What to Do When You’re Too Tired to Cook

Creating a base menu of about five go-to meals, can be a big time saver, and you can build from there. Khrystyna Sun/Shutterstock

If money is leaking out of your household and you aren’t quite sure where it’s going, I have an idea: fast food. Busy households mean tired parents, and that can easily result in getting takeout two or three times a week. Does anything here sound familiar?

The last thing you need is for someone to tell you to get a grip and plan ahead! So I won’t. Instead, I’m going to tell you what worked for me when I was in somewhat your situation (two boys 17 months apart, self-employed, debt-ridden) and a few things I’ve learned since.

5-Menu Rotation

Come up with five simple menus you know your family will eat, one for each night of the week. These don’t have to be gourmet or anything fancy at all. Example: Monday: Spaghetti, salad, and bread. Tuesday: Meatloaf, baked potatoes, green beans, and so on.

Weekend Dinners

Ask your spouse to handle one weekend dinner and give it a name like Daddy’s Delicious Dinner, or let the kids give it a title. That leaves one family fun night or some other reason to order in pizza.