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