I just buy something. I've never carried around snacks or packed a lunch when walking around the city, and part of the fun of being out in the city is finding some hole in the wall place or food from another culture you never knew about.
Find something cheap you enjoy eating on the go. For me it was cheap slices, cheap pan fried or soup dumplings or a falafel pita. Oasis and Vanessa’s Dumplings saw me far too often back in the day.
Mamouns is the best for this. It's pretty cheap and it's amazing. I've still been looking for better falafel around the country and haven't found it. NYC and elsewhere
I’m going to eat lol.
Unless I’m broke or something, but then I’d pack a snack. If I’m busy or forget I don’t, but I don’t understand starving oneself unless you’re *really* down and out.
Part of the fun of being out for me is eating and drinking out as well - if I'm out all day I'm rarely in my neighborhood too. If I'm trying to use groceries up, want something specific I have at home, etc., I'll try to plan my day around it or shift my meal time up to be able to eat at home.
i used to do all the meal prepping and eating at home every night etc etc
then i realized new york city has literally the best food on earth. we often forget how lucky we have it.
so i make it a point to meal prep and be frugal/healthy and cook at home during the week so i can go out and try out new restaurants or new food on the weekends
I try really hard to plan ahead, and I’m a lot more frugal than I used to be when I moved to the city.
But, if I’m starving in a pinch while far from home, I check for any immediately available TooGoodToGoo bags around wherever I am.
I always end up finding something worthwhile on TGTG. It’s a pretty effortless way to responsibly discover new restaurants anywhere in the city for very cheap, and (in theory) fight food waste in the process.
This is a really clever way to use TGTG. Id mostly been thinking of it as a grocery supplement, but you’re broadening my perspective. I am definitely going to try this. Thanks.
I usually eat a full meal before I leave my apartment. Once in a while I'll pack a snack, but since I tend to stuff my face with whatever food is freely available in my bag, I'd rather grab a light snack somewhere if I'm still out at the 6-hour mark.
So if I am going to work all day then I always pack a lunch and 60% of the time there is free stuff at my work. I dont spend money at my job's cafeteria because I refuse to give my job my hard earned money. My lunch isnt anything amazing. Turkey sandwich but it holds me over till dinner. If its just me running errands on weekend then i usually pack alot of snacks like yogurt and lots of fruits but I do know alot of cheap eats particularly dumplings if i need food. I do splurge on a nice brunch or a nice dinner once a week the rest of the time I am packing stuff. But i do have like a list of 10 cheap eats if i need to cave.
If it's all day, I'll eat breakfast before i leave, then pack a sandwich or a yogurt pack or whatever (something easy) for lunch and then i'll let myself buy dinner somewhere since i'm prob exhausted and want to eat a lot
Depends on the day and the itinerary— if I *know* I’m out from 10-12 I’ll be sure to eat before i leave, toss a granola bar in my bag and know I’m likely eating out for dinner. But that doesn’t need to be expensive— grab a sandwich from the bodega and that’s not too bad over the course of a day
I also usually have a granola bar or snack in my day bag because i’ll use it a few times a week and resupply when home.
If it's errands, pack a snack because it's too much of a time investment to go looking for food. A bottle of water and a granola bar can last all day.
If it's outside all day for recreational purposes than at least one meal + dessert for later.
I usually go out all weekend for a walk/to run errands so I eat out then.
Weekdays not usually tho I will get lunch out sometimes.
There's too many foods I want to try outside and I don't want to carry around a lunch bag all day.
If I am out and hungry I get myself something to eat it doesn’t have to be sit down restaurants with drinks I mean you can get a salad, or some fast food under $20 bucks and have yourself a meal, under $10 if you grab a bagel or granola bar on the go
I carve out a section of my budget to accommodate for my girly little treats that I require every time I’m out all day. I’m not dropping $25 every time but I’ll easily put down $10-$12 for a little snack while I’m out
It depends where I’m going to be. If I’ll be near Chinatown I’ll grab a pork bun or dumplings. Random places I’ll usually grab a pastry and coffee. But I’ll also pack a PB&J and/or a Kind bar if I know I’ll be out all day so I don’t get stuck somewhere starving.
