Suppose Natalie decides to make potato soup. Which result would be a cost?

 - Natalie will save some time. The beef barley soup would have taken longer to make than the potato soup.
 - Natalie will give up the chance to eat the beef barley soup, which would have been tastier than the potato soup.
This result is a cost. It involves giving up or spending something that Natalie wants or needs:
Natalie will give up the chance to eat the beef barley soup, which would have been tastier than the potato soup.