Does it make financial sense to do home meal delivery? HomeChef Review - Good Day Orlando

I took some inspiration from this story...
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2016/09/28/do-meal-prep-kits-save-you-money/

I'm a frugal dude and I chose HomeChef over Blue Apron and Hello Fresh because of the generally lower cost and the food isn't as 'out there' - so I'm pretty sure all my kids will like it.

There are bunch of other companies out there, too (over 150 companies). It's a 1.5 BILLION dollar industry and is expected to double in the next few years.

http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/news_home/Business_News/2016/06/Meal_kit_delivery__fad_or_futu.aspx?ID=%7B1D9BDDD0-2E6B-4702-A3E1-83D330F046FB%7D

In that Chicago story above, they showed that HomeChef and Blue Apron were actually cheaper than the grocery store.

In Orlando, for the largest size box, it's pretty close price-wise assuming you are taking advantage of a $30 off coupon. If you buy a $50 meal box with a $30 off coupon, it's a HUGE savings to try a home meal delivery service. SAVING30 is a coupon code that is dollars off - not % off. (You'd get the biggest savings on a smaller box - as much as 60% off.)

So - I've attached my spreadsheet. It shows that I saved $15 to $17 by buying it myself. Again - this is only because I am feeding five people and didn't get as much savings with my coupon code as other viewers who buy a smaller box might.

My methodology:

- I scanned every item trying to find sales, and choosing store brand stuff when available. Even gross-looking boxed Walmart egg whites and their messed-up looking red peppers.

- I wasn't able to get fresh shrimp at the Walmart I went to. So, if I really wanted to compare apples to apples, I'd need to go to another store to get the fresh shrimp at a $5 premium.
Findings:

- Buying these items at either store would take me an hour or more including driving. Walmart was a pain in the butt! I couldn't find anyone to help me find some of the more specialty ingredients. I would never do that again.

- In some cases, I would end up having to buy large bottles/packages of food that would almost certainly result in food waste.

- I was surprised that Publix was cheaper than Walmart. The reason was that they had more options for the ingredients I needed and I was able to find some sale items.
Here is why I would NOT replace every meal - or even most meals.

1. Cost. It's a nice luxury - but if I shop diligently, I can save more money by doing this myself. I'll probably end up eating more packaged foods than if I were to do this every week - but I'm still on a budget. When I do buy more fresh ingredients on my own, sadly, I end up with food waste if I'm not paying close attention.
As the SavingsAngel, here are my reasons FOR getting a box or two each month from a home meal delivery service:

1. Convenience. An hour for every meal or two in running to the store is worth the extra $15 or so. Plus, many of the ingredients are prepared & measured for you. Kinda like having a sous chef help out. With three kids with crazy busy schedules and mom & dad with crazy busy schedules, this is worth the bit of extra expense.

2. It's healthier than a vast majority of meals we end up making. Our family is eating way more fresh produce with the meal kit meals. It inspires healthier options in creative, delicious ways I wouldn't normally go through the effort to find & make. All the meals are about 700 calories or under.

3. It's fun. Getting the box delivered is a little exciting. Having higher-quality meals at home brings the family together - being able to have higher quality foods at my own dinner table instead of going out to a restaurant for the good stuff. The recipe cards are easy, they all take 30 minutes or under to make - and so far, every member of my family has enjoyed every meal.
Bottom-line recommendation:

If you are super budget-conscious, maybe consider a small box with a big coupon code. Otherwise, keep using high-value coupons and the biggest sales to feed your family.

For those who can make the time to get to the grocery store, I'd recommend you at least try a couple services once to see if this is something you would continue.

For people who have difficulty in getting to the store because of schedule or geography, I would absolutely recommend you start trying some meal delivery services - especially if you have room in your budget to invest in healthier foods.

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Видео Does it make financial sense to do home meal delivery? HomeChef Review - Good Day Orlando канала SavingsAngel