She saved 200 hours and $500 with one kitchen hack, and you can too

How she saved time and money cooking

Ever feel like cooking eats up your time and wallet? You’re not alone. Lisa from Simple Farmhouse Life shared a kitchen hack that helped her save 200 hours and over $500 a year, without sacrificing flavor or nutrition. 

It’s all about smart batch cooking and freezer prep. Let’s explore her game-changing methods and how you can apply them to simplify your own kitchen routine.   

The problem of time and money drain

Most of us cook daily without realizing how much time it actually takes. Between grocery trips, prep, cooking, and cleanup, it adds up—fast. Not to mention the cost of last-minute meals and wasted ingredients. 

The problem is a lack of planning. Without a system, we fall into expensive, time-wasting kitchen habits. But there’s a better way, and it doesn’t require a culinary degree or hours of extra effort.

Meet the hero, batch cooking

Batch cooking is the ultimate kitchen time-saver. Instead of cooking every day, you make meals in large batches, store them, and reheat as needed. It cuts your time in the kitchen by more than half while drastically reducing food waste and spontaneous spending. 

The best part? You still enjoy home-cooked meals, just without the daily grind. Think of it as meal prepping’s smarter, easier, budget-friendlier cousin.

Pizza night made faster

Forget the stress of dough rising or waiting for takeout. Lisa pre-rolls homemade sourdough crusts onto parchment, freezes them flat, and stacks them in the freezer. 

On pizza night, she pulls one out, adds toppings, and bakes (no thawing needed). Try her simple method: roll dough thin, place on parchment, freeze. Top with sauce, cheese, and leftovers. Bake at 450°F for 12–15 minutes. Easy, fast, and homemade.

Slow-cooked meat, fast future meals

Lisa and her husband slow-cook short ribs in a Dutch oven until they’re fall-apart tender and rich with flavor. After dinner, they store the leftovers for quick future meals like tacos, grain bowls, or pasta bakes. 

Having pre-cooked protein on hand saves time and stress on busy nights. Tip: Cook low and slow at 300°F for 3–4 hours with broth, onions, and garlic for extra depth.

Homemade bone broth that lasts

Lisa makes deeply nourishing bone broth by pressure cooking whole chickens, then simmering the bones again to extract every bit of collagen and flavor. 

Her genius storage tip? Let the fat layer solidify on top, it acts as a natural seal, keeping the broth fresh in the fridge for weeks without freezing. Use it for soups, sauces, or sipping warm with a pinch of salt and herbs.

Breakfast hack #1: Pork rind “cereal”

Think Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but low-carb and blood sugar friendly. Lisa crushes pork rinds, sprinkles them with cinnamon sugar, and pours on raw milk for a surprisingly addictive breakfast. 

The crunchy, sweet combo satisfies morning cravings without grains or processed sugar. It’s shelf-stable, takes seconds to prepare, and keeps her breakfast routine fast and flexible. A genius option for anyone cutting carbs or trying something totally new.

Breakfast hack #2: Homemade granola in bulk

Lisa saves time and money by prepping big batches of homemade granola sweetened with honey and studded with chocolate chips. It’s perfect with raw milk, yogurt, or just by the handful. 

Since it’s shelf-stable, she only has to make it once a week, cutting her breakfast prep down to seconds. One tray of granola, several mornings sorted. Bonus: It’s customizable with nuts, dried fruit, or whatever’s in your pantry. 

Freezer strategy that works

Lisa doesn’t freeze leftovers randomly, she preps with purpose. Pizza dough is rolled flat, meats are portioned for recipes, and broth is sealed with a natural fat layer. Everything is clearly labeled and stacked by use-case: baking, soups, dinners. 

No digging, no guessing. When time is tight, she grabs what she needs and gets cooking fast. Her freezer works like a mini store, and it’s saved her countless weeknight scrambles.

Lunch hack: The chopped sandwich

Lisa reinvents lunch with a TikTok-inspired chopped sandwich. She finely chops leftover chicken, tomatoes, spinach, avocado, green onions, and pepperoni, then mixes it with vegan Caesar dressing. 

The result? A flavor-packed filling eaten in sourdough, tortillas, or lettuce wraps. It’s a smart way to use fridge odds and ends, and faster than building a sandwich from scratch. One bowl, one knife, and lunch for the whole family in minutes. 

The time savings add up fast

Before batch cooking, Lisa spent 2–3 hours daily on meals. Now, she’s down to 4–5 hours per week total. 

That’s over 200 hours saved a year, time she now uses for gardening, homeschooling, and content creation. By cooking smarter and less often, she’s reclaimed her evenings and reduced mental load. If your kitchen feels like a second job, this switch could give you your time and your sanity back.

How she saved $500 a year

Lisa used to spend more on groceries, takeout, and food waste. By planning ahead, buying in bulk, and using everything she preps, she’s slashed her food budget. 

Fewer midweek store runs and less temptation to grab takeout have helped her save an estimated $500 a year. Her freezer is her fallback, not fast food. The best part? She’s eating better than ever while spending far less doing it.

Prep like a pro (without fancy tools)

Set aside one block of time for prep, just one or two hours a week. Use basic tools: a cutting board, sharp knife, pots, pans, and baking trays. A slow cooker or food processor helps, but they’re not required. Do all your chopping, marinating, and simmering in one go. 

Line up ingredients and cook in stages. It’s satisfying to watch your meals come together all at once.

Store and label like a system

Use airtight containers or freezer bags to store your batch-cooked meals. Label everything clearly with the name and date, it makes grabbing meals later so much easier. 

Stack flat containers to save space, and store similar items together (soups with soups, proteins with proteins). Trust us, nothing kills the mood like mystery Tupperware. With a proper system, your fridge and freezer will feel organized, not overwhelming.

Ditch takeout for good

Ever order food because you’re “too tired to cook”? With batch cooking, dinner’s already done. Just reheat and relax. No more overpriced takeout or food apps eating your money. Having homemade meals on hand keeps you on budget and nourished. 

One woman cut her takeout habit from three times a week to once a month, saving nearly $40 a week. That adds up fast. Also check out how I cut my grocery bill in half using this weird rule of 5.

Could this hack work for you?

You don’t need a farmhouse kitchen or hours of free time to start saving. Lisa’s system works because it’s simple and flexible. Try batching just one breakfast, one lunch, and one dinner this week. Label your freezer meals clearly, and build from there. 

It’s not about perfection, it’s about progress. Even small changes can lead to major time and money savings, no matter your lifestyle or household size, like this $80 weekly meal prep for two: a home cook’s guide.

Want to know more about eating in budget?

• Can you taste the difference? Store-bought vs. homemade taste test challenge
• 40 pantry MVP ingredients you should always have on hand. 
• I tried the $5 salad everyone’s talking about, here’s the real deal

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This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.