Is fast food cheaper than cooking at home? Why is fast food so cheap in the USA? Let’s find out the truth…
Why Is Fast Food So Cheap In The USA?
Do you really want the truth?
It’s not cheap – or not as cheap as you think…
Fast Food Isn’t Cheaper Than Cooking At Home
You can grab a cheap McDonald’s hamburger for $1, and after adding sales tax, the meal costs around $1.07-$1.10.
The average McDonald’s hamburger is 1.6oz of cooked “beef” on this burger and a sprinkle of a few condiments.
How Much Would A Burger Cost At Home?
You could head over to your local grocer and buy 80/20 ground chuck (much better than the beef-flavored substitute you’re eating) for about $3/pound. You could make ten 1.6 oz patties – paying approx. 30 cents per patty.
Pick up a package of 8 hamburger buns for around $1.50 – 19 cents per burger.
Then, grab pickles, onions, ketchup, and mustard, which comes out to be around 20 cents for the condiments on each patty.
Finally, let’s say it costs 5 cents to cook that patty.
This means your homemade burger costs less than the glorified McDonald’s burger.
- Homemade Burger: $0.74
- McDonald’s Burger: $1.07~
The most basic burger at McDonald’s will still cost you around 46% more than making your own burger at home. Plus, you know what is actually between your buns.
The price you pay is for convenience, but even then, cooking up one burger won’t take up an astronomical amount of time.
Is Fast Food Coffee A Steal?
The drinks and coffee found at fast-food restaurants are the greatest rip off of all…
A McDonald’s large coffee costs around $1.49 on average, and you have no choice on what beans they brew for you.
Even K-cups are cheaper than fast-food coffees.
A homemade brew could cost you around 40 cents per cup or closer to 60 cents if you add cream and sugar. For an added bonus, you get to choose your favorite blends, how strong you make your coffee, and how you want to brew it.
Fast Food Isn’t Cheap
You will end up paying certain costs.
The Pros
- You don’t have to cook anything.
- You don’t have to clean anything.
- You don’t have to get the ingredients together.
- You don’t have to think about anything above.
The Cons
- You don’t know what it is.
- You don’t know where it’s from.
- You don’t know how long it has been sitting there.
- It costs more than preparing the meal yourself.
Then again, maybe the premium you pay is worth it to you.
