Comparison shows how much money you save when  you cook at home

One of the most enticing aspects of regularly using a slow cooker is the amount of money that can be saved by cooking your own food. Too often, families resort to picking up fast food or eating out at a restaurant, even though it costs much more money. Have you ever wondered exactly how much money you're saving when you cook at home? It's probably more than you think!

In order to find out, we've compared the cost of some meals that are popular at a national Italian food chain with how much they would cost to make at home in a slow cooker. The results might surprise you!

Slow cooker ingredients:
1 lb Italian sausage  $4
4-6 russet potatoes $o.40
1 onion $0.33
2 tbsp garlic, minced $0.30
32 oz chicken broth $0.65
1/2 bunch kale $0.50
1 cup heavy whipping cream $1.25
Salt and pepper to taste $0.05
1/4 cup bacon - $1

Makes 4 servings - full recipe here.
Cost at home: $2.12 per serving
Cost at Olive Garden $6.79

Slow cooker ingredients:
1 lb Italian sausage $4
1 onion $0.33
45 oz tomato sauce $2.00
2 tsp dried basil $0.10
1/2 tsp salt $0.05
2 cups mozzarella cheese $1.50
15 oz ricotta $2.40
1 cup parmesan $1.28
Lasagna noodles $2.15

Makes 8 servings - full recipe here.
Cost at home: $1.73 per serving
Cost at Olive Garden $16.99

Wow! Now you know how much you're saving when you cook at home! And since these meals can be made in a slow cooker, there's not much loss of convenience.