SecretMethod70

The only important thing I have to add is: don't compare total prices, compare the prices per unit. So, if you're buying juice, look at the price per fluid ounce, or for paper towels look at the price per 100. The only difference is when you're buying some foods, like steak, then you want to look at the price per serving (1 steak) rather than the price per pound. Unless you're going to be cutting one steak in half for two people, it's often cheaper to get a nicer steak like a filet at a higher price per pound than it would be to get two heavier steaks that have a cheaper price per pound.

With this mindset, the average cost of dinner per person when I make it is about $5, and we still occasionally eat interesting/nice things like filet, halibut, etc. The trick is learning how to break down the prices, and learning what your own preferences are in terms of what you're willing to be cheap about and for what things you demand quality. For example, I don't mind getting certain canned vegetables, and at 70-99 cents a can, that means it adds only 50 cents per person to the cost of dinner if you're cooking for two.

__________________
Le temps détruit tout

"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling