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I assumed that a website like “priceonomics” would factor time spent on shopping and prep. I’m a reasonably good cook, but “eating in” means losing about 90 min

I assumed that a website like “priceonomics” would factor time spent on shopping and prep. I’m a reasonably good cook, but “eating in” means losing about 90 minutes to shopping, prep, and cleanup, that could otherwise be spent on work, side projects, or reading (mix recreational and vocational). I suppose it varies based on career and lifestyle, but I believe that most of the readers of this site, at least, feel more of a crunch on time than cash.

bloaf 8y ago
Not only that, but their home "meals" are a little bit ridiculous. Evidently "less than 250 calories [1] of straight pork with no veggies, carbs, or drink" is what they consider a meal. [1] https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=(32+%2F+6)+oz+of+pork+tenderloin https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=(32+%2F+6)+oz+of+pork+...
znpy 8y ago
Well yes, but: 1. You might want to see prepping, cooking and cleanup as relaxing activity that let your brain work in the background. The very same way taking a break and going out for a walk or taking a shower help you come out of a dead end. 2 - phase can be optimised or skipped altogether. Everyone comes up with their own way. For me this means taking as much advantage of my microwave oven as I can (a microwave pressure cooker really is one of the best deals I got recently).
makecheck 8y ago
Food preparation and shopping, like a lot of skills, becomes a bit more efficient the more you do them. Eventually you become better at using your time. And, you can cook more at once. Nothing says you have to start from scratch every day of the week; in my case I often cook Sunday nights and make 2 or 3 dishes. If you read through recipes a bit, you can find ways to reuse the same preheated oven, etc. And, home cooked meals tend to be healthier. This is a form of time saving; while pretty hard to prove unfortunately, I strongly suspect that “losing about 90 minutes” now and having a healthier life will buy years down the road.

bloaf 8y ago

Not only that, but their home "meals" are a little bit ridiculous. Evidently "less than 250 calories [1] of straight pork with no veggies, carbs, or drink" is what they consider a meal. [1] https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=(32+%2F+6)+oz+of+pork+tenderloin https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=(32+%2F+6)+oz+of+pork+...

znpy 8y ago

Well yes, but: 1. You might want to see prepping, cooking and cleanup as relaxing activity that let your brain work in the background. The very same way taking a break and going out for a walk or taking a shower help you come out of a dead end. 2 - phase can be optimised or skipped altogether. Everyone comes up with their own way. For me this means taking as much advantage of my microwave oven as I can (a microwave pressure cooker really is one of the best deals I got recently).

makecheck 8y ago

Food preparation and shopping, like a lot of skills, becomes a bit more efficient the more you do them. Eventually you become better at using your time. And, you can cook more at once. Nothing says you have to start from scratch every day of the week; in my case I often cook Sunday nights and make 2 or 3 dishes. If you read through recipes a bit, you can find ways to reuse the same preheated oven, etc. And, home cooked meals tend to be healthier. This is a form of time saving; while pretty hard to prove unfortunately, I strongly suspect that “losing about 90 minutes” now and having a healthier life will buy years down the road.