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Calcimator

Meal Prep Cost Calculator

Calculate how much meal prepping saves vs eating out. See cost per serving, weekly savings, and annual savings.

Monthly Savings

$229.49

Inputs

$
$
$
$
$

Comparison

Cost per Serving (Prep)

$4.00

Weekly Prep Cost

$22.00

Annual Savings

$2,753.88

Savings Percentage

71%

Cumulative Cost Comparison

Ingredient Cost Breakdown

How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter the number of prepped meals you plan to eat each week and servings per cook session.
  2. Input the weekly cost of protein, vegetables, grains, and containers for one batch.
  3. Enter your average cost for a single restaurant or takeout meal for comparison.
  4. The calculator shows cost per serving, weekly prep cost, monthly savings versus eating out, and annual savings.
  5. Adjust ingredient costs or meal counts to see how menu changes affect your budget.

How the result changes with Avg Eating Out Cost

Avg Eating Out CostMonthly Savings
$9.50$110.42
$21.00$359.39
$34.00$640.84
$46.00$900.64

What each input means

Meals per Week
How many prepped meals you plan to eat each week
Servings per Cook
Number of individual servings each cooking session produces
Protein per Batch
Cost of meat, tofu, or other protein for one batch of meals
Vegetables per Batch
Cost of vegetables and produce for one batch of meals
Grains/Sides per Batch
Cost of rice, pasta, bread, or other sides for one batch
Containers (Weekly)
Weekly cost of disposable or replacement meal prep containers
Avg Eating Out Cost
Average cost of one restaurant or takeout meal for comparison

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Meals per Week = 5, Servings per Cook = 4, Protein per Batch = 8, Vegetables per Batch = 5 = 7 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Monthly Savings
    Monthly Savings
    229.49 = $229.49
  3. Calculate Cost per Serving
    Cost per Serving
    4 = $4
  4. Calculate Weekly Prep Cost
    Weekly Prep Cost
    22 = $22

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