Is it cheaper to eat at fast food or make the same at home?

I think if you do a value meal, it is just as cheap as homemade, but not as healthy. THey forget about the time it takes to make homemade ergo.. the point of "fast food" Frozen dinners are HORRIBLE in nutrition! I was so surpries when I checked them out! What I do is make a double batch of anything and have one for then and one to freeze. I make my own chicken pot pies and always make two..freeze one. I make chili, spaghetti and enchilladas like that also. One batch for dinner and one to freeze.

Another great food to make in large quantity is Manicotti...you make, prepare and fix it..and then portion it out evenly, and store in baking tins... bake one portion that night but freeze the rest The only thing that doesn't seem to freeze well though is beef stew...for some reason the cut up potatoes I've added taste rather yuk when reheated from the frozen state--of course I'll experiment next time...cook the stew meat until tender then divide up and freeze one part without the added veggies and the other normally

I know what you mean on the stew. I used to freeze the meat and juice and carrots, but then boil potatoes (cut them up small and they boil/cook faster) when I was ready to make the stew and just add them to the meat mixture.

yeah, fast food you can add gas on top but homemade you will add hydro (if it's electric) or gas (if it runs on gas) so yeah all costs have to be considered

I'm in that same boat. Plus, I don't do fast food much cause of the fat and cholorestrol issues, but places like Subway and the like, are rather healthy and all. But to make a meal just for me...I do and I don't do fast food much, but i thought it was interesting that they broke it down to fast food and homemade are close enough in expense (although I think homemade would be more if they added the cost of time to prepare/clean up into the cost).

No, fast food is not exactly healthy but alot of them are trying to be healthy. You can get a salad or baked potato.. things like that at many of the fast food. But the key is "fast". 3-6 minutes and you got a great burger in your hands and you don't have to clean up anything! At home, you got to cook and clean for that burger. If you dont' have time, you will probably be at the fast food. I don't do fast food much either because of the fat and cholorestrol issues, but nothing beats a Whopper at Burger King - no tomatoe, extra pickle. But I will usually bring it home and have my own drink and that is usually my fill. I like the fries, but don't need them so I get away from teh temptation of eating there!

I never order a value meal. ALways off the $1.00 value menu. It is cheaper that way. Especially for the kids - a hamburger/nuggets, fries, small drink is $3. The Kids Meal is $4 or more and the only extra you get is a stupid toy that gets tossed at the next car wash. But I have to say... I make hamburgers at home.. and except for the mini's I make that the kids love... I can't stand a homemade burger. For some reason it just doesn't have the taste a fast food burger has. Don't know what it is but I'd just as soon not have a burger at home. But this article, just says.. it is just as cheap to make at home, than buy at fast food.... but... with everyone on the go... the convenience of a fast food and the less time it takes at a fast food... is worth something

The burgers I make at home are never any good either, but my mother in law can make some mouth watering ones. I'd rather have one of hers than a fast food burger any day.

Funny you mention that... I don't do fast food often due to the fat and cholorestrol issues, but that is part of my retainment... I can only afford the calories of ONE Whopper, no tomatoes, extra pickles. So I only get one. But at home, I do have the problem... there is more there so I will tend to eat more!

I think they'd be about the same... the TIME factor is never figured in as a cost... the time to shop, the time to put the groceries away and things like seperating what you bought in bulk. Then the time to cook/prepare and the time to clean it all up... time is money. Fast food is fast. Probably not as healthy, but fast and that is the point of "fast food"

Actually, although it does take alot of time.. I enjoy making the mini burgers as I know, one.. the girls love them and that just makes me so happy that they love something I make more than McDonalds!!! And two ... they are perfect for being a quick snack.My 9 yo comes home from school at 3:00 and is starving as her lunch 20 minutes was at 11:15! So tossing a mini burger in the nuker is the perfect thing for her! She doesn't like sausage but I do.. and a mini sausag sandwich is a perfect breakfast for me.. no mess and I can go on with what I need to do that day. Granted, they are sooooo gooooood, that sometimes I will grab one as a snack during the day and it is nice to not have a mess to clean up!

