FOODS that are cheaper to PURCHASE pre-made for less THAN making YOURSELVES

[jasperandchar]

FOODS that are cheaper to PURCHASE pre-packaged (frozen) and/or takeout for less

Hi all,

With the rising costs of foods and everything else somethings are just cheaper to purchase pre-packaged (frozen) and/or sometimes cheaper to pick up on the way home....yes takeout ie. Subway @$3.99 for 6inch, $5 pizzas if you pick up from various pizza restaurants, pre-cooked chickens from Costco for $8, buy a delissio pizza vs. making from scratch (prices here in Ontario) which I am referencing.

We as Canadians and consumers are having to dig deeper into our pockets to feed ourselves and our families with the rising costs of groceries once again.

So what do we do, what do we sacrifice, what do we do without, what do we decided to splurge an extra buck or two and not have to start the oven at peak hours, what do you do???

My mind started racing as it would have been cheaper to buy double hamburgers from McDonalds then purchased the ground beef, buns, condiments and the hydro to cook them.

So I thought it would be interesting to see what others purchase pre-made, frozen, take out - TO SAVE $ as it's cheaper to get these items then make them yourself.

I will agree in most cases homemade taste better and definitely is healthier but sometimes it just makes more sense to buy the stuff and have a easy night or a non-cooking night.

Please share what items you purchase vs. making and/or cooking at home

[jasperandchar]

The other night I purchased a package of fresh lean ground beef at the grocery store at the tune of $10. + buns $3.00 = $13 NOT including the hydro and conditments etc which only yielding 8 burgers which with a 12 year old son, 15 year old son, dh and myself served with a side salad was super expensive.

So I announced that the next time we want burgers it would be cheaper BUT not necessarily healthier to purchase the double hamburgers from McDonalds that are $1.59 + tax = $1.80 each x 8 = $14.40 and would serve with a side salad which we normally serve with burgers. Yes it would cost a measly $1.40 more to have 8 burgers from McDonalds then homemade burgers but good grief it just makes more sense to me!!! because hydro in the boonies is super expensive, I pay $85 delivery fees so less usage = less hydro costs.

[coupon girl]

sometimes when hubby and I are tired and I babysit til 6.30 on the way home I get little cesars fresh pizza 5.45-comes to 6 and change not bad considering frozen dellisio is usually 4.99 on sale and higher
-if you use coupons for fast food really helps one time hubby and I went to A&w-cashier had said for to teen burgers fries and root bear 19.99but after coupons was 11.40 so those coupons really help bring it down

-I have been using frozen blueberries in my homemade muffins even thou it calls for fresh -got some frozen bags on for 2.50 awhile back and bought 4

[jasperandchar]

@coupon girl you're right you can't make a pizza from scratch for $6 and like you mentioned buy a frozen one for $4.99 plus the hydro, make so much more sense to buy the ready to eat pizza at $6

I also purchase frozen fruits and veggies as it's cheaper than purchasing the fresh ones and let's face it they defrost quite quickly AND no waste as you only take out what you need, I agree so much cheaper.

Where I live I can't price match fresh (not pre-packaged) meat ie. No Frills had fresh lean ground beef @ $3.00lbs (not in a tube) well there is nowhere around me unless I want to drive 1 hour each way to commute to price match the lean ground beef (plus the gas). I only have an Independent Grocers, FreshCo. and GT at my disposal so I either do without having hamburgers or bite the bullet and buy the overpriced fresh stuff which I can't price match or go to McDonalds and buy the double burgers at $1.80 tax in.... While Independent Grocers does have fresh ground beef they do not price match in my area. So it makes more sense to purchase McDonalds burgers vs. paying for the fresh ground beef at $5.99-$6.99lbs

[Natalka]

I totally disagree with subbing McD burgers for homemade, it doesn't even come close in terms of how filling they are for the cost you pay. Nothing wrong with having them, I just don't see the comparison working.

As coupon girl said, though - with using the coupons for McD, A&W, or King deals at BK (esp. Whopper Wednesday), KFC - then that can be totally worth it for a treat.

With ground beef being expensive, we simply haven't bought it. Ground pork is a totally fine substitution, and we can get it for just over $6/kg so that's a decent price.

Same with the pizza - sure a frozen pizza can be $4 or 5 - and yes, you can make one at home for that price. It's lots of dough with very few toppings. Convenience-wise, nothing wrong with it, of course.

However, it is true that if you get deals from pizza places, for real pizzas, then there can totally be a big cost saving because of buying the meats, cheeses, and other toppings.

We don't go to Costco, and I do understand there are many pre-made or frozen things there which are good, so that's excluded from any of my comments.

We used to get rotisserie chicken once in a while - when they would go for $8 it was worth it, but now they are well over $10 to even $15, so we don't do that any more.

I use frozen veggies a fair bit, for casseroles and stews.
I don't use frozen fruit.

