Why does everyone tell new cooks to buy fresh herbs when dried ones cost a third as much?

Beth Sanchez · 2026-10-19T12:45:05.429652+00:00

I keep seeing people in cooking groups tell beginners to grab those little $3 plastic packs of fresh basil and parsley, and it bugs me because I fed my family of four on a $60 weekly grocery budget for about 8 months last year, and dried herbs were a big part of how I pulled that off. A $1.50 jar of dried oregano or thyme lasts me 4 or 5 months, while the fresh bunch wilts in my fridge in a week and a half, so I'm basically throwing money away. I get that fresh tastes better in some dishes, but for soups, chili, pasta sauce, and roasted veggies, I honestly can't tell the difference once it's cooked in, and my kids never said a word. The other thing is people don't tell you to crush the dried stuff between your fingers before it goes in the pot, and that alone wakes up the flavor a lot. In my experience the money you save on herbs can go toward actual protein, which matters way more when you're feeding kids. Am I crazy here, or does the fresh-herb rule only really make sense if you're cooking one fancy meal and not a whole week of dinners?

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Why does everyone tell new cooks to buy fresh herbs when dried ones cost a third as much? | Budget Friendly Meals - Librear