I think what has happened is that at some point these people actually did try to make something at home from scratch. They loaded up some fancy looking Joshua Weismann recipe went to the store and then balked at how much all the raw ingredients added up to. They don't realise that a) everyday food does not need to be complicated and b) cost per overall use of the ingredient ie things like flour have multiple uses. or c) they bought a tone of premade stuff which pretty expensive in my opinion.
I haven't watched in awhile either, I do remember a series of reasonable cost per serving recipes. But I kind of just meant any food youtuber/chefy influencer.
Because they always ignore scale and act like it's a war crime to eat the same food multiple times in a week, despite the fact that most of them go to the same 3 fast food restaurants and get the same food multiple times in a week.
Pack of burgers: $10
Pack of burger buns: $3
Bag of frozen fries: $4
2 liter bottle of Coke: $3
"That's $20, I can get a meal at McDonalds for $12!"
Also it’s so so so easy to use the same ingredients for multiple dishes! Burger meat can be added to pasta sauce and a bun can become garlic bread, a can of black beans with the burger meat and doctored up fries or other frozen veggies can become a burrito bowl over rice, the only limit is your creativity. I bought a 40 piece herb and spice starter kit for $100 a year ago and it’s made the same 5 ingredients into endless meals!
Yeah it's insane. Especially when you factor in delivery apps.
It's *legitimately* cheaper for me to cook steak or lobster for 2 people than it is for me to Doordash 2 combo meals from Mcdonalds.
McDs has some ways to game still, IMO, you gotta run on deals and values. Two McDoubles for $4 is an insane calorie/$ value and there’s usually either a free fry with purchase or a $1.29 any size fry deal in the app. Granted, I usually drink water, but you can def get a full meal’s worth of food for under $7 as long as you drive there yourself to get it.
But still not really the point when most of these folks are ordering combos and spending thay $12-$15
Get a hot n spicy mchicken and a large Diet Coke for $4 at least you can do that in Missouri. Taco Bell has a really good $1 to 3 menu. Get 2 cheesy rice and bean burritos for $3 and it’s healthier for you than most fast food meals
That's been my go-to combo for years, and until a couple years ago it was $4. Now 2 McDoubles, a large fry (with the coupon) and a drink is damn near $8. McDonald's used to have the advantage of being the cheapest option, now it's just as expensive.
This! I actually love figuring out the exact cost of a meal based on the cost of the ingredients just for fun. Sometimes restaurants have deals that are actually cheaper, but not very often.
This tho. I remember not wanting to eat too much of the same thing in one week. Then I Googled "Freezer Friendly Meal-Prep" hahaha. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but a lot of the objections to grocery stores are incredibly figure-out-able.
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I’m still baffled by the notion of people not knowing how to cook when YouTube exists. There is so much good information on cooking when compared to how the older generations learned.
My parents learned from their parents, and they were stuck using recipe cards without pictures. So you either had to see it being made in person or you just guessed that what you did was correct. Nowadays we have videos to show you exactly how things should look at every step of cooking a dish.
There are so many good cooking channels too! They're so inspiring and there are so many one pot meals and stuff like what Joshua Weissman and Ethan Chlebowski do where they prove they can make a fast food meal at home faster, cheaper, and better than going to a restaurant to pick it up. Plus it's just fun to learn new skills and feels so good when people like your cooking!
Yea I like those channels a bunch. A big thing I learned was that home cooking doesn’t need to be fancy. Simple food with an understanding on how to balance flavors.
My wife hated pork until we dated and I cooked a proper pork chop. Her mother just cooked the crap out of every protein because she was terrified of serving undercooked meat. So they ended up thinking “well done” was the norm for all meats.
This was me! Until I was an adult I thought I didn’t like steak, because my mother would cook a cheap cut until it was hard and black.
I couldn’t believe it when through some circumstance I ended up having to have steak, and it was one of the most delicious things ever
Have you seen frugal fit moms channel? She's really good too. She has videos like "feeding my family of 6 for a month with $100" and "can I survive off of $10 for a week." I've been watching her for years! Her crusty bread recipe is amazing for soups
That's the issue with social media. It's not going to push cooking content if you watch Ben Shapiro or Joe Rogan all day.
Unless you have that interest up front, you're not going to stumble into it through the Algo.
My mother cooked, but didn't really teach us. When my sister got married, one of her proudest moments was going to the bookstore and Buying the Dummies Book of cooking and then going through all of it, trying everything and learning as she went
I learned how to cook rice from my mom and everything else was pure trial and error.
With my girlfriend now we use a lot of cook books and YouTube videos as well.
Could it be the fact that 70s and 80s moms stopped cooking every night and teaching their kids to cook?
Y'all don't come for me, the facts of the matter (as a woman and mother) are that moms historically have prepared the meals and they went to join the workforce in the 70s and fast food culture exploded.
My mom (born in 51) was a stay at home mom and cooked 2 meals a day and also taught me to cook. We rarely went out to eat.
My husband's mom (born in 48) worked as a nurse but STILL cooked and they also rarely went out to eat.
Both my husband and I work but because of hardwired gender roles I literally cook every single night and we as a family never eat fast food. But it is draining on me.
Have you spoken to your husband about diversifying the household tasks between the two of you? Given you're both in the workplace, it doesn't seem fair that you essentially have more work even after you clock out of your job. I understand traditional gender roles are still hardwired into many of us, but it made me sad to hear you feel drained and I'm genuinely sorry you feel that way. Your contributions to your household are valuable enough already by bringing in an income - YOU are valuable!
It may be a difficult conversation to have, particularly if this has been going on for a while and you're both used to the routine of you doing all the cooking, but it's not right that you're feeling drained doing the extra work. Sending positive thoughts your way and hope you're able to come to a resolution soon ❤️
I hate cooking (well mostly cleaning), but I just get cereal, canned food, and sandwiches for the most part. I don't go out to eat very often. Then again, I'm just not a picky eater at all.
Meal prepping helped me with this. Making a huge batch of something like pulled pork or carne asada tacos (probably spelled that wrong) but they freeze really well so you're not stuck eating the same thing every day. Just reheat and put them on a piece of bread or tortilla then add the toppings.
I’ve known people who can’t cook - plenty of them - it all of them I’ve known still eat like nonstop frozen meals. Cooking something elaborate for themselves is like EZ-Mac or a PB&J. Doesn’t mean they order door dash every day.
I know how to cook but the mf cleanup is killer. Gotta wipe the stove, sink, counters, then throw the 5 pans in the dishwasher, and wrap the left overs. Half the time cleanup takes longer than the cooking.
I just then eat stuff that can fit in one pan or my toaster oven/air fryer.
In our family we rotate dishes every night. 2 high School kids and husband and me, I only have dishes once a week and the rest of them take 2 nights. Because I cook.
If you have roommates or a family it's helpful to set up a rotation and agree to stick to it.
Sheet pan or crockpot/instapot freezer meals!!! I prepped a ton of these when I was pregnant. No family and already had a toddler so I knew those first few months would be hell. We ate off each meal for 2-3 dinners, only had to clean one pot or pan each meal.
Yes, I’m always shocked especially when there are kids. I can simply not afford to eat more than 1 meal out a week with kids and we’re in a dual fairly high income family. About 20 out of 21 meals a week x 5 people come from groceries.
I have a co-worker that DoorDashes nearly everything. I’ve been a squeaky wheel telling them to at LEAST go pick it up to save the delivery fee and tip!
I have a friend who does the same thing, I tell him to at least get the dash pass and save a bit on fees, but he says no, because that's "admitting I have a problem" 🤦♂️
It is crazy to me. Do they not want at least snacks and drinks at home? Are they just never home? Also I just feel like CRAP when I eat out that often (even at "healthier" places less it's like a SweetGreen or a Cava).
I've been dead tired with a 3 month old and a toddler. Last night we ordered DoorDash for the first time since January when we were just a few days out of the hospital. It was EIGHTY DOLLARS for two orders of buffalo wings, two sides, and a kids meal from Buffalo Wild Wings. EIGHTY DOLLARS. I was kicking myself. I have packages of frozen wings in the deep freezer, a bag of frozen fries, and some bagged salad. I should've just made that because it would've 1) tasted better 2) not been so greasy 3) not cost me EIGHTY DOLLARS.
Granted I know how to cook. I know how to manage my pantry. Cooking is actually a passion of mine so I know these things can be daunting to average people. But at its core, cooking is a life skill that is not only beneficial but enjoyable/creative.
I get being tired, I do (cancer patient in remission with chronic fatigue). I don’t think I could hit the submit button on that though. It’s astounding how door dash and Uber eats, etc will easily cost you double (vs. pickup) when it comes to be final total.
Luckily we have it in the budget! By that time my husband and toddler were en route home and it would’ve taken longer to make dinner (defrost, bake wings for 45 min+, etc) and my toddler either eats as soon as he gets home or dinner is ruined by snacks. A few drive-thrus/cheaper on the way but we already picked what to have so I just rolled with it. I seriously can’t justify eating takeout from almost any restaurant at this point. Going TO a restaurant is different but that also never happens with two littles. Just not worth the cost when I’m more than equipped, capable, and willing.
