Most might know that while it's easier to buy food before going home, it's a whole lot cheaper to actually purchase ingredients at a grocery store to cook them. There can nevertheless be a wide range of reasons causing people to go the faster route and stop by a restaurant or fast food eatery in order to feed themselves. Some may have an extremely busy lifestyle discouraging them to take the time to stop by a supermarket, select the items needed for food preparation then actually getting home to start peeling vegetables etc... Others might simply shun the local or surrounding supermarket chains in their area because the merchandise sold there might be a little pricey. No matter the reason, there can be some tips to help cope with these inconveniences: A) BUYING FOOD IN BULK: if you don't have the time to shop often on a weekly basis, you can buy some items at places such as Costco or BJ's where you can selectively find groceries that are sold in bulk at affordable prices. You not only save money by doing so but also avoid the painful task of having to shop two to three times a week. Whatever else you prefer buying at a regular grocery store, you can do so once a week. B) PRE-COOKING CERTAIN MEALS and USING LEFTOVERS: when you live a fast-paced life, being tired most of the time can stop you from wanting to cook so an alternative could be pre-cooking some meals (like two meals) over the weekend so that during the week when you come home, all you need to do is completing the cooking stage for each meal ( one meal corresponding to one day's dinner plans ). You can also eat leftovers on the next day, changing up the side dishes for example: it will give you the impression that you're consuming a slightly different dish from the one you had on the night before. C) BUY YOUR PRODUCE at A FRUIT MARKET or nearby FARM: some fruit and vegetable markets can sell affordable produce depending on the season at times, so that can be one way for you to save money rather that going to a supermarket offering ridiculous prices for its produce. If possible, you could research farms near you and go to one that sells their fresh goods at a reasonable price too. Don't let anything deter you from putting together healthy meals that can save you thousands of dollars in medical expenses due to the harm that processed food will cause to your body in the long run.