My mom told me I was wasting money on takeout, so I changed my meal prep routine

Last month my mom visited and saw my fridge full of takeout containers from that week. She straight up said "you're spending $15 a meal when you could make 4 dinners for that price." I got defensive at first but then I actually tracked my spending. Found out I was blowing about $200 a week on takeout just because I was too tired to cook after work. So I started doing Sunday afternoon prep sessions and now I make big batches of chili and stir fry that cost me maybe $4 per serving. Does anyone else have go to recipes that freeze well and save you money?

2 comments

2 Comments

joel_butler17h ago

Oh man, your story hit me right in the wallet. I did the EXACT same thing about six months ago when my girlfriend pointed out I was spending like $250 a week on DoorDash and takeout. It hurt to see it in black and white but she was right. I started doing Sunday meal prep too and my go to is this massive pot of turkey chili with beans and canned tomatoes. I make about 12 servings at once for maybe $25 total and it freezes perfect. Another one I swear by is a big sheet pan of roasted chicken thighs and veggies like broccoli and sweet potatoes. I portion it all out in those cheap plastic containers and grab one for lunch or dinner. The money savings is CRAZY but what really surprised me was how much better I feel eating food I actually cooked myself instead of greasy takeout.

the_elliot10h ago

Man you're acting like DoorDash is a life ruiner lol, it's just food delivery. @joel_butler I get the savings angle but $250 a week sounds more like a math problem than a crisis.