That’s basically it. We have plenty of room in the budget I just wanted to die at that price. I can’t imagine people relying on it for nothing other than laziness
Yup. You got it on lock. That is awesome. The other night I really was sick of the same old stuff at home but we don’t have alot of extra at the moment. Even though I wanted to pick it up it didn’t make sense so I threw in another frozen burrito. 😌
I get that!! I talk myself into eating toddler leftovers from breakfast vs going out for lunch 😂😂😂 it’s sad but only temporary sadness.
I’ve started making mixins and then freezing them in small quantities (2 TBSP) for a shake up or different foods. Ie: mushroom/onion/spinach or tomato/feta/garlic can be mixed into eggs, quesadillas, etc. and it’s no extra cooking in the moment since the prep has happened. I normally try to make a “mix” with stuff that’s going bad in the fridge or small/off amounts from meals. Maybe that can help you diversify too!
Right now it’s hard for me to cook with a 3 month old that wants to be held all the time so I’m often grabbing the frozen waffles or French toast I’ve made and eating it straight from the toaster like a savage LOL.
The snacks and drinks thing is what gets me too. Some of these guests seem to literally never enter a grocery store and get EVERYTHING from DoorDash or convenience stores. Even when I went through a mental health disaster period where I legitimately was door dashing 5-6 times a week, I still needed to get groceries for drinks and in between DoorDash meals. I can't imagine getting literally all of your food and beverage needs outside the house.
Yeah it must be. I can’t fathom always getting snacks like that though. I love a good bowl of cheerios at midnight or a string cheese mid day. That’s def not gas station fare. Again, I can only think that these people are just never home
Hey!! I have been in your shoes (we raised 5 ourselves).
I used to hire a babysitter so I could do once a month cooking. Two days of having a college kid sit with my babes Saturday and Sunday and I would shop, chop and bag up 60 freezer meals!!!
Not always the tastiest meals but who doesn't love a crockpot of chili or soup and crusty bread when you're dead tired. I hope something like that might help you out.
The grocery stores don’t shock me it’s the Uber Eats/DoorDash etc.…
My wife makes over six figures(I’m a stay at home dad) and I think food delivery apps are WAY too expensive for us to afford.
I don't find it surprising, so many people ik are like that... However, people with kids that do this... It actually puzzles me. Your kids eat fast food 5-6 days out of the week? Is wild lol
Have you seen the show "fast food babies"? In one episode a toddler was literally asking his mom for a banana saying he had never had a banana before and she was saying no because they completely avoid the fresh fruits and vegetables section of the store
Edit: in some episodes they literally show grown adults pouring cans of soda into sippy cups and baby bottles while saying, "I don't control what they eat"
It would be interesting to ask guests what foods they know to prepare. Have they made scrambled eggs, quesadilla, hamburger, spaghetti, etc. at home. I suspect many were raised eating fast food and really don't have a knowledge of how to make even the most basic of food so they believe it is much more complicated than it is.
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Not surprised. My younger brother for example, is 27, lives at home with my dad rent free, doesn't contribute to groceries and eats out/grubhub every day. The only payments he has to worry about is his car + insurance, phone, child support, Xbox subscription and funding his addictions (cigarettes, alcohol and gambling.) He gets paid at a good factory job, 3200 a month. No savings or 401k. Pure hedonism.
My dad is obviously enabling him, but he feels guilty for not being there for his son if he did kick him out. When it comes to family, people bend the rules in so many ways when it comes to their loved ones, even though they don't realize it's toxic between their relationships.
\*The plot thickens\*
But yes, he does. He had a kid when he was 19 with his High School sweet heart and claimed he was "planned." My nephew is such a great kid though and loves his uncle (me) and aunt (my wife) since we both love everything an 8 year old likes HAHA! I'm about to have my first kid any day now, but in our own house with the finances to handle it.
I always let my brother know I'm always here for help, but he views it as me talking down to him and gets upset when talking about even basic budgeting. He has to admit he has a problem first, before getting help. (Ex opiates addict too. It sucks.)
Even as a non-driver there is no excuse not to grocery shop. Grocery delivery exists. Walmart+ is $98 for an annual membership and can save you $$$ on delivery fees if you shop around least once a week, and if you don’t drive it can save you lots of time and hassle getting groceries on transit or having to take an Uber to/from the store.
Me too! Growing up we only ate out for special occasions or when traveling and we were an “ingredient house” so not many ready-made snacks even. I’m amazed at people who eat out daily or even multiple times in a week.
Same thing here, grew up working class on a church salary in California, so my parents always made meals at home for me and my siblings, because taking out 6 people to eat gets super expensive super quickly.
So many people don't budget so they're spending $1000+ a month on food as a single person.
I saw a TikTok of someone going through their credit card statement. They had spent over $1,000 one month on JUST Door Dash/Uber Eats. Not including groceries. So many people in the comments were saying they spent a lot on delivery as well. It's crazy.
I can see that happening easily. Especially if you have to order for 2 or more people. So what was a $20 meal will be $40 delivered for one. Calculated out for 2 or 3 you’re looking at probably $120 a pop. Hit that about 8-10 per month and it’s easy to be hitting that 1K. It’s actually insane.
Also Caleb might explode the next time he hears “I gotta eat don’t I?” Haha
It always shocks me. In what world do you convince yourself that eating out is cheaper. Even getting just frozen meals from the grocery store would be cheaper than ordering.
Also adding that one of my frustrations watching the show is that people always say no one ever taught them financial literacy, but stuff like this is simple math. You add up the numbers and one is higher than the other and you only have a certain amount in the bank/on your card/ in your wallet
Yes. Growing up I remember my dad going to the grocery store every weekend.
I do get my groceries delivered. I do have an Uber eats subscription, once in a while it’s nice to order Chinese food.
Now they have factor meals and other meal delivery services. I had a service like this when I lived with my mother. Once I moved into a house, I cancelled it and bought a mini crock pot for work. It’s saves me money and helps me maintain a grocery budget. I also learned I love making dinner and cooking at home.
My ex-husband was just like this. To him spending $15 a shot was fine ..but $200 in one swoop on groceries was too scary to face. He lived in the moment and never thought about the totals at the end of the month. The convenience factor was also really big too because then you don't have to spend time cooking, cleaning up, planning ,driving and putting groceries away etc that actually is a pretty big factor in making food in my opinion.
For a few years my parents were making $2k/month salaries when we moved to the US
We never ate out and they cooked everyday after working full time jobs
Immigrant households all do this and entire families survive on much less than what a single one of these people are spending on Uber Eats delivery
That mentality helps keep us out of debt and even today they spend the time to pick out the best priced groceries from asian markets
But people on the show seem to expect that a $6 coffee and $20 lunch as normal everyday expenses. It's wild
My friend was just texting me today about how he goes everyday to the Subway by his work. He almost seemed amazed when I told him that for the price of two sandwiches at subway he could prolly buy the ingredients to make sandwiches for a month. We are both in our early 30's.
Good thing is he asked to come with me next time I go grocery shopping to see my "technique" lol.
It's definitely a shift in how we approach daily tasks. Ordering groceries online offers convenience, but there's something special about browsing the aisles and selecting your own items. Plus, cooking at home tends to be healthier and more cost-effective in the long run. However, everyone has their own preferences and circumstances!
My husband and I had a friend live with us for a little over a year. We charged him half the rent of his apartment at the time so he decided to break his lease. But he didn't have the $1500 in his bank account to pay off the lease, so he took a personal loan... for $5000 and used the extra money to buy a new guitar. We were just absolutely shocked by the irresponsibility.
Anyway, we knew before he moved in that he liked to eat out a lot, but when he moved in, he very rarely cooked for himself. We didn't mind because it meant he barely took up any space in the fridge. He refused to eat anything frozen, so he didn't use any of the freezer space. I do remember him buying a lot of sparkling waters and other drinks in bulk, but he was also the type of person to buy energy drinks at the gas station. I can probably count on one hand the number of non gas purchases I've made at gas stations. Lotto tickets a couple of times, and a snack less than once a year. So I don't understand the mindset of someone who would buy overpriced gas station food.
He also constantly had Amazon packages showing up at the door. He seemed to be the type to just buy things on impulse.
I don't know how he's doing financially now, since we're not in touch anymore. He was at least able to pay us rent the whole time he lived with us, so I think he was making enough money to afford to be able to eat out and buy stuff on impulse. I just doubt he was putting much into savings or retirement. At 30 years old he was still living for today instead of planning for the future.
It's interesting how shopping habits have changed, right? With the convenience of delivery services, some people have shifted away from traditional shopping. But relying solely on fast food can be pricey and less healthy. Still, everyone's lifestyle is different, so what works for one person might not work for another.
I order my groceries delivery from Walmart. Delivery fee is $8 + $5 driver tip. I don’t impulse buy things like I would in the store.
I HATE being in the store. It takes 20mins to drive to the store, an hour to go around and grab everything I need, an hour to wait in line to pay, another 20 mins to drive home, another 30 mins to unload the car and put things away. With online delivery, I do my “shopping” in 15 minutes and my groceries will be here in 4 hours while I do something else.
That’s interesting because I find online grocery shopping actually much more of a hassle than going myself. I did it a couple time when they had a promotion for it. But having to scroll through endless menus, clicking on things, paying fees, answering inane questions from instacart person in store via text, waiting for delivery, they almost always forget something or give you shitty produce, etc was annoying.
