Warning: My aunt’s "cheap chili" recipe actually costs more than takeout

I was at my cousin's house last Sunday and she bragged about how her mom's chili saves her $20 a week. So I asked her to break down the costs. She listed ground beef, three cans of beans, two cans of tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and a whole jar of spices she only uses for chili. I crunched the numbers in my head and it came to almost $28 for one pot. Meanwhile, our local taco joint does a huge chili bowl for $6.99. My cousin got defensive, saying homemade is healthier and stretches further, but I pointed out her pot only made five bowls. So we got into it about whether bulk buying and prep time actually save money or if people just think they do. I feel like we all assume homemade is cheaper, but have you ever actually totaled the cost of a single meal from scratch versus fast food? What did you find?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrewh4315d ago

@hernandez.morgan but that jar costs $8 upfront which is half the meal right there.

hernandez.morgan15d ago

not gonna lie, you're crunching numbers on chili like it's a tax return. i just make food and eat it, i don't really do the whole cost breakdown thing unless i'm literally broke that week. but yeah if you're buying a whole jar of spices just for one thing, that's not really a fair way to price it out lol.