4 ms·

It is possible, but for bad reasons: food won't become that cheap in isolation, but in conjunction with the marginal cost of taking the time to cook being great

It is possible, but for bad reasons: food won't become that cheap in isolation, but in conjunction with the marginal cost of taking the time to cook being greater. If you are an anxious overachieving professional, the above is probably already true and you survive off fast casual. If you live in a food desert working 3 part time jobs, the above is probably already true and you survive off convenience store non-perishables and fast food.

0898 6y ago
You mean if you factor in your time? Okay: in that case maybe.
- rosseloh 6y ago
  I can't comment on the actual subject at hand (I haven't read the article yet nor really done any research on this), but you absolutely have to factor in your time. I like to cook. If my home situation was a little bit different, I'd probably cook full proper meals every night, no questions asked. It would take me at minimum an hour each night, and often more when you include prep and cleaning (which you should, they're integral parts of cooking a meal). Combine that with long hours at work and the fact that I like to at least get some leisure time in my day along with sleep, and those hours add up. I've actually taken to eating mostly frozen food (stuff that still requires a little prep, not TV dinners, mind you), because it's a little faster and the cleanup is easier(stick some frozen chicken on foil in the oven and the cleanup is "throw the foil away"). When I don't do that, I'm meal-prepping on sunday afternoons, which takes four or more hours out of my precious weekend (with the exchange of being able to just microwave whatever I'm eating for lunch and dinner that week, again saving time). Yes, where I live, groceries cost far less than anything you can get at a restaurant. And I'm hesitant to say that this will go anywhere, because it really seems like a long shot. But if it does get somewhere...the dollar cost of groceries is not the only thing to focus on. Time spent making meals absolutely matters.
  - notyourday 6y ago
    Time spent making meals is a dead time. Those that do not consider that to be a dead time simply buy instapots, slow cookers and rice cookers.
  - devchix 6y ago
    I tell my work mates I spend probably 8+ hours in the kitchen during the weekend doing meal prep and they are some combination of aghast and disbelieving. Yes, 8+ if you want to eat decent, we're not being fancy. You can't just get groceries and come home to stuff them in the fridge. They need to be semi-prepped: unwrapped, minor cleaning, portioning out. Herbs and greens need to be washed and stored properly or they'll spoil. Want good soup? Have to break down the chicken to make stock, defat and freeze it. There's also the planning aspect, if you wake up on Saturday and start the grocery list, it's too late. I like to say "I like cooking", but most of cooking is drudgery: peel carrots, potatoes, break down chicken, trim the meat, manage food portion and storage. It's a huge time suck and if I factor in the cost of my time it's exorbitant. Having said all that, there is no reasonable alternative for me, right now. Everything else is garbage or unpalatable or exorbitant, and I still have to do supplemental cooking. I'm resigned to the fact that cooking, eating, cleaning, laundry is all part of living and I can't pay for all of it to go away. I'm trying to be a better planner, and chop and peel faster.
    - rosseloh 6y ago
      > I like to say "I like cooking", but most of cooking is drudgery: peel carrots, potatoes, break down chicken, trim the meat, manage food portion and storage. Totally. I love cooking. But when I say I love cooking, I mean I love standing over a pot or pan, stirring, tasting, seasoning, and sauteing. Prep work is the worst part, and also often the part that takes the longest.
      - throw7 6y ago
        I love prep work! Cutting down a whole chicken.... chopping, prepping the mise en place. I find it really relaxing. :) seriously. Love the cooking part also too... what I hate is the dishwashing!
michaelt 6y ago
> If you are an anxious overachieving professional, the above is probably already true and you survive off fast casual. Is this the case where you live? In my country, daily restaurant eating is less a sign of success, and more a sign of not knowing how to cook, which is a source of embarrassment for most overachieving professionals.
- macNchz 6y ago
  In NYC at least there is certainly a subset of ambitious professional types who derive some kind of pride at being incompetent at everything other than their job. I think it's humblebrag type thing where they show off a) how overworked they are all the time, which is a perverse status symbol here b) how they can afford to pay someone to do everything in their lives for them.
  - aqme28 6y ago
    You can even rent an apartment here that doesn't have a kitchen.