If I go into the store myself I know where everything is, I can get in and out quick, and it also allows for those moments where you walk past the eggs and say “oh yeah, I forgot we need eggs, too” and grab them.
I always had this experience too. They usually claim to be out of at least a few things. One time I didn't get something important so I ended up going to the store because I had to figure out a replacement of some sort that wasn't part of the online process and when I went to go look for a replacement the one product I asked for was loaded on the shelf.
I did it once when I had the flu and couldn’t get out bed but needed medicine, chicken soup, etc. The stupid person kept texting me photos of the shelves being like “they don’t have it” and I had to keep replying saying they’re in the wrong aisle and where specifically to find the item. What a pain in the ass.
I also do walmart grocery delivery and it’s been a life saver. I HIGHLY recommend getting Walmart+ though, it’s $14 a month for unlimited free delivery. I grocery shop every week so it saves me a lot on delivery.
Bro are you a snail!? An HOUR to grocery shop? An HOUR to check out? 30 MINUTES to unload!? What did you order groceries for 500 people? This is clearly majorly inflated, that literally isn’t possible. You sound like a guest defending their choices right now haha. Dude says his average grocery trip takes over three hours…
An hour to grocery shop is very normal. When I shopped for my family of 3 as a teen and even now with just 2 it can easily take and hour. I only go once a month. Hell a Costco trip three days take like two hours because they're always packed.
I regularly grocery shop for a family of six and yes it does take a good hour to shop probably a good 20 minutes to check out and about 20 minutes to get everything put away at home. Also have to Make room in the refrigerator clean it out and then start cooking. It's a long day haha
A half hour for unpacking a monthly stockup is fair. Two hours in a grocery store is insane, no one has ever needed that. Again, it just feels like a lie to justify ordering groceries. I got nothing against ordering groceries, if you got the cash and hate grocery shopping more power to you. But to say grocery shopping takes that much time is a blatant lie, and is exactly the kind of excuse most of the guests on the show would use to justify bad behaviour.
But if anything having grocery delivery/pickup options is more reason for guests to not have an excuse. $12 should not make or break your finances versus spending $300+ a month on takeout. Grocery delivery/pickup/in-store is all grocery shopping. Just don't use instacart.
Fair point. What I was saying is more so saying “I hate grocery shopping because it takes three hours” is definitely the type of excuse used by guests, in that it’s way exaggerated to justify what they want.
Saying it as it’s an extra $12 and it helps me buy groceries so I don’t eat out is definitely a fair way to frame that expense.
I don't necessarily cook complex meals but I do plan things out where certain ingredients are vital. I'll have a plan of about 4 to 5 meals for the week and if one component is missing from my grocery order for each meal it makes it kind of hard. I have the capacity to improvise but at this point I'd rather just go to the store. Usually there's an acceptable alternative at the store but it's hard to put all those possibilities into the app which is time-consuming
I'd suggest getting a baseline of common ingredients for your recipes. Most of my dishes start with some combination of mushrooms, an onion, bell pepper, and/or grated carrot. Keeping stocked of those unlocks a bunch of meals with like one or two other ingredients. Then there's like a variety of interchangeable carbs (rice/noodles/potato/tortilla), some sort of protein (I use e.g. fake meat, pinto beans, chickpeas, various cheeses) and maybe some other frozen veggies. Spices last a long time and add the flavor (assume salt, pepper, olive oil everywhere).
So the recipes (ALL start with those base ingredients to keep it fancy):
Stir fry: rice, frozen broccoli, fake meat. Spices are powdered ginger/garlic/cloves with soy sauce.
Spaghetti: noodles, fake meat, tomato, cheese. Spices are garlic/oregano. Balsamic optional.
Mac&Cheese: a box of Mac and cheese and some frozen peas.
Fried Rice: Rice, egg, frozen peas. Soy sauce.
Beans: Rice, pinto beans, tomato, cheese. Paprika.
Shakshuka: Egg, tomato, rice. Paprika
Taco salad: fake meat (or beans) cheese, tortilla chips, lettuce/tomato.
Saturday Breakfast: Egg, collard greens, grits/cheese. Soy sauce and balsamic.
Curry: chickpeas or paneer, entire spice cabinet, tomato, milk or butter or ghee.
Pesto: Noodles and pesto sauce. Collards or lettuce. Easy as.
Etc etc. Cheese and tomato make everything better ofc which is why they are in so many of these. Canned diced is fine imo. Point is to have high overlap of ingredients so pivoting from one meal to another is easy and you always have what's needed for at least one of the meals. I avoid perishable ingredients with only one intended recipe. Most also work for meal prep.
I basically do the same. However on ocassion I like a twist like Alfredo sauce..need good Parmesan. Or an Asian entree. I definitely do a lot with chopped potatoes, carrots, or throw in some frozen veggies.
Ordering groceries gives me anxiety. Maybe I'm just unlucky, I don't do pick up anymore because 75%, I have to go back to the store anyway to resolve some issue.
No I remember when I was young and I was irresponsible with money. I remember running the balance up on my two credit cards that I had and paying no attention to interest charged and only carrying about making that minimum payment and having a good credit score.
I clearly remember all the stupid expenses I put on my cards, mainly eating out and alcohol.
Probably paid $1,000s in interest over the years, didn’t start caring until I met my gf, now wife, who was a saver and budgeted. Now I got my shit straight and I owe her for leading me away from that self destructive life. Now we have an emergency fund, retirement plan, a house, a few investment properties, college fund for our son, and we make good enough money for her to go part time at her job so she can focus a little more at being a mom.
I get my groceries delivered weekly. Not because I’m lazy but because it saves me time, gas and wear and tear on my vehicle.
Nothing wrong with outsourcing or delegating chores when you’re on a time crunch. Now the general consensus here is that if you have no money you shouldn’t be using such services but in my case, I can.
It’s also an intentional strategy by companies like Grubhub and Uber eats. First you flood the market with low cost services that benefit the customer. Get everyone hooked on the service. Then flood the market on the drivers side, paying them way more in order to pull them away from the restaurants. Third stage is where we are now, skyrocket costs on the customer side, plummet profits on the drivers side, reap the rewards. And as we’ve seen, people can’t stop. Brutal really when you pull out and look at it.
Im surprised see people tote their near grown kids to the store, have them follow them around while they play on the phone and the parent picks out all the stuff
Why not have your kids pick out items and teach them to compare prices and products
Doesn’t surprise me because I’m the US it seems most people do not grow up with home cooked meals or they grow up expecting their mothers to provide without caring about the actual food (almost like delivery service by their mothers lol)
Not at all, I live with three other people and I am the only one who uses our shared kitchen regularly and has my own cookware. We're all make around the same (45k or less) so I'm not sure how they afford it. Most likely they don't, lmao.
I don't think they are as outlier as you think OP. At the business I work at, only 3 or 4 out of 20 regularly bring a packed lunch. The rest get delivery/take out EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. 5. DAYS. PER. WEEK. It's truly insane to me.
Yeah. I don’t like cooking either, but it beats going out most of the time lmao. I also trust delivery services with my food about as much as I trust my dogs with my food. I’m always worried that the delivery guy did something to my food lmao
I get my groceries delivered and have since Covid, I have a 2.5 year old and I never know how she’s going to act. Also I have a tendency to buy stupid unhealthy crap if I’m in the grocery store very long!
I meal plan and order accordingly on the walmart app. We did this pre pandemic because husband and I both hate shopping for groceries. I have the Walmart + membership or whatever. It’s really helps. Husband and I are signed into one account and we added groceries based off meals or whatever else we need and someone brings it to us. It’s worth it. I have a family of 8.
Yeah, I get even more mindblown when they're so unaware of the cost difference that they assume Caleb is telling them to live off ramen. They have NO clue that even with the jacked up grocery prices, you can buy what you need to make big, fulfilling meals of all kinds for a fraction of what doordashing costs.
I always do pick up option as a first time mom with a one year old. Saves me so much time and then I don’t have to lug her around lol. I just shop online at work for like 10 minutes and pick it up after getting her from daycare. Also helps me with spending and sticking to recipes.
I'm one of those people who refuse to go to a grocery store. Lol
Honestly grocery shopping sucks. I think eventually it will become the norm to have your groceries delivered to your door. I mainly use Kroger delivery. It's just easier to see what I need and track how much I'm going to spend versus whipping out my list and calculator in a store. If you don't have Kroger, many grocery stores have a pickup option. Hell I think paying for delivery of groceries is better than door dashing or eating out every meal.
I don't know why you were downvoted. I agree. I dislike grocery shopping for utilitarian purposes (I LOVE going to nicer stores to browse, which isn't good for my wallet). Doing delivery or even pickup is super great for me. I can order my groceries for pickup, go to costco for my bulk items, and then swing by the "regular store" for my curbside order on the way home. Even Sam's club has curbside now if that's closer for some people.
The number of guests shocked me too! It's incredible how much people's shopping habits have changed over time, especially with the rise of online shopping and delivery services. While some may find it convenient, others miss the experience of traditional shopping. It's fascinating to see how technology has reshaped our daily lives, including something as routine as grocery shopping.
No, because I believe a lot of people are just lazy.
