Does anyone have experience with those companies where you go assemble meals from ingredients that are already there for you?

Such as Super Suppers or Dream Dinners?

I am interested in doing one of these sometime, as I think that would help us to have home cooked meals without so much of the daily hassle. I honestly think that the cost would not be much more than buying the ingredients myself, since they get bulk discounts.

Some of my friends have done Dream Dinners before. I plan to go with them next time they have such an outing. It's actually quite fun, from what I hear, to do it with a group.

I'm all about cooking ahead and saving time.

Dream Dinners is very good. The portion sizes are such that we actually get more meals out of it than they advertise. It's a great value and at the same time it's food that I've actually prepared myself (just had some help in prepping ingredients for assembly) so I feel better about doing this than getting takeout or some other frozen meals.

I'm really intrigued by these, but I think I would have a hard time finding free time to go to the place and make them. Aren't they not kid-friendly? (the meal-prep area, I mean, not the meals themselves)

Probably not a great place to take kids, just because there's no supervision for them. I don't know that it's dangerous, because it's my understanding all the food is prepped so there aren't knives and such around, but still, probably not someplace they'd behave at for long.