A school cook has revealed how she saves £60 a month on food shopping.
Tara Goble shared her secret on the money-saving community website LatestDeals.co.uk .
She says she always makes sure there is something in the freezer and does a lot of food preparation, reports the Liverpool Echo.
The savvy shopper said: “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 when it's on offer for three 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.”
And Tara, aged 50, revealed that batch cooking doesn’t just save her money - but time, too.
And that's because she labels each tub for the freezer with what it is and the date to keep track.
She said: “For the sake of spending one afternoon prepping it saves so much time, several days a week, when you have a go-to dinner. 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 shopping is cheaper."
Tara explained that she bulk bought foil trays and lids from Amazon and has stocked up on plastic tubs from her local Poundland, before using one shelf in her freezer for her prepared dishes.
Tara said: “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, said: “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.”
