Making Your Own Fast Food

I agree that fastfood costs a lot compared to home cooking because they have a high overhead - rental, salaries and wages, etc. However, the one advantage of fastfood is what the name implies - fast food - which gives us the convenience. Take the breakfast items like rice and burger, it would take much time to cook it at home which compensates for the cost. But for a busybody like me who needs to rush to the office, I'd say that fast food is still a good option. However, I have to admit that sometimes I bring my own food to the office... to save money at least once a week.

 

Fast food is expensive and really not that health when you think about it. I can make my own burgers and fries that taste just as delicious, as well as homemade pizza and chicken nuggets. I also try to make these healthier by using less grease and salt. A lot of the foods you get in fast food restaurants are simply frozen and then friend. Homemade tastes much better.

 

We can all agree and disagree on whether fast-food is expensive, cheap, healthy or unhealthy but it all comes down to the life pace each one of us has. Someone who works 9-to-5 and sometimes overtime, I doubt they would have time to cook their own meals and would prefer a fast-food restaurant meal over becoming more tired waiting and cooking at home.

 

It really depends on what you get. I mean like stuff from the dollar menu would cost you much more to make at home because you would have to buy a whole package of rolls for instance, my store doesn't have individual rolls. Or, for instance at a convenience store I just had a sub on a pretzel roll for 2.00 which included all the vegetables you wanted, plus meat and sauces. Not easy to make at home for less, as the roll itself might be 1.00.

 

I have to agree. It is no longer inexpensive to eat fast food. If our family eats at Subway, we spend at least $25 on two foot long subs. If we go to McDonalds it's at least $35-40. I decided I can make subs and burgers at home for far less. I just need to be organized and plan out meals and shop in advance. Then there is no longer that need to run out and grab fast food and pay a fortune. Making your own meals can save you so much money.

 

I prefer to make my own fast food anyway because I've got food allergies which makes the fast food I can buy even more expensive than regular fast food. I find that by packing a sandwich instead if I'm buying it out of convenience, or if I'm buying fast food to have as a take away type meal then I'll usually make my own at home instead. I find that way I can make it taste the way I want to, and make it healthier too, such as dry frying anything that is fried. It saves me a lot of money doing it that way, that's for sure! On a very rare occasion I will buy some fries while I'm out though. Especially if the weather is bad and I'd like to use their seating facilities too.

 

I buy takeout from restaurants more than actual fast food which to me is a little different since the price of fast food these days are way higher than actual restaurants in my area, and not to mention buying from actual restaurants makes for less chances that the ingredients are covered in chemicals and unnatural processing. However even with that in mind I can't deny that it would definitely still be cheaper and healthier to just make food on my own so I have recently been giving it more of a shot especially after having seen some videos online that have inspired me to just take easy steps to replicate what I usually buy from restaurants and this way I could have way more of it for much less and by doing that I could store the leftovers and use them for another day without paying double for it.

 

I think an easy way to avoid buying fast food is by preparing meals in advance and then freezing them. Everyone has at least a day when they'll be home. Use some of that time to do some bulk cooking. Cook enough for a week. Any time you come home, you'll have a meal ready. And you can pack your lunches too if you want to.

 

I've had KFC's double-down sandwich that's two pieces of breaded chicken breast with bacon and cheese in between. It was my favorite but with a coke and an order of regular fries, it's also quite pricey. So one day I tried making my own. I bought chicken breast, bacon and just shredded some processed cheese. If I have an oven, I'll bake the chicken breasts instead of frying. It was still good and the fact that I don't have to have the extra calories from the coke and fries, this not only saved me money but this is a cheat meal that I would have every now and then.

 

I've often thought about that when I see a kid ordering a grilled cheese sandwich or something. I mean, you could make a whole loaf of grilled cheeses for what one costs at a fast food place or restaurant.

I have to agree that dollar menus bring things into question. To make it the same as one you'd get at a drive thru, if you had to buy everything, you can't make a cheeseburger at home for a buck. Of course, keep in mind that you'll be able to make more than one with the extra stuff you had to buy. If one were to do the math I have a feeling that the cost would be about the same as the value menu.

I don't much care for fast food anyway, although I do occasionally like a burger. I usually just make one at home if I really want one. I generally have at least some of the supplies on hand anyway.

Yes, @Denis Hard, that is a good plan. I used to do that when I had a long commute and worked in the city. I cooked over the weekend and had meals for the week.

 

I make everything from scratch regardless and I'm not into fast food anyway. All of our "fast food" is plant based, so not only are my burger and fries way cheaper in the long run, they're healthy too.

 

I don't do fast food because of the cost. I can save a lot of money making my own food. I drink my coffee at home instead of paying that high price for very strong coffee that I do not like. Some people live off fast food because they can not cook or have very busy schedules.

 

I don't know how to cook, so I have no choice but to buy fast food. I also noticed that they are now becoming cheaper, like there are quite a lot of "budget meals" now that are quite cheap. But of course, it is still best to cook so that you can save money.

 

Would you like to learn how to cook? There are lots of free resources for learning to cook online, as well as some cooking shows. Some places even offer cooking classes, but I'm not sure of the cost of those.

Just follow the recipes carefully. On many sites, you can also ask questions. Some even offer video preparation instructions that show you how to make stuff step by step. So, if you're interested in learning to cook, these might be some options for you. It definitely can help save money, overall, and it's healthier.

As for coffee, yes, I most often make mine at home, @Pat. I like it much better and it's less costly.

 

@Zyni, Yes I would like to in theory, but the flesh is too weak to learn, lol. Come to think of it, my bro who is already 39 years old also doesn't know how to cook. I guess it runs in the blood.