Real Answers for Life’s Money Challenges

Im a single, middle-aged mom of one at-home university student.

I have a mortgage, a car payment and typical household bills.

None of these are the problem.

A woman stands in her kitchen with dishes stacked around her and her cat on her counter with raw chicken on her head.

I work about 50-60 hours a week.

However, Im NOT a good cook, and Im not good at meal planning.

Both myself and my daughter are healthy eaters and are physically fit.

Dear Penny

I need an easy and efficient meal planning method and healthy, tasty and easy recipes to follow.

-S.

Dear S.,

You attribute all that wasted food to poor planning and kitchen skills.

But I suspect that ambition as in, having too much of it is the bigger culprit.

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And I share your pain: Im a single woman who works long hours and doesnt like to cook.

In my 36 years, Ive thrown out more groceries than I care to think about.

hey dont ask me about how much I used to spend on UberEats.

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But I havent gotten more disciplined.

Ive just gotten more realistic.

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Some weekends Ill fail altogether at planning.

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Do you avoid people too?

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What keeps me realistic is that Im a bicycle commuter.

I do most of my weekday grocery runs on my ride home.

I have to be selective.

Im forced to think about how much effort Im willing to put into that nights dinner.

Occasionally, the answer is none, so Ill pick up takeout instead.

Is that the most frugal solution?

But at least Im not shelling out for a restaurant mealandingredients for a meal Ill never cook.

Try chopping up some vegetables and cooking a couple of protein staples using olive oil and a few spices.

(Just invest in some good storage containers.)

Did you know?

Or you could use them as taco fillings or toppings for a healthy pizza.

Start with meals that are so basic, you dont even need a recipe.

As your culinary skills improve, you’re free to aim a little higher.

Dinner tends to be a little more of a production, or at least we treat it that way.

So maybe start with the goal of making all seven breakfasts and lunches, plus four dinners.

Enlist your daughter to be responsible for dinner at least one night a week.

Then give yourself permission to get takeout for the remaining three dinners.

Just keep your priorities in mind here: You want to save money.

You want to eat healthy.

Neither of these goals requires you to be the next Wolfgang Puck.

You dont even have to be Pinterest-worthy.

Robin Hartill is a senior editor at The Penny Hoarder and the voice behind Dear Penny.

Send your questions about saving money to[email protected].

Probably not as good as youd like.

It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.

But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?

Ask one of these companies to help…