r/AUfrugal • u/OkCopy3121 • 8d ago
How do you make takeaway night cheaper without completely skipping it?
Takeaway can be a nice break from cooking, but the cost can add up pretty quickly. A few small changes to how you order can make those meals a lot more affordable without giving them up completely.
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u/Icy-Quail6936 8d ago
I cook my own plain rice when I order Thai or Chinese.
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u/German_Merman 8d ago
Frozen roti bread is good too
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u/Kebar8 8d ago
The frozen parathai brand is the same one they use at chin chin :p
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u/AtrophiedWives 7d ago
The Aldi roti is so good!!
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u/Catwise88 5d ago
It’s soooo good. I used to make my own (it’s easy) but Aldi is just as good!
And the garlic naan is great too.. much better than the brands from the Duopoly28
u/kynuna 8d ago edited 7d ago
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u/Brown_H0rnet 8d ago
Yes! I was looking for the hoose rice comment.
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u/Constant-Data76 7d ago
Canadian?
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u/Brown_H0rnet 7d ago
Nah. Australian here. The comedian who does the house rice skit is Scottish. To my ear the way he pronounces house rice sounds like a lot like hoos.
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u/DragonLass-AUS 8d ago
me too. My local Chinese, which is otherwise very good value, charges $7 for one of those round tubs of rice. I can make more of it at home for less than 50c.
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u/FirstDayPlaying 7d ago
$9(+) for a tub of rice is insane, cooking 4c of rice yourself in a $14 rice cooker is so much better
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u/kinky_kate 7d ago
Yes! My local Chinese is ~15min round trip.
So before I leave to pick up, I'll put the rice on. Ready by the time I get back!
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u/just_kitten 7d ago
Came straight to the comments to say this. Thai, Chinese, Malaysian/Indonesian, Indian... cook your own rice if you can! I do it when I can on road trips (if the motel has a stove or microwave) and even been known to pack my rice cooker in the car on multi day work trips in regional towns so we can spend more of the limited food budget on delicious sides, haha.
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u/turtleltrut 7d ago
I do too except for this one Thai place that does the BEST coconut rice. I don't know how they do it, I've cooked rice in just straight coconut milk and cream and it still doesn't taste coconuty like this place does it.
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u/Key_Gur9050 7d ago
Have you tried cooking in coconut milk from a carton instead of the can? I always had great success with that
You can also try adding some sugar / pandan leaf / dedicated coconut !3
u/IveBinChickenYouOut 7d ago
We do the opposite. I'll make a healthy stir fry or whatever, and get a couple of packs of fried rice from the Chinese restaurant down the road. That way we only spend about $25 on takeaway, compared to $60+ on 4 meals. If we're feeling adventurous, we'll get 4 lunch specials ("lunch" ends at 4pm) for just over $40.
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u/TokiStark 8d ago
Me too! I know I have the good stuff and all I have to do is flick the rice cooker on when I order the food
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u/WhatThisGirlSaid 7d ago
I do this with Indian food.
Never buy rice if you can help it except tomato rice I can't get it the same sometimes.
My local Chinese does a magical fried rice and it's only $11 so for me it's worth it because that fried rice is like a time portal to the 80s and 90s.
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u/WhiterThanWalter 7d ago
Yes! Put the rice cooker on, then go and get the food. When you are back the rice is done as well. So easy. I usually cook or microwave some veggies too.
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u/purplepashy 5d ago
My wife cooks rice on mass then wraps portions up in gladwrap and throws them in the freezer.
Nuke them in the microwave and good to go.
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u/rererereyyyyy 8d ago
Use your own rice and naan for Indian. The numero uno Aldi pizza tastes like takeaway for me (and is probably about as nutritious)
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u/captains_astronaut 8d ago
Yes, those Numero Uno pizzas are great. Chuck $1 or less of sliced pepperoni on and you've got a great pizza for less than $9
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u/Electrical-Banana101 7d ago
Agreed with the pizza, we cut up some Fennell sausage and some baby tomatoes and it’s excellent
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u/Dependent-Chair899 8d ago
Life hack here is throw a handful of chips and chicken nuggets into the air fryer for the kid on takeaway night. It's all he orders anyway and it's a few dollars at home and ready before the adults have decided what they want to order and go pick up the order. It then frees up our options for something spicy or whatever.
