If you’re too busy to stop at the grocery store on the way home from work, or just have no desire to cook, ordering food online is an easy alternative to keeping your stomach from rumbling. As technology continues to advance, hooking us up to everything from online banking and paperless billing, to local takeout and grocery stores, shopping online for food is easier than ever. There are a few things you need to know before you open your laptop or start googling with your smartphone though.

Takeout is great. Not only do you spend zero time in the kitchen, you also have minimal clean-up to worry about. If you happen to live in a reasonably sized city, you can use a search engine like Menu Pages, All Menus and The Menu Post from your computer or smartphone to browse for online menus for your favorite restaurants.

Menu Pages even has a free app download for the iPhone that makes searching for menus easy no matter where you are, or what type of cuisine you’re in the mood for.

Many menu services and individual restaurants have online account features. Setting up an online account takes a few minutes, as you’ll need to enter your personal information and a credit card. Once you have an account set up though, you can log in from your computer or smartphone to place an order, even when you’re on the go.

One of the drawbacks of ordering takeout all the time is that you have very little control over what you’re putting into your body. If you’re health conscious, or watching your weight, ordering takeout may not be the ideal solution. Takeout also has a reputation for being pricey. Eating out occasionally won’t harm your physique or your bank account, but making a frequent habit of it could do some damage.

If you’re kitchen savvy, and have time to cook, but not time to shop, you may want to consider online grocery shopping. There are a wide variety of online grocers and delivery services that allow you to browse their online inventory. Companies like Schwan’s offer a wide variety of pre-packaged frozen dinners, sides, snacks and desserts. After placing your order online, a delivery person brings the food right to your house or apartment. You can even customize your drop-off directions if you won’t be home at the time.

Not every man can live off of frozen meals alone, of course. Some actually enjoy spending time in the kitchen! If you’re one of them, online grocers like Netgrocer and AUL Superstore offer a wide variety of foods, from produce and dairy items, to dried and canned goods. Your local grocery store may even have an online site and delivery service, especially if you live in the city. Ask a clerk at the information desk for details, and if they do offer online shopping and delivery, you can order your groceries for the week without ever setting foot into the grocery store.

No matter what your schedule is like, making time to shop online is easy. Whether it’s take out Thai food, or fresh produce so you can prep your own food at home, ordering from your computer or smartphone guarantees that the food you crave is only as far away as the ends of your fingertips.