Ironically — eating out is far less expensive than eating in when one factors in all the additional expenses of eating in.

1. unless you walk to and from your grocery store — there’s transportation expenses to include with your grocery expense. Add insurance, taxes, tabs, maintenance (et. al.) into that grocery bill.
2. unless you eat everything you cook — there’s spoilage expenses involved with eating at home.
3. unless you purchase all — non-perishable food items remember to factor in utilities with your grocery bill. Cook with electricity? Gas? Yup — there’s some additional expenses there. How about cleaning pre /post meal. Yup — water bill there.
4. finally — there’s the cost of time. I’d far prefer breezing through my local stir-fry place to pick up a heart-healthy meal for $8.00 than spend the hours shopping, preparing, cooking and cleaning up my home-made stir-fry.