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I spent $17.42 on a single dinner for one person
Everyone says cooking at home is always cheaper than takeout, but I just proved that wrong. I wanted to make a nice pasta dish with a recipe I found online. It called for fresh basil, real parmesan cheese, and pine nuts. Just those three things at my local store cost over $12. Add in the pasta, a can of tomatoes, and an onion, and the total hit $17.42. I could have gotten a large pizza delivered for less than that. The meal was good, but not 'blow my budget' good. It made me think that sometimes a simple plan like beans and rice is the real budget move, not trying to copy fancy recipes. Has anyone else had a home cooked meal that ended up costing more than you expected?
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milab756mo ago
Ugh, that's the worst! It's those "special" ingredients that get you every time. I tried making a "simple" curry once and the recipe needed a whole jar of some fancy spice paste and fresh lemongrass. That one meal cost more than my usual weekly grocery run. It feels like those recipes are designed for people who already have a fully stocked kitchen, not someone starting from scratch. You're totally right, the real savings is in the super basic staples, not trying to be a gourmet chef on a Tuesday night.
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the_cora5mo ago
But have you ever tried making your own spice paste? It's way cheaper and you probably have most of the stuff already.
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