You might think that spending $3,000 on a cooked-away meal is out of the question, and I suggest you take a look at your budget.
Eating out is expensive.
In fact, on average, restaurants add about 300% to food, so make money!
I don't blame the restaurants because they have to make money somewhere, right?
When you go out to eat, you're really paying:
- Services
- comfort
- Diet type
Instead of paying 300% more and eating foods you didn't process, cook instead.
Definition of Meal Prep: Meal prep is when you buy groceries in bulk and on one day (usually before the start of the work week) you prepare meals for a week.
Whether it's lunch or dinner, every meal is pre-made and frozen, so all you have to do is defrost, reheat and eat your frozen meal!
Of course, dining isn't just about fun and fashion.
Here are some things to cook:
- Money - You have to buy products in bulk
- Time - Allocate time to prepare food
- Skills - Must have some knowledge of cooking
- Convenience: Bring your lunch to work instead of eating out
If you buy groceries in bulk, don't forget that you can take advantage of cashback programs like iBotta, where you can earn money with your daily shopping!
Ibotta cooperates with more than 2000 stores including:
... So if you buy in bulk, you can take a picture of your receipt, upload it to the app, and earn rewards on your purchases!
Tip: While meal prepping can help you stay on budget, there's no need to give up eating out entirely. Remember to live in moderation.
If you decide to eat out, I highly recommend keeping track of your spending on a budget.
If you haven't already, consider opening a YNAB account (free for 34 days!) to track your spending and get a better idea of your budget.
Here are some of the best products I use for cooking:
- Pasta and meat
- chicken wars
- Boiled eggs
- Lettuce and salmon
- Chicken and salad
Admittedly, my meals didn't take exactly 7 days to complete, and sometimes my meal-prep efforts only took a few days—and that's totally fine.
Tip: You also don't want to store food that has been spoiled by bacteria, so be careful about how long you can keep the type of food you're cooking.
Meal prepping is a great way to save money and stay on top of your budget.