I was just reading a post about why many of us still eat fast food even though it’s not the most frugal option, and it seemed like the most cited reason was lack of time to cook a meal at home. Friends, I hear you! I used to be a SAHM, but inflation has forced me back to work, and I am shocked by how much less time I have for cooking and meal prep. I am also equally reluctant to see my new paycheck get eaten up by convenience foods. I also have ADHD, so anything that is going to require regular dedicated planning is not going to work for me. Here’s what I’ve been doing to avoid eating out most weeks!

I do meal plan every Sunday, but with a twist: I assume at least three nights a week will be leftovers, so I only need to think of four dinners each week. Then I only plan one breakfast and one lunch, because we’re usually fine with eating the same thing every week for those meals.

For days when I am overextended or just over exhausted, I keep what I call “emergency meals” on hand—things like: - Ramen that can be dressed up with a drizzle of sesame oil and frozen veggies - Canned soups that I know my kids like - Pasta that can be served with butter, olive oil, dried garlic and herbs - Frozen chicken nuggets and fries - Pita pizzas—I generally have a big bag of shredded mozzarella and pizza sauce in the fridge

I may not have ALL of the above at any given time, but when I do my weekly meal planning, I do make sure I have at least one emergency meal on hand.

Also, I do splurge on prepackaged snacks, nuts, and fruit that I can grab and bring in the car when I know we’re going to be out and about around meal time. Yes, this is more expensive then buying in bulk and portioning myself, but I do not have time for that, and doing it this way is still cheaper than eating out and also reduces the temptation to eat out because I already have food in the car. (We also bring our water bottles everywhere because I ain’t paying $4 each for convenience hydration).

What are some of your favorite hacks for avoiding eating out when you’re crunched for time and sanity?

EDIT TO ADD: I think many have missed that I said emergency food. What I listed is not what we eat every day. It’s what we eat when I don’t have the bandwidth to make something else and saves us from spending on takeout.

ADDITIONAL EDIT: There are so many good ideas on here! Thank you all for the suggestions. This has blown up, so I’m not able to respond to everything, but I am loving learning from you all. I’m particularly inspired by the healthy-yet-effortless (yet cheap) ideas.