Eating Out Is Cheaper Than Cooking? Let’s Be Honest

I saw this debate on Twitter. Some people swear eating out is cheaper than cooking at home, and honestly, I get why they think so.

Groceries are expensive. You walk into the store for a quick shop, and suddenly, you’ve spent the same amount it would cost to buy lunch for three days. Then there’s the effort. Chopping, cooking, washing dishes. It’s easy to see why people say, “Forget it, let me just buy food.”

But is eating out really saving you money, or does it just feel that way?

Let’s Do the Math

A decent fast-food meal costs anywhere from [insert your local currency] per person. Multiply that by how many times you eat out in a week. Compare that to the cost of ingredients that could stretch across multiple meals. Even with high grocery prices, cooking at home almost always wins long term.

Unless, of course, you’re ordering only small snacks every day. In that case, carry on.

But What About Time?

People say cooking takes too much time, but does it really? Waiting for food delivery, sitting in traffic to buy food, or even standing in line at a restaurant adds up too. At least with home cooking, you’re not paying for the convenience tax.

So Where’s the Balance?

If you’re smart about it, you can mix both. Meal prep on Sundays so you’re not always cooking from scratch. Eat out when you genuinely need a break, not because you assume it’s cheaper.

At the end of the day, the real question isn’t which one is cheaper but which one is making you spend more than you should.

What do you think? Are you team eat out or team cook at home? Hit reply. I want to hear your take.