Suppose Alice decides to make chicken soup. Which result would be a cost?
Alice will spend more time making the chicken soup than she would have spent making the lentil soup. The chicken soup will be tastier than the lentil soup would have been.
Alice is deciding whether to make chicken soup or lentil 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 Alice wants or needs:
Alice will spend more time making the chicken soup than she would have spent making the lentil soup.