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There is a strong assumption that making food from scratch saves money. That is the main reason to make food from scratch right?!?
Obviously, there are many factors such as what type of food you are preparing, what store you are purchasing from, and whether or not you are buying name brands or generic ingredients.
No comparison will be exactly perfect. There are serving size differences and so many other factors.
But let’s go ahead and give it a go.
Let’s put it to the test. Does making food from scratch actually save you money?
Brownies from Box Mix
Let’s start with some Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies. This is a box mix that requires you to add water, vegetable oil, and 2 eggs.
The price for this box mix of brownies is $1.79.
First, let’s break down the cost of the eggs and vegetable oil that need to be added.
| Betty Crocker Brownie Box Mix | $1.79 |
| 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil | $0.21 |
| 2 Eggs | $0.20 |
| Total Cost | $2.20 |
These Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies cost $2.20 total.
Brownies from Scratch
Now let’s take a look at making a batch of brownies from scratch.
This recipe is for Easy Fudgy Brownies by Inspired Tastes.
https://www.inspiredtaste.net/24412/cocoa-brownies-recipe/
This recipe is very similar to the boxed mix. They offer the option of adding walnut or pecans, but we can omit that.
For this recipe, we take an item such as flour. Find the price for a bag of flour. In this case, a ten-pound bag of flour costs $2.24. We break this into ounces and find the price per ounce which is $0.014.
Then we go to the recipe and find the amount of flour needed per the recipe. In this case, it is ½ cup of flour which converts to 2.4 ounces. 2.4 ounces of flour costs $0.0336.
This is done with every ingredient.
| Butter | $0.93125 |
| Sugar | $0.31063 |
| Cocoa Powder | $0.71964 |
| Eggs | $0.19667 |
| Salt | $0.00188 |
| Vanilla | $0.2745 |
| Flour | $0.0336 |
| Total | $2.49 |
Our total cost of making homemade brownies is $2.49.
I am honestly shocked. A huge reason I started making some of these foods from scratch was the ability to save a bit of money. I truly thought it was more cost-effective!
Maybe this was just a fluke. Let’s take a look at another example.
Pre-Made Cookie Dough
Let’s look at Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies. This package is 16 ounces and makes 12 cookies while costing $2.69.
For this store bought-option, you do not need to add any ingredients.
Cookies from Scratch
Now let’s look at making chocolate chip cookies from scratch.
First, let’s break down all of the ingredients to see how much they will cost.
| Butter | 1 C | $0.45 |
| Sugar | 1 C | $0.28 |
| Light Brown Sugar | 1 C | $0.59 |
| Vanilla Extract | 2 t | $1.86 |
| Eggs | 2 | $0.27 |
| Flour | 3 C | $0.06 |
| Baking Soda | 1 t | $0.009 |
| Baking Powder | 1/2 t | $0.002 |
| Salt | 1 t | $0.001 |
| Chocolate Chips | 2 C | $2.53 |
| Total | $6.05 |
Ok, so this recipe broken down by the cost of specific ingredients adds up to $6.05. I would like to note though that this recipe is estimated to make 36 cookies.
So let’s do a quick recap.
Premade Dough $2.69 = 12 cookies
Homemade $6.05 = 36 cookies
So if we multiple the premade cookie dough by 3 to make it equal the 36 cookies we will get to $8.07.
Premade Cookie Dough $8.07
Homemade $6.05
In conclusion, this cookie example is one where making them from scratch is the more cost-effective option.
Maybe cost isn’t your driving force for making food from scratch. I have many other reasons why you should Start Making These 5 Easy Foods from Scratch Today.
Results
Looks like today the results were split. The brownies were more affordable with the store-bought option, while the cookies were a better deal being made by scratch.
I think these results are representative of what you will find.
Yes, some things are more affordable to make from scratch.
And yes, some things are more affordable to purchase in a box, mix, or premade. Large companies can purchase the ingredients at a bulk level that no person can buy on their own. You can’t always beat their price.
Make It Affordable
The price of the ingredients makes a huge difference. For example, flour, sugar, and salt are cheap, while chocolate chips and vanilla extract are more expensive.
To bring the cost of ingredients down you can buy in bulk and purchase generic or off-brand products. Often when you get everything mixed together the brands will not matter. I would definitely purchase the most affordable chocolate chips and think nothing of the brand on the packaging.
The better the deal you get on the ingredients the more cost-saving potential you have.
Take a look at some of the foods you make at home. Would it be more affordable for you to make it from scratch?
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