Here’s just a quick off-the-cuff comparison, based on my experience only:
TO COOK AT HOME:
Look in “20 Minute Meals” cookbook, plan the week’s meals, and make up a grocery list - 30 minutes
Weekly grocery shopping for food and sundries- 60 minutes
Make a meal each night for seven nights and clean up after – 5 ½ hours
Total time – about 7 hours
BUYING FAST FOOD MEALS:
Wait in line 10 minutes each night for seven nights at Starbuck’s - 70 minutes
Wait in line an average of 18 minutes each night for seven nights at McDonald’s – 2 hours
Serve and clean up the beverage and fast food wrappers each night for seven nights – 40 minutes
Weekly grocery shopping for sundries – 45 minutes
Total time – about 4 1/2 hours
You can use that 2 1/2 hours that you saved every week to watch a couple Law and Order reruns.
And I won’t even mention how much money we save..
Good comparison.
And, of course, it saves even more time with the home cooking to deliberately plan for leftovers to be used for other meals. (I am sure you do this, too. Just putting it out there for the less experienced.)