Can home-delivered meals help stretch a retirement budget?

Article summary. Groceries, gas, and food you end up throwing out take a bite out of a fixed income. A home-delivered meal program such as Choice Kitchen can cut those costs. If you qualify through a Medicaid waiver or an aging program, the meals may cost you nothing.

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Why does food cost more than it should in retirement?

On a fixed income, food is one of the few bills you pay every week. A mortgage or an insurance premium sits there. The grocery total moves, so it is easy to stop looking at it.

Cooking for one or two often works against you. A recipe wants a full bunch of celery, a whole package of chicken, a jar of spice you will open once. What you do not eat, you throw away, and that is cash.

The other costs hide in plain sight: gas and time for grocery runs, takeout on the nights you are too tired to cook, and specialty food after a doctor puts you on a low-sodium or diabetic diet. If you have already mapped how to use Social Security as retirement income, food is another place that income can last longer.

What is Choice Kitchen?

Choice Kitchen delivers meals at home across the Midwest. It was formed when two older programs combined: Ahlers Meals, started in Ohio in 1987, and Chef For Hire, started in Indiana in 1991. They joined in 2025 and took the Choice Kitchen name in 2026.

The combined operation has more than 50 years behind it and delivers over one million meals a year to seniors, adults with disabilities, and people coming home from a hospital or nursing stay. More on the merger and the rebrand is on their site.

The job they describe is straightforward: help people eat well and keep living at home.

"Nothing about the care you receive is changing. What's changing is our ability to do more of it, for more families, in more places."

Mike Burke, CEO, Choice Kitchen

How can prepared meals save money compared to cooking from scratch?

You pay for the meal, not the leftover half of every ingredient. That is the main difference in a retirement budget.

You do not buy a pound of ground beef to cook a quarter of it. Each meal shows up portioned and finished, so the spice rack, the oils, and the sauces you would have bought for one recipe never land in the cart. Choice Kitchen delivers every one or two weeks, depending on the plan, which cuts gas and the extra items that end up in the cart at checkout. Meals arrive frozen and ready to heat, so you are not racing a sell-by date. And when a full meal is already in the freezer, the delivery app is easier to skip.

Add up a month of grocery receipts, the gas for those trips, and any restaurant or takeout meals. Then guess what share of the groceries went in the trash. A one-person household often finds that total is higher than expected. That is the spending a meal program is meant to replace.

Who qualifies for no-cost home-delivered meals?

This is where the bill can drop to zero. Choice Kitchen says meals are provided at no cost for people who qualify through Medicaid waiver programs, Medicare-eligible benefits, and state and local aging programs.

You may qualify if you are 60 or older, an adult with a physical or developmental disability, home after a hospital or skilled nursing stay, or living with a chronic condition.

The program and the plan decide, not a general rule. Start with your case manager, service coordinator, or local Area Agency on Aging. The home-delivered meals page lists who can apply, and Choice Kitchen can help you sort out where you stand.

Same as with Medicare: ask before you decide a benefit is not yours.

Can the meals meet specific health needs?

Yes. A special diet is often expensive to shop for and slow to cook, so the menu is part of the money question, not a side note. Choice Kitchen lists hundreds of dietitian-reviewed breakfast, lunch, and dinner items, and you pick each one.

The menu includes diabetic-friendly, heart-healthy, low-sodium, renal-friendly, vegetarian, and pureed meals.

Following the diet your doctor ordered can keep you out of avoidable medical bills. Those bills are what chew through retirement savings.

How does home delivery support aging in place?

Most people in retirement want to stay in their own house. A steady supply of meals is one of the practical pieces.

Choice Kitchen uses local drivers and reports 97% on-time delivery and 98% positive marks for driver professionalism. If you no longer drive, or if you are the adult child arranging this from another city, that scheduled stop is the part you can count on.

Meal delivery is one of the costs you put next to rent, care, and other living arrangements when you are figuring out whether staying home still pencils out.

How do you get started?

Four steps:

  1. Check your eligibility with your case manager or local Area Agency on Aging.
  2. Pick meals from the menu for your tastes and your diet.
  3. Enroll with Choice Kitchen and set the delivery.
  4. Get the meals from a local driver.

Choice Kitchen currently serves Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan, with more of the Midwest planned. The service area list is on the site. Contact them at 844-506-8487. Indiana residents can call 317-637-0845.

Case managers referring a client can use the case manager page.

Frequently asked questions

Are Choice Kitchen meals free?

For people who qualify, meals are provided at no cost through Medicaid waiver programs, Medicare-eligible benefits, and state and local aging programs. Your case manager or Area Agency on Aging can confirm eligibility.

