Comments on: Buying Groceries vs. Eating Out Part 3 http://www.pmoa.net/2006/04/20/buying-groceries-vs-eating-out-part-3/ everything about nothing Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:48:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: perry http://www.pmoa.net/2006/04/20/buying-groceries-vs-eating-out-part-3/#comment-7639 perry Thu, 03 Apr 2008 03:46:05 +0000 http://www.pmoa.net/?p=181#comment-7639 I agree. I understand that buying in bulk is helping, but I just can't justify cooking a lot of something and then throwing it away. I feel that no matter how cheap it was per pound or whatever, wasting food equals wasting money. I agree. I understand that buying in bulk is helping, but I just can’t justify cooking a lot of something and then throwing it away. I feel that no matter how cheap it was per pound or whatever, wasting food equals wasting money.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.pmoa.net/2006/04/20/buying-groceries-vs-eating-out-part-3/#comment-7638 Anonymous Thu, 03 Apr 2008 03:41:59 +0000 http://www.pmoa.net/?p=181#comment-7638 You are vastly overrating the quality of food at mom and pop places. The food that you purchased for your eating in element probably out-rated what you got when you ate out on an ingredient by ingredient basis. Much of the food served in restaurants that are not high end (talking hole in the wall, chain, and mom-and-pop) all use pre-fabbed items that are bought essentially on the cheap. By buying expensive ingredients to do your own cooking, you spent far more than any restaurant would have. While the unit price for bulk buying has something to do with this, much more of it is buying generic and/or prefabbed food (eg- potstickers, pizza dough, etc). Later You are vastly overrating the quality of food at mom and pop places.
The food that you purchased for your eating in element probably out-rated what you got when you ate out on an ingredient by ingredient basis.
Much of the food served in restaurants that are not high end (talking hole in the wall, chain, and mom-and-pop) all use pre-fabbed items that are bought essentially on the cheap.
By buying expensive ingredients to do your own cooking, you spent far more than any restaurant would have. While the unit price for bulk buying has something to do with this, much more of it is buying generic and/or prefabbed food (eg- potstickers, pizza dough, etc).
Later

]]> By: Blair http://www.pmoa.net/2006/04/20/buying-groceries-vs-eating-out-part-3/#comment-196 Blair Thu, 04 May 2006 00:22:46 +0000 http://www.pmoa.net/?p=181#comment-196 Oh yeah, that crap out leftovers is BS. Being a PhD canidate who works with bacteria everyday, I know how the FDA works. This reccommendation is a cover-your ass bare minimum. Leftovers usually are good for a week - longer if there is no meat products (ie milk,cheese,meat of course) in it. Keep stuff sealed properly and in the fridge and you'll be good - we all've eaten old leftovers to no sicknesses. And trust me, you eat TONS of bacteria everyday, and you rarely get sick from it - you need a serious infection and as long as it didn't get you sick the first time around you are cool to eat any leftovers as long as you don't notice a odor or visual change indicating a big mold/bacteria colony growing on your old lasagna! Oh yeah, that crap out leftovers is BS. Being a PhD canidate who works with bacteria everyday, I know how the FDA works. This reccommendation is a cover-your ass bare minimum. Leftovers usually are good for a week - longer if there is no meat products (ie milk,cheese,meat of course) in it. Keep stuff sealed properly and in the fridge and you’ll be good - we all’ve eaten old leftovers to no sicknesses. And trust me, you eat TONS of bacteria everyday, and you rarely get sick from it - you need a serious infection and as long as it didn’t get you sick the first time around you are cool to eat any leftovers as long as you don’t notice a odor or visual change indicating a big mold/bacteria colony growing on your old lasagna!