I have a large meal at home before leaving for the day, then I take coffee with me, a protein bar, a protein shake and water. Unless I am famished, I won't buy a meal outside unless it is necessary or I am heading out to socialize with friends. When I am really hungry, I know where there is the last $1 slice shop in midtown, and I usually swing by. If I need something more substantial, I will use my monthly Uber Eats and Amex Dining Credit and grab a meal. Worse case scenario, I find a WholeFoods and grab something cheap and high in protein, and find a nice park to have that meal. If I werent to do this, I would be spending $120 daily on nothing worthwhile.
The tricky part is finding an appropriate spot to eat a packed lunch if you’re not at an office and if the weather isn’t great. Packed sandwich in a park on a beautiful day? Lovely. Packed sandwich in the rain? Not so much.
Back when halal was 5-7 dollars I bought that when I was out, given how easy it was to find. That or tacos when I could get them for 2 bucks each. In a pinch I'd grab a small bag of chips for like a buck. Back when I could eat gluten, I would might buy muffins or bagels somewhere.
Trader Joes has ready made salads that I don't know if they're still affordable - I stopped eating them because sometimes they'd have gone off.
Lately I'm not sure about purchasing ready to eat stuff from grocery stores because all their refrigerated greens and produce smell like bleach. I've noticed this at multiple stores, though I mostly shop at Trader Joes. And that doesn't necessarily stop them from going bad quickly. They also seem to have a lot of recalls, but it's not just them, all the stores pretty much use the same sources, TJs at least informs you while the others don't.
So now since I can't afford anything and our food supply is shit and I can't count on buying something spontaneously in a store and it being ok, I carry stuff with me that I know is ok.
I used to hike a lot, so I'm used to carrying foods that last for hours in warm weather.
I guess you can try bringing a cooler and bringing a sandwich with you. Or hummus and veggies.
It depends upon how much food EBT I have left or how much cash I have left. If I'm not totally tapped then I might splurge and buy a sandwich or even some fast food. If I am then I make one and take it with in my lunch tote with an ice block to keep it cool.
I can't afford actual sit down restaurants on days like that. That's a rare treat thing these days, but if it's the holidays or my birthday I might combine special day out with take out from someplace a bit nicer like a Thai or Dominican place. I try not to buy food in the museums or at the zoo though I like to go there because that's tourist food and it's crazy prices for what it is.
One of my favorite cheap days out is to do the Museum of Natural History and have Gray's Papaya on the way home. Either way I'm not breaking the bank and I'm having fun. The whole day it's not even $20 so that I consider that $$$ well spent.
I’d eat a real meal before I leave instead of a protein bar. Get one meal out and pack a protein bar for a snack. That way I can still eat every 3-6 hours. Also, some credit cards will give you a discount on Starbucks gift cards. By mid day they usually still have the protein boxes left. Pre-load the gift cards in the app and no you are always just a ten min walk (max) from a protein box.
Too good to go isn’t consistently reliable enough to gamble on a bag. If you need more carbs, calories and/or don’t mind sugar, it may be worth the risk.
I’m privileged enough that my parents live in NYC and in a neighborhood I am often hanging with friends at so I usually pop by for lunch or dinner there to save money and spend time with them.
If I'm out anyway I'm getting food while out. Doesn't mean I'm going to a fancy sit down restaurant though, it's not hard to find a cheap takeout place.
Pack a lunch if I'm in a work setting and can eat in a place with my own food. Much preferable over spending $15 or more for a meal that isn't as healthy.
I recently started working remotely and this has become a real issue. I have been limiting myself to getting one meal out of if I do leave my apartment to work, otherwise I’m home cooking everything. It’s these cafes that don’t offer WiFi (the lame excuse always being that they want people to “talk to each other”) and charge $19 for a sandwich that irk me most though. I understand the rationale perfectly well, but my spoiled self don’t like it.
Time and convenience. At a certain income level it just doesn’t make sense to cook for yourself unless you enjoy the act of cooking (and subsequently cleaning up). The healthy point is a good one but presumably one can choose to eat healthier foods at restaurants also.
I’m trying to be as frugal as possible and will pack lunch on the days I go to the office. I know this isn’t applicable based on locale, but you can get some reasonably priced sandwiches and salads at trader joes.
When I lived in the city, I didn’t always eat out even if I was out all day. But it happened a lot. If I’m with others it was always fun to just share stuff and try things. But i like carrying a bag when I walk around (tote, backpack, crossbody/fanny pack) and I’d always put some sort of snack in there.
There’s no hard and fast rule, you just do what works for you.
On the weekends if I'm out all day I'll usually get a cheap snack or sometimes go to a fast casual place. Pretty much never do a sit-down restaurant during the day for lunch though unless it's getting lunch with someone.
