Simple ways to cut your food bill with money saving tips from HelloFresh

Meal kit company HelloFresh has a number of money-saving tips to make that food spend stretch further.

Senior recipe development manager at the company, Mimi Morley, has revealed some of those tips.

Brits are demanding restaurant quality meals at home, as 79 per cent look to cook up a storm at home instead of going out or ordering takeaways during the cost-of-living crisis.

A new trend is set to play a critical part in our lives this year, with eating, celebrating and entertaining at home replacing meals out, research from HelloFresh’s Perspective Report 2023 has revealed.

The report found that 79 per cent of Brits are more likely to cook at home than go out as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, nodding towards the rise of “Homegastronomy”. Cash-strapped Brits are rustling up restaurant-quality meals at home, fuelled by the desire to eat in, save money and experience new flavours and cuisines from the comfort of their own home.

As UK food prices soar by the fastest rate on record, even more pressure is being placed on households with already stretched budgets. It’s no surprise that 90 per cent of us are paying more attention to how much money we spend on food.

To make the most of our money, there are ways we can all think and shop smarter in order to cut the cost of our food bill.

Mimi Morley, shows how to make our finances go further.

Become a home gastronomist

A total of 79 per cent of Brits say they are more likely to cook at home than go out during the cost-of-living crisis. As a result, it is no surprise that our habits will be subject to huge change this year. One in five Brits say that they’ll go out to dinner less often, while 39 per cent are opting to skip bars and pubs and 22 per cent are choosing to ditch ordering takeaways.

“Eating out in the current financial climate can be expensive, and it can be hard to find ways to treat ourselves without spending a lot of money. Channelling our inner home gastronomist, we can experiment with new and tasty recipes in a budget-friendly way to create restaurant-quality meals we can enjoy in the comfort of our own homes,” said Mimi.

“Opting for a meal kit with pre-portioned ingredients is a great way to sharpen up your home chef skills, while trying new flavours and cuisines, with the added benefit of cutting your food waste by not stocking up on excess ingredients.”

Calculate the price per portion

When polled on what constitutes ‘good value for money’, 42 per cent of survey respondents defined this as a ‘restaurant-quality meal at a low cost’, followed by a large portion for less (41 per cent) and something that feels new without being expensive (32 per cent).

“Finding value for money on food is going to be a really important way to save some extra cash this year, and this may mean looking further than just what’s on discount on the supermarket shelves.

A great way to ensure you’re getting value for money is by paying attention to the price of how much your food costs per portion. Consider whether the dish you’re eating is worth the price you’re paying – quite often you’ll find you can cook a restaurant-quality meal at home for a third of the price”.

Meal planning

A total of 70 per cent of respondents admitted to regularly buying ingredients, using some of them for one meal, and then throwing away the rest. A focus on meal planning is an effective way to reduce costs and food waste, something over a third of Brits (34 per cent) say they're going to try harder with this this year.

When we’re wasting food, we’re essentially throwing away our money in the process. This not only has a financial impact, but an environmental one too. There are many ways we can avoid or reduce our food waste, such as batch cooking, meal planning, eating leftovers, portion control and cooking with others.”

The top five reasons why people waste food:

Exceeding use-by dates

Buying too much food

Portion sizes are too big

Not planning meals in advance

Not wanting to eat leftovers the next day

Celebrat-in

Going out to celebrate a birthday might not be an option for some friends and family during the cost-of-living crisis. So why not avoid the awkward ask like three in five of us (57 per cent), who are planning to celebrate their birthdays at home this year.

“Hosting a dinner party can be a great way to bring your friends and family together in a cost-effective way without compromising on food quality or sacrificing your social life. While some of the pet peeves of hosting include ensuring you have all the right ingredients, timing everything correctly and the cost of a designated chef for the night, there’s new ways of hosting that can avoid these bugbears.

We try to help lessen party planning woes with our restaurant quality home-cooked meals that will impress your friends for just £3.15 per person – rather than an expensive bill topped with service charges at your local restaurant or bar. We also offer recipe boxes for special occasions, such as our premium or ultimate options, which would make for a great birthday meal for yourself or a loved one.”

Ditch the takeaway make a fakeaway

More than one third of Brits (37 per cent) have claimed that they’ll sacrifice their fish and chip Friday takeaways this year to cut down on their food bill. While we love takeaways as a nation, the expense is certainly something to consider when looking to cut down on costs. But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on your favourite dishes.

“Fakeaways are a great, cost-effective replacement for when you want to treat yourself. Our takeaway kits provide you with all the ingredients needed to make your favourite restaurant-style meals at home. Fakeaways are a delicious, and budget-friendly way to enjoy your favourite meals without breaking the bank.

Not only is this a great way to save money, but it is also likely to make for a healthier meal overall, as you’ll be cooking with fresh ingredients and have sight of exactly what’s going into your meal. Fakeaways can also help reduce food and packaging waste often caused by from takeaway orders.”