I agree. I feel young and energetic at 47, and my labs from the doctor show it too. Although to be honest when I DO eat fast food or very rich restaurant food I don't experience dehydration or indigestion. That would worry me if I did.
You could notice that Nicole seemed a lot happier during the week that she made meals at home. I am sure a lot of it had to do with how she physically felt.
anything deep fried, from fried chicken to tempura, no way I want that mess in my kitchen... but it makes going out a treat. I eat it so infrequently I have no guilt,
Yes! I only eat out to get authentic Asian food (I, an European, can make some good curries and stuff, but it's not the same experience) or a BBQ plate, as I don't like having meat in the house ... I always get so frustrated, when I buy quite some bucks for some mediocre unhealthy version of a food, that I can make myself better, cheaper and healthier ...
And you get to make it good every time instead of leaving it up to chance. Spending extra compared to cooking at home to get fries and a burger cooked an hour ago is never fun.
@@ninerknight5351 Of course. Also lets say you wanted to make something simple as Burgers & fries at your home, you can with your propane BBQ. You'll get a lot more costing you a fraction of what it would cost you at McDonalds. You cook the burgers on the grill & frozen fries in the oven. Maybe that'll take you 20 min total to do all that.
You tip 25% to 40% for food delivery, because that driver is operating an expensive machine to bring the food from the restaurant kitchen all the way to your doorstep.
I have coworkers who complain about grocery prices being too high. Then go out to eat just about every day for lunch while also complaining about gas prices. Make it make sense.
Sometimes it's about convenience, and just being too dog tired to cook anything once you get home, then you've got to clean it up. Where as a drive thru is just like Nicole slamming down a falafel while driving...and toss out the paper bag and you're done. Yes it's pricey, but sometimes it's worth it just for the time savings..
It’s called giving all you energy and time to make someone else rich. Too tired to go home to cook and wash dishes. Let alone take a shower! It’s easier to grab something while the home is in chaos. Cause work becomes priority. When there’s no space or time. People will spend just to keep afloat until there’s a free day to tend to ones needs!
The prices are out of control, but the money you will save in future medical bills still makes it worth it. It’s a lot easier to eat healthy when you prepare meals yourself.
Prices are only sort of out of control. Canada has inflation. This means the value of $1CAN is decreasing with time by about 4% per year. It is partly a tail end effect from the covid. To keep the economy from tanking, the government injected a bunch of money. This money is chasing the same goods and services as your dollars are and is out bidding you sometimes.
Delivery driver here. We are definitely not paid enough to go without tips - all those fees? None of them go to us. And because everyone thinks some of those fees go to us, we rarely get tips. Or even worse? We get tip baited (ie someone puts in a tip to make the order more enticing for us to accept, then once it’s delivered, they go in and remove the tip). It’s bad out there.
That's awful. While my mom was sick she got Walmart+ and I noticed that 1. you don't have to tip and 2. if you tip, you can change it for less or more or just remove it after you receive your delivery. Mom and I both think that the tip shouldn't be removed or lessened.
@tonyp9313 In my area(Nor California), drivers won't pick up your order unless it's at least $1/mile. Considering they pay for their own gas& maintenance , I don't blame them. Delivery apps are such a rip off. They're making tons of money from fees but the drivers hardly make anything if no one tips.
@@iamlea7905 I'm Canadian. So I don't know how much you pay for gas. Also you have to change miles to km & Gallons to liters. Since the states is a lot bigger than Canada you must have apps I never even heard of. I agree they make a ton of money these apps.
@@tonyp9313$10 an hr average is what UberEats or DoorDash driver makes Mostly becuz ppl don’t tip The services pay very very little, w/o tips. Gas is $3 a gal, oil changes are every 3000 miles (400-500 miles a week) and wear n tear is a real thing. I put 10K miles on my car last yr, not even did it all year. Only do this if ur DESPERATE
When i was growing up, we NEVER had paper towels. Anything fried would require torn-apart paper bags to soak up extra oil. At the time, we used paper bags to cover school books but also for fried foods. There weren't plastic bag options in some stores yet.
My grandparents taught us something similar: Never pour the oil of the pan into the kitchen sink, but clean it out with an old newspaper and throw the oily paper into the trash. In the old days, they even uswd this ioly paper to get going the wooden stove. 😄
We always had a coffee can with a lid near by where we would dump the oil or let it cool and scrap it off with a utensil into the can. The can could go out with the trash when its ready. I still do this today, but if i'm being honest the final whip of the oil is with a paper towel which also ends up in that can. I saw one ad video where they were promoting a can with a strainer in where you can filter and reuse the collected oil and grease. Bacon grease was the example the video used as a good one for reuse.
The most stunning part of this video was finding out what the delivery apps actually charge, since I’ve never used one at all. That’s a STAGGERING amount of fees
I never use Uber eats unless I have a coupon or promo code. I ordered yesterday in SoCal and spent 22 and change on a large chinese chicken salad, homemade potato chips and a cup of chili. That includes a tip. I had a promo code for 50 percent off.
I can end up feeding a family of four a full meal for about 50 dollars, ordering to go with no drinks and picking up myself. It costs about the same to eat similar meals from the grocery store.
Cooking at home is way less expensive. I know my way around the kitchen. I prepare almost all the meals for my wife and I. I have time because I am retired and she still works mostly from home. And cooking is so easy, from pasta, vegetable soup, homemade pizza, fried rice with whatever protein you want and lots of vegetables. Very little meat. And the best of all, I have stopped drinking alcohol 3 months ago and I don’t even miss it!
@nicolewaithera1814 is not an argument... from the University of Sheffield UK - "We know protein consumption, especially when combined with exercise, helps to slow down the loss of muscle mass and strength that comes with ageing. Inadequate protein intake contributes to muscle wastage, impacting physical function and increasing the risk of frailty and mortality through falls"
It will always far far cheaper & healthier to buy your own ingredients and then prepare them yourself. And I'm talking about ingredients, not frozen or prepped meals "food".
I can't believe that someone is same as me. I don't eat out at all, and if I have to, I struggle to pick anything as I don't trust the food, so I go with safest option which is coffee or just some simple
See Nicole... this is why we love you. You don't just talk... you DO! You take on the bullshit that most of us just talk about doing but never do, so you do it so that we don't have to. And in your "doing", you showed us what is far more important than even the money... the health aspects. Because for a lady that lives her life eating healthy, in doing this, you got to feel what those of us who don't practice this lifestyle feel every single day. We wake up feeling like crap, sluggish, foggy, thirsty, and low energy. Many of us either believe (falsely) that we eat healthy, or know that we really don't but say we "try to" when we can. Without judging us, you actually highlighted the fact that it IS possible because it IS easy and 1000X better. Thank you for that. You're truly and inspiration.
TBH, at first I was offended by this title. I cook from scratch for 98% of what I consume. But eventually I got curious and clicked and found that you literally proved what I know to be true. Real good foods from home is best!! ❤ thank you for doing this experiment. It really respect it
I've been cooking from scratch since I was a young kid. It makes total sense to me plus I have control of what I'm put in my body. About kitchen towels, I use...kitchen towels. 😅 The actual cloth ones. Or tea towels, if that is what you say where you are. And just toss them in the washer when I have a full load. Save energy folks! 👍
Nah, 2 McDonald’s meals were more expensive than grilling two steaks and baked potatoes for my wife and I. So lately I’ve been grilling a lot instead of going out. Been enjoying fajitas, burgers and roasted corn.
McDonald's is a special case because of how franchisees are obligated to give McDonald's a straight percentage off their top line to McDonald's Corp. So if food prices go up 20 percent, so does the franchisees rent or franchise fee go up by, say, another 5 percent. Hence, eye-popping prices.
In N out you can get double cheeseburger fries and milkshake for 11 dollars and change. I know for a fact a pound of ground beef alone, not counting everything else is already 7-8 dollars. You are using the absolute worst example with mcdonalds. They are horrible. Also, 2 ribeye steaks from the grocery store will set you back about 35 dollars. That's still more expensive than mcdonalds.
@@lVlegabyte That's barely a half a pound, just looked it up on the HEB website. Averaging 11 dollars a pound for new york strip. You can get a double cheeseburger fries and shake for 11 dollars at In n Out. All fresh natural ingredients and real milkshake. Pro tip: there are other restaurants besides mcdonalds.
Agree with this so much. For many years we have eaten lunch out on Saturdays but cook all other meals at home (breakfast, lunch and dinner). We credit it with our good health and lab work, activity being secondary to nutrition (also important). When we travel, both of us feel so relieved to get back to total control over our meals and knowing we will be satisfied and energized by our food!
