Fakeaway - ditch the apps, save thousands - but still keep your delicious dinner

We all love a night off from cooking, but it might be time for a reality check.

Takeaway is meant to save us time and effort. But let’s be honest: by the time you browse the app, wait for the restaurant to accept the order, and watch the driver slowly cycle across town, you’ve waited 45 minutes. 

Worse still, you’ve likely shelled out for service fees, delivery charges, and inflated menu prices just for the privilege of ordering from a third-party app. At this point, you’re not just hangry. You’re broke and hangry. Let’s call it bangry.

The good news is that you don’t have to pay through the nose just to avoid washing a pan. Enter the “fakeaway”. It’s clever supermarket hacks that can get a delicious dinner on the table in a quarter of the time, for a fraction of the cost.

So, if you want to skip the delivery fees without sacrificing the Friday night treat, here are some of the best supermarket fakeaways to add to your rotation. 

It’s worth noting that these have been calculated based on the recommended serving sizes provided – so depending on your household, you may need a little more, or less, than what we’ve accounted for.

Pasta night

Craving carbs? Coles Kitchen has you covered. Having recently taken out the top gong in Canstar’s best-rated fresh pasta awards, their gnocchi with ricotta and parmigiano can be cooked and plated in less than 5 minutes. Add in the obligatory garlic bread (we’ve factored in a double serve, because two slices is never enough), and you have a fancy dinner with only one pot to wash up.

• The menu: Coles Kitchen gnocchi & Coles Kitchen garlic bread
• Per serve: $5.30
• Family of four: $21.20

Charcoal chicken night

Move over, Charcoal Charlies – IGA is stepping up to the plate. Winner of Canstar’s 2026 award for best hot chicken, an IGA bird forms the perfect base for a lightning-fast meal. Chuck in some microwave rice, avocado, cucumber, soy sauce, and kewpie mayo (just go easy on the sriracha!), and you have a fresh, filling dinner in under 5 minutes.

• The menu: IGA hot roast chicken, IGA Community Co microwave rice, avocado, cucumber, and pantry sauces
• Per serve: $5.50
• Family of four: $22.00

Pizza party

Pizza on a Friday night is practically compulsory, but the price tag from a pizzeria can be hefty. Supermarkets are completely overhauling their fresh pizza options, with stores like Woolworths remodeling entire sections around high-quality ready-made meals. Pick up a Picasso Pizza (an award-winning meat lovers option) and wash it down with a double scoop of Gelativo.

• The menu: Woolworths Picasso pizza (meat lovers) & Gelativo ice cream
• Per serve: $4.05
• Family of four: $16.20

Mediterranean family night

Aldi’s Spanikopita is a cult favourite, and at just $8.49 a box, it’s easy to see why. Pair it with a simple Caesar salad kit and you’ve got a massive meal for pocket change.

• The menu: Aldi’s Urban Eats Spanikopita & a Caesar salad kit
• Per serve: $3.50
• Family of four: $13.98

Indian feast

Indian night is possibly the easiest fakeaway on the list because all the major supermarkets do takeaway-worthy ready-made options. If you’ve got a big family, why not invest in a banquet? We’ve picked a butter chicken and a massaman curry here, complete with pappadums and basmati rice – just like proper takeaway.

• The menu: Coles Kitchen Butter Chicken, Coles Kitchen Massaman Curry, pappadums, and basmati rice
• Per serve: $4.59
• Family of four: $18.35

How much exactly can you save?

Let’s do the math. For a family of four, the average fakeaway bill comes to just over $18. The average takeaway bill? That’s north of $80.

Being conservative, let’s look at a saving of $62 every single time you swap a takeaway order for a fakeaway. If you do this once a week over a year, that leaves $3,224 back in your pocket.

What does $3,224 buy you? That’s a week-long holiday to the Gold Coast for your entire family. Or, if you really want to make your money work for you, put it on the mortgage. 

On a $600,000 loan with 25 years remaining, redirecting that takeaway money will help you pay off the beast 3.3 years sooner, saving you a staggering $82,000 in interest.

Still want takeaway? How to keep a lid on costs

Some local takeaway places are just too good to give up, and that’s okay! If you have competitively priced favourites, figure out which ones you simply can’t do without, make sure they fit your budget, and treat yourself every second week.

When you do order in, here is how to keep your costs down:

• Pick up the phone and order direct: Bypassing the apps can save you upwards of 20% on the food alone.
• Be your own driver: Take the dog for a walk and pick the food up yourself, or send the kids to grab it.
• Pay cash: Often, local joints will give you a 10% discount for making things easier for them, and you can both avoid card surcharge fees.
• Be loyal: Your local takeaway joint is not like a big bank. They do remember their regulars, and they are much more likely to throw in a free bag of prawn crackers for a familiar face.