The cheapest meal kits are only slightly more expensive than the equivalent grocery store order. However, you will be limited in options for price points on the items. For instance, if the meal kit only uses products with labels that don’t really mean a whole lot, but are charged a premium for, you often don’t have the option to select the less expensive option. So someone who is a little adept at getting the most for their money from a grocery store will end up with a significantly better price. This is all before you consider that these services, as a whole industry, are plagued with late deliveries, spoiled food, incorrect ingredients, and damaged goods (though this one is more on the side of the delivery service).

So you will be limiting yourself in these ways for the trade-off of not having to go out and shop, and shopping by selecting meals, rather than ingredients. However, grocery stores, at least in even semi-urban areas, are already likely to delivery grocery orders, eliminating the the expense, and time, of brick and mortar shopping.