We love burritos. I try to have them at least once a week as it takes the stress off of the creative side. Sometimes, we are even lucky enough to get them for lunch if we are on the road. Moreover, it is our most common meal just before leaving or just after arriving at the Orlando International Airport. All of this makes me wonder if a trip to Taco Bell once a week would be a better option than buying the supplies and making them at home. It's time to make an evaluation.

Cost of eating out at Taco Bell

• $0.99 Bean Burrito
• $0.89 Rice
• $1.88 Total for one of each

Cost of making Taco Bell at home

• $0.09 Flour tortillas (Aldi)
• $0.12 Refried Beans (Walmart--10 burritos out of one can--but sometimes we prefer the Taco Bell brand beans that are only sold at Publix for $0.99. We get 4-5 burritos out of that sized can.)
• $0.07 Chopped onions (Costco)
• $0.20 Cheese, shreaded (Costco, newly reduced price by $0.70.)
• $0.10 Taco Sauce
• $0.32 Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (Aldi)
• $0.90 Total for one serving of each

After discussing this post with Paul, my husband, and Dewey, a coworker, it is important to point out a few aspects of this post. Firstly, the microwave rice is the big money-breaker at home. If you used bagged brown rice that had been cooked and frozen earlier in the week, I assure you the price difference would be even more dramatic. Paul also thinks that I had calculated enough filling for a "fancy burrito". So, I reconsidered my purchases and feel the pricing is as accurate as possible depending on how much cheese and onions you like. At home, you can be a bit pickier.

There is just enough of a price difference (keeping in mind Paul and I can put away two burritos each) to prove that no matter how cheap it gets, you can still make it cheaper at home. Dewey pointed out that there is stress in the fixin' and the cookin' and the cleanin' of the dishes. But, think about, one small microwaveable bowl for the rice. One bowl for the beans. Not hard to clean. A cutting board and a knife for the onions. A cheese slicer. If it gets too complicated, we'll just eat on paper plates. Moreover, at home I can add fresh salsa and corn chips to the plate; plus adding an extra helping of daily required vegetables with a bit of rocket from the garden outside.