My poor sister - "we don't cook"

[gimp]

I learned to cook so I could impress girls. So far, it's worked once. That, and live on almost no money for food...

[happyfeet]

My sister in law says it's "cheaper to eat out than making food at home".  That's some crazy ass lazy thinking.

[MgoSam]

My sister in law says it's "cheaper to eat out than making food at home".  That's some crazy ass lazy thinking.

Yeah, I highly doubt the validity of that statement. I suspect that if I bought everything at Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) and cooked everything at home, it would still be far cheaper than if I ate out. Maybe it would be cheaper to purchase my meals if everything was at the dollar menu at McDonalds, but that would be insanely unhealthy.

[dragoncar]

I learned to cook so I could impress girls. So far, it's worked once. That, and live on almost no money for food...

Cooking tends to impress younger girls (college, not grade school!) more, and at a certain age it's more that inability to cook is a negative.

[rocksinmyhead]

I make killer pizza, both Chicago style Deep dish and a thinner crust on our grill.

I should make it more often actually.

ooooooh any tips/recipes for the deep dish?? I LOVE deep dish pizza but have never tried making it at home!

Sure, it's an old recipe that was a hack of Uno's style in Chicago.

...

This is filling pizza, 2 pieces and you are stuffed.

Enjoy

thanks greenmimama!!

[4alpacas]

I think it was Anthony Bourdain who argued that cooking your own meals should be given the same importance that athleticism had in the 60's.  Just like the scrawny kid who couldn't climb the rope would later get a dodge-ball in the face, our home economics classes could take on a whole new dimension. Can't roast a chicken? - get a dodge-ball in the face!

If you can dodge a wrench, you can roast a chicken. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMWdnkSMPGM&feature=kp

I thought there was a roast chicken recipe at the other side of that link!  Haha!  I can't roast a chicken, so I guess I need a wrench or ball thrown in my direction.

[horsepoor]

My sister in law says it's "cheaper to eat out than making food at home".  That's some crazy ass lazy thinking.

I think that's because people who usually don't cook don't have staples in the house.  So they decide to make a meal, and have to go buy every ingredient, down to the seasonings, and then they think it costs $50 to make dinner.  Instead of considering the cost on a running basis from decently stocked kitchen, it's easier to just reaffirm the belief that it's not in fact cheaper. 

[greenmimama]

I make killer pizza, both Chicago style Deep dish and a thinner crust on our grill.

I should make it more often actually.

ooooooh any tips/recipes for the deep dish?? I LOVE deep dish pizza but have never tried making it at home!

Your welcome, I hope you enjoy it, I have been making it for at least 10 years
Sure, it's an old recipe that was a hack of Uno's style in Chicago.

...

This is filling pizza, 2 pieces and you are stuffed.

Enjoy

thanks greenmimama!!

[rocksinmyhead]

My sister in law says it's "cheaper to eat out than making food at home".  That's some crazy ass lazy thinking.

I think that's because people who usually don't cook don't have staples in the house.  So they decide to make a meal, and have to go buy every ingredient, down to the seasonings, and then they think it costs $50 to make dinner.  Instead of considering the cost on a running basis from decently stocked kitchen, it's easier to just reaffirm the belief that it's not in fact cheaper.

really good point, I bet you're right.

[greaper007]

My sister in law says it's "cheaper to eat out than making food at home".  That's some crazy ass lazy thinking.

Yeah, I highly doubt the validity of that statement. I suspect that if I bought everything at Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) and cooked everything at home, it would still be far cheaper than if I ate out. Maybe it would be cheaper to purchase my meals if everything was at the dollar menu at McDonalds, but that would be insanely unhealthy.

I've done this before, in fact my wife is out of the country this week and since my kids won't eat anything I make, I occasionally to get fast food at 2-3pm and call that lunch and dinner.    Today it was 2 grilled burrito type things from Taco Bell...$2.      Last night I made a small piece of wild salmon (on sale from Sprouts mind you) and broccoli...$9.

If you're careful it can be much cheaper to eat fast food than cook healthy food at home.    Which is one of the problems with low income obesity.   Between food deserts, long hours at work, and the fact that some fast food is absolutely delicious we have a lower socio-economic class with a myriad of problems related to cheap crappy food.

I digress though.   I've always found that as long as I work out hard at least 3 days a week (along with easy bike rides and walks in between) I can eat anything I want.    My dad is 63 and drinks 6+ sodas a day and eats just about anything he wants while maintaining a 33" waist.    But he has always worked out for at least an hour a day.