People online who always say “it’s cheaper to eat fast food than cook at home!” Is a big pet peeve of mine and I’m always getting in arguments about it. I can make a big dinner for my family for under $5 and still have leftovers the next day. The key is shopping the sales and tailoring your meals around what you have. Even if I make a more expensive meal, say $15, it’s still cheaper than taking my family of four to eat fast food. Pizza is one of my favorite things and I make my own dough for the crust then top with whatever veggies I happen to have on hand.
I grew up in an Asian household and was introduced to a lot of different types of food in college. My first job was in small berg about an hour outside a major city so getting "real food" meant only weekends. So rather than give like my roommies w/ their bachelor food (tuna w/ mustard), I practiced cooking a lot of ethic meals that I liked. Today, I can cook many dishes and know how to work the food aisle of an Asian food store. My only limiter is how much effort I want to put in. But at least I know how to make a steak and asparagus at home that is better than most steakhouses. Costco bulk, a vacuum sealer and a cast iron skillet helps make rib-eye steak night an affordable meal when I don't go out to eat as much.
I absolutely agree with you on everything. Delivery apps are ridiculous, the food is to salty and causes indigestion, eating out is way too expensive. I cook at home every day. We go out twice a month just for a change and make it a social event. When we go we get things that I don’t cook so it’s different. Home cooking is so much better and now that I’m retired I have time to try new recipes which can be fun. Thanks for another great right on point video.
I don't know why people would say they might as well eat out! You can shop sales, buy generic brands, watch Utube videos on how to stretch your dollar and how to make cheaper meals.
Over time, I have learned (and trained myself) to freeze some things I will use for meal prep. This keeps my waste down - If I will not use all of the ginger, bell pepper,.. I slice/chop & freeze it. This widens my variety of options for future meals and can cut down on the actual meal making (which makes home cooking easier).
Dude. You have to have a channel that is just your dog chomping on stuff!😂 The scarfing of the dog food was funny and the crunchy pepper made me lol. BTW, his dog food looked pretty posh!
I love your indigestion ratings. This was a great video. I've always wondered if it's just cheaper to eat out rather than buy groceries. Thanks for doing this!
As I grew older, honestly home cooked food started tasting so much better. My husband and I find ourselves increasingly more disappointed when going out. Don't get me wrong - sometimes we go find amazing food when we travel and it's totally worth the price for the experience, but only for rare occasions. A lot of eating out is hit and miss, just like your experience. When you see just how cost-effective home cooking is, and how much more of it you can have with a lot more control with what goes into your meal, it's a no brainer. I think we grew up with a culture of going out for meals in the movies but it's all a big scam!
We are the type of people who use 1 roll of paper towels in a year, but soaking up excess oil IS one of the reasons we use them at times. More often we would just drain with a strainer though. I liked watching the cooking part of this so much! We are not vegan but we also eat A TON of veggies and cook with veggies every day so it's nice to see this. Some of my peers (in our 40s!) act like it's weird to ever eat a vegetable and I can't imagine that. However I do need to say I eat Mexican food filled with mushrooms and zucchini all the time and love it - in my area there's a Mexican spot on every corner and that's their go to I think, when you don't order meat.
Nicole as someone that doesn't buy paper towel, I also don't sop up grease. If needed I switch the food to another plate and drain the grease in a jar.
Most restaurant foods taste 'better' because of the extra butter and seasoning they put over the typical home cook. That extra sodium will be hard for your system to adjust to at first and obviously less healthy.
Love your content Nicole. It's always gonna be cheaper to cook at home than to order out - regardless of what grocery prices are! Restaurants buy those same groceries and extend the price hikes to the consumer. I don't know what kind of person doesn't see that (grocery prices) as a constant for both sides of the equation. Thanks for making this video for those folks.
as far as tips go on delivery, we get paid $2usd+tip and can do about 3 or 4 deliveries in a busy hour (though ive done anywhere from 1-8 during extremes). If you want a good rule of thumb, tip the distance of the restaurant from your house x 2. if you live two miles away, tip 4, if less than a mile tip two, etc. up to about ten bucks or 5 miles.
Just taking a second to applaud the kinds of meals you provide for your puppy! That little man is going to live a long healthy life with meals like that!
Why? What is she feeding him. If it's vegan dog food the poor thing will loose his teeth. How can you tell what she put in the bowl? Dogs don't. Thrive on green beans.
@@vikki4nowYou don't know what you are talking about. I know three massive size dogs fed exclusively vegan, beans and veg mostly. Two are regular blood donors for a veterinary practice. Never seen healthier dogs full of energy with glossy coats in my life.
I live in Winnipeg and spend close to $100.00 a month in groceries. I have to have things delivered because I don’t have car and two I’m disabled. Every time I think of going out to a restaurant, I say “Nope”. Here just ordering a pizza is $40.00. Staying in and cooking is soooo much better.
What are some examples of things you buy? I'm finding it difficult to conceive an adult reaching their caloric needs on $100 per month in Canada today.
I make my own pizza on flatbread. You can buy naan or make your own. I prefer it now to pizza dough but if you get some yeast, you can make your own pizza dough too.
@@aw2589in Ontario you'd be lucky to get by on $50-$100 a week on groceries per person not incl pet foods and supplies or cleaning products or kitchen items like plastic wrap or foil, the costs are off the charts here!
GenX here - New subscriber. Been cooking since I was 8 years old. Home cooking is healthier and tastier. I have had my fair share of great restaurant meals as well as delivery when exhausted from work. I am quite surprised to see so many younger people ordering in, eating out etc. we never could have afforded that in those days. I love your channel and love this video in particular. Cooking is essential and can be great for both mental and body health as well as much more financially empowering. thanks for all the thought and hard work that went into this vid.
I have never heard anyone suggest that it is cheaper to go out to eat than grocery shop and cook at home...ever. Regardless, I enjoyed your video. Was a fun experiment. Thank you.
We stopped eating junk food at grab and go hamburger shops about a year ago. However we still go out occasionally with a friend for supper but I still tried to make healthy choices. I prefer to cook at home because the food is seasoned the way I want it, plus you never know who’s handling your food in the kitchen. We’ve had some horrible experiences that restaurants with undercooked food etc. At least at home you know your food was prepared safely and it’s a fun endeavor especially if you get your family involved
i don't get how so many people go out to eat? I mostly do so on vacay and when a lot of people is coming so order large family siz meals. Grocers have the options now. Only go to resturants for specialty items.
I think most people are lacking just very basic cooking skills. Cooking/making meals is a life skill. How to shop for groceries and then cook them into something yummy before the food goes bad takes practice.
I did this experiment too. I switched to vegan diet too. I can now feed myself for 25% of what I was spending before. I was dumb enough to use Uber eats and just go to restaurants and pay for others and basically just throw my money away. Your channel has inspired me! Caleb Hammer inspired me to sell my car and I have been crazy aggressive paying off my debt since watching him Ive paid off $45k in 7 months. I moved to where my rent is less then half, I sold my rav 4 and bought a beater car! I have $21k more to go (including student loans) and then so will NEVER take on debt again!! Thanks for your videos. I cancelled my subscriptions and became more motivated by seeing how nice your house is! I’ll be back to work soon and setting goals!
Cooking has additional advantages besides price. 1) Fast food has waaaaay toooo much salt in it, always. 2) Home cooked food can have interesting things in it that you don't get in restaurants like beet greens 3) I like the taste of oregano, sage and other spices and I can spice it up to may taste. 4) I cook with olive oil. I think some fast food places use motor oil or something. I am not sure if this is an advantage but I find that when I cook I eat a lot more vegetables and a lot less meat.
I cook almost entirely from scratch, using fresh ingredients. My glancing experience with the food industry and the restaurant trade has taught me that both try to maximize their profits by using the cheapest possible ingredients and various forms of trickery that skate along the edge of the law. Meat is soaked in chemicals to make it swell, you need a degree in biochemistry to recognize the various noxious compounds added to processed food to preserve it and make it look appetizing, and the amounts of sugar and inflammatory oils that are sneaked into these products is staggering.
Going the vegetarian route whether it's with groceries or fast food saves a ton of money. I actually started growing veggies at home. Food you grow yourself tastes better, no chemicals too. When it comes to going out to eat, it's hard to beat the cost of pizza because one large pizza is about 3 meals. Olive Garden and Mexican restaurants are great. You can fill up on the salad/bread or chips/salsa for free and portions on meals usually make 2 meals. For meat, I usually buy a London broil, and cut it up into 8 sections, so that makes it $1.25 per meal.
I am always amazed by how many people complain they are broke and can never afford anything that routinely use food delivery services and go to Starbucks.
Some restaurants are worth going to,I find a meal that I love then I want to recreate it at home. I’ve learned many new techniques and dishes that I wouldn’t have ever thought about. Higher end restaurants tend to let you speak to the chef if you enquirer about a delicious dish you have enjoyed. I’ve done this everywhere I have traveled and depending upon the busyness of the restaurant they are happy to share. My knowledge has grown immensely and I can now complete the dish at home. Of course eating at home is less expensive than at a restaurant and I eat 95% at home. But I love learning from a well educated chef and I usually make a friend during this process. Of course crappy food is everywhere at lower end restaurants. I avoid crappy burgers and fries which are everywhere but I love learning about great food.
