Mum reveals the trick to saving £60 a month on food shopping
- Tara Goble, 50, has been batch cooking for 15 years
- Tara says this saves her £60 a month as she’s more organised with her shopping and cooking
- Tara makes everything from bolognese to fajitas
If you seem to spend your entire salary on food shopping every month, then look to this savvy mum for inspiration.
Tara Goble, 50, a school cook from Kent and a mum of two, says she has been meal prepping for 15 years, which saves her £60 a month.
Tara told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: "I've prepped food for the freezer since my children were small and I worked evenings in a supermarket, so they had a nice quick dinner before I went, so I’ve been batch cooking for about 15 years.
"I batch cook minced beef that I like to buy (better quality and leaner) when it's on offer for 3 for £10. I make a basic bolognese, turn some into lasagne and cannelloni, and add mixed beans and chilli to make chilli con carne. Some mince gets made into cottage pies (our favourite) and I buy seasonings when they are on offer.
"I bulk buy chicken and make curries, cut some into strips, add mixed peppers and red onion and freeze in individual bags to add to stir fry or make fajitas or enchiladas.”
Tara says that batch cooking doesn’t just save her money, but time, too. She labels each tub for the freezer with what it is and the date to keep track.
"For the sake of spending one afternoon prepping it saves so much time several days a week when you have a go to dinner,” she explains. "I’d definitely recommend it - I usually prep one afternoon every other weekend.
"I think overall we save at least £60 a month! Every other week is a stock the freezer shop, so every other week, our shop is cheaper.
"I bulk bought foil trays and lids from Amazon, spending about £8 for 100, and buy plastic tubs and lids from the local pound shop.
“Some things are ok for plastic tubs and microwaving but we prefer cottage pies, lasagne and cannelloni cooked in the oven so they go in foil tubs.
"I cook in a school for my job so I don't always want to start cooking again when I get home, and I prefer to know exactly what has gone into my meals.
"I have one shelf in the freezer with all my full tubs in and it's great when you have visitors and can dish up a lovely meal without spending hours in the kitchen!"
Tom Church, co-founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, says: “Batch cooking has recently hit headlines as a great method of dieting and eating healthily, but as Tara proves, this trick has been around for years as a great way of saving not just time but money too!
"For inspiration, search YouTube, Instagram and Pinterest for free advice and recipes on how to get started."
What to read next?