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Today, Americans spend $9,985 on average on food per year—making it one of the largest expenses overall.
As U.S. food prices have jumped 23.6% in the past five years, meal prepping can be a valuable way to cut costs. Done right, meal prepping can reduce food away from home expenses, limit food waste, and help you avoid last-minute grocery splurges. It’ll also save you thousands of dollars annually.
We’ll show you the potential cost savings of meal prepping along with expert tips for planning meals that fit your budget and lifestyle.
Key Takeaways
- Meal prepping helps you cook smarter by cutting expenses on food away from home, which costs Americans $3,933 on average annually.
- Useful strategies for meal prepping include planning ahead, picking a meal prepping day, loading up on staple ingredients, and stocking your freezer.
- Meal prepping is a lifelong skill that can lead to significant savings over time with the right planning.
Breaking Down the Numbers
Meal prepping can save you thousands of dollars each year. Let’s say you spend on average $95 per week on food away from home, with the average meal costing $20. In comparison, meal prepping can cost you $4 per meal, with a weekly total of $20 across five meals.
This results in $75 in savings per week ($95 – $20 = $75) and $3,900 in savings a year ($75 X 52 = $3,900) on meal prepping alone. Assuming you get food away from home on occasion (say $30 a week versus $95) you can still save around $2,340 annually.
“When I started meal prepping, I was spending about $100 a week on groceries, but after refining my shopping and prepping process and finding staple recipes I loved, I got it down to about $40 per week,” says Nick Quintero, owner of meal prepping platform Workweek Lunch. “That’s a $3,000-per-year savings.”
Importantly, meal prepping depends on a number of factors, including ingredient prices and the size of portions, but using key strategies, including stocking up on staples, buying in bulk, and embracing coupons, can make a meaningful difference to your budget.
Tips for Meal Prepping
To maximize your savings, consider the following tips to make meal prepping sustainable over time. This will prevent impulse buys at the grocery store and ordering food away from home at the last minute.
Plan Ahead
Start by choosing a dedicated day for meal prepping. Then, plan recipes that can last you the week to most efficiently stretch a meal. When you’re buying ingredients, consider purchasing in bulk and using coupons. Then, stick to this routine to build a lasting habit.
Important
In 2025, U.S. food prices are projected to increase by 2.9%, with eggs rising by 39.2% and beef increasing by 6.6%.
Stock Your Pantry With Staples
A key step to meal prepping is stocking your kitchen with convenient, versatile, and long-lasting staple ingredients.
“Having well-stocked cupboard essentials is always an amazing way to start when it comes down to reducing your spending,” says Mimi Harrison, author of Beat the Budget. “For example, some of my favorite pasta sauces are made with tomato puree as the foundational ingredient (spicy arrabiatta, a vodka pasta sauce, etc). This costs $0.80 cents and can be used across around 6-8 servings.”
Going further, the benefit of staple ingredients is that they can be used for a number of different meals. “I swear by staples like pasta, rice, quinoa, and canned beans. They’re super cheap, last forever, and I can whip up grain bowls, soups, or salads with them,” says Quintero.
Harrison also recommends having dried basil, oregano, parsley, smoked paprika, and cumin on hand when it comes to dried herbs and spices.
Freeze Your Food
Among the most efficient ways to save you time is to stock the freezer. In this way, you have meals ready to go in the future, or whenever you’re in a pinch.
“In my freezer, you’ll always find chicken, frozen fruit and veggies, and meal-prepped spaghetti sauce. These are my lifesaver items when fresh produce gets pricey,” says Quintero.
Additionally, having a stash of diverse meals in the freezer can go a long way. “To ensure that I don’t get bored, I implement what I call a ‘freezer cycle,’ which is where I freeze individual portions using a rotating system, “ says Harrison. “I’m therefore never having the same dinner three days in a row, which is where I think you can hit a roadblock, give up, and limit your savings.”
The Bottom Line
With the right planning and consistent effort, meal prepping can save you significant change each week, which adds up to thousands annually. “The thing most people get hung up on is not giving the process enough time to work,” says Quintero. “You have to be intentional with your time and understand that you’re teaching yourself a new life skill.”
