Oh yeah, it is way easier to spend than to earn! Cooking was a challenge for me, but after a handful of somewhat embarrassing failures my partner and I each have a decent list of things we can cook. We also have random “fend for yourself” nights where we eat leftovers, sandwiches, or whatever we can find. It definitely helps when you need to cut out some stress. Granted those are rarely healthy meals. I always keep at least one horrible (health wise) frozen item around just in case!

This is a really great idea, especially if you need to learn to cook a bit. These meal kits are very easy to follow and I still use some of the recipes I learned even though I haven’t used the service for a couple of years.

Weird pitch, would you guys be able to cook your own meals or eat out for a week?

As in, don’t use anything you didn’t buy yourself for a week just to get an idea. Obviously that is not going to help you save up for your place, but the research might be worth it.

Also if you still live at home use this time to consider what you use to cook (pots, pans, utensils, etc)

I had no idea what food costs were until I moved out, I learned the hard way that I had to learn to cook or my budget would be forever broken, but grocery costs and budgeting are a whole other skill so it isn’t automatic that shopping and cooking will be cheaper if you don’t shop carefully.

Good luck, the very fact that you are thinking about this ahead of time is a good sign!

Wait…everyone doesn’t do that?

This is exactly the energy I hope for in a shitposting mod. TYFYS

My most talented coworker was a contractor that was hired on full time. He has repeatedly said he would never have made it through the hiring process. I think about that a lot.