Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 13:10     Subject: Alternative to food delivery
I really wish there was a personal chef who would cook a bunch of family's meals and we could just pickup. My friend is a chef and she does this in another city.

My kids (who aren't picky) won't touch anything that arrives in a casserole dish and a lot of meals are like that.

Blue Apron was great when it was just dh and I, but now that we have 3 kids, it's just not enough
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 13:04     Subject: Alternative to food delivery
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So just for Friday nights? Ordering direct from restaurant and picking up does help.

We have tried several options but always resort to just delivery on our nights off from cooking. It's actually easier and more pleasant to find cost savings elsewhere.


Most restaurants don't have a direct way to order and divert to other sites. Where possible we do pick ups thanks


lol this is the most millennial thing ever. “I need to order the food without actually speaking to anyone and it’s impossible without the app.”
The answer is to call whatever place you want, order the food, and then go get it yourself. Saves a ton of money and they will always take your order.
Restaurant owners strongly prefer you do this. They hate handing over food knowing it will be sitting in some dank uber eats car assuming room temperature before it gets to its destination.


We don't do Uber Eats anymore bc i honestly think I'm a better cook than most places we ordered from (at half the price haha!). But what really gave me pause was when a bag of food got delivered that smelled like either the drivers cologne or his air freshener. Dank car is right!


My friends husband owns a restaurant and he is constantly fielding complaints like “The food was lukewarm and smelled like weed. I want a refund.” He is ready to do away with it entirely because they’re losing more money than they’re making on it.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 12:55     Subject: Alternative to food delivery
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So just for Friday nights? Ordering direct from restaurant and picking up does help.

We have tried several options but always resort to just delivery on our nights off from cooking. It's actually easier and more pleasant to find cost savings elsewhere.


Most restaurants don't have a direct way to order and divert to other sites. Where possible we do pick ups thanks


lol this is the most millennial thing ever. “I need to order the food without actually speaking to anyone and it’s impossible without the app.”
The answer is to call whatever place you want, order the food, and then go get it yourself. Saves a ton of money and they will always take your order.
Restaurant owners strongly prefer you do this. They hate handing over food knowing it will be sitting in some dank uber eats car assuming room temperature before it gets to its destination.


This. I've never understood the appeal of going through a third party and having someone else pick up your food unless you are sick or disabled.

It adds a huge amount of cost to the order and lots of potential mistakes. Consider calling the restaurant directly and / or using their online ordering system (many have this now) and having one parent go pick up the food on the way home from work. You get the same food, the restaurant makes more money directly from you, and you save money.


The appeal is time, Karen.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 12:35     Subject: Alternative to food delivery
Also, I order from Chipotle through their app and often get free extras like chips and guacamole. We get the burrito bowls and they allow you to get extra on some ingredients like cheese for free. For me, one bowl is at least 2 meals. We also get lunch specials from our local Chinese restaurant early in the day and it's an inexpensive dinner plus is usually at least 2 meals for me.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 12:32     Subject: Re:Alternative to food delivery
Home Chef often has introductory deals (as do other meal kit services) and they have a lot of super easy Oven Ready and Quick meals that are delicious. Dinnerly and Everyplate are less expensive and easy too but involve a bit more cooking and not as many easy dishes. I've heard good things about Hungry Root too. They have some extremely fast but tasty meals.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 10:39     Subject: Alternative to food delivery
every time you cook, make an extra meal for the freezer.

make spaghetti sauce and chili in big batches and freeze. cook spaghetti sauce once eat 4 times.

many other dishes freeze well.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 10:19     Subject: Alternative to food delivery
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So just for Friday nights? Ordering direct from restaurant and picking up does help.

We have tried several options but always resort to just delivery on our nights off from cooking. It's actually easier and more pleasant to find cost savings elsewhere.


Most restaurants don't have a direct way to order and divert to other sites. Where possible we do pick ups thanks


lol this is the most millennial thing ever. “I need to order the food without actually speaking to anyone and it’s impossible without the app.”
The answer is to call whatever place you want, order the food, and then go get it yourself. Saves a ton of money and they will always take your order.
Restaurant owners strongly prefer you do this. They hate handing over food knowing it will be sitting in some dank uber eats car assuming room temperature before it gets to its destination.


We don't do Uber Eats anymore bc i honestly think I'm a better cook than most places we ordered from (at half the price haha!). But what really gave me pause was when a bag of food got delivered that smelled like either the drivers cologne or his air freshener. Dank car is right!
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 10:18     Subject: Alternative to food delivery
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So just for Friday nights? Ordering direct from restaurant and picking up does help.

