3 Reasons I'm Not a Fan of Meal Delivery Kits

A lot of people love meal delivery kits. Here's why I don't.

As a working parent who's perpetually busy, I can see why meal delivery kits appeal to some people. These kits come in a few different varieties. Some send you ingredients that you combine in your kitchen and cook yourself, while others send you pre-packaged meals that you simply heat up.

Both can be a huge time-saver during the week. Not so long ago, when work was exceptionally busy, I decided to try out a meal delivery service and see if I liked it.

The verdict? The meals were pretty tasty. But I still don't plan to renew my subscription. In fact, I've realized I'm just not a fan of meal delivery kits for the following reasons.

1. They're more expensive than buying groceries

The upside of cooking at home is spending less money on groceries than you would by dining at restaurants or ordering takeout. But if your goal is to lower your food-related spending, meal delivery kits will only get you part of the way there. That's because you'll pay considerably more for these services than you will to load up a cart of groceries at the supermarket.

Now I'll admit that when I signed up for a meal delivery kit, my goal wasn't to save money on food so much as save time. But in the end, I found that I wasn't saving that much money compared to the cost of takeout -- which is even more convenient.

2. The portions aren't very generous

The meal delivery service I used had, as I mentioned, good food -- there just wasn't a lot of it. Now I can see the value of using a service that effectively enforces portion control. But because I do a pretty good job of that on my own, the smaller portions my delivery service came with didn't sit well with me.

In fact, my favorite takeout dish at a nearby Thai restaurant costs $12 and is enough food for three dinners for me. That's $4 a meal. With the meal delivery service I used most recently, the cost per meal was more like $8 or $9, and there wasn't anything left over for an additional meal.

3. I actually like to cook

Some people don't have a lot of experience in the kitchen or struggle to come up with recipe ideas. But I actually enjoy cooking and find that I'm decent at it. As such, all I'm really getting with a meal delivery service is a bit of time-related savings. But that single benefit alone isn't enough to compel me to keep paying for one.

I know lots of people who love their respective meal delivery services. But if you're going to sign up for one, understand what benefits you're really getting. If your goal is to spend less on food and free up more cash for savings, a meal delivery service isn't the best way to achieve it. But if your goal is to take the guesswork out of meal prep and free up time during the week, then you may find that meal delivery kits are more than worth it.