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Hot take: I don't get why everyone loves those '5 ingredient' meal plans for saving money
I tried one of those 5 ingredient meal plans from a big blogger for 2 months last spring. Everyone says it saves cash, but my grocery bill actually went up by about $15 a week. The problem was I had to buy stuff like pre-made sauce or specialty spices just to hit that 5 ingredient limit. Before I switched, I was cooking with pantry basics and buying just one or two cheap veggies each week. It kept my meals around $35 a week, not the $50 that plan cost. Anyone else feel like the shortcut recipes actually cost more in the long run?
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rosel8322d ago
Oh man, I feel this. I tried a "5 ingredients or less" challenge from some food site and ended up spending $12 on a jar of fancy tahini I never used again. Those plans totally assume you already have a fully stocked spice rack.
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walker.michael22d ago
The whole 5 ingredient thing reminds me of that trend where people buy fancy kitchen gadgets they barely use. It seems like a lot of "money saving" advice these days is really just selling you a system that requires extra purchases. Back when my grandmother cooked, she could make a meal from whatever was in the fridge because she knew the basics, not because she followed a strict list from a blog. These plans work great if you're starting from scratch with nothing, but for anyone who already cooks regularly, they end up adding costs you didn't have before. It's the same pattern you see with those "budget" subscription boxes that actually cost more per serving than buying bulk rice and beans from the store.
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