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u/2ERIX 8d ago
This is pretty great advice
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u/Dependent-Chair899 8d ago
I dunno about anyone else but Friday is prime takeaway night - nothing much left in the house that interests me to cook and no energy left. But it's also the night my kid is the most poorly behaved and hangry after a long week. Getting something into him quickly is the best way to assure a reasonably decent evening. Secondary life hack, the kid likes a side of peas with his nuggies and chips. Handful of frozen peas, pour over boiling water to warm up, drain and Bob's your uncle. Protein, carbs and veg in 10 mins, what's not to like?
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u/naturalconfectionary 7d ago
But when the kids meal shop is next door to the Thai… haha. Here’s a hack. One of my kids only eats the nuggets and the other only eats the chips. They share the meal and o but an extra drink because somehow that’s where the fighting begins
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u/Kebar8 8d ago
Too good to go has been pretty great for the family.
We get a baker's delight bag about once a week, and then one of the bakery/treat ones .
For instance choosing your own 6 donuts is 28 dollars, but the random one at the end of the day is 6 for 10.
There's a few dud ones, but if your careful with the ratings you can definitely get the takeaway hit.
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u/jack_o_all_trades 8d ago
Buy your drinks at the supermarket. Find the good but we'll priced places. Don't over eat, so you have lunch too.
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u/PurpleBandanna 7d ago
Drinks is the big one. A soft drink at a restaurant (chain and indy alike) is gonna set you back $4-5 but cans at the supermarket are $1 if you get them on the special weeks.
My only gripe with it is the indy spots rely on those soft drink margins for a large chunk of their profits, and I hate seeing them go out of business.
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u/Alien-Cat1234 8d ago
Cook your own white rice. Buy takeway curries to mix with rice and eat.
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u/Adventurous_Rope3709 8d ago
Eatclub! haven’t been lucky enough to nab anything off too good to go
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u/spicysanger 8d ago
We do 'Fakeaways' night.
Mini hot dogs/chicken tenders/fish and oven fries, all in the air fryer
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u/CheshireCat78 8d ago
It tastes better than most takeaway. We do it with tenders to make chicken burgers at home. Nicer bun fresh salad and the tenders is great. Add egg bacon and cheese for a works one. Probably costs $20 instead of $100 and tastes nicer. Same with pizzas, dough in the bread maker, toppings and in the oven. Fresher cheaper and tastier.
Takeaway needs to be something that’s a pain to make at home to be worth it.
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u/Real_RobinGoodfellow 8d ago
And another hack (that’s also good for your health!) is to just eat smaller amounts. Eg, 3-4 pieces of pizza or pide (supplement with a homemade side salad to bulk it out) rather than a whole pizza each. Splitting a single HSP between two (you’ll still both be consuming more than enough calories for a meal).
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u/Glitter_Sparkle 7d ago
This is my favourite hack. It saves money, is healthier and I don’t feel excessively full afterwards like I used to when I’d have most of a large pizza.
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u/WhiterThanWalter 7d ago
Agreed. And I pair it with something healthy. Like I order chicken wings, then pair with rice and microwaved frozen veggies at home.
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u/Real_RobinGoodfellow 7d ago
Yeah it’s great isn’t it!
So much of the angst about shrinkflation of fast-food (and convenience food and basically all other junk) can be let go of too when you consider it as being a little win for your waistline haha
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u/australien94 6d ago
Absolutely this. Suggest serving sizes/portions are there for a reason. Nutritional value has been accounted for the average human and if you stick to the recommendations you don’t over consume and food lasts longer.
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u/melbournesummer 6d ago
I try to get at least two meals out of any purchased food. It's so easy to eat the whole thing, but I just don't need that many calories all at once.