[Frugalbigmama]

The past few times I have found making burgers at home expensive. (We could have steak dinner for cheaper with the right sale)
So I was buying the Leadbetters burgers at GT for $10. ( I still will since it is a time saver and still will be cheaper sometimes I think) But we always made our patties way too big so that is why we weren't getting the value (the burgers from Mcdonald's will be thin!)
So we had burgers the other night $3LB for lean- The man made 8 patties for dinner (since we had 8 buns on sale for $2 less 30% off as they expired in 4 days) and 9 patties for the freezer! I paid just under $12 for the beef so that was the best value for us for a long time. I served with a huge ceaser salad. (would have added perogies or something else if needed)

We try to plan burger night when we can get buns on sale/clearance. Still want to try making them and see if good and worth it!

[Frugalbigmama]

They sell frozen tubes of beef at RCSS for $10 (4 tubes) I am going to buy this soon and try making patties out of it and will report back I have used it for taco meat for the kids.

[Angela273]

It is very rare that I make lasagna. I really enjoy Stouffer's individual lasagna, and so does my 3yr old son. I have 5 1/2month old twins so we sometimes enjoy these for lunch when dh is at work. I purchased them for $2 each when they are on sale. I then submit the rewards codes on their website. For every 4 codes that I enter I am able to get a coupon for one free one. I also get 500pt offers on PC Plus, or redeem the coupon on 10% off Tuesday at Sobeys. For those who are not aware, Sobeys takes 10% off your total purchase and then the full coupon value is applied. Therefore when you redeem an FPC you are actually receiving 100% off that item + 10% towards the rest of your purchase.

[jasperandchar]

When I started the homemade burger they were huge but to be honest once they were done they shrunk about a 1/4 of the size.

I know the McDonalds burgers are thin but to be honest once the burger shrunk it wouldn't be a stretch to say they would be very comparable to a double McDonalds burger but that's just my personal experience this last time.

[macw1960]

J&C...if you are all going to Mc Donald's to get burgers have everyone order them individually and you will pay less tax as the cost is under $3.99 each.

[jasperandchar]

The past few times I have found making burgers at home expensive. (We could have steak dinner for cheaper with the right sale)
So I was buying the Leadbetters burgers at GT for $10. ( I still will since it is a time saver and still will be cheaper sometimes I think) But we always made our patties way too big so that is why we weren't getting the value (the burgers from Mcdonald's will be thin!)
So we had burgers the other night $3LB for lean- The man made 8 patties for dinner (since we had 8 buns on sale for $2 less 30% off as they expired in 4 days) and 9 patties for the freezer! I paid just under $12 for the beef so that was the best value for us for a long time. I served with a huge ceaser salad. (would have added perogies or something else if needed)

We try to plan burger night when we can get buns on sale/clearance. Still want to try making them and see if good and worth it!

How many burgers in a box? And if memory serves me correctly they are quite thin?

[jasperandchar]

J&C...if you are all going to Mc Donald's to get burgers have everyone order them individually and you will pay less tax as the cost is under $3.99 each.

thanks for the advice @macw1960

[jasperandchar]

I'm also thinking I will start buying the pre-made meatballs, what brand do you purchase?

[thriftygranny]

We rarely do fast food, I think it is more expensive than making my own. I guess if you are just buying the burgers and skipping the fries and drinks? I don't buy burger often because we are wild meat eaters and make our own patties, there is char burger mix that we buy in Calgary at a supplier and man the burgers taste just like the Keg burgers you get at the store. I do make them occasionally from ground beef, I picked some at No Frills for 3.00 a pound so I guess you would get four 1/4 pound burgers per pound, you can always use fillers like panko or oatmeal to stretch them further. I work at a bakeryand I haven't bought bread in 3 years so that is a bonus for me!!!
As far as buying the meatballs, I thought I would give that a go a few years ago but my family didn't like them as well as home made, so that was bust. A tip when you are making your own bread for hamburger buns...when you go to cut the buns out of the dough just press your glass or cutter straight down and don't twist, if you do they come out lopsided!!!
I guess my best tip for using packaged food is I buy a lot of packaged coleslaw, on the clearance rack as much as possible and use it for stir fries and soups, so economical and healthy for you.

[bobbiegirl2010]

Hi everyone!

For us we live in the boonies and there is not much restaurant options. Since there is not much fast food options, and because of the gas and time involved going to the nearest town, it just is not worth it for us to eat out. Because of this we have gotten used to eating almost 100% food made at home.

The only pre-made food I will buy is frozen pizza and only if on sale. I wish we had a Little Caesars because I love their pizza and you can't beat their price!

For hamburgers we only make them when ground beef is on sale (like last week's sale for $3/lb). Or when the price was higher we were buying the ground beef/pork blend. We also use a food scale to weigh the meat mixture (we make 4oz patties) and use a hamburger press (bought at Home Hardware) that makes uniform size and shape patties. We also look on the reduced rack for hamburger buns.

Another convenience item for us is frozen basa fillets. They are generally cheaper than other kinds of fish and can be cooked from frozen so no need to defrost.

Other quick meal options for us would be breakfast for dinner or a meal made from pantry items (ie. tuna noodle casserole).

I also buy frozen fruit and veggies during the winter when produce prices are higher and buy only the cheapest fresh produce (ie apples, oranges, carrots, potatoes etc...).