5 February 2019
Avi Petrucci
How often do you go out to eat? How much money do you spend doing so?
According to an article by Business Insider, generation X and millennials spend more money on average at restaurants and takeout than any other generation.
If more college-aged students knew how to cook, they could break this statistic, save the money that most of them desperately need and lead healthier lifestyles.
According to the same article by Business Insider, the average amount spent by college-aged individuals per year adds up to a whopping $2,900.
Comparatively to eating out, the King of Clash reports that the cost of eating in is typically only one-third of the average cost of eating out — approximately $970 a year.
With an average savings of about $1,930 a year, most students could increase their savings, put money away for a rainy day, go on an extravagant trip or buy the special something they’ve had their eye on for awhile.
What would you do?
As shared by Julia A. Wolfson, MPP, for Nutrino.com, eating at home can also be much healthier than eating out: “When people cook most of their meals at home, they consume fewer carbohydrates, less sugar and less fat than those who cook less or not at all – even if they are not trying to lose weight.”
This article also states that those who eat in regularly consume more fiber, calcium and iron, and fewer calories overall.
In order to start learning how to cook, you can watch cooking tutorials, buy beginners cookbooks, look for recipes online or ask a friend or family member who knows how to cook and is willing to teach you.
The Gallogy Recreation and Wellness Center also offers cooking classes that allow students a hands-on experience to learn new skills or practice ones that are foreign to them. According to their website, the “classes center around meals that are nutritional, quick, easy and affordable.” The schedule for Spring 2019 cooking classes was recently released and classes begin Feb. 1 and end April 17.
No matter how you learn, start learning how to cook in order to save money and maintain a healthy diet.