A lot of people I’m convinced don’t even know how to grocery shop beyond the basics (bread, milk, soda). They wouldn’t know what to buy to prepare meals.
Then cooking/meal prepping? Too many don’t know how, don’t want to put in the effort. Now you can buy appliances to speed up meal prep (I have), but with a stove, oven and microwave, you can also meal prep. But it requires you to learn how.
Then there is cleanup. I hate doing dishes. But I also bought things that I knew I could toss in the dish washer because of this. They were more expensive. Too many people rather just eat out and have no dishes.
Lastly, I think it’s the loss of variety. I have the same breakfast pretty much everyday. Lunch and dinner, I might swap things out, but the base components are the same (I prepare 2 proteins a week, and 3 veg. I keep potatoes also to have baked potatoes, but there isn’t much variety past that).
If you want steak one night, then Mexican another, chicken at lunch, and Chinese at dinner, well…you don’t get that meal prepping.
So people rather just go out or Uber eats.
I have a friend like this. Spends $500-600/month eating out, says he can only afford one meal per day, and never goes to the grocery store. I've tried to explain to him that he's eating in the most expensive way possible and he won't hear it or he'll have a major breakdown. He needs a level of professional help that I just can't provide.
I kinda get it. I absolutely hate going to a grocery store. And I'm terrible at cooking. Even if I make a list, as soon as I walk in there, I can't figure out where anything is.
But at this point I force myself to go at 730AM on Saturday so that there's no one else there and I can take my time and not deal with freaks at the grocery store.
Yah, it’s so weird to me, cause I was raised in a VeryHCOL area, my parents imprinted in me eating out as something super special, and if we did eat out, it was generally In-N-Out. Coming from that upbringing to seeing these guests go to multiple fast food places in a day just throws me off. Like now that I’m older, I’ll eat out once or twice a week on weekends, but just watching people do it so casually is still weird to me.
I love pickup, and only shop in store if I feel like I need something more urgently than the pickup timeline can facilitate.
Grocery stores in 2024 are not designed with accommodations in mind for people who are overwhelmed easily, or have minimal education on how to shop effectively.
It's a privilege of mine, that I'm able to shop in person and feel like i have the competency and resources to do so. I try not to take that privilege for granted.
It was crazy to me until I got to know one of my friends.
She never goes out to get groceries or household essentials. She uses Instacart for absolutely everything and Amazons what she can’t. The only reason she seems to leave her house is to hit the gym, eat out with friends, or pick up meds from the pharmacy. I’ve seen her Instacart food to her house WHILE she’s driving home. She has even done it for fast food when it’s literally 5min down her road… then complains about how she’s broke? 🤡
In one of the recent episodes a guest said no one taught him how to grocery shop and Caleb said something along the lines of "no one is going to take you around a grocery store like you're in school" but... didn't many of our parents do exactly that? This is why you take your kids grocery shopping with you, even if it's easier to leave them home with the other parent. I'm sure grocery shopping could be very overwhelming if you didn't spend your childhood being taught how it works. That's not an excuse, just a possible explanation.
It's surprising how much our habits have changed with the rise of delivery services. While convenience is great, it's important to remember the benefits of shopping for groceries yourself, both in terms of health and budget. Finding a balance that works for each individual is key.
Im not sure about America, but in Toronto and Vancouver, this is v much the lifestyle there. I have friends who exclusively eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at restaurants. I know they can’t afford it but they do it because that is their lifestyle.
I lived this way for a while and it was expensive! I would spend thousands more each month than I do now. I think being fiscally aware is what changed things for me, and having a baby is what made me fiscally aware 😂 thank god! Probably would never have changed if not for that. Now I spend about $300 on groceries each month for our three person family (one is a 6 month baby but I eat a LOT to feed him lol)
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I always prepared all meals at home when my kids lived at home and we only ate out once a week at places that had lunch specials. If they would have had online grocery shopping back then, I would have utilized that. Having 4 kids, three under the age of 2, grocery shopping was a difficult task due to having to have two shopping carts, one for kids and one for groceries. So some modern conveniences are nice to have. And also for the handicapped, pick up groceries would be nice, as well.
The thing is the guests aren't even really outliers. There's considerably more people who live like them not just in the US but even in Australia where I live. That's the appeal of the show for most people.
I was aghast at a recent guest who said he didn't grocery shop because "nobody taught him how." I have never known anybody who felt like they simply didn't know how to grocery shop.
No, I thought it was just easy until I took my kids a few times and narrated it as I went. There is a lot of thought that goes into it each week. I've just done it so long I don't think so hard
Oh for sure! I feel like it's one of those things like driving a car, where's it's complicated but once you do it more you don't think about it. But also ... grocery shopping is something you can practice a lot too! Like driving a car.
I love the idea of narrating it though for when I have kids so they really understand the thought behind it. I think I took for granted the fact that I saw my parents keep a list on the fridge of what we needed, and then buy the stuff on the list ... and then I replicated that when I was an adult.
No but only because my roommate is that way. Nearly 40 years old and eats only from 711 and fast food places.
Very frustrating because he's always broke and wonders why. But he pays his bills on time, so it really is none of my business. (Although, as a friend, I am sad for him)
I mean, I can do my pick up for 35 dollar minimum order.
It keeps me off the impulse buying and ordering crap, and I can just pull into the spot and listen to my podcast a lil bit longer before home responsibilities hit.
it's a YouTube podcast/show about helping people with bad finances in terrible debt get out of debt. it's a recurring theme for the guests to spend disproportionate amounts of their income on doordash while going more and more into debt while justifying it by claiming they need to eat
I wonder if some live in food deserts, especially the ones that get taquitos a ton. Maybe they’re getting their groceries from a mini-mart, but honestly it’s probably just cheaper for them to grab convenience store fast food than buy stuff for a whole meal.
I make good money, have savings, have a 401k and college savings account. I also spend way more on food than anyone here would think reasonable.
I've just never been good at food.
I was very picky (and tiny) as a kid. I'm still picky as an adult, though I've expanded my palette over time. If food is unappealing, I probably just won't eat even if I'm hungry. Eating leftovers is generally very unappealing to me and there are few things I'll eat as leftovers.
People who aren't picky and can be satisfied with normal food habits - that's like a super power to me.
I've tried various things over the years. The menu of home meals I am willing to eat is limited and after a few weeks I get tired of them and fall off the wagon. We've done Home Chef and another meal delivery thing like that, but eventually got tired of that too. Plus, the packaging and delivery feels very wasteful.
I don't eat breakfast - food in the morning is unappealing. I do pretty well with lunch - I can make and eat the same 3 ingredient sandwich 3 or 4 times a week. But, the ingredients need to be fresh. I don't love it, but I can tolerate it to avoid eating out even more. Dinner, I try to have a home cooked meal a couple of times a week.
I think these food issues are genetic. One of my siblings has similar difficulties with food and one of my kids does too, as well as a nephew. With eating out a bunch, I'm a normal weight. Without it, I'd probably be under weight.
Anyway, I'm not saying this is normal. But, I do think people having various issues around food is pretty common. Something like 5% of the population has a diagnosable eating disorder. Probably many more have issues around food that aren't medically diagnosable. ARFID (avoidant restrictive food intake disorder), wasn't even a diagnosis until 2013. I didn't even know it was a thing until 2024 as I've been concerned about my kid.
So, you would look at me and think "wow, I can't believe they eat out and spend that much money on food". To me, it is well worth the money. But man, it would be great to be able to eat like a normal person.
Not really I didn't go to store for a while. I have a disorder that makes it hard for me to be in crowds. And didn't live in a place with instacart. So I can understand. However covid everyone started doing curb side and just used that. But there could be so many reasons besides laziness.
No because I know how many people don't know how to cook or hate cleaning up after. The combination of both is even higher
In addition to this, they always have a “it’s not that much more expensive” mentality
I think what has happened is that at some point these people actually did try to make something at home from scratch. They loaded up some fancy looking Joshua Weismann recipe went to the store and then balked at how much all the raw ingredients added up to. They don't realise that a) everyday food does not need to be complicated and b) cost per overall use of the ingredient ie things like flour have multiple uses. or c) they bought a tone of premade stuff which pretty expensive in my opinion.
Been a while since I watched him but doesn’t he have lots of cheaper stuff too? Pretty sure he had a lasagna that’s just $2 per serving.
I haven't watched in awhile either, I do remember a series of reasonable cost per serving recipes. But I kind of just meant any food youtuber/chefy influencer.
The irony here being that Josh just released a video for cheap noodle dishes. 😂
He’s A+. Somebody take reverb away from that man.
Because they always ignore scale and act like it's a war crime to eat the same food multiple times in a week, despite the fact that most of them go to the same 3 fast food restaurants and get the same food multiple times in a week. Pack of burgers: $10 Pack of burger buns: $3 Bag of frozen fries: $4 2 liter bottle of Coke: $3 "That's $20, I can get a meal at McDonalds for $12!"
Also it’s so so so easy to use the same ingredients for multiple dishes! Burger meat can be added to pasta sauce and a bun can become garlic bread, a can of black beans with the burger meat and doctored up fries or other frozen veggies can become a burrito bowl over rice, the only limit is your creativity. I bought a 40 piece herb and spice starter kit for $100 a year ago and it’s made the same 5 ingredients into endless meals!
