Cooking vs takeout savings calculator
Enter how often you buy meals and what they cost. The calculator compares that with the median ingredient cost of a serving of our recipes.
What does takeout cost you?
Cooking instead saves you
That's 0 house downpayments.
eatgood.now
Meals a week × 52 × (takeout price − home cost). Ingredients only. Comparisons use rough US prices as of 2026-09.
How it works
Meals a week × 52 weeks × (takeout price − home-cooked price) = what you save a year.
The home-cooked price is the median cost per serving across every recipe on this site, worked out from each ingredient’s price. You can change it to match what you cook. It counts ingredients only, not your time or kitchen staples.
Next steps
- Start here if you’ve never cooked.
- Meal prep planner: plan a week of meals and see what it costs.
General information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take medication, check changes with your doctor.