How to go back to batch cooking to save money and time

With a background in time management, Suzanne began batch cooking when her kids were small. “I hated the Groundhog Day monotony of having to cook dinner every night and that the time I was cooking was also the time when everyone seemed to need a piece of me,” she recalls.

Now an expert batch cooker, Suzanne notes that batch cooking doesn’t have to be stews, curries and bolognese. “You can batch cook modern cool meals too – churros, calzones, cakes and traybakes,” she says.

When I ask for more tips, Suzanne tells me to forget traditional food containers and use zip-lock bags instead. “You can then freeze everything flat in the bags, like books,” she explains.

“Always label your meals; you will think you will remember what they are, but you won’t once they are frozen.”

Batch cooking is undoubtedly a great time saver. But perhaps, as the cost of living soars, the most significant benefit is financial. Damien Petkovic, a financial coach and founder of Afford a House, estimates that batch cooking can save more than $3,500 a year.

“You can save 20 to 40 per cent by buying in bulk as stores offer bulk discounts and you can stock up on produce that’s selling for a low price when it’s in season,” he says.

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There are other savings too. Having a stock of pre-made meals means less money spent on takeaway (Damien notes that replacing a fortnightly takeaway with a home-cooked freezer meal will save at least $1000 a year).

Then there’s food waste. Research from Food Innovation Australia shows that households waste $2000-$2500 worth of food a year. “Even if you reduce the food waste by 25 per cent, that’s a $500 saving each year,” Damien adds.

My own batch cooking experiment shows me that batch cooking really does save time and money, and I have to be honest, I feel a little smug as I pull pre-made chilli con carne out of the freezer. Sadly, the meal is quickly rejected by the teens. Batch cooking can’t solve all my problems, but two out of three ain’t bad.