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Groceries
Is Cooking at Home Really Cheaper Than Eating Out?
It's hard to beat the convenience of dining out. Having professionals prepare and serve the food is relaxing and eliminates the hassle of grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning up. With so many affordable casual restaurants, the cost of dining out can be surprisingly low these days. On the other hand, there are many benefits to cooking meals at home. It's a chance to connect with the food, season it exactly to taste, and do something nice for the people around the table. But is it actually cheaper? When Cheapism.com compared prices on a classic chicken dinner, accounting for variables such as tip, food waste, and family size, a home-cooked meal cost up to 60 percent less than a dinner out. But that doesn't mean cooking at home is the cheapest option for everyone. Dining In vs. Dining Out. To estimate the cost of a chicken dinner for one person, Cheapism looked at prices at four top national chains: Boston Market, Denny's, Olive Garden, and the Cheesecake Factory. The average price for a chicken entrée plus vegetable sides was $13.41, or about $16 with tip. Making a similar meal at home -- lemon and herb roasted chicken with potatoes, corn, and green beans -- requires a quarter chicken ($2.25), a potato (30 cents), a cup of green beans (81 cents), an ear of corn (50 cents), a lemon (50 cents), garlic (30 cents), a bunch of herbs ($1), a quarter cup of oil (50 cents), and salt and pepper (25 cents). All prices are based on national averages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the total cost comes to $6.41. That's less than half the price of the average restaurant meal. Even after adding 25 percent to address the common problem of having to buy more ingredients than this one meal demands, the net cost of $8.01 is still half the price of dining out. The time spent preparing the meal also must be factored in. It takes roughly one hour to cook the chicken dinner and likely about the same amount of time to dine at a restaurant. Of course, the homemade meal also comes with the tasks of grocery shopping and cleaning. Ordering takeout saves time and eliminates the service fee, bringing the restaurant total back down to $13.41. That's still $5 more expensive than shopping and cooking for dinner at home, but the time saved with takeout may make up the difference in the minds of many consumers. Feeding a Family. Some restaurants offer family meal options at a discount. Based on those deals, the average cost for a four-person meal is $46.90. Adding a 15 to 20 percent tip brings the total up to $56 and change. The cost to make four full meals at home (at $6.41 per meal) is still less than half the cost of eating out: $25.64, or $32.04 when factoring in food waste ($8.01 per meal). A kids-eat-free promotion during the week could change the calculation for a family of four. This deal lowers the total cost to $26.82 plus tip, for a total of about $32. In other words, with some wasted grocery expenditures factored in, dining at a restaurant offering free kids meals costs about the same as cooking at home -- not to mention the convenience of avoiding meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning up. With no restaurant promotion, though, cooking at home is generally the cheapest option. A simple chicken dinner for one costs between $6 and $8 at home, takeout costs more than $13, and dining out costs more than $15. For a family of four, a home-cooked meal amounts to about $32 or less, even when accounting for food waste; takeout costs an average of $46.90; and dining out costs more than $50.