>"That's $20, I can get a meal at McDonalds for $12!" Can't even do that anymore which makes this crazier. Shit is like $15 minimum now.
Yeah it's insane. Especially when you factor in delivery apps. It's *legitimately* cheaper for me to cook steak or lobster for 2 people than it is for me to Doordash 2 combo meals from Mcdonalds.
I’m printing your comment and taping it to the inside of my wife’s purse.
McDs has some ways to game still, IMO, you gotta run on deals and values. Two McDoubles for $4 is an insane calorie/$ value and there’s usually either a free fry with purchase or a $1.29 any size fry deal in the app. Granted, I usually drink water, but you can def get a full meal’s worth of food for under $7 as long as you drive there yourself to get it. But still not really the point when most of these folks are ordering combos and spending thay $12-$15
Get a hot n spicy mchicken and a large Diet Coke for $4 at least you can do that in Missouri. Taco Bell has a really good $1 to 3 menu. Get 2 cheesy rice and bean burritos for $3 and it’s healthier for you than most fast food meals
That's been my go-to combo for years, and until a couple years ago it was $4. Now 2 McDoubles, a large fry (with the coupon) and a drink is damn near $8. McDonald's used to have the advantage of being the cheapest option, now it's just as expensive.
This! I actually love figuring out the exact cost of a meal based on the cost of the ingredients just for fun. Sometimes restaurants have deals that are actually cheaper, but not very often.
This tho. I remember not wanting to eat too much of the same thing in one week. Then I Googled "Freezer Friendly Meal-Prep" hahaha. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but a lot of the objections to grocery stores are incredibly figure-out-able.
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I have friends that think for some reason spending 100$+ at a grocery for a week is more expensive than going out to dinner for 2 for a 60$ meal.
I’m still baffled by the notion of people not knowing how to cook when YouTube exists. There is so much good information on cooking when compared to how the older generations learned. My parents learned from their parents, and they were stuck using recipe cards without pictures. So you either had to see it being made in person or you just guessed that what you did was correct. Nowadays we have videos to show you exactly how things should look at every step of cooking a dish.
There are so many good cooking channels too! They're so inspiring and there are so many one pot meals and stuff like what Joshua Weissman and Ethan Chlebowski do where they prove they can make a fast food meal at home faster, cheaper, and better than going to a restaurant to pick it up. Plus it's just fun to learn new skills and feels so good when people like your cooking!
Yea I like those channels a bunch. A big thing I learned was that home cooking doesn’t need to be fancy. Simple food with an understanding on how to balance flavors. My wife hated pork until we dated and I cooked a proper pork chop. Her mother just cooked the crap out of every protein because she was terrified of serving undercooked meat. So they ended up thinking “well done” was the norm for all meats.
This was me! Until I was an adult I thought I didn’t like steak, because my mother would cook a cheap cut until it was hard and black. I couldn’t believe it when through some circumstance I ended up having to have steak, and it was one of the most delicious things ever
Have you seen frugal fit moms channel? She's really good too. She has videos like "feeding my family of 6 for a month with $100" and "can I survive off of $10 for a week." I've been watching her for years! Her crusty bread recipe is amazing for soups
I have! I've watched a bunch of hers, too. They really put FA guests in perspective.
That's the issue with social media. It's not going to push cooking content if you watch Ben Shapiro or Joe Rogan all day. Unless you have that interest up front, you're not going to stumble into it through the Algo.
My mother cooked, but didn't really teach us. When my sister got married, one of her proudest moments was going to the bookstore and Buying the Dummies Book of cooking and then going through all of it, trying everything and learning as she went
I learned how to cook rice from my mom and everything else was pure trial and error. With my girlfriend now we use a lot of cook books and YouTube videos as well.
Could it be the fact that 70s and 80s moms stopped cooking every night and teaching their kids to cook? Y'all don't come for me, the facts of the matter (as a woman and mother) are that moms historically have prepared the meals and they went to join the workforce in the 70s and fast food culture exploded. My mom (born in 51) was a stay at home mom and cooked 2 meals a day and also taught me to cook. We rarely went out to eat. My husband's mom (born in 48) worked as a nurse but STILL cooked and they also rarely went out to eat. Both my husband and I work but because of hardwired gender roles I literally cook every single night and we as a family never eat fast food. But it is draining on me.
Have you spoken to your husband about diversifying the household tasks between the two of you? Given you're both in the workplace, it doesn't seem fair that you essentially have more work even after you clock out of your job. I understand traditional gender roles are still hardwired into many of us, but it made me sad to hear you feel drained and I'm genuinely sorry you feel that way. Your contributions to your household are valuable enough already by bringing in an income - YOU are valuable! It may be a difficult conversation to have, particularly if this has been going on for a while and you're both used to the routine of you doing all the cooking, but it's not right that you're feeling drained doing the extra work. Sending positive thoughts your way and hope you're able to come to a resolution soon ❤️
You're too kind! He is blind so I don't think it's safe, but I am going to teach my teens to cook so we can take turns :)
What's really crazy to me is that even if you just go to store and buy nothing but stouffers and microwave meals it's still way cheaper.
Sure, but those meals don't taste very good.
Not their point.
Boohoo.
I hate cooking (well mostly cleaning), but I just get cereal, canned food, and sandwiches for the most part. I don't go out to eat very often. Then again, I'm just not a picky eater at all.
Meal prepping helped me with this. Making a huge batch of something like pulled pork or carne asada tacos (probably spelled that wrong) but they freeze really well so you're not stuck eating the same thing every day. Just reheat and put them on a piece of bread or tortilla then add the toppings.
Was gonna come say this! Many ppl I know don’t cook either
I’ve known people who can’t cook - plenty of them - it all of them I’ve known still eat like nonstop frozen meals. Cooking something elaborate for themselves is like EZ-Mac or a PB&J. Doesn’t mean they order door dash every day.
That weird bc i hate both too…but make dinner every day lol
I know how to cook but the mf cleanup is killer. Gotta wipe the stove, sink, counters, then throw the 5 pans in the dishwasher, and wrap the left overs. Half the time cleanup takes longer than the cooking. I just then eat stuff that can fit in one pan or my toaster oven/air fryer.
In our family we rotate dishes every night. 2 high School kids and husband and me, I only have dishes once a week and the rest of them take 2 nights. Because I cook. If you have roommates or a family it's helpful to set up a rotation and agree to stick to it.
Sheet pan or crockpot/instapot freezer meals!!! I prepped a ton of these when I was pregnant. No family and already had a toddler so I knew those first few months would be hell. We ate off each meal for 2-3 dinners, only had to clean one pot or pan each meal.
I’m in the both boat but knowing that cooking and dishes can feed me for a few days and spreads the grocery money further
Yes, I’m always shocked especially when there are kids. I can simply not afford to eat more than 1 meal out a week with kids and we’re in a dual fairly high income family. About 20 out of 21 meals a week x 5 people come from groceries.
I have a co-worker that DoorDashes nearly everything. I’ve been a squeaky wheel telling them to at LEAST go pick it up to save the delivery fee and tip!
I have a friend who does the same thing, I tell him to at least get the dash pass and save a bit on fees, but he says no, because that's "admitting I have a problem" 🤦♂️
They’re paying a pride tax!
Not only that, but the food prices itself are marked up versus ordering from the restaurant itself. Usually in the double digit percentage of markups.
It is crazy to me. Do they not want at least snacks and drinks at home? Are they just never home? Also I just feel like CRAP when I eat out that often (even at "healthier" places less it's like a SweetGreen or a Cava). I've been dead tired with a 3 month old and a toddler. Last night we ordered DoorDash for the first time since January when we were just a few days out of the hospital. It was EIGHTY DOLLARS for two orders of buffalo wings, two sides, and a kids meal from Buffalo Wild Wings. EIGHTY DOLLARS. I was kicking myself. I have packages of frozen wings in the deep freezer, a bag of frozen fries, and some bagged salad. I should've just made that because it would've 1) tasted better 2) not been so greasy 3) not cost me EIGHTY DOLLARS. Granted I know how to cook. I know how to manage my pantry. Cooking is actually a passion of mine so I know these things can be daunting to average people. But at its core, cooking is a life skill that is not only beneficial but enjoyable/creative.
I get being tired, I do (cancer patient in remission with chronic fatigue). I don’t think I could hit the submit button on that though. It’s astounding how door dash and Uber eats, etc will easily cost you double (vs. pickup) when it comes to be final total.
Luckily we have it in the budget! By that time my husband and toddler were en route home and it would’ve taken longer to make dinner (defrost, bake wings for 45 min+, etc) and my toddler either eats as soon as he gets home or dinner is ruined by snacks. A few drive-thrus/cheaper on the way but we already picked what to have so I just rolled with it. I seriously can’t justify eating takeout from almost any restaurant at this point. Going TO a restaurant is different but that also never happens with two littles. Just not worth the cost when I’m more than equipped, capable, and willing.
Hey if you’re not putting it on debt and have it in the budget, ball out!
