Trying to save money—what do you make when you’d rather have takeout?

[Anonymous]

Soup and bread
Sandwiches you make
Cheese and crackers/bread, veggies and dip
Pasta, jarred sauce or butter/oil/parmesan cheese
Quesadillas
Frozen chicken pies
Bagged salad mixes, add in chopped cooked chicken, salami, ham, cheese, etc
Baked potatoes with cottage cheese, market deli chicken

[Anonymous]

I always have some TJ frozen meals in the freezer:
Kung pao chicken, orange chicken, beef with broccoli, chicken with shiitake and mushrooms: takes minutes to cook, serve with veg of choice and rice
TJ fried rice:add scrambled eggs and chicken/tofu

Boxed tomato soup with grilled cheese
Costco also has several frozen meal options.

[Anonymous]

Lunchables

[Anonymous]

There is Indian chicken in the refrigerator section of Costco. So easy , takes a few minutes to heat up and probably about $12. Replaces a $60 takeout order. I started doing this because we moved to an area where there is no delivery but the side benefit has been huge cost savings. I also do various takes on a Cava bowl or a burrito bowl. If you make a big batch of rice and keep some interesting condiments around, it’s a super easy way to use leftover protein. Also, ye olde rotisserie chicken is a great high protein easy dinner with a veggie or two. Having no access to meal delivery has made me more creative about using leftovers, too.

[Anonymous]

I get a CSA bag every week. Almost everything can be prepared in an omelette/frittata, stir fry, roasted, soup or salad. I keep eggs/cheese, rice/pasta, chicken stock, tofu/almonds on hand at all times to make these. It is not exciting but it is healthy and cheap.

[Anonymous]

Boil Pasta. Add frozen peas to the water for the last few minutes. Serve with jarred pesto sauce. Easy.

Bean and cheese quesadillas. Put some avocado on the side for a veggie.

Slow cooker pulled bbq chicken. I put boneless skinless chicken thighs in the slow cooker with some store bought bbq sauce. Serve on rolls for pulled chicken sandwich or on a salad.

[Anonymous]

My kids have decided charcuterie is their favorite meal. That’s about as easy as you can get. Otherwise, I recommend what others have said and batch make and freeze. It’s pretty hard to get easier than that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’ve been spending entirely too much on takeout and vow to eat out less next month. But sometimes I just don’t want to cook. I don’t want to clean. I don’t want to do anything but throw away a paper plate, at most. I’m looking to alternatives to eating out that don’t require ANY effort or energy in the kitchen. **NOT PIZZA!** We already have a rotating pizza night.

I’ve considered those Costco prepared meals, but they aren’t exactly “cheap”, and some of them take planning (like an hour or more to bake the pot pie/meatloaf, etc.)

Cereal night is another idea but in the past, everyone is still hungry later. And, cereal isn’t cheap either! And nobody enjoys the same cereal. If I’m spending $6 a box, we might as well get Subway.

Help!!!

You are in dire need of a math class.

I get what’s she’s saying. I have two kids and they each pick a cereal, and DH and I don’t eat that, and I often don’t like what DH likes. So that’s three boxes. If they are $6 each that’s $18, plus milk, so $20. We could get Subway for $30, or whatever, and have no dishes. I think that’s what OP is saying.

[headdesk]

I'm sure it it - but the thing is, and I can't believe I have to say this, *you still have cereal left over when you are finished*.

How do you people survive in the wild? Do you have minders who keep you safe?

[Anonymous]

I keep these lightly breaded chicken breasts in the freezer I love. Also a bunch of veggies and things like Trader Joe’s Mexican style cauliflower rice which you just heat in a pan and it’s done. That’s an easy dinner. If we make
Meatballs we freeze a serving for another time etc.

[Anonymous]

These are meals we can make quickly:

Fried rice
Spanish tortilla
Tacos

If you chicken breasts ahead of time, you can make salads, pulled chicken, sandwiches.

[Anonymous]

Scrambled eggs, refried beans, sautéed spinach

Pasta, meatballs, broccoli, parm

Grilled cheese and tomato soup

Trader Joe’s orange chicken and fried rice

These are my like, zero effort but I’m not cooking-cooking dinners

[Anonymous]

Omlettes with whatever meat, cheese, and veg we have. Serve with butter toast as needed.
Oatmeal with pb, warm and filling on a chilly day.
Pasta with Costco pesto.
Avocado toast, with a fried egg on top.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We’ve been spending entirely too much on takeout and vow to eat out less next month. But sometimes I just don’t want to cook. I don’t want to clean. I don’t want to do anything but throw away a paper plate, at most. I’m looking to alternatives to eating out that don’t require ANY effort or energy in the kitchen. **NOT PIZZA!** We already have a rotating pizza night.

I’ve considered those Costco prepared meals, but they aren’t exactly “cheap”, and some of them take planning (like an hour or more to bake the pot pie/meatloaf, etc.)

Cereal night is another idea but in the past, everyone is still hungry later. And, cereal isn’t cheap either! And nobody enjoys the same cereal. If I’m spending $6 a box, we might as well get Subway.

Help!!!

You are in dire need of a math class.

Subway! Yikes

[Anonymous]

This is what Traders Joes is for

[Anonymous]

Instant ramen with tofu and veggies. Add a squirt of lim, cilantro and sriracha.

Tuna

Pinch of yum has this dish with frozen dumplings and teriyaki that’s good and super easy.