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Beverages
Drinking Sherry: Why This Underrated Wine Is a Great Value
Sherry is something of a well-kept secret among savvy wine drinkers. Largely unknown or misunderstood, sherry is not just for cooking and old ladies. It offers a marvelous diversity of styles and flavors -- and is one of the best values on the market. javascript:void(0); Photo by stockcreations/shutterstock Sherry, or Jerez, is a fortified wine that comes from in and around the town of Jerez, in southwestern Spain. There are two overarching categories of sherry. The unoxidized style starts off as white wine made from local grape varieties. It's fortified with grape-based brandy up to about 15 percent alcohol. Sherry barrels are filled only three-quarters of the way, so a yeast crust, called flor, can develop on top, forming a barrier between the wine and the oxygen in the barrel. If the flor is weak, the wine is further fortified, up to about 17 percent alcohol, killing off leftover yeast cells. The wine turns brown and changes flavor because of the contact with oxygen; this is oxidized sherry. The unoxidized wines, which remain clear and yellowish, are called fino and manzanilla. These wines are very dry and savory, with notes of brine, almond, and bread yeast, and pair excellently with seafood, fried foods, and salty snacks. The oxidized wines, called amontillado or oloroso, are dry with flavors of caramelized nuts and tart dried fruits. These brown sherries pair very well with hearty soups, stews, and cheeses. The sweet style of sherry known as Pedro Ximenez, which also falls under the oxidized category, is lusciously sweet with flavors of figs, dates, and honey. Cream sherry, a blend of an amontillado or oloroso with Pedro Ximenez, is also pleasantly sweet, with delicate flavors of vanilla and sugared nuts. medianet_width='300'; medianet_height= '250'; medianet_crid='936928461'; Part of what makes sherry such a good value is an aging system called a solera. Under this system, no more than one-third of a barrel can be bottled at a time. Once a bottling has taken place, the barrels are topped off with wine from younger barrels of the same style. Because the barrels are never fully emptied, a tiny bit of the wine in every bottle of sherry is as old as that particular solera or winery. The average age of the wines is usually a minimum of 10 years, and likely somewhere around 30 for oxidized sherries. The flavors that develop are exquisite and complex, yet prices start at about $15 a bottle. Sherry also gives drinkers more for their money in a practical way: Because sherries are so rich and have such a high concentration of flavors, along with higher alcohol content, the serving sizes are smaller. A glass of sherry is typically 2 to 3 ounces rather than 5 or 6, which brings down the cost per serving. About $3 is typical for mid-level sherry, and it delivers a lot more history, flavor, and pairing possibilities than a bottle of "regular" wine at the same price. To the slight dismay of the Jerez producers and chamber of commerce, people still don't drink a lot of sherry. To the delight of those who do drink it, prices are kept low to incentivize more sherry purchases. As the holiday season approaches, look to sherry for value and flavor at just a few dollars per serving -- and put the savings toward a bigger cheese plate. stockcreations/shutterstock Cheap sherry wine cheap sherry wine MaxyM/shutterstock 10 cheap fall beers: Find your favorite style fall beers Africa Studio/shutterstock 12 American wineries making good, cheap wine good cheap wineries www.BillionPhotos.com/shutterstock Top 13 regions for value wines around the world cheap regional wines Evgeny Karandaev/shutterstock 10 best tequilas under $30 best inexpensive tequila
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Health & Wellness
I Started Meditating, and This Is What Happened
If I said you could break your phone addiction, declutter your closets, and enjoy better sleep and more stable moods with just minutes of free meditation a day, would you try it? I have family members deep into meditation, and had experimented enough to get familiar with different techniques -- but never stuck with a practice. Frustrated after spending money on retreats, mini-vacations, and even indulgent meals to try to "find" or "treat" myself, though, I listened to a friend's suggestion to try again. In addition to cultivating money-saving habits, it helped me find the peace of mind I had been looking for in other, expensive ways. The word tends to conjure an image of sitting cross-legged on the floor in silence, eyes closed, to quiet the mind and watch thoughts and feelings pass through without getting attached or judging them. The key is to focus on the breath, and keep coming back to the breath when the mind starts to wander (for which some turn to apps for help .) Personally, I find it impossible. But meditations comes in all shapes and sizes. Other forms include mantra meditation, which might be as simple as "may they/I be happy, healthy, and at ease." Typically you start small with yourself and work out to an extended network of friends, family, strangers, continents, all living beings ... with bonus points for including enemies. Simple tasks such as making and savoring a cup of tea, taking a walk, or gardening can also be meditative. Just two minutes a day is said to produce