How often do you eat out?

[Ima saver]

If I had small children, I would not eat out at all. It is too much work!

[sakigt]

I eat out about 5 nights a week, but Id like to get that down to 3 (once a weeknight and friday and saturday) once I move into my own place and Dad stops stealing my food!

I might also note I rarely spend over $10. But I prefer to stay in since extra can be used for lunch the next day. I prefer leftovers to anything in the lunch room or micro-meals.

[eisor]

I have to say that eating out is my downfall when it comes to my budget. I'm never home. And, although that may seem like an exaggeration, it really isn't. Spring semester I was gone from 7:30 am until around midnight. Then, during May I'm gone from 6:30 am until 6:00 or so. But, some evenings I won't be home until midnight or so. I ended up getting in the habit of eating out almost everyday. I would pick healthier alternatives like deli's but, that also cost more.

I packed my lunch for school for at least 9 years of my life. Eating the same thing over and over again has gotten VERY old. I tried the frozen "TV" dinners and I didn't like them. I was doing pretty well last semester, but this semester is very difficult because I'm very busy and always on the move. Plus, I don't have access to a microwave or refrigerator during the day.

My BF and I were doing so well. We were cooking dinner everynight, but that only lasted a couple of weeks. He started a new job and gets home much much later than he used to. Because of this, he doesn't have time to cook after work.

I just have to set up a plan and stick to it! Anyone have any breakfast and lunch ideas that are quick, easy and will hold up in my car for a couple hours? (I can have access to a cooler, if needed.)

[DivaJen]

Dinner - once or twice a week.
Lunch - Dh sometimes goes out. I rarely do.
Breakfast - rarely anymore.

[Ima saver]

Still eating out every night. I did go to a meeting Tuesday night and I am going to a party tonight, so I have cut this week down to 4 nights out!

[story3girl]

We eat out once a week, as a kind of date night. Usually we do it the day we do our major grocery shopping, since we're often tired and cranky from running all over town. We set a budget of $25 per week for the two of us, which usually is plenty nice for us.

Lately, though, we've been cutting back, as we've been tightening our belts a little. LOL figures we cut back right after I buy an entertainment book.

[markio26]

once a week now.. i use a weekly meal menu.. and we follow it to the letter....

[Ima saver]

i do treat our eating out as a date night, every time we do it. We got to a local restaurant and spend a minimum of 2 hours there. We take our brown bag liquor and diet sprite and have a few drinks before we order.(No charge for drinks) Then we usually order something pretty cheap, a burger or chicken salad.
We always sit next to each other at the table, so we can touch each other if we want.
We don't go to movies or concerts, this is our form of entertainment!

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

It varies . Sometimes I may go a month with no eating out. Sometimes I may eat out 4 times in a week. I'd guess average is about three times a month. But sometimes I do buy a candybar if I'm out and have an insulin event! I'm supposed to keep an emergency stash in my purse, pocket, or car, but sometimes I don't. When I worked away from home, I took my lunch, including a drink, and was the wierdo in the work place because no one else did this.

[Ima saver]

When i worked, I always took my lunch to work. My husband still does.

[cbmeeks]

I eat out WAAAYY TOOO MUUCH!

I have got to stop. But I do it because I am lazy. But I am working on it.

[wwjdmsl]

We budget 230.00 month for eating out...we try to utilize coupons as much as possible so we usually never hit this and when we do, we usually see the grocery budget is a couple hundred lower

[Ima saver]

Let's all meet for dinner!!

[cbmeeks]

Just found out that we need $600 in auto repairs...on a freaking van I don't own yet. Jeesh...

so guess what? we don't eat out at ALL in June.

[shengmei]

We actually eat out a lot. We live in a college town where there are coupon books everywhere. Eating out is relatively cheap and fresh food is relatively expensive in a college town.

With the Texas-size portions (I live in College Station) we could take out a meal and eat it for three days. I noticed that when you do take out they usually give you more food, and I don't have to tip for take out.

[cbmeeks]

that's cool. But surely, even in college, Ramen noodles are cheaper. :-)

[shengmei]

I ate ramen and sardines for one summer and I got terribly sick. Whatever I saved by eating ramen was eventually spent on medical bills.

Though I found a way to steam ramen that makes it really tasty.

[cbmeeks]

ummmm.....sardines.

Ramen noodles are great with a little hamburger too. Kinda like poor-man's hamburger helper....like hamburger helper isn't poor enough...hahaha

[Ima saver]

Ramen noodles get cold too fast!

[cbmeeks]

Originally Posted by Ima saver

Ramen noodles get cold too fast!

And that's a problem how?