I’ve been thinking about Let’s Dish! math and the cost per meal. Let me start by sharing the fact that in this economy, I have become scrooge. I am now buying my kids clothes only when the pants become too short or too small or if a change in season demands different clothes. I go to the grocery only when we need more milk and I only buy what’s on sale or on my list. No impulse purchases allowed anymore. I think Let’s Dish! actually makes this kind of smart decision easier.
Here’s my secret to getting the best value out of Let’s Dish! so that it’s cheaper than any other dinner option with the exception of store brand macaroni and cheese. I go to Let’s Dish! once a month and make 12 dishes. (The set price for that is $252, but if you sign up in-store, you can take advantage of the special and usually get $15 OFF, making it $237 or $19.75 per dinner.)
I have a (busy) family of four, but still split each dinner into half portions. I use the Let’s Dish! dinners three or four nights a week when we are off in different directions. For example - If I make Chicken in Cranberry Chutney I will have two separate packages, each with three chicken breasts and noodles. The night I make that the three people who are home first or at the most reasonable times will have that dinner along with salad. That dinner for three cost me less than $10 plus the price of a bag of lettuce and dressing. When the fourth person comes home (daughter late from practice, husband late from work), they’re usually too exhausted for anything beyond a bowl of soup or a quick sandwich. If I know we’re all going to be home (once in a blue moon), I typically cook the slow cooker dinners. Add a salad or additional side and it’s $25, tops (don’t forget Let’s Dish! family-sized sides at 4-for-$20), for four dinners and a leftover lunch or two. That’s hard to beat.
With the help of Let’s Dish!, I’m feeding my family wholesome meals that cost $2 less than a Whopper Combo ($6.33 at my local Burger King, by the way). If you’re looking for ways to cut back in this economy, it may be time to make Let’s Dish! part of your solution.
RELATED LINK:
