Thermomix - saving money by cooking from scratch?

[peanutter]

Yeah - we do exceptionally little from scratch at the moment.

I love cooking, but just don't have time these days. There's no way I'm going to get home when I get home, and then cook. Let alone cooking in the mornings before I go!

But I used to cook several large batches of things on the weekend, and tub them up and freeze them for lunches/dinners during the week. So I'd do a huge lasagne, chilli con carne, casserole, pastabake, stirfries, soups, curries, etc. Some from scratch, some not.

So I'd be ok getting into the habit of doing that again - but from scratch.

And probably breads and a slice or teacake or something for sweets.

Then I'd want to get into the habit of making out own curries, peanut butter, yoghurt, hot chocolate powder ... anything that we can make ourself and avoid preservatives and chemicals and stuff (says she who loves her sugarfree Red Bulls ... ). Not from the perspective of swearing off such things for life, just to heavily improve the status quo.

The appeal of the thermomix is that it is so quick and doable, and doesn't involve standing over the stove ... and naturally, if we save money from not buying so mcuh prepackaged crap, then ace.

Whether the whole thing is unrealistic time wise is another question.

[nothing2lose]

I look at it the same way as gym gear. If you want to exercise you'll do it regardless of whether you are decked out in the latest black milk stuff. If you are waiting for sexy new Lycra gear before hitting the gym, maybe exercise isnt your priority.

If you said you spend at least half your weekend - or more - cooking that stuff now, I'd say buy some time saving devices (TMX, bread maker, food processor, whatever). But if you spend little to no time cooking but doing other stuff, are you going to suddenly spend half your time cooking/baking?? Maybe the answer is yes. Maybe no. But making all that stuff - TMX or no - is going to take time, which, if you don't like to spend cooking/baking anyway, you aren't likely to do no matter what appliances you have.

[wysiwyg]

But if you spend little to no time cooking but doing other stuff, are you going to suddenly spend half your time cooking/baking?? Maybe the answer is yes. Maybe no. But making all that stuff - TMX or no - is going to take time, which, if you don't like to spend cooking/baking anyway, you aren't likely to do no matter what appliances you have.

I was that person, didnt do more cooking than necessary and DH did half, had never made bread, never made cakes apart from two for birthdays had no interest in cooking but since getting my TMX I feel have made great use of it and saved money. I have made alot of bread, made muffins, wraps, pizza dough, scrolls, lemon butter, (I have made butter but TBH I wouldnt bother again unless doing a flavored one as cost benefit isnt there), risotto, pasta sauce - none of these had made before in life. I have a seriously tiny kitchen with little bench space and no dishwasher, so stuff where only have to clean TMX bowl is a big advantage. Maybe it is because is a gadget or maybe is because I find recipes so easy to follow, and also is an element of challenge in seeing how much of a meal can do in it but it really motivates me.

I use it alot to stock up freezer and am a make a few things in a row type person rather than every day.

I think the consultant OceanPrincess and I got ours from has a money saving info sheet will see if can find. When I was weighing up cost (in the end I got from parents as present) I figured if didnt use I could sell and would only lose about 300 dollars max so the cost of the cheaper alternative. The thought of having to sell it is big motivation to use it as much as possible too :-)