One take away, generally if you are vegan your grocery bills will be a lot lower since most of your protein is coming from things like tofu and legumes. Where as the average person is probably spending a lot more money on meat and animal products like eggs and cheese. I know vegan substitutes like the vegan mayo and cheese cost more, but I don't think it makes up in the difference of not buying chicken or red meat. Cooking at home is cheaper for non-vegans too, but factoring in things like making a beef stew vs vegetable soup with chick peas then the gap between cooking at home and eating out narrows quite a bit. Not to mention cooking has become a lost art since the 1980s. Millennials and gen z see it as this amazing skill like ice sculpting. Even simple folk meals like home cooked shepherds pie with home made mashed potatoes blows peoples mind when I make it for dates. Cooking at home for most people usually means putting a frozen meal in the oven and heating up a bag of steamed veggies in the microwave and calling it a night. Those are expensive and horrible for you. So they compare their frozen pizza to the cost of a medium take away and don't see a massive difference in anything but convenience and taste. To them its a better value to spend a few dollars more on the fast food pizza than the store bought one. It doesn't even enter their mind they can make their own pizza.
Maybe unpopular opinion but I do think all the vegan substitutes CAN be so pricey they rival meat prices. We feel that our household eating primarily vegetarian (meat once a week or maybe twice) is the cheapest way, probably. Very little spent on meat but we still eat 'traditional' condiments and such so it's really inexpensive most of the time even with a huge array of produce and other foods. (NOT saying others need to eat this way just that I see prices on meats and vegan substitutes and get a little sticker shock).
I agree .., Im vegan and don’t buy their processed sausages , or beyond burgers or other st yeaves products , most are full of bad oils, and other unhealthy products. Just because they say vegan I’ve learned not necessarily healthy. Started making my own blackbean burgers and milks, because the milks are full of oils too.
@@heliaandrade146I agree. I totally admit we lean on a few convenience foods at times like Morningstar Farms chorizo (loooove that) but for us, where we live I think there is a pretty low demand for a lot of vegan substitutes so certain items like cream cheese substitutes I mentioned recently in the comments of another video...seriously 5X the price of the non-vegan versions, and only available at the super insanely bougie specialty grocer. I can't justify that personally - but I may feel differently if I were a dedicated vegan instead of just a "flex" mostly vegetarian eater.
Mmm, for someone who actually does need to eat meat for health reasons (believe it or not, some of us need the enzymes from meat that there are not substitutes for yet), and has to avoid starch, wheat, mushrooms - my grocery bills are higher than ready meals would be to buy for a week. I have eggs for breakfast, and veges/salad and protein + the good fats for lunch and dinner. When I actually eat according to my dietary requirements I end up spending a small fortune on my food. The only way I’ve managed to reduce the cost is by shopping at a local market and bulk ordering a half or whole lamb etc from my butcher and requesting my cuts. This requires a LOT of planning, time out from my weekends and a deep freezer. I simply can’t always manage it because it is so time heavy and I don’t have a car. I do understand why people may find ready meals cheaper and more economical (time and money wise). And frozen veg are actually a more economical buy than fresh sometimes when it’s only one person eating the food and it may go off before you get to it. Just wanted to add another relevant perspective.
Costs would fluctuate on what you eat & where you purchased either your ready meals or groceries for cooking at home, or restaurant & you would have to take into consideration collection or delivery costs, any tipping, also any mark down or discounts & cooking. Home cooking can allow you to buy in bulk & make extra meals for the freezer, which also has a running cost. Some people can’t or hate cooking too. It’s not a simple cook at home or buy out meals or go to a restaurant. I once did an experiment about the same item either bought or cooked at home & some items were more expensive & others were cheaper, it depended on what it was. As a tip, I make up individual sandwiches wrapped in grease proof paper ready to go into a toaster grill (butter on the outside) & pop them in my freezer. Great for when you are in a hurry. I started this as I could buy 3 sliced loaves for £3.00 rather than buy 2 at £1.40 each but 1 would end up with mould before we got to it. So one would be eaten fresh, 1 would be separated & frozen into portions ready to defrost or use in the toaster & the other loaf into sandwiches for the toaster grill. Occasionally a bread & butter pudding would be made if I still had a surplus of sandwiches.
Hi Nicole - I understand the theory behind your "experiment", but to be fair, you should have made the exact same meals at your house, as the meals you went and ate. However, I you're still right, per meal it is cheaper to eat in than out. I believe the reason why most people think it's cheaper to eat out is because the are thinking of buying each ingredient needed for a meal. For example, to make a burrito, you need the tortillas, which is about $3.00 per pack of 8 where I live. Then the amount you pay for each ingridient you're going to use for your burrito. People fail to look forward and see that those ingridients can be used for other meals. I budget myself $60 to eat out every week, but I am completely debt free. Before, I would really restrict myself from wants and even deprived myself. Nicole, those were the best decisions that I made. Now that I am older(45 yrs old) and live such a stress free life, I realize that is all due to the decisions I made between 17 yrs old and the time I turned 35. I still eat mainly at home, and I sometimes cook big meals(portion wise), and just eat the same thing for three or four days. Regarding Uber Eats, I have that in case of emergency, like I'm sick and don't feel like cooking my own soup, but don't want to bother a friend or family member to bring me something over either. Before I order through Uber Eats(all three times in the past six years, I call the restaurant first to see if they have delivery available. Sometimes they do, and their prices are not jacked up. They may have a small delivery fee between $1 and $5, plus tip. By the way, you forgot to mention the gasoline you are consuming driving to and from the restaurants to pick food up.
Fun to watch but ill forever cook at home. I also worry about others who prep my food if its done properly. I know I am safe with my own prep n cooking. Plus I normally have leftovers.
Cooking meals at home has been my go to, my familys go to for decades! We do go out to restaurants to celebrate graduation, birthdays, milestones basically maybe 5 times a year..... and yes restaurant food can and will make you sick, bloated, thirsty, it is NOT BETTER to eat out, thank you for taking one for the team and doing this video!
I live in Paris, where groceries are extortionate for the most part. My grocery store has these awesome ready-made salads and pasta dishes that are made fresh every day and don't have an ingredients list full of nasty crap. Food here is generally held to a pretty high standard. They cost six euros and fill me up. When I buy the ingredients to make 2-3 salads, I usually end up spending 30-35 euros or so. Some of them would be quite labour-intensive as well, so there is a time savings that comes into play. So, at least in my case, a ready-made option works for me, but I'm aware that this isn't exactly universal, and restaurants are obviously far more expensive. I tried food delivery once and paid 7 euros for "mozzarella sticks" which consisted of exactly two limp tiny things that resembled cheese to some extent but were laughably tiny (I also ordered other stuff, obviously). Plus the density of places where one can buy food here is pretty high. Have never tried it since.
There are youtube videos out there where someone would try to cook the same dish at home while waiting for the delivery to get here. Of course, that really depends if you're equipped for the job to begin with. Either way, the price at restaurant can not be compared with cooking at home. Meals at restaurants have their prices increased to cover the cost of both the ingredients, staff's pay, and backend/additional cost of running a business.
There are also youtube videos on making inexpensive meals and also on creating a pantry of shelf stable items like rice, canned meats, etc.by buying an item or two here and there so if you are in an extreme financial bind you will have some food to help tide you over.
Cooking and also shopping for yourself is a habit you have to learn and develope. Planning meals is also important and needs to be learned. And it takes discipline. One of my problems was learning to cook small. Leftovers are great but too much and you end up with science experiments growing in your refrigerator and getting thrown out. This is just to make sure your food intake is most cost effective. If you want to eat healthy that's another subject you need to invest your time in studying. Just like many life skills the individual needs to take responsibility, put the work in, and have the discipline to develope good habits to have the best results.
I am in Australia and our groceries have gone up significantly as well, but that means restaurant prices have as well. We mostly eat at home. Rarely get take out. My husband really likes my cooking so it has to be pretty good.food for us to go out. Or something I don't cook. Plus restaurants don't cook.for.your health, so to keep sugars etc down, eating at home is best.
I don't really like to cook that much, partly because I live on my own and because of the lay-out of my house (seperated kitchen). But... I make lots of soups as full meals. I put in plenty of beans (that I stack dry in the cellar) as to have my proteins and the rest are veggies that are in season. Right now, nettles are just starting to sprout, so it will be nettle-soup for some time 🙂It's free and healthy!!
