Many people turn to ordering expensive takeout or going out to pricey restaurants because the prospect of cooking a meal at home in the evening seems like a tiring proposition.

Preparing the meal, then cleaning up all of those dishes sounds like a lot of work.

And, if you go to a restaurant, all of that is taken care of for you. If you grab takeout, you just toss everything in the trash.

The easy solution to this problem is a one-pot meal.[related_gallery align=”right”]

This dish is just what it sounds like — everything you need for a meal is prepared and served in one pot, meaning that you only have one item to put in the dishwasher (along with plates and silverware). One-pot meals are usually quick and rely on a handful of ingredients, so they’re quite easy to pull off.

There are many collections of one-pot meals available. Search online for the phrase “one-pot meals,” and you’ll find tons of great recipe lists. What really matters in terms of your wallet is keeping the cost low and keeping the effort low, so you’re less likely to order takeout or dine out.

Here are four great strategies for keeping one-pot meals inexpensive and easy.

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How to Use ‘One-Pot Meals’ to Make Inexpensive Home Cooking Easy originally appeared on usnews.com