Personal or Private Chef

LSurfer Dude on 12/07/2020 - 01:19
Last edited 12/07/2020 - 01:20

Hello Ozbargainers,

I am looking for recommendations on how others out there have managed to solve the 'couple in mid 30's, full time professional workers (8am-6pm) who don't have time or can't make time to cook meals at home' conundrum.

I've given the precooked meals a solid go more than once (youfoodz, musclemeals, lite n'easy etc.) and I just cannot maintain it as I find the variety of tasty food is very limited.

Does anyone have experience with using a private/personal chef/cook for 3-4 nights per week? Does such a service exist in Sydney that's 'affordable' (under $300 per week)?

Thanking you in advance for your contribution.

Food & Grocery

Comments

  • Davo1111 on 12/07/2020 - 01:25
    +330

    scotty, please confiscate OP's ozbargain license

      • cktftw on 14/07/2020 - 13:04
        +27

        r/woosh

      • Chandler on 14/07/2020 - 13:10
        +21

        Someone should confiscate your grammar licenCe ;)

        Someone should confiscate your grammar-Nazi licence, as there's nothing wrong with Davo1111's grammar.

        Spelling, yes - licence, as you pointed out.

        Grammar, no - apart from a missing period, one which you're also missing as I wouldn't define emoji as terminal punctuation.

          • Chandler on 14/07/2020 - 13:20
            +15

            @funnysht: Exactly.

          • fragrantrelief on 14/07/2020 - 13:22
            +28

            @funnysht: that definition literally tells you spelling isnt grammar

            • D C on 14/07/2020 - 15:36
              -3

              @fragrantrelief: Definition of grammer nazi's: Dumbest of the dumb. Dunning-Kruger poster children.

              • Daabido on 14/07/2020 - 17:01
                +1

                @D C: Grammer (sic) nazi's (sic) what?

                Excuse me while I go adjust my poster.

                • D C on 14/07/2020 - 18:22
                  -7

                  @Daabido:

                  (sic)

                  Hmm. Typical humourless Grammer nazi missing the joke, got the joke but Grammer nazi'd anyways, or just another pointless comment in a pointless thread…

                  • [Deactivated] on 16/07/2020 - 08:54
                    +1

                    @D C: Lol

                    The iron-knee is delish

                    • D C on 16/07/2020 - 18:27
                      -1

                      @[Deactivated]:

                      Lol

                      Ya.

                      gramers nazi's make me laugh, useless bunch of twats.

                      I see they're been triggered and harshly punished me by negging my comments. Woe is me!

                      Go back two reddit ya morans

      • p1 ama on 14/07/2020 - 16:08
        +24

        Why? I assume you (and others) never hire out cleaning, pet grooming, moving, garden work, lawn mowing, small diy work right then?

        There's nothing wrong with outsourcing things, but hiring a personal chef (which you won't find for $300 per week for someone who can actually cook) is a whole different level. There exists plenty of options for outsourcing cooking - e.g. take-out, restaurants, Ubereats…etc.

        Not to mention that OP somehow thinks 8am - 6pm is long "professional" hours.

        • Dadidalol on 14/07/2020 - 19:52
          +19

          Yes I giggled when I saw "full time professional workers (8am-6pm) who don't have time…"

          I really wouldn't mind doing those hours! I would have so much free time :)

          You're incredibly lucky OP!

      • dcash on 15/07/2020 - 15:14

        That's correct. Never once have I hired any of those.

      • tebbybabes on 16/07/2020 - 14:25

        Also, license is a perfectly acceptable spelling of the term. It's more prevalent in US centric english.

        • BinaryPirate on 17/07/2020 - 21:36
          +3

          It's one of the reasons US English is referred to as English (Simplified).

          In UK & Australian English, license is a verb & licence is a noun.
          In US English license is both a verb & a noun.

          The same applies to practice, defence & probably others I can't think of right now.

      • sarahlump on 16/07/2020 - 20:30

        never in my life have I, but to be fair I hate lawn mowing so much so I can see there being a market.