I don’t know what level of starvation I’d have to be at to justify delivering that burrito. $16 is bad enough but doubling the price to have it sent to you in insane
I cook at home and feed my family of 6 - two adults, 4 kids- ages 17, 16, 9 & 5 for less than what that Uber eats would cost and not much more than the takeout. About $125-150 per week. That also takes consumables into account. Prices are outrageous but still, it is way cheaper to cook at home. And typically tastier and healthier too!
For my cheapest eating for a month is: (4) bags chicken thighs (1-25lb) bag of basmati rice (2) bags of frozen vegetables (1) bulk bacon sliced (6) 2 dozen eggs (1) Avocado oil All at Costco. Rice will last a couple months. Oil, about 2. Less than $200 a month.
It'd also be interesting to see the price difference of the same meals. Like if you get a burrito on the Monday of take out week then make the same type of burrito the following Monday at home, etc
If I ever travel to civilization about 45 minutes south of me, there is a pita place called Pita Deli in Whitby that I have been going to for over 20 years and that is a treat. It costs about $14, other than that, I always eat at home. That being said, as a retired couple, we order Chef's Plate for 3 meals per week which costs about $10.50 per portion. We have unusual food, no waste and no having to think about what to cook. Retirement does come with some perks after being frugal my entire life.
I hate going out to eat. I cook at home and have total control of sodium content of my meals. I hate spending all the time to eat out. Getting ready to go. Driving to restaurant, waiting to sit down, waiting on the waiter and cook to make your meal, eating and going home. 3 to 4 hours to go out. At home I cook and eat in less than 30 minutes. I binge cook a couple dozen meals at a time and portion it and freeze it. So I don't cook very often. Defrost and heat and eat. Done. Back to doing what I want to do for fun.
It's actually insane how expensive eating out is and how often some people do it. Even just fast food. I met someone once who said she eats McDonalds most nights a week for dinner. Like her whole family did. They didn't cook, they just went to get "food" from McDonalds...
I just use paper towels, sometimes you have to. Cleaning up broken glass, spilled chia seeds, gross moldy areas and grease are a few things i just can’t use a towel for.
Interesting to hear the app delivey prices, I had no idea. That delivered $30 burrito would instead buy LOTS of dried beans, lentils, pasta, rice and veggies! I seldom eat out, preferring to make my own food. Cooking is a life skill. I have learned to make everything I like at home with the exception of pizza dough. I just can't get the texture I like. I sure would love to eat takeaway pizza for a week 😂😅. Folks should do a time management budget. I don't have time to cook (what are you doing with your time? What are you doing while awaitingfood delivery?), i don't have money to buy a house (because I have car payment, credit card debt, student loans, and order too much delivered food).
I rarely get takeout anymore, but today, I almost caved and used doordash to get pizza last minute. And then I remembered you mentioning in this video that most pizza places allow you to order on their own websites. I actually had no idea until this video came out, and im glad this video came out less than a week ago so it was still fresh on my mind. Saved my ass from overspending on top of already overspending to begin with.
Back when we got paper bags, that is what I used to sop oil. I also occasionally used newspaper. I get packages with brown paper for stuffing instead of plastic and that would also work but I use those for pattern making. We don't use a lot of paper towels but draining oil is one of them, on the plus side, our garbage company collects compostables and we can put the paper towels in the compost bin.
I guess it depends on your area & circumstances but for me, cooking at home is way cheaper. And usually faster, I don't make anything fancy. I usually go lift weights or indoor climbing after work, so I'm starving by the time I get home. I like to know I'm going to eat soon rather than have to wait on takeout or a delivery person
Love this video, Nicole! I use an application, called too good to go. Random selection of groceries and more, for a tiny price. This is to prevent food waste and cut down on groceries. It makes me try new ingredients too.
I think it depends what you buy at restaurants. You can do both. If you buy two street tacos at a restaurant. Take them home and remove the meat and vegies they come with, add all to fried potatoes. The number of tacos you buy depends on how many people are eating and how generous the restaurant is with meat on each taco. You save the tortillas so you don't waste and also buy more tortillas if needed to make meat and potato tacos with onion, cilantro and what ever is in a taco. You get free salsa on the side too. Since you bought potatoes and more tortillas, you save the rest for another dish. If you buy a rotisserie chicken, buy affordable gravy. Make white rice or fries on the side. On the plate, serve the chicken with rice or fries, add gravy or dip your food in the gravy. A rotisserie may be about the same price as a raw chicken, depending where you buy it. I think I would do both. You can go to a buffet and buy only meat to go, cook your sides. But then you spend on gas going to more then one place. 🤷♀
I don’t go out to eat anymore. Even going to someplace like Burger King requires that you take out a loan at the bank first. Your dog is very cute. He seems happy. Thank you for high quality videos
My aunt saves eating out as she doesn’t buy any food at all, none gets thrown out then She doesn’t buy hardly any dish soap, paper towels or garbage bags She has little kitchen linens laundry (towels, cloths, napkins) Runs a very small fridge (way lower electric bill) And saves huge time planning, shopping, prepping, cooking & cleaning up. To her it’s well worth it She brings home half usually n eats it later for her 2nd meal. Coffee is her brkfast, she buys it at 7-11 lol Buys her drinks there too (soda) Fresh is her big thing, everything is always very fresh
Castor oil applied externally will get rid of bags and dark circles. Since I'm commenting anyway, yes, I do just use kitchen towels to get rid of my oils and such. Just wash them separately and use Dawn. You'll be fine.
I dont fry things. If i use oil I don’t have a lot left-over. I pour it over the food or keep it in the pan for the next meal. I only use paper towels to clean the toilet and clean up cat barf.
100% worth it for your health.
I agree. I feel young and energetic at 47, and my labs from the doctor show it too.
Although to be honest when I DO eat fast food or very rich restaurant food I don't experience dehydration or indigestion. That would worry me if I did.
You could notice that Nicole seemed a lot happier during the week that she made meals at home. I am sure a lot of it had to do with how she physically felt.
What exactly is unhealthy about a veggie burger?
My hot take: Restaurants should be reserved for meals way beyond my technical abilities or meals that will stink out my house. 🤣
100% agree. Sushi is within my abilities but a total PITA so I’m happy to go out for it.
That and social event. We used to gather at houses and eat but that is about once a year thing now, usually it is at a restaurant now .
Yup, we rarely eat out, and when we do, I get a very nice steak and enjoy every bite. I can make steak, but they always make it better.
anything deep fried, from fried chicken to tempura, no way I want that mess in my kitchen... but it makes going out a treat. I eat it so infrequently I have no guilt,
Yes! I only eat out to get authentic Asian food (I, an European, can make some good curries and stuff, but it's not the same experience) or a BBQ plate, as I don't like having meat in the house ...
I always get so frustrated, when I buy quite some bucks for some mediocre unhealthy version of a food, that I can make myself better, cheaper and healthier ...
Yes groceries are still worth it. It's still way cheaper than buying fast food or sit down restaurant food.
And all the health problems that would follow.
@@forrestaustin7050 That too
And you get to make it good every time instead of leaving it up to chance. Spending extra compared to cooking at home to get fries and a burger cooked an hour ago is never fun.
@@ninerknight5351 Of course. Also lets say you wanted to make something simple as Burgers & fries at your home, you can with your propane BBQ. You'll get a lot more costing you a fraction of what it would cost you at McDonalds. You cook the burgers on the grill & frozen fries in the oven. Maybe that'll take you 20 min total to do all that.
You tip 25% to 40% for food delivery, because that driver is operating an expensive machine to bring the food from the restaurant kitchen all the way to your doorstep.
I have coworkers who complain about grocery prices being too high. Then go out to eat just about every day for lunch while also complaining about gas prices. Make it make sense.
Same 😂
Why they also stay in debt
LOL too lazy to make an effort to cook some meals at home.
Sometimes it's about convenience, and just being too dog tired to cook anything once you get home, then you've got to clean it up. Where as a drive thru is just like Nicole slamming down a falafel while driving...and toss out the paper bag and you're done. Yes it's pricey, but sometimes it's worth it just for the time savings..
It’s called giving all you energy and time to make someone else rich. Too tired to go home to cook and wash dishes. Let alone take a shower! It’s easier to grab something while the home is in chaos. Cause work becomes priority. When there’s no space or time. People will spend just to keep afloat until there’s a free day to tend to ones needs!
The prices are out of control, but the money you will save in future medical bills still makes it worth it. It’s a lot easier to eat healthy when you prepare meals yourself.
$1 in prevention saves us $4 in healthcare costs.
@@professormphanother thing I've heard before is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Prices are only sort of out of control. Canada has inflation. This means the value of $1CAN is decreasing with time by about 4% per year. It is partly a tail end effect from the covid. To keep the economy from tanking, the government injected a bunch of money. This money is chasing the same goods and services as your dollars are and is out bidding you sometimes.
@@professormph absolutely correct!!
Some of the takeout meals could have realistically been split into two meals. Like the burrito could have been two meals.
