Don’t get me wrong, I love eating out and getting yummy food as the next person…however it is just extremely unhealthy at most places and it can get to be VERY expensive, especially if you are feeding a whole family. It’s best for both your health and your wallet to simply go out to get the groceries on your own and cook at home, even if we may not feel like it. I’m going to share with you a few tips that I use help me fight the urge of wanting to go out to eat.

 

-Create a Meal Plan: You are more motivated to stay at home and cook if you already have the meal planned out and the supplies on hand. I like to sit down at the beginning of each week and plan out meals for the whole week and then head out to the grocery store to make sure I have everything on hand already.

-Prep Ahead of Time: I know if you are a working parent, coming home and making dinner can be tiring but this is why we prep ahead of time. If there is something for your meal the next day that you can prep the night before such as chopping veggies or marinating meats, do it! It will save you a bunch of time for when you to actually prepare your meal.

-Make “Copycat” Meals: If you’re really craving something from one of your favorite restaurants, try looking up a copy cat recipe. This way you can make your own version of your favorite dishes at a much more affordable cost.

-Take a Closer Look: A lot of people don’t realize just how much they spend on eating out. If you find yourself picking up food often, take a minute to sit down and add up the cost for just one week. This is a big wake up call for yourself and trust me, you will definitely want to start cooking at home and saving that money.

-Stick to Easy, Quick Meals: No one wants to prepare a meal that takes hours, you’re tired and hungry, you’re ready to eat. This is why I really recommend sticking to easy and quick meals, this will motivate you to want to make them more often.

Trust me, eating at home and cooking saves you a bunch of money and will do wonders for your health. If you are a family that eats out quite a bit, try staying at home and preparing yourself some amazing and affordable meals!