Food Prices Too High to Stomach? Home-Cooked Meals Have a Moment
As a busy single mom of an 11-year-old daughter, Ellen Hornberger loved the convenience of having a restaurant meal delivered to her door until she realized how much that home delivery cost her.
After downloading a money management app last year, Hornberger took a closer look at her household finances and discovered she was spending a third of her food budget — $942 a month — on spending.
“I used to do what was easy even if it cost less,” said Hornberger.
Not again. He canceled DoorDash and started making dinner at home, saving hundreds of dollars each month. Not only does she cook a lot, she said, so does her daughter.
“I hated cooking, now I’m wearing an apron. Who am I?” said the 33-year-old marketing manager from New Jersey. “But if I change my habits, you know the economy changes.”
Eating in – not out – is becoming an affordable and popular option as higher prices force Americans to tighten their belts.
Sheltering in place during the violence has turned even novices into home cooks skilled at chopping garlic and cracking eggs. But when the world opened up for business again, sourdough starters were abandoned for the joy of eating out again.
Now Americans are giving their food processors and salad spinners another whirl. According to a recent YouGov survey, three-quarters of Americans now cook at least a few times a week. Only 2% do not cook and another 10% cook once a month or less.
Research suggests that saving money is the main reason why – never more so than now as higher prices squeeze tight household budgets.
Wages are still growing faster than prices on average, but the sour mood over the high cost of living continued as President Donald Trump touted a strong economy and price adjustment ahead of midterm elections in November.
Already, one in five consumers rate their ability to pay everyday expenses as poor or very poor, an increase of 8.5 percent over the past five years, according to market research firm Kantar.
More than half of Americans — 53% — ate less in the past 12 months to save money on food, Kantar found.
Now analysts fear that food will become more expensive as the war in Iran raises oil and gas prices.
“When an oil shock occurs, the effects tend to flow quickly through the household budget, sharpening consumers’ focus on everyday expenses and often causing trade-offs in spending including food, travel, entertainment, clothing and retail,” Dave Marcotte, Kantar’s senior vice president of strategic consulting, told USA TODAY.
Even before this economic downturn, Americans had begun to spend more time in the kitchen.
More American adults are cooking today than two decades ago, according to a National Institutes of Health 2025 analysis. That analysis found that the percentage of men who cook a day increased from 36% to 52% and from 69% to 72% for women.
Annika Andring, 33, and her husband cook most of their meals at their Colorado home, from steak salad on a bed of arugula to “elevated” boxed mac and cheese filled with hearty meat and roasted vegetables.
“We don’t overdo the food,” said Andring, who works for people. “It’s always going to be cheaper at home than eating out, even if it’s $10 a person cheaper than $20 or more each when we go out.”
Indulging in home-cooked meals is more common than ordering takeout or delivery or dining out, according to Pew Research. Almost 9 out of 10 people eat home-cooked meals at least a few times a week, compared to 17% who order takeout or delivery and 12% who eat out regularly.
Exacerbating this trend are rising restaurant prices and delivery costs that are eating into disposable income. Spending on food away from home jumped 3.9% over the past 12 months, while groceries rose a modest 2.4%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Weekly meal planning helps home cooks stay on budget, she told USA TODAY, and choosing fresh ingredients helps them eat healthier.
Eating at home not only saves money but leftovers stretch their dining dollar while avoiding hidden costs like tips, delivery fees and service charges, they say.
On a recent night, Robert Belpasso, 31, was chopping homemade bones in his New York City apartment. On the menu was chicken vegetable soup made with a $5 Costco rotisserie chicken and fresh vegetables from Whole Foods.
This foodie’s mom trained him to be cost-conscious and check out deals without sacrificing taste or freshness. He can stretch out the delicious dishes he creates at home for $10 to $20 for four or five meals.
“I don’t go over budget or think too much about it,” said Belpasso, who works in the technology industry. “If I leave a supermarket and spend less than $100, I’m happy.”
This article first appeared in USA TODAY: Food prices too high for the stomach? Home cooked food is temporary
Reporting by Jessica Guynn, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
