Eating+and+class

The wealthy and middle class often insult the eating habits of the poor: sodas full of sugar (not soda like Coca Cola but the neon colored ones that cost 25 cents), fast food (McDonalds, Burger King, pizza, Sbarros, Applebees, Taco Bell) and canned and pre-cooked foods like Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and Swanson microwave dinners.

My mother says that my family saves a ton of money because we cook at home. People often pick on the poor for their eating habits but the reality is that unless you already have the necessary cooking utensils, a stove and a fridge: eating greasy food lacking any kind of nutrition is the only solution.

Experiment:

Go and have a full meal at a fast food place. If you're going with other people, calculate the costs of only your food. Be sure not to bring your own beverage. Keep your receit.

The next day, buy your own ingredients and cook your dinner. Calculate how much all the ingredients cost and divide that by how many people the dinner fed. This amount should be significantly less than your meal at the fast food place. With that quotient, add the cost of our cooking utensils and then then if you own your home A) the cost of your stove OR if you pay rent B) one month's rent.

Compare the cost of eating a fast food meal and the cost of a home-cooked one.