Eating out?

[LuxLiving]

We ate out 'takeout' once this weekend - used a coupon for delivery pizza to the tune of $14.99. Our grandson was visiting and with the way the pickup and drop off times were it was the best we could do - to entertain him AND get where we needed to be on time.

Usually we eat out once a month - somewhere in the area of $20-25. Some months not at all. Very limited take-out or drive-thru eating -- maybe $10 a month but that usually comes out of one of our allowances and not the family budget.

[poundwise]

About 4x a month.

2x as a family (3 people)

1x as a couple (date)

1x just picking up something/getting delivery

[simpleyme]

about once a month it seems ;-)

Jan 1st we had chinese me and and DH 13 dollars
Feb 14 we took the kids to our favorite pizza (Abbys) cost abt 23 dollars
mid march we went to taco bell ,me and Dh cost about 7 bucks ;-)

[PRICEPLUS]

We don't eat out as much as order pizza or some other take out and bring it in. We try and use specials at all times. Personaly I would rather eat something made at home but Sometimes time and circumstances force us to use fast food!

[Daylily]

We eat out about once every two months (if even that often). We generally spend $40-50 when we do.
We live outside of town so it is just as time consuming to drive to town, eat, and drive home as it is to make the food at home and do the clean up.
DH travels overnight a couple times a week, so when he is at home he wants to eat home cooked food.

[Hot dog]

We hardly ever eat out. I bring instant oatmeal to work and just add water same with my coffee and for lunch I bring from home also. I am starting to think I need to start budgeting more fun into my budget cause right now I am just all about getting all the bills gone even though they are just a car loan about to be paid and mortgages. I always put some extra toward the mortagage so I need to start allowing myself some fun money or I am just going to I don't even know but it is starting to not be so fun.

[Aleta]

HotDog: When we were first getting out of debt, the plan that I was following encouraged entertainment money. There was not a specified amount but the guy said that if all you do is put every penny to your debt, your chances of failing would be greater. For the first 3 months we didn't so much as go to a McDonalds's. We did add a little money I think $5. a week for whatever, whether it was to rent a movie, gas for a long ride, or parking fee money for a free concert.

We got to a point where we would look at what we were doing to example ( sell aluminum or yard sale items) and would compare it to what we wanted to do for fun. Sometimes we decided to forgo certain things that would cost too much. There's alot out there that you can do that doesn't cost a lot or is free. But, sincerely, think about treating yourself to something like a movie out when you pay one of your bills off. It's good to reward yourself for a job well-done.

[LuxLiving]

Hot Dog, we used the past (debt), present (bills) and future (savings) for getting out of debt. I always alloted just a bit of the present portion for fun. Otherwise we would of rose up in mutiny ourselves!

[Ima saver]

I was good, we stayed home last night. Looking forward to our dinner "date" tonight!!

[lgslgs]

Last time was about 3 years ago and it ran under $25 at a nice little local place. Time before was probably about 2 years prior to that one. We don't buy carry-out foods, order delivery foods, or purchase snacks while out either.

We cook everything from scratch and we're both very good at cooking and baking. We also grow a lot of what we eat. We don't have to go drive off to some place, get seated and served on someone else's schedule, eat our meal in a room full of people we don't know and pay a lot more to eat lower quality, less fresh food prepared by less experienced cooks.

Ugh! We'll just cook here.

Lynda

[disneysteve]

pay a lot more to eat lower quality, less fresh food prepared by less experienced cooks.

I agree to an extent. As I said, we avoid fast food and chain restaurants, but once you get into the pricier restaurants, the food is fresh, expertly prepared, creative and far more involved in preparation than what my wife and I would tackle at home, and we are both very good cooks.

So while I think going to Chili's and spending $20 for dinner is a waste of time and money, going to a local chef-owned/operated restaurant and spending $50 for dinner is a far more worthwhile experience to be savored, enjoyed and talked about for weeks afterward.

[tinapbeana]

when i go out to eat i like going to places that prepare food i don't know how to cook, or don't keep the materials on hand, etc.

for instance, my local mexican restauarant serves roast pork and veggies for about the price i could make it at home, and they do it well (not to mention no prep or cleanup on my part!). i also enjoy a local german restaurant and a pan-asian place that's a regional chain. these are all inexpensive, use fresh ingredients, and owned by local people.

why spend $10 a plate at chilis when i can spend $9 for all-you-can-eat schnitzel, brats, and spiced cabbage made by a nice german lady?

[lgslgs]

So while I think going to Chili's and spending $20 for dinner is a waste of time and money, going to a local chef-owned/operated restaurant and spending $50 for dinner is a far more worthwhile experience to be savored, enjoyed and talked about for weeks afterward.

We've also got the situation where we're at least two hours from any real cities and about an hour from any progressive small towns that would have that sort of place. The nearest Chili's type places are all almost an hour away as well.

I must admit, I do fondly remember an incredible dinner almost 20 years ago at a combination bowling alley/restaurant in the middle of nowhere owned by a top notch Belgian chef. I had to learn to make my own green peppercorn mustard sauces after that one! If we still lived near his place I could see making it a once a year special evening out.

I guess we're just going to be stuck with fresh morels from the woods and asparagus from the garden - straight from the ground to the cutting board in the time it takes us to walk back to the house. Can't say that I miss Chili's, Outback Steakhouse or any of that. The Belgian chef is a different story, though...

Lynda

[disneysteve]

We've also got the situation where we're at least two hours from any real cities and about an hour from any progressive small towns that would have that sort of place.

Understood. We live in a foodie paradise. A nearby town, Collingswood, NJ has a restaurant row to rival the finest in the country. And we are only 12 miles from Center City Philadelphia, home to some of the top rated restaurants in the world.

[PetMom]

My husband insists on eating out daily, he goes with his colleagues
and they do their 'power lunches'. No one in his office sits at their
desk with a bagged lunch and he does not want to be a trendsette
for this.

I promised not to touch that expense when I started our budgeting.

But, this year we have avoided going out so far. We did do some
Chinese take out for about $20.00 per visit from which we would
eat the
leftovers. We did this about 3 or 4 times earlier in the year.

Last year at this time we spent a whopping $60.00 -$100.00
per weekend
on restaurants (we also got the mixed drinks). We are holding
out not doing that so far this year as this was one expense
I knew we could cut out. We also don't go on vacations and
this was in that expense (we went to 'atmosphere' restaurants).