Is your family like mine? Is busy an understatement? I know so many families that are a lot like mine these days – all so very busy. There are activities and meetings and practices and school events and games and the list goes on and on and on. It seems some days we use our homes as more of a rest stop than a home base. If you are like me, you are always looking for a way to save time. All too often trying to save time leads families to grab fast food. Grabbing burgers or pizza on the go can save a precious half hour or more. But this easy way of saving time ends up costing us money. I have found some ideas to save time and money – I cut out fast food almost completely.

At first trying to cut out fast food seemed impossible. What about those nights where there was no time at home at all? How were we going to do this? After a little bit of thought and planning, I found out that it is actually pretty easy. There are some great ideas and tips that made it easy. These are a few of my favorites.

Crock pot
A crock pot is a great way to come home to a warm and ready dinner and cut out fast food. No more pizza to go! This classic kitchen item may seem a little threatening at first. What do you cook in it? The answer is easy! Anything you want! There are SO MANY great recipes and websites with ideas for crock pots and make ahead meals. There is nothing like coming home to something yummy and ready to eat!

Freezer meals
This is another simple idea! Make a meal ahead of time and freeze it! Pull it out of the freezer earlier in the day and pop it in the oven or microwave when you get home.  Another great idea to cut out fast food and crank up the yum!

Pack a picnic
Take your food with you! If you have kids this is sure to be a hit. Pack a meal picnic style and take it out on the road with you. You can make a picnic to eat in the car or on a blanket between events. This works for snacks too. Taking snacks with you keeps you from grabbing some on the go. Cut out fast food and have fun!

Shelf stable supplies
Keep some of your favorite meal items on hand, especially those that are shelf stable. If you have a few minutes at home, you can easily grab the ingredients to one of your quick meal favorites. This equals another yummy meal and way to cut out fast food.

Keep a favorite quick recipe list
This one seems like a no brainer but it isn’t. In a hurry you won’t be able to think of some of the good, fast dinner options that you would remember another time. This recipe list is great to use with the idea just mentioned, keep the supplies for some of these recipes on hand.

Have more ideas to help busy families cut out fast food? Share them with us!