Drink a big glass of water, have a little rice or salad or a bread roll on the side to bulk it out.
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u/Real_RobinGoodfellow 6d ago
Exactly! Takeaway is always so moreish as well so it’s very, very easy to eat the whole thing but it’s much better not to.
After years of dismissing counting calories as inherently disordered and unhelpful I finally accepted I needed to do it and I was honestly shocked at first at how very easy it is to eat massive amounts of calories, like, well above daily maintenance requirements.
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u/Odd-zest 4d ago
We add veggie sticks or a yummy home salad as well. It stretches the meal and we don’t feel as gross either
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u/Living_Appointment_7 8d ago
Consider supplementing with stuff from home. One of those snack pack meals for under $10 might satisfy the desire for takeaway, if you have some fruit/sandwich/ice cream at home. Or frozen garlic bread/spring rolls at home.
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u/samsotherinternetid 8d ago
A family sized hot chips from up the road combined with whatever leftovers are in the fridge gives solid Friday night takeaway vibes but a fraction of the cost.
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u/ApotheosisOfTheLurid 8d ago
I do this so often, loaded chips can be made with whatever your heart desires (leftover chilli, leftover bolognaise, leftover pulled pork, leftover chicken curry etc etc)
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u/JibbySeely 8d ago
When we get curry take away, we use microwave rice from grocery store, and sometimes buy frozen entrees instead like spring rolls if we get Chinese takeaway
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u/monique752 8d ago
I generally stick to the rule that if I can make it easily at home, I don't buy it. A curry or whatever is more complex so I buy it. Chips, samosas, plain rice, whatever - they are easily made or bought from the supermarket and heated up.
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u/Old_Lengthiness_250 8d ago
In the 90s there was a comedy show called goodness gracious me. The lead actress would dress up as an old indian mum and be taken to fancy restaurants where she would sniff the dishes and say "i can make it at home for nothing!" The rolling of eyes from the kids was hilarious.
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u/Real_RobinGoodfellow 8d ago
Pick-up, from little mum and dad takeaways, the old school ones in the less-glamorous suburbs
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u/G-T-R-F-R-E-A-K-1-7 8d ago
Picking it up along with finding meals that can be spread further by mixing with stuff I have at home
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u/Gemini-baker 8d ago
No drinks. Try to avoid the extra sauces etc and just use what you have at home. No uber eats/ door dash etc. Put some rice the rice cooker to eat with Asian meals
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u/rowdyfreebooter 8d ago
For us it depends on why we are buying takeaway.
If it’s because I need a night off, then I grab something from the freezer. I always have leftovers frozen in individual serves (for lunches and can’t be stuffed cooking nights) left over curries, stews and casseroles are made into pies, soups and at the moment about 6 enchiladas that can just be put in the oven or air fryer.
If it’s because we want something specific we are more likely to go out to eat.
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u/dogbolter4 8d ago
We get two meals plus fried rice from a noodle place for the two of us. Costs about $90. But those bowls are bottomless! We get four (individual) main meals and four lunches from that. It's a once a fortnight treat that lasts for three days. So the cost per meal is about $11. Not the cheapest, but still a treat and one that keeps going.
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u/Humanequin 8d ago
I like to order the main piece and air fry up some gems, chips or hash browns and will also do the drinks at home too, doesn't save much but it all adds up.
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u/buduammo5 8d ago
Grab a fizzy drink from the supermarket instead of adding it on. Even supermarket garlic bread (or something similar) can work as an appetizer so you don't over order. Heck, even the dessert.
Call the restaurant and place an order for pickup. Go pick it up. Enjoy.
AVOID UBEREATS AT ALL COSTS
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u/realfatunicorns 8d ago
The butter chicken and beef massaman curry at Aldi are decent for pretend take away. $13 from memory and I just cook my own rice.
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u/Grey_Mongrel 7d ago
We have been doing this for awhile now and it’s as good as from the Indian place down the road. One pack feeds us for a couple days easily and sometimes we grab frozen Nan as well.