[Zamboni]

I have heard that "cheaper to eat out" argument as well and always thought it was bogus.  However, I never considered the angle of people having absolutely nothing in the kitchen and counting the cost of the entire sack of flour and bottle of olive oil as the price of the pizza.  I guess if you only cook once and year and then let the oil and all the other food go rancid, then it might actually be true.  I always have all of the ingredients to make a pizza in my kitchen, so if I want pizza tonight, then in a warped accounting way it costs me nothing (having spent the money already some time in the past.)

English muffin and French bread pizza are really easy to make even in college in a toaster oven.  The legit dough is also really easy to make (dozens of yummy recipes online.)  In fact, with the advent of the rapid rise "Pizza yeast" that the stores carry now, I can have a pizza made in less time than it takes for the delivery guy to get here.

[Zikoris]

The "cheaper to eat out" thing is pretty popular in Vancouver as well - it's bizarre. We eat all our meals at home and seem to average $3.75/day each, though I guess it's a bit less for just food as we include cleaning supplies and toilet paper in that. I don't know anywhere where you can get three full meals, plus snacks and drinks for $3.75.

[gimp]

I learned to cook so I could impress girls. So far, it's worked once. That, and live on almost no money for food...

Cooking tends to impress younger girls (college, not grade school!) more, and at a certain age it's more that inability to cook is a negative.

Eh. Cooking for the sake of food is what I do for myself and I get by on under $1 a day because apparently I hate myself. But I've got a kitchen stocked with the right stuff that to make something fancy enough to impress someone I just need to go out and buy some steak or fish or whatever. Hopefully that continues to impress. If not, well, I lose one of the last bargaining chips I had - a satisfied stomach.

On the other hand, folks where I live eat out all the fucking time, because they can afford it. Well, that's debatable, but it won't send them bankrupt.

Worst comes to worst, I just graduated college so hopefully I've a year or two left of impressing... someone...

[happyfeet]

My sister in law says it's "cheaper to eat out than making food at home".  That's some crazy ass lazy thinking.

In her case.  She is just plain lazy.  And yes, her food of choice is fast food for them in many cases.  She is quite overweight.  Her kids are not but they are very active.  So unhealthy that fast food.

You don't have to spend a lot of money to cook.  A $5 chicken from Costco can feed us for a few days.  Chicken one night - some sort of soup with veggies the next.  I wish I could help her in this area but she would go all crazy on me. 

I have never made pizza!  But I am going to try based on the recipe posted earlier.  I started making my own bread using the 5 minute Artisan recipe.  But the pizza sounds awesome.  TY!

[ThatsMyOtter]

http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/04/zucchini-pizza-boats/

Zucchini pizza boats are a fun and healthy alternative to conventional pizza, especially if you use fresh tomatoes and/or bell peppers in place of sauce. I imagine kids would enjoy them too--especially if they get to grow their own zucchini.

[greenmimama]

I have tried that cauliflower pizza crust when I was trying Gluten Free, it was so yummy, all my children liked it too!

[Pangolin]

A friend of mine complains about debt but eats take-out and frozen meals almost exclusively. I very gently suggested cutting back on take-out as a method to pay off debt faster and silence was the only response. This friend also bought a used SUV for an hour long round trip daily commute.

All this pizza talk makes me glad I have a homemade leftover slice waiting for me at home. And I'll need to take some dough out the freezer to make more because one slice isn't going to be enough! I like to use artichoke hearts packed in oil as a topping, purchased for about .50-$1.00 per jar at the discount grocery.

[Bob W]

I cook almost all our meals at home.  I made a homemade pizza several years ago.  It was nasty.  I pay $2.50 for a frozen ready to go pizza that I flop on the pizza spinner thingy.   I have like 1 minute of time invested in the meal and my kids loves it.   The homemade pizza route is usually like a $10-15 waste of time.   

But no, I don't order out and only occasionally grab a Lil Ceasar's hot and ready $5 pizza.   My guess is your sister's food bill is in excess of $1,200.   Which may seem high.  But the fact is that if she earns $50 per hour it is mathematically rarely worth her time to cook.  Just work that extra hour instead of cooking, order that $25 pizza and your $25 ahead.

Something tells me your sister isn't ahead though?

[nordlead]

I cook almost all our meals at home.  I made a homemade pizza several years ago.  It was nasty.  I pay $2.50 for a frozen ready to go pizza that I flop on the pizza spinner thingy.   I have like 1 minute of time invested in the meal and my kids loves it.   The homemade pizza route is usually like a $10-15 waste of time.   

