Efficiency Is Everything
efficiencyiseverything.com · Personal blog · on HN since 2017
Efficiency Is Everything applies industrial engineering to daily life, with data on cheap calories, cookbooks, and choosing health insurance.
What HN saysHN commenters call it one of the most life-changing websites they've visited, and rate its cookbook, guides, and insurance advice as excellent.
36HN people shared it
33linked it in comments
16stories submitted
687story points
2 years agolast shared
2017people per year2026
Most-shared posts
- 1Calorie per Dollar List – Eat for 21 Dollars a Week10 people · 200 points · first shared 2017 · 217 comments on HN
- 2Show HN: Industrial Engineering Principles Applied to Life7 people · 4 points · first shared 2018 · 1 comments on HN
- 3Efficiency Is Everything6 people · 3 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 4Calories per Dollar of Every Restaurant5 people · 2 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 5Eat for $1.50 per Day – Layoffs, Coronavirus Quarantine, Food Shortages3 people · 299 points · first shared 2020 · 277 comments on HN
- 6Industrial Engineering Studies to Save Time at Home3 people · 1 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 7The Efficiency Is Everything Cookbook [pdf]2 people · 162 points · first shared 2019 · 86 comments on HN
- 8Show HN: Mathematically choosing your health insurance plan2 people · 4 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 9Applying protein per dollar2 people · first shared 2019
- 10Grocer comparison aldi walmart costco kroger2 people · first shared 2018
- 11The highest calorie per dollar food in human history flour vs oil2 people · first shared 2018
- 12Caffeine per Dollar List – Math's Cheapest Forms of Caffeine1 people · 3 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 13Biphasic Sleep- Save 12 Hours a Week Sleeping +4 Tips on How to Fall Asleep Fast1 people · 2 points · first shared 2018 · discussion on HN
- 14Taco Bell Menu: Calories/Protein per Dollar1 people · 2 points · first shared 2017 · 1 comments on HN
- 15Calculating entertainment per dollar1 people · 2 points · first shared 2017 · discussion on HN
What HN people wrote when they linked it
j45 · 2024-06-20
It also may be less about the size of the house and more about the time accrued with said laundry.
Maybe the math of it will end up on something like https://efficiencyiseverything.com/
dgrin91 · 2023-08-25
I can't help you on the job front, but I found this site a long time ago (I think also on HN) and I've always thought that if I was in your position it would be important to me: https://efficiencyiseverything.com/
They originally got fame because they were grad students trying to live off of tiny wages, so they calculated the most efficient foods in terms of calories per dollar. They have expanded since then, but the basic concept is still there.
Scoundreller · 2022-11-24
The cookbook and other guides here are excellent:
https://efficiencyiseverything.com/food/
hahahasure · 2021-05-27
Not sure if https://efficiencyiseverything.com/
Counts because he hires data collectors, but it's one of the most life changing websites I've ever visited.
marketingPro · 2020-10-09
Since you posted the myth that health insurance is better when you pay more, I highly recommend reading this article explaining why the lowest cost plan is likely the best during the most expensive medical situations https://efficiencyiseverything.com/engineering-conclusions-on-health-i…
Don't get me wrong, healthcare is the most corrupt industry in the United States (by lobbying dollars). But I give some blame to my peers for not even attempting to understand how insurance works.
FirefoxIsSlow · 2020-06-17
Does biphasic sleep count as polyphasic? I've been doing it for years following the 6 hr core and 20 minute nap. (Basically this https://efficiencyiseverything.com/sleep/)
It's been extremely doable for over a year. Sure I sleep in when I'm hungover or on a lazy Saturday, but it's closer to a regular 8 hour sleep rather than 10 hours.
I'm not in agreement of this overly simple article.
