How much do you REALLY save when you buy a whole chicken? Final Part: THE NUMBERS A few things I want to mention (comments I'm sure I will get) My calculations are realistic and conservative. I was not comparing the stock I made to the more expensive high end stock because someone on a tight budget isn't buying "bone broth" they are buying generic chicken broth. So that is my comparison, is it cost saving for an average person. Total time to do this for me was about 10 minutes per chicken (I did 2 chickens) For a beginner perhaps double that. Add in the time to make the stock, but a lot of that time was passive, so I'd say about 30 minutes of prep / processing time for the stock. Total "active" labor: About 1 to 1 & 1/2 hours total. As far as the cost of the vegetables to make the stock, many people use scraps, or you can simply omit them. Regardless, the wing cuts I couldn't compare likely "wash" the potential cost of the vegetables. Making the final comparison still fairly accurate to the best of my ability. Electricity: You would have to cook both precut and whole chicken. So there is electrical use for both, because we are not comparing a raw chicken to a cooked one. Slow cookers use minimal electricity, roasting in the oven takes a little more energy. The way I did the "math" may not be the most scientific method, since I didn't go by weight, but it would be easy enough for anyone to replicate this method at home. Look at the cost of 2 chickens and compare it to the average cost of 4 breasts, 4 legs, 4 thighs, 4 tenderloins, and 3 cartons of stock. Add in wings if you can, and that is your actual savings based on your cost of living. I hope this was helpful! #
#stretchyourdollar #isitworthit #homecooking #cookingbasics #wholechicken #grocerysavings