Is It Cheaper to Buy Lunch or Make Lunch? A Simple Cost Breakdown

When you’re thinking about lunch, the first question is usually price. You see a sandwich for £4 or a bowl of noodles for £5, but you also know a home‑cooked meal can cost less. The trick is figuring out the real numbers, not just the sticker price.

First, add up the obvious costs. A takeaway includes the food, packaging, and the profit margin the shop needs to stay open. Those extra pennies add up fast, especially if you order five days a week. A home‑cooked lunch costs the raw ingredients, a little oil or sauce, and the energy you use to cook. It sounds smaller, but you also need to count the time you spend prepping.

What a Typical Takeaway Costs

Takeaways usually charge between £3 and £7 per portion. If you add a drink and a dessert, you can easily hit £10. Multiply that by five days and you’re looking at £50 a week. Over a month, that’s £200‑£250 just for lunch.

But there’s more hidden cost. Most places charge extra for sauces, extra protein, or a larger portion. And you can’t forget the tip or the occasional delivery fee if you order online. Those little add‑ons can push the total even higher.

Cooking at Home: Real Savings and What You Need

Cooking at home starts with a grocery list. A good estimate for a simple lunch is £1‑£2 per meal. A portion of rice, a few veggies, and some protein like chicken or tofu can be bought in bulk for under £10 and stretched over several days.

Let’s break down a basic Cantonese‑style lunch: 150g of rice (£0.15), 100g of mixed veggies (£0.30), 100g of chicken (£0.60), a splash of soy sauce (£0.05). Total about £1.10 per bowl. Add a piece of fruit and you’re under £2.

The time factor is often the biggest hurdle. The good news is you can prep in batches. Cook a big pot of rice on Sunday, chop veggies for the week, and marinate chicken in a simple sauce. On a busy day you just heat and eat. That prep work might take an hour, but it saves you hours of waiting in line and frees up money.

Energy costs are tiny compared to the price of a takeaway. A few minutes on the stove or a quick microwave session uses only pennies of electricity or gas. Even if you use an oven, the real cost per meal stays below £0.20.

So, the math looks simple: £10 a week for takeaways versus about £8‑£9 for home meals when you count ingredients and prep time. Over a year you could save £50‑£100. That’s enough for a weekend treat, a new kitchen gadget, or just extra cash in your pocket.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to ditch takeaways completely. Mixing home‑cooked meals with an occasional treat keeps lunch interesting and prevents burnout. The key is to know when you’re paying extra for convenience and when you can get the same taste at a fraction of the price.

Bottom line: If you’re looking to stretch your budget, cooking at home beats buying lunch most of the time. Use simple Cantonese recipes from Canton Cuisine To Go – they’re quick, flavorful, and easy on the wallet. Give batch cooking a try, and you’ll see the savings add up faster than you expect.