You're vegan but you still give your dog's appropriate diet!! LADY I RESPECT YOU! That made me subscribe
Delivery driver here. We are definitely not paid enough to go without tips - all those fees? None of them go to us. And because everyone thinks some of those fees go to us, we rarely get tips. Or even worse? We get tip baited (ie someone puts in a tip to make the order more enticing for us to accept, then once it’s delivered, they go in and remove the tip). It’s bad out there.
That's awful. While my mom was sick she got Walmart+ and I noticed that 1. you don't have to tip and 2. if you tip, you can change it for less or more or just remove it after you receive your delivery. Mom and I both think that the tip shouldn't be removed or lessened.
How much do yoy get paid? Please put numbers
@tonyp9313 In my area(Nor California), drivers won't pick up your order unless it's at least $1/mile. Considering they pay for their own gas& maintenance , I don't blame them. Delivery apps are such a rip off. They're making tons of money from fees but the drivers hardly make anything if no one tips.
@@iamlea7905 I'm Canadian. So I don't know how much you pay for gas. Also you have to change miles to km & Gallons to liters. Since the states is a lot bigger than Canada you must have apps I never even heard of. I agree they make a ton of money these apps.
@@tonyp9313$10 an hr average is what UberEats or DoorDash driver makes
Mostly becuz ppl don’t tip
The services pay very very little, w/o tips. Gas is $3 a gal, oil changes are every 3000 miles (400-500 miles a week) and wear n tear is a real thing. I put 10K miles on my car last yr, not even did it all year.
Only do this if ur DESPERATE
When i was growing up, we NEVER had paper towels. Anything fried would require torn-apart paper bags to soak up extra oil. At the time, we used paper bags to cover school books but also for fried foods. There weren't plastic bag options in some stores yet.
I think newspapers work as well--but you might want to layer it with something that doesn't have ink.
Thanks for this tip!
My grandparents taught us something similar: Never pour the oil of the pan into the kitchen sink, but clean it out with an old newspaper and throw the oily paper into the trash. In the old days, they even uswd this ioly paper to get going the wooden stove. 😄
We always had a coffee can with a lid near by where we would dump the oil or let it cool and scrap it off with a utensil into the can. The can could go out with the trash when its ready. I still do this today, but if i'm being honest the final whip of the oil is with a paper towel which also ends up in that can.
I saw one ad video where they were promoting a can with a strainer in where you can filter and reuse the collected oil and grease. Bacon grease was the example the video used as a good one for reuse.
The most stunning part of this video was finding out what the delivery apps actually charge, since I’ve never used one at all. That’s a STAGGERING amount of fees
right?!
What's crazy is some people use those all the time.
I never use Uber eats unless I have a coupon or promo code. I ordered yesterday in SoCal and spent 22 and change on a large chinese chicken salad, homemade potato chips and a cup of chili. That includes a tip. I had a promo code for 50 percent off.
I can end up feeding a family of four a full meal for about 50 dollars, ordering to go with no drinks and picking up myself. It costs about the same to eat similar meals from the grocery store.
@@stus2159 Where do you shop? I made a pork tenderloin with a mustard dijon sauce, parmesan cous cous and frozen organic corn for 5 bucks.
Cooking at home is way less expensive. I know my way around the kitchen. I prepare almost all the meals for my wife and I. I have time because I am retired and she still works mostly from home. And cooking is so easy, from pasta, vegetable soup, homemade pizza, fried rice with whatever protein you want and lots of vegetables. Very little meat. And the best of all, I have stopped drinking alcohol 3 months ago and I don’t even miss it!
good for you! save money and your health! plus better sleep.
Very little meat is one of the causes of osteopenia and sarcopenia. So if you want to become brittle, frail, and weak rock on!
@@InsolentVillagerfalse :)
@nicolewaithera1814 is not an argument... from the University of Sheffield UK - "We know protein consumption, especially when combined with exercise, helps to slow down the loss of muscle mass and strength that comes with ageing. Inadequate protein intake contributes to muscle wastage, impacting physical function and increasing the risk of frailty and mortality through falls"
@@InsolentVillager try googling non-meat protein sources.
Puppy eating was so cute!
She does what?! 😨
@@pawsonalpetcare lol.NOOO....the puppy was eating a couple of snacks.
It will always far far cheaper & healthier to buy your own ingredients and then prepare them yourself. And I'm talking about ingredients, not frozen or prepped meals "food".
Not far cheaper
Groc are wicked expensive
@@YeshuaKingMessiah yes but ingredients can be used for multiple meals, whereas a full meal is only one meal (or two if you save for later)
I never eat out. I don't trust strangers with my food. Home cooked meals are the best.
In today's profit over everything else world I feel the same way.
Yup. The only time I ever really eat out is a very special occasion or when away on vacation.
i work in a kitchen, and you shouldn't trust them. most of them are gross monsters.
I can't believe that someone is same as me. I don't eat out at all, and if I have to, I struggle to pick anything as I don't trust the food, so I go with safest option which is coffee or just some simple
same here..do they wash the salad??,,do they wash there hand after batromm...i do not trust !
We eat at home , and we feel it's cheaper 💯 it's so nice to see Levi we adore him.
See Nicole... this is why we love you. You don't just talk... you DO! You take on the bullshit that most of us just talk about doing but never do, so you do it so that we don't have to. And in your "doing", you showed us what is far more important than even the money... the health aspects. Because for a lady that lives her life eating healthy, in doing this, you got to feel what those of us who don't practice this lifestyle feel every single day. We wake up feeling like crap, sluggish, foggy, thirsty, and low energy. Many of us either believe (falsely) that we eat healthy, or know that we really don't but say we "try to" when we can. Without judging us, you actually highlighted the fact that it IS possible because it IS easy and 1000X better. Thank you for that. You're truly and inspiration.
TBH, at first I was offended by this title. I cook from scratch for 98% of what I consume. But eventually I got curious and clicked and found that you literally proved what I know to be true. Real good foods from home is best!! ❤ thank you for doing this experiment. It really respect it
I've been cooking from scratch since I was a young kid. It makes total sense to me plus I have control of what I'm put in my body.
About kitchen towels, I use...kitchen towels. 😅 The actual cloth ones. Or tea towels, if that is what you say where you are. And just toss them in the washer when I have a full load. Save energy folks! 👍
Nah, 2 McDonald’s meals were more expensive than grilling two steaks and baked potatoes for my wife and I. So lately I’ve been grilling a lot instead of going out. Been enjoying fajitas, burgers and roasted corn.
McDonald's is a special case because of how franchisees are obligated to give McDonald's a straight percentage off their top line to McDonald's Corp. So if food prices go up 20 percent, so does the franchisees rent or franchise fee go up by, say, another 5 percent. Hence, eye-popping prices.
Don't forget to figure in the cost of the Grill and fuel., repair parts etc., clean up tools and chemicals
In N out you can get double cheeseburger fries and milkshake for 11 dollars and change. I know for a fact a pound of ground beef alone, not counting everything else is already 7-8 dollars. You are using the absolute worst example with mcdonalds. They are horrible. Also, 2 ribeye steaks from the grocery store will set you back about 35 dollars. That's still more expensive than mcdonalds.
@@stus2159 HEB thin sliced New York strips - two steaks for $8.73
@@lVlegabyte That's barely a half a pound, just looked it up on the HEB website. Averaging 11 dollars a pound for new york strip. You can get a double cheeseburger fries and shake for 11 dollars at In n Out. All fresh natural ingredients and real milkshake. Pro tip: there are other restaurants besides mcdonalds.
Also, one of my favorite parts of getting home from a long trip is being able to cook food I know for sure will make me feel amazing :).
Agree with this so much. For many years we have eaten lunch out on Saturdays but cook all other meals at home (breakfast, lunch and dinner). We credit it with our good health and lab work, activity being secondary to nutrition (also important). When we travel, both of us feel so relieved to get back to total control over our meals and knowing we will be satisfied and energized by our food!
@@seltzermint5 you get it!
People online who always say “it’s cheaper to eat fast food than cook at home!” Is a big pet peeve of mine and I’m always getting in arguments about it. I can make a big dinner for my family for under $5 and still have leftovers the next day. The key is shopping the sales and tailoring your meals around what you have. Even if I make a more expensive meal, say $15, it’s still cheaper than taking my family of four to eat fast food. Pizza is one of my favorite things and I make my own dough for the crust then top with whatever veggies I happen to have on hand.
I grew up in an Asian household and was introduced to a lot of different types of food in college. My first job was in small berg about an hour outside a major city so getting "real food" meant only weekends. So rather than give like my roommies w/ their bachelor food (tuna w/ mustard), I practiced cooking a lot of ethic meals that I liked. Today, I can cook many dishes and know how to work the food aisle of an Asian food store. My only limiter is how much effort I want to put in. But at least I know how to make a steak and asparagus at home that is better than most steakhouses. Costco bulk, a vacuum sealer and a cast iron skillet helps make rib-eye steak night an affordable meal when I don't go out to eat as much.
Great video 🙂👍
I'm from Czech Republic, I'm 39 y.o. and I cook at home almost every day. It's cheaper, healthier and it tastes the way I want it.
Sorry for leaving a thousand comments, but I can’t help but share how excited I was to hear Caleb Hammers voice in the background.
It'd be kinda cool to see Nicole on his show. I like seeing the rare audits of people who are financially responsible.
@@daisyglaze1817 right? I would love to see more responsible audits from Caleb!
I absolutely agree with you on everything. Delivery apps are ridiculous, the food is to salty and causes indigestion, eating out is way too expensive. I cook at home every day. We go out twice a month just for a change and make it a social event. When we go we get things that I don’t cook so it’s different. Home cooking is so much better and now that I’m retired I have time to try new recipes which can be fun. Thanks for another great right on point video.
I don't know why people would say they might as well eat out!
You can shop sales, buy generic brands, watch Utube videos on how to stretch your dollar and how to make cheaper meals.
What they’re really saying is they are lazy and it’s much easier to just go out to eat; and they’re fortunate enough to be able to afford to do so!
Over time, I have learned (and trained myself) to freeze some things I will use for meal prep. This keeps my waste down - If I will not use all of the ginger, bell pepper,.. I slice/chop & freeze it. This widens my variety of options for future meals and can cut down on the actual meal making (which makes home cooking easier).
Dude. You have to have a channel that is just your dog chomping on stuff!😂 The scarfing of the dog food was funny and the crunchy pepper made me lol. BTW, his dog food looked pretty posh!
I love your indigestion ratings. This was a great video. I've always wondered if it's just cheaper to eat out rather than buy groceries. Thanks for doing this!
Cooking at home for the win!
As I grew older, honestly home cooked food started tasting so much better. My husband and I find ourselves increasingly more disappointed when going out. Don't get me wrong - sometimes we go find amazing food when we travel and it's totally worth the price for the experience, but only for rare occasions. A lot of eating out is hit and miss, just like your experience. When you see just how cost-effective home cooking is, and how much more of it you can have with a lot more control with what goes into your meal, it's a no brainer. I think we grew up with a culture of going out for meals in the movies but it's all a big scam!
We are the type of people who use 1 roll of paper towels in a year, but soaking up excess oil IS one of the reasons we use them at times. More often we would just drain with a strainer though.
I liked watching the cooking part of this so much! We are not vegan but we also eat A TON of veggies and cook with veggies every day so it's nice to see this. Some of my peers (in our 40s!) act like it's weird to ever eat a vegetable and I can't imagine that.
However I do need to say I eat Mexican food filled with mushrooms and zucchini all the time and love it - in my area there's a Mexican spot on every corner and that's their go to I think, when you don't order meat.
Vegetables are awesome! Squash, brussels sprouts, asparagus, onions, chili peppers, carrots..
i must say i love your mind and the analytical way you do your videos! thank you
You are really genuine and you have great insight! I wish I would have known so much of what you know when I was young.
Love your videos ❤
Nicole as someone that doesn't buy paper towel, I also don't sop up grease. If needed I switch the food to another plate and drain the grease in a jar.
Most restaurant foods taste 'better' because of the extra butter and seasoning they put over the typical home cook. That extra sodium will be hard for your system to adjust to at first and obviously less healthy.
Love your content Nicole. It's always gonna be cheaper to cook at home than to order out - regardless of what grocery prices are! Restaurants buy those same groceries and extend the price hikes to the consumer. I don't know what kind of person doesn't see that (grocery prices) as a constant for both sides of the equation. Thanks for making this video for those folks.
Even better to buy in bulk like they do.
@@InsolentVillager They bought in bulk before grocery prices went up too. Constants.
as far as tips go on delivery, we get paid $2usd+tip and can do about 3 or 4 deliveries in a busy hour (though ive done anywhere from 1-8 during extremes). If you want a good rule of thumb, tip the distance of the restaurant from your house x 2. if you live two miles away, tip 4, if less than a mile tip two, etc. up to about ten bucks or 5 miles.
Just taking a second to applaud the kinds of meals you provide for your puppy! That little man is going to live a long healthy life with meals like that!
Why? What is she feeding him. If it's vegan dog food the poor thing will loose his teeth. How can you tell what she put in the bowl? Dogs don't. Thrive on green beans.
@@vikki4nowYou don't know what you are talking about. I know three massive size dogs fed exclusively vegan, beans and veg mostly. Two are regular blood donors for a veterinary practice. Never seen healthier dogs full of energy with glossy coats in my life.
I live in Winnipeg and spend close to $100.00 a month in groceries. I have to have things delivered because I don’t have car and two I’m disabled. Every time I think of going out to a restaurant, I say “Nope”. Here just ordering a pizza is $40.00. Staying in and cooking is soooo much better.
What are some examples of things you buy? I'm finding it difficult to conceive an adult reaching their caloric needs on $100 per month in Canada today.
I make my own pizza on flatbread. You can buy naan or make your own. I prefer it now to pizza dough but if you get some yeast, you can make your own pizza dough too.
@@aw2589in Ontario you'd be lucky to get by on $50-$100 a week on groceries per person not incl pet foods and supplies or cleaning products or kitchen items like plastic wrap or foil, the costs are off the charts here!
An apple to apple comparison would have been more accurate, especially when eating pasta dinners verse a burrito, burger, or sushi.
In the US there is no tax on grocery food but about 10% tax on restaurant food where i live, plus tip if you do that.
GenX here - New subscriber. Been cooking since I was 8 years old. Home cooking is healthier and tastier. I have had my fair share of great restaurant meals as well as delivery when exhausted from work. I am quite surprised to see so many younger people ordering in, eating out etc. we never could have afforded that in those days. I love your channel and love this video in particular. Cooking is essential and can be great for both mental and body health as well as much more financially empowering. thanks for all the thought and hard work that went into this vid.
I have never heard anyone suggest that it is cheaper to go out to eat than grocery shop and cook at home...ever. Regardless, I enjoyed your video. Was a fun experiment. Thank you.
cooking is always the best option
We stopped eating junk food at grab and go hamburger shops about a year ago. However we still go out occasionally with a friend for supper but I still tried to make healthy choices. I prefer to cook at home because the food is seasoned the way I want it, plus you never know who’s handling your food in the kitchen. We’ve had some horrible experiences that restaurants with undercooked food etc. At least at home you know your food was prepared safely and it’s a fun endeavor especially if you get your family involved
I love that freezer jar of pre-sauce idea.
i don't get how so many people go out to eat? I mostly do so on vacay and when a lot of people is coming so order large family siz meals. Grocers have the options now. Only go to resturants for specialty items.
I think most people are lacking just very basic cooking skills. Cooking/making meals is a life skill. How to shop for groceries and then cook them into something yummy before the food goes bad takes practice.
I did this experiment too. I switched to vegan diet too. I can now feed myself for 25% of what I was spending before. I was dumb enough to use Uber eats and just go to restaurants and pay for others and basically just throw my money away. Your channel has inspired me! Caleb Hammer inspired me to sell my car and I have been crazy aggressive paying off my debt since watching him Ive paid off $45k in 7 months. I moved to where my rent is less then half, I sold my rav 4 and bought a beater car! I have $21k more to go (including student loans) and then so will NEVER take on debt again!! Thanks for your videos. I cancelled my subscriptions and became more motivated by seeing how nice your house is! I’ll be back to work soon and setting goals!
Cooking has additional advantages besides price.
1) Fast food has waaaaay toooo much salt in it, always.
2) Home cooked food can have interesting things in it that you don't get in restaurants like beet greens
3) I like the taste of oregano, sage and other spices and I can spice it up to may taste.
4) I cook with olive oil. I think some fast food places use motor oil or something.
I am not sure if this is an advantage but I find that when I cook I eat a lot more vegetables and a lot less meat.
I like to cook with grassfed butter and olive oil. Been using tallow recently as well!
I cook almost entirely from scratch, using fresh ingredients. My glancing experience with the food industry and the restaurant trade has taught me that both try to maximize their profits by using the cheapest possible ingredients and various forms of trickery that skate along the edge of the law. Meat is soaked in chemicals to make it swell, you need a degree in biochemistry to recognize the various noxious compounds added to processed food to preserve it and make it look appetizing, and the amounts of sugar and inflammatory oils that are sneaked into these products is staggering.
And meat per se is very bad for you even if cooked at home!
I use newspaper to sop up oily stuff. It also makes a good fire starter if you heat by wood.
I wouldn't if I were you. The newspaper ink is toxic and it will get into your food.