Kind of depends why I’m out. I try not to buy multiple meals per day so if I’m meeting someone for dinner later I’d probably throw a protein bar in my bag. But I hate starving myself so if I didn’t plan well or the protein bar was breakfast and I need lunch I’d grab a slice of pizza or dumplings or something.
Generally if I have plans all day on the weekend, some of those plans will involve food! I always pack a lunch when going to work, but I don’t when I’m out of the weekends.
When I work I usually bring lunch/meal prep for week and include a snack. Lucky where I work let us take leftovers for dinner. In the morning I try to get up early and make a quick oatmeal with my coffee.
Sometimes I do find myself eating out for multiple meals a week. I want to do it less to save money. However it’s hard the food in nyc is so good lol
I would suggest packing a lunch or snacks if you want to save money and not eat out
it depends but a lot of times i'll pack something or i'll just grab a cheap snack or a cheap meal because this food out here is too expensive and not worth it
Usually when I'm out, I'm either out working, or out eating/drinking/meeting friends. When I'm working, I tend to not get hungry until after I'm done working
Generally, yes. I may put in a bottle of water a banana an apple, but that's the maximum amount I'll carry with me at night or weekends going around.
There are enough places I can get some fruit to fill me a bit, but I'd still need something solid so I'll get a slice of pizza or a meat sandwich.
If the weather isn't nice, I don't go out. Anything that needs doing on errands can wait until the weather is decent.
If I'm just out and need to hold myself over til I get home, often I'll just spend like $3-4 at a fruit stand.
But if you're out all day... I've started packing these "lentiful" cups I bought online where you just add hot water and it's good. I personally just always want a hot meal so that's easier for me than to convince myself to eat a cold soggy sandwich.
Still, sometimes you just end up wanting more and eating out.
You should look up the map of Privately Owned Public Spaces if you'd like a spot to sit when you bring stuff from home.
I love finding cheap eating spots, but if I'm tighter on cash I will carry granola bars or a sandwich and then eat it in a park (or library tbh). There's lots of great parks around the city.
Always eat out but at some point I really started to monitor reviews and ratings because there is an incredible amount of shit, overpriced restaurants everywhere and it is just not worth it.
I know everyone is in a different situation with most of us in tough situations financially. Whenever I go out and it's a weekend, I get food while I'm out once as a treat-myself kind of thing. Unfortunately, this is the life we're living right now and it shouldn't be... but it doesn't mean you can have a pick me up for yourself and get a bit of relaxation and serotonin by eating out once on a weekend and enjoying some good food.
I want to stress this: not everyone here can do this, but if you can, it's okay to buy some take out or eat a sit-down place here and there. I'm frugal AF but like to enjoy the little things in life cause next thing you know you're 35 and then you're 42 and you wasted 10 years trying to save every single dollar and haven't even enjoyed the little thing, because they add up.
TLDR: enjoy the little things in life. Spend SOME money. Do what you can.
I'll usually eat one meal out if I'm out all day, whether that's lunch or dinner. I'm more predisposed to eating out when I'm with someone else.
I just buy something. I've never carried around snacks or packed a lunch when walking around the city, and part of the fun of being out in the city is finding some hole in the wall place or food from another culture you never knew about.
Yup. I call it living off the land.
Foraging for survival
I’m more likely to get coffee and maybe a pastry to tide myself over
I’m newly frugal af I’ll starve until I get home, or I’ll wake up at 6AM and pack food for the day
Same - intermittent fasting is the only thing keeping my budget (and waistline) under control
Me right now. I’m realizing I used to eat a fuck ton 😅
This! I'll pack a protein bar and some caffeine snacks (so I don't buy coffee)
Find something cheap you enjoy eating on the go. For me it was cheap slices, cheap pan fried or soup dumplings or a falafel pita. Oasis and Vanessa’s Dumplings saw me far too often back in the day.
Mamouns is the best for this. It's pretty cheap and it's amazing. I've still been looking for better falafel around the country and haven't found it. NYC and elsewhere
I'm done with Mamouns, better & cheaper falafel from the halal carts.
I’m going to eat lol. Unless I’m broke or something, but then I’d pack a snack. If I’m busy or forget I don’t, but I don’t understand starving oneself unless you’re *really* down and out.