noticeable effects. My goal was to draw on what I already knew and incorporate some meditation into my daily routine. I started small, taking time for a daily walk with no headphones and no phone use -- just a quiet walk in the park, observing the world around me and any thoughts in my head. At first it was difficult not to respond emotionally, but after a few days I could just notice them without the same judgment as before. I slowly stepped it up, doing five minutes of daily loving kindness mantra meditation in addition to walks on some days. Even when busy I made sure to find at least two minutes for quiet sitting or mantra meditation, sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the middle of work, before bed as a last resort. After a month, I took stock. The results were not magic, but there were noticeable changes. I slept better As an occasional insomniac , I found that sleep came easier, and I didn't wake in the middle of the night. But I also drew on meditation techniques when I had trouble falling asleep. Meditation teacher and author Sharon Salzberg suggests trying to remember if you fall asleep on an in or an out breath; focusing on breathing allows the mind to avoid stressors that tend to flood in just before sleep. I put my phone down We reach for phones without even being conscious of it. This seemingly innocuous act keeps us from having recentering moments, free of stimuli. Finding time each day when I wouldn't scroll through never-ending feeds of distraction let me rediscover how to take a moment for myself. It broke the habit and allowed me to reap the benefits that come with the occasional digital detox. I was in the moment We all know the feeling of not being able to enjoy a moment because of worries -- something I battled constantly. After just a week of meditating, I acquired the skill of shelving my thoughts for later and being able to enjoy the present, like conversing with loved ones, or enjoying a concert. I was also able to focus more deeply while working. Whatever I was doing, I did more efficiently and enjoyably. My moods were more stable Like everyone, I experience ups and downs. I'm a passionate person, which sometimes translates into emotional outbursts, especially with close family and friends. Meditating gave me the tools to stay calm -- especially useful living in New York City. Rather than yell at a driver who almost hit me, I found myself taking a deep breath and letting the tension go. When a friend gave backhanded compliments about my job and appearance, I smiled and shrugged it off. I noticed negative emotions, but was in control and able to let them pass. I decluttered Perhaps the most unexpected benefit was the motivation to declutter -- not just my mind, but my physical space. As I became more conscious of my inner life, I paid more attention to my material world and was able to see what was unnecessary. I found myself going through my clothes, my jewelry, even my linen closet to get rid of unused and unwanted items. I was prompted to follow Marie Kondo's program of keeping only things that bring joy , or maybe I just had more time now that I wasn't reaching mindlessly for my phone or watching TV. I learned that meditating is like any other form of exercise: The more you do it, the better shape you are in. It's great to work up to lifting 100 pounds at the gym, but the real benefit is being able to carry furniture easily up a flight of stairs. Similarly, it's important to work the meditation muscles regularly, so that you are in shape when you need to use them. Starting to meditate when stressed out or can't sleep is like starting to weight train on moving day. The challenge is that it doesn't get all that much easier. I thought after a few weeks I would be able to go for 20 minutes with a so-called clear mind, but I still find it near impossible to get beyond 10 breaths before thoughts and emotions creep in. This can be challenging for perfectionists; frustratingly, the point is not to be good at it, but rather to keep coming back to the breath, however difficult it is. My main takeaway was to be consistent, and find time every day, no matter how short. This wasn't as hard as I expected. I spent longer than others some days, but once I got into the routine, it was something I looked forward to -- even craved and relied on. It's one addiction I'm happy to continue indulging.
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Beverages
Homemade vs. Mixer: The Cheapest Way to Make Frozen Drinks
Is it cheaper to use a premade cocktail mixer or blend margaritas, strawberry daiquiris, and piña coladas from scratch?
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Holidays
5 Ways to Celebrate Mexican Independence Day
A Grito de Dolores independence day party can celebrate traditional and modern Mexican culture through inexpensive food, drink, and entertainment.
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- Editorial Team
- Tess Rose Lampert
Tess Rose Lampert
Tess Rose Lampert is New York City-based writer, beverage educator, and lover of savings. With a background in academic philosophy and nearly a decade in the alcoholic beverage industry, she strives to enhance consumers' everyday experiences with food and beverage through dynamic and interactive writings, educational seminars, and events. Always on the lookout for creative ways to save, she is a regular contributor to Cheapism.com.