]]> By: Blair http://www.pmoa.net/2006/04/20/buying-groceries-vs-eating-out-part-3/#comment-195 Blair Thu, 04 May 2006 00:18:17 +0000 http://www.pmoa.net/?p=181#comment-195 Ok, so I agree: eating for one, not eating all the leftovers and not trying to be thrifty = better to eat out. If you are trying to save and eat every leftover and/or buying the cheapest stuff you can find at the grocery store (I wouldn't recommend this with meat though) its better to eat at home. Especially for 2! If, like me you are cooking for 2, and really poor - eating out is WAY more expensive - but WAY more enjoyable. So, perry eat out while you have money and no wife! I can't wait till i have 2 incomes again so I can eat out more than once every few weeks - at a place that sells food that cost more than 7$ a plate! Ok, so I agree: eating for one, not eating all the leftovers and not trying to be thrifty = better to eat out. If you are trying to save and eat every leftover and/or buying the cheapest stuff you can find at the grocery store (I wouldn’t recommend this with meat though) its better to eat at home. Especially for 2! If, like me you are cooking for 2, and really poor - eating out is WAY more expensive - but WAY more enjoyable. So, perry eat out while you have money and no wife! I can’t wait till i have 2 incomes again so I can eat out more than once every few weeks - at a place that sells food that cost more than 7$ a plate!

]]> By: Perry http://www.pmoa.net/2006/04/20/buying-groceries-vs-eating-out-part-3/#comment-137 Perry Tue, 25 Apr 2006 13:45:40 +0000 http://www.pmoa.net/?p=181#comment-137 You definitely have an advantage in shopping for two people. This offsets the cost of getting groceries. Honestly, there is a good feeling that you get when you make a good dinner and have some good leftovers. I would typically spend $40-$60 just for myself and it is still too much food. This is just a regular run to the local Safeway or Wegmans. I would like to hear your results for two people. It will be an interesting comaprison. You definitely have an advantage in shopping for two people. This offsets the cost of getting groceries. Honestly, there is a good feeling that you get when you make a good dinner and have some good leftovers. I would typically spend $40-$60 just for myself and it is still too much food. This is just a regular run to the local Safeway or Wegmans. I would like to hear your results for two people. It will be an interesting comaprison.

]]> By: SmartCapitalist http://www.pmoa.net/2006/04/20/buying-groceries-vs-eating-out-part-3/#comment-136 SmartCapitalist Mon, 24 Apr 2006 14:22:29 +0000 http://www.pmoa.net/?p=181#comment-136 If you are a single person, I would not recomend buying in bulk. I like to prepare plates of food and put them in the freezer for later microwave use. The freezer aproach allows you to not eat the same thing day after day. Same with not buying in bulk, I mean your not a soccer mom with infinite hunger to satisfy. I spend about $40-60 a week, granted I am not single so I buy for two. Typically I make tacos, salmon, hamburger helper, chicken dishes, and deli sandwitches for lunch. Now if I were to go out to eat, including tip it would cost $20 if I was not pinching pennies. The difference is that I typically allow nothing to go to waste. I might monitor my spending on food for a week sometime and report back the results on my expirement with two people. If you are a single person, I would not recomend buying in bulk. I like to prepare plates of food and put them in the freezer for later microwave use. The freezer aproach allows you to not eat the same thing day after day. Same with not buying in bulk, I mean your not a soccer mom with infinite hunger to satisfy.

I spend about $40-60 a week, granted I am not single so I buy for two. Typically I make tacos, salmon, hamburger helper, chicken dishes, and deli sandwitches for lunch. Now if I were to go out to eat, including tip it would cost $20 if I was not pinching pennies.

The difference is that I typically allow nothing to go to waste. I might monitor my spending on food for a week sometime and report back the results on my expirement with two people.

]]> By: Brian http://www.pmoa.net/2006/04/20/buying-groceries-vs-eating-out-part-3/#comment-133 Brian Mon, 24 Apr 2006 03:53:33 +0000 http://www.pmoa.net/?p=181#comment-133 As to "premium foods": Now, it may be a surprise to you, but the majority of restaurants do not use particularly high quality ingrediants. In fact, the majority of them (and almost definately the mom and pop places) use pretty mediocore quality ingrediants. It's mostly about the same you get buying middle of the road products from your local grocery store. Sure, there are some cost savings from buying from club stores and buying in quantity, but it really isn't that impressive of a savings for the effort/space required for cooking for just one or two. As to the benefits of variety: I very much agree with this one. I need variety and dislike boring sandwiches. If you are picky on this matter, you either spend extra money at restaurants or you invest more time in learning to cook. I would definately not recommend making a single dish and eating it for days. And to the issues of leftovers: I'll point out that many many people keep leftovers much longer without any troubles. Plus, there is the freezer. When I cook, I aim for 2-4 leftover meals (for my wife and myself), and I usually have them for lunch or dinner a few days later. As to “premium foods”: Now, it may be a surprise to you, but the majority of restaurants do not use particularly high quality ingrediants. In fact, the majority of them (and almost definately the mom and pop places) use pretty mediocore quality ingrediants. It’s mostly about the same you get buying middle of the road products from your local grocery store. Sure, there are some cost savings from buying from club stores and buying in quantity, but it really isn’t that impressive of a savings for the effort/space required for cooking for just one or two.

