I’ve often had people tell me that they can’t afford a personal chef. Or that they do not live an extravagant/hoity-toity life-style…like the rich and famous! HA! That always gets me…c’mon people, this is ME, just a gal who LOVES to cook, and in doing so, wants to make your life tastier and more convenient! While I can understand why people might think that having a “personal chef” is an extravagance for rich people only, I’m finding that more and more often, my clients are telling me that I am actually saving them money…and that they’re eating better/healthier meals.
That may not sound logical, but when all your expenses are factored in, the math often works in your favor. Do you regularly get take-out on weeknights? Dine-in at restaurants? (This one reeeally adds up because you have to tip your server!) Do you use packaged/prepared foods for many meals? Busy families often rely on those conveniences, but the costs add up quickly!
Some examples – at a local Italian Restaurant/Grill, the average entrée is about $19.99. For a family of three, assuming half-price for kid’s portion, that’s around $50…with a salad as the only vegetable …plus tip for dine-in or plus tip and maybe a charge if you want it delivered. A “Prepared Foods” meal from a local supermarket would cost $35 or more, depending on portion size. Even a local burger shop dinner for three rings up at least $20, with no veggies to speak of! And of course, there’s the “hidden cost” of your time to go to the restaurant/supermarket/burger shop, figure out what you want, order it, maybe with a few extras as long as you are there. All of these likely come with a whopping dose of sodium, and perhaps questionable ingredients. A good idea once in a while, maybe, but not five nights a week.
A typical of client of mine (family of three – parents + 1 child) might have a “5×6” plan for bi-weekly cookdates (five meals, six servings of each meal – enough to last them for two weeks’ worth of dinners Monday to Friday). With a service fee of $400, and groceries estimated at $150 for an average menu (some high end items, some budget items), that works out to $55 per meal. That’s for home-cooked, restaurant quality, healthy, non-processed meals that were specifically tailored to their dietary needs and taste levels (spicy/not spicy, no onion, extra seasonings, Paleo, low-calorie, Vegan, etc.). No grocery shopping, no food prep, they just open the refrigerator or freezer and heat up fresh food, based on menu selections they chose for their cookdate.
Could yo
u “beat” that price on your own? Sure, if you have the time and inclination to plan out your menus, select recipes, shop for groceries (perhaps at multiple stores to ensure that you are getting the best deals/prices), and then prep, cook, package/store and clean up, not just dinnerware, utensils and containers, but pots, pans, roasting pans, etc.
As a personal chef, I do all the menu planning, offering you a selection of dishes while giving you the option of requesting something different, the grocery shopping, the meal preparation to your specifications, meal packaging and storage, and leave you with a clean kitchen and a refrigerator/freezer full of yummy meals for you to heat and eat.
Looking at it that way, some might say “how can I NOT afford a personal chef?”. What do you think?
That\’s really cool that the one family\’s meals ended up being about $55 per meal while being sure that the food was just to everyone\’s specifications. I do not really like cooking, and with a family of four eating out is really expensive. Since it sounds like personal chefs aren\’t that expensive I will have to look into hiring a healthy one.
Hey Amanda, yes very misleading thought about personal chefs is that only the super wealthy can afford, but in reality anyone who is eating out on a regular basis can get in on the cooking! Where are you located? Maybe I can be of service to you 🙂