Fenrisulfr · 2019-05-24
I love this type of list. I'm frugal, super busy (read: lazy), and powerlift so I try to make a minimum-cost, high-protein, easy meal-prep every week. Having a high protein / calorie ratio is primary, but keeping it low-cost is a close second. I normally use a pressure cooker, 5-6 lbs of chicken breast, brown rice, and lots of veggies. It may sound boring, but it's great when you add stuff like chickpeas, delicious sauces / salsas, and try out different regional styles of cuisine. Check out the author's protein / dollar list - it's very helpful for the protein-obsessed.
https://efficiencyiseverything.com/applying-protein-per-dollar/
throwayEngineer · 2019-05-17
https://efficiencyiseverything.com/efficiency-everything-cookbook-torr…
The cookbook was my best seller. Hope you enjoy!
frankosaurus · 2019-04-07
Nutrition per dollar numbers are a bit dubious.
https://efficiencyiseverything.com/food-nutrition-per-dollar/
Flour tends to beat everything since it is so cheap.
For example, flour has 83.3 mg of iron per dollar. However, if you tried to hit your DRI for iron using flour, you would greatly exceed your daily caloric intake.
One could argue just using a vitamin pill for micronutrients, and optimizing protein/dollar for macros.
ken · 2018-12-18
My first guess would have been rice. Rice is super cheap. According to [1], it's oils and flours, followed closely by rice and sugar.
Butter is around $5/lb for 32 x 100-Kcal servings, so it's only around 640 Kcal/$. That would put it pretty far down the list, below milk and eggs, and on par with lentils.
[1]: https://efficiencyiseverything.com/the-highest-calorie-per-dollar-food…
tomcam · 2018-12-13
If your site is http://efficiencyiseverything.com I think it could be a hit with a graphic redesign and maybe converting some posts to YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, etc. It’s a neat idea but slow and a little hard on the eyes.
mkirklions · 2018-05-04
All at least 2 reps, goal is 5.
Day 1
Deadlift- 435
Bench- 235
Day 2
Squats-345
OHP-160
Back is surprisingly great, my first deadlift was only 90lbs. Ive come a long way.
Here is the cheatsheet I follow: http://efficiencyiseverything.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/09…
ouid · 2017-07-18
are you considering caloric efficiency?
I love this list, but I doubt it's accurate to more than an factor of 2. http://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/
Bananas are not a cost effective source of calories, have very little protein, and boast a fairly high glycemic index.
basically, bananas are trash at being fruit.
Paradox0 · 2021-05-04
Counterpoint (kinda): https://efficiencyiseverything.com/
foobarian · 2024-12-23
Bet you wouldn't be saying that if you were starving. Wonder what the highest calories/$ food is out there, though probably not soda.
edit: hah, someone's done the legwork: https://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/
No drinks though. Looks like soda from a $2 2L bottle comes in at about 500cal/$, much lower than the leader in that list. Not sure how cheap one can get soda elsewhere though (from fountains etc).
olalonde · 2024-07-17
If you're thinking of a UBI that allows people to live a comfortable life without working, yeah that doesn't seem possible. But if you're thinking of a UBI that prevents homelessness and hunger, it seems possible.
Let's say we set the bare minimum at 1000$ per month.
That gives us 1000$ * 260,000,000 adults * 12 months ~= 3 trillion$ per year. That's around half of the federal government spending for 2023. I know 1000$ doesn't seem like a lot but if you live in a low density area with roommate(s) and eat a lot of rice[0], it's do-able. Of course, living in a costly area wouldn't be possible for people who solely survive on UBI. The UBI could even be upped to 1,500$ and still leave government with 1.5 trillion to spend.
[0] https://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/
mollerhoj · 2024-06-26
I find this a strange claim. 1: Are people living on milk? Never heard of that diet except for infants. 2: Many things are both cheaper and more nutritious, see https://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/
elil17 · 2023-12-18
hospitalJail · 2023-07-25
My understanding is that fresh foods are cheaper than processed/unhealthy foods according to this website:
https://efficiencyiseverything.com/food-nutrition-per-dollar/
I suppose the counter to that is that you could drink oil, but that is a bit unrealistic.
