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This is the first time in history anyone wrote or said these words.
Actually, I've seen it several times in many of these forums when this topic comes up directly or round-a-bout. Personally, I wouldn't say I "despise" eating out, but I find myself disappointed with the meal/experience more and more often these days.
As a homebody, I take a little umbrage in the idea that you can't enjoy yourself at home, and it's a pointless life. To each his/her own.
I’m with you! I prefer being home by far most of the time, but I do enjoy eating out because it’s nice to get some awesome food. Maybe if I was most people I wouldn’t but I need the calories and there’s nothing that great you can make at home unless you’re a pro chef. I am fine with my frozen dinners, cereal, protein shakes, etc. most of the time but I love a good, big meal sometimes and need the extra calories.
Huh. It wouldn't be much of an investment strategy for me...I hardly ever eat out. Sometimes get a meal at a restaurant with a take out menu or grocery store deli if I've been running errands and don't want to cook, but that's it. Not that I have anything against eating out, it just doesn't occur to me. I'm not a cheapskate, just easily contented with simple food even an idiot can prepare.
same here .. we eat out a lot . it is part of our lives and we enjoy it.... nyc has so many restaurants you can go 23 years eating out every day and never repeat. plus each year start over because so many close and new ones reopen .
My wife and I usually eat out a couple of times a week, but only to be social. 3 years ago we decided to get healthy, eat right and exercise. Part of that was not eating out as much. Restaurant food can be delicious and we do enjoy it, but long term it is very hard to eat healthy out. Stuff that you think is healthy has a boatload of hidden calories. To counteract that we, eat very healthy all week and splurge a bit on our nights out.
It probably helps that I'm not a fussy eater and my wife has created some pretty good recipes that are healthy and delicious. We usually make some stuff to freeze so that we're never caught without a meal and HAVE to go out. lol. Not going out as much is a great way to save money and has other benefits. The downside is that a lot of socializing is food centered and you don't want to end up hermits either.
I agree with this approach. It's important to save money and reduce expenses that don't fulfill you, but all the same, don't let life pass you by as you build wealth.
I have lunch out 1-2 times per week, and keep the cost low. My husband and I have 2-3 meals out per week (1 breakfast, 1 dinner, and 1 other meal with friends), and try to aim for restaurants that cook things that we cannot do (or do well) at home. For us, good food is a priority. We don't buy lots of clothes, accessories, furnishings, electronics, appliances, and such, so we focus more on the stuff that really matters to us.
We just got home from having a quick meal out. It is our day that we do the afternoon school run for DD and take the kids to soccer training. If we came straight home, the traffic would result in the trip taking an hour. So we have a quick meal and get home in literally half the time, just after peak hour. Then relax.
We normally are out another night a week with friends and also are out separately at least twice a week for lunch.
I really try to make this the limit. Not for the cost but for health reasons. I find it absolutely impossible to keep to a healthy diet if we are constantly eating out.
Already have. The proliferation of tip jars and tips "conveniently calculated" already in the total, along with increasing prices have driven me back home.
With my BBQ, or my smoker, or the oven/stove in the house, we can match almost any restaurant meal, at least as we see it. And we can watch TV, set the temp how we prefer, take as long as we want, and not listen to dimwits playing on their phones or arguing with kids.
Meals at home are simply more enjoyable than dining out. Here are some of the reasons:
#1: While having a (quiet) political discussion, we angered the waitress apparently. The rest of the evening we were treated to malevolent glares, and our plates roughly slammed on the table. It was obvious, since no other diners were treated this way.
#2: After standing in line at a BBQ restaurant (not a sit down place), we were presented with a big screen to sign, in front of all the others in line, which included a large tip already. To remove it, meant puzzling out their UI, and holding up the line. This attempt to shame/hurry us into the tip worked -- once. Hope the extra 5% was worth losing a customer. We won't be back.
#3. At a sandwich shop I frequent, I found -- yet again -- a tip jar prominently placed in front of the cash register. Again, this is a place you stand in line to order, pick up your own food, and bus your own table. I refuse to tip in such a place, and refuse to return to the obvious "we're about to fix your food, shame if somethin' hadda happened to it cuz you didn't tip, bro." Again, last trip there.
#4. Out running errands and realized too far from the house and hungry. Dropped into another sandwich shop. Ordered their regular, with fries and a bag of potato chips. $11.20. Seriously. I'm not going to pay more than a sawbuck for a sandwich and potato chips. This was a national chain I liked, but -- again -- won't be back.
#5. Stopped in McDonald's, figuring at least it's cheap. Found the bathroom floor recently mopped and so soapy I had to cling to the fixtures to stay upright. On the way back to the counter I (politely) told one of the kids bussing tables. His response was literally the following words: "Why should I give a sh*t?". Time to leave. And time to stay gone.
Maybe at really expensive restaurants the treatment is better, but I've never had a $100.00 meal. I've spent that much, but never worth it. So this old couple have retreated to our own house, and our own RV when traveling. Other than subsistence food when absolutely necessary (away from the house) I have no intention of eating at restaurants. It's just not worth it anymore.
I checked what I've spent on restaurants- under $700 this year. Some of those were with the guy I'm dating but we alternate picking up the check- the extra cost of his meal is offset by meals that I have that he pays for that aren't in the $700. So, not that much to save. Some were also "on the road" when traveling so eating out was a necessity.
I'm also not thrilled with restaurants, their giant portion sizes and the ever-increasing "suggested" tips. (SOME things can be taken home for another meal but what if you're traveling?) I'm practically vegetarian and want to avoid mass quantities of cheese, meat, fried foods and breads, and that's a lot of what restaurants serve, although they're getting better at vegetarian meals. I enjoy making and eating most of my food at home.
I've spent a whopping $200 on restaurants this year not counting the occasional sandwich from the grocery store when I don't have lunch. Most of that comes from going on long bike rides and needing lunch 1/2 way through.
I have no idea what we've spent on eating out vs. eating in. Both are part of my grocery budget line item. As long as the total is good, I'm happy.
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