How often are meals delivered?

Every one or two weeks, depending on your plan. They arrive frozen and ready to heat.

Can I choose my own meals?

Yes. You pick each item from hundreds of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, including diabetic-friendly, heart-healthy, low-sodium, renal, vegetarian, and pureed menus.

Where does Choice Kitchen deliver?

Indiana (all 92 counties), Ohio, and Michigan, with plans to add more of the Midwest.

How do home-delivered meals save money in retirement?

You pay for a finished, portioned meal instead of a full package you will only partly use. That cuts waste, store trips, and takeout. If a covered program pays for the meals, the grocery line can go to zero.

What happened to Ahlers Meals and Chef For Hire?

They merged in 2025 and became Choice Kitchen in 2026. The same staff and routes continue under the new name.

Welcome to Finspired

Finspired is a premier provider of Medicare, investment, and retirement living information. All information on the site is designed to guide you through the choices of selecting a Medicare plan and living your best life in retirement.

This video welcomes you to Finspired.

We've built each lesson in a manner where you’ll receive the education you need to help make the best decisions possible for you and your family.

-Foundation for Financial Wellness

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Video Transcript:

Hi there and welcome, we're glad you're here! I'm Brent. I am one of the educators here at the Foundation for Financial Wellness. We’re an educational non-profit, and we’ve been delivering financial wellness education inside many of the world’s largest corporations for more than a decade now. In this series though, we've built each lesson in a manner where you’ll receive the education you need to help make the best decisions possible for you and your family.

Also, before making any financial decisions, be sure to take advantage of the Foundation's private counseling sessions. They are included with your participation in these classes, they're private and confidential, and they’re with one of our Certified Financial Wellness Counselors. Bring your questions, concerns, and be sure to bring your spouse or significant other as well. We'd love to help. It's what we do! 

To schedule a counseling session, simply click on the “Request Counseling” button at any time during your participation in this series. 

Now, with all of that being said, let’s get started!

Death - The Big Inevitable

When you pass, do you want your children to receive your investments and money? How about a religious organization? Your college alma mater? For this to happen, your instructions must be clear and in writing.

This video lays out some of the initial steps when talking about death and estate planning.

Some people avoid the conversation [about death] because they feel intimidated by their complex family situations. Some can feel quite overwhelmed by trying to identify all of their assets (both financial and items of personal importance) and liabilities.

-Foundation for Financial Wellness

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Video Transcript:

All of us have a different reaction when it comes to talking about “The Big Inevitable.” Here are some of the more common reasons that we hear from people for why they prefer not to talk about the subject at all.

Dysfunctional may very well be the new normal. However, some people avoid the conversation because they feel intimidated by their complex family situations. Some people can sometimes feel quite overwhelmed by trying to identify all of their assets (both financial and items of personal importance) and then also liabilities.

But we have got to get over this. We call it head-trash, and we’ve got to build a plan that leaves a legacy rather than a burden to those who we love.

So a quick review on this topic for you to decide again any decisions to make or actions to take.

Have you thought through your eventual estate, final wishes, funeral, where all your legal, tax and financial documents are located and if your loved ones can make any sense of it without you there? There is so much behind this topic, but don’t let it overwhelm you. Just get started. Start sketching out what you want from your legacy, who you want to know and how best to inform them. We’ll keep going from this point deeper and deeper, but for now, just get the ball rolling.

As always, don’t forget to take advantage of your private counseling session. This is a really popular topic. They’re included. They’re private. They’re confidential, and it’s always with one of our Certified Financial Wellness Counselors. To schedule that counseling session, simply click on the “Request Counseling” button.

When and How to Take 401k Distributions

You've worked hard to save through your 401k, but saving is only half of the equation. When and how to take distributions are an underappreciated part of the story.

This video presents the alternatives when choosing the method for drawing down your 401k savings.

Most people just simply take distributions out of the 401k. However, please be aware that it will be treated as ordinary income, and if you are not age 59 ½ or older yet, it will also incur a 10% federal penalty.

-Foundation for Financial Wellness

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Video Transcript:

OK, so the most common form of retirement savings in this country happens inside of our 401k accounts. So, the first question is normally, “So, how can I use the money from my 401k?”

You basically have three options. Most people just simply take distributions out of the 401k.  However, please be aware that it will be treated as ordinary income, and if you are not age 59 ½ or older yet, it will also incur a 10% federal penalty.

The other two options for distribution – They’re a little more complex, so let’s talk about those now. (IRS rule 55 and IRS Regulation 72(t))

IRS Rule 55 is a little-known gem to people aged 55 or older. If you are 55 or older, you have a one-time opportunity to take a distribution. It will be taxed as ordinary income, but it will not be subjected to the 10% federal penalty.