I am SOOOO with you on that! I like to just sit and enjoy and talk with my grand kids...and have fun doing it and not worn out by making it and dreading having to spend my time cleaning it up instead of playing with them! Going out to eat at anytime or place, to me....is all about not having to cook/clean it myself. NOt to mention shop and organize and prepare after you bring it home to make meal sized portions! I don't eat fast food alot cause of the fat, but know that doing it at home, doesn't make it fat free or cholorestrol or sugar free!

The article showed that it is basically the same cost... give or take a few pennies one way or another. But it didn't inlcude costs like gas to get the fast food, or gas to go to the grocery or the saran/foil wraps to wrap the bulk stuff you buy and all that time spent there and the time spent to cook the food and the time spent to clean it all up. Yeah, usually healthier at home, but what is your time worth? Add that to the home made meal and it could cost more. I dont do fast food very often.. love it, and make it a treat... but the fat and cholestrol is what keeps me away. I can't afford fine dining and the $1 menu is perfect. Often what I do is buy a burger (Whopper at Burger King is world's best burger!) and take it home, make my own drink, and have corn chips or something like that to go with it.

From one old time granny to another....many things are cheaper to do at home. Been there...lived that!! But sometimes us moms/grannys like to have the work done for us! Grab a burger and enjoy for nearly the same price it costs to slave over the stove to make it, and then while others are having fun, we have to do the cleaning!!!

I think the "point" is that it takes so much time to bake/cook at home. Prepare it, cook it, clean it up... and what....3-6 minutes at the fast food? BOils down to what you have time for that day. My assembly line of mini burgers and breakfast sandwiches.. and I also make a fantastic burrito (I use London broil beef) and make about 2 dozen of them and freeze them. Then again, wrap in a napkin and nuke for a minute... works well, but I spend about 3 hours on a sunday morning to make them all and clean it all up. How much is my time worth?

Technically yes. But..a Whopper Jr is on the dollar menu at Burger King... not sure you could make it any cheaper and since it is my favorite burger of all time.... And it is just enjoyable to not have to do all the work and spend all the time cleaning up from all that work!

Cheaper to make usually, but what about all the work doing it? NOt only shopping for the groceries, but seperating to meal size portions, freeze etc. then cook it, prepare it, serve it, grab a bite and then get up and clean it all up!!!! I can't afford to eat fine dinning very often, but when I do, I pay attention to what I order. Often I will eat the salad and potatoe and take the steak and bread home for another meal. When my kids were in school, I'd make a meal for 8 (instead of 4) and the extra was frozen in single sized portions as that is what the kids could heat up themselves for after school snack. Worked great.

And they didn't include the cost of a grocery run, time to put the groceries away, sepearte the food for freezing and such. Nor did they include the cost of YOUR time to do that, prepare the food and clean it all up. I make my own Chicken nuggets at home.. the kids love them! I even taught the oldest (6 at the time) to do the dredge part of it! And they prefer mine over fast food ones... but it takes alot of time to prepare the chicken, dredge it, deep fry it and clean it all up! And the "point" of fast food, was to eat on the go. Dont' have time to go home and prepare a meal so pick something up "on the way".

Yes, exactly. I totally agree with you. I am all about the veggies thow. But not my family. I go to a local farmer stand and buy my produce which is way healthier. And better as far as supporting our local people. But I dont do it all the time since you stated and understand. Time is money. It is way easier to just grab that flame-broiled burger. Shoot most places will even cut it in half for you. Then you dont make messes and dont have to wash dishes. Thanks for the selecting me as best response. Happy eating!!

Exactly! I could eat out myself and save a ton of money... I could probably do it on $10 a day. Would it be as healthy? No, as the closest you get to veges is a tomato which I don't like, a slice of lettuce and a pickle!! But then some think just cause it is made at home it is healthy - well, not if you use 70% lean hamburger meat - you'll get all that same fat you get at fast food, even more cause lot of fast foods grill on flame instead of pan frying which if you don't have a grill at home.. you pan fry! Grilling is healthier than pan frying. If you buy a head of lettuce and don't use it all and toss it when it starts to go bad..you have wasted money. There are all those kinds of things to consider. And the time spent to shop, distribute, prepare and clean up - time is money and a hamburger for a buck...that's about how much it'd cost you to make it at home, but you dont have to do all the work involved! Most definately.. it all depends on....

