Just realized my $15 rice cooker saves me $30 a week on takeout

I bought this little cheap rice cooker from Walmart maybe 3 months ago. I used to order Chinese food or Thai at least twice a week just because I wanted rice with whatever I was cooking. Now I make a big batch of rice on Sunday and it lasts all week. Last week I added up what I was spending. It was like $35 a week on takeout. Now I spend maybe $5 on a bag of rice and some veggies. Has anyone else noticed a big shift in their food budget after getting one small appliance?

3 comments

3 Comments

anthony_campbell881mo ago

My slow cooker saved me way more than that honestly. I got a 6 quart one at Target for like 25 bucks and now I make chili, stew, and pulled pork all week for maybe 12 dollars total. That one appliance turned my food budget from 80 a week to like 40. What kind of stuff are you making with your rice cooker besides just rice?

brian_smith61mo ago

Honestly, @anthony_campbell88, I don't think your slow cooker is actually saving you 40 bucks a week if you're only spending $12 total on food now, math doesn't quite add up there. But yeah I make rice pudding, steamed veggies, and even oatmeal in mine so it's pretty useful.

the_viola1mo ago

Rice cookers are way more useful than people give them credit for honestly. You can do a whole meal in one if you layer things right, rice on the bottom, veggies and protein on top, and it all steams together. But I gotta push back on that $12 a week claim a little bit, that sounds super low unless you're eating mostly beans and bulk rice or something. Even with cheap cuts of pork and canned tomatoes, the spices and other stuff add up faster than you think. Not saying slow cookers aren't great for saving money, they totally are, but that math feels like it's missing a few things.