Appliance costs

Updated 31 January 2026

Microwave meals: frozen vs homemade costs

Frozen microwave meals cost $3-8 each. Making your own freezer meals costs $1.50-3 per serve. Here is the full cost comparison.

Frozen meal prices (2026)

Budget brands (ALDI, On The Menu, McCain): $2.50-4 per meal. Smaller portions, higher sodium (800-1200mg per serve). Work well if you genuinely won't cook otherwise.

Mid-range (Lean Cuisine, Birds Eye): $4-6 per meal. More variety, bit more filling. Still processed, still high sodium.

Premium (Youfoodz, My Muscle Chef): $7-10 per meal. Better macros, larger serves. Pricing creeps toward takeaway territory.

The cheapest frozen option is ALDI: their pizzas sit at $3-4, meals at $2.50-4. Quality is solid for the price.

Homemade freezer meals: the numbers

Cook a big pot of 3-4 different meals on Sunday. Portion into microwave-safe containers. Freeze. You now have 12-16 ready meals.

Bolognese (serves 6-8): Mince $5, onions/garlic/tomatoes/herbs $4. Total $9 for 6 serves = $1.50 per serve. Frozen equivalent: $4.50.

Chicken curry (serves 6-8): Chicken thighs $6, onion/garlic/spices/coconut milk $4. Total $10 for 6 serves = $1.67 per serve. Frozen equivalent: $5.

Vegetable soup (serves 8-10): Mixed veg/stock/lentils $5, onion/garlic/herbs $2. Total $7 for 8 serves = $0.88 per serve. Frozen equivalent: $3.50.

Fried rice (serves 6-8): Rice/eggs/frozen veg/soy $4, chicken or tofu $3. Total $7 for 6 serves = $1.17 per serve. Frozen equivalent: $4.

Your weekly batch sheet: 3 meals at $1.50-2 per serve. 16 portions total. Cost: $24-32 for 2 weeks of lunches or dinners. Pre-made equivalent: $48-64.

Why homemade wins (beyond price)

Portions: homemade meals are genuinely bigger. You control the serve size, not the packaging.

Salt: frozen meals average 800-1200mg sodium per serve. Your homemade bolognese is 300-400mg. Matters if you're watching blood pressure.

Veg: your curry has 2 cups of veg. The frozen one has maybe 0.5 cups, mostly filler.

Variety: batch 4 different meals. Frozen aisles have maybe 20 options and you get sick of rotation fast.

The electricity angle

A microwave uses about 1000W. Running it for 3 minutes costs roughly $0.03-0.05. It is the cheapest cooking method you have. (Stovetop is $0.10-0.15, oven is $0.30+.)

When frozen meals actually make sense

If you genuinely will not cook, a $4 frozen meal is still cheaper than $15 takeaway. No shame in it. The comparison only works if your alternative is homemade. If your alternative is ordering in, frozen is a solid win.

Some frozen meals are genuinely convenient when you're traveling, working away, or going through a bad patch. The price premium buys you time and mental load relief.

How to build your freezer habit

1. Pick 3-4 recipes you actually like (not "healthy recipes you think you should eat")
2. Cook them all on the same day (Sunday works for most people)
3. Use microwave-safe containers, not fancy systems
4. Label with date and contents (sharpie on the lid)
5. Plan to eat them within 3 months (quality degrades, though safety is fine for 6 months)

Most people report 2-3 hours of cooking yields 2-3 weeks of lunches. That is $0.50-1 per hour of cooking for $12-18 per week savings. Do that 50 weeks a year and you pocket $600-900.

For a lower socioeconomic family meal planning weekly, this is material. Every second frozen meal you make instead of buy is $2-3 back in your pocket.