"It's Somehow Cheaper to Eat Out" — Couple's Video About Cooking vs. Eating Out Is Spot On
"We decided to keep it cheap and make sandwiches…$70 later," one person woefully commented.
Updated March 14 2024, 4:27 p.m. ET
In the good old days, we'd all pat ourselves on the back for saving money by whipping up some mouthwatering meals at home. But thanks to inflation skyrocketing like it's trying to break into the atmosphere, grocery prices have decided to throw a wild party and soar higher than ever before.
As a result, several people — including TikTok couple Jess and Quinn (@jessandquinn) — have stumbled upon the revelation that it might be cheaper to dine out right now than to buy groceries and cook at home.
This couple said it's cheaper to eat out than buy groceries to cook at home.
In their hilarious skit posted on Nov. 21, 2023, Jess and Quinn declared war on pricey takeout and pledged to embrace a home-cooked lifestyle. However, their noble quest took an unexpected turn at the grocery store, where a receipt of almost $200 left them reconsidering their culinary aspirations.
Well, it looks like the kitchen's loss is the restaurant's gain — this humorous duo might just stick to being foodies on the town! But can you blame them? Yeah, restaurant and fast food prices did increase, but when you pit it against the grocery store battle, dining out is practically a budget victory lap.
Nevertheless, according to a February 2024 federal government Consumer Price Index report, the food-at-home index (groceries) rose 1 percent over the last 12 months, while the food-away-from-home index (dining out) climbed a whopping 4.5 percent.
TikTok users agreed that buying groceries and cooking is overrated.
As of this writing, Jess and Quinn's video has amassed over 2.3 million views and is still counting. Additionally, it has garnered more than 549,000 likes and drew over 3,000 comments from fellow TikTokers stating that buying groceries and cooking just isn't worth it anymore.
"We have entered the era of 'it's somehow cheaper to eat out than cook at home,'" one person said.
A second user wrote, "Seriously, buying groceries only seems worth it if you’re feeding a family of at least four."
"That's the thing — yes, we could all buy beans and rice for like 20 bucks," a third TikTok user explained. "But if you wanna eat ANYTHING else, it's an arm and a leg!"
Someone else commented, "You gotta spend 40 minutes to an hour cooking just to eat in 10 minutes and another 30 cleaning up and putting food away."
"You look up recipes beforehand and everything is like super complicated, requires 10 pans, and is the healthiest thing you'll ever eat," another TikToker shared.
One person shockingly added, "I spent $280 at the grocery store for me and my fiance, and it lasts 1.5 weeks. We meal prep and cook dinner at home every day… it's not even worth it."
On the other hand, some people prefer to cook their own meals.
"Honestly, if you do the math on most [of] your recipes, you end up spending almost the same amount per meal as eating out," a TikTok user replied. "But now you have to cook and clean."
Another person responded, "I can make meals for myself for $5 or less," while someone else shared, "I spent $200 at Costco and it’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 24 days for just me."
What do you think? Is it cheaper to eat out than buy groceries and cook at home?
