Cheaper than cooking?

[CplDevilDog]

Not sure if this post would be better handled over in "Money and Finances" but I'll give it a shot here.

Has anyone worked the numbers on cooking yourself vs. fast food /grocery 'deli' conveniences?

I know for a family of 4 or 6 you can't beat the casserole dish of Tuna Surprise on price but what about a solo van trecker?

I know my wife and I have alot of trouble getting produce in 2-person sizes and it takes careful planning to keep ingredients from spoiling.

Add in the cooking fuel and time you could be doing something else. The profit on fixing your own meals might start to get pretty thin.

Opinions?

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;I think that one of the major considerations has to do with refrigeration. I shop 'loss leaders' and buy 'family packs' of meat, plus larger amounts of veggies. The meat I freeze after portioning it out and the veggies go into the 'cooler' section. Including cooking fuel, I live off&nbsp; $3- $5 a DAY.. and that's with the ol' gizzard stuffed with goodies for the puppy. Ain't gonna eat out that cheap, even at Rotten Ronnie's, and the food there is crap. ..Willy.<br>

 

[SoulRaven]

Willy has a great set-up, but most of us in a van dont have that luxery yet... I have a larger Coleman Xtreme cooler for my needs... What i do is put 2 7lb bags of ice the width of my cooler with a 12 pack of soda to the end... and put the parishables over the ice... For packs of chicken I cook all at once and bag in remaining in a 1gal double zip lock freezer bag for use later, works great... to be honest i take all meat from the original package and put in 1gal freezer bags ... This keeps for along time if you keep your ice fresh... hamburger I buy in patties, keeps well on ice... Veggies like onion, peppers ect are good in the lowest drawer out of the sun as well as all bread things... Fresh veggies like salad mixes after opening, go in a 1gal bag and kept in the cooler... The key is to remember the two week rule, nothing over two weeks on fresh ice, so shop for one or two weeks and you will be good... <br>

 

[VanTrekker]

<p style="margin: 0px;">LOL.&nbsp; Just got back from "Rotten Ronnie's"... Even the healthy stuff costs too much in terms of fat, calories,&nbsp; and money.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">I've recently started cooking split peas w/ curry in the van.&nbsp;&nbsp; It's not something you want&nbsp;to eat every day but in the crockpot the power is free thanks to solar.&nbsp; The split peas cost about 40 cents for a big serving.&nbsp; For a little more, you can throw in some meat, too.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">The biggest benefit is that you can can cook healthier.&nbsp; I can get a salad and burger for $2 but there just isn't much quantity or quality for that price.&nbsp; It's worth the extra work and a bit more money, especially when fat/calories is a huge concern.</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0px;">&nbsp;</p>

 

[SoulRaven]

i have to add to the eating out idea... there is the added cost of gas and wear to consider... gas is very expensive, and a fast food joint is not even close to a good home cooked meal... for me it is a no brainer, cook good healthy meals without starting the engine, eat at home with your own entertainment, and not having to drag your rear back to camp after that greasy meal...<br><br>Add in a cold beer or an adult beverage and its a win win situation as you watch the greatest show on Earth, the sunset...<br><br>

 

[offroad]

right now i subscribe to EMEALS.COM to get a two person meal plan with shopping list. go to store and buy all the supplies. will use only dried spices. the eat out alternative is just too bad for you.<br><br>find it interesting that there is NO meal plan available for single persons, with shopping list, and all recipes. &nbsp;you only get silly lists of recipes, and silly lists of the calorie content of ingredients. no one make s a combination meal plan that has everything all planned out, with ingredients you can find at most stores.<br><br>hint hint that I wish someone would come up with this. &nbsp;

 

[Zil]

Grocery&nbsp;salad&nbsp;bars, rotisary chicken, sliced meats beef, chicken, turkey, ham. A grilled steak!

 

[CrossCountryGal]

I go back and forth between eating out, deli, and cooking a few meals for myself when I want homestyle comfort food. &nbsp;Much depends on where I am, too. &nbsp;Urban I'm more inclined toward the deli/eating out. &nbsp;Remote - cooking due to gas prices and convenience.

 

[ZOFCHAK]

rotisary chicken

<br><br>&nbsp; My local Sam's Club clears these out at the end of the day for only a couple bucks each.&nbsp;&nbsp; Chicken for dinner, cut up and refrigerated for salads or sandwiches and then save the remainder for soup. I can easily make 3-4 days worth of meals and can't even buy an uncooked bird for that price. Plus there is no need to waste the fuel or time cooking it! <img src="/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" class="emoticon bbc_img">