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as long as i dont see mathjak complaining about the cost of eating out; why should he cook?
Missing the point.
He was saying he couldn't ask his wife to cook. So I am asking him why he would have to ask his wife to cook.
And frankly, you would be VERY hard pressed to find any restaurant that can prepare food as healthy as what you can do at home.
I don't really care what other people do. It's their business.
But folks at work cheeze me off when they whine about their bills or not having money, but I know they're going out to eat or to the bar several times a week.
Single but I am with my girlfriend usually when I go out so it's the two of us, I spend about $250-400/mo. for the two of us eating/drinking out. I am trying to curb this habit because I am trying to be more health conscious. Eating out can have a huge negative impact on your health as MOST restaurant food is high in saturated fat and sodium which are very damaging to your health in the long run. With fried restaurant foods trans fat is also a big problem as it is known to be a potent carcinogen...eat enough fried stuff in restaurants and you may be digging your own grave. A large number of restaurants prefer to use trans fat based oils because they do not degenerate as quickly with repeated re-use but they are very dangerous.
It's not too difficult at all to cook at home and the benefit is that you know exactly what went into your body.
We don't have a set budgeted amount but it's usually under $100 as we only eat out a couple times a month. Drinking maybe averages $50 but that can vary wildly.
$2k a month for food for one person is completely nuts to me! We spend less than $400 on groceries so under $500/mo for eating in and out for two of us.
Eating in can be cheap. 2 grass-fed filet mignon (8 filets), potatoes, spinach, spices/vinegars for reduction...you're looking at over 30 bucks (then you gotta have the wine)...and you have to do the work.
Tastes DAMN good, though. And I don't have to wear any pants.
Some months a big money drain for me and my SO is eating out. We like to experience new foods and restaurants. I would like to set our budget to limit 1-2 fancy meals per month and leaving a little bit for cheap eats.
A "fancy meal" for the two of us is normally around $50-$70. About twice a week we grab fast food when either of us works late. I'd like to eliminate the fast food due to lack of nutritional value, the food usually sucks, and it's a drain on the wallet. So I'm putting more in the grocery budget.
I'm thinking around $100-$150 per month for eating out/going out. I'm just wondering how much other young couples here with no kids budget for eating out.
I budget around $120 per month for eating out. We usually eat on Fri and Sat nights. We rarely go out for fast food unless it's a mid-week lunch.
It's a waste of money depending on where