Food Budget vs Going Out Budget. (items, old, money)
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Not sure if this is a frugal question or more a personal finance one, but here goes:
Just curious as to were you would put take-out or carry-out food, for example a take-out sub (where you save 1/2 for next days lunch). This would be also ordering pizza to be delivered. Would this go in a going-out budget column or a food/groceries column?
I can see it both ways, but I usually put stuff like this in the "food" column.
"Going Out" would be more sit-down dining or eating at the restaurant, as well as bars and coffee shops.
^^ Yep! I eat out ALL the time. Not literally, but practically the only thing I 'cook' is hard boiled eggs in the microwave.
"Frugal" people can go nuts when talking about all the money people spend (waste?) by eating out.
But if you can "afford" to eat out -- does it matter whether it's in someone else's "wasting" money of "misc/fun money" column.
Besides, does frugal mean you have to save VERY. SINGLE. PENNY. you can ALL. THE. TIME. -- or just finding deals when you can and in general not spending more than your have to.
"Frugal" people can go nuts when talking about all the money people spend
(waste?) by eating out.
Actually I pretty rarely eat out (actually only when I am having a dinner with a friend, never by myself), but sometimes I will pick up a sub on the way home if I am on my way home exceptionally late). So was curious about this as a budget thing.
I can see the conceptual difference with eating out as "entertainment" or "fun", but that wasn't why I would be buying the sub sandwich or pizza.
I personally put it in my "eat out" category, but that's because it's usually a couple of pizzas for the whole family, in addition to my regular grocery bill, not in place of some portion of it.
In the case of getting a $5 foot-long that lasts you two meals, I could see putting it into the grocery category.
Would this go in a going-out budget column or a groceries column?
Anywhere other than groceries.
Assuming you track these things don't dilute the home eating cost number. Don't include paper
or soap or booze or anything else you might also buy at the grocery store in that number either.
Just food.
Actually I pretty rarely eat out (actually only when I am having a dinner with a friend, never by myself), but sometimes I will pick up a sub on the way home if I am on my way home exceptionally late). So was curious about this as a budget thing.
I can see the conceptual difference with eating out as "entertainment" or "fun", but that wasn't why I would be buying the sub sandwich or pizza.
I also consider "eating out" as entertainment such as going out to a restaurant with friends. I will pick up a sub or go through a drive thru at lunchtime a couple times a month, and I budget for this under the grocery budget. It depends on how you want to track things. If I wanted to keep track of or reduce how much I got take out for lunch, I would track it separately from groceries.
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