“We need a Personal Chef to help with dinner.”  This was the opening line of the phone call I received yesterday.  She told me about her frustrations with menu planning, defrosting items safely and in a timely manner, and just not wanting to cook. It’s time to outsource the cooking.

“How much will it cost?” I currently charge a $225 chef fee + actual grocery cost for 4 different entrees with appropriate side dishes, (4 completely different meals, with up to 6 servings each).

A common reaction, and fear, is that the cost of a Personal Chef exceeds the budget.

Let’s break it down:

• The dining out bill adds up quickly (hello, drinks & tip). What’s your total monthly dining out cost?  Save your receipts (even drive-through).
• How’s that vegetable bin looking? Did you come home from the store, stash those vibrant vegetables in the crisper drawer and then rush off to drive your kids to soccer practice? The dinner you planned didn’t get made because traffic was bad. Suddenly it’s garbage day and you’re pulling the trash can to what is labeled as the crisper drawer, but now resembles the compost bin.
• Keep a log of the time you spend planning, grocery shopping and cooking dinner. Does your family tell you they’re tired of eating the same things over and over again? Would you just rather be doing something else? (My new client would rather be gardening!)

Suddenly that Personal Chef fee you thought was unrealistic seems like a great bargain. Our phone call ended with her saying something like, “Are you sure you can’t be here tomorrow?”

My new client found me on Hire A Chef, the directory site for members of the United States Personal Chef Association.   Stay tuned for the list of questions I think you should ask your prospective Personal Chef.