Going the vegetarian route whether it's with groceries or fast food saves a ton of money. I actually started growing veggies at home. Food you grow yourself tastes better, no chemicals too. When it comes to going out to eat, it's hard to beat the cost of pizza because one large pizza is about 3 meals. Olive Garden and Mexican restaurants are great. You can fill up on the salad/bread or chips/salsa for free and portions on meals usually make 2 meals. For meat, I usually buy a London broil, and cut it up into 8 sections, so that makes it $1.25 per meal.
I am always amazed by how many people complain they are broke and can never afford anything that routinely use food delivery services and go to Starbucks.
Some restaurants are worth going to,I find a meal that I love then I want to recreate it at home. I’ve learned many new techniques and dishes that I wouldn’t have ever thought about. Higher end restaurants tend to let you speak to the chef if you enquirer about a delicious dish you have enjoyed. I’ve done this everywhere I have traveled and depending upon the busyness of the restaurant they are happy to share. My knowledge has grown immensely and I can now complete the dish at home.
Of course eating at home is less expensive than at a restaurant and I eat 95% at home. But I love learning from a well educated chef and I usually make a friend during this process. Of course crappy food is everywhere at lower end restaurants. I avoid crappy burgers and fries which are everywhere but I love learning about great food.
One take away, generally if you are vegan your grocery bills will be a lot lower since most of your protein is coming from things like tofu and legumes. Where as the average person is probably spending a lot more money on meat and animal products like eggs and cheese. I know vegan substitutes like the vegan mayo and cheese cost more, but I don't think it makes up in the difference of not buying chicken or red meat.
Cooking at home is cheaper for non-vegans too, but factoring in things like making a beef stew vs vegetable soup with chick peas then the gap between cooking at home and eating out narrows quite a bit. Not to mention cooking has become a lost art since the 1980s. Millennials and gen z see it as this amazing skill like ice sculpting. Even simple folk meals like home cooked shepherds pie with home made mashed potatoes blows peoples mind when I make it for dates.
Cooking at home for most people usually means putting a frozen meal in the oven and heating up a bag of steamed veggies in the microwave and calling it a night. Those are expensive and horrible for you. So they compare their frozen pizza to the cost of a medium take away and don't see a massive difference in anything but convenience and taste. To them its a better value to spend a few dollars more on the fast food pizza than the store bought one. It doesn't even enter their mind they can make their own pizza.
Maybe unpopular opinion but I do think all the vegan substitutes CAN be so pricey they rival meat prices. We feel that our household eating primarily vegetarian (meat once a week or maybe twice) is the cheapest way, probably. Very little spent on meat but we still eat 'traditional' condiments and such so it's really inexpensive most of the time even with a huge array of produce and other foods. (NOT saying others need to eat this way just that I see prices on meats and vegan substitutes and get a little sticker shock).
I agree .., Im vegan and don’t buy their processed sausages , or beyond burgers or other st yeaves products , most are full of bad oils, and other unhealthy products. Just because they say vegan I’ve learned not necessarily healthy. Started making my own blackbean burgers and milks, because the milks are full of oils too.
@@heliaandrade146I agree. I totally admit we lean on a few convenience foods at times like Morningstar Farms chorizo (loooove that) but for us, where we live I think there is a pretty low demand for a lot of vegan substitutes so certain items like cream cheese substitutes I mentioned recently in the comments of another video...seriously 5X the price of the non-vegan versions, and only available at the super insanely bougie specialty grocer. I can't justify that personally - but I may feel differently if I were a dedicated vegan instead of just a "flex" mostly vegetarian eater.
Mmm, for someone who actually does need to eat meat for health reasons (believe it or not, some of us need the enzymes from meat that there are not substitutes for yet), and has to avoid starch, wheat, mushrooms - my grocery bills are higher than ready meals would be to buy for a week. I have eggs for breakfast, and veges/salad and protein + the good fats for lunch and dinner. When I actually eat according to my dietary requirements I end up spending a small fortune on my food. The only way I’ve managed to reduce the cost is by shopping at a local market and bulk ordering a half or whole lamb etc from my butcher and requesting my cuts. This requires a LOT of planning, time out from my weekends and a deep freezer. I simply can’t always manage it because it is so time heavy and I don’t have a car. I do understand why people may find ready meals cheaper and more economical (time and money wise). And frozen veg are actually a more economical buy than fresh sometimes when it’s only one person eating the food and it may go off before you get to it. Just wanted to add another relevant perspective.
see, another reason to go vegan. it's cheaper
Costs would fluctuate on what you eat & where you purchased either your ready meals or groceries for cooking at home, or restaurant & you would have to take into consideration collection or delivery costs, any tipping, also any mark down or discounts & cooking. Home cooking can allow you to buy in bulk & make extra meals for the freezer, which also has a running cost. Some people can’t or hate cooking too. It’s not a simple cook at home or buy out meals or go to a restaurant. I once did an experiment about the same item either bought or cooked at home & some items were more expensive & others were cheaper, it depended on what it was.
As a tip, I make up individual sandwiches wrapped in grease proof paper ready to go into a toaster grill (butter on the outside) & pop them in my freezer. Great for when you are in a hurry. I started this as I could buy 3 sliced loaves for £3.00 rather than buy 2 at £1.40 each but 1 would end up with mould before we got to it. So one would be eaten fresh, 1 would be separated & frozen into portions ready to defrost or use in the toaster & the other loaf into sandwiches for the toaster grill. Occasionally a bread & butter pudding would be made if I still had a surplus of sandwiches.
Hi Nicole - I understand the theory behind your "experiment", but to be fair, you should have made the exact same meals at your house, as the meals you went and ate. However, I you're still right, per meal it is cheaper to eat in than out. I believe the reason why most people think it's cheaper to eat out is because the are thinking of buying each ingredient needed for a meal. For example, to make a burrito, you need the tortillas, which is about $3.00 per pack of 8 where I live. Then the amount you pay for each ingridient you're going to use for your burrito. People fail to look forward and see that those ingridients can be used for other meals. I budget myself $60 to eat out every week, but I am completely debt free. Before, I would really restrict myself from wants and even deprived myself. Nicole, those were the best decisions that I made. Now that I am older(45 yrs old) and live such a stress free life, I realize that is all due to the decisions I made between 17 yrs old and the time I turned 35. I still eat mainly at home, and I sometimes cook big meals(portion wise), and just eat the same thing for three or four days.
Regarding Uber Eats, I have that in case of emergency, like I'm sick and don't feel like cooking my own soup, but don't want to bother a friend or family member to bring me something over either. Before I order through Uber Eats(all three times in the past six years, I call the restaurant first to see if they have delivery available. Sometimes they do, and their prices are not jacked up. They may have a small delivery fee between $1 and $5, plus tip. By the way, you forgot to mention the gasoline you are consuming driving to and from the restaurants to pick food up.
Fun to watch but ill forever cook at home. I also worry about others who prep my food if its done properly. I know I am safe with my own prep n cooking. Plus I normally have leftovers.
This would be a fun experiment. I'm moving soon and will have a larger kitchen and can't wait to start cooking more.
Cooking meals at home has been my go to, my familys go to for decades! We do go out to restaurants to celebrate graduation, birthdays, milestones basically maybe 5 times a year..... and yes restaurant food can and will make you sick, bloated, thirsty, it is NOT BETTER to eat out, thank you for taking one for the team and doing this video!
I rarely go out to eat, but when I do, I take home half for another meal. To me, this-and not having to do dishes-is worth the expense.
I live in Paris, where groceries are extortionate for the most part. My grocery store has these awesome ready-made salads and pasta dishes that are made fresh every day and don't have an ingredients list full of nasty crap. Food here is generally held to a pretty high standard. They cost six euros and fill me up. When I buy the ingredients to make 2-3 salads, I usually end up spending 30-35 euros or so. Some of them would be quite labour-intensive as well, so there is a time savings that comes into play. So, at least in my case, a ready-made option works for me, but I'm aware that this isn't exactly universal, and restaurants are obviously far more expensive.
I tried food delivery once and paid 7 euros for "mozzarella sticks" which consisted of exactly two limp tiny things that resembled cheese to some extent but were laughably tiny (I also ordered other stuff, obviously). Plus the density of places where one can buy food here is pretty high. Have never tried it since.
There are youtube videos out there where someone would try to cook the same dish at home while waiting for the delivery to get here. Of course, that really depends if you're equipped for the job to begin with.
Either way, the price at restaurant can not be compared with cooking at home. Meals at restaurants have their prices increased to cover the cost of both the ingredients, staff's pay, and backend/additional cost of running a business.
There are also youtube videos on making inexpensive meals and also on creating a pantry of shelf stable items like rice, canned meats, etc.by buying an item or two here and there so if you are in an extreme financial bind you will have some food to help tide you over.
You were unusually positive during this entire video. I like it.
