Make or buy ready made?

trigger87_2

Hello,
What are some things that are cheaper to make rather than buy, food in particular? I have great aspirations of making more from scratch, but this doesn't always pay off after buying the ingredients. I'd imagine soup is cheaper to make. Any others? Thanks!

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monnagran

Knitted cable cushion covers. Up to £20 to buy. About £5 to knit, and that's using new wool not something from the Stash.

VfM4meplse

Bread is supposed to be, but tbh I don't think I could make it cheaper than I find it YS.

splishsplash

If you have a good store cupboard with a variety of spices and seasonings you can pretty much whip up anything you like very cheaply.

Anything that comes in a kit will usually be cheaper to make. Many sauces are cheaper to make than to buy, most 'fakeaways' are cheaper to make than to buy.

If you list the foods you like to eat, maybe you could get an idea of how to prep homemade versions?

Slowly57

trigger87 wrote: »

Hello,
What are some things that are cheaper to make rather than buy, food in particular? I have great aspirations of making more from scratch, but this doesn't always pay off after buying the ingredients. I'd imagine soup is cheaper to make. Any others? Thanks!

I think that some things made from scratch or home made are SO MUCH better than ready-made so it's worth a little extra expense occasionally

The other thing is to pimp up your ready-made - which can be a bit on the mean side - bonus points if it uses up bits in the fridge. Ready-made pizza is a case in point - you can go mad with your own toppings. Anything ready-made and cheese-topped can get an upgrade with a bit of your own grated cheese/parmesan. The addition of fresh/frozen veg or a sprinkle of herbs and so-on.

Soup is cheap to make and gets better with a days rest. Home-made croutons can be made out of stale bread and sprinkled with cheese.

Have a look at
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Quick Questions thread
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Don't throw food away challenge...
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Linda32

I've never done costings but I'm sure a decent sized Christmas cake is cheaper to make yourself.

Caterina

Sauerkraut! Although even the shop bought is sort of good for you, for fibre etc,, because of pasteurisation it loses all the good enzymes of the fermentation.

To buy raw unpasteurised sauerkraut, or any other fermented veg, especially organic, costs a disproportionate amount of money, as seen in my local farmers market.

Organic white cabbage is quite cheap and all I need is salt to go with it, and a bit of chopping and bashing. And it tastes better than any artisan one I have tasted!

good_advice

I have started to buy a small gammon. Sainsburys. £3.50
Cook in the oven when using the oven for other things. Put on my slicing machine and use as sandwich ham. More ham sliced for money/ weight than the packet sliced sandwich ham.

maman

good_advice wrote: »

I have started to buy a small gammon. Sainsburys. £3.50
Cook in the oven when using the oven for other things. Put on my slicing machine and use as sandwich ham. More ham sliced for money/ weight than the packet sliced sandwich ham.

I do that with a 1kg+ piece of gammon from Aldi. I always cook mine on the hob and use the stock for delicious lentil and veg soup.

I know OP asked just about cost but I think quality comes into it. While it might cost less to buy cheap ready made, you need to make the comparison between home cooking and with high end ready made.

jackyann

Cole slaw, much cheaper to make.
Bread: I reckon that you can buy cheaper, but to buy the same quality as home-made is about double the price.
In comparing, you need to account for:
Your time - for most of us, this isn't time you would otherwise be doing paid work, but may be a consideration
Fuel - but less of a consideration if you are using your oven efficiently, have an oven that forms part of your heating, generate your own electricity, or use a slow cooker
Uses ingredients that are expensive or difficult to find and are not part of your store cupboard.

SailorSam

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Bread is supposed to be, but tbh I don't think I could make it cheaper than I find it YS.

I think i could buy a loaf for less than it costs to make one.
But it's like a lot of homemade things, they taste nicer and you know exactly what's in there.