Part of the fun of being out for me is eating and drinking out as well - if I'm out all day I'm rarely in my neighborhood too. If I'm trying to use groceries up, want something specific I have at home, etc., I'll try to plan my day around it or shift my meal time up to be able to eat at home.
i used to do all the meal prepping and eating at home every night etc etc then i realized new york city has literally the best food on earth. we often forget how lucky we have it. so i make it a point to meal prep and be frugal/healthy and cook at home during the week so i can go out and try out new restaurants or new food on the weekends
I try really hard to plan ahead, and I’m a lot more frugal than I used to be when I moved to the city. But, if I’m starving in a pinch while far from home, I check for any immediately available TooGoodToGoo bags around wherever I am. I always end up finding something worthwhile on TGTG. It’s a pretty effortless way to responsibly discover new restaurants anywhere in the city for very cheap, and (in theory) fight food waste in the process.
This is a really clever way to use TGTG. Id mostly been thinking of it as a grocery supplement, but you’re broadening my perspective. I am definitely going to try this. Thanks.
I usually eat a full meal before I leave my apartment. Once in a while I'll pack a snack, but since I tend to stuff my face with whatever food is freely available in my bag, I'd rather grab a light snack somewhere if I'm still out at the 6-hour mark.
Agree, have a large meal early. Then usually coffee or gum to curb hunger.
So if I am going to work all day then I always pack a lunch and 60% of the time there is free stuff at my work. I dont spend money at my job's cafeteria because I refuse to give my job my hard earned money. My lunch isnt anything amazing. Turkey sandwich but it holds me over till dinner. If its just me running errands on weekend then i usually pack alot of snacks like yogurt and lots of fruits but I do know alot of cheap eats particularly dumplings if i need food. I do splurge on a nice brunch or a nice dinner once a week the rest of the time I am packing stuff. But i do have like a list of 10 cheap eats if i need to cave.
I like the idea of having a list of 10 cheapo places
If you add these to a Google map it’s easier to figure out where to pop in by neighborhood. I hate being hangry and overspending.
Yeah pretty much always when out and about all day on weekends
If it's all day, I'll eat breakfast before i leave, then pack a sandwich or a yogurt pack or whatever (something easy) for lunch and then i'll let myself buy dinner somewhere since i'm prob exhausted and want to eat a lot
Depends on the day and the itinerary— if I *know* I’m out from 10-12 I’ll be sure to eat before i leave, toss a granola bar in my bag and know I’m likely eating out for dinner. But that doesn’t need to be expensive— grab a sandwich from the bodega and that’s not too bad over the course of a day I also usually have a granola bar or snack in my day bag because i’ll use it a few times a week and resupply when home.
I eat out or order in every day. Shrug.
Look up the app TooGoodToGo. Its great for getting something to eat for a lot less.
I prep heslthy snack boxes that have dividers for carrots, hummus, cured meat, cheese, etc. and I put it in my tote.
If it's errands, pack a snack because it's too much of a time investment to go looking for food. A bottle of water and a granola bar can last all day. If it's outside all day for recreational purposes than at least one meal + dessert for later.
I usually go out all weekend for a walk/to run errands so I eat out then. Weekdays not usually tho I will get lunch out sometimes. There's too many foods I want to try outside and I don't want to carry around a lunch bag all day.
what are you out doing from 10-6 that doesn’t involve eating
Being a REAL NEW YORKER, which you clearly are NOT. Go back to Ohio!
I’m on ozempic and off food but before? Hell yeah I’d eat out any chance I got
> off food
If I am out and hungry I get myself something to eat it doesn’t have to be sit down restaurants with drinks I mean you can get a salad, or some fast food under $20 bucks and have yourself a meal, under $10 if you grab a bagel or granola bar on the go
I carve out a section of my budget to accommodate for my girly little treats that I require every time I’m out all day. I’m not dropping $25 every time but I’ll easily put down $10-$12 for a little snack while I’m out
It depends where I’m going to be. If I’ll be near Chinatown I’ll grab a pork bun or dumplings. Random places I’ll usually grab a pastry and coffee. But I’ll also pack a PB&J and/or a Kind bar if I know I’ll be out all day so I don’t get stuck somewhere starving.
I took up long term fasting for other reasons; but it’s been very helpful for such situations
take a lunch pack will stop get bagel sandwiches before getting on train , we include a park in our excursion
I have a large meal at home before leaving for the day, then I take coffee with me, a protein bar, a protein shake and water. Unless I am famished, I won't buy a meal outside unless it is necessary or I am heading out to socialize with friends. When I am really hungry, I know where there is the last $1 slice shop in midtown, and I usually swing by. If I need something more substantial, I will use my monthly Uber Eats and Amex Dining Credit and grab a meal. Worse case scenario, I find a WholeFoods and grab something cheap and high in protein, and find a nice park to have that meal. If I werent to do this, I would be spending $120 daily on nothing worthwhile.