We have tried several options but always resort to just delivery on our nights off from cooking. It's actually easier and more pleasant to find cost savings elsewhere.


Most restaurants don't have a direct way to order and divert to other sites. Where possible we do pick ups thanks


lol this is the most millennial thing ever. “I need to order the food without actually speaking to anyone and it’s impossible without the app.”
The answer is to call whatever place you want, order the food, and then go get it yourself. Saves a ton of money and they will always take your order.
Restaurant owners strongly prefer you do this. They hate handing over food knowing it will be sitting in some dank uber eats car assuming room temperature before it gets to its destination.


This. I've never understood the appeal of going through a third party and having someone else pick up your food unless you are sick or disabled.

It adds a huge amount of cost to the order and lots of potential mistakes. Consider calling the restaurant directly and / or using their online ordering system (many have this now) and having one parent go pick up the food on the way home from work. You get the same food, the restaurant makes more money directly from you, and you save money.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 10:10     Subject: Alternative to food delivery
Anonymous wrote:Wegman's has ready to heat meals.


They are pretty expensive and not that food. Mac and cheese for $20.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 10:00     Subject: Alternative to food delivery
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:So just for Friday nights? Ordering direct from restaurant and picking up does help.

We have tried several options but always resort to just delivery on our nights off from cooking. It's actually easier and more pleasant to find cost savings elsewhere.


Most restaurants don't have a direct way to order and divert to other sites. Where possible we do pick ups thanks


lol this is the most millennial thing ever. “I need to order the food without actually speaking to anyone and it’s impossible without the app.”
The answer is to call whatever place you want, order the food, and then go get it yourself. Saves a ton of money and they will always take your order.
Restaurant owners strongly prefer you do this. They hate handing over food knowing it will be sitting in some dank uber eats car assuming room temperature before it gets to its destination.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 07:58     Subject: Alternative to food delivery
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, I know you said no meal planning, so not sure this counts. But occasionally make a big batch of chili or soup or whatever on the weekends and freeze half so you build up a stash.

I’ve got half a dozen kinds in my freezer that I can pull out on nights with no time to cook. Bonus that it’s healthy.


What’s the best way to freeze chili/meal?


I use Souper cubes for soups/stews. Once frozen, wrap in parchment then place in freezer bags.

Im still using my Rubbermaid plastic brilliance containers for meals. I line them with parchment before placing the meal within.


I also have souper cubes, and while there are obviously other ways to do it, I’m surprised by how much I like them. They feed my OCD tendencies. 😂
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 07:04     Subject: Alternative to food delivery
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why does dining out and food delivery suddenly make everyone absurdly self-righteous and judgmental?


Because people have become lazy and entitled. Cook some food like humans have been doing for centuries- when life was much, much harder.

You mean when families could comfortably live on one breadwinner’s income, the majority of women didn’t work outside the home, and domestic
help was more affordable?

That was a very short time (few decades) in white peoples reality after world war 2 when the rest of the world was decimated. Before that most women worked either on the farm, raising home animals for food, taking in laundry etc etc.

Exactly. They were at home and their lives revolved around feeding their families. They had lots of children and their female offspring helped out with domestic chores.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 06:58     Subject: Alternative to food delivery
Anonymous wrote:We do take out one a week with 2 elementary schoolers and we spend $200 a month ...


How? Even bagel sandwiches for my family of 4 is close to $60.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 06:58     Subject: Alternative to food delivery
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why does dining out and food delivery suddenly make everyone absurdly self-righteous and judgmental?


Because people have become lazy and entitled. Cook some food like humans have been doing for centuries- when life was much, much harder.

You mean when families could comfortably live on one breadwinner’s income, the majority of women didn’t work outside the home, and domestic
help was more affordable?

That was a very short time (few decades) in white peoples reality after world war 2 when the rest of the world was decimated. Before that most women worked either on the farm, raising home animals for food, taking in laundry etc etc.
Anonymous
Post 02/25/2026 06:49     Subject: Alternative to food delivery
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why does dining out and food delivery suddenly make everyone absurdly self-righteous and judgmental?


Because people have become lazy and entitled. Cook some food like humans have been doing for centuries- when life was much, much harder.

You mean when families could comfortably live on one breadwinner’s income, the majority of women didn’t work outside the home, and domestic help was more affordable?