To get annoyed when people parrot that it's always cheaper to cook from scratch?

[Katypp]

Caveats: Home made food is usually:
A. Nicer
B. More nutritious
C: Made with proper ingredients that you can control
D: More filling
E: Not made with fillers, starch etc

But it's not always cheaper!

Time after time, when people post about food costs, the trope is always make it yourself, you'll save money. This post is in frustration after yet again, someone tripped it out on a budgeting forum. Someone commented that Tesco budget hummous is quite nice, to be told, as always, you can make it cheaper yourself.
You can't. Eastman's hummous 69p

Tesco chickpeas 60p + lemon 30p = 90p and that's before you add olive oil and tahini.

Yes I know you can soak your own chickpeas and buy in bulk at an Asian grocer etc, but that level of organisation for most people is beyond the effort of just picking up a tub on the weekly shop.

For the record, I am a very keen home cook and have also run a food business and written about food in the past. I enjoy cooking, but I am sick of people trotting out this line without thinking about it, especially on budgeting and money-saving forums.

My late OH was a sod for buying something because he'd seen it on a TV programme and he (might) make it once. SInce he died I have chucked away so many little jars, opened and one bit gone out of it, that were long out of date!

One of the major components of the whole notion of cooking from scratch to save money or eat better is that it really does depend on having someone at home full time running the house and kitchen. Apologies if someone had already pointed this out. The history of 'cooking from scratch' grew from a particular family model of Mum at home all day. It is near impossible without that (and no I'm not saying it couldn't have been the man at home). Broadly speaking - it's a dead duck of an idea when the majority of families have two working parents, and now those two incomes are stretched to breaking point with the rise in gas and electric costs and inflation. Even when these things are outsourced (gousto box, hellofresh) you're just passing on the work to the lower paid and the precariously employed.

No. I work FT as does partner. I cook from scratch and freeze a lot
i cook big monthly and fill freezer.
it saves time and effort as I don’t cook in evenings I simply reheat

@Katypp
And I am intrigued by the 'bit of chicken' - where did that come from?
a chicken? £1 worth will do plenty for a big dish with stir fried vegetables.

I think the problem is people don’t have the money for the initial outlay.

Even if you batch cook you still have to have a freezer or fridge big enough to put it in.

I think if you are cooking for loads of people then a big Hot Pot from scratch will cost less than multiple ready meals but if you are a smaller family then certain ready meals bulked out with veg and potatoes/rice etc will probably keep you in budget.

We don’t use any meat or fish which I think over the years has saved us a fortune.

I am though someone who doesn’t cook.

I have tried over the years but Ds and dd learned very early on to cook a meal as they hated my cooking.
I am good at peeling and chopping

Oil? 10-20p maybe.

I love cooking and baking. I've costed up many meals and bakes and most of the time cooking from scratch is actually more expensive.

I freeze nearly everything. Open a jar of harissa paste and use eg 1 tbsp, I freeze the rest in 1 tbsp portions. It doesn't matter if I only use it rarely, it doesn't get wasted. Same goes for jars of other things e.g. tikka paste or shwarma paste. I even freeze natural yogurt to use with the paste for marinating when defrosted.

theworldhas where do you buy £1 worth of chicken and 10p worth of oil?

You're being disingenuous I suspect.

Admittedly I'm not in the UK but the cheapest sunflower oil in my local aldi is 3.99€ a bottle now, and a chicken is between 4€ and 10€ depending upon whether you take the cheapest frozen one or a high welfare one from the refrigerator section.

Though the problem from cooking from scratch isn’t the ingredients - undoubtedly much cheaper than any meals pre made. The problem is the time/energy. As your realistically looking at 60 minutes to cook lunch/dinner.

Ive noticed that many counties in which cooking properly from scratch is the norm, they often have grandparents involved in day to day life. (and/or domestic help is extremely cheap). I think in many aspects, the ideal of many Western countries of the isolated nuclear family is becoming unsustainable as living costs go ever up with no reduction in working hours - with usually both parents needing employment.

