For people with busy schedules — whether it be from school, kids, or work — going out to eat has become one of the most convenient ways to ensure they’re eating throughout the day. 

In fact, almost 30% of American people admit they go out to eat at least once a week, whether that be a fast food breakfast or a sit-down fancy dinner. 

Thanks to inflation, going out to eat frequently is becoming more and more of a luxury with the cost of “food away from home” increasing by almost 10% in the past year. It’s exactly what one TikTok mother realized, as she revaluated her finances going into the new year and decided to make a change. 

A woman admitted to eating out far more often than she cooks, and it’s caused her to rethink her financial situation.

Samantha Denman confessed in a recent TikTok that she’s “never eaten like a ‘normal’ person” and admitted her eating habits have always revolved around the ability to pick something up outside the home. 

“I can probably count on two hands the number of times that I’ve eaten three meals at home in the last five years… and they were probably on Christmas when everything was closed.” 

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Her young daughter, shown in the video, was also a recipient of these “out-to-eat meals,” and Denman shared that between the two of them, the financial commitment was becoming impossible. 

Going into the new year, when her business was "slower” and money was tight, she decided to start grocery shopping, cooking, and eating at home. 

Eating out has become far too expensive, so Denman vowed to ‘eat like she’s as broke as she is.' 

“I need to learn how to be an adult and eat at home,” she said. “It’s not going to be super fancy.” 

Although scared to make the commitment, she admitted that eating at home was her best bet at saving money going into the new year. Looking for accountability and “a watchful eye,” she decided to post her revelation on social media — and comments flooded in supporting her journey. 

Photo: Monkey Business Images / Canva Pro

“It’s never too late to learn anything,” one commenter wrote, “I’m proud of you.” 

In the past, she only ate at home when dieting, but she’s trying to break away from that ‘restrictive’ mindset and buy more ‘typical’ foods. 

“I’m learning how to not do it in a way that’s similar to disordered eating,” she admitted about eating at home, “because every time I’ve done it in the past it’s been because I’m dieting.”

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Overwhelming love and support flooded the comments of her original video, giving her hope that, in the long run, this would be the best decision for her family. 

In a response video, she agreed to share the reality of her journey and posted a “what I eat in a day” that encapsulated just what meal prepping looked like for her. Her meals were simple but they were also filling, tasty and, ultimately, inexpensive. 

“Instead of spending $3 on every donut, I bought packs of donuts this morning for $3. I’m going to start eating those in the morning — and giving [her daughter] cereal.”

Disordered eating is something that a lot of people struggle with when they make the commitment to avoid takeaway, but it’s something that can be addressed through simple practices like grocery lists, meal prepping, and sometimes, just buying foods that your body wants. 

One of the biggest hurdles to overcome when making this switch is getting motivated to go grocery shopping.

Not only is it overwhelming and overstimulating, but it can be difficult when you’re not sure what to get.

Commenters offered Denman tips as well. “If grocery shopping overwhelms you,” one commenter suggested, “you can order online and do curbside pick up!”

Making grocery lists and meal prepping weeks or months in advance can also help alleviate anxiety and make grocery trips and cooking easier. 

So, if you're making the transition to eating at home or are struggling to cut down on your food spending, consider adopting a few of these habits. Remember, most importantly, removing the guilt you correlate with food is pivotal to fostering these healthy habits. 

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Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango focusing on pop culture and human interest stories.