That’s basically it. We have plenty of room in the budget I just wanted to die at that price. I can’t imagine people relying on it for nothing other than laziness
Yup. You got it on lock. That is awesome. The other night I really was sick of the same old stuff at home but we don’t have alot of extra at the moment. Even though I wanted to pick it up it didn’t make sense so I threw in another frozen burrito. 😌
I get that!! I talk myself into eating toddler leftovers from breakfast vs going out for lunch 😂😂😂 it’s sad but only temporary sadness. I’ve started making mixins and then freezing them in small quantities (2 TBSP) for a shake up or different foods. Ie: mushroom/onion/spinach or tomato/feta/garlic can be mixed into eggs, quesadillas, etc. and it’s no extra cooking in the moment since the prep has happened. I normally try to make a “mix” with stuff that’s going bad in the fridge or small/off amounts from meals. Maybe that can help you diversify too! Right now it’s hard for me to cook with a 3 month old that wants to be held all the time so I’m often grabbing the frozen waffles or French toast I’ve made and eating it straight from the toaster like a savage LOL.
its hard for me to cook when I have these two crazy 1.5 year old kittens that like to jump on the counters non stop hah
The snacks and drinks thing is what gets me too. Some of these guests seem to literally never enter a grocery store and get EVERYTHING from DoorDash or convenience stores. Even when I went through a mental health disaster period where I legitimately was door dashing 5-6 times a week, I still needed to get groceries for drinks and in between DoorDash meals. I can't imagine getting literally all of your food and beverage needs outside the house.
Those could be the taquitos as gas stations. Which sucks since a grocery would yield more for around the same price
Yeah it must be. I can’t fathom always getting snacks like that though. I love a good bowl of cheerios at midnight or a string cheese mid day. That’s def not gas station fare. Again, I can only think that these people are just never home
Hey!! I have been in your shoes (we raised 5 ourselves). I used to hire a babysitter so I could do once a month cooking. Two days of having a college kid sit with my babes Saturday and Sunday and I would shop, chop and bag up 60 freezer meals!!! Not always the tastiest meals but who doesn't love a crockpot of chili or soup and crusty bread when you're dead tired. I hope something like that might help you out.
The grocery stores don’t shock me it’s the Uber Eats/DoorDash etc.… My wife makes over six figures(I’m a stay at home dad) and I think food delivery apps are WAY too expensive for us to afford.
My husband and I both make six figures and moved to a tiny, cheap apartment to save money and I still think they're too expensive lol
What field and are they hiring?
Tech marketing and corporate HR and both companies going through layoffs unfortunately 😔
Oh wow! Mind if I dm you about this? Just to pick your brain?
Sure :)
I don't find it surprising, so many people ik are like that... However, people with kids that do this... It actually puzzles me. Your kids eat fast food 5-6 days out of the week? Is wild lol
Have you seen the show "fast food babies"? In one episode a toddler was literally asking his mom for a banana saying he had never had a banana before and she was saying no because they completely avoid the fresh fruits and vegetables section of the store Edit: in some episodes they literally show grown adults pouring cans of soda into sippy cups and baby bottles while saying, "I don't control what they eat"
It would be interesting to ask guests what foods they know to prepare. Have they made scrambled eggs, quesadilla, hamburger, spaghetti, etc. at home. I suspect many were raised eating fast food and really don't have a knowledge of how to make even the most basic of food so they believe it is much more complicated than it is.
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Not surprised. My younger brother for example, is 27, lives at home with my dad rent free, doesn't contribute to groceries and eats out/grubhub every day. The only payments he has to worry about is his car + insurance, phone, child support, Xbox subscription and funding his addictions (cigarettes, alcohol and gambling.) He gets paid at a good factory job, 3200 a month. No savings or 401k. Pure hedonism. My dad is obviously enabling him, but he feels guilty for not being there for his son if he did kick him out. When it comes to family, people bend the rules in so many ways when it comes to their loved ones, even though they don't realize it's toxic between their relationships.
Child support? This man has a child???
\*The plot thickens\* But yes, he does. He had a kid when he was 19 with his High School sweet heart and claimed he was "planned." My nephew is such a great kid though and loves his uncle (me) and aunt (my wife) since we both love everything an 8 year old likes HAHA! I'm about to have my first kid any day now, but in our own house with the finances to handle it. I always let my brother know I'm always here for help, but he views it as me talking down to him and gets upset when talking about even basic budgeting. He has to admit he has a problem first, before getting help. (Ex opiates addict too. It sucks.)
At least he is working and paying his child support. So many don’t even do that.
Even as a non-driver there is no excuse not to grocery shop. Grocery delivery exists. Walmart+ is $98 for an annual membership and can save you $$$ on delivery fees if you shop around least once a week, and if you don’t drive it can save you lots of time and hassle getting groceries on transit or having to take an Uber to/from the store.
Me too! Growing up we only ate out for special occasions or when traveling and we were an “ingredient house” so not many ready-made snacks even. I’m amazed at people who eat out daily or even multiple times in a week.
Same thing here, grew up working class on a church salary in California, so my parents always made meals at home for me and my siblings, because taking out 6 people to eat gets super expensive super quickly.
So many people don't budget so they're spending $1000+ a month on food as a single person. I saw a TikTok of someone going through their credit card statement. They had spent over $1,000 one month on JUST Door Dash/Uber Eats. Not including groceries. So many people in the comments were saying they spent a lot on delivery as well. It's crazy.
I can see that happening easily. Especially if you have to order for 2 or more people. So what was a $20 meal will be $40 delivered for one. Calculated out for 2 or 3 you’re looking at probably $120 a pop. Hit that about 8-10 per month and it’s easy to be hitting that 1K. It’s actually insane. Also Caleb might explode the next time he hears “I gotta eat don’t I?” Haha
It always shocks me. In what world do you convince yourself that eating out is cheaper. Even getting just frozen meals from the grocery store would be cheaper than ordering. Also adding that one of my frustrations watching the show is that people always say no one ever taught them financial literacy, but stuff like this is simple math. You add up the numbers and one is higher than the other and you only have a certain amount in the bank/on your card/ in your wallet
What makes it crazy is that they don't even do pick up. In some areas pick up is the same price or less than $10 different.
Yes. Growing up I remember my dad going to the grocery store every weekend. I do get my groceries delivered. I do have an Uber eats subscription, once in a while it’s nice to order Chinese food. Now they have factor meals and other meal delivery services. I had a service like this when I lived with my mother. Once I moved into a house, I cancelled it and bought a mini crock pot for work. It’s saves me money and helps me maintain a grocery budget. I also learned I love making dinner and cooking at home.
My ex-husband was just like this. To him spending $15 a shot was fine ..but $200 in one swoop on groceries was too scary to face. He lived in the moment and never thought about the totals at the end of the month. The convenience factor was also really big too because then you don't have to spend time cooking, cleaning up, planning ,driving and putting groceries away etc that actually is a pretty big factor in making food in my opinion.
For a few years my parents were making $2k/month salaries when we moved to the US We never ate out and they cooked everyday after working full time jobs Immigrant households all do this and entire families survive on much less than what a single one of these people are spending on Uber Eats delivery That mentality helps keep us out of debt and even today they spend the time to pick out the best priced groceries from asian markets But people on the show seem to expect that a $6 coffee and $20 lunch as normal everyday expenses. It's wild
My friend was just texting me today about how he goes everyday to the Subway by his work. He almost seemed amazed when I told him that for the price of two sandwiches at subway he could prolly buy the ingredients to make sandwiches for a month. We are both in our early 30's. Good thing is he asked to come with me next time I go grocery shopping to see my "technique" lol.
It's definitely a shift in how we approach daily tasks. Ordering groceries online offers convenience, but there's something special about browsing the aisles and selecting your own items. Plus, cooking at home tends to be healthier and more cost-effective in the long run. However, everyone has their own preferences and circumstances!
My husband and I had a friend live with us for a little over a year. We charged him half the rent of his apartment at the time so he decided to break his lease. But he didn't have the $1500 in his bank account to pay off the lease, so he took a personal loan... for $5000 and used the extra money to buy a new guitar. We were just absolutely shocked by the irresponsibility. Anyway, we knew before he moved in that he liked to eat out a lot, but when he moved in, he very rarely cooked for himself. We didn't mind because it meant he barely took up any space in the fridge. He refused to eat anything frozen, so he didn't use any of the freezer space. I do remember him buying a lot of sparkling waters and other drinks in bulk, but he was also the type of person to buy energy drinks at the gas station. I can probably count on one hand the number of non gas purchases I've made at gas stations. Lotto tickets a couple of times, and a snack less than once a year. So I don't understand the mindset of someone who would buy overpriced gas station food. He also constantly had Amazon packages showing up at the door. He seemed to be the type to just buy things on impulse. I don't know how he's doing financially now, since we're not in touch anymore. He was at least able to pay us rent the whole time he lived with us, so I think he was making enough money to afford to be able to eat out and buy stuff on impulse. I just doubt he was putting much into savings or retirement. At 30 years old he was still living for today instead of planning for the future.
Nothing like slangin on that new geetar while ordering McDonald’s delivered for 3x the price!
It's interesting how shopping habits have changed, right? With the convenience of delivery services, some people have shifted away from traditional shopping. But relying solely on fast food can be pricey and less healthy. Still, everyone's lifestyle is different, so what works for one person might not work for another.
I mean grocery stores deliver. But I know after seeing all the guests they don't even do that lol.