Many people will tell you that this is a great way to take money out of your 401(k), but it is an irrevocable decision that has long-term significant tax consequences. So, make sure that you are well-prepared and well-informed before doing that. Under IRS Regulation 72(t), you elect to take substantially equal payments under the latter of reaching age 59 ½ or five years. So, these distributions will be taxed as ordinary income again but will not incur the 10% federal penalty. You should think it out carefully. It’s not a magic bullet by any stretch, but it could be a strategy worth considering.

So let’s do a quick review here for you to decide at this point do you have any decisions to make or actions to take.

What might be the most tax efficient and retirement-planning-friendly way for you to take income from your 401k. Is it a traditional distribution, an IRS Rule 55, or an IRS Reg. 72(t)?

If you don’t know, then the action to take from this lesson may be to reach out and schedule a call with a tax or financial professional. Or as always, don’t forget. You can take advantage of your private counseling session. It’s included. It’s private and confidential, and it’s always with one of our Certified Financial Wellness Counselors. To schedule your counseling session, simply click on the “Request Counseling” button.

Aging in the Home

Do you plan to stay in your home as long as possible? What happens when you can no longer climb a ladder, and you need to change a light bulb?

This video presents items to think about when you plan to remain in your home well past retirement.

Look for help from community organizations. Many areas of the country are served by nonprofit orgs that can help retirees obtain affordable or even free home maintenance assistance.

-Foundation for Financial Wellness

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Video Transcript:

Ask most retirees where they want to live, and chances are they'll say they want to age in their home. It just makes sense. Recently, an AARP survey found 87% of those age 65 and older said they would prefer to remain in their current home and community as long as they can as they age.

However, as we age, living at home comes with challenges. Homeowners who in previous years would have easily climbed ladders to change light bulbs or cleaned gutters, may not be advised to do things like that any longer. It’s just too dangerous. However, when retirees try to hire out these and other tasks, they often find it difficult to find dependable and fair-priced work.

So, we have a few ideas where you may look to find people you can trust to do a good job at a fair price. Here’s a few in no particular order:

This may sound surprising but ask your financial professionals - your accountant, financial advisor, attorney, etc. Oftentimes they have relationships with a lot of people across a variety of industries, and they know many other retirees who are having the same issues. 

Do a little online research. Angie's List – like those types of websites. Consumers can search company profiles, read reviews, and use that information to select the right people for the jobs.

Or, you can look for help from community organizations. Many areas of the country are served by nonprofit orgs that can help retirees obtain affordable or even free home maintenance assistance. Get creative!

So at this point do you have any decisions to make or actions to take?

Have you begun to think through the years remaining while living in the home? It may be a lot of years. It may be a long time from now, or it may be something you’re dealing with in the present.

Once you do, begin thinking through it thoroughly, begin writing those expenses into your retirement budget! Don’t ignore it. Don’t just hope it’s not an issue. Plan for it. It’s much less stressful to do this on the front end, and you can begin to build your supporting cast in the meantime.

Don’t forget - take advantage of your private counseling session. You can talk about these things. It’s included. It’s private. It’s confidential, and it’s always with one of our Certified Financial Wellness Counselors. To schedule that counseling session, simply click on the "Request Counseling" button.

The Three Phases of a Financial Lifetime

We all experience three distinct phases during our financial lifetimes.

This video explains the accumulation, spend down, and leaving a legacy phases that we all pass through during different stages of life.

Whether you are nearing retirement and just starting a budget, or you began retirement planning early in life, these timelines provide a reference point for you to work from.

-Foundation for Financial Wellness

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Video Transcript:

Probably the question we hear most often in Counseling Sessions is “How much will I need to retire?” Of course that’s different for every person.  But it’s a great starting point to talk about the phases of life that lead to retirement. There are three phases of a financial lifetime.

Accumulation is first where we start, save, grow, and protect our wealth, keeping as much of that wealth as we possibly can. For most of us, we spend about 50 years of our life in this phase.

Then we enter the spend down phase. This is where we enter retirement, and we spend down all that money that we saved in our accumulation phase. Of course, we still are out to preserve as much as we can for the next phase which is when we give money away. Assets - to leave a legacy for others. We might give away our assets to organizations or important people in our lives.

While these stages roughly align with our age, many of us put our financial house in order at various times in our lives. Each phase on this timeline lasts for a period of years and builds on the previous one.

Whether you are nearing retirement and just starting a budget, or you began retirement planning early in life, these timelines provide a reference point for you to work from. 