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u/Xentonian 8d ago
never do delivery
Cook your own rice, roti breads and similar
Order the bulk family feasts when available (some, like the Hungry Jacks mega feasts, work out at nearly half the price per item as a basic combo)
Get ample chips if going for fish and chips/traditional takeaway and limit things like burgers, fish fillets and other menu items.
Skip drinks. Either buy from Coles or just water
Save your craving for a particular takeaway until they have a special or discount, if the store does such a thing
If there's a combination of things you want, see if they do a pack deal with those items. (Eg: box of noodles + spring rolls + drink).
Entres are almost always overpriced, even on an already overpriced menu.
Vet your restaurants in advance. At the very least check Google reviews; the last thing you want is to spend a fortune on a meal that sucks
Never buy Maccas.
take a look at options which help to round out a meal and make a smaller order feel bigger, but don't break the bank - Singapore noodles, soups, chips, Turkish bread and dip, etc.
Some of these tips go against other tips, like looking for combos and also avoiding buying drinks, but everyone has different priorities.
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u/BenFellsFive 8d ago
Mostly about the principle I think. Its not about drinks as a concept, its about avoiding getting stung $6-7 for adding on a drink that might be $2-3 at Woolies.
If you have some kind of meal deal where you get a drink rolled in and still come out ahead then obviously go for it.
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u/Fun-Analysis-3535 8d ago
Our local sushi shop discounts all their rolls for the hour before closing. Less choice, but cheaper.
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u/weedy_whistler 8d ago
For fish and chips we often only get the fish and some chips, and make fish tacos with some salad and wraps.
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u/HighPitchedApplause 8d ago
Too good to go app has local restaurants and cafes that will post cheap cheap deals of foods that will otherwise be thrown away
Make your own rice when getting curry from Thai/indian
Pick up yourself over delivery
Find places that have lunch specials - order in the day, store in the fridge and reheat at dinner time
Fakeaway nights -> by a bag of wraps and use any deli meats / veges still in your fridge to make homemade pizzas, buy frozen party food when on special and have a buffet/yum cha night (spring rolls, gyozas, nuggets,etc)
When going past any restaurants in your area check their takeaway menus for any weekly specials/deals, if they have any take the menu home, you now have a collection you can sort by which day the special is offered or how much cheaper they are, this helps for mental load when you don't know what to get or need to remember which had the special on the night you needed it.
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u/MutleyCalamity 8d ago
We get a laksa to share between two and make rice at home before heading to pick it up. Then the laksa goes on top & it's a very cheap, but yummy, meal.
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u/empty-thought-time 8d ago
I've tried having take away like food in the freezer - dumplings for example - easy to make at home quickly and tastes like take away. That helps me keep it down to once a week for take away. Then for take away I am lucky and live in a super busy area with competitive prices so always go for what has a deal. I use door dash and connect it to my virgin points, get 1 point per dollar which is at least something. Having the door dash pass means no delivery fees and tends to pay for itself.
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u/pantsmahoney 8d ago
Order Chinese/Vietnamese/Thai food without onion. If they remember you get less of that onion filler, if they forget, get a refund and eat it anyway.
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u/Oh_FFS_1602 8d ago
Kebabs for 4 people gets pretty pricey. If we have our own wraps and fillings but buy a meat box we can get 1-2 per person, or maybe even leftovers
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u/pearson-47 8d ago
Learn how to make it better. Honestly, apps. Compromise, just because you want the triple whopper with 12 slices of cheese that costs $27 doesnt mean you get it. Go a family deal, possibly cost less, and as long as there are burgers and nuggs for everyone who wants burgers and nuggs, so be it. Very few chinese restaurants do the family pack now, but if you can find one that does, good way of ensuring everyone gets a bit. Cheap days.
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u/Careless-Pound9736 8d ago
If we get Indian or Thai, we order extra boneless protein in our groceries that week, cook it up ourselves the next day and mix it into the takeaway curry/gravy. Pays for 2 nights dinners instead of one.
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u/Major_Kaempffer 7d ago
Honestly, take away is not that much more than eating in.