I HATE the 'cook from scratch snobs.' Always think they're better than those who don't cook from scratch. I despise them.

www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Cook-from-scratch%20snob

I made 28 turkey meatballs and some tomato sauce plus a lb of fettuccine yesterday.

We'll be eating that until Wednesday.

Prices on dollars. UK prices may be lower for some items.

Cost of turkey - $7.04
15 Oz crushed tomatoes - $1.09
Dried breadcrumbs - old loaf $1.19 and most of it was used for previous meals.
1 egg - a dozen eggs $2.99
Best part of a bulb of garlic, probably about $1.00
Dried parsley - $1.00 per container (used 1 tablespoon)
Dried basil - $1.00 per container (1 tablespoon used)
Hot pepper flakes - $1.00 per container (two shakes yielding about a dozen flakes)
Grated parmesan - $2.99 per container (used about 6 tabkespoons)
S&P about 3 teaspoons salt used and one tsp pepper
1lb fettuccine- $0.99
Oil to saute garlic - $4.99 (one tablespoon used)
Olive oil to coat pasta - $11.99 for a 3 L can two years ago, still going strong (2 tablespoons used)

The only ingredients I won't use again or use the rest of are the turkey, tomatoes, and pasta.

@WhileMyGuitarGentlyWeeps I agree. I also really hate the phrase ‘cook from scratch’ for no apparent reason. Makes me cringe for some reason.

I HATE the 'cook from scratch snobs.' Always think they're better than those who don't cook from scratch. I despise them

"Hating" and "despising" people for preferring to cook differently to you is ridiculously intolerant and extreme.

@Discovereads

YABU. Cooking MEALS from scratch is 99% of the time cheaper.

PMSL !!! Is it fuck cheaper 99% of the time?! Give over!

@TroysMammy

Harissa paste & shawarma paste.

😂

So?

Lasagne always costs more to make from scratch and nice cottage pie/shepherd's pie. I find the taste the difference ones are really nice and better than I could make.

I always thought thst is not really cheaper than ready meals if you take into account the energy needed to cook it, and I am sure it is now that the energy is getting so expensive.
Most take aways will be more expensive that cooking your own. But doing it yourself allows you to have control, make it to your taste, healthier, tastier and you develop a great skill. So it is ore value for your money.

🙄

Or from other cultural backgrounds where ready meals are not a thing. Hating them seems a bit excessive

It's so cringe isn't it? Also I didn't say I hate people who cook from scratch (for the people who CBA to read properly and who lack comprehension skills....) I said I hate the cook from scratch SNOBS. There's a difference!

You hate people who cook from scratch? I don’t buy shop bought lunches, I literally haven’t done for 10+ years. As a student I cooked from scratch because I was skint

It’s about being thrifty. It’s not a wow look at me thing, it’s a money thing

protein pots are £2 in a supermarket . Literally hard boiled egg and spinach. You can make that for £2 for 6 days from scratch

ok here is a simple easy lunch
drained can chick pea, glug olive oil,salt,chilli flakes or chilli, chopped coriander , cucumber, olives makes 2 lunches

@Tabbouleh

Or from other cultural backgrounds where ready meals are not a thing. Hating them seems a bit excessive.

Yeah nice try. Quit reaching and trying to cause shit on the thread. And READ MY POST PROPERLY. I never said I hate people who cook from scratch. I hate people who are 'cook from scratch snobs!' There are a few on this thread too.

Also I didn't say I hate people who cook from scratch (for the people who CBA to read properly and who lack comprehension skills....)

Oh piss off. You just being objectionable so you get a reaction from people who don't have bandwidth for your crap.

Stop derailing a thread that people need for advice.

Yes and then you have the cost of cooking it, at least ready meals you can bung in the mic for a few mins. Some stuff is definitely cheaper to buy ready made.