Comments on: How to Cook More, Eat Out Less http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html personal finance blog with anecdotes, advice and commentary. Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:30:41 +0000 hourly 1 By: FinanciallySmart http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html/comment-page-1#comment-334290 FinanciallySmart Thu, 24 Dec 2009 11:31:50 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=5564#comment-334290 Yes preparing home cooked meals is better. A wonderful article. Yes preparing home cooked meals is better. A wonderful article.

]]> By: Jim http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html/comment-page-1#comment-333296 Jim Tue, 15 Dec 2009 02:48:52 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=5564#comment-333296 Agreed, a good knife is crucial. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to cut a tomato with a dull knife. :) Agreed, a good knife is crucial. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to cut a tomato with a dull knife. :)

]]> By: Anna http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html/comment-page-1#comment-333283 Anna Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:25:39 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=5564#comment-333283 My other advice to people who don't cook much is to buy a good knife (just one good chef's knife). You can muddle by with not great quality in other cookware, but without a good knife, preparation is slow and tedious. It doesn't have to be too expensive - lots of people recommend the Victrinox Chef Knife (with black fibrox handle). Sometimes I try and cook in other people's kitchens and get quite frustrated (although I cook a lot at home). My other advice to people who don’t cook much is to buy a good knife (just one good chef’s knife). You can muddle by with not great quality in other cookware, but without a good knife, preparation is slow and tedious. It doesn’t have to be too expensive – lots of people recommend the Victrinox Chef Knife (with black fibrox handle).

Sometimes I try and cook in other people’s kitchens and get quite frustrated (although I cook a lot at home).

]]> By: Brandon http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html/comment-page-1#comment-333074 Brandon Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:25:42 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=5564#comment-333074 I would suggest Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything" as well. It is a great reference tome. I have rarely ever done a recipe "as is" from the book, but it has a lot of good information on the basics of preparing a lot of dishes. I would suggest Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything” as well. It is a great reference tome. I have rarely ever done a recipe “as is” from the book, but it has a lot of good information on the basics of preparing a lot of dishes.

]]> By: Paige http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html/comment-page-1#comment-333068 Paige Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:25:44 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=5564#comment-333068 Kevin is spot on about getting caught in a rut with what we prepare. I hope it is ok, but I would like to recommend an article I read on another blog that can help with that. It is called the 30 Meal Plan, check it out here: http://littlenannygoat.blogspot.com/2009/05/what-heck-it-30-meal-plan.html That might actually be a good spin off post for this blog. Hope that someone finds it useful, I did! Kevin is spot on about getting caught in a rut with what we prepare. I hope it is ok, but I would like to recommend an article I read on another blog that can help with that. It is called the 30 Meal Plan, check it out here: http://littlenannygoat.blogspot.com/2009/05/what-heck-it-30-meal-plan.html

That might actually be a good spin off post for this blog. Hope that someone finds it useful, I did!

]]> By: Kevin@OutOfYourRut http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html/comment-page-1#comment-333061 Kevin@OutOfYourRut Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:01:54 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=5564#comment-333061 I heard a nutritionalist on the radio a few years back who said the fundamental problem with eating home is that most of us get caught in a rut where we rely on preparing the same 7-8 meals all the time. We do this largely out of habit, but it becomes boring and the craving for something different typically leads us to a restaurant, where the food is anything but healthy. My wife and I have taken to trying a new recipe once a week. Well, that's our spoken plan, and it's closer to once a month, but over time, even that makes a difference and enables us to refresh the meal plan. It might help to shift from going out on weekends to cooking in since that's when most people have the most time. It DOES take time to prepare meals you never have before, but on the weekends you'll have that time, and you can make it fun. Once you learn to prepare some new meals, you'll get new habits that you can move to the weekdays. I heard a nutritionalist on the radio a few years back who said the fundamental problem with eating home is that most of us get caught in a rut where we rely on preparing the same 7-8 meals all the time. We do this largely out of habit, but it becomes boring and the craving for something different typically leads us to a restaurant, where the food is anything but healthy.

My wife and I have taken to trying a new recipe once a week. Well, that’s our spoken plan, and it’s closer to once a month, but over time, even that makes a difference and enables us to refresh the meal plan.

It might help to shift from going out on weekends to cooking in since that’s when most people have the most time. It DOES take time to prepare meals you never have before, but on the weekends you’ll have that time, and you can make it fun. Once you learn to prepare some new meals, you’ll get new habits that you can move to the weekdays.