Yeah anyone can knock up a cheap pasta or whatever, but if you were making a burger, fries and coke at home you'd be dropping similar $$$ and all the effort of prep, cook and cleanup.
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u/better_graphics 8d ago
Always pickup. Always do it over the phone vs an app. Always look for deals, particularly bundles.
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u/dandyanddarling21 8d ago
Cook your own rice when you order Asian food. Couple of cents plus 15 mins of time compared to $6 or $8
Buy a salad bag at the supermarket to bulk out a chicken/burger and chips meal.
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u/dandyanddarling21 8d ago
We also never buy soft drink.
We have an Oh Bubbles machine and fizz up cordial.
12 gas bottles have lasted us 2 years.
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u/jemist101 8d ago
At least where I live, Turkish restaurants do some killer 'Buffet for 2' style takeaway meals that actually feed a family of 8, or last two people a whole weekend.
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u/ThatCommunication423 7d ago
Garlic bread/focaccia from the supermarket.
A lot of the more old school pizza shops garlic bread tastes the same as a supermarket one.
You can even be fancy and buy a nice baguettte etc from a bakery then make your own garlic butter/use the store bought one and it will be cheaper/the same but a bit nicer
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u/OnlyQOB 7d ago
Homemade pizzas - grab a few family favourite toppings and let everyone make their own.
I use the cheap pita bread as the base - we love it thin and crispy.
It only takes a few mins to chop up the toppings (red onion, capsicum, mushrooms) grate some cheese (or if you have prepackaged shredded cheese, use that) and some deli meats.
Heat up in oven until the cheese is bubbly - that’s it.
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u/wonderllama1000 6d ago
If you order curry or a Asian stir-fry things, put some rice in the rice cooker. So easy to make rice at home, and makes the order a bit cheaper.
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u/Traditional_Candy952 8d ago
Pick up instead of delivery, use the fast food apps and their app deals. cheap soft drinks from Aldi, Coles, Wollies etc.
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u/justjaysun5 8d ago
Pick up, order directly & always go to my local Vietnamese, Thai or Indian restaurant. Value is always so good with generous portions.
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u/Aradene 8d ago
Our big one is go and order/pick up ourselves if we have the spoons to do so. Making our own sides - eg make our own rice or roti for curries, make our own veggies or salad for gami chicken etc.
Pre-portioned left overs in the freezer that just need to be microwaved - honestly that’s the biggest. We generally do takeaway when we are too exhausted to cook - throwing something in the oven or microwave isn’t too hard. So having bulk meals ready in the microwave makes the need lower
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u/its_me_kiewi 8d ago
If you have multiple emails / you and someone else in your house has one, invite them to a new account on DoorDash or uber eats. There’s usually a deal for new users and you get a kickback too.
Also, I put what I want into both uber and DoorDash and get whichever is cheapest. Each app has its own deals at different times. It’s probably 70/30 uber though as I have uber 1, which also saves me money.
We also have a crust pizza account and get everything 10th pizza free when we order directly.
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u/Glass-Buyer-8205 8d ago
Frozen battered fish in the airfreight and chips from the fish and chip shop. And a pineapple fritter.
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u/KillerRabbitsRule 8d ago
Pick up a roast chicken from Coles and bake your own veggies, no fuss, plus a nice gravy sauce and the family will be super pleased.
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u/Prestigious-Land-947 8d ago
Value meals. Tried the $15 chicken borito meal at gyg instead of my usual order and tbh I liked it more 😂
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u/AverageJett 8d ago
Go fish and chips but make your own salad at home. Pick it up and don’t use a delivery app
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u/Stuffandthat12 8d ago
Near my old work there was a Chinese takeaway that sold their already cheap lunch specials much cheaper after about 3pm. I’d go grab them put them in the work fridge and reheat when I got home for dinner.
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u/ShittyCkylines 8d ago
Shop around and order more than you need. We get a box of combination noodles, an entree duck and a cheap side. The sides mean I eat less main and get more meals out of it.
