<prompt> Human: Okay, so I want to keep this post on topic by talking about how to stick to some kind of food budget. That being said, Im going to talk a little bit about my problem. My boyfriend and I both 22yo live together and have a long-term, solid relationship. We share everything money-wise. Both of our names are on all accounts. He makes around 30kyr while I make only about 6k. Because Im really into learning about financial independence and budgeting, Im in charge of our money and house situation. I handle all of the bills, savings, cleaning, cooking, investments, etc. Now, heres where this could get off topic. He and I have HUGE problems with food and money, and I cant seem to figure out what the hell to do. We have two completely different tastes in food, besides pizza. This makes grocery shopping and meal prep very very hard. I usually end up spending around 70 each week. We argue about which meals to make because we dont like each others suggestions and end up ordering pizza. The groceries I bought will sometimes go to waste this way. Ive been to scared to officially track our take-out spending habits in detail but Im sure we spend at least 120 each month on orders, for an approximate total of 400 on food each month. Thats a TON, especially compared to our salaries! Is there any way to stick to a better budget, plan take-out costs into our grocery bill, or something like that? He and I both hate loathe food being a necessary expense and were both very frustrated with it. You just never know when youre going to be hungry, how hungry you will be, or what you will be hungry for. Its so random and very hard for me to monetarily predict our eating habits. So, our food budget is currently just impulse spending money when we need sustenance. Any advice or anecdotes welcome!TLDR: We make about 36000 a year and, with no actual recording of purchases, spend about 400 on food a month for two people because hunger is random and I cant seem to figure out how to spend money not on impulse. Edit: rewording to better explain, added a TLDR.  <response>: Is there any way to stick to a better budget, plan take-out costs into our grocery bill, or something like that? Dont do takeout.Now stay with me for a minute here. Since it seems that you are not going into debt, but are just not saving how much you want, you have more options to slowly cut down on food costs than others may. Its so random and very hard for me to monetarily predict our eating habits. If I had to guess, neither of you had families where you sat down for dinner and other meals, right? Generally, you got your own meals together or else your parents would get out and grab something for you all to eat?This is not something I am judging you for - I wasnt raised with set sit down meals either, but my husband was. So I understand the transition. And I do think you can both learn the food maturity it will take to get you where you want to be. You arent the first to be in this situation and many others have been able to transform their eat-whenever-hungry-and-whatever-you-are-hungry-for mentality!So you think right now that you just cant prepare so that is why you order takeout. But thats not why. Its because you think there is a specific way to prepare and you should be able to do that right away. But you can both start to slowly transform your habits.Right now, end all takeouts. Instead, get some ready made meals. Some frozen tamales, little premade orange chicken meals, curry sauces, the whole deal. Now you say you handle the cooking, but I am guessing you either dont have much experience with it or dont really like it. So this way you both ease out of being able to eat what you want by just going towards your pre-made stash you have while also easing into eating whatever you cook.For example: One night he wants pad thai. You want a burrito. You know that you also need to eat, ya know, vegetables and stuff. So you get one of your small pre-made pad thais and one of your frozen burritos, quickly prepare them while you have some broccoli steaming. Now you are both satisfied, but you also get vegetables and a little more experience cooking and eating what you make.And in between meals you eat out of the approved snack cabinet. It should be stocked with raisins, oranges, some cliff bars, cashews, and the like.This is all more expensive than simply cooking all of your own meals. But dont let the perfect be the enemy of good enough! This method will still be cheaper than spending 120month on pizza! And since you are not tracking your spending and 99.9 of people think they spend a lot less on eating out than they actually do, then I am sure you are spending a lot more than 120!Eventually your confidence at cooking will improve and so will your ability to make better tasting items so that both you and your boyfriend are happy to sit down and eat it. Trust me, Ive been there! 