Direct Cost Comparison: Price Per Serving
On the surface, grocery shopping appears to be the most affordable option. Meal kit companies, such as HelloFresh or EveryPlate, typically advertise per-serving prices that might seem competitive, but a careful comparison often reveals groceries are cheaper on a dollar-to-dollar basis. A grocery store meal can cost as little as $3–$5 per serving, especially when purchasing in bulk or using inexpensive ingredients. In contrast, even budget-friendly meal kits like EveryPlate can run around $5.99 per serving, while others can be significantly higher, often ranging from $8 to $12 per serving without factoring in shipping. For those willing to put in the time and effort to plan meals, find deals, and cook from scratch, the supermarket almost always offers a lower upfront cost.
The Hidden Costs of Grocery Shopping
However, a simple price-per-serving comparison doesn't tell the whole story. Grocery shopping is riddled with hidden costs that can quickly erode any perceived savings. These include:
- Food Waste: A major hidden expense, with a significant portion of food purchased from the store ending up in the bin due to overbuying or spoilage. For a family, this waste can add up to hundreds of dollars a year.
- Impulse Purchases: Trips to the supermarket are fertile ground for unplanned purchases. Snack foods, drinks, and other enticing items not on your shopping list can increase your total bill by a surprising amount.
- Travel Costs: The fuel, vehicle wear-and-tear, or public transport fares associated with regular trips to the grocery store are a genuine, albeit often overlooked, expense.
- Specialty Ingredients: Many recipes call for a small amount of a specific ingredient, forcing you to buy a full jar or bottle that may go unused, creating waste and adding unnecessary cost.
- Time and Mental Load: The time spent meal planning, list-making, traveling to the store, shopping, and putting groceries away is a form of cost that many people don't quantify. For some, this time is more valuable than the potential monetary savings.
How Meal Subscriptions Offer Budget Control
Meal subscription services tackle these hidden costs head-on by providing pre-portioned ingredients for specific recipes. This business model inherently reduces food waste, as you receive exactly what you need for each meal. This also helps eliminate those costly impulse buys, as the meals are selected online and delivered directly to your door, bypassing the temptation of the checkout aisle. Furthermore, by providing a set cost per week for a fixed number of meals, these services offer predictable spending, making it easier to stick to a food budget.
For smaller households, like single people or couples, meal kits can be particularly cost-effective. Buying groceries for one often means purchasing large quantities of ingredients that are hard to use up before they expire. Meal kits solve this problem with their portion-controlled deliveries, minimizing waste and potentially making them cheaper than buying individual items at the store.
Comparison Table: Groceries vs. Meal Subscriptions
| Factor | Traditional Grocery Shopping | Meal Subscription Service |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront Cost | Generally lower per serving | Higher per serving, but can be cheaper with discounts |
| Hidden Costs | Prone to high food waste, impulse buys, and travel expenses | Minimized food waste and impulse buys, delivery fees may apply |
| Convenience | Low; requires significant time for planning, shopping, and prep | High; eliminates planning, shopping, and reduces prep time |
| Portion Control | Requires discipline to avoid over-preparing food and creating leftovers | Pre-portioned ingredients help manage nutrition and waste |
| Variety | Unlimited choice, but requires effort to find new recipes and ingredients | Curated weekly menu offers variety without the mental load of searching |
| Flexibility | High; complete control over what you eat and when | Varies by service, but often requires planning a week in advance |
Who Saves More: Finding the Right Fit
The question of whether meal subscriptions are cheaper than groceries does not have a single answer. Your financial outcome is largely determined by your habits, lifestyle, and household size.
-
For the Disciplined and Budget-Conscious: If you are a meticulous meal planner, create and stick to shopping lists, and are excellent at minimizing food waste, then grocery shopping will likely remain your cheapest option. You maximize savings by using every ingredient and avoiding impulse buys. You can gain insights from online communities like Reddit's r/povertyfinance for effective shopping strategies.
-
For the Busy and Convenience-Focused: If you often rely on expensive takeout or frequently waste food because of poor planning, a meal subscription could be the financially smarter choice. The fixed cost, reduced waste, and removal of temptation from impulse shopping can lead to significant savings over your current spending habits. The value of your time and reduced mental stress should also be considered in this calculation.
-
For Smaller Households: Individuals and couples often find meal subscriptions to be surprisingly economical. The pre-portioned nature of the ingredients means they don’t end up buying bulk packages of produce or spices they won't fully use before expiration, a common source of waste.
Ultimately, the cheapest option depends on a holistic view of your spending. While the per-serving price of groceries is generally lower, the indirect savings from reduced waste and impulse buys, combined with the value of convenience, can make meal subscriptions a more financially viable choice for many households, especially after factoring in special promotional offers. For a true budget-friendly approach, combining the best of both worlds—using meal kits strategically for busy weeks and shopping savvy for staples—might be the ultimate money-saving strategy.
Conclusion: Your Lifestyle is the Deciding Factor
When asking, "Are meal subscriptions cheaper than groceries?", the answer is a nuanced "it depends." A purely dollar-to-dollar comparison on a per-meal basis often favors grocery shopping for those who are highly organized and waste-averse. However, for many, the hidden costs of food waste, impulse buys, and the significant investment of time and mental energy make traditional grocery shopping surprisingly expensive. Meal subscription services offer transparent, fixed pricing and automatically eliminate many of these hidden expenses, providing a level of budget control that many people struggle to achieve on their own. By carefully evaluating your personal habits, waste, and the true value of your time, you can determine which option ultimately delivers the best value for your unique financial situation.
The Cheapest Meal Delivery Services That Are Actually Worth It, Bon Appétit, 2025