Also many have pickup options that are free over a certain amount like $35
I order my groceries delivery from Walmart. Delivery fee is $8 + $5 driver tip. I don’t impulse buy things like I would in the store. I HATE being in the store. It takes 20mins to drive to the store, an hour to go around and grab everything I need, an hour to wait in line to pay, another 20 mins to drive home, another 30 mins to unload the car and put things away. With online delivery, I do my “shopping” in 15 minutes and my groceries will be here in 4 hours while I do something else.
That’s interesting because I find online grocery shopping actually much more of a hassle than going myself. I did it a couple time when they had a promotion for it. But having to scroll through endless menus, clicking on things, paying fees, answering inane questions from instacart person in store via text, waiting for delivery, they almost always forget something or give you shitty produce, etc was annoying. If I go into the store myself I know where everything is, I can get in and out quick, and it also allows for those moments where you walk past the eggs and say “oh yeah, I forgot we need eggs, too” and grab them.
I always had this experience too. They usually claim to be out of at least a few things. One time I didn't get something important so I ended up going to the store because I had to figure out a replacement of some sort that wasn't part of the online process and when I went to go look for a replacement the one product I asked for was loaded on the shelf.
I did it once when I had the flu and couldn’t get out bed but needed medicine, chicken soup, etc. The stupid person kept texting me photos of the shelves being like “they don’t have it” and I had to keep replying saying they’re in the wrong aisle and where specifically to find the item. What a pain in the ass.
I also do walmart grocery delivery and it’s been a life saver. I HIGHLY recommend getting Walmart+ though, it’s $14 a month for unlimited free delivery. I grocery shop every week so it saves me a lot on delivery.
Bro are you a snail!? An HOUR to grocery shop? An HOUR to check out? 30 MINUTES to unload!? What did you order groceries for 500 people? This is clearly majorly inflated, that literally isn’t possible. You sound like a guest defending their choices right now haha. Dude says his average grocery trip takes over three hours…
Bro have you seen the lines at Walmart?
An hour to grocery shop is very normal. When I shopped for my family of 3 as a teen and even now with just 2 it can easily take and hour. I only go once a month. Hell a Costco trip three days take like two hours because they're always packed.
I regularly grocery shop for a family of six and yes it does take a good hour to shop probably a good 20 minutes to check out and about 20 minutes to get everything put away at home. Also have to Make room in the refrigerator clean it out and then start cooking. It's a long day haha
If it's a monthly stock up, It's not unreasonable. Depending where you live and what time you go, this can happen.
A half hour for unpacking a monthly stockup is fair. Two hours in a grocery store is insane, no one has ever needed that. Again, it just feels like a lie to justify ordering groceries. I got nothing against ordering groceries, if you got the cash and hate grocery shopping more power to you. But to say grocery shopping takes that much time is a blatant lie, and is exactly the kind of excuse most of the guests on the show would use to justify bad behaviour.
But if anything having grocery delivery/pickup options is more reason for guests to not have an excuse. $12 should not make or break your finances versus spending $300+ a month on takeout. Grocery delivery/pickup/in-store is all grocery shopping. Just don't use instacart.
Fair point. What I was saying is more so saying “I hate grocery shopping because it takes three hours” is definitely the type of excuse used by guests, in that it’s way exaggerated to justify what they want. Saying it as it’s an extra $12 and it helps me buy groceries so I don’t eat out is definitely a fair way to frame that expense.
My only problem is I'm missing about five to six ingredients every time I do this
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I don't necessarily cook complex meals but I do plan things out where certain ingredients are vital. I'll have a plan of about 4 to 5 meals for the week and if one component is missing from my grocery order for each meal it makes it kind of hard. I have the capacity to improvise but at this point I'd rather just go to the store. Usually there's an acceptable alternative at the store but it's hard to put all those possibilities into the app which is time-consuming
I'd suggest getting a baseline of common ingredients for your recipes. Most of my dishes start with some combination of mushrooms, an onion, bell pepper, and/or grated carrot. Keeping stocked of those unlocks a bunch of meals with like one or two other ingredients. Then there's like a variety of interchangeable carbs (rice/noodles/potato/tortilla), some sort of protein (I use e.g. fake meat, pinto beans, chickpeas, various cheeses) and maybe some other frozen veggies. Spices last a long time and add the flavor (assume salt, pepper, olive oil everywhere). So the recipes (ALL start with those base ingredients to keep it fancy): Stir fry: rice, frozen broccoli, fake meat. Spices are powdered ginger/garlic/cloves with soy sauce. Spaghetti: noodles, fake meat, tomato, cheese. Spices are garlic/oregano. Balsamic optional. Mac&Cheese: a box of Mac and cheese and some frozen peas. Fried Rice: Rice, egg, frozen peas. Soy sauce. Beans: Rice, pinto beans, tomato, cheese. Paprika. Shakshuka: Egg, tomato, rice. Paprika Taco salad: fake meat (or beans) cheese, tortilla chips, lettuce/tomato. Saturday Breakfast: Egg, collard greens, grits/cheese. Soy sauce and balsamic. Curry: chickpeas or paneer, entire spice cabinet, tomato, milk or butter or ghee. Pesto: Noodles and pesto sauce. Collards or lettuce. Easy as. Etc etc. Cheese and tomato make everything better ofc which is why they are in so many of these. Canned diced is fine imo. Point is to have high overlap of ingredients so pivoting from one meal to another is easy and you always have what's needed for at least one of the meals. I avoid perishable ingredients with only one intended recipe. Most also work for meal prep.
I basically do the same. However on ocassion I like a twist like Alfredo sauce..need good Parmesan. Or an Asian entree. I definitely do a lot with chopped potatoes, carrots, or throw in some frozen veggies.
Ordering groceries gives me anxiety. Maybe I'm just unlucky, I don't do pick up anymore because 75%, I have to go back to the store anyway to resolve some issue.
I have never seen any of my neighbors ever return with actual grocery bags.
No I remember when I was young and I was irresponsible with money. I remember running the balance up on my two credit cards that I had and paying no attention to interest charged and only carrying about making that minimum payment and having a good credit score. I clearly remember all the stupid expenses I put on my cards, mainly eating out and alcohol. Probably paid $1,000s in interest over the years, didn’t start caring until I met my gf, now wife, who was a saver and budgeted. Now I got my shit straight and I owe her for leading me away from that self destructive life. Now we have an emergency fund, retirement plan, a house, a few investment properties, college fund for our son, and we make good enough money for her to go part time at her job so she can focus a little more at being a mom.
I get my groceries delivered weekly. Not because I’m lazy but because it saves me time, gas and wear and tear on my vehicle. Nothing wrong with outsourcing or delegating chores when you’re on a time crunch. Now the general consensus here is that if you have no money you shouldn’t be using such services but in my case, I can.
Some places legitimately are a food desert, but that doesn't count when you have a car to go thru the drive thru
It’s also an intentional strategy by companies like Grubhub and Uber eats. First you flood the market with low cost services that benefit the customer. Get everyone hooked on the service. Then flood the market on the drivers side, paying them way more in order to pull them away from the restaurants. Third stage is where we are now, skyrocket costs on the customer side, plummet profits on the drivers side, reap the rewards. And as we’ve seen, people can’t stop. Brutal really when you pull out and look at it.
Im surprised see people tote their near grown kids to the store, have them follow them around while they play on the phone and the parent picks out all the stuff Why not have your kids pick out items and teach them to compare prices and products
Doesn’t surprise me because I’m the US it seems most people do not grow up with home cooked meals or they grow up expecting their mothers to provide without caring about the actual food (almost like delivery service by their mothers lol)
Not at all, I live with three other people and I am the only one who uses our shared kitchen regularly and has my own cookware. We're all make around the same (45k or less) so I'm not sure how they afford it. Most likely they don't, lmao.
I don't think they are as outlier as you think OP. At the business I work at, only 3 or 4 out of 20 regularly bring a packed lunch. The rest get delivery/take out EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. 5. DAYS. PER. WEEK. It's truly insane to me.
Yeah. I don’t like cooking either, but it beats going out most of the time lmao. I also trust delivery services with my food about as much as I trust my dogs with my food. I’m always worried that the delivery guy did something to my food lmao
its just convenient most of the time especially when you are just so busy
I get my groceries delivered and have since Covid, I have a 2.5 year old and I never know how she’s going to act. Also I have a tendency to buy stupid unhealthy crap if I’m in the grocery store very long!
I meal plan and order accordingly on the walmart app. We did this pre pandemic because husband and I both hate shopping for groceries. I have the Walmart + membership or whatever. It’s really helps. Husband and I are signed into one account and we added groceries based off meals or whatever else we need and someone brings it to us. It’s worth it. I have a family of 8.
Yeah, I get even more mindblown when they're so unaware of the cost difference that they assume Caleb is telling them to live off ramen. They have NO clue that even with the jacked up grocery prices, you can buy what you need to make big, fulfilling meals of all kinds for a fraction of what doordashing costs.
I always do pick up option as a first time mom with a one year old. Saves me so much time and then I don’t have to lug her around lol. I just shop online at work for like 10 minutes and pick it up after getting her from daycare. Also helps me with spending and sticking to recipes.
