Is it really cheaper to eat at home versus eating out?

Question

My mom always said this, but I wonder sometimes - have there been any studies done?

I do things like take home 1/2 of my food and eat leftovers, since there are only two of us, sometimes food we don't get around to making at home gets tossed, so I'm not always sure this is cheaper.

What are your thoughts?

And are there any "firm" numbers?

Thanks!

Answer 1

yeah sure

Answer 2

only if you plan ahead and buy cheaper grocery items for home prep..  my mom goes to costco and ends up throwing 1/2 of it away..  think about what items you end up throwing away and figure out why..  if its fresh veggies then buy less of them and more frozen..  if its meat then make a mental note to freeze things before they go bad..  if its leftovers then pack them so that you can take them for lunch or consider freezing leftovers to make your own frozen dinners.

Answer 3

no

Answer 4

Not for me. I always eat a bowl of cereal at home and lunch on the go so the only debatable meal is dinner. If I eat out it will cost me between $8 and $20 depending on where I eat. If I buy ingredients and cook it will cost no less than $50 when I check out at the store.

Answer 5

It depends on how many people there are and how much food they eat, and where you go to eat.  Good Rule of thumb is if it's a family of 3 or less yes it's cheaper. But if it is only you then most definately it's cheaper.

When my Ex and I lived together It cost me $150 a week to be able to feed us at home. It only cost me $100 a week to feed us at resteraunts on an expensive week.

So one option is to buy some meals and cook other meals. like when he wanted meatloaf or homemade chili or things like that (the stuff nobody makes like mom's) You cook at home anything else go out to eat.

Answer 6

uhhh.. I don't know. That's what my mommy says so i believe her. haha

Answer 7

I think it CAN be cheaper.

And easier if you have a larger family.

But when it comes down to it.. it's what you make it I think. So let say you eat out three times a week, take left over and eat it the next night. Each meal is about $12 to $15 for yourself. Three eat-out meals then add up to $36 to 45.

For $25 to $40, you can certainly buy enough groceries to make 6 meals for yourself.  But that's only if you want to eat left over, and food that's not too fancy. Then again, for $12 to $15 a meal that includes tax n tips, that's not too fancy either.

BUT if you go all out, and want to cook something fancy at home, and you keep buying new ingredients instead of reusing the same ingredients for two different recipes, new spice that you dont use often but only for that one exotic meal you're cooking, buying bulk that's way more than you need cuz you think it's cheaper by the unit, or not pay attention to what's on sale, then you will end up spending more.

Answer 8

I'd think that it would be a lot cheaper just to eat in. I mean, you may save some money buy not having to wash the dishes afterwards and some grocery money in the long run bu think about the price it would cost gas wise just to get to the restaurant.

Answer 9

I f you could recreate the same item at home that you would have out....the prices is always cheaper to make it at home. Realistically, you cant get those smaller quantities at the market, but if you do cost per serving analysis, you will see its cheaper at home.

Answer 10

In my experience if your cooking for 3 or more people, then yeah, it's problably cheaper than eating out.

I usually eat alone, but I love to cook so usually it'll cost me aprox $20 to buy all the ingredients. It'll last me a couple of days, but I don't like eating the same thing a few days in a row. Sometimes it's worth the $5-$10 for take-out, and I don't have to wash any pots & pans.

Answer 11

Lately on one of the early morning talk shows they said if you were cooking for just 2, it was cheaper to eat out,except for the gas prices if you have to drive.

I was surprised to hear this because they've always said it's cheaper to eat at home.

Answer 12

You are looking for "firm" numbers.  Well, here's my take:

Restaurants, as a general rule, use a 4-times markup on their food.  Therefore, if the ingredients for a dish cost $2.00, then the restaurant will charge $8.00 for it.  Now add a soda to that for additional $2.00 (this is virtually all profit).

So, in this case, we've spent $10 at the restaurant.  Add tip and tax, you are looking at roughly $13-14.

If we made the same dish at home, (depending on the dish) it might cost $3.00 at the grocery store for the same ingredients.  But, you would have to buy more than you needed for one serving.  So, you might have to spend $12.00 to get the same ingredients.  Now add a 2-liter bottle of soda for $1.29.

Thus, we've spent $13.29 at the grocery store.  Add tax and we're looking at around $15.

The difference is that for just a little more than the restaurant, you can have 4 times as many meals if you purchase at the grocery store.

Therefore if you are not wasteful, the grocery store is the way to go.

Answer 13

i feel it is cheaper to eat at home. because just think how much food you can get at a groecrey store for $100 and how much fast food you get. the average  my husband and me spend when we go out is $20 a meal ( two of us). now think if you eat out everyday 3 times a day that is $60 a day to eat out. so if you add up what you spend out to eat verus how much you spend and how many meals you cna get out of groecries..then you'll also have your answer :)

Answer 14

don't know about any 'firm' numbers but its heaps cheaper to eat at home, you got leftovers freeze them or share them with a friend. my main thing about eating out is that you just don't know how clean the kitchens are I have heard some real horror stories about dirty kitchens in resturants, I have see a chef drop a burger on the floor rinse it under the tap and reserve it yuck.

Answer 15

Its cheaper to eat out but a few things you take into consideration besides cost.... Quantity and quality Nothing is as good as a home cooked meal but eating out has a special place in my heart... especially when Im too tired to cook. Fast food IS cheaper but fine dining is more expensive and I save this for a real treat.

Answer 16

yes it will always be cheaper to eat at home but you have to be smart obviously if you make something and throw alot of it away you will not be saving money but think when you go to a restaurant you have to pay the profit difference plus all the lights, workers cooks food at a restaurant the owners are making money for a reason

Answer 17

I have found that it is typically cheaper to make food at home. Sandwiches are easy to make. You can make big dishes such as stews, casseroles, lasagna, etc and bring the leftovers with you to work. I've gotten bread for like 2-3 dollars, with meat and cheese being a little more expensive in price.

I suppose if you're buying gourmet frozen dinners or making filet mignon to eat, then it's a lot more expensive.

Compare to buying takeout or eating at a fast food place. Even comparably to McDonald's or Burger King, often their meals are at least 3-4 dollars at the cheapest price. They make money because it's fast and convenient--less work for the consumer.

That's just my experiences.

Answer 18

Yes, when you shop wisely and cook carefully.

Answer 19

I would say eating in ..b/c there are always leftovers -esp for meals like pasta