I first tried eMeals when I was still pretty fresh out of college and trying to eat better on a budget.
Back then, a meal list was emailed to you once a week along with a shopping list with all of the ingredients needed. This was great for a couple of weeks, but then I wouldn’t like some of the meals or I’d forget to print out the list for the week. It made for a bit of a challenge to stay on track.
There is now a user-friendly app that allows you to choose from all of your past/present recipes.
There are now so many different meal plan options from kid-friendly to paleo to slow cooker meals. And you aren’t stuck with just one you can switch it up once you subscribe.
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How eMeals helped me with my side hustles
When I first started experimenting with side hustles, my biggest obstacle wasn’t learning affiliate marketing or blogging.
It was time.
Between work, family, and everyday responsibilities, I was constantly running behind before I ever sat down to work on something that could actually earn money. That’s when I started simplifying areas of my life that were creating unnecessary friction — including meal planning.
One of the first systems I used combined eMeals with Walmart Grocery pickup, and it ended up doing more than just simplify dinner.
Why simplifying meal planning matters when you’re building income online
Most advice about starting a side hustle focuses on tools and platforms.
What often gets overlooked is how much decision fatigue affects consistency.
When you’re making dozens of small decisions every day — what to cook, what to buy, when to shop — it’s harder to show up consistently for the tasks you need to get don’t for your income streams.
Simplifying meal planning removes one of those recurring decision loops.
How I used eMeals with Walmart Grocery pickup as a system
At the time, I wasn’t trying to become more productive in every area of life. I just needed a repeatable way to handle dinner without thinking about it constantly.
The system looked like this:
• Choose weekly meals in eMeals
• Let it generate a grocery list automatically
• Order groceries through Walmart Grocery pickup
• Pick up once per week
This removed multiple friction points:
• No wandering the store for an hour
• No writing lists that you’ll forget
• Fewer last-minute trips for forgotten ingredients
• Less daily mental load
The result wasn’t gourmet meals, it was predictable evenings.
Using everyday systems to support affiliate marketing and blogging
When I talk about systems now, I’m not just referring to content calendars or SEO tools. I’m talking about life systems that make consistency possible.
Meal planning with tools like eMeals and Walmart Grocery pickup was one of the first examples that showed me how removing friction in one area can support progress in another.
Once dinner was predictable, it was easier to:
• Sit down and write
• Learn how affiliate links actually work
• Experiment with blog content
• Stay consistent without burnout
If you’re starting a side hustle and feel overwhelmed
If building income online feels like “one more thing” on an already packed schedule, start by simplifying something you repeat every week.
For many people, meal planning and grocery shopping are two easy places to begin.
The specific tools don’t matter as much as the system — but using something like eMeals paired with Walmart Grocery pickup can be a simple way to reclaim time and mental space.
From there, building a side hustle becomes less about hustle and more about structure.
Other simple systems to free up time
Meal planning is just one example of how simplifying everyday decisions can create space for building a side hustle. You don’t need to overhaul your life to feel the difference — a few small systems can go a long way.
Here are a few other easy areas to simplify:
1. A repeating weekly schedule
Instead of deciding what each day is for, assign loose themes to your week. For example, one day for planning, one for creation, one for admin. This removes daily guesswork and makes it easier to sit down and work when time opens up.
2. A single grocery or errand day
Batch errands into one predictable day each week. Whether it’s groceries, returns, or household needs, knowing it’s already handled reduces mental clutter during the rest of the week.
3. A default dinner rotation
Even without a full meal planning tool, choosing a short list of repeat dinners can eliminate nightly decisions. The goal isn’t variety — it’s consistency and ease.
4. A simple content capture habit
Keep one running note on your phone for ideas. When something comes to mind, add it there instead of trying to remember later. When it’s time to create content, you’re not starting from zero.
5. A set start time for side hustle work
Instead of fitting it in “whenever,” choose a consistent window, even if it’s short. A predictable start time makes showing up easier than relying on motivation.
None of these systems are complicated. They work because they remove decisions you’re already making over and over again.
This post is just one example of how everyday systems can support your long-term growth and side hustle success!
I have found that eMeals takes all the guesswork out of making those changes which greatly increases the chances of sticking to it and enjoying it.
There are an abundance of meal plan options available for all meal planning needs. You even have the option to change your plan type while using the service. If you begin on a vegetarian plan you can change to a paleo plan at any time.
So far for us I would say we have really enjoyed the meals we’ve tried from the plans we have tried.
I credit eMeals for keeping us on track with our goals. I am incredibly pleased with this service. I think eMeals has come a long way since its earlier version and I would overall recommend giving it a try!