      • SelfMade on 04/10/2020 - 21:47

        Mate there's so many broke people on this forum, it's unbelievable. What's worse is their mentality, it will forever keep them broke.

    • notewar on 15/07/2020 - 09:00
      +3

      This is real life Bobby Axelrod

    • LordSydney on 16/07/2020 - 22:08
      +2

      Yes, there's plenty of people who do this.. I used to share a house with a girl who was basically a private/personnal chef.. I doubt you'll find such a service < $300 though…

      Put some ads on Facebook Marketplace/Groups - au-pair / WHV / student / chef
      Gumtree… there's plenty students who aren't "allowed" to work more than a certain amount of hours per week, au-pairs, couch surfers, "illegal" immigrants…

    • bender000 on 18/07/2020 - 13:02

      she turned me into a newt!

      But seriously you're in the wrong part of town, kiddo (who TF has no time to make food)

  • SydStrand on 12/07/2020 - 01:38
    +94

    Your hours are not unusual, and you also have the benefit of living as a couple = alternate cooking days or halve the workload. Or learn to meal prep.

    • BillyG687 on 15/07/2020 - 16:36
      +12

      They could also buy a slow cooker. Throw meat, veggies and some stock and once you get home you'll have an awesome warm meal. Might not work every night, but this a couple or few times a week is great.

      • rentonc on 15/07/2020 - 20:31

        Or sous-vide + esky + ice trick

  • Mechz on 12/07/2020 - 01:53
    +174

    Mate, it's called take-away. No one with actual cooking skills outside of a 3rd world country is coming to cook for you most nights of the week for that money.

      • [Deactivated] on 12/07/2020 - 22:03
        +65

        Woolies and Coles both sell pre packaged vegetables. You just dump them in the oven for x amount of time and boom dinner is done.

        • k-rokfm on 14/07/2020 - 09:44
          +136

          Is there a chef that can come around and put them in the oven for me?

          • abb on 15/07/2020 - 10:20
            +13

            @k-rokfm: I'll do it.

            But you'll need to hire an oven technician to turn the oven on for me.

      • CocaKoala on 14/07/2020 - 09:16
        +5

        Also roasted vegetables options (our favourite) and other healthy & tasty options are limited in our area.

        Roasted vegetables is a favourite, and it's also too difficult to prepare at home?!

      • macrocephalic on 14/07/2020 - 11:25
        +6

        Roast veges are one of the easiest things to cook. Cut up vegetables. Mix oil/butter, salt, crushed garlic (from a jar), and rosemary and time if you want. Dunk the cut up veges into the oil mixture. Put on a tray ($8 from Coles worth) and put in the oven at 200c. Take them out when they start to look brown on the edges. The whole process will take about 40 mins but the actual prep the is only 5-10 minutes.

        Roast meat is also easy. Buy your meat, buy a packet of "roast bags" from the supermarket. Buy some roast flavouring sachets. Put the roast into the bag, tip in the sachet, put on a tray in the oven for the required time (Google it, but normally about 25min per 500g). Alternatively, buy a roast chicken for $9.

        • Chandler on 14/07/2020 - 13:15

          The whole process will take about 40 mins but the actual prep the is only 5-10 minutes

          You can cut that down a little bit by parboiling them first, too. Slightly more to clean up, however.

          Added steps - start boiling a saucepan while you cut up the veggies. Add veggies to water for ~10min, drain, put on tray. Continue as above (with decreased roasting time).

          Some do say that potatoes do better boiling from cold, so could skip pre-boiling the water (but then I think you'd need to boil for longer).

        • StonedWizard on 16/07/2020 - 18:18

          @macrocephalic - I'm a noob in the kitchen. Your recipe sound yummy and easy.

          Please share more of them!

      • brendanm on 14/07/2020 - 18:15
        +3

        You literally can't chop some veg, then throw it in the oven?

        • Harold Halfprice on 14/07/2020 - 21:40
          +25

          They don't have time - they're working 8am-6pm (full time professional worker).