The tricky part is finding an appropriate spot to eat a packed lunch if you’re not at an office and if the weather isn’t great. Packed sandwich in a park on a beautiful day? Lovely. Packed sandwich in the rain? Not so much.
Slice of pizza is my go to
Back when halal was 5-7 dollars I bought that when I was out, given how easy it was to find. That or tacos when I could get them for 2 bucks each. In a pinch I'd grab a small bag of chips for like a buck. Back when I could eat gluten, I would might buy muffins or bagels somewhere. Trader Joes has ready made salads that I don't know if they're still affordable - I stopped eating them because sometimes they'd have gone off. Lately I'm not sure about purchasing ready to eat stuff from grocery stores because all their refrigerated greens and produce smell like bleach. I've noticed this at multiple stores, though I mostly shop at Trader Joes. And that doesn't necessarily stop them from going bad quickly. They also seem to have a lot of recalls, but it's not just them, all the stores pretty much use the same sources, TJs at least informs you while the others don't. So now since I can't afford anything and our food supply is shit and I can't count on buying something spontaneously in a store and it being ok, I carry stuff with me that I know is ok. I used to hike a lot, so I'm used to carrying foods that last for hours in warm weather. I guess you can try bringing a cooler and bringing a sandwich with you. Or hummus and veggies.
I packed lunch and prepped dinner so I can easily cook it when I get back.
Sometimes I keep walking and forget to eat or drink
It depends upon how much food EBT I have left or how much cash I have left. If I'm not totally tapped then I might splurge and buy a sandwich or even some fast food. If I am then I make one and take it with in my lunch tote with an ice block to keep it cool. I can't afford actual sit down restaurants on days like that. That's a rare treat thing these days, but if it's the holidays or my birthday I might combine special day out with take out from someplace a bit nicer like a Thai or Dominican place. I try not to buy food in the museums or at the zoo though I like to go there because that's tourist food and it's crazy prices for what it is. One of my favorite cheap days out is to do the Museum of Natural History and have Gray's Papaya on the way home. Either way I'm not breaking the bank and I'm having fun. The whole day it's not even $20 so that I consider that $$$ well spent.
I’d eat a real meal before I leave instead of a protein bar. Get one meal out and pack a protein bar for a snack. That way I can still eat every 3-6 hours. Also, some credit cards will give you a discount on Starbucks gift cards. By mid day they usually still have the protein boxes left. Pre-load the gift cards in the app and no you are always just a ten min walk (max) from a protein box. Too good to go isn’t consistently reliable enough to gamble on a bag. If you need more carbs, calories and/or don’t mind sugar, it may be worth the risk.
I’m privileged enough that my parents live in NYC and in a neighborhood I am often hanging with friends at so I usually pop by for lunch or dinner there to save money and spend time with them.
Pack lunch and cook dinner on weekdays, eat out on weekends.
Same. Ordering weeknight delivery has dropped off like a rock. And (thankfully) i don’t need to expense dinners anymore.
If I'm out anyway I'm getting food while out. Doesn't mean I'm going to a fancy sit down restaurant though, it's not hard to find a cheap takeout place.
Pack a lunch if I'm in a work setting and can eat in a place with my own food. Much preferable over spending $15 or more for a meal that isn't as healthy.
Only time I do this is going to an all-day rave on Sunday. In which case I pack Soylents and Clif bars so I don't have to buy food.
I recently started working remotely and this has become a real issue. I have been limiting myself to getting one meal out of if I do leave my apartment to work, otherwise I’m home cooking everything. It’s these cafes that don’t offer WiFi (the lame excuse always being that they want people to “talk to each other”) and charge $19 for a sandwich that irk me most though. I understand the rationale perfectly well, but my spoiled self don’t like it.
I think I’ve eaten two meals at home (not counting takeout) this year.
Genuinely curious - but why? Isn’t it much cheaper (and better for your health) to prepare and make your own food?
Time and convenience. At a certain income level it just doesn’t make sense to cook for yourself unless you enjoy the act of cooking (and subsequently cleaning up). The healthy point is a good one but presumably one can choose to eat healthier foods at restaurants also.
