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This past weekend, I was chatting with my mom about ways we’ve both started saving money. I told her one of the biggest things that’s helped me is cooking at home more and going out to eat less. She agreed that it’s a great way to cut back on expenses, but she said something I think a lot of us can relate to:
“I know cooking at home saves money, but on the nights I work late, I’m just too exhausted to make dinner.”
Sound familiar?
Even with our best intentions, making dinner can feel impossible when you’re tired and hungry. You get home, and the idea of cooking is daunting.
If you’ve ever felt that way too, here are a few realistic strategies for getting dinner on the table when you’re running on empty (without relying on takeout or the slow cooker).
1. Sunday Meal Prep
Let’s be clear: you don’t need to meal prep every single thing for the week!
Instead, spend an hour or two on Sunday doing a few things that will make your weeknight dinners easier. Try:
- Bulk prepping ingredients: Chop veggies, cook rice or pasta, grill some protein. Choose things you can mix and match into different meals.
- Batch cooking one recipe: Double a dinner you love and plan to eat the leftovers later in the week.
You don’t have to go overboard. Just a little head start makes weeknight cooking way more manageable.
If you want to create a prep schedule, you can move all your prep notes to one day in Plan to Eat!
2. The Freezer Is Your Friend
If you’ve got a little extra time to cook on the weekend or one night during the week, make a double batch and freeze half of it. Later, when you’re too tired to cook, you can pull it out, reheat it, and dinner is done!
This works great for things like:
- Soups and stews
- Cooked taco meat
- Casseroles
- Cooked grains and beans
Plus, freezing leftovers gives you variety in your meals without extra cooking!
3. Create a Meal Plan (with Super Quick Recipes)
One of the biggest stressors at the end of the day isn’t even cooking, it’s deciding what to cook.
Take that decision off your plate by making a simple meal plan. Look for meals that take 15 minutes or less to prep and get on the table. (And make sure they’re actually 15 minutes, not 15 minutes after everything is chopped and prepped.)
Some good recipes to look for are:
- Stir fry with pre-cut veggies
- Pasta with a quick sauce
- Sheet pan nachos with leftovers
- Quesadillas or sandwiches with salad
Just having a plan can turn dinner from “ugh” to “okay, I’ve got this.”
Make Home Cooking Work for You
You don’t have to cook more to eat at home more. With a little prep, some frozen meals, and a simple plan, homemade dinner becomes so much more doable.
Want help getting organized? Plan to Eat is the tool I use to keep track of my recipes, plan out my week, and generate my grocery list. It’s like having a personal assistant for meal planning. Try it free and see how it fits into your routine.