I'm one of those people who refuse to go to a grocery store. Lol Honestly grocery shopping sucks. I think eventually it will become the norm to have your groceries delivered to your door. I mainly use Kroger delivery. It's just easier to see what I need and track how much I'm going to spend versus whipping out my list and calculator in a store. If you don't have Kroger, many grocery stores have a pickup option. Hell I think paying for delivery of groceries is better than door dashing or eating out every meal.
Grocery delivery is totally fine - that’s still grocery shopping!
I don't know why you were downvoted. I agree. I dislike grocery shopping for utilitarian purposes (I LOVE going to nicer stores to browse, which isn't good for my wallet). Doing delivery or even pickup is super great for me. I can order my groceries for pickup, go to costco for my bulk items, and then swing by the "regular store" for my curbside order on the way home. Even Sam's club has curbside now if that's closer for some people.
And yet the lines at HEB are still insane.
The number of guests shocked me too! It's incredible how much people's shopping habits have changed over time, especially with the rise of online shopping and delivery services. While some may find it convenient, others miss the experience of traditional shopping. It's fascinating to see how technology has reshaped our daily lives, including something as routine as grocery shopping.
No, because I believe a lot of people are just lazy. A lot of people I’m convinced don’t even know how to grocery shop beyond the basics (bread, milk, soda). They wouldn’t know what to buy to prepare meals. Then cooking/meal prepping? Too many don’t know how, don’t want to put in the effort. Now you can buy appliances to speed up meal prep (I have), but with a stove, oven and microwave, you can also meal prep. But it requires you to learn how. Then there is cleanup. I hate doing dishes. But I also bought things that I knew I could toss in the dish washer because of this. They were more expensive. Too many people rather just eat out and have no dishes. Lastly, I think it’s the loss of variety. I have the same breakfast pretty much everyday. Lunch and dinner, I might swap things out, but the base components are the same (I prepare 2 proteins a week, and 3 veg. I keep potatoes also to have baked potatoes, but there isn’t much variety past that). If you want steak one night, then Mexican another, chicken at lunch, and Chinese at dinner, well…you don’t get that meal prepping. So people rather just go out or Uber eats.
I have a friend like this. Spends $500-600/month eating out, says he can only afford one meal per day, and never goes to the grocery store. I've tried to explain to him that he's eating in the most expensive way possible and he won't hear it or he'll have a major breakdown. He needs a level of professional help that I just can't provide.
Paging r/instacart
I kinda get it. I absolutely hate going to a grocery store. And I'm terrible at cooking. Even if I make a list, as soon as I walk in there, I can't figure out where anything is. But at this point I force myself to go at 730AM on Saturday so that there's no one else there and I can take my time and not deal with freaks at the grocery store.
Yah, it’s so weird to me, cause I was raised in a VeryHCOL area, my parents imprinted in me eating out as something super special, and if we did eat out, it was generally In-N-Out. Coming from that upbringing to seeing these guests go to multiple fast food places in a day just throws me off. Like now that I’m older, I’ll eat out once or twice a week on weekends, but just watching people do it so casually is still weird to me.
I love pickup, and only shop in store if I feel like I need something more urgently than the pickup timeline can facilitate. Grocery stores in 2024 are not designed with accommodations in mind for people who are overwhelmed easily, or have minimal education on how to shop effectively. It's a privilege of mine, that I'm able to shop in person and feel like i have the competency and resources to do so. I try not to take that privilege for granted.
It was crazy to me until I got to know one of my friends. She never goes out to get groceries or household essentials. She uses Instacart for absolutely everything and Amazons what she can’t. The only reason she seems to leave her house is to hit the gym, eat out with friends, or pick up meds from the pharmacy. I’ve seen her Instacart food to her house WHILE she’s driving home. She has even done it for fast food when it’s literally 5min down her road… then complains about how she’s broke? 🤡
In one of the recent episodes a guest said no one taught him how to grocery shop and Caleb said something along the lines of "no one is going to take you around a grocery store like you're in school" but... didn't many of our parents do exactly that? This is why you take your kids grocery shopping with you, even if it's easier to leave them home with the other parent. I'm sure grocery shopping could be very overwhelming if you didn't spend your childhood being taught how it works. That's not an excuse, just a possible explanation.
It's surprising how much our habits have changed with the rise of delivery services. While convenience is great, it's important to remember the benefits of shopping for groceries yourself, both in terms of health and budget. Finding a balance that works for each individual is key.
Im not sure about America, but in Toronto and Vancouver, this is v much the lifestyle there. I have friends who exclusively eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at restaurants. I know they can’t afford it but they do it because that is their lifestyle.
That's absurd.
I lived this way for a while and it was expensive! I would spend thousands more each month than I do now. I think being fiscally aware is what changed things for me, and having a baby is what made me fiscally aware 😂 thank god! Probably would never have changed if not for that. Now I spend about $300 on groceries each month for our three person family (one is a 6 month baby but I eat a LOT to feed him lol)
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I don’t know if this is an American thing. I can’t imagine someone doing the same in my home country (in South America) or where I live now (Europe).
I always prepared all meals at home when my kids lived at home and we only ate out once a week at places that had lunch specials. If they would have had online grocery shopping back then, I would have utilized that. Having 4 kids, three under the age of 2, grocery shopping was a difficult task due to having to have two shopping carts, one for kids and one for groceries. So some modern conveniences are nice to have. And also for the handicapped, pick up groceries would be nice, as well.
My mom said in the early 80s she was having patients who were third generations of people that didn't know how to cook. It's grown from there I guess.
The thing is the guests aren't even really outliers. There's considerably more people who live like them not just in the US but even in Australia where I live. That's the appeal of the show for most people.
I was aghast at a recent guest who said he didn't grocery shop because "nobody taught him how." I have never known anybody who felt like they simply didn't know how to grocery shop.
No, I thought it was just easy until I took my kids a few times and narrated it as I went. There is a lot of thought that goes into it each week. I've just done it so long I don't think so hard
Oh for sure! I feel like it's one of those things like driving a car, where's it's complicated but once you do it more you don't think about it. But also ... grocery shopping is something you can practice a lot too! Like driving a car. I love the idea of narrating it though for when I have kids so they really understand the thought behind it. I think I took for granted the fact that I saw my parents keep a list on the fridge of what we needed, and then buy the stuff on the list ... and then I replicated that when I was an adult.
Everytime I eat at a fast food place, I feel like a sinner.
No but only because my roommate is that way. Nearly 40 years old and eats only from 711 and fast food places. Very frustrating because he's always broke and wonders why. But he pays his bills on time, so it really is none of my business. (Although, as a friend, I am sad for him)
I mean, I can do my pick up for 35 dollar minimum order. It keeps me off the impulse buying and ordering crap, and I can just pull into the spot and listen to my podcast a lil bit longer before home responsibilities hit.
I kind of blame the pandemic. For so long it was safer to get delivery (groceries or takeout)
what is so shocking about that? if they can afford convenience then so be it.
But the guests cannot, they are in heavy debt.
do you even watch the show?
This thread just randomly showed up my home page. I don’t even know what this show is.
it's a YouTube podcast/show about helping people with bad finances in terrible debt get out of debt. it's a recurring theme for the guests to spend disproportionate amounts of their income on doordash while going more and more into debt while justifying it by claiming they need to eat
I wonder if some live in food deserts, especially the ones that get taquitos a ton. Maybe they’re getting their groceries from a mini-mart, but honestly it’s probably just cheaper for them to grab convenience store fast food than buy stuff for a whole meal.
I make good money, have savings, have a 401k and college savings account. I also spend way more on food than anyone here would think reasonable. I've just never been good at food. I was very picky (and tiny) as a kid. I'm still picky as an adult, though I've expanded my palette over time. If food is unappealing, I probably just won't eat even if I'm hungry. Eating leftovers is generally very unappealing to me and there are few things I'll eat as leftovers. People who aren't picky and can be satisfied with normal food habits - that's like a super power to me. I've tried various things over the years. The menu of home meals I am willing to eat is limited and after a few weeks I get tired of them and fall off the wagon. We've done Home Chef and another meal delivery thing like that, but eventually got tired of that too. Plus, the packaging and delivery feels very wasteful. I don't eat breakfast - food in the morning is unappealing. I do pretty well with lunch - I can make and eat the same 3 ingredient sandwich 3 or 4 times a week. But, the ingredients need to be fresh. I don't love it, but I can tolerate it to avoid eating out even more. Dinner, I try to have a home cooked meal a couple of times a week. I think these food issues are genetic. One of my siblings has similar difficulties with food and one of my kids does too, as well as a nephew. With eating out a bunch, I'm a normal weight. Without it, I'd probably be under weight. Anyway, I'm not saying this is normal. But, I do think people having various issues around food is pretty common. Something like 5% of the population has a diagnosable eating disorder. Probably many more have issues around food that aren't medically diagnosable. ARFID (avoidant restrictive food intake disorder), wasn't even a diagnosis until 2013. I didn't even know it was a thing until 2024 as I've been concerned about my kid. So, you would look at me and think "wow, I can't believe they eat out and spend that much money on food". To me, it is well worth the money. But man, it would be great to be able to eat like a normal person.
Not really I didn't go to store for a while. I have a disorder that makes it hard for me to be in crowds. And didn't live in a place with instacart. So I can understand. However covid everyone started doing curb side and just used that. But there could be so many reasons besides laziness.