Price the household's actual two choices
Suppose pasta costs $2, tomatoes $3 and cheese $4. Those are $9 of purchases tonight, even if half the cheese will remain. A takeaway order of $18 plus $3 delivery costs $21. If someone must make a separate $4 trip to get groceries, the cooking option costs $13 in immediate spending.
Add the time each person must supply
For a 7:15 dinner, the cook might need ten minutes to shop, twenty minutes to cook and another ten to tidy afterward. If the cook finishes work at seven, that plan misses the meal. A takeaway estimated for 7:35 also misses it. Consider a simpler meal already at home rather than forcing a choice between two unworkable options.
Give leftovers a real destination
If an ingredient will serve several meals, note what else you can use it for. If somebody needs dinner before an evening shift, arrival time may decide the question even when the two totals are close.
Use the remaining cheese for the next day's sandwiches only if someone intends to make them. Do not subtract a hypothetical future saving from tonight's checkout total. If both dinners fit the time and the prices are acceptable, ask which option leaves the household with a manageable evening.