Had to pick between meal kit delivery and old school grocery shopping

I tried HelloFresh for 3 months last year and it was costing me about $80 a week for two people. Then I went back to making a list and shopping at Aldi near my place in Austin and got it down to $45 a week. Sure I have to chop my own veggies now but I'm saving like $140 a month lol. Anyone else ditch the meal kits for the budget move?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jamie2mo agoProlific Poster

Wait, did you factor in the waste factor though? Cause with meal kits I always had exactly what I needed but at Aldi I end up buying a whole bag of carrots when I only need three, then the rest rot in my fridge. I swear I throw out like a pound of produce every week unless I plan really hard. There's also the time thing people forget about - meal kits saved me from wandering the aisles for an hour, but grocery shopping forces me to actually think about what I'm gonna cook instead of just opening a brown box. So yeah you save cash but you lose some of that convenience, unless you're the type who likes meal prepping on Sundays.

the_rowan1mo agoMost Upvoted

The whole thing is just microcosm of how we live now. Everything is optimized for the moment but falls apart when you zoom out. You buy a bag of carrots because it's cheaper per carrot, but then the system punishes you for not eating ten carrots that week. Same thing happens with everything. Bulk paper towels, big tubs of sour cream, warehouse clubs. The savings only work if you have the life to back them up.

robertgreen2mo agoOG Member

I read a study that said meal kits cut food waste by like 40% compared to regular grocery shopping. The carrot thing hits home for me, I just buy baby carrots now and eat them as snacks. But yeah, meal prep on Sunday is the only way I survive without wasting half my fridge.