Saving Money On Eating Out

[RaeMazda]

I am 26 years old and still learning on saving money. I have myself and my boyfriend. We have a home in which we are remodeling so I am limited on how much cooking I can do. But I want to train myself on eating out way less and start cooking more or avoiding the cost of eating out. I figured up the last two months we've eaten out and the cost of groceries has come to nearly $700.00 a month. This I feel is way too high for myself to be spending. And this does not include the meals that he buys for us. Does anyone have any suggestions on how you cut down on your eating out cost?

[disneysteve]

I'm not exactly sure what you are asking. Do you want to know how to eat out less or do you want to know how to spend less when you do eat out?

If you are looking to eat out less, that's pretty straightforward. Stop eating out. Cook your meals at home. Pack your lunches to work. Cook in bulk and freeze single-serve portions for quick easy meals when your short on time.

If you want to know how to spend less when you eat out, look for coupons in your local paper, sign up for Groupon and Living Social for good discounts, Like your favorite restaurants on facebook where they may post special discounts, choose less costly options when you order, share meals with your boyfriend, don't order appetizer, entree and dessert. Just get your main course and eat dessert at home. Take home leftovers and use them for lunch the next day.

[kork13]

1 - Don't order drinks at a restaurant (whether alcoholic or soft drinks). That's a quick $2-$3 (or more) per person that you save right there, simply by having water with your meal. The water is healthier for you anyway.
2 - Don't get appetizers or desserts. You can easily pay as much for your little appetizer/dessert as you do for a full entree.
2a - Eat appetizers (only). Depending on the restaurant (prices, portion sizes, etc.) you might be able to get a satisfying meal by only ordering an appetizer and skipping the entree. This idea sometimes is a good one, other times not.
3 - Share entrees. This isn't always practical, but many restaurant portions are larger than you need. Large entrees can often be split between two people and still satisfy.
4 - Ask for a box. Bring home any leftovers, and save them for the next day's lunch or dinner. Once again, if you don't gorge yourself on the large portion sizes when you order, you can easily save enough for a second meal the next day.
5 - "eet mor chikin". Chicken (vs. beef/veal/seafood/etc.) is generally one of the least expensive options for ordering entrees. Pork is also a less expensive option.
6 - Eat out less. I know you say this is difficult for you due to renovations, but you can still make alot of healthy meals at home with just a microwave, toaster oven, or a hot plate/hot pot. Get creative, and you can save alot of money by simply not eating out.

[disneysteve]

1 - Don't order drinks at a restaurant
2a - Eat appetizers (only).

Two great suggestions. We almost always drink only water when we dine out. First off, it saves money. Secondly, we don't need to drink more soda, even diet, and alcohol is way too expensive in restaurants when they charge as much for 2 drinks as it costs to buy a whole bottle of liquor.

I have often made a meal just of appetizers. Restaurant portion sizes have gotten insane. Most appetizers are as large as entrees ought to be. Order an appetizer and maybe a side salad or vegetable and make that your meal.

[Tree0164]

I know it can be tough eating out when you have are doing remodeling. Do you have a fridge and microwave available to you or crockpot. If you can use a crockpot you would be able to saving some money while eating out. There is no harm in eating alot of sandwiches during a remodel.

Check out your local restaurants for their weekly deals-we have many restaurants in our area that are doing buy 1 entree, get the second one free. It might be worth it to check out groupons or restaurant.com for some deals as well.

We rarely eat out but we usually never do unless we are using gift card,groupon or restuarant.com coupon.

[susie michelle]

We eat out only on special occasions because it's just so pricey. I agree with all of these great tips here. Don't eat out often and when you do, drink water, split an entree or make do with an appetizer. If you love to treat yourself to a date night, there are ways to do it cheap. My husband and I have a semi-regular date night tradition that is surprisingly low cost. We walk downtown during happy hour for 2 for 1 drinks and then we split a half price appetizer. That way, we feel like we got out on the town, but we don't drop $50 on a huge meal. Most of the date consists of the walk.

