Meal Planning Savings Calculator

See how much you save by cooking at home vs eating out.

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Meal Planning

Compare the cost of eating out vs cooking at home.

Annual savings from meal planning
$0
Weekly savings: $0
Weekly eating out cost
$0
Weekly home cooking cost
$0
Weekly savings
$0
Monthly savings
$0
Annual savings
$0
10-year invested value
$0

Worked example

With the default inputs shown below, this calculator returns the following results:

InputValue
Meals eating out per week5
Average cost per meal out ($)$15
Average cost per home meal ($)$4
People in household2
ResultValue
Annual savings from meal planning$5,720
Weekly eating out cost$150
Weekly home cooking cost$40
Weekly savings$110
Monthly savings$476
Annual savings$5,720

Values shown are produced by this page in your browser; change any input to update them.

How to use the Meal Planning

  1. Meals eating out per week — default 5
  2. Average cost per meal out ($) — default $15
  3. Average cost per home meal ($) — default $4
  4. People in household — default 2
  5. Press Calculate to update the results instantly.

Frequently asked questions

Households that plan meals typically spend 20-30% less on food. For a family spending $900 a month, that is $2,100-$3,200 a year.
Per meal, yes — usually $3-$5 against $15-$25 eating out. But wasted groceries can erase the gain, which is why planning matters.
Plan three dinners to begin with, shop once, and build the week around what is already in the fridge. Add more meals only once it sticks.

Sources & references