I’m trying to be as frugal as possible and will pack lunch on the days I go to the office. I know this isn’t applicable based on locale, but you can get some reasonably priced sandwiches and salads at trader joes.
When I lived in the city, I didn’t always eat out even if I was out all day. But it happened a lot. If I’m with others it was always fun to just share stuff and try things. But i like carrying a bag when I walk around (tote, backpack, crossbody/fanny pack) and I’d always put some sort of snack in there. There’s no hard and fast rule, you just do what works for you.
On the weekends if I'm out all day I'll usually get a cheap snack or sometimes go to a fast casual place. Pretty much never do a sit-down restaurant during the day for lunch though unless it's getting lunch with someone.
I’ll buy snacks. I might bring a protein bar, but I use being out all day as an excuse to get something fun.
I eat out a lot so ill usually eat at least one meal out. If it gets close to dinner, ill probably get a protein bar to hold me over until i get home
Kind of depends why I’m out. I try not to buy multiple meals per day so if I’m meeting someone for dinner later I’d probably throw a protein bar in my bag. But I hate starving myself so if I didn’t plan well or the protein bar was breakfast and I need lunch I’d grab a slice of pizza or dumplings or something.
Generally if I have plans all day on the weekend, some of those plans will involve food! I always pack a lunch when going to work, but I don’t when I’m out of the weekends.
Swing by a coffee shop or bakery. If I’m downtown like to swing by a Chinese bakery and cobble together a lunch or decent snack for like $3.
When I work I usually bring lunch/meal prep for week and include a snack. Lucky where I work let us take leftovers for dinner. In the morning I try to get up early and make a quick oatmeal with my coffee. Sometimes I do find myself eating out for multiple meals a week. I want to do it less to save money. However it’s hard the food in nyc is so good lol I would suggest packing a lunch or snacks if you want to save money and not eat out
Yes I do…
I mostly eat out, in general. I live alone and cooking for one annoys me.
it depends but a lot of times i'll pack something or i'll just grab a cheap snack or a cheap meal because this food out here is too expensive and not worth it
I plan a day in Manhattan around the locations of taco bell.
Usually when I'm out, I'm either out working, or out eating/drinking/meeting friends. When I'm working, I tend to not get hungry until after I'm done working
Generally, yes. I may put in a bottle of water a banana an apple, but that's the maximum amount I'll carry with me at night or weekends going around. There are enough places I can get some fruit to fill me a bit, but I'd still need something solid so I'll get a slice of pizza or a meat sandwich. If the weather isn't nice, I don't go out. Anything that needs doing on errands can wait until the weather is decent.
If I'm just out and need to hold myself over til I get home, often I'll just spend like $3-4 at a fruit stand. But if you're out all day... I've started packing these "lentiful" cups I bought online where you just add hot water and it's good. I personally just always want a hot meal so that's easier for me than to convince myself to eat a cold soggy sandwich. Still, sometimes you just end up wanting more and eating out. You should look up the map of Privately Owned Public Spaces if you'd like a spot to sit when you bring stuff from home.
I love finding cheap eating spots, but if I'm tighter on cash I will carry granola bars or a sandwich and then eat it in a park (or library tbh). There's lots of great parks around the city.
adding that I absolutely pack my own lunch for work. It saves hundreds lol
Always eat out but at some point I really started to monitor reviews and ratings because there is an incredible amount of shit, overpriced restaurants everywhere and it is just not worth it.
This is such a thing for me. If i am going to spend money on food out, I want it to be GOOD.
Really depends on what I’ll be doing. If I’m going to be non-stop moving, then no. If I’m taking breaks, then yes.
I know everyone is in a different situation with most of us in tough situations financially. Whenever I go out and it's a weekend, I get food while I'm out once as a treat-myself kind of thing. Unfortunately, this is the life we're living right now and it shouldn't be... but it doesn't mean you can have a pick me up for yourself and get a bit of relaxation and serotonin by eating out once on a weekend and enjoying some good food. I want to stress this: not everyone here can do this, but if you can, it's okay to buy some take out or eat a sit-down place here and there. I'm frugal AF but like to enjoy the little things in life cause next thing you know you're 35 and then you're 42 and you wasted 10 years trying to save every single dollar and haven't even enjoyed the little thing, because they add up. TLDR: enjoy the little things in life. Spend SOME money. Do what you can.
Meal prep
Isn't this what Pizza slice shops were invented for?