          • UltimateAI on 14/07/2020 - 22:28
            +8

            @Harold Halfprice: I get your sarcasm. Wait till they throw some kids into the mix.

            • dcash on 15/07/2020 - 15:16
              +2

              @UltimateAI: Sounds like they're way too selfish for that.

              • smartazz104 on 15/07/2020 - 21:11
                +3

                @dcash: Given the way the world is now having children would be more selfish.

              • LucasS on 16/07/2020 - 02:03
                +2

                @dcash: I'd love to hear why you believe not having children is selfish.

                • dcash on 16/07/2020 - 09:24
                  +2

                  @LucasS: I'm not saying that. I'm saying that if you're selfish, you shouldn't have kids.

                  • LucasS on 16/07/2020 - 10:44
                    +1

                    @dcash: Ah yes, I agree, best for all involved.

            • simhanada on 15/07/2020 - 17:10
              +11

              @UltimateAI: Not feasible for professional workers…. kids take much more time in the oven.

            • Mancandy on 16/07/2020 - 15:18
              +1

              @UltimateAI: Just make you don't throw them in at the same time as the veggies, due to the different cooking times.

    • Ash SA on 14/07/2020 - 21:37
      +1

      we have had someone coming over to help for around $30 per hour. So around $300 per week which is what OP is asking. but we are in Melbourne mate; no idea about Syds.

      • Ash SA on 14/07/2020 - 21:38

        That was for one time preparation and you eat that food for lunch and dinner. Brekkie is easy anyway.

      • truetypezk on 15/07/2020 - 17:58

        I don't think those $30/hr guys can be called private chefs though. Actually I dont even know where you can helo general housework done for $30/hour, sounds too cheap to be true.

        • macrocephalic on 15/07/2020 - 21:27
          +1

          Have a look at what actual chefs make, the hours they work, and the conditions they work in. My brother was a skilled chef, but after a few years went back to school to get a white collar career. In his own words, he'd rather work at a supermarket than go back to the kitchen; the pay is similar and the conditions are much better.

        • Ash SA on 17/07/2020 - 19:35

          i am talking abt someone who was working in a local cafe. The last i checked people were not complaining and she lived close-by then. Suited her and we were happy.

        • Ash SA on 17/07/2020 - 19:37

          Not all the chefs make a killing. everyone starts low - whatever the profession be. I worked for peanuts in starting, helped people outside regular work.

  • TheAccountant on 12/07/2020 - 02:46
    +21

    Get someone who knows how to cook and needs a place to stay to move in.

    • Surfer Dude on 12/07/2020 - 20:17

      Where do I seek out these people?

      • bmerigan on 13/07/2020 - 21:42
        +9

        I don't know where to ask, but international visitors on working holiday are perfect for this. Someone at my work has one as a nanny.

        • jace88 on 13/07/2020 - 22:23
          +5

          I’ve heard of nannies doing double duties as helping look after kids and meal prep, but definitely not as mainstream as the “helper” concept is in other countries eg Singapore.

        • Serapis on 14/07/2020 - 13:02
          +5

          Careful, you need to pay them as an employee:

          https://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us/news-and-media-releases…

          This will definitely cost more than the $300 OP is willing to spend.

          • whooah1979 on 14/07/2020 - 13:10
            +3

            @Serapis: They probably won’t declare the income.

            • truetypezk on 15/07/2020 - 18:01
              +2

              @whooah1979: If they somehow decided to turn on you I think you will be in much deeper shits than they do. Definitely not a wise move just for cooked dinners.

              • Ti-au on 16/07/2020 - 16:52

                @truetypezk: Expect to back pay any tax you didn't forward to the ATO (or pay GST).

      • tessel on 14/07/2020 - 07:27
        +22

        You'd rather share with a stranger because they can cook than just make your own dinner? I understand you are busy but wtf?!

