PGD-I3: Dinner, party of one

It's been a while, so it's time for a new post-graduate discovery: you can save so much more money by cooking in than by eating out.  Again, like my other discoveries, this should be intuitive.  I just never realized how much you can save by cooking your own food.

For example, tonight I made a vegetable and kielbasa sausage saute over about a cup of rice.  Pretty good stuff.  I diced and sauteed (in olive oil) a quarter of a green pepper, an eighth of a red onion, and half of a yellow squash, and I also sauteed half of a sliced package of kielbasa (Polish sausage).  I made the rice in my rice cooker.  Grand total?  $3.06

1/2 sausage = $2.25

rice = probably no more than .10

1/4 green pepper = .22

1/2 yellow squash = .25

1/8 red onion = .14

1/2 tablespoon olive oil = probably no more than .10

Okay, add another .25 for my glass of orange juice (if that).  That brings it up to about $3.30.

Just for kicks, I went online and looked up similar dishes.

Olive Garden has a Mixed Grill for $15.50.

Red Lobster has a Grilled Chicken Breast (with vegetables and rice) for $11.25.

Tuscany Italian, a restaurant in Lexington, probably comes closest with Risotto con Vegetali (Italian sausage with rice and vegetables) for $11.95.

Most restaurants would charge $2ish for a glass of orange juice.

I've made my point.

Oh, a subpoint ... fresh fruits and vegetables are a lot cheaper than processed ones.  Further, making one's own pizza and other such items is cheaper than buying it.  A box of 18 Bagel Bites cost about $4, whereas I bought three apples today for $3.44.

Again, the point is simple.  Eating healthy, making your own food, is cheaper than eating out or eating something fried (which you usually will only get eating out).