To go out to dinner or to cook dinner in is a huge contemplation among many college students here at UT.
Classes are over; homework is piled by the computer and thoughts of ‘what’s for dinner,’ come to mind. A craving for Mexican food sets in, now it’s time to make that same decision again.
Should I go out to dinner, or go food shopping and buy the ingredients that will satisfy this craving? With the local Mexican restaurants being Miguel’s on Kennedy, Algusto’s across from campus and Estelas on Davis Island, it’s hard to decide where to go.
Senior Katelyn Chapman enjoys dining out. ‘I like to go out to dinner for the experience because it makes it more special and you don’t have to worry about cooking it yourself,’ she says. ‘It’s also another reason to go out with your friends.’
But if dining in becomes the answer to the question, the popular Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market holds all the ingredients. Budget is a crucial factor for college students in deciding where to go. That’s why I did some research to find out some prices to make the option a little easier to decide.
Miguel’s, currently under renovation, serves fajitas for $11.95.
Algusto’s, which is walking distance from campus, charges $10. 25.
Estelas, with outside seating and pet accessibility, charges $15.59.
The logical and cheapest dinner answer would be to go to Algusto’s because driving wouldn’t be necessary so gas is knocked off the bill.
But if you’re a picky eater, hate waiting for food or worried about the extra calories consumed on eating out then cooking in might suite you. Eating in could actually be cheaper in the long run.
The prices for the ingredients needed to cook fajitas from the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market are as follows:
10 Flour tortillas……………..$1.72
Beef………..$5.75 for a package, or $1.08/lb
Chicken…..$4.38 for a package, or $0 .88/lb
Onion……………….. $0.58 for one
Pepper………………. $0.68 for one
Avocado……………. $0.58 for one
Mexican Cheese……………..$2.48
Pace Salsa…………………….. $2.08
Sour Cream…………………… $1.88
Rice……………………………. $0.98
Beans………………………….. $0.88
Total………$17.61 for beef fajitas $16.24 for chicken fajitas
Now these prices are higher then what it would cost at any of the restaurants but if and when that craving for Mexican comes back, cooking in could be cheaper.
Buying a jar of salsa, a package of cheese, a container of sour cream and a bag of tortillas means you are going to be able to use these ingredients two or three more times, considering they are most likely all not going to be used in one sitting.
If that’s the case, then most likely only the meat, peppers and onions need to be purchased. If you’re a picky eater and only like the meat, or prefer only sour cream on your fajitas, then the prices are all going to be cheaper at the grocery store.
The facts are yours, now it’s your turn to answer the question: What’s for dinner tonight?
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