Cook
Choose cooking when the meal is one you can start in twenty minutes and the cleanup is shared. Put the cleanup in the decision. A cook who also washes up will vote for takeout next time, correctly.
All comparisons
Food
Cook or takeout
The moral version of this choice is boring. The practical version is the clock and the sink.
Cooking wins when the ingredients are already in the house and someone is willing to start before they are angry-hungry. Takeout wins when the shop you mean is open, delivers or is a short pickup, and the group has agreed who is paying.
A new recipe is not a weeknight plan unless you have made it before or you have more time than you think. Takeout is not a plan if you spend forty minutes picking a restaurant. If that is the pattern, use a short list of three shops you already know.
Takeout
Choose takeout when people are already hungry, the fridge is a guess, or the evening is supposed to be the company and not the project. Cap the menu argument at three places.
What actually differs
| Difference | Cook | Takeout |
|---|---|---|
| Needs | Food you already have | A shop that is open |
| Time | Prep, cook, clean | Menu, wait, maybe a drive |
| Leftovers | Often | Sometimes, if you over-order |
| The hidden cost | Someone does the dishes | Fees and a minimum |
| Failure | A missing ingredient | A closed kitchen |
Questions about this choice
What about leftovers from yesterday?
That is a third option. Add it to the group vote if it is real. Do not pretend it is cooking.
Is cooking always cheaper?
Often, not always, and not if you buy ingredients for one meal and throw half away. This page does not invent a price. Look at the actual shop and the actual fridge.