Is it true that nothing beats a home cooked meal? In my opinion the satisfaction of making something, the taste, nutrition, and yes – cost savings of eating in makes home cooking worth it. The average American eats out 3 times per month and orders take out about 4.5 times per month according the a 2023 report from US Foods.
Let’s start with a little math
Assuming that the cost per person to eat out at a sit down restaurant is $20 per person and I take out my family of 4, the total bill out the door with tip will be $80 dollars. This includes food, drink, and tip. Then let’s assume getting a take out meal is half the cost of dining in at $10 per person equaling a cost of $40 dollars.
Using the average of dining in of 3 times per month with a family of 4, we get a total of $2,880 spent per year on dining out ($80 x 3 times per month x 12 months = $2,880).
Then we want to account for take-out. At $40 per meal for a family of 4, we end up with an estimated $2,160 spent per year ($40 x 4.5 time per month x 12 months = $2,160).
Adding up our non-home cooked eating, we get an annual total of $5,040 spent per year on eating out. For some, they will look at this figure and say, “so what?” Others look at this as say, “holy smokes!”. Regardless, there are reasons that people eat out like for social reasons, they want to try a new type of food, they want to get the experience, they are traveling on vacation, or they just don’t want to prepare and clean up and just want an easy meal.
Why I love cooking at home
I have leveraged all of those reasons at some point, but I will say that I prefer to eat in and make food at home. I can control the ingredients. I can ensure food safety in my kitchen for me and my family. I can drink a beer while cooking and not have to pay $9 for it. I can have the satisfaction that I made a successful meal that is just as good if not better than in a restaurant. I can make a flop and the family can laugh at my valiant effort while they are eating their back-up Ramen noodles.
I believe that as a father, being a role model for my kids is my number one responsibility in their growth and development. Demonstrating and cultivating life skills early in kids has got to be worth something later on in their lives. Cooking at home allows me to show them vital life skills like the importance of handling knives properly, how washing fruits and veggies and keeping the kitchen clean can prevent food-related illnesses, and how trying something new has inherent risk and reward in the kitchen to name a few.
So what does a cutting board have to do with any of this?
Let me perfectly clear, any cutting board used in your home kitchen would save you money. Not just an end grain cutting board. In fact, I still use plastic cutting boards for all raw and cooked proteins (meats and fish) mainly for hygienic and cross contamination reasons. I use an end grain wood cutting board for its quality, durability, and aesthetics. Let’s not lie, it makes me look like I know what I am doing in the kitchen. I look like one of the famous people on the cooking shows that make cooking look so easy.
But where do I get the cost savings from?
Putting my business hat on. If I can make a meal for 75% less than the cost of eating at a restaurant, it would take my family 4 meals for the cutting board to literally pay for itself from the money saved by eating a home cooked meal ($80 dollars eating out x 75% saved = $60 savings per meal; $240 end grain cutting board / $60 saving = 4 meals).
Let’s look at a few examples.
I reviewed the cost of making 3 home cooked meals at home and researched how much it would cost if eating out. For the price comparison, I excluded drink, but added in gratuity of 20% for eating out. Ingredients used in the kitchen were calculated using a mid priced range local grocery store.
First up, Shrimp Gumbo.
Using a Shrimp Gumbo recipe, it cost $5.19 per serving to make at home. At a restaurant, with tip, one would expect to pay about $18.13 per serving. Making at home yields a $12.94 savings per serving.
Next up, homemade Shepherd’s Pie.
This classic Irish Shepherd’s Pie recipe cost $3.34 per serving made in your kitchen. At a restaurant, it would cost about $22.30 per serving with tip. Making homemade yields savings of $18.96 per serving.
And lastly, takeout favorite Chicken and Broccoli.
This Asian inspired Chicken and Broccoli dish costs $4.40 to make at home compared to $13.43 which equals a savings of $9.03 per serving.
If making all 3 meals with 4 servings each (think family of 4), making these at home would cost $52 compared to eating out $215 bringing a potential savings of $163 on these 3 meals. At the time of writing this, the average price for an end grain cutting board at Practical Woodwork is $166. So after 3 meals, the cutting board would pay for itself.
You likely already knew that eating a home cooked meal was less expensive. Writing this, I found it super interesting how much eating out really costs but also allowed me to realize the value of eating out for special occasions and future home cooking inspiration.
End grain cutting boards are made in all colors and sizes to match your needs.
If you want to save some money, eat in. It’s that simple. We could all use a few extra bucks for something else. But I can’t help but to encourage you to cook in style, look like a pro, and get an end grain cutting board from Practical Woodwork. If having a great looking kitchen accessory to show off to your friends and your family entices you to cook more at home, you will not only save money, but look good too.
#premiumcuttingboards #healthyeating #health #affordablekitchenenhancements #homemademealbenefits #homeeconomics #aesthetickitchenaccessories #topkitchenaccessoriesforhomecooks #cuttingboard #takeout #homecookingandmealprep #restaurant #costsavingkitchentools #endgrainvsedgegraincuttingboards #savebig #eatingout #PracticalWoodwork #endgraincuttingboard #customizablecuttingboards #practicalwoodworkcuttingboards #cuttingboardsforfoodprep #homecookingaccessories #cooking #savemoneycookingathome #food #homecooking #nutritionbenefitsofhomecooking #cookathometips #savemoney #eatingin #mealpreperation #endgrain #bestcuttingboardsforhomechefs #family #costsavings #enhancehomecookingexperience #mealprep
Comments