Friends, I have a confession: I love to eat out. Chipotle, Chick-fil-A, Zaxby’s, sushi, Thai food, hibachi, Panera, all of it. But mostly I was eating Chipotle because it was quick, easy, and on the cheaper side of the spectrum when it came to my eating out habits. 

When I first started getting serious about budgeting, getting out of debt, and saving money I did what I suggest to anyone that asks, I tracked my spending for a month. It was super easy because all I had to do was pull up my transaction history. The hard part came when I realized that in one month I had spent almost $400 eating out. This total didn’t include the wasted money I spent on groceries that rotted in my fridge, it was just on restaurants. After this, I made a conscious effort to eat at home more and it made a huge difference for my finances.

One of the biggest reasons people tend to eat out is because they’re busy and tired. On the surface eating out is a lot more convenient. These tips and tricks will help you remove that convenience factor and save you some money. 

Meal Plan

I’m not saying you have to prep all your meals for a week, I’m saying it’s important to have a plan. Having a vague idea as to what you will eat allows you to prep ingredients accordingly and have a delicious meal to look forward to. It stops you from asking the age-old question “What’s for dinner tonight?” 

Prep ingredients 

If you cook throughout the week or if you don’t mind snacking on veggies, having your frequently used veggies washed and sliced or diced can expedite this process. For example, if you know that many of your meals this week contain sliced bell peppers and onions, go ahead and slice them so that they’re ready to dump in the dish. This doesn't just go for veggies, it can work for other food as well. Stick your meat in the marinade the night or morning before. Cutting down on prep time can make you more willing to cook on a busy night.

Easy, Breezy, Beautiful

I’m a huge advocate for easy meals. Meals that are easy and delicious like stir fry, pizza, quick pasta dishes, or salads. To make meals easy keep the ingredients simple but flavorful. Make a list of the easiest and fastest meals you can make at home and then try to keep the ingredients for those recipes on hand. Store this recipe at the front of your brain or at least post it on your fridge so you don’t have to scroll Pinterest for 30 minutes looking for a recipe. Every meal doesn’t have to be gourmet, oftentimes you can just keep it simple. 

Set a personal policy

Setting a personal policy around eating out, helps you eat out less. For some, it may be “I will only eat out if it’s past 8:00 p.m.” for others, it may be “I only eat out when I’m dining with friends.” Regardless of what your policy is, I encourage you to create one and abide by those parameters. It will be a lesson in eating at home and in boundaries.

Keep a stocked kitchen 

This is the golden ticket to removing the convenience factor. When all else fails, I rely on my freezer and pantry to help a sista out. I try to keep frozen veggies, microwavable rice, and a few ingredients to make a stir fry sauce on hand. This way all I have to do is add a protein, like Trader Joe’s frozen chicken gyoza or some fresh shrimp to have a well-balanced meal. Keep a few things always on hand so that you can make an easy recipe or even a frozen pizza. I’ll be sharing a list of my pantry, fridge, and freezer staples on the blog soon so stay tuned!

I hope these tips are helpful in your journey to eat at home more!