Time is money, too. If it takes too long to make food, any monetary savings get wiped out.

I remember being a broke college kid and thinking it was simply irresponsible spending $8 on a junkfood meal. Now i gladly spend that. I've got things to do and it would be irresponsible to spend 20 minutes in a kitchen so I can save $4.

It all depends… Some people have never enough time but adequate money. Some people have time, but not enough money. I think that mathematically this reduces to time is money… Fast food is quick (unless you count going out to get it) and reasonably filling. But it is not the cheapest or usually the most nutritious. If you plan to eat at home more, it takes a little front end thinking when you go to the store. Assuming you have a microwave, frozen prepared meals are reasonably cheap, easy to prepare, and can be reasonably nutritious. But you need them in your freezer. Ramen is cheap, and pretty good if you add a little meat (canned, or deli sliced) to it. Hot dogs likewise are cheap and quick to fix - maybe heat up a can of beans to go with it. Go easy with things like chips and cookies and do not make them a regular because they are not very good for you. Fruit (fresh or canned) is generally good for you and not that expensive if you stick with whatever is in season. While a good hot home cooked meal from scratch can be a treat - It does take time. You can make things ahead of time - like a big pot of chili or stew or whatever you like and then freeze it in separate portions or if you don’t mind just eat it till it’s gone… For most of us, it works best to mix it up and have some fast or restaurant food , some sandwiches, some frozen entrees, etc. Too much of any one can be a problem.

There are ways to do meal prep that allows you to eat healthy & save time and money in the process. It’s simple, invest in that, problem solved. It’s good for bonding too

Honestly, with the price of groceries, it's about the same price to just eat out and not have to worry about dishes to clean up.