Depending on where you live (and if you dine out a lot) you might be able to cut costs by buying an Entertainment book. The book itself might run you $30 or so, but there tend to be a number of 2 for 1 dining coupons in there. (Check entertainment.com and enter your zip code to see if this makes sense for you and your situation.) The coupons in the book are typically valid from November to November, so now's a great time to buy one because you'll have the entire year to use your coupons...through the Entertainment book itself will be much lower in price in a few months.

[Tree0164]

The entertainment books are good-one of the kids school had a fundraiser on them this year. I picked one up for ourselves plus got for my parents who really enjoy eating out.

[thesimplemoneyblog]

3 - Share entrees. This isn't always practical, but many restaurant portions are larger than you need. Large entrees can often be split between two people and still satisfy.

1) Our favorite method is to split a meal. Then, we can get an appetizer or salad to share since they are significantly cheaper than a full-priced meal.

2) We cut back on the number of drink we have out by drinking more water or by focusing on places that have great happy hours (discounted drinks and/or half priced appetizers).

3) As Tree0164 said, sandwiches can be a great resource, but they can certainly get old. Use different types of cheeses and meats (smoked ham, honey ham, turkey, salami, etc.) to add variety. Local grocery store meat counters can be a great way to get some reasonably priced, small portions of meats where you can get the amount of food you need for that meal/day. While not the cheapest, it is far cheaper than eating out all of the time.

4) Crockpot meals (you can get entire cookbooks with recipes) and soups can be great ways to make a lot, portion out to store in a freezer, and then take it out when you need it. Then, you simply need microwave access to heat up the food quickly.

[Gailete]

For sure drink water at restaurants! If you don't like just plain water, they will usually give you a lemon wedge for free.

You can also order soup and sandwich combos.

As to the cost, if I understood you right, you are forking out $700 for you and your Boyfriend and he pays for some as well. Not sure what is going on with your finances, but I would try to make sure that is evened up so he is paying his fair share if he isn't already. If he is also spending $700+ you guys need to scale it way back unless you are both millionaires. Or you could each pay for your own meals out so if he doesn't have the same incentive to save it won't affect you. You can eat the cheaper meals and let him do whatever he wants. As I'm old-fashioned about people living together before marriage, I don't really understand the finances of a live in friend especially when there hasn't been an official engagement or wedding. Without that, I think it is important to keep your finances separate as when you break up (which might happen) you still have some of your money instead of you having spent all yours supporting you two while he possibly has been stashing his away. Like I said I'm old-fashioned and I have some weird ideas about money and you would have never caught me mingling my hard earned dollars with someone else unless I knew I had legal recourse in the event of problems.

As to not being able to cook in the midst of a kitchen remodel, that is nuts. I've survived three of them and with rare exceptions didn't go out to eat and was feeding my kids as well. I designated a huge plastic bowl as my sink to wash dishes in and kept up with them (you can also buy a stack of disposable dishes and flatware to ease that problem and it will still come out cheaper than eating out). Many dishes are ready to go and just heat up in a microwave from the grocery store so that is another option. These days you can get pre-prepped salads, grated cheeses, etc. that make putting food together easy. If washing out the slow cooker is a problem for lack of a sink, get those slow cooker liners that you can toss when the food is done. Breakfast without a kitchen is easy as long as you have a way to keep milk and juice cold, cereal requires no cooking usually, with juice and fruit doesn't really involve a kitchen. If your fridge isn't plugged in, plug it in wherever it is at (I spent 6 months going up and down to the basement to fetch what I needed when my landlord decided to remodel my kitchen!) or if needed, buy one of those little dorm fridges (still cheaper than spending $700+ a month on food). You can take sanwiches and salads to work from home or heat up soup right in the office microwave which you can also buy premade. While your life is in turmoil with the remodeling don't think you have to have gourmet meals at home, just do easy things and take full advantage of carry out type foods that most major grocery stores have. I was surprised to note that now they make slow cookers with three pots that cook all at the same time if needed, so you can make more than one thing while you are at work.

Time to put your thinking cap on as once the remodel is done, it is going to be hard to going back to cooking again and that $700 can really be used elsewhere as it is very excessive for just two people. I think my hubby and I spend around $250 for the both of us.

[Ramose]

For sure drink water at restaurants! If you don't like just plain water, they will usually give you a lemon wedge for free.

