Mum recreates her own Hello Fresh inspired 'meal kits' to save money and time

Ready-to-go meal kits at your fingertips for nearly half the price? We love mum-of-six Sharyn's DIY tip!

Meal kits have become increasingly popular over the years, offering busy mums and families a convenient way to prepare meals without the weekly hassle of grocery shopping and meal planning. 

However, the cost of these meal kits can add up quickly, leaving some people looking for alternative ways to save money and time. 

So one mum has taken matters into her own hands and shared her method on the Mums Who Organise Facebook group. 

Using only ingredients from ALDI, mum-of-six, Sharyn, manages to cut costs by nearly half. 

Instead of paying a premium for meal kits, she purchases ingredients in bulk and portions them out into individual containers that are ready to be cooked each night. 

Her order at Hello Fresh used to come to roughly $207 but by buying similar ingredients and recreating the same recipes herself, her grocery bill comes to just $112!

Her genius method not only saves her money but also time as she can prepare the kits in advance and simply pull them out of the fridge when it's time to cook. 

Kidspot spoke to Sharyn to find out exactly how she does it so hopefully you can get inspired and recreate your own too!

Of course, your DIY meal kits can be customised to suit dietary needs and preferences, making it a versatile and adaptable solution. Happy cooking!

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The weekly ALDI shop! Image: Supplied

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The DIY meal kit process

Sharyn posted in the Facebook group saying: “Sometimes we get meal boxes if there's a good discount or credit accumulated. I enjoy different ideas and it's easy to recreate them next time with your own ingredients. 

“I found these containers last year at Roni's store and they are perfect to store the ingredients in. They fit so well in my fridge and having lids means they stack if needed. Labels were made on my Cricut.”

She also shared photos of the homemade meal kits. She uses narrow plastic storage containers with handles for ease of access (you can find them here) and each one is labelled ‘Day One’, ‘Day Two’ etc. They’re filled with different ingredients and recipe cards from her old Hello Fresh boxes. 

Speaking to Kidspot Sharyn told us that as a mum of six (four still living at home), she’s a regular meal planner and loves sharing her tips and tricks on her Instagram page @many_mouths_to_feed.

“Here’s an example grocery shop for seven dinners for the coming week, as well as leftovers,” she says. 

“I spent $111.65 at Aldi. The breakdown of this is $15.95 per meal - for six serves, which equals $2.65 per serving.”

She can make the kits for nearly half the price! Image: Supplied

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Here are her top tips to bring the price down of your weekly grocery shop:

• Always check what's in your fridge, pantry and freezer before shopping
• Check out specials prior to shopping, this can help you plan your meals at the most cost-efficient price.
• I try and stick with fresh produce that is in season and on special.
• Cheaper cuts of meat can lower the cost.
• Buy in bulk, it’s often cheaper
• Having a pantry stocked with basic staples and spices bought in bulk means we only top them up here and there.
• We grow herbs all year round and some vegetables at different times when the weather is kind! 

Sharyn told us, “As we are busy between work and five out of six playing sport, grouping the ingredients and partially prepping makes it easier to still eat a decent home-cooked meal on those busy nights where many are tempted to spend ridiculous amounts on takeaway food.

“It also makes it easier for the older kids and my husband to start dinner and even the young ones like to get involved. I think it also avoids food wastage when you meal plan too.

“I mostly use my own recipes, although I have a few favourite ones I keep from meal kits to recreate and I also like putting my own twist on other recipes, like switching up the meat component.” 

So organised! Image: Supplied

She said she usually spends about an hour a week sorting out and prepping the kits and prepares lunches for the week at the same time too. 

“I do seven meals for six people and a few meals often leave enough for one-two work lunches, plus I have extra groceries left from the shop to use towards lunches or other meals next week.”

She stores four meals at a time in the containers and once empty, she refills them with the other meals.

“I have a tray of non-refrigerated ingredients grouped and a tray of cold ingredients including meals five, six and seven grouped.

“I group my meat and any other freezer items together and label and freeze them to avoid spoiling. I leave one or two nights of meat in the fridge but the rest gets frozen to avoid wastage if it spoils or plans change as we know they often can.”

Two dinners. Image: Supplied

“This is my new way of storing my meals”

Sharyn says her inspiration comes from the love of cooking decent home-cooked meals in a cost-effective way.

“I also feel busy family life runs smoother for everyone when things are organised. Making these kits isn’t really as time-consuming as you might think. Once you have your habit of unpacking groceries and regular spots for everything, it just becomes routine.

Sharyn’s post quickly gained traction in the Facebook group, with many members saying they were keen to try her method. 

“This is my new way of storing my meals - thank you!” one mum said.

Another said: “Brilliant, I bought similar boxes from Kmart.”

“We used to leave the meals in the bags they come in and it makes it hard to see what else is in the fridge. Great idea 💡” a different woman wrote. 

This article was published in March 2023 and was updated in February 2024. 

Originally published as Mum recreates her own Hello Fresh inspired 'meal kits' to save money and time