Have any of you stopped eating out altogether ? (wine, ingredients, Burger King)

[weltschmerz]

I go out to eat about every two weeks.
With the plethora of cheap and excellent ethnic restaurants, it's affordable.

[green papaya]

I eat in a restaurant about once a week, usually some type of ethnic cuisine like

Mexican Taqueria, Chinese, Viet, Greek, Egyptian, Moroccan , Yemeni, Thai, Korean, Cuban , Indian, Filipino

and sometimes just to get a Burger to go

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by phonelady61

I know I have and have saved a little over 100 a month not eating out . and if you add that up at the end of 12 months I will have enough for a cruise ...much more worth it than eating out .

If it were up to me I would cook every meal at home. Personally, I cook most of my own meals and try to do dinner as often as possible but because of our schedules the Missus has a knack for convincing me to go out. We probably average $100/week.

A word of caution about saving up for that cruise: most people who claim they are saving $$$ by giving up X or Y or Z only end up finding new ways to spend that "extra" cash. If you really want to save up for a cruise just lock away that $100 each month and enjoy yourself 12 months later

[lv2trvl]

We rarely eat out for the following reasons:

1. We monitor our weight carefully, and it's always an instant gain.

2. We like our own cooking better

3. It is a budget buster, and not worth it to us.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by phonelady61

I know I have and have saved a little over 100 a month not eating out . and if you add that up at the end of 12 months I will have enough for a cruise ...much more worth it than eating out .

You have to figure what it is costing you at home for the extra food, but, of course we all save if we do not eat out. That being said, no, we have not stopped. We do not eat out a lot. I do a bride luncheon once a week and eat at the club. Hubby eats out once a month with a church group and we do like to have breakfast out a couple times a month, plus grabbing something when we are out shopping all day. We also go out for special occasions usually. We use coupons and discounts when we do, if possible. What we have stated doing, if we are going out for dinner, we have a glass of wine at home before we leave. Then we limit ourselves to one glass while eating or just before ordering. That is where we really save money.

BTW, enjoy your cruise, but I don't know what cruise you can take, including airfare and tips etc. for $1200 unless you are planning on a short cruise.

[StAcKhOuSe]

i eat out a couple times a year on average. too expensive otherwise. i've even cut way back on "drinking out" too....lol

besides, every time i go to a restaurant, i see morbidly obese people that make me lose my appetite a little bit for some reason. there is a high concentration of these people. i don't want to end up like that if that's what restaurant food does to you. it's almost like watching a real life horror movie of sorts.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by mainebrokerman

not so sure about that, bnls choice strip steaks are 6.99lb today for a whole pound in a store

a 12oz sirloin strip at a restaurant is usually over 12.00

at tgif Fridays an 8 oz choice strip was 12.99 a couple mnths ago

I think anyone who thinks they can eat out as cheaply, for the same quality as we get at home either is dreaming or doesn't know how to shop. The benefit of eating out is getting something you normally don't fix at home or the fun of being waited on. Cost wise, I agree with you. I have priced the difference in a really quality meal for say, an anniversary, cooking a home versus out.

Here is an example; we are having our daughter and her hubby for dinner tonight cause it is her BD.

four 5 oz salmon servings is costing me: $12.00
Cesar salad: her choice: $5.00
French bread with garlic and butter: $4.00
1 lb or asparagus wrapped in bacon and roasted: $3.50

Total: less than $25.00 plus we will probably go throw 2 bottles of wine: $15.00 and the guys will have a scotch and water: $.4.00. A glass of wine at a decent restaurant is $7.00 or more and drinks about $6.00. Doesn't it go without saying, eating at home is cheaper?

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by burdell

One suggestion I'd make to those who'd like to go out and be served occasionally but don't like how pricey some places have become would be to go for lunch, most lunch menus are considerably lower priced than the dinner menu and in a place that cares about its food you usually get the same quality.

That's what my parents always did when they traveled. They'd eat lunch out because it was cheaper, and then just pick up sandwiches or something for dinner later.

[Mightyqueen801]

I carry my lunch to work most days so that I can justify going out to eat on Friday night with a friend. Tonight we'll go to a Mexican BYOB place--I'm not big on Mexican food, but this place has some items on the menu and specials that aren't the usual blobs of meat and cheese wrapped in some kind of thin bread. They have this good spicy shrimp, not breaded, that comes with a side of rice and beans. I don't think it's really "Mexican", lol, but I like it, and my friend loves the blobs of meat and cheese wrapped in some kind of thin bread. And we both drink red wine, so it works out.

Some nights we order pizza and stay in, or get a bunch of things from the Mediterranean bar at Wegman's instead of a real dinner.

And my friend is big on coupons, so sometimes we go to a chain for which she has a buy-one-entree-get-one-free coupon.

I don't really have a lot of extra money to blow, but I do indulge in my Friday outing so I feel I have SOMETHING other than bills to pay in exchange for my life five days a week being nothing but work, getting ready for work, traveling to work, and traveling home from work, and then taking a five or six hour nap so I can get up and go back to work the next day.

Occasionally I do eat lunch out with coworkers. Had ropa vieja at a Cuban place on Wednesday. Not expensive.

[cyn7cyn]

When I eat out its usually either an ethnic food I can't prepare or a groupon/ restuarant.com special. I have no desire to spend money on food shipped by SYSCO. I've worked in many restaurants and too many of the chains are basically reheating frozen food. I live near a great BBQ place( NC BBq) and I frequent them when I'm to tired to fix southern food and even though Im italian-american and can cook it as well I really like Carrabbas. Steaks are much cheaper to fix at home and better quality. I guarantee that Applbees $10 steak is the cheapest cut of sirloin the company could find. Prefer to get a choice cut and age it in the fridge for few days.