Cooking and also shopping for yourself is a habit you have to learn and develope. Planning meals is also important and needs to be learned. And it takes discipline. One of my problems was learning to cook small. Leftovers are great but too much and you end up with science experiments growing in your refrigerator and getting thrown out. This is just to make sure your food intake is most cost effective. If you want to eat healthy that's another subject you need to invest your time in studying. Just like many life skills the individual needs to take responsibility, put the work in, and have the discipline to develope good habits to have the best results.
I agree ,,reach out to a friend who is a good cook ,you tube is full of videos.😎🤓😎
Yep cooking for 1 is a challenge with food waste.,
I am in Australia and our groceries have gone up significantly as well, but that means restaurant prices have as well. We mostly eat at home. Rarely get take out. My husband really likes my cooking so it has to be pretty good.food for us to go out. Or something I don't cook. Plus restaurants don't cook.for.your health, so to keep sugars etc down, eating at home is best.
Getting fancy with the cinematography! Nice.
I don't really like to cook that much, partly because I live on my own and because of the lay-out of my house (seperated kitchen). But... I make lots of soups as full meals. I put in plenty of beans (that I stack dry in the cellar) as to have my proteins and the rest are veggies that are in season. Right now, nettles are just starting to sprout, so it will be nettle-soup for some time 🙂It's free and healthy!!
I don’t know what level of starvation I’d have to be at to justify delivering that burrito. $16 is bad enough but doubling the price to have it sent to you in insane
It wasn't even good 😭
I cook at home and feed my family of 6 - two adults, 4 kids- ages 17, 16, 9 & 5 for less than what that Uber eats would cost and not much more than the takeout. About $125-150 per week. That also takes consumables into account. Prices are outrageous but still, it is way cheaper to cook at home. And typically tastier and healthier too!
This was a really good one Nicole good job! Slaps you right in the face the money wasted on food delivery apps
For my cheapest eating for a month is:
(4) bags chicken thighs
(1-25lb) bag of basmati rice
(2) bags of frozen vegetables
(1) bulk bacon sliced
(6) 2 dozen eggs
(1) Avocado oil
All at Costco. Rice will last a couple months. Oil, about 2. Less than $200 a month.
It'd also be interesting to see the price difference of the same meals. Like if you get a burrito on the Monday of take out week then make the same type of burrito the following Monday at home, etc
Wow I spend 150 per week on groceries. Vancouver has become very expensive. Single.
Yup same in Ontario at least on the 401 corridor along the great lakes. It's out of this world, idk how we're supposed to keep on like this!
If I ever travel to civilization about 45 minutes south of me, there is a pita place called Pita Deli in Whitby that I have been going to for over 20 years and that is a treat. It costs about $14, other than that, I always eat at home. That being said, as a retired couple, we order Chef's Plate for 3 meals per week which costs about $10.50 per portion. We have unusual food, no waste and no having to think about what to cook. Retirement does come with some perks after being frugal my entire life.
Good experiment! I tend to batch cook at home and keep the cost way down.
Best video, Nicole. Looooved it
Please do more on groceries!!
I had to laugh at Levi and his dinner. My dogs are JUST like that. I ask them - did you even taste that?? 😂
I hate going out to eat. I cook at home and have total control of sodium content of my meals. I hate spending all the time to eat out. Getting ready to go. Driving to restaurant, waiting to sit down, waiting on the waiter and cook to make your meal, eating and going home. 3 to 4 hours to go out. At home I cook and eat in less than 30 minutes. I binge cook a couple dozen meals at a time and portion it and freeze it. So I don't cook very often. Defrost and heat and eat. Done. Back to doing what I want to do for fun.
An oil straining mesh rack is what you're looking for. Fried food comes out so much better with one too.
that sounds good. I don't have a rack but we have like 6 sizes of stainless steel strainers up to 16" diameter and they work great.
It's actually insane how expensive eating out is and how often some people do it. Even just fast food. I met someone once who said she eats McDonalds most nights a week for dinner. Like her whole family did. They didn't cook, they just went to get "food" from McDonalds...
What a great idea for a video!!! Your home cooked meals look delicious and so healthy 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Great video!!!
I just use paper towels, sometimes you have to. Cleaning up broken glass, spilled chia seeds, gross moldy areas and grease are a few things i just can’t use a towel for.
Wait - didn't you say at one point that vitamins were a scam if you eat a healthy diet? But buying AG1 for $99/month is good idea financially?
For her it is since they sponsor ;) for us not so much
Eating in is always going to be better, healthier and cheaper, I never eat out, very rarely do take outs maybe a couple a year, I like to cook though
Interesting to hear the app delivey prices, I had no idea. That delivered $30 burrito would instead buy LOTS of dried beans, lentils, pasta, rice and veggies!
I seldom eat out, preferring to make my own food. Cooking is a life skill. I have learned to make everything I like at home with the exception of pizza dough. I just can't get the texture I like. I sure would love to eat takeaway pizza for a week 😂😅.
Folks should do a time management budget. I don't have time to cook (what are you doing with your time? What are you doing while awaitingfood delivery?), i don't have money to buy a house (because I have car payment, credit card debt, student loans, and order too much delivered food).
I rarely get takeout anymore, but today, I almost caved and used doordash to get pizza last minute. And then I remembered you mentioning in this video that most pizza places allow you to order on their own websites. I actually had no idea until this video came out, and im glad this video came out less than a week ago so it was still fresh on my mind. Saved my ass from overspending on top of already overspending to begin with.
You can build raised beds in your yard to grow vegetables. Food is always better when you cook it.
And when you grow it and know exactly what’s in it.
Assuming one has a yard
@_Arugula_Salad_ you can grow food in a apartment just use flower pots
Back when we got paper bags, that is what I used to sop oil. I also occasionally used newspaper. I get packages with brown paper for stuffing instead of plastic and that would also work but I use those for pattern making.
We don't use a lot of paper towels but draining oil is one of them, on the plus side, our garbage company collects compostables and we can put the paper towels in the compost bin.
I guess it depends on your area & circumstances but for me, cooking at home is way cheaper. And usually faster, I don't make anything fancy. I usually go lift weights or indoor climbing after work, so I'm starving by the time I get home. I like to know I'm going to eat soon rather than have to wait on takeout or a delivery person
The driver is waiting on ur restaurant too
Trust me
50%+ don’t have orders ready when they promise
Right. Just scramble some eggs with veggies, shred some cheese, add an avo and drizzle with olive oil. Simple, tasty, quick, healthy. Boom
Cooking can be really fun if most people could see it as more than a chore. Knowing what you're putting into a meal is enlightening.
Love this video, Nicole! I use an application, called too good to go. Random selection of groceries and more, for a tiny price. This is to prevent food waste and cut down on groceries. It makes me try new ingredients too.
I use an app called Flash Food that does the same thing. I LOVE the $5 produce boxes! Everything else is 50% off.
I think it depends what you buy at restaurants. You can do both. If you buy two street tacos at a restaurant. Take them home and remove the meat and vegies they come with, add all to fried potatoes. The number of tacos you buy depends on how many people are eating and how generous the restaurant is with meat on each taco. You save the tortillas so you don't waste and also buy more tortillas if needed to make meat and potato tacos with onion, cilantro and what ever is in a taco. You get free salsa on the side too. Since you bought potatoes and more tortillas, you save the rest for another dish. If you buy a rotisserie chicken, buy affordable gravy. Make white rice or fries on the side. On the plate, serve the chicken with rice or fries, add gravy or dip your food in the gravy. A rotisserie may be about the same price as a raw chicken, depending where you buy it. I think I would do both. You can go to a buffet and buy only meat to go, cook your sides. But then you spend on gas going to more then one place. 🤷♀
I don’t go out to eat anymore. Even going to someplace like Burger King requires that you take out a loan at the bank first.
Your dog is very cute. He seems happy.
Thank you for high quality videos
My aunt saves eating out as she doesn’t buy any food at all, none gets thrown out then
She doesn’t buy hardly any dish soap, paper towels or garbage bags
She has little kitchen linens laundry (towels, cloths, napkins)
Runs a very small fridge (way lower electric bill)
And saves huge time planning, shopping, prepping, cooking & cleaning up.
To her it’s well worth it
She brings home half usually n eats it later for her 2nd meal. Coffee is her brkfast, she buys it at 7-11 lol Buys her drinks there too (soda)
Fresh is her big thing, everything is always very fresh
Yes thank you so much for making this video! I’m deleting all the delivery apps now
Castor oil applied externally will get rid of bags and dark circles. Since I'm commenting anyway, yes, I do just use kitchen towels to get rid of my oils and such. Just wash them separately and use Dawn. You'll be fine.
Tonic water helps with dehydration better than even regular water believe it or not.
This video was a new style for the channel but I really liked it!
I dont fry things. If i use oil I don’t have a lot left-over. I pour it over the food or keep it in the pan for the next meal.
I only use paper towels to clean the toilet and clean up cat barf.