Would getting take-out food (pizza, Chinese, etc.) be cheaper than cooking every night?

Question

Would getting take-out food (pizza, Chinese, etc.) be cheaper than cooking every night?

Answer 1

It depends on how many people you are feeding.  If you are looking for a cheap, tastypizza, try Little Ceasers $5.99 for a large 1 topping pizza.   Sometimes it helps to buy in bulk and freeze the other stuff if you are going to be cooking.

Answer 2

Just about every meal I eat out,  entree wise, I take half of it home with me.  So that is two meals out of one for me.  My kids are about the same.  Delivery for chinese we get a few meals out of.  We are not heavy eaters on a daily basis.  So for us...I do most of the cooking, just because I like to cook and we like what I make.  If I know I am going to have a busy week, which happens, beleive me...I remember that "shortcuts" for recipes help,  like a Rotissorie chicken from the deli, instead of haveing time to cook the chicken to put into recipes.  And I budget accordingly to what the week looks like.  I don't load up on groceries and then eat out 4 out of the 5 days during the week.  It gets expensive when you try to do both.  It just takes planning whichever way you go.  And we are active enough that "take out food" has not ever posed a putting on more weight problem for us.  I know stats have shown it can.  But overall, we eat healthy things.

Answer 3

Sometimes. Especially if you're just cooking for 1 person.

Answer 4

Nope

Answer 5

yes, sometimes, especially if you can get it on sale. we got 4 Chinese takeout dinners for $14.00 today, and they were very good, too.  they were on sale this week for half price.  it is usually more economical for us to eat at home as there are usually 3 or 4 of us.  if there are only 2 people, it is often  more economical to eat out.

Answer 6

no it's the other way around

Answer 7

I think it depends on how you look at it.  

From a healthy point, no.  Lot of fast foods that taste good are greasy but we go for taste and not thinking what it does to our insides.  I am guilty of that.

I get fast food because I want it and it just saves time when I have to eat on the run and don't feel like a sandwich.

Answer 8

It depends on how much you are spending on eating out and how long the left overs will last! Most of the time though, I would say that cooking is cheaper, especially healthier for you that ordering out.

Answer 9

Not usually, depending on where you go, usually making your own food is cheaper because you can put away leftovers and use ingredients such as sugar, salt or flour over again. So really, cooking is cheaper.

Answer 10

Sometimes, but not healthier (medical bills in the long run, lol). Best thing is to buy your food on sale at the grocery store...its amazing what you can save if you just look for sales and cupons.

Answer 11

it depends on how many u cooking or buying for but if you already have food in the house cooking is cheaper

Answer 12

the ONLY way that it has been "proved" that eating out is cheaper is when the "cook" started with absolutely nothing in the kitchen, got the exact ingredients in the restaurant food (including spices... which you should only buy in large quantities when you're setting up your kitchen because they are expensive, but tend to last forever) and many other things that someone who cooks on a regular basis would have on hand and not buy for every single meal.  Many of those items (say... tossed salad ingredients, pa rm. cheese for your spaghetti, brown sugar, etc) can last for several meals, and it's an unfair representation of the actual cost to calculate the cost of cooking a meal that way.

Answer 13

Well it depends what your ordering. it isnt healthy to order take out everyday, anyway.

Answer 14

Never ever ever is getting take out cheaper than cooking.  

Let's say you hit a take out place for all three square:

Maybe 5 bucks for a quick breakfast

Another 9 for lunch

Say 11 for dinner

That's 25 bucks/ day, or 125/M-F.  Seem high? Okay lets low ball it to 80 bucks a week.  That's still 320 a month.  

Think about it like this.  For the money you spend on a turkey  sandwich at Panera, you could spend a little more and eat turkey sandwiches for 5 days.  

Not to mention the health costs down the road from eating take out your whole life.

Answer 15

sometimes, yes. it can be cheaper depending on where you go, unfortunately eating fast food a lot causes weight gain, as we all know so this isn't recommended.

Answer 16

not if you are cooking for a family, but for just you maybe

Answer 17

No, definitely not!  Take out food is not only expensive but so much higher in fat and calories than you realize.  

You can cook the same types of food at home for much less cost.

I love to cook but I don't like to spend the entire day in the kitchen so I stick with fast and easy recipes.

A good website for recipes is www.recipezaar.com.  Also, email me if you want some good recipes!

Answer 18

depends on where you get the food from.

=]

doesn't sound like a bad idea though :)

Answer 19

It also depends on how many you are feeding.  One or two people, I say it is cheaper to eat out.

Answer 20

Lots of extra questions.  Cooking for how many?  Is health a concern?  Leftovers an option?  

I really think either way it would be cheaper to cook at home.   Planning the meals helps too.

Answer 21

No way.  You can make a good meal at home for under 10 bucks, and have left overs for the next day.