Budget-Friendly Dinner Ideas to Keep Your Family Healthy.

A new fall routine can wreak havoc on your family life, not to mention your finances. When you’re juggling school schedules, after-school activities, a heavier post-summer workload or all of the above, it can be easy to fall into less-than-ideal routines. Frequent fast-food pickups are hard on your wallet, and becoming a regular at your favorite takeout restaurant can do a number on your healthy lifestyle.

Before you get stuck in a new rut, try these budget-friendly dinner ideas to keep your family healthy and your bank account happy.

Ryan Gold (Kim Jae Wook) is love!
Her Private Life, 2019.

Discover the Instant Pot
Your friends won’t stop raving about it for a reason: this new-on-the-scene kitchen gadget is a one-stop shop for easy, fast meals. Like a slow-cooker, you can simply pour in ingredients, turn it on, and forget about it: but unlike a crock pot, you don’t have to remember to prep meals 8 hours in advance. An Instant Pot gets its name for a reason: it cuts the cook time of a traditional slow-cooker nearly in half. You can use it to cook a wide variety of foods, from potatoes to meat to rice and more. Dinner ready in under an hour? Sounds like a plan.

Browse for Coupons
You probably get the weekly grocery circulars delivered in your mailbox every week, but how often do you actually look at them? If you spend a little time, you can scout out the best deals for the coming week on your family’s favorite snacks and dinner foods, and you’ll save yourself some money in the process! Best of all, you can even find coupons online to save even more.

So Ji Sub and Jung In Sun in Terius Behind Me, 2018.

Buy Family-Sized
It’s an age-old adage, but buying in bulk can save you big bucks down the line. Whether you choose to shop in the family-sized section at your usual grocery store or invest in a big-box store membership, you can find bulk dinner ingredients at much lower prices than individual servings. While a Costco or Sam’s Club membership might seem like a pricey investment at first, with only a few uses, your membership will end up paying for itself in no time. Budget-friendly meals to the rescue!

Order Groceries Online
If wandering grocery aisles is a daunting task, check to see if your local grocery store offers online ordering. You’ll save time by ordering from the comfort of your home, and all you’ll have to do is pick up your order at your assigned time. If you want to skip the store entirely, you can even see if your local store offers grocery delivery, and you can have your weekly dinner ingredients brought directly to your front door.

Chae Soo Bin and Go Kyung Pyo in Strongest Delivery Man, 2017.

Try Out a Meal-Delivery Service
Don’t feel like you have time for grocery shopping, much less meal prep? Meal-delivery services are here to save your family dinners. You have a host of brands to choose from, including Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, GreenChef, Farmbox Direct and so many more. Each has options to suit your family’s lifestyle, no matter your preferences or dietary restrictions. You’ll receive prepped ingredients in a box, ready for quick, healthy cooking. Plus, it’s easy to find discounts to try out the services until you find one that fits your family!

Plan Ahead
When life gets busy, dinner can seem like a daunting task, but if you spend the time to plan ahead, you can keep your meals healthy and on budget even in the busiest of weeks. Don’t be afraid to change up your routine to find something that works for your family’s schedule—meal delivery one week, online grocery ordering the next. If you set aside a few minutes on the weekend to plan your meals for the coming week, dinners won’t seem so stressful after all.