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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?
It's definitely cheaper to eat at home!
I don't think most of us who go out occasionally do so to save money. It's just nice to have someone else shop for, cook your food and bring it to you and clean up afterward. That's what I like about dining out, anyway. When I was married I used to love to cook and have people over, but that's not my life anymore. I leave the house at 6:30 a.m. and get home after 7 and so I hardly get excited about what I am going to cook now and sit there and eat by myself. Last night I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I was just too tired for anything else.
I don't always eat that lamely--I cooked up a bunch of veggies--two squashes and onions and a red pepper and mushrooms that I had in the fridge from the farmer's market the other night, and I ate that one night with a swordfish steak I had in the freezer and another night with a hamburger. Both things only took twenty minutes to cook and then reheat the vegits in the microwave.
Sometimes I have gone out to dinner by myself with a book but just so I could feel as if I was out amongst people and to have someone else prep and bring me dinner. Some times mental health is more important than money.
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 .
I would rather eat out with assorted friends periodically than spend a week on a boat with strangers.
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 .
I dont eat out much because everything tastes like crap...... I would rather stay home AND MAKE IT TASTE LIKE I WANT!! (If I can)
I don't eat out at all, mainly because I do not trust the under-payed un-educated slobs to prepare germ free meals. Saving money and eating better are just the bonus.
Our past few experiences eating at restaurants were so unpleasant. We certainly have a list of places we will not go anymore, and sadly, they are about all that I have in my area aside from cheap fast food, which i simply do not eat. i haven't been to a mcdonalds or burger king in YEARS. I mean, like 10 years or more.
The next step up the chain, the casual diners, just about all went out of business in my area, and the lone couple that haven't (olive garden, o'charleys) have both let us down seriously. Particularly o'charleys, which dumped food on my wife last time, then comped HER meal, but insisted we pay for ours, which we didn't eat. Never again. Then, last trip to Olive Garden, found a large chunk of GLASS in my mouth, after a bite. That manager comped everything, and was gracious. But I won't be back.
There's just nothing worth having the terrible service, overpriced menu, and potentially dangerous contents of the food!!
I don't think most of us who go out occasionally do so to save money. It's just nice to have someone else shop for, cook your food and bring it to you and clean up afterward. That's what I like about dining out, anyway. When I was married I used to love to cook and have people over, but that's not my life anymore. I leave the house at 6:30 a.m. and get home after 7 and so I hardly get excited about what I am going to cook now and sit there and eat by myself. Last night I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I was just too tired for anything else.
I don't always eat that lamely--I cooked up a bunch of veggies--two squashes and onions and a red pepper and mushrooms that I had in the fridge from the farmer's market the other night, and I ate that one night with a swordfish steak I had in the freezer and another night with a hamburger. Both things only took twenty minutes to cook and then reheat the vegits in the microwave.
Sometimes I have gone out to dinner by myself with a book but just so I could feel as if I was out amongst people and to have someone else prep and bring me dinner. Some times mental health is more important than money.
Well it sounds like you are eating healthy at least. I agree about eating out; it is a relief every so often to have someone prepare the food, serve it to you and do the cleaning up. I do love to cook, but like that break every so often, even with the extra cost.
Oh, as for eating healthy we had veggie burgers last night. I decided to check the veggies in them so I would grill something already in the burgers; well the veggies consisted of soy (about the 8th thing mentioned) garlic powder and onion powder. Other ingredients were things like, water, sugar, salt, etc. Not to mention one serving consisted of only 140 calories: good huh? well not really, a single serving was 2.5 oz. I will say, they were good and yes, less fat than a regular burger, but it convinced me once again, I am not about to become of vegetarian. I give credit to those who are, I just don't want to join them.
For instance- there's a local place that does great Neapolitan pizza with some really good happy hour choices. My wife and I can each have a small pizza marinara or margherita and split a half-carafe of house red for $20 total. It's a nice treat that doesn't put much of a dent in our budget if we do it sparingly.
Absolutely, but even cheaper. I went to a place last night that had dollar wells and 1/2 price apps. Had 2 drinks and a big appetizer. Got out for $5 plus tip.
We used to go out every weekend, with the kids. total bill could be ~ $50 with the kids eating from the kids menu, and we would just get water, let the kids have soda. But, as time went on, it became more and more expensive and less and less enjoyable.
Of course, the "kids" are now teenagers and certainly don't eat from the kids menu anymore! My son can put away 2 slabs of ribs before I've even cut into my grilled chicken Last time we all went out to eat it came to $100+, not including tip!
But it would still be worth it if we enjoyed ourselves as a family. They will be gone too soon as it is, I would like to have some quality time with them, but it seems those days are past. They are simply glued to those damned phones The minute we walk into a restaurant they are checking for Wi-Fi, and literally don't stop fiddling with those things through the whole meal. I've tried asking them to please put the phones away and chat with us, then, they "hide" the phone under the table and continue texting, surfing, whatever. They can literally eat with one hand and text with the other. I mean, why even bother taking them out? What really hurts the most, they are usually keeping up a constant chatter about how they're stuck with their parents, eating out again, even talking about how we're dressed----Dad's a fat old man, I'm a dumpy old lady, who looks like she found a sale at Sears....we keep trying to act like we care about them, we're sooooo phoney, trying to suck up to them by taking them out for "fun". Hey, look, I saw that accidently and just asked for the meal to go, I had tears in my eyes, guess they tweeted about that, too.
Look, who paid the bill? The fat old man and the dumpy old lady! Oh, and they did enjoy their meal, we let them pick out the place, its not like we were stuck at a Luby's for 2 hours.
Ok, now, DH and I still enjoy one night out a week. We just don't bother with the kids, obviously, that's not their "thing". We do the afternoon lunch which is cheaper, try to use coupons, specials, etc Life's too short not to enjoy as we go along. I guess if I sat in the dark and ate a can of beans bought on sale I would save some money, but to do what with? I've already bought my grave plot
Why would I stop? I probably go out more now than I did say 10 years ago. I'd say at least 3 to 4 meals a week out. Life is too short to give this one up.
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. Saving money and eating better are just the bonus.
Last time we all went out to eat it came to $100+, not including tip!
The minute we walk into a restaurant they are checking for Wi-Fi, and literally don't stop fiddling with those things through the whole meal. I've tried asking them to please put the phones away and chat with us, then, they "hide" the phone under the table and continue texting, surfing, whatever. They can literally eat with one hand and text with the other. I mean, why even bother taking them out? What really hurts the most, they are usually keeping up a constant chatter about how they're stuck with their parents, eating out again, even talking about how we're dressed----Dad's a fat old man, I'm a dumpy old lady, who looks like she found a sale at Sears....we keep trying to act like we care about them, we're sooooo phoney, trying to suck up to them by taking them out for "fun". Hey, look, I saw that accidently and just asked for the meal to go, I had tears in my eyes, guess they tweeted about that, too. 
