ANCHOR LEAD
IF YOU'RE LIKE MOST AMERICAN SHOPPERS, CONVENIENCE IS AT THE TOP OF YOUR GROCERY LIST....AND THAT OFTEN MEANS PRE-SLICED, PRE-CHOPPED, PRE-COOKED. THESE FOODS ARE DEFINITE TIME SAVERS....BUT ARE THEY WORTH THE COST? SCOTT HANSON GIVES YOU A HEADS UP SO YOU CAN DECIDE.

TRACK ONE Length: :09
LILLIAN MALLIA (rhymes with "Alley Uh") IS ABOUT TO FIND OUT WHETHER IT'S WORTH IT TO SLICE THESE APPLES BY HAND... OR BUY THIS MORE EXPENSIVE PACKAGE ALREADY CUT UP.

NAT SOUND Length: :02
(Music)

TRACK TWO Length: :11
BUYING PRESLICED APPLES WOULD SAVE LILLIAN A MINUTE IN A HALF...BUT COST HER FIFTY CENTS MORE. THAT WORKS OUT TO 20 DOLLARS AN HOUR YOU'RE PAYING TO HAVE SOMEONE SLICE YOUR APPLES FOR YOU.

SOT
KEY@: :22 Lillian Mallia, Mother
"I'll keep the $20 and go get a manicure."

TRACK THREE Length: :06
SHOPPERS THESE DAYS ARE PRESENTED WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF PRE-SLICED... PRE-CUT CONVENIENCE FOODS.

SOT
KEY@: :32 Suzzette Goldmon, Consumer Specialist
"A lot of new cooks, once they started cooking, they just gravitated toward the convenience items."

TRACK FOUR Length: :08
BUT CONSUMER SPECIALIST SUZZETTE GOLDMON SAYS MANY CONVENIENCE FOODS DON'T MAKE FINANCIAL SENSE. SHREDDED CHEESE FOR INSTANCE.

NAT SOUND Length: :02
(Music)

TRACK FIVE Length: :11
THE EXTRA MONEY YOU PAY TO SAVE A MINUTE AND FIFTEEN SECONDS WORKS OUT TO 26 DOLLARS AND 46 CENTS AN HOUR. BUT THE SET UP AND CLEAN UP MAKES THIS ONE CHORE LILLIAN STILL DOESN'T WANT.

SOT
KEY@: :57 Lillian Mallia, Mother
"I hate shredding cheese, that's why I always buy it pre-shredded."

TRACK SIX Length: :08
YOU PAY DEARLY FOR PRE-SHREDDED POTATOES FOR HASH BROWNS-- 51 DOLLARS AN HOUR FOR THAT CONVENIENCE. BUT SOME ITEMS MAY BE WORTH IT.

NAT SOUND Length: 02
(NAT)

TRACK SEVEN Length: :12
YOU'RE PAYING JUST 9 DOLLARS AN HOUR TO HAVE SOMEONE CUT CHEESE INTO CUBES FOR YOU. AS FOR CUTTING BROCCOLI... IT'S ACTUALLY SAVING YOU MONEY TO BUY IT PRECUT. BUT MORE OFTEN THEN NOT... CONVENIENCE COMES AT A PRICE.

SOT
KEY@: 1:22 Suzzette Goldmon, Consumer Specialist
"And you have to ask yourself, is it worth it?"

STAND-UP CLOSE
ALSO BE CAREFUL IF YOU'RE ON A SPECIAL DIET. MANY CONVENIENCE MEALS ARE HIGHER IN SODIUM OR FAT THAN ITEMS YOU MAKE YOURSELF. FOR HEADS UP... I'M SCOTT HANSON.

ANCHOR TAG
GOLDMON SAYS AN EASY WAY TO AVOID THE CONVENIENCE FOOD TEMPTATION IS TO TAKE TIME BEFORE YOU GROCERY SHOP AND PLAN EACH MEAL FOR THE WEEK. YOU'LL FIND WHEN YOU BUY RAW MATERIALS LIKE POTATOES OR A HEAD OF LETTUCE YOU HAVE MORE CHOICES WHAT YOU CAN MAKE WITH IT.

SOURCES

Suzzette Goldmon
Family Consumer Education Specialist
(919) 560-0537

Ms. Goldmon is a Family Consumer Education Specialist with North Carolina State University's Cooperative Extension Service. For six years, she's worked to educate groups about smart consumer choices.

Linda Vaughan
Arizona State University
Linda.vaughan@asu.edu

Ms. Vaughan conducted research funded by the Arizona Republic into the comparative costs of convenience food. Her study served as a guide to this story.