      • JoeBlack03 on 14/07/2020 - 15:43
        +5

        Try nichigo press. Japanese community in Australia. although it's hard to use it without English - it is still great.
        When I was looking to rent out a room in my unit, I decided to go with Japanese and used Nichigo press.
        not being racist or anything, but statistically it is easier to find someone clean, honest and quite throughout Japanese rather than anyone else. It has been 3 flatmates now, and every time I am extremely satisfied. Very nice culture.
        I heard that someone like you was looking for a cook, and they found few women in Japanese community who had enough free time and desire to get more work. I think, that mate and his wife ended up providing a room to some female student, with cooking and cleaning instead of rent, but I cant recall exactly.
        Maybe you should try too.

        • KSMLJ on 14/07/2020 - 15:59
          +23
          • ended up providing a room to some female student, with cooking and cleaning instead of rent, but I cant recall exactly. *

          I've seen enough foreign movies to know which direction this goes :)

          • crazyboy on 14/07/2020 - 16:32

            @KSMLJ: Kinda went the different way as was originally thought :P

      • jedimaster on 14/07/2020 - 19:35
        +1

        Post in Australia backpackers group on fb

      • SimBer on 15/07/2020 - 09:48

        Check out Workaway for this arrangement

      • LordSydney on 16/07/2020 - 22:05

        Facebook Marketplace/Groups - au-pair / WHV / student / chef

        Friends-of-friends, Gumtree…. students who aren't "allowed" to work more than a certain amount of hours per week, au-pairs, couch surfers, "illegal" immigrants…

  • Pudina Chutney on 12/07/2020 - 05:17
    +13

    Try airtasker.

    • Bargain2020 on 14/07/2020 - 17:30
      +6

      Yep, I recommend AirTasker. You will find somebody for $300. Maybe they can come twice a week, cook some meals and freeze some for the other days. And you might find somebody who lives close by who will cook say 5 nights/week for $300 plus cost of ingredients. You could also easily get some great takeaway meals (Indian, Thai etc) and freeze them.

      • Ti-au on 16/07/2020 - 17:01

        Thai would be good.

  • BugsBunnyAUS on 12/07/2020 - 06:15
    +132

    This has to be a troll post.

    8am-6pm and no time to make food?

    First step: Get over yourselves
    Second step: Use pre-made sauces and the like from the supermarket, they aren't all bad. And learn how to cook with canned tomatoes.
    Third Step: Buy a slow cooker and learn how to use it

    • [Deactivated] on 12/07/2020 - 09:42
      +3

      Why canned tomatoes?

      • DashCam AKA Rolts on 12/07/2020 - 13:34
        +83

        Why canned tomatoes?

        They spend a lot of time in kitchens, so they have great knowledge and are an endless source of insider cooking tips.

        • Antikythera on 14/07/2020 - 19:26
          +10

          only problem is the tinned tomatoes are all Italian so even though they have a heap of knowledge to provide you cant understand them.

      • Zephyrus on 13/07/2020 - 22:23
        +4

        Much cheaper, break down faster.

        If you happen to have a large supply of cheap tomatoes (for sauce or the like) then your mileage may vary.

        • [Deactivated] on 13/07/2020 - 22:31
          -5

          I see.

          I would consider canned julienned carrots but breaking down tomatoes doesn't take long. Maybe with a dull knife…

          • njastar on 14/07/2020 - 08:46
            +11

            @[Deactivated]: Canned tomatoes are generally fresher and better quality than fresh tomatoes from Coles, for example. Fresh tomatoes are usually picked well before they are ready so they can be transported, while canned tomatoes are picked when they're fresh and spend longer on the vine. They are in 99% of cases fresher, and picked when they are riper.

            • [Deactivated] on 14/07/2020 - 10:05
              +4

              @njastar: Good point.

              I grow tomatoes so I completely missed that.

    • Surfer Dude on 12/07/2020 - 18:30
      +7

      Not a troll post Bugs. I'm genuinely asking for advice from other Ozbargainers.

        • gimme on 14/07/2020 - 00:15
          +68

          Lol the guy is asking for a $300 chef. It's not a sign that they're financially secure at all. It's a sign that they need a reality check.