As to the benefits of variety: I very much agree with this one. I need variety and dislike boring sandwiches. If you are picky on this matter, you either spend extra money at restaurants or you invest more time in learning to cook. I would definately not recommend making a single dish and eating it for days.

And to the issues of leftovers: I’ll point out that many many people keep leftovers much longer without any troubles. Plus, there is the freezer. When I cook, I aim for 2-4 leftover meals (for my wife and myself), and I usually have them for lunch or dinner a few days later.

]]> By: Perry http://www.pmoa.net/2006/04/20/buying-groceries-vs-eating-out-part-3/#comment-131 Perry Fri, 21 Apr 2006 15:53:41 +0000 http://www.pmoa.net/?p=181#comment-131 Dave, I absolutely agree with you. You will never know what kind fo rebadged food you are going to buy. You will never get apples for apples when going out vs. eating in. I just wanted to see how it turned out. But being wasteful, to me anyway, is much more expensive and eating the same thing over and over again is just plain boring. Dave, I absolutely agree with you. You will never know what kind fo rebadged food you are going to buy. You will never get apples for apples when going out vs. eating in. I just wanted to see how it turned out. But being wasteful, to me anyway, is much more expensive and eating the same thing over and over again is just plain boring.

]]> By: Dave http://www.pmoa.net/2006/04/20/buying-groceries-vs-eating-out-part-3/#comment-130 Dave Fri, 21 Apr 2006 15:37:11 +0000 http://www.pmoa.net/?p=181#comment-130 Although you believe you are buying premium foods I bet a great deal of them you could buy exactly the same in different packaging (obviously this can't be applied to your meat). Large stores often stock "own" brands which are actually identical to the "branded" product and in some cases even made in the same factory along the same production line. I have written to request a list of such products from several of my local stores but I am still awaiting a responce. Interesting experiment to add a different view to most peoples opinions of 'eating in is cheaper'. Although you believe you are buying premium foods I bet a great deal of them you could buy exactly the same in different packaging (obviously this can’t be applied to your meat). Large stores often stock “own” brands which are actually identical to the “branded” product and in some cases even made in the same factory along the same production line.

I have written to request a list of such products from several of my local stores but I am still awaiting a responce.

Interesting experiment to add a different view to most peoples opinions of ‘eating in is cheaper’.

]]> By: » Eat Out, Cooking Isn’t Worth It on Blueprint for Financial Prosperity http://www.pmoa.net/2006/04/20/buying-groceries-vs-eating-out-part-3/#comment-129 » Eat Out, Cooking Isn’t Worth It on Blueprint for Financial Prosperity Fri, 21 Apr 2006 15:17:27 +0000 http://www.pmoa.net/?p=181#comment-129 [...] Yes, you read that title correctly (because it goes contrary to what everyone else says) but it comes with a caveat, it’s only true if you’re cooking for one. My friend Perry, of pmoa.net fame, did a non-scientific study where he compared buying groceries and eating out. The caveat that you must understand before you go savagely flaming him is that he bought premium food (not cheap bulk stuff in an effort to save money) because when you go out to eat, you’re usually eating better stuff. Now, go over there and savagely flame him. [...] [...] Yes, you read that title correctly (because it goes contrary to what everyone else says) but it comes with a caveat, it’s only true if you’re cooking for one. My friend Perry, of pmoa.net fame, did a non-scientific study where he compared buying groceries and eating out. The caveat that you must understand before you go savagely flaming him is that he bought premium food (not cheap bulk stuff in an effort to save money) because when you go out to eat, you’re usually eating better stuff. Now, go over there and savagely flame him. [...]

]]> By: jim http://www.pmoa.net/2006/04/20/buying-groceries-vs-eating-out-part-3/#comment-128 jim Thu, 20 Apr 2006 20:38:07 +0000 http://www.pmoa.net/?p=181#comment-128 Very scientific! Very scientific!

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