i see. now, i get your point. ^^ and i see it. there's the disadvantages and advantages for both. good thinking.^^

I think it all depends on what you make for how many. A dollar burger cost the same at home or off the dollar value meal at fast food...which was kind of the point of my starting this discussion. Sometimes, it is as cheap or cheaper to buy one at a fast food and they are about as healthy either place. But the part no one ever "includes" in the cost analysis of cooking at home is the time and effort it takes to do it. Minimum 30 minutes pre-cook prep time, another 30 mintues or more post-eating clean up time, not to mention the time it takes you to shop for the food and organize it all when you get home (frezzing meal sizes etc) Time is money. What's your time worth? Granted... a constant diet of fast food is not good... simply cause you don't get any veges and you are in alot of fried food but these days to say fast food is not healthy or home cooked is more healthy is not always true. You can get the same salad at McD's as you can make at home....do you have the time to put it all together? A baked potatoe at Wendys is healthy but for the price of one you can often by a 5lb bag on sale at the store... but do you have the time to wait for the sale and then the time to wait to bake it? That's all I was trying to make a point of...fast food is not always that unhealthy and just as often...cheaper But your "to lazy" to cook is a good reason for fast food too!

Oh !! Now I know which ones you mean. Or at least get the idea. I never bought the biscuits but I bought the cinnamon roll and the croissants, so I know what you mean, just have to look for biscuits instead of cinnamon rolls LOL Don't think I have ever seen them as a store brand though, so pillsbury will have to be , but I'm going to try them :):):):)

Burger Kings motto is... "Have it your way, have it your way, have it your way, at Burger King"... so you tell them what you want on it and that is the way you get it!!! I order no tomatoe, extra pickle and is great every time! The "pop open" biscuits are like Pillsbury.. well, I buy the store brand as they are 2/$1 where Pillsbury is like $1.25 each give or take and there isn't enough difference in them to make the price worth it. They come in a tube of 10 biscuits, you pull the paper cover off, smack it on the counter and it "pops" open, spirally. You then just twist the container around and the biscuits fall out, already the size of a biscuit (meaning no rolling or any other kind of prepration) and you put them on the oven rack ... I use my toaster oven as 10 fit just fine there. They are in the pastry section of the dairy products - has to be frigerated. You'll see there also, cinnamon rolls, and pizza dough and things like that. Hope you can find them. They are a life saver.. I also use these AS biscuits! With a fantastic country white spicey gravey and sausage!

The Dollar/Value menus are the only way to go!! I did the math - a Happy meal is $4.00. But if you buy the same off the Dollar menu it is $3.00. That other $1 simply goes toward a stupid little plastic toy that will be broken on the floor of the car before you make it home!!! Also, if you buy a WHopper - it is like $2.99 or higher... but if you buy 2 Whopper Jrs. off the dollar menu - it is a little bit more food(by weight) and only $2. I can't stand a homemade burger... if done on the grill it is edible, but that is the only reason. I have tried so many ways to make a burger at home, and it just tastes junky and I'd rather not eat if I have to eat a homemade burger!!! Other things are okay, but a burger... just gotta buy those! And half the time the fast food ones are better than one bought at a steak house or the like!

Of course it is healthier - or at least can be. That wasn't the point. They were comparing cost. At fast food you buy and go. At home, you cook and clean up and then go. It cost gas to get to the fast food, but usually people stop at fast food on their way here or there. It also cost gas to get to the grocery store and time to cook it and time to clean it up at home.. none of which you ahve with fast food. I myself do most cooking at home as mentioned in my original post, but it is a treat to fast food for me. I just don't eat fast food very often, but gotta say...lot of fast food is really good! No burger I have ever made or had anywhere else is as good as a Burger King Whopper, no tomatoe, extra pickle!!! AndI get the WHopper Jr on the $1.00 value meal and it suits me just fine!

Yeah, they didn't include the gas cost, and on the same lines... they didn't include the shopping time to make at home OR the clean up time at home!!! LIke you said.. I'd agree and venture to say.. most do fast food simple cause of the time and convenience. The chart shows it basically cost about the same, give or take...so it is down to the convenience and time aspects.