Lost $85 on a 'budget meal prep' service that was just upcharged groceries

Signed up for one of those meal kit delivery trials in October thinking it would save me money compared to eating out. Three weeks in, I sat down and added it up: $85 for 6 dinners that were basically rice, chicken, and a sauce packet. I could have bought the same stuff at the Kroger near my school for maybe $30, and I would have gotten more food per box. The kicker was the portions got smaller on week two and the recipe cards started reading like a sales pitch for their own spices. Anyone else get burned by the 'convenience tax' on meal delivery when the whole point was supposed to be cutting costs?

2 comments

2 Comments

williamhenderson27d ago

Wait, is this a real thing where people actually think those boxes save money? I used to defend this stuff, figured the convenience was worth the extra cash for a busy guy like me. But @sean_barnes24 hit it right when he mentioned that shrinking chicken story, that "portions adjusted for quality" line is code for we're cheap now. I tried a box back in spring, paid $70 for what was basically two steaks and some sad potatoes, could've hit the local butcher for half that. What finally got me was the third box came with a tiny bottle of their own hot sauce and a recipe that only worked if you used it. That's when I knew it was a hustle, not a meal plan.

sean_barnes2427d ago

The recipe cards turning into ads for their own spices is the part that gets me. That's when you know they've stopped trying to be useful and just want to sell you more stuff. I got burned the same way with a box that had half the chicken on the second week and a note saying "portions adjusted for quality." Not gonna lie, that stung worse than the $85. It's a real punch to the gut when you realize you paid double for the same ingredients you could grab on a student budget.