Expensive beef stew vs home grown

[UserNameTaken]

Just some food for thought.

We cooked up a crock pot fulla stew yesterday. While still a good amount of food for the money, I was surprised at the cost, buying it in the store vs what it might cost if one was self sufficient. I started thinking about the unquantified costs that add to everything also.

If you live on a homestead and could grow the veggies, hunt or raise the meat (elk stew over beef any day) you wouldn't have any immediate food cost. But there is the labor, and all the costs of aquiring and operating a farm to have "free meals." I wonder what the cost factor would be for "home grown?" Not considering that having a homestead means you will eat long after the stores are empty or beef goes to $40 a pound.

Please post your thoughts, or if anyone has figured out a "cost analysis."

We got two meals for two, and froze two more meals for two.

Cost:
Steak - abt 2 lb top round (I think) - $10 (on sale)
red potatoes - abt 10 smaller - $3.89
onion - 2 - $1.60
carrots - about 8 - $1.00
celery - 3 stalk - $.75
no salt beef broth (Walmart) - quart $1.70 (ish)
some flour - $.15
seasonings - $.25

TOTAL: About $19 - or about $2.00 per meal. Pretty cheap, but still double than in the past.

Unquantified or pro rated costs:
electricity
water/soap
time and costs driving to the store (gas, repair, ins, purchase)
time to cook and clean up

 

[Amish Heart]

I love beef stew, but the homemade kind. I can't read some of the ingredients on the store canned stuff, but I know what's in mine, and it's good food. Always good to double the recipe and freeze or pressure can the extras. I've been feeling the same way about bread lately, too.
It's coming up soup and stew weather. I like that time of year.

 

[sonya123]

that's why we sell some of ours at the farmers market. So we do get free meat . If we sell about half of what we butcher we come out even. But our biggest expense is transportation. There is no getting around that one

half a pig at our meat processor goes for $4 a pound , half a beef $5.50 a lb ( their animals purchased by someone else)
we pay $ 140 per animal processed regardless of size ( sheep or goat) but then you have to add in hay and other feed, vet , supplies etc

stew: I just took some goat stew meat out, tomorrow going to make Japanese curry which is sort of a stew.
onions: ours
carrots : store but cheap ( ours are all gone)
potatoes : ours
seasoning : store ( golden curry)
some red wine : store ( Aldi about $4 a bottle of red wine)

 

[teeceetx]

Canned stew? Ewwwww.

So easy to make at home, with store bought ingredients. Even easier and cheaper if you have some home grown ingredients.

 

[d_marsh]

I will not sit idly by and listen as the good people at Dinty Moore have their character besmirched! $3.38 for 20oz of low effort cold weather dinner. I have dozens of these at the compound.

 

[teeceetx]

Lololololol !!!!!!!

I suppose ... still not as good as homemade!

 

[hashbrown]

Venison stew is a staple in our home in the fall and winter. I love to spend a Sunday afternoon cooking it over a fire. Alexandra always makes homemade bread bowls while I’m outside messing with the fire. Sometimes I will bake the bread in the Dutch oven as well.

 

[d_marsh]

Venison stew is a staple in our home in the fall and winter. I love to spend a Sunday afternoon cooking it over a fire. Alexandra always makes homemade bread bowls while I’m outside messing with the fire. Sometimes I will bake the bread in the Dutch oven as well.

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I mean, you know, that might look a lot better than the Dinty Moore. Probably tastes 10x better too.

 

[UserNameTaken]

While corporate stew may be handy, there's enough salt in that to stop your heart! We store some stuff like that, but we don't eat it, unless it's a matter of starving today vs next week.