Suppose Jennifer decides to make cream of mushroom soup. Which result would be a cost?
The cream of mushroom soup will be tastier than the onion soup would have been. Jennifer will spend more time making the cream of mushroom soup than she would have spent making the onion soup.
Jennifer is deciding whether to make cream of mushroom soup or onion soup for dinner. She wants dinner to be as tasty as possible. But she is also hungry and wants to eat soon.
Before you decide to do something, it is often helpful to list costs and benefits.
Costs are what you give up or spend when you decide to do something. Costs involve giving up things that you want or need.
Benefits are what you gain or save when you decide to do something. Benefits involve gaining something that you want or need.
This result is a cost. It involves giving up or spending something that Jennifer wants or needs:
Jennifer will spend more time making the cream of mushroom soup than she would have spent making the onion soup.