…How to enjoy your treat nights without guilt or breaking the budget.
Ordering takeout isn’t bad, but it’s easy to fall into a habit where it becomes your default. If you love takeout but don’t want to drain your wallet, try these strategies:
How to Keep Takeout in Check:
Set a “Takeout Budget” Per pay period: Decide in advance how often you’ll order in—it helps control impulse cravings. Personally, I get paid weekly, and I have a limit of one per week. Do I ever go over that limit? Yup! No guilt, no shame. It’s a guideline, that’s all.
Opt for Multi-Meal Orders: If you order takeout, go for meals that provide leftovers so you get more than one meal out of it.
Maybe order the bigger portion, the larger pizza. That’s tomorrow night’s dinner (or maybe lunch) sorted as well!
DIY Your Favourite Takeout Dishes: Keep simple ingredients on hand for homemade versions of your favourites (stir-fry, ramen, tacos).
My personal guideline is that if I can make it well (and reasonably quickly) at home, I won’t order it in.
I can cook a damned fine steak, an awesome burger, and decent pasta. If I order in, it’s more likely to Asian or Turkish food, or occasionally a really good pizza – all things that are harder for me to make at home.
Pro Tip: Find a go-to, super-easy meal that you can make in 10 minutes so you don’t default to takeout when you’re too tired to cook. If you make it something you can cook from frozen, then there’s no planning needed ahead of time.
How to Eat Well Without Overspending
Eating well on a solo budget doesn’t mean sacrificing quality. With a few smart habits, you can enjoy great meals without breaking the bank. You can buy some things in bulk, and it takes very little time to break them up and repackage them before they go into the freezer.
Some things don’t keep well, so you might struggle to use it all before they become inedible, so plan to use them all! It’s an extravagance, but you, my friend, are worth it.
Simple Meal Ideas That Work for One Person
When you’re short on time or energy, having a few go-to meal ideas makes all the difference.
5-Minute Salad Bowl: Pre-washed greens + protein (canned tuna, tofu, or grilled chicken) + nuts/seeds + dressing.
Egg-Based Dishes: Scrambled eggs, omelets, or shakshuka are fast, protein-packed, and versatile. As a bonus (as long as you can go without toast for your eggs), they’re protein-high and carb-low.
One-Pot Pasta: Cook pasta, toss in veggies & protein, add sauce. Minimal cleanup!
Taco Night: Keep tortillas on hand and use whatever protein & toppings you have.
Rice Bowls: Cook extra rice and top with different proteins and sauces throughout the week.
Air Fryer Favorites: Make crispy chicken tenders, roasted vegetables, or cheese crisps for a quick and easy meal.
Pro Tip: Keep 5-10 go-to, no-brainer meals on rotation for stress-free cooking.
Personally, my local supermarket does reasonably priced chicken skewers, and I buy them in bulk when they’re on special. They have a few flavour variations (satay and honey-soy are my two go-to options), and they cook, from frozen, in about 15 minutes in the air fryer. While they’re cooking, I’ll throw together something green (most often that’s a bunch of lettuce and some mayo), and spend the rest of the time doing a quick clean of whatever could do with a little cleaning attention. Then, when the air fryer beeps at me, it’s time to eat!
I have found that I don’t have a huge need for variety, and I’m quite OK with cooking a four person meal and eating it for four out of the next five dinners. Maybe that’s you too, and if the worst that happens is that you’re a little bored with your meals for a week? So what?
Final Thoughts
Living alone doesn’t mean settling for boring meals, wasted groceries, or endless takeout. With a little planning and a few simple habits, you can enjoy delicious, affordable, and easy meals every day.
Challenge: Pick one of these strategies and try it this week. Maybe it’s meal planning, cooking a double portion to freeze, or just adding one new go-to meal to your rotation.