Thrifty mum-of-three makes 90 meals for just £200 – and it only took her one afternoon to do
LET’S be honest – as much as we’d love to bulk cook all our family’s meals weeks in advance, we’re just not that organised. Trust us, we’ve tried.
That said, one thrifty mum has revealed how she makes a whopping 90 meals in a single afternoon – and now we’re tempted to try it ourselves.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, mum-of-three Mary Konn, from New South Wales, said her method saves her money in the long-run – even though the grocery bill seems expensive at first.
Mary and her husband spent £200 to bulk cook the meals – which included chicken stir fry, potato pie and beef stroganoff – before putting them in the freezer for a later date.
She said: “We estimated that the meals should last us three to four weeks depending on whether my husband and I take one for lunch.”
The mum was inspired to give bulk cooking a go after joining the Facebook group Budget Friendly Meals Australia – where other members share their thrifty tips.
“My husband used to buy so much takeaway as we were just not prepared with food, but now he will just grab a pre-prepared meal from the freezer and off he goes,” she said. “I definitely would recommend bulk buying as although it’s a lot of money to outlay initially, you will be saving so much in the end.”
If you fancy trying Mary’s method for yourself, the mum recommends making VERY detailed shopping lists and invest in enough containers for all the meals you’ll prep.
Ideally, Mary says to buy containers that can be stacked in your cupboards to make the most of your storage.
She added: ‘If meal prepping for adults as well as kids, try to think of recipes to please everyone so no food is wasted.”
Mary's bulk cooking tips
- Make a very detailed shopping list before you leave the house and list all the meals you want to make
- Buy enough containers to store all your pre-prepared meals and have somewhere you can store them
- Think of meals your kids would want to eat too so no food is wasted
- Shop local to avoid supermarket mark-ups
What’s more, Mary cuts down on costs by buying her fruit and veg from her local shop and gets all her meat from the butchers to avoid supermarket mark-ups.
In total, the mum made enough food for 90 meals – including beef goulash, chicken rissoles, spaghetti Bolognese, and potato pie.
For more cooking tips, follow Mary on Instagram here.
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