0898 6y ago

You mean if you factor in your time? Okay: in that case maybe.

rosseloh 6y ago
I can't comment on the actual subject at hand (I haven't read the article yet nor really done any research on this), but you absolutely have to factor in your time. I like to cook. If my home situation was a little bit different, I'd probably cook full proper meals every night, no questions asked. It would take me at minimum an hour each night, and often more when you include prep and cleaning (which you should, they're integral parts of cooking a meal). Combine that with long hours at work and the fact that I like to at least get some leisure time in my day along with sleep, and those hours add up. I've actually taken to eating mostly frozen food (stuff that still requires a little prep, not TV dinners, mind you), because it's a little faster and the cleanup is easier(stick some frozen chicken on foil in the oven and the cleanup is "throw the foil away"). When I don't do that, I'm meal-prepping on sunday afternoons, which takes four or more hours out of my precious weekend (with the exchange of being able to just microwave whatever I'm eating for lunch and dinner that week, again saving time). Yes, where I live, groceries cost far less than anything you can get at a restaurant. And I'm hesitant to say that this will go anywhere, because it really seems like a long shot. But if it does get somewhere...the dollar cost of groceries is not the only thing to focus on. Time spent making meals absolutely matters.
- notyourday 6y ago
  Time spent making meals is a dead time. Those that do not consider that to be a dead time simply buy instapots, slow cookers and rice cookers.
- devchix 6y ago
  I tell my work mates I spend probably 8+ hours in the kitchen during the weekend doing meal prep and they are some combination of aghast and disbelieving. Yes, 8+ if you want to eat decent, we're not being fancy. You can't just get groceries and come home to stuff them in the fridge. They need to be semi-prepped: unwrapped, minor cleaning, portioning out. Herbs and greens need to be washed and stored properly or they'll spoil. Want good soup? Have to break down the chicken to make stock, defat and freeze it. There's also the planning aspect, if you wake up on Saturday and start the grocery list, it's too late. I like to say "I like cooking", but most of cooking is drudgery: peel carrots, potatoes, break down chicken, trim the meat, manage food portion and storage. It's a huge time suck and if I factor in the cost of my time it's exorbitant. Having said all that, there is no reasonable alternative for me, right now. Everything else is garbage or unpalatable or exorbitant, and I still have to do supplemental cooking. I'm resigned to the fact that cooking, eating, cleaning, laundry is all part of living and I can't pay for all of it to go away. I'm trying to be a better planner, and chop and peel faster.
  - rosseloh 6y ago
    > I like to say "I like cooking", but most of cooking is drudgery: peel carrots, potatoes, break down chicken, trim the meat, manage food portion and storage. Totally. I love cooking. But when I say I love cooking, I mean I love standing over a pot or pan, stirring, tasting, seasoning, and sauteing. Prep work is the worst part, and also often the part that takes the longest.
    - throw7 6y ago
      I love prep work! Cutting down a whole chicken.... chopping, prepping the mise en place. I find it really relaxing. :) seriously. Love the cooking part also too... what I hate is the dishwashing!

michaelt 6y ago

> If you are an anxious overachieving professional, the above is probably already true and you survive off fast casual. Is this the case where you live? In my country, daily restaurant eating is less a sign of success, and more a sign of not knowing how to cook, which is a source of embarrassment for most overachieving professionals.

macNchz 6y ago
In NYC at least there is certainly a subset of ambitious professional types who derive some kind of pride at being incompetent at everything other than their job. I think it's humblebrag type thing where they show off a) how overworked they are all the time, which is a perverse status symbol here b) how they can afford to pay someone to do everything in their lives for them.
- aqme28 6y ago
  You can even rent an apartment here that doesn't have a kitchen.