Data Analysis of Value when Cooking with Chicken Parts Versus a Whole Chicken

I tend to plan my meals on a Saturday morning and then go shopping for the whole week. This week I planned 6 meals and this includes 3 chicken meals;

BBQ chicken (Drums and Wings)
Satay Chicken stir fry
Butter chicken

I've been shopping like this since having kids, but today was a first for me; rather than buying fillets of breast and thighs I bought a whole chicken. Actually, they are pretty small so I bought two. After cutting these up I weighed the waste and then checked with Google and it seems I did an alright job with getting about 60% meat. So I wonder if I saved any money?

(Note: the sums are all too convenient as the price at the present is $6 per Kilo and you can get 60% meat. Hence 100g of meat from a Chicken is $1.)

Discussion

When compared to the cut up prices, $10 per kilo is mid range, but is very good compared to the premium meat. Perhaps the best value of buying multiple-of-chicken is the volume is to my liking, rather than the supermarkets. The minimum weights on the parts means to get the mix I want, I have to buy 2.5 kilos of meat. With the whole chicken I can buy in 800g mix packages. I bought 2 chickens, and I think 1.6kg of meat is enough for a family of 4 for 1 week.

Conclusion

If you want the breast or thighs then then the whole chicken makes sense, otherwise perhaps not.

The Data

1.3Kg of chicken = $7.80

Thighs are about 12% e. $1.56 (20% of cost) 156g
Drums are about 12% e. $1.56 (20% of cost) 156g
Wings are about 6% e. 78c (10% of cost) for 78g
Breast is about 30% e. $3.90 (50% of cost) for 390g

The cost these separately is

Thighs are $16 per kilo
Drums are $5.50 per kilo
Wings are $8 per kilo
Breast is $18 per kilo

Just in case you want to know how to do this. This video might help