Which one is economical, home cooking or food catering?
By Ellie
@ellie26 (4139)
Malaysia
March 6, 2008 7:39am CST
You know sometimes when we want to plan for a party, we usually start thinking what food to serve or where to host the party. Some people like the idea of preparing their own dish for their guests while others would prefer to opt for catering food. It depends largely on the budget and how many guests are invited to the party. For me, if I have the time and patient to do my own cooking, I would prefer to cook my homemade dish for my party. It gives a great satisfaction when our own cooking received good compliments. My sisters are great cook and when we have gathering, they usually the one who are busy preparing all kind of delicious foods. On the other hand, catering food is also a good idea. It saves time on preparing and cooking the food. All we need to do is to invite and entertain the guests. But it can be very expensive also. So, the next time you want to throw a party, how would you like to serve your guests, own cooking or food catering?
3 people like this
7 responses
@tigerdragon (4297)
• Philippines
6 Mar 08
nothing beats cooking home than catering for a party but it does saves you time in the preparation and you are not stressed out and you can entertain your guest well. what we usually do is to buy several foods from different sources and it turns out that it is a lot cheaper than home cooking.
@tigerdragon (4297)
• Philippines
6 Mar 08
buy foods that you know is good, one of each and it is like getting different caterers to host your party then just place it on top of your table and just let you rvisitors get what ever they want. to save you time in washing the dishes , buy those throw away plates and cuttleries.
1 person likes this
@jennybianca (12912)
• Australia
8 Mar 08
This is a good question because I had a party for my 50th birthday three weeks ago. We decided to have the party in my own home & 30 people were invited.
In the end, I came up with a 50/50 situation. I cooked some of the food, such as salads & roast meats, & the rest of the food I had catered for. I bought big platters of cold meat, cheeses, dips & salads. I also bought two cheesecakes.
I couldn't possibly do all the cooking myself & we couldn't afford to get it 100% catered for. It turned out really well & there was heaps of food left over.
@ellie26 (4139)
• Malaysia
8 Mar 08
Reading through your response, another party tip for me! Usually, when my family decided to plan for a party, we either 100% catering or 100% cooking own dish. Now, the next time I plan for a party, I will do just like what you have done for your 50th birthday, 50/50. By the way, Happy Belated Birthday, Jenny.
@raijin (10345)
• Philippines
6 Mar 08
I guess that depends on how knowledgeable you are on cooking great meals, on your budget and the time availability. But as much as possible, it's better to cook some by our own and make it a family-effort to make things easier. But for big functions such as weddings and anniversaries, it's better to render a catering service. You'll have less worries of the stuffs that you need to do, plus you also have someone to serve foods for you and your guests..
@vipulchawla (2220)
• India
7 Mar 08
Simply thinking in termof business.. home-ooking would be cheaper but obviously people don't go for it because its a head-ache.. Preparing food at home..means getting the grocery and then preparing them.. and later cleaning the dishes.. No one prefers to bear so much headache..
Being a guy myself i m at a situation where i stay away from home with my friends.. so what would you suggest me.. either i cook my dinner daily or go to restaurants daily or get it from mess.. Obviously i will go for mess because eating at restaurnats daily is not economical and preparing food is a tension for a guy like me..
So i think food catering is a better option..
1 person likes this
@shakeroo (3986)
• Malaysia
7 Mar 08
Home cooking can be cheaper that catering but them you have to clean yup after the event and that's what most people would run away from. On the other hand, catering would be more expensive but you are generally guaranteed that you would get some good food to eat for your guests and they would love that. So, if you are not tight on a budget, go for catering!
@mamasan34 (6518)
• United States
6 Mar 08
It honestly depends on what is more important and how long you have to plan. If you are in a fix and are short on time, catering is a good option. It will save you time, stress and effort in planning a party. However, home cooked foods are more welcoming and give a home style touch to the party. It shows your guests that you took the time to cook this food and that you care enough about them to do so. It all just depends on what is going on and how much time you have. Most often I end up catering because I have to plan other things for the party and don't have the time to cook the food myself.
