Great rules to live by, and welcome to snapzu! I would just like to add that the price difference of buying fresh ingredients and cooking them yourself may seem high at first because what you buy is never just for one serving (like a meal at mcdonalds). These ingredients can literally make a whole pot of something that can last 3-4 sittings, pasta can be amazingly good for you at a fraction of the cost people pay for it at restaurants with arguably better ingredients! Also... a while back I found out that reheated pasta can be better for you, so that's also a plus!
Great rules to live by, and welcome to snapzu! I would just like to add that the price difference of buying fresh ingredients and cooking them yourself may seem high at first because what you buy is never just for one serving (like a meal at mcdonalds). These ingredients can literally make a whole pot of something that can last 3-4 sittings, pasta can be amazingly good for you at a fraction of the cost people pay for it at restaurants with arguably better ingredients! Also... a while back I found out that reheated pasta can be better for you, so that's also a plus!