The price gap per meal
A home-cooked meal usually costs a fraction of the same meal from a restaurant or delivery app, where service fees, delivery fees and tips add up quickly on top of menu prices that are often marked up for delivery. A $22 delivered meal versus $5 cooked at home is a $17 difference, so switching three meals a week saves over $2,600 a year.
Cooking does take time, so it helps to be realistic. Batch cooking on a weekend, a few simple go-to recipes and a stocked freezer make home meals almost as quick as ordering.
Common questions
How much cheaper is cooking at home?
Often three to five times cheaper per meal than restaurants or delivery.
How do I estimate the cost of a home meal?
Divide a recipe's ingredient cost by the number of servings, or divide your grocery bill by the meals it produces.
This calculator gives estimates for planning. Real returns, rates and prices change, so treat the result as a guide rather than a promise. Read how we build and check our calculators.