[fitchjo]

> So wait, hold on, is cooking more expensive or not? What are they eating that's supposedly healthier but significantly more expensive?

Cooking unprocessed meals is more expensive than cooking ultra-processed meals. Cooking at home, however, is less expensive than eating out, which appears to be the reference they are making in the second quote.

> What major grocery chain doesn't carry everything needed to make dinner?

For those shopping on a budget, going to multiple stores may be necessary based on pricing differences between stores (including consideration of sales or coupons for different products).

[NeedMoreTea]

Depends if you're comparing like with like, surely?

At least here it is impossible to get say a prepared ready meal curry or shepherd's pie that works out anywhere near as cheap as cooking it yourself. Especially once you've allowed for portion sizes and the 5kg of potatoes, the carrots and onions covering other meals as well. Ready meals appear to only offer time.

I can probably find something that works out cheaper - noodles, unpleasant budget range 50p pizzas maybe. Tinned macaroni cheese will indeed be cheaper, as it's incomparable with home made. Tinned curries etc work out much more than making your own.

[fitchjo]

You can definitely find certain items/dishes where it is cheaper to buy already made instead of making yourself - rotisserie chickens in the US are a perfect example of that. On the whole, though, cooking at home is less expensive than eating out.