I learned about cost per serving from Amy Dacyzn in her Tightwad Gazette. Calculating cost per serving, for me, has been a useful tool for saving money on groceries. It's not for the weak or the faint of heart, but if you're a zealot like I am and like a challenge, you'll get a charge out of it.
For example, when I buy something, my first criteria is that it must be an item on sale. Then I consider if the item is healthy or nutritous, which I evaluate by looking at the labels. Too much sugar, fat, or salt, and it goes back on the self.
If a food item meets my two basic criteria, I'll calculate how many servings I'll get, and then decide if it's a good deal. The less money per serving, the better. Here are a couple of examples. Six months ago, I bought some containers of sale-item oatmeal. The cost per serving was .03. If you buy the name-brand oatmeal at regular non-sale prices, it's far more expensive. I usually add raisins and walnuts, both of which were bought on sale and in bulk, and which adds about .20 to the serving. .25 for a bowl of oatmeal isn't bad for breakfast, and in some cases, I've spent less.
Another example: I bought a package of six chicken legs for $1.38 because the expiration date on the package was one day away. I bought the chicken and put it in the freezer, and the following week, I baked them with lemon juice from lemons someone had given me from their back yard, a nice extra! The cost per leg was .23, and a serving was two chicken legs, or .46. To round out the meal, I also included rice (5lb bag bought on sale; cost .04 per serving), plus 2 sliced and steamed carrots (.06). I can use the leftover chicken for lunch, and then save the bones and use those for the chicken stock. So, dinner costs .56.
I know it sounds unusually obsessive, and people may wonder, "why bother with all this nonsense," but I get a kick out of trying to figure out how to eat on a dollar a day. In many cases, you can quite well and healthly.
It could be that I'm satisfying some evolutionary "hunting and gathering" Neanderthal instinct as I look for deals. Truth be told, I'm not always successful because truly great deals like the oatmeal purchase aren't an everyday occurence. But when I do see good deals, I take advantage of them, so that I can maximize my savings. That also means I have to flexible (to a certain degree) about what I'll eat and when. Still, oatmeal for dinner tastes just as good as oatmeal for breakfast.
Happy saving!
For example, when I buy something, my first criteria is that it must be an item on sale. Then I consider if the item is healthy or nutritous, which I evaluate by looking at the labels. Too much sugar, fat, or salt, and it goes back on the self.
If a food item meets my two basic criteria, I'll calculate how many servings I'll get, and then decide if it's a good deal. The less money per serving, the better. Here are a couple of examples. Six months ago, I bought some containers of sale-item oatmeal. The cost per serving was .03. If you buy the name-brand oatmeal at regular non-sale prices, it's far more expensive. I usually add raisins and walnuts, both of which were bought on sale and in bulk, and which adds about .20 to the serving. .25 for a bowl of oatmeal isn't bad for breakfast, and in some cases, I've spent less.
Another example: I bought a package of six chicken legs for $1.38 because the expiration date on the package was one day away. I bought the chicken and put it in the freezer, and the following week, I baked them with lemon juice from lemons someone had given me from their back yard, a nice extra! The cost per leg was .23, and a serving was two chicken legs, or .46. To round out the meal, I also included rice (5lb bag bought on sale; cost .04 per serving), plus 2 sliced and steamed carrots (.06). I can use the leftover chicken for lunch, and then save the bones and use those for the chicken stock. So, dinner costs .56.
I know it sounds unusually obsessive, and people may wonder, "why bother with all this nonsense," but I get a kick out of trying to figure out how to eat on a dollar a day. In many cases, you can quite well and healthly.
It could be that I'm satisfying some evolutionary "hunting and gathering" Neanderthal instinct as I look for deals. Truth be told, I'm not always successful because truly great deals like the oatmeal purchase aren't an everyday occurence. But when I do see good deals, I take advantage of them, so that I can maximize my savings. That also means I have to flexible (to a certain degree) about what I'll eat and when. Still, oatmeal for dinner tastes just as good as oatmeal for breakfast.
Happy saving!
posted by Tightwad Tim at 6:00 AM
1 Comments:
I came across your blog searching for a cost per serving calclulator or rather just figuring out how to run the numbers.
Nice post! Loved the cooking ideas!
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