You've heard it before. Skip the smashed avo, skip the flat white, and you'll have a house deposit in no time.
But your Saturday brunch isn't the problem. It's the Tuesday night you get home, open the fridge, sigh, and order Uber Eats instead. And the Wednesday lunch you "forgot" to pack (again).
You want the good news? Fixing a Tuesday night habit is probably a lot easier than missing out on weekend plans.
Weekday convenience eating adds up faster than a weekend treat ever will. The average Australian household now spends $244 a week on hotels, cafes and restaurants. That's over $12,600 a year, and it's not all brunch.
A single weekday lunch bought out can run you $20 to $30. Buy lunch five days a week and you're looking at over $100, which is close to what a full week's groceries costs a single person, covering breakfast, lunch and dinner.
And it's not slowing down. Meals out and takeaway prices rose 3.9% in the past year alone.
A little bit of preparation goes a long way and you could be saving more than just convenience.
Meal prepping removes decision fatigue and time pressure, combining all the effort to one or two sessions a week (when you actually have the energy and headspace for it).
● Plan your week before you shop, not after you've already bought random stuff.
● Stock up on shelf-stable staples (pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, frozen veg) when they're on special.
● Cook once, portion into containers, freeze half for the week you can't be bothered.
● Use what's already in the fridge before buying more. Zero food waste is a saving, not a chore.
Say meal prepping saves you $80 a week compared to buying lunch and ordering in a few nights. That's over $4,000 a year, which could go towards your house deposit fund.
The average first home buyer deposit right now sits at $134,841, based on a 20% deposit on an average priced home. Meal prepping alone won't get you there, but $4,000 closer for a lot less effort than a side hustle? Not nothing.
You don't need to give up your daily coffee, your Friday night takeaway, or your weekend brunch to make real progress on savings goals. What actually moves the needle is cutting out the convenience tax on the meals you eat out of habit, not choice, and meal prepping is the most painless way to do that.
All information contained in the Flux app, www.flux.finance, www.joinflux.com, app.flux.finance and any podcast of Flux Media Pty Ltd (ABN 27 639 804 345) is for education and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional financial, legal or tax advice. While we do our best to provide accurate information on the podcast, we accept no responsibility for any inaccuracies that may be communicated. Flux does not operate under an Australian financial services licence and relies on the exemption available under section 911A(2)(eb) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) and ASIC RG 36.66. Flux Technologies Pty Ltd provides general advice on credit products under our own Australian Credit Licence No. 530103. The product information presented does not constitute an offer and we are not recommending or suggesting any particular product.
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