The real cost of pizza

It’s ironic. We spend the first few years of our children’s lives eagerly encouraging them to walk and talk, and then the next 16 years or so trying to get them to sit down and shut up. Anyone who has spent any length of time in the company of children will identify with this wry, yet amusing take on parenthood. Children are incredibly demanding.

Hands up all those adults who identify with the following scenario. It’s late, you’ve had a hard day and the kids are fighting. Attempts to intervene simply result in accusations of favoritism and unfairness. Suddenly you have the answer. “Who wants to go out for Pizza?” Suddenly villain is transformed into hero and children exchange previous argument for one about which pizza place you should go to and where they are going to sit. Ok, admittedly no plan is perfect, but at least you get out of the house and don’t have to cook, clean up or wash the dishes.

I know because I have done it on several occasions.

So how much does that pizza cost? $20? You’re not even close. Below is the real cost of that pizza and it doesn’t make for pleasant reading.

1) The real cost in dollars. Ok there’s the pizza, then there’s the drinks and/or dessert. Now add on the cost of parking, the gas and not forgetting the cost of the wear and tear to your vehicle.

2) The cost to the environment. Sure when you are trying to deal with your children, it’s often the last thing to cross your mind is whether someone is cutting down a rainforest in some distant corner of the earth. But take a minute to think about how much this simple act costs in terms of your carbon footprint and everything you buy has to be paid for.

3) The cost of enjoyment. Worth waiting for. Why does that sausage cooked over a campfire always taste better than those cooked at home even though they are usually covered in dirt, burnt on the outside and raw on the inside, a meal you would normally throw in the trash can at home.  It taste great because you are hungry and because you earned it.

4) The cost to your memories. Ask an elderly person what they wish they had done different with their lives and more often than not, top of the list is “I wish I had spent more time with my family and friends."

So perhaps reaching for the car keys or the phone in order to order fast food may not be in our best interests in the long term.

Instead we may be better off, looking into the food cupboard and enlisting the help or hindrance of our kids and cook at home. It will be more fun, taste better and in the long term will benefit everyone.