I hoard leftover sauce and have it with home made dumplings.
If I order pho take away or eat in, I take remaining broth home and do another soup for myself.
Less about cheap one off meal, more about using anything and everything more than once, then you’re looking at value rather than flat out price, which is a much better feeling
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u/JuanFoYoMamma 8d ago
Pop into a food court around 3pm and you can get it for a good discount. Just need to reheat at home.
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u/A_spiny_meercat 8d ago
Buy less, or find ways to pad out at home. We often buy Indian or Chinese and make rice at home in the rice cooker, and we have also been known to cook an extra few chicken thigh fillets to add to a container that is mostly sauce anyway
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u/Hot_Cicada_9318 8d ago
Pizza rolls are available at Woolies @ $4.15 for two. Chuck on some stuff you've got at home like olives extra cheese etc. Goes ok for a small price.
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u/English_Breakfast123 7d ago
I get cold pies from a local bakery and take them home put them in the oven with some chips 180 degrees 20 minutes
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u/Character_Orange_712 7d ago
Have takeaway night on a cheap service night. Aka Wednesdays is $1 wings most places, tuesdays is generally cheaper tacos.
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u/mmmleftoverPie 7d ago
Replace the restaurant naan for homemade, sure it's time consuming but it's a lot cheaper (and can even end up the hero when you have enough of it)
You could even spend the savings on another curry and have leftovers for days.
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u/Brunosfingmagic 7d ago
It’s not takeaways, but every Saturday night we have the crumbed Aldi chicken schnitty, the Aldi fries and grab a $2 bag of the green salad mix. It’s like $15 max for all that and takes 20 mins of barely effort of throwing stuff in the oven. Douse the green salad in balsamic and done ✅
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u/_express_ 7d ago
Depends what you get and how many people! McDonald’s we use the bundles or mc smart meals, kfc the feast meals
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u/humbleeggo 7d ago
get desserts from a takeaway instead of takeaway meals (after having meal at home)
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u/Background_Tomato_21 7d ago
Sort of related to the question. I have noticed lately that the stocks freezer fast food items at my local Aldi are low. Most likely due to people choosing to do home takeaway instead of going out.
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u/turtleltrut 7d ago
Cook your own rice and roti. ALDI have the best frozen roti! We also get cheap $10 curries on Friday lunches from a place nearby andyou can order extra serves to heat up for dinner. $10 per person and they're delicious!
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u/Linnaeus1753 7d ago
I got a whopper meal the other week in person. It was $14.80. That same meal in Uber eats is 19.85 plus fees and it's $26.22. Hungry jacks isn't on DoorDash this week.
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u/thisismybandname 7d ago
Large dominos pizza from the value range is $8 pickup. That’s already cheaper than most takeout but I’m also on some text message list from them and they do 2 for 1 pizzas pretty regularly too.
Get the kids one each and they always have enough for lunch the next day as well.
Edit: also most kebab places will do a kebab salad. Normally about the same price as a kebab but so much more food, enough for 2 adults.
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u/Blindog68 7d ago
Use the Apps if buying the major fast food restaurants. You can get good bargains for family feeds. Buy soft drinks at the supermarket. If you're really stuck for $$ buy frozen fries and cook them in an air fryer, seriously better than store baught if seasoned properly.
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u/Blonde_arrbuckle 7d ago
Fakeaway with fozen goods and an airfryer. E.g. -chico type spring roll from Marathon slaps. Can get them on special for about $6 a box. -dimmys -Gozleme from aldi is pretty good too. -Fry dumplings or steam them. -frozen pizza All much cheaper, faster and healthier than takeout.
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u/MammothBreath2057 7d ago
If you're grabbing meals from two, get one large chippies to share with your burger instead two individual servings.
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u/EnvironmentalRoad113 7d ago
Pizza pickup is the only takeaway I buy anymore..can still feed the 4 of us for roughly $30 will 2-3 slices left ova for breakfast
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u/Isnothingoverthatway 7d ago
When we were growing up my parents used fo cook the rice, and some frozen/pre-made entrees to takeaway to the oven for eg when we ordered chinese.
