We’ve all had those nights when cooking dinner sounds like far too much work. Ordering food takes only a few taps, but a reasonably priced meal can quickly become expensive once menu markups, delivery charges, service fees, taxes, and tips are added.
The real problem isn’t necessarily ordering delivery once in a while; it’s how easily it can become the default whenever we’re tired, busy, or simply don’t know what to make. Fortunately, you don’t have to start cooking elaborate dinners every night to spend less, because there are plenty of easier alternatives that still give you a break from the kitchen.
Order Directly From the Restaurant
Before ordering through a delivery app, check the restaurant’s website or call to see whether you can order directly for pickup or delivery. You may avoid certain third-party fees or menu markups, and more of what you spend goes directly to the restaurant.
Related: Common Restaurant Etiquette Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes
Keep a Couple of Emergency Meals at Home
Keep two or three ridiculously easy dinners available for the nights when cooking isn’t going to happen, such as frozen pizza, pasta and sauce, quesadillas, soup and sandwiches, or breakfast for dinner. They don’t have to be exciting; the whole point is having something you can make faster than it takes to choose a restaurant and wait for delivery.
Take Advantage of Grocery Store Shortcuts
Rotisserie chicken, salad kits, microwaveable rice, frozen vegetables, prepared soups, frozen dumplings, and ready-to-bake meals can make dinner almost as convenient as ordering out. These foods may cost more than cooking completely from scratch, but they can still be significantly cheaper than having an entire restaurant meal delivered.
Related: 12 Publix Shopping Secrets Employees Wish More Customers Knew
Only Use Delivery Apps When the Deal Is Actually Worth It
Promo codes, restaurant specials, loyalty credits, and free-delivery offers can sometimes make ordering through an app worthwhile. Always check the final price before paying, though, because a discount isn’t much of a bargain if you have to add food you didn’t want just to qualify.
Think Twice About Delivery Memberships
A monthly delivery subscription can make sense if you already order frequently enough to recover the membership cost through legitimate savings. The danger is allowing “free delivery” to convince you to order more often, turning something intended to save money into another reason to spend it.
Related: 14 BJ’s Wholesale Club Membership Perks That Might Make You Rethink Your Costco Membership
Combine Orders Whenever You Can
If your family, roommates, or coworkers are all ordering food, choose one restaurant and place a single larger order instead of paying the costs associated with several separate deliveries. This can also help you reach legitimate order minimums without adding unnecessary appetizers, desserts, or drinks just to avoid a small-order fee.
Recreate the Takeout Meals You Order Most
Look through your usual orders and identify the meals you repeatedly pay to have delivered, then learn simple versions you can make at home. Burrito bowls, fried rice, pasta, pizza, wraps, noodle bowls, and breakfast sandwiches are relatively easy to recreate and can satisfy the same craving for a fraction of what repeated delivery orders cost.
Choose Pickup Instead of Delivery
When you really want restaurant food, compare the complete delivery total with the cost of picking up the same order yourself. If the restaurant is nearby or you can grab dinner while you’re already out, pickup lets you skip cooking without paying quite as much for someone to bring the food to your door.
