meal delivery
Instacart Mastercard review: Great for Instacart lovers but few others
Meal plans and delivery programs — costly or cost-effective?
The three biggest items in most people’s budgets are usually housing, transportation, and food. That’s because they are needs; but like most needs, costs can range from the inexpensive, no-frills version to the outrageously expensively extravagances seen on some reality TV shows. For example, you could live in a studio apartment or a mansion, take shanks’ mare or drive a luxury car, slap a PB & J together at home or eat out at a five-star restaurant.
What you choose depends on your means (what you can afford) and your priorities (what’s important to you). Maybe you are willing to make all your meals at home so you can drive your dream car. Or maybe you’re willing to bike or take the bus ⦠to your favorite restaurants on a weekly basis. If you are debt-free, stashing some cash in a high-yield savings account, saving for retirement, and meeting all your other financial goals, more power to you.
I am willing to bet, though, that most people are seeking a happy medium in all categories. Nothing too expensive, but a home and car that are safe and comfortable, and food that’s tasty and convenient. When it comes to food, even if you are eating at home, there are more options today than ever before: Having your groceries, or even fully-cooked meals, delivered are all possibilities to meal-plan and save some cash. But not every option is equally cost-effective. Here are a few options, with some pros and cons.</
[Update] American Express Blue Cash Everyday Adds Disney & Home Chef Credits; 3% Categories For Gas & Online Purchases
Update 12/5/22: The spend requirement for the Disney bundle credit is being lowered from $13.99 to $12.99. (ht Grant) The change is due to the multi-tier pricing being introduced by Disney on December 8th: $9.99, $12.99, and $19.99. Original Post 7/14/22: Blue Cash Everyday Refresh American Express announced today a refresh on their Blue Cash […]
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Blue Apron Review: My Experience Using the Original Meal Kit Service
Blue Apron is a meal kit service offering premium meals at home. Learn about its pros, cons, and features in this full Blue Apron review.Blue Apron is a meal kit service offering premium meals at home. Learn about its pros, cons, and features in this full Blue Apron review.
The post Blue Apron Review: My Experience Using the Original Meal Kit Service appeared first on Money Under 30.
HelloFresh review: Is a meal delivery service worth it?
“Hey,” Kim said one day last week as she was leaving for work. “There’s a package coming today from one of the doctors I work with. To thank all of his hygienists, he’s sending us a trial of HelloFresh.”
“What’s HelloFresh?” I asked.
“It’s a meal delivery service,” Kim said. “Anyhow, it’d be great if you could bring in the package and put the food in the fridge. And it’d be even greater if you made one of the meals for dinner!”
I kissed her good-bye, then promptly forgot what she had told me. (This is par for the course.)
How Does HelloFresh Work?
That afternoon when I returned from walking the dog, a package from HelloFresh was waiting on the porch. I took it inside to open it. The box contained three brown paper sacks, each with a different meal from HelloFresh.
“Oh yeah,” I thought. “I’m supposed to make dinner from one of these. I wonder what they are.”
I opened the bag labeled Pineapple Poblano Beef Tacos. Inside was an illustrated recipe card and a set of pre-measured ingredients. “Seems simple enough,” I said to the dog. Tahleuqah just looked at me as if I were supposed to feed her. That dog is always ready for food.
When Kim got home from work, I made the tacos. They were amazing. I’m not joking. They were delicious. (The dog agrees.) “You know, I should have taken photos along the way,” I told Kim. “I should write about this at Get Rich Slowly.
“Well, you could always make dinner for us again tomorrow night,” she said. So I did. And this time, I did take pictures.
For round two, the dog and I prepared Sweet-as-Honey Chicken. Here’s the bag and recipe card:
Here are the ingredients from inside the bag and the other side of the recipe card (with actual instructions):
Here’s some of my meal prep:
And here’s the final product:
“You know what my favorite part of this is?” Kim asked as I served her dinner. “It’s that you can use the paper sack to dispose of your trash while you prep the meal.” (I’m kind of messy in the kitchen.) The dog looked hurt. She’s always happy to help us dispose of kitchen trash.
While not quite as delicious as the tacos, the chicken was still very good. And simple. (The HelloFresh recipe cards estimate 20-30 minutes of prep time; for me, that was more like 30-45 minutes. But then I’m always slow in the kitchen.)
How Much Does HelloFresh Cost?
“How much did this cost?” I asked.
“I’m not sure,” she said. “The doctor paid for it. But I think it’s something like $20 per meal. So, since he sent us three meals, that’s about $60 for the week.”
“That seems expensive,” I said. “I should research the numbers.” So, like a good money nerd, that’s exactly what I did.
How to Find Affordable Senior Housing in Your Community
Quick Navigation How to Find Affordable Housing for Low-Income Seniors Speak With Your Local Housing Authority Talk to a HUD-Approved Housing Counselor Look at Senior Housing Websites How Do You Qualify for Affordable Senior Housing? Types of Affordable Senior Housing Programs Housing Choice Vouchers Public Housing Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Section 202 Supportive Housing for […]
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
How to Find Affordable Senior Housing in Your Community
Quick Navigation How to Find Affordable Housing for Low-Income Seniors Speak With Your Local Housing Authority Talk to a HUD-Approved Housing Counselor Look at Senior Housing Websites How Do You Qualify for Affordable Senior Housing? Types of Affordable Senior Housing Programs Housing Choice Vouchers Public Housing Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Section 202 Supportive Housing for […]
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.
Two months with HelloFresh: A quick look at the cost and quality of HelloFresh recipes
When I published my first HelloFresh review last June, I liked the popular meal-delivery service. Kim’s employer had given us a one-week free trial. The three recipes we received were fun and tasty. In the end, we chose not to sign up with HelloFresh but resolved to remember it for the future.
At the end of 2018, as I was evaluating my spending patterns, I was shocked by how much I was spending on food. It’s embarrassing to show the following numbers, but facts are facts and truth is truth. I was spending over $1100 per month on food.
“Something needs to change,” I told Kim. “Maybe we should try HelloFresh again to see if it can help us cut costs.”
“Do you think so?” Kim siad. “Isn’t HelloFresh kind of expensive?”
“It’s not that bad,” I said. “Besides, if having meals delivered can keep us from dining out so often, and if it can keep me from splurging at the grocery store, it might actually save us money.”
I signed us up.
For two months — January and February — we received three HelloFresh recipes each week. Based on our experience, here’s a new, revised review of HelloFresh.