Week 3 #TeamDietChef: Is it worth the money?

Three weeks in to my Diet Chef trial and I've already blogged about and reviewed the portion sizes, the flavours, tastes, ways to cook and serving suggestions. I thought this week, as I'm heading in to the final stage, would be a post based around the cost of Diet Chef and whether I feel it's do-able and worth it.

First off - it's important to realise that a 4 week plan is more expensive MONTHLY than an 8 week plan or the 12 week plan. Of course it is! Like any subscription services, you save money with the more you commit to. Check each plan out here.

So, let's take the 4 week plan for 'worst case scenario'. Designed to assist the customer lose up to 1 stone throughout the time period, this plan costs £245 per month, or the equivalent of £61.25 per week.

I hear the gasps don't worry! I must admit this sounds a very hefty grocery figure for just one person - especially to anyone on a lower income or with a big family etc. However, let me put this into perspective...

Before maternity leave, I would treat myself to a Costa Coffee twice a week en-route to work and I was purchasing my lunches 3 times a week, rather than making them up at home. There are some people who do this everyday, but we'll take my situation for the purpose of this post. 
Now, two coffee's alone cost £6 and my lunches average around the £5 mark depending on what was to be had and where they were from (meal deal from the train station shop, Subway salad meal deal or a panini from Costa, if I was feeling flush!). Other lunches were a salad or sandwich made from home, inclusive usually of crisps and fruit to boot. 
Breakfasts tended to be a tub of Oats So Simple porridge (£1 each from a supermarket) or something similar, and I'd take them to work to have at my desk before starting my day. 

Let's work that out...
breakfasts and lunches on a Mon-Fri basis alone was costing me; £5 in porridges + £6 in coffee's + £15 in meal deals + homemade lunches circa £5 for 2 = £31 already!!!

This isn't even including snacks or evening meals, nor is it taking into account Saturday and Sunday breakfast and lunch.

It's easy to say you don't spend that much, but when you add it all up - you can quite easily shock yourself. Even if it's a takeaway for 2 on a Saturday night @ £20 for 2. That's a tenner (individually) straight away.

Diet Chef offers customers the full use of their forums for help, support and advice - at no extra cost. Look at WeightWatchers however and they charge £11.95 for a 1 month subscription. Add that to your breakfasts, lunches and takeaway and you've already almost hit the cost of Diet Chef for a week - without your weekly grocery shop even bought in yet! 

Is Diet Chef Worth It?

The beauty of Diet Chef, as far as cost goes, is that you get the COMPLETE monthly shop for your dollar, bar milk for your cereal/drinks and accompaniments for your main meal (such as cupboard staples like rice, or veg). 
It's not something I can afford on maternity leave, I'll be straight with you. We simply have to cut back on all expenditure, including groceries, just to make it through month to month, whether this be no cereal for a month - only toast, or praying for the sunshine as an excuse to munch cucumber butties for lunch every day! 

This said though, I've spoken to hubby and it's agreed that when I return back to work, it is definitely worth it - and something I absolutely believe is do-able. 

I've a long way to go with my weightloss. I've worked out that if I lose 2lbs every single week I'll hit 14st by Christmas. Well, I go back to work in January so what better time to kick start a health plan? 
On a side note, I'm going to be extremely busy when I go back to work. They are long days - leaving at 7am in the morning, returning at 7pm at night - and that was BEFORE Finley was here. *I shudder at the thought of days when I go back to work!* Diet Chef should ease me back into work relatively well. There'll be no cooking from scratch to do (I won't have the time), no forward meal planning - just come in, sort the kids, shower and grab what I fancy for tea - cooked in 3 minutes flat. Ahh bliss! 
For the record, I would personally opt for the 8 week plan. You save a whopping £50 a month compared to the 4 week plan, as it's only £195 each month - the equivalent to £48.75 a week. 

My opinion after 3 weeks - It's working. It's tasty. It's worth it.
If you want to sign up, remember to quote the following code to save a further £10 off your bill:

If anyone has any questions that I've not answered in the last couple of weeks postings - please do feel free to hit me with your questions below. If there's enough, I may even do a Q&A piece for you all based on my experience, if you feel it would be helpful?

DISCLAIMER: I am currently participating in a 4 week trial of the Diet Chef plan FOC. 
I was not paid to write this post, all opinions are entirely my own - open and honest as per usual.

Linking to Honest Mummy's #brilliantblogposts


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  2. Thanks for this! great interesting post x
    Abbigayle xo http://www.stealstylist.com

  3. Really interesting post, and having followed your weightloss for a while now it's definitely working for you lovely!


  4. Personally I have thought it sounded like quite a lot but when you break it down like you have it does make sense. Especially with the added bonus of not having to worry about what to make after a long day at work. I would love to try this out

  5. Lovely post! Very helpful for those looking to go on diet chef or wanting to lose weight - especially if know expensive plans from Slim Fast are etc.

  6. You sum it all up really well! I am starting week 4 and I would defo say its worth the money, especially if you live a busy lifestyle! Bonus is your are sure to lose weight!

  7. Great post and you made it very easy to understand.


  8. Interesting post, for what it is it does seems cost effective, in all honest it's not something I'd ever try myself I think I just love cooking too much :-)

  9. This is a brill review! Definitely getting Mr D onto the plan as your cost breakdown makes it seem viable for us (I'm all about the numbers!). Would be great if you shared on the #britmumsreviews round up too http://www.britmums.com/2014/07/reviews-round-up-what-a-come-back/

  10. I honestly think this is the only sort of diet I could ever do, I need the organisational side of it. Really good review.


  11. I've thought about doing these before as I'm told they really do work... but we are spending closer to the weekly amount for the plan on a monthly big shop for all three of us at the moment.
    May be a possibility when I go back to work as it could save money... I just need to stay away from starbucks!

  12. OOh be interested to read how you get on. Please do add my badge or link back to brilliantblogposts. Thanks!

  13. I could do with doing this just to get myself back into a smaller portion mindset x