But no, I don't order out and only occasionally grab a Lil Ceasar's hot and ready $5 pizza.   My guess is your sister's food bill is in excess of $1,200.   Which may seem high.  But the fact is that if she earns $50 per hour it is mathematically rarely worth her time to cook.  Just work that extra hour instead of cooking, order that $25 pizza and your $25 ahead.

Something tells me your sister isn't ahead though?

It takes 15 minutes (5 minutes to mix ingredients from memory, 5 minutes to roll out the dough and add ingredients, and 5 minutes to cook) and $5 to make a quality pizza with a topping, that tastes significantly better than the $25 pizza. The last few delivery pizzas I've had have been pretty nasty.

So, by my calculation, your $50/hr earner is losing $7.50 by working an extra 15 minutes (if that is even possible) vs making their own, ignoring the extra income tax on the extra $12.50 earned.

I've found that most people I know do it wrong once, and then never try again. It isn't that hard though.

[frugalnacho]

I cook almost all our meals at home.  I made a homemade pizza several years ago.  It was nasty.  I pay $2.50 for a frozen ready to go pizza that I flop on the pizza spinner thingy.   I have like 1 minute of time invested in the meal and my kids loves it.   The homemade pizza route is usually like a $10-15 waste of time.   

But no, I don't order out and only occasionally grab a Lil Ceasar's hot and ready $5 pizza.   My guess is your sister's food bill is in excess of $1,200.   Which may seem high.  But the fact is that if she earns $50 per hour it is mathematically rarely worth her time to cook.  Just work that extra hour instead of cooking, order that $25 pizza and your $25 ahead.

Something tells me your sister isn't ahead though?

She is most definitely not ahead.  I don't necessarily agree that you can do a simple $/hr calculation to find out if you come out ahead.  You are neglecting the life long dividends that come from being a better cook. 

I also suggest people look at ready made crusts.  I can get a large size for like $2.   Add some sauce, cheese, and toppings and you are good to go for a fraction of the price of ordering out. 

[Emilyngh]

   My guess is your sister's food bill is in excess of $1,200.   Which may seem high.  But the fact is that if she earns $50 per hour it is mathematically rarely worth her time to cook.  Just work that extra hour instead of cooking, order that $25 pizza and your $25 ahead.

This assumes that she could and would actually earn $50 more if she didn't make that pizza.   Rarely do people really lose what they determine that they're "worth" by not doing something.   Usually, instead, they lose out on saving $20+ by making pizza while sitting on the couch making/saving nothing, justified by the mental argument that they're worth $50 an hour.   There is only opportunity cost if it's really a realistically missed opportunity.   

[Bob W]

I cook almost all our meals at home.  I made a homemade pizza several years ago.  It was nasty.  I pay $2.50 for a frozen ready to go pizza that I flop on the pizza spinner thingy.   I have like 1 minute of time invested in the meal and my kids loves it.   The homemade pizza route is usually like a $10-15 waste of time.   

But no, I don't order out and only occasionally grab a Lil Ceasar's hot and ready $5 pizza.   My guess is your sister's food bill is in excess of $1,200.   Which may seem high.  But the fact is that if she earns $50 per hour it is mathematically rarely worth her time to cook.  Just work that extra hour instead of cooking, order that $25 pizza and your $25 ahead.

Something tells me your sister isn't ahead though?

She is most definitely not ahead.  I don't necessarily agree that you can do a simple $/hr calculation to find out if you come out ahead.  You are neglecting the life long dividends that come from being a better cook. 

I also suggest people look at ready made crusts.  I can get a large size for like $2.   Add some sauce, cheese, and toppings and you are good to go for a fraction of the price of ordering out.

Don't discount the dividends of being at work an extra hour each day instead of playing cook.  You are learning lifelong skills and, if in a corporate setting raising your profile,  by being dedicated to your job.    You're right that math doesn't always give the answer we're seeking.

I also am using the supposition that if sister is FI she should do whatever she likes.   

Here is a food/money strategy that I often use to save money and time.   I don't eat breakfast -- ever.  I eat lunch only occasionally.  I cook dinner 3-4 times per week and double the amount.   By doing this, I always have quick food in the fridge and only have about 3 total hours involved in food.  My daily food budget is $6.00 for a family of 3,  so when I read about someone spending $50 on pizza delivery it usually tends to freak me out!  That would feed my family for 8 days!