Something to consider is that not all fresh foods are equal. Lettuce is way healthier and cheaper than imported raspberries that need to be basically overnighted to maintain freshness.
Seems like eating healthy is an education problem. Although even as myself, who I consider educated in the manner, I find myself overeating healthy foods out of hedonism and putting on weight.
ramesh31 · 2022-12-21
> What time/price bucket do bananas fall in?
Somewhere well below frozen burritos and pizzas: https://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/
throwawayfood · 2021-04-05
I urge you not to use food insecurity in argument. Even outside food stamps, food is extremely affordable to eat perfectly healthy. If nothing else it's an education issue, not a food issue.
https://efficiencyiseverything.com/eat-for-1-50-per-day-layoffs-corona…
No comment on job security or wealth inequality.
waterhouse · 2020-10-06
Cheerful meat-eater here. I think that, if you got your protein through legumes, that would be even cheaper than eggs. It would probably mean rearchitecting your food in general rather than using drop-in replacements.
One website says that the cheapest eggs on its list (Costco) are 70 grams of protein per dollar, while the cheapest beans (pinto) are 80 grams per dollar, and lentils are 116 grams per dollar. Hmm, that difference is smaller than I expected. https://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/
throWaythxMod · 2020-08-22
Say you use the tips here( https://efficiencyiseverything.com/time/) to save time, particularly the first example about shoes.
You are going to have more time to do anything, relax, think, clean, whatever.
Why would spending more time putting on shoes be better?
lobbyingWins · 2020-04-28
Can't afford food? Between food stamps and eating for $1.50/day (source- https://efficiencyiseverything.com/eat-for-1-50-per-day-layoffs-corona… I don't think the problem is the cost of food.
Rent, sure. Health insurance, sure. Food? Not the major expense, especially with food stamps.
robertAngst · 2019-06-25
I want to do linear algebra on this data
https://efficiencyiseverything.com/food-nutrition-per-dollar/
EDIT: Direct link to the data https://efficiencyiseverything.com/data/Nutrition%20Per%20Dollar-v1.5.…
iamnothere · 2019-05-24
I would like to see more efforts like this:
* https://efficiencyiseverything.com/calorie-per-dollar-list/
* https://efficiencyiseverything.com/The-Cookbook-v-1.4.pdf
* https://efficiencyiseverything.com/Weekly_Groceries.pdf
Honestly, it is not that expensive to cook at home. The "foodie" industry fills the Internet with recipes that are complicated and expensive, and this can definitely be a barrier for people who don't know how to cook. But once you learn to avoid recipes with 10+ ingredients, it's actually less of a time commitment than running out for fast food, as long as you have ingredients on hand.
Once you know what you like and you always have your staples available, it becomes almost automatic. It does take time to learn this and develop your own system, however.
gregwebs · 2019-05-24
The author of the submitted site has also developed some of this information on a separate page: https://efficiencyiseverything.com/nutrient-per-calorie/
I created a site that will display a nutrient density graph for foods that you search for: https://eatnutrients.com/
rudedogg · 2019-05-17
I get a page not found error for the download link: https://efficiencyiseverything.com/Efficiency-Is-Everything-In-Life-v.…
miguelrochefort · 2019-02-08
> see your own data points for the many Veg's that have a ton of protein, on a cheaper basis than many meats
Not really:
https://efficiencyiseverything.com/applying-protein-per-dollar/
> but maybe not more than a larger serving of Spinach, which is considerably cheaper
While 100g of spinach almost has as much protein as 100g of milk, it's also 3 times more expensive.
> The theme of this branch of the thread is that 'poor people can't afford to eat healthy' due to things like cheaper fast food' etc. - which is rubbish.
I don't disagree with you.
mondo9000 · 2018-12-18
Soybean oil from CostCo
https://efficiencyiseverything.com/the-highest-calorie-per-dollar-food…