]]> By: Paige http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html/comment-page-1#comment-333041 Paige Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:48:44 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=5564#comment-333041 We started eating at home more when I started staying home with our daughter. That was 3 years ago and I have to say that my cooking skills have greatly improved and I actually enjoy cooking now. I totally agree with what you said about not buying cook books. A couple of great sites to get recipes are recipezaar.com and allrecipes.com. You can find just about any recipe on either of those and you can read peoples feedback on the recipe. Plus there are usually pictures, which I like. We still eat out every once in a while, usually for lunch. But we have come to hate paying the prices that restaurants charge, even eating at McDonald's for our family of 3 is close to $20. Yikes! We started eating at home more when I started staying home with our daughter. That was 3 years ago and I have to say that my cooking skills have greatly improved and I actually enjoy cooking now. I totally agree with what you said about not buying cook books. A couple of great sites to get recipes are recipezaar.com and allrecipes.com. You can find just about any recipe on either of those and you can read peoples feedback on the recipe. Plus there are usually pictures, which I like. We still eat out every once in a while, usually for lunch. But we have come to hate paying the prices that restaurants charge, even eating at McDonald’s for our family of 3 is close to $20. Yikes!

]]> By: ziglet19 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html/comment-page-1#comment-333005 ziglet19 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:33:10 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=5564#comment-333005 My husband and I have imrpoved at eating at home for dinner. We're not the best cooks, but we're learning. We are still struggling with lunch though. He goes out with coworkers 2 or 3 times a week. And I work out of a home office - all alone all day - so I also go out 2 or 3 times a week to eat with friends and get out of the house. Luckily, lunch out is at least a little cheaper than dinner out. My husband and I have imrpoved at eating at home for dinner. We’re not the best cooks, but we’re learning. We are still struggling with lunch though. He goes out with coworkers 2 or 3 times a week. And I work out of a home office – all alone all day – so I also go out 2 or 3 times a week to eat with friends and get out of the house. Luckily, lunch out is at least a little cheaper than dinner out.

]]> By: CK http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html/comment-page-1#comment-333004 CK Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:22:00 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=5564#comment-333004 So restaurants make money? Who knew! I think you're also discounting the costs of the cook, the servers, the building, and all of the other overhead involved in running a restaurant. So restaurants make money? Who knew! I think you’re also discounting the costs of the cook, the servers, the building, and all of the other overhead involved in running a restaurant.

]]> By: lostAnnfound http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html/comment-page-1#comment-332985 lostAnnfound Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:54:28 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=5564#comment-332985 This is very true. You can get the exact dish for lunch that will be served for dinner for a much lower cost (and possibly a more realistic and appropriate serving size). This is very true. You can get the exact dish for lunch that will be served for dinner for a much lower cost (and possibly a more realistic and appropriate serving size).

]]> By: saladdin http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html/comment-page-1#comment-332982 saladdin Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:06:54 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=5564#comment-332982 Second only to not having a car payment, cooking more (and carry leftovers for lunch) is the largest money saver for me ever. Being happily unmarried, I can cook whatever I want, whenever I want. saladdin Second only to not having a car payment, cooking more (and carry leftovers for lunch) is the largest money saver for me ever.

Being happily unmarried, I can cook whatever I want, whenever I want.

saladdin

]]> By: eric http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html/comment-page-1#comment-332981 eric Thu, 10 Dec 2009 10:15:25 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=5564#comment-332981 Yup I used to think there was no way I could cook for myself. But you just jump in and cooking isn't as hard as it looks. You learn as you go :) Yup I used to think there was no way I could cook for myself. But you just jump in and cooking isn’t as hard as it looks. You learn as you go :)

]]> By: aua868s http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html/comment-page-1#comment-332972 aua868s Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:37:28 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=5564#comment-332972 if I decide to eat out, i try to make it as a lunch rather than dinner...lunch cheaper than dinner! if I decide to eat out, i try to make it as a lunch rather than dinner…lunch cheaper than dinner!

]]> By: Izalot http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html/comment-page-1#comment-332958 Izalot Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:38:03 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=5564#comment-332958 This topic fits in well with budgeting and allocating your money very well. I spend easily $60 per outing with my family and 1-2 weeks adds up to $240-480/month. I rather spend the money on housekeeping then eating out any day! This topic fits in well with budgeting and allocating your money very well. I spend easily $60 per outing with my family and 1-2 weeks adds up to $240-480/month. I rather spend the money on housekeeping then eating out any day!

]]> By: Financial Samurai http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/how-to-cook-more-eat-out-less.html/comment-page-1#comment-332947 Financial Samurai Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:46:15 +0000 http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/?p=5564#comment-332947 Unfortunately, I pale in comparison to the chefs at my favorite restaurants, hence, I gotta succumb to my onoe big love: food! Unfortunately, I pale in comparison to the chefs at my favorite restaurants, hence, I gotta succumb to my onoe big love: food!

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