OK, now a quick review for you to decide if you have any decisions to make or actions to take.

Looking through this new lens of the Three Phases of a Financial Lifetime, what phase are you in, and how well are doing at retaining alignment between your values, your vision and your financial plan?

As always, don’t forget to take advantage of your private counseling session. It’s included. It’s private and confidential, and it’s always with one of our Certified Financial Wellness Counselors. To schedule your counseling session, simply click on the “Request Counseling” button.

Financial Goals Adjustment

Long-term financial goals are important early in your working career to ensure a solid nest egg. As you near retirement, adjusting those goals to match your new stage in life can be equally important.

This video helps you align your values with your financial goals as you reach the retirement years.

As we approach our expected retirement years, many of the goals that we set in those younger years have passed (and hopefully we crushed those goals by the way), and now we become laser focused on retirement-specific goals.

-Foundation for Financial Wellness
Budget Builder Excel FileDownload
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Video Transcript:

To get started, let’s get a quick recalibration done here. Remember back in an earlier lesson when we talked about the principles and importance of solid goal setting? Well, the same applies at this stage of life. As we approach our expected retirement years, many of the goals that we set in those younger years have passed (and hopefully we crushed those goals by the way), and now we become laser focused on retirement-specific goals. So, our one-, three-, and five-year goals should be consistently updated as we course correct and maintain control.

Like we talked about before in an earlier lesson, we are hopefully living by our budget. It is very difficult (and probably unrealistic) to build a retirement budget out of thin air and expect it to be accurate. 

Yes, our retirement budget is best built on the foundation of our pre-retirement budget. Some expenses will go away entirely, other expenses may actually go up (hopefully some fun ones!), and some new expenses altogether may need to be added. 

Regardless, the budget in retirement is mission critical. It should be aligned with your vision and values, and it essentially becomes your playbook for what is hopefully the most fun-filled, joy-filled years of your life.

Remember, if helpful, don’t forget to download the Foundation’s budgeting tool for this step.

OK - quick review again for you to decide if you have any decisions to make or actions to take.

Think through and then write down your first draft – it can be rough - of what a one-, three-, and five-year retirement goal might look like for you and your family.

As always, don’t forget to take advantage of your private counseling session. It’s included. It’s private. It’s confidential, and it’s always with one of our Certified Financial Wellness Counselors. To schedule your counseling session, simply click on the “Request Counseling” button.

The Future of Social Security

The future of Social Security is as clear as mud. Many believe it will take care of them in retirement, while others believe the benefit's insolvency is just around the corner.

This video explains what the future of Social Security might look like and how it could affect you.

Unfortunately, only a small percentage of financial advisors describe themselves as very knowledgeable about Social Security (less than 25%!).

-Foundation for Financial Wellness
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Video Transcript

Ok, so what might the future of Social Security look like?

The good news - This so-called “Echo Boom” will make up for the current system imbalance. There’s 80 million new contributors. These happen to be the Boomers’ kids.

However, recent changes in Washington will impact how you can file.

The bottom line is there are hundreds of ways to claim Social Security. You can’t afford to ignore the opportunity to strategize, optimize, and make your Social Security claim wisely.

The 2016/2017 Budget Bill made significant changes to Social Security. The intent was to close “unintended loopholes” that lawmakers claimed only benefited the wealthy. As we will see, these changes have already impacted everyone in one way or another.

Other changes are made every year that have an impact, so a big recommendation here - get some guidance.

You would think that you could ask the Social Security Administration for some guidance.

Great idea, but to quote from a survey of married couples age 60-66:

“We found that 77% of people expect to receive advice from the Social Security Administration (SSA) on how to maximize their Social Security Retirement benefits. In reality, most Social Security Administration personnel are not trained or equipped to dispense anything more than monthly benefit amounts at different election ages, and the SSA actually prohibits its representatives from dispensing advice.” 

So, find a financial professional. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of financial advisors describe themselves as very knowledgeable about Social Security (less than 25%!). Many financial professionals are not interested in giving advice to their clients to strategize or help maximize their benefits because it does not fit into their plan or business model.

So a quick review – How about any decisions to make or actions to take at this point?

One straightforward question for you on this one - Who are you going to engage to help you with the considerations, calculations, and your overall planning for your Social Security selections?

Is it your financial advisor, your accountant, your know-it-all brother-in-law? Just kidding, don’t ask him.

As always, don’t forget. You can take advantage of your private counseling session with us. It’s included. It’s private. It’s confidential, and it’s always with one of the Certified Financial Wellness Counselors here at the foundation. To schedule your counseling session, simply click on the “Request Counseling” button.