There are two ways in which sugar can be added to tea, especially when one has visitors. You can decide to add the sugar to the tea while it's cooking and therefore serve your visitors sugared tea, or you can put it in a can/dish and allow your visitors to add the sugar for themselves each one according to their need, with a teaspoon. The same also applies for salt. You can add to the food while cooking, or you can allow your visitors to serve themselves with a salt sprinkler. According to the two methods, which one will help you save more?
It depends on which is more expensive, sugar or salt. However, though, I have yet to find information on the net on it. Does anyone know?
Just don't add salt to what you cook. I've noticed that many people have their preference so even if you put salt in the food, people are going to use even more of your salt. I've also noticed that putting salt while cooking something doesn't really give it the salty taste so I don't see the point in adding any. Just let people serve themselves some salt. Same with sugar.
I like sea salt for it's healthier for you & I found an inexpensive one at Walgreens a dollar for 7 oz by Salt Supreme. At Walmart I found the cheapest Stevia 9.75 oz. for just 5.68! I don't use regular sugar any longer for health reasons. At Ross Dept. Store I found pink Himalayan Salt, once, not bad price. When cooking for others I use light seasoning so people can season themselves if they want more seasoning. People have different tastes, so it's a good idea to have condiments on table for those who want them. I buy inexpensive and window shop for them like the ones I found at Walgreens, Walmart and Ross Dept. Store.
We often add a moderate amount of salt or other seasonings like fish sauce while cooking to allow the meat to absorb the flavor and offer the salt shaker or fish sauce dispenser during meals if others want more. As for tea, we don't usually boil them with sugar and we simply offer them along with sweeteners like honey or brown sugar. Of course, you'll spend more if you allow your guests to add more flavor to their beverage or meals, but I would feel like a miser and a poor host if I invite guests over and hide the salt shaker or seasonings. I prefer to save by buying these stuff in bulk or in store brands.
Salt and sugar are both relatively cheap anyway, so I don't think you should skimp on them. I do agree that the cheaper method is to just include the salt and sugar to the food and drink itself so that you will conserve the condiments.
It depends on taste of our guests but we generally keep the quantity of sugar and salt in ready made food/tea and that's certainly not for the purpose of saving on money but people taste or their medical condition. If they want to add more sugar or salt they can do it according to their needs. I think it's wise to keep lower quantity because you can add ingredient but can not take it out.
Adding sugar while cooking tea helps to save more. Adding salt while cooking food helps to save more. It is even not healthy to add raw salt on food. Salt that has already dissolved while food is cooking is healthier. In my place, salt is cheaper than sugar. The reason why adding sugar to tea while serving is expensive, it is because people tend to consume more sugar using this method. Some can't stir well the sugar in the cup so more of it is deposited at the bottom. It is really not a good way of taking sugar especially to tea lovers and high coffee drinkers. It is also not healthy.
