Quote:
Originally Posted by MMM
My fridge fit about 2 six packs of beer and I had one burner, a toaster oven and a microwave. It was easier for me to eat out, didn't make much difference financially, and I was never much of a wiz in the kitchen.
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That's not much less than what I had... I had a 3' tall fridge, and 2 burners on the stove, and a microwave. But you really don't need very much to cook with. And I definitely think I saved money when I cooked for myself. For instance, you can buy a dozen eggs for $2 or so, right? Well, that works out to 50 cents for a 3 egg omelet. Throw in a few green onions and maybe a couple chopped mushrooms if you like for only pennies more.
A whole package of spaghetti costs $1 or less, and lasts 3-4 meals. You can buy a jar of sauce that will last at least 2 meals for about $3. Again, add fresh onions and mushrooms for very little, along with some Italian seasonings and maybe some meat, and you can have a big spaghetti dinner for about $2, maybe a bit more.
There are lots of other meals too, like the curry rice Nyororin mentioned, that can be easily made for very little money, much less than even a 7/11 pre-made bento. Honestly, one of the reasons why I saved so much money during my time in Japan was because I cooked at home. People who frequently ate out were not able to even come close to my food budget, and IMHO, I think the freshly cooked dinners were better than the conbini bentos anyway!