, right)?  I buy a lot of canned cat food that adds up.

If I don't use what i buy I give it to a friend of mine and he sometimes gives it to other neighbors or relatives.  It doesn't get wasted.

For instance I keep buying 18 eggs in the carton and I've not been eating them.  Now I have 3 cartons of 18 eggs that I'll give him.  I have weird eating habits and won't eat anything that's very old.  Just me and the way I was raised.

It all gets eaten one way or another.  When you have cats, between the food and the litter it adds to the cost of groceries.  I sometimes buy it at the pet store but surprisingly sometimes the grocery store is cheaper.  

When my family was young and my husband was alive I enjoyed cooking, now it's boring and not worth the trouble.  My friend says the same thing. 

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@151949 wrote:

@cherry wrote:

@151949 wrote:

It is certainly not cheaper to eat out, I can buy the groceries to eat at home for breakfast 7 days , dinner 7 days and lunch 4 to 5 days for about $125/week. You would never be able to eat 3 meals a day out for that much. Plus restaurant food is not usually very healthy - they use a ton of fat and salt & sugar in restaurants, pus the portions are much larger than you would eat at home. I can think up a lot of reasons to eat out every day but economy is certainly not one of them.


We don't eat 3 meals a day. Thats too much food for us. It depends on where you eat, and what you eat. My food comes unsalted and unsugared. The portions are average sized. Maybe Fl does it differently


Unless you are eating at the hospital cafeteria every day you ARE eating food that is highly seasoned with salt & sugar and full of fat. Did you every watch the chefs cooking on TV? they throw in sugar & salt by the handful.


WE don't get seasoned food. I am smart enough to tell when there is salt and pepper in something . I don't get sweet things either

 

I think you like to set yourself as the authority on everything and everyone