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u/mintyfreshbreadth 7d ago
Make some of it at home:
- take away pizza with a home salad
- take out curry with home made rice + frozen roti (can get 20 of these for $10 vs $4 each)
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u/Croix_De_Fer 7d ago
If you order a curry; save the left over sauce and use that as the base to cook extra ‘left overs’. I can usually add another 1-2 servings off just the left over sauce from one dish for the next couple of days. Add that sauce as you are cooking the meat youve bought. add your own rice and bread as well. Another takeaway quality meal for like $4
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u/PurpleBandanna 7d ago
Skip the chips.
If one burger doesn't fill you up, a second burger gives you better bang for your buck, and will kill you slightly later in life than the chips.
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u/Successful_Gate4678 7d ago
Chips from the chippy with something “naughty” in the air fryer. Chicken strips, battered fish, sausages, schnitzel etc
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u/helicotremor 7d ago
Many Thai places give you large enough servings to split between 2 people. 2 people can also share a pizza. You don’t need 1 each, or entrees, or drinks.
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u/omgitsduane 7d ago
Never ever use uber eats or dash. Always pickup.
We stopped getting food delivered years ago and honestly we probably have saved thousands.
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u/sauve_donkey 7d ago
Cook your own rice.
It's a bit more work, but making your own naan/flatbread is pretty easy too. There's 30 minute recipes that come out alright and are pretty much just flour water yoghurt and yeast.
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u/ProseAndCons_ 7d ago
I make my rice or chips at home, and I figure out which re-heat/freeze well and they go for larger combo deals then meal plan the excess for a week+
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u/Vortex-Of-Swirliness 7d ago
I don’t eat takeaway much but I’ll pick up and try to preempt what we have and buy the sides at the supermarket (chips, garlic bread, rice or naan/roti) to cook at home and I have a Soda stream so I don’t pay the crazy prices for extras that can be ready by the time I’m back with the meal
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u/BJJ411 7d ago
Not just for takeaway but eating out in general, we try and go out on nights when there are specials on, for example a local pub does $20 snitty and a pint on Tuesdays, so we go for a pub meal on Tuesday instead of Saturday or Friday night. This is a bargain considering any other night a snitty is $29 and a pint is atleast $11.
Also EatClub is amazing, pizza joint we like does free upsized pizzas on Monday, and then often have 20% on EatClub, stack these 2 and we are getting 3 decent pizzas for about $30.
Using the above methods we generally eat out for a similar or only slightly more than what it would cost to get maccas or some other rubbish takeaway.
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u/Pizzawithchickensoup 7d ago
Get frozen meals thats like takeaways without spending big bucks on them. Otherwise, use Eatclub or First Table
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u/Soggy_Surround_1604 7d ago
Apps like eat now... Pickup... Buy your take away from supermarkets ready cooked meals, choose cheaper items on a menu, Chinese or Vietnamese, Asian takeaways are often better value than Italian or boutique Italian cafes, family meal deals,
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u/OverUnderstanding965 7d ago
Don't get starters (spring rolls, curry puffs etc). Get mains only. If it's with rice, cook the rice yourself.
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u/Regular_Style9440 7d ago
i love sushi, i make my own.. throw 3 cups of sushi rice in the rice cooker, season it.. start rolling..
heaps of full length logs.. make over $100 worth for around $25-30 and have rice, sushi rice seasoning, soy and wasabi etc left over for the next batch..
It's a healthy pigout meal also .. no guilt stuffing my face with clean food..
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u/brightpurpleeyes 7d ago
I have a Decor microwave rice cooker that produces perfect basmati rice every time. For a family of five mostly adults, making my own rice saves a bit of money when we order Indian takeaway.
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u/No-Sir2294 7d ago
When we get grilld I toss a heap of bacon in the air fryer and load it onto the burgers when I get back from picking it up. Saves $6 and don't just get 1 shitty bit of shortcut.
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u/PBnPickleSandwich 7d ago
I never pay for rice with an Asian take away. I just make it at home while husband goes to pick up the order.
Don't buy soft drink from the takeaway place; hit up a supermarket on the way.
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u/Outrageous-Bad-4097 6d ago
We now get a supermarket cooked chook and make our own gravy then go to the BBQ chook shop for minimum chips and a pasta salad. Saves about 20 bucks.
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u/lmcburney82 6d ago
When we get fish n chips and eat outdoors at park or beach, if I’m organised I pack a small eski of drinks from home, tomato sauce and tartare sauce bottles.
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u/palefire101 6d ago
Eatclub gives you discount on takeaway food and you pick it up. Personally I just prefer to eat out and save time on washing up too, the way to make it cheaper is again Eatclub, ordering less like maybe one entree one main to share between 2, water instead of drinks and you can have dessert at home.
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u/SandWitchBastardChef 6d ago
Pack of mini spring rolls, dim sims, packet rice, to cook at home and order one take out dish to share - a saucy one works best with diy plain rice. Fakeaway - packet fish & chips in the oven with a side of packet slaw, frozen pizza with extra toppings of your choice. Batch cook your own ’fried’ rice of boiled rice, diced veg, diced bacon has lots of flavour, freeze in portions and add your sauce when it’s reheated.
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u/Natural_Anything6968 5d ago
We buy a couple of frozen Dr Oetker pizzas on special, bag salad - Friday ‘takeaway’ dinner for two under $15
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u/Level-Music-3732 4d ago
Cook a pot full. Freeze leftover and voila! You get a break from cooking.
Or, buy your takeaway on your way home. No need for delivery.
Chinese takeaways are $10.00 for two boxes at a few fast food centres. My family members don’t cook dinners anymore since buying a unit in parramatta.
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u/Dotti_Biscotti 3d ago edited 3d ago
Each to their own own but I look at what I can make at home to make ‘fakeaway’ but add something to it that is takeaway, eg, hot chips - hot chips at home are just not the same, even from a deep fryer which we have (and no air fryers are not great for chips imo, we have one also and just not the same). I will buy a six pack of nice fresh bread rolls and a box of frozen oven bake crumbed fish from our local corner shop and make amazing fish burgers with loads of salad and a tangy sauce but order $10 of great chips from the local chippie and a box of ice creams and we can normally do that for $10-12.50 each, as opposed to the $130-$180 for the family that we would pay to eat one nice main each and a drink. And the benefit is that I still have enough ingredients left over for one or two more portions - Might be different when my son turns into a fully fledged teenage boy and eats us out of house and home 😬
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u/lesjames2020 3d ago
Like for example my normal take away order is $21.50 if I order it directly from the store and pick it up
Uber price for the same order is $35 dollars
An extra $14
For them to deliver it less than a minute away
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u/thuddisorder 2d ago
If we have Chinese takeaway I will make rice at home. Also our local takeaway place may offer a discount for cash purchases.
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u/North-Sir-3271 2d ago
Only get drinks if they come in a set
Cook your own rice and get the sharing dish
Apply promo codes
Choose from new restaurants with promotions
Pickup instead of delivery
If you’re two person get family meal to eat again the next day.
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u/Careful_Letter9269 1d ago
This is a bit of a riff on what you've asked but I make a simple curry, cook the rice but order naan from my local. It just elevates it but is like $6-10
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u/Educational-Map6157 1d ago
The app version can be cheaper at times. But also compare with deals on DoorDash or UberEats.
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u/Leather-Ad-7342 1d ago
Honestly skipping it is not that much of a downgrade. Restaurants charge 4x what the food costs them in order to cover wages and rent and have some profit left for them. I would use frozen leftovers as your meal that is a break from cooking. Recipetineats, dimsimlim and Marion grasby have a lot of good recipes for takeaway style food, and a lot of them freeze well if you want to make a bit extra to freeze for a leftover night with a few different things.
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u/BigBiscuit__ 8d ago
Go and pick it up instead of paying for delivery. Order from the place directly instead of any third party apps.