          • Krankite on 14/07/2020 - 07:49
            -3

            @gimme: It's not that ridiculous if the correct service exists, they are asking for 5 hours of a cook/chefs time plus ingredients. So something like $40 an hour for the chef and $100 for ingredients. The difficulty is that a 1hr per night shift isn't reasonable on its own.

            In high density suburbs though this does sound like a good opportunity for a uber style service.

            • gimme on 14/07/2020 - 09:01
              +11

              @Krankite: Where did you come up with 5hrs?
              The service already exists, it's called takeaway , fbook mktolace meals and various types of delivery services. Noone half decent will be your private chef for 300.

            • Jalif on 14/07/2020 - 10:10
              +5

              @Krankite: To do that for a household including shopping 3h/day easy, and the hours 3-6 stop you working 9-5, so there's got to be a trade off in dollars.

              To add to that they'll be an independent contractor, so insurance and tax means higher costs.

          • Serapis on 14/07/2020 - 13:03

            @gimme: Hahaha I wish I could give you more than 1x like

      • OzBozo on 13/07/2020 - 23:20

        Light n easy

    • jellykingdom on 14/07/2020 - 11:15
      +8

      SLOW cooker. Wtf? You want a pressure cooker!

      • bleckyL on 17/07/2020 - 11:39
        +1

        Any ozbargainer knows you need both!

        Slow cooker (some decent rice cookers can be used as a slow cooker too), will help to have something ready and waiting when you get home (the programmable ones are great for this).

        Pressure cooker is great for getting things done quickly.

    • funnysht on 14/07/2020 - 12:49
      -2

      I assume you never hired out anything and do everything yourself champ?

    • rentonc on 15/07/2020 - 20:42
      +1

      NO jar sauce!
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OEDjDKV038

    • Drow on 17/07/2020 - 11:02

      Agree, that they both think their lives are too busy to perform a basic requirement of living says something.

      Maybe more so, neither of them wants to spend the time to make food for the other.

      Meal prep is a great idea and I've always been a fan of cooking as a couple - produce the tasty food with half the effort, half the stress and turning a chore into quality time together.

  • ihbh on 12/07/2020 - 06:55
    +13

    under $300 per week

    include or exclude ingredients?

    if exclude, are you happy to have just fried rice or spag bol all week?

    • Surfer Dude on 12/07/2020 - 18:31
      -5

      I'm happy to go either way, if it's cheaper for me to purchase the ingredients for the chef I'm OK with that.
      Not happy with fried rice / spag bol all week

      • bs0 on 14/07/2020 - 08:33
        +5

        Fried rice literally takes <15 minutes to make if you have all the ingredients at home.

        • whooah1979 on 14/07/2020 - 11:23
          +6

          A Tiger alone takes 45 minutes to make proper rice.

          • bs0 on 14/07/2020 - 14:31
            +1

            @whooah1979: True, should've have clarified however, that I usually reuse leftover rice from the previous meal + other leftovers or new ingredients.

            But with a tiger, surely you can just use the automatic timer so the rice is ready by the time you're home.

    • stampella on 14/07/2020 - 01:03

      Well, my "spag bol" are neither cheap nor quick to make…

      OP, double it to 600 and I'll do it.
      3 times per week, meals for 6 days. Weight gain guaranteed (no matter if you want it or not) and you'll start to speak gesticulating in no time.

      Ah, you might have to move to Melbourne to make it happen, but hey, it will be worth it!

      Edit: I've read 300/day. Nah, I'll pass, sorry. No need to pack up your life and move to Melbourne.

      But I've been fresh off a plane too at some point and I'm confident you could find some good lad that is stuck here without a job due to covid, so this could be mutually beneficial. But 300/week is pretty low, even for 3 days/week thing.

  • coco1458 on 12/07/2020 - 07:52
    +24

    Possibly think about spending one day on the weekend to meal prep, plan out your meals for the week, one big shop, cook and it's ready in the fridge for the rest of the week

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