The Hidden Costs of Cooking From Scratch

The price tag on your grocery receipt is only part of the story. When you factor in food waste, impulse purchases, and the time you spend planning and shopping, the true cost of a home-cooked dinner is a lot higher than most people realise.

Food Waste: $1,500+ Per Year Down the Bin

The OzHarvest Half Eaten report (2025), which surveyed over 3,000 Australian households, found that families are throwing away more than $1,500 worth of food every year. The biggest culprits? Uneaten leftovers, vegetables like tomatoes and leafy greens, and herbs that wilt in the fridge before you get a chance to use them.

The report also found a clear link between meal planning and waste: 81% of low-waste households plan their meals, compared to just 28% of high-waste households. Under-35s are the worst offenders, wasting 113kg of food per year, more than 70% more than their parents’ generation.

When you buy a 500g bag of spinach because the recipe calls for a handful, the rest often ends up in the bin. That’s money you’ve already spent, quietly adding to the real cost of dinner.

Impulse Buys: The Supermarket Is Designed to Make You Overspend

The Resonate CX 2025 study found that in-store shopping leads to twice as many unplanned purchases as online shopping. Nearly a quarter of Australians (23%) admit they often make impulse buys in-store, compared to just 12% online. Eye-catching displays, end-of-aisle specials, and the psychology of “just in case” all contribute.

The same research found that 74% of Australians have changed their shopping behaviour in the past 12 months, shifting toward reduced non-essential spending and cheaper alternatives. But when you’re physically in the supermarket, those good intentions are harder to stick to.

Time: The Cost Nobody Counts

Most Australians spend 30 to 40 minutes each day just deciding what to cook, before any actual shopping or cooking begins. Add in a weekly supermarket trip (45 to 60 minutes including travel), and the time commitment for a week’s worth of dinners quickly adds up. For time-poor households, that’s a significant hidden cost.

How Meal Kits Cut Through the Dinner Dilemma

Meal kits were once seen as a premium convenience product. But as grocery prices have climbed, the maths has shifted. With pre-portioned ingredients, no food waste, and no impulse buys to derail your budget, affordable meal kits are now a genuine cost-saving option for Australian households.

At EveryPlate, meals start from just $3.19 per plate. Every recipe is designed to be fuss-free, with just four steps and ready in as little as 15 minutes. Ingredients arrive pre-portioned, you get exactly what you need, nothing more. That means no leftover herbs going brown in the fridge, no half-used bags of rice taking up pantry space, and no unplanned spending at the checkout.

Explore the full range on our weekly menu.

Who Saves the Most by Switching to Meal Kits?

Meal kits aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution, but certain households stand to save the most by making the switch:

Families

Households of four or more have seen their grocery bills rise by 11% in the past year alone, according to Canstar Blue. Families also generate more food waste, particularly with fussy eaters leaving portions uneaten. Pre-portioned meal kits remove the guesswork and reduce waste to near zero. Check out our family meals for crowd-pleasing recipes the whole household can get behind.

Students and Young Adults

The OzHarvest report found that under-35s waste the most food of any age group. Combined with tighter budgets and less cooking experience, students and young adults benefit from the simplicity and portion control of meal kits. Meals from $3.19 per plate is hard to beat, even against two-minute noodles when you factor in nutrition. Explore our student meal plan for savings designed around your budget.

Busy Professionals

If you’re spending 30 to 40 minutes a day deciding what to cook, plus an hour each week at the supermarket, meal kits hand that time back to you. Four-step recipes ready in 15 minutes means dinner is sorted without the mental load of planning, shopping, and recipe-hunting.

Flexitarian and Vegetarian Households

Eating more plant-based meals is one of the most effective ways to cut your grocery bill, and meal kits make it easy to incorporate variety without buying specialty ingredients you’ll only use once. Browse our flexitarian meals and vegetarian meals for options that keep things interesting without the premium price tag.

5 Ways to Spend Less on Dinner This Week

Whether or not you try a meal kit, these practical tips can help you cut the cost of dinner starting today:

• Plan before you shop. Households that meal plan waste significantly less food. Even a rough plan for five weeknight dinners saves money and reduces last-minute takeaway orders.

• Stop buying ingredients you’ll only use once. That jar of tahini or bunch of fresh dill might complete a recipe, but if it sits in the fridge unused for two weeks, it’s wasted money. Meal kits solve this by sending you exactly what you need.

• Shop online to avoid impulse buys. In-store shopping leads to twice as many unplanned purchases. If you do shop in-store, stick to your list.

• Cook in batches. Double a recipe and freeze half. It’s one of the simplest ways to get more meals out of your grocery spend.

• Try a meal kit for your busiest nights. You don’t have to go all-in. Even replacing two or three supermarket dinners with a meal kit each week can save you time, money, and the stress of planning.