Still in true mustachian fashion I give leave to the sister to do as she pleases.  Just remember to never lend her money or go into business with her!  lol

[boyerbt]

I made a homemade pizza several years ago.  It was nasty.  I pay $2.50 for a frozen ready to go pizza that I flop on the pizza spinner thingy.   I have like 1 minute of time invested in the meal and my kids loves it.   The homemade pizza route is usually like a $10-15 waste of time.   

To each their own but IMHO homemade pizza trumps takeout every time. Just yesterday I whipped up two great BBQ chicken pizzas with fresh veggies and the total for the meal and subsequent leftovers...$3.25-ish. I always have everything I need to make pizza so there is no "setup" costs for unique ingredients and depending on the style of crusts you can have a great made from scratch crust ready for the oven in 10 minutes flat.

[Dulcimina]

My sister in law says it's "cheaper to eat out than making food at home".  That's some crazy ass lazy thinking.

Yeah, I highly doubt the validity of that statement. I suspect that if I bought everything at Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) and cooked everything at home, it would still be far cheaper than if I ate out. Maybe it would be cheaper to purchase my meals if everything was at the dollar menu at McDonalds, but that would be insanely unhealthy.

I've done this before, in fact my wife is out of the country this week and since my kids won't eat anything I make, I occasionally to get fast food at 2-3pm and call that lunch and dinner.    Today it was 2 grilled burrito type things from Taco Bell...$2.      Last night I made a small piece of wild salmon (on sale from Sprouts mind you) and broccoli...$9.

If you're careful it can be much cheaper to eat fast food than cook healthy food at home.   

I don't think this is a fair comparison.  How much would it have cost to make the burritos at home?

[frugalnacho]

I don't think this is a fair comparison.  How much would it have cost to make the burritos at home?

Probably $1, and the quality would be higher.

[WonderingAgain]

I don't think this is a fair comparison.  How much would it have cost to make the burritos at home?

Probably $1, and the quality would be higher.

Except that someone has to stand in the kitchen (after standing in the store to buy the stuff) and make these things and then stand in the kitchen and do the dishes.

That's the part that drives me nuts, all the prep and clean up time for a 10 minute meal and the assumption that whoever is doing it has nothing better to do and will do it for free.

[dragoncar]

I don't think this is a fair comparison.  How much would it have cost to make the burritos at home?

Probably $1, and the quality would be higher.

Except that someone has to stand in the kitchen (after standing in the store to buy the stuff) and make these things and then stand in the kitchen and do the dishes.

That's the part that drives me nuts, all the prep and clean up time for a 10 minute meal and the assumption that whoever is doing it has nothing better to do and will do it for free.

You could use a $1 can of beans, plus some cheese and tortillas.  The problem with this approach is that it costs slightly more, and your tortillas will go bad if you don't eat it frequently.

[Daniel]

I can get a pretty kickass $6.00 medium 1 topping pizza (not delivery though..), that's easily big enough for 2 people where I live. But we still make homemade pizza sometimes, even though it isn't really cheaper. I find making pizza really fun actually!

[lizzigee]

"Except that someone has to stand in the kitchen (after standing in the store to buy the stuff) and make these things and then stand in the kitchen and do the dishes.
That's the part that drives me nuts, all the prep and clean up time for a 10 minute meal and the assumption that whoever is doing it has nothing better to do and will do it for free."

 
Doesn't it take time to get to Taco Bell? (I'm assuming thats a fast food place, we haven't got them here.) And really, we make time every day for sleeping and using the bathroom - when did it become such a big deal to set aside a few minutes a day to prepare healthy sustenance for our bodies? Disclaimer: I'm not American so some stuff you guys do/think seems a little weird to me ;)

[WildJager]

Doesn't it take time to get to Taco Bell? (I'm assuming thats a fast food place, we haven't got them here.) And really, we make time every day for sleeping and using the bathroom - when did it become such a big deal to set aside a few minutes a day to prepare healthy sustenance for our bodies? Disclaimer: I'm not American so some stuff you guys do/think seems a little weird to me ;)

No, I'm American and I agree.  I see that mentality that cooking "takes too much time"... that's usually said by someone who spends their free time watching TV or other boring activities while waiting for the delivery man to show up.  I enjoy spending time cooking with my wife.  Hunting and gathering for food (grocery stores make it so easy) and then preparing a meal for your family is a pivotal part of life to be enjoyed, not skirted. 

In my opinion at least.