You can also order soup and sandwich combos.

As to the cost, if I understood you right, you are forking out $700 for you and your Boyfriend and he pays for some as well. Not sure what is going on with your finances, but I would try to make sure that is evened up so he is paying his fair share if he isn't already. If he is also spending $700+ you guys need to scale it way back unless you are both millionaires. Or you could each pay for your own meals out so if he doesn't have the same incentive to save it won't affect you. You can eat the cheaper meals and let him do whatever he wants. As I'm old-fashioned about people living together before marriage, I don't really understand the finances of a live in friend especially when there hasn't been an official engagement or wedding. Without that, I think it is important to keep your finances separate as when you break up (which might happen) you still have some of your money instead of you having spent all yours supporting you two while he possibly has been stashing his away. Like I said I'm old-fashioned and I have some weird ideas about money and you would have never caught me mingling my hard earned dollars with someone else unless I knew I had legal recourse in the event of problems.

As to not being able to cook in the midst of a kitchen remodel, that is nuts. I've survived three of them and with rare exceptions didn't go out to eat and was feeding my kids as well. I designated a huge plastic bowl as my sink to wash dishes in and kept up with them (you can also buy a stack of disposable dishes and flatware to ease that problem and it will still come out cheaper than eating out). Many dishes are ready to go and just heat up in a microwave from the grocery store so that is another option. These days you can get pre-prepped salads, grated cheeses, etc. that make putting food together easy. If washing out the slow cooker is a problem for lack of a sink, get those slow cooker liners that you can toss when the food is done. Breakfast without a kitchen is easy as long as you have a way to keep milk and juice cold, cereal requires no cooking usually, with juice and fruit doesn't really involve a kitchen. If your fridge isn't plugged in, plug it in wherever it is at (I spent 6 months going up and down to the basement to fetch what I needed when my landlord decided to remodel my kitchen!) or if needed, buy one of those little dorm fridges (still cheaper than spending $700+ a month on food). You can take sanwiches and salads to work from home or heat up soup right in the office microwave which you can also buy premade. While your life is in turmoil with the remodeling don't think you have to have gourmet meals at home, just do easy things and take full advantage of carry out type foods that most major grocery stores have. I was surprised to note that now they make slow cookers with three pots that cook all at the same time if needed, so you can make more than one thing while you are at work.

Time to put your thinking cap on as once the remodel is done, it is going to be hard to going back to cooking again and that $700 can really be used elsewhere as it is very excessive for just two people. I think my hubby and I spend around $250 for the both of us.

I don't know about where you are, but here if you live together for a certain amount of time it's classed as a 'de facto' relationship. They pretty much have the same legal protection as people in marriage do.

[Gailete]

I don't know about where you are, but here if you live together for a certain amount of time it's classed as a 'de facto' relationship. They pretty much have the same legal protection as people in marriage do.

Yes, in my state after seven years if they call themselves married they are legally married, they call it a common law marriage and at that point they can divorce or inherit, etc. However I doubt that a 26 year old has been together that long, but obviously I don't know. The original poster referred to him as a boyfriend not a husband or even fiance even though she said they are getting a house together. My only concern is young people meeting, quickly entering a 'live-in' relationship which if it ends badly may find one or the other drained dry financially by the other with no recourse (assuming they haven't met their states rules for common law marriage if there is one). Part of becoming a well functioning an adult in my eyes (a much older woman at this point) is being able to handle your own money well before combining it with a partner of any sort. If I had my life to live over again, I would have had one in depth conversation with my first husband concerning finances and would have realized that he was not someone that I wanted to combine finances with much less marry. How many couples really talk about and come to understanding of how they will handle finances when they move in together? Not what the subject here is, but as the poster sounded like she didn't know what boyfriend was contributing to food and eating out, it doesn't sound like from her post that she knows for sure. Perhaps a finance talk is in order with her boyfriend. We can't tell from a single paragraph what all is going on. I just urge caution which generally young folks in love don't want to hear about and sounds like you don't either. If the boyfriend has only contributed $200 a month towards the food and groceries there is a definite disconnect there and needs to be evaluated just like all aspects of home ownership and maintenance. If however he has contributed $1000 towards the groceries and eating out, unless they have oodles of money, they REALLY need a discussion about how to reign in expenses. That is the only point I was trying to make.

[MauBell0405]

1 - Don't order drinks at a restaurant (whether alcoholic or soft drinks). That's a quick $2-$3 (or more) per person that you save right there, simply by having water with your meal. The water is healthier for you anyway.
2 - Don't get appetizers or desserts. You can easily pay as much for your little appetizer/dessert as you do for a full entree.
2a - Eat appetizers (only). Depending on the restaurant (prices, portion sizes, etc.) you might be able to get a satisfying meal by only ordering an appetizer and skipping the entree. This idea sometimes is a good one, other times not.
3 - Share entrees. This isn't always practical, but many restaurant portions are larger than you need. Large entrees can often be split between two people and still satisfy.
4 - Ask for a box. Bring home any leftovers, and save them for the next day's lunch or dinner. Once again, if you don't gorge yourself on the large portion sizes when you order, you can easily save enough for a second meal the next day.
5 - "eet mor chikin". Chicken (vs. beef/veal/seafood/etc.) is generally one of the least expensive options for ordering entrees. Pork is also a less expensive option.
6 - Eat out less. I know you say this is difficult for you due to renovations, but you can still make alot of healthy meals at home with just a microwave, toaster oven, or a hot plate/hot pot. Get creative, and you can save alot of money by simply not eating out.

These are great tips that will certainly help you save money from eating out. As much as possible, prepare and cook your own meals and you will be surprised on how much savings you can get.

[Ramose]

Yes, in my state after seven years if they call themselves married they are legally married, they call it a common law marriage and at that point they can divorce or inherit, etc. However I doubt that a 26 year old has been together that long, but obviously I don't know. The original poster referred to him as a boyfriend not a husband or even fiance even though she said they are getting a house together. My only concern is young people meeting, quickly entering a 'live-in' relationship which if it ends badly may find one or the other drained dry financially by the other with no recourse (assuming they haven't met their states rules for common law marriage if there is one). Part of becoming a well functioning an adult in my eyes (a much older woman at this point) is being able to handle your own money well before combining it with a partner of any sort. If I had my life to live over again, I would have had one in depth conversation with my first husband concerning finances and would have realized that he was not someone that I wanted to combine finances with much less marry. How many couples really talk about and come to understanding of how they will handle finances when they move in together? Not what the subject here is, but as the poster sounded like she didn't know what boyfriend was contributing to food and eating out, it doesn't sound like from her post that she knows for sure. Perhaps a finance talk is in order with her boyfriend. We can't tell from a single paragraph what all is going on. I just urge caution which generally young folks in love don't want to hear about and sounds like you don't either. If the boyfriend has only contributed $200 a month towards the food and groceries there is a definite disconnect there and needs to be evaluated just like all aspects of home ownership and maintenance. If however he has contributed $1000 towards the groceries and eating out, unless they have oodles of money, they REALLY need a discussion about how to reign in expenses. That is the only point I was trying to make.

Me or the OP? I'm all for caution when it comes to most things involving finances, especially when combining finances with another person.

[Gailete]

Me or the OP?

Sorry perhaps I took what you said out of context in how you said it. You sounded like since live in relationships have legal recourse that it doesn't matter if they are mingling their money without thought of legal ramifications. Happy to hear that isn't what you meant.

I get saddened seeing young people meeting and then before you know it they are living together, talking about the future, she gets pregnant and then the guy disappears and she finds that all her money went into the relationship and it is gone, while he squirreled his money away. She is poor and he walks away without having lost much. I realize that that is a huge generalization, but with the advent of cell phones and people that love to talk on them in public while discussing life's private problems, I hear and see too much and I don't hear most of these relationships ending well.

[gostumpy]

Local pubs have food specials almost every day, luckily my wife likes Pubs & not fancy restaurants.. That itself saves me a ton...

We plan to go to the pub on special days... Wing Wednesday is a great deal if you like wings... We have a Fajita Friday deal as well, $6.95 Fajitas so we can usually get away with a couple drinks for under $30!

I cringe when I see a $40 bill