blueapron.com

[mtnlaurel]

I don't think any of us are the target market for this service, but it is very interesting:

blueapron.com

Site says 9.99 per person per meal (I know Amy D. is scoffing at that!)
All ingredients sent to your door and sounds like they try to source relatively locally.

I just sent the link to my sister.
She works 50 hrs a week+ (for a very handsome wage), doesn't really know how to cook, has 2 kids and they eat out or take out literally 80% of their meals.
I think even at that 9.99 pp/per meal that she would save money by the time you tip & buy overpriced drinks.

[kib]

I thought about doing this with a similar company, hellofresh.com, mostly just to have an easy way of trying new ideas with portion appropriate amounts of food delivered to my door, no guesswork with the shopping or $20 bottle of esoteric asian sauce it took three hours to find. In the end, I couldn't justify the cost (similar, with the smallest package being 6 meals a week) and could see a lot of the food I did receive going to waste, either because it's not something DH would like, or because life seems to get in the way of my cooking plans, same reason I haven't joined a local CSA.

[iris lilies]

It's hard for me to think that anyone would find this any kind of remotely "good deal" but I suppose if one looks at is as a way to learn how to cook, ok, maybe.

[iris lilies]

Just picked up dinner for 2 at our local grocery store deli, and it was $16. I can go cheaper, if needed.

See, I think there's a little cottage industry for some women who need extra cash to make dinners for families of working moms. It would have to be on the sly, not advertised, because the kitchens used for preparation are not inspected by the Health department and permits have not been issued, etc. But cooking in bulk for 3 families, two of which are not your own, could bring in $5 per head which could amount to $400 - $500 per month.

I've read that this IS how some poor women make ends meat. Well seasoned rice and beans and other low end foods are popular and cheap to make.

[lessisbest]

I'll also raise an eyebrow at that cost of $9.99 per meal per person, but I understand why some people would choose to use this service. We all have 24-hours in the day, and how we spend it has to be prioritized no matter who we are.

I teach a class on Dollar Meals at Home (as opposed to the Dollar Menu at fast food places). I try to practice what I teach with a $125/month food budget for 2 adults. If I were to spend every penny each month (which I don't - I have $137 left in my food fund to date), that is just under $6 per day for three nutritionally balanced meals including dessert and snacks for two people. A complete meal rarely takes longer than 15-30 minute to prepare. My freezer (and all I have is my refrigerator freezer) is my "friend" because I prepare food in bulk and portion it in the freezer - even mashed potatoes are frozen.

Another helpful hint - when our children were at home they helped with meals from the time they were 3-years old, and from the age of 11 they each planned and cooked one evening meal each week and hubby cooked one meal on the weekend, so the kids and hubby learned how to plan a meal and prepare it, and also how to share the household burden because we were ALL extremely busy. The money we saved by cooking at home probably was the difference between a vacation or NO vacation. So if you can include your family in food preparation, that's a good plan. Cooking in bulk one weekend morning can also work as a plan for ready-to-heat meals. I also encourage using more fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as other whole foods, because they are Nature's original "fast" food and generally take minimal preparation.

My husband had 4 older sisters so he never learned kitchen skills beyond frying a hamburger or boiling a hot dog, so this was a good experience for him. I've taught food classes for elderly men to teach them meal planning, shopping, and cooking skills. Men who were having to help their wives, or relieve them of the duty due to health conditions, or they were widowed and the best they could do was to fire up the grill. So I can safely say, these life's skills are important for everyone. So don't miss this teaching moment either.

[kib]

mtnlaurel, I had a thought: Do you live anywhere near your sister? I can see an awesome setup, with you providing these pre-boxed meals you put together for her, or that you send her minus the fresh ingredients with a simple shopping list and recipes. Not for free, of course, but I'm sure it would be more personalized and less money than these online services.

[mtnlaurel]

mtnlaurel, I had a thought: Do you live anywhere near your sister? I can see an awesome setup, with you providing these pre-boxed meals you put together for her, or that you send her minus the fresh ingredients with a simple shopping list and recipes. Not for free, of course, but I'm sure it would be more personalized and less money than these online services.

Kib - sadly we are on opposite sides of the country
That would be my dream though... that we lived close so I could double up on the kid/house care to help her out.
It literally breaks my heart to see her killing herself (the stress her body is constantly exposed to).

I am an 'attraction rather than promotion' type of person.
When we vacation together I am constantly filling up the cooler with meals/snacks/etc., watering down drinks, finding the cheapest way to do things..... she thinks I am from Mars and needless to say I think she's from Stupidville ;P but we have fun nonetheless!
After this past summer she sent me the most wonderful note:
"Summer Vacation was a blast! Thank you. Hug for every snack cooler packed & yummy meal made"

What I can do though.... she is coming East for Christmas for quite a while. I could get her to pick 2 meals she wants to learn and teach her.

When we were kids, I was always under my Grandmother's skirt in the kitchen and she was off playing, so I got a lot of the little tidbits by osmosis.

Lessisbest, your classes sound right up her alley. What a wonderful way to share your talents!

[kib]

That sounds like a great Christmas gift! How about a small booklet of well planned weekly menus with shopping list that really takes her from A-Z? Sunday: shop for these ingredients, roast the chicken (see page 2 recipe), cook x amount of asparagus and potatoes. Monday: make a chicken casserole with these ingredients (see page 2). And so on, so all she really has to do is 1 or 2 shops and the week can easily fall into place. You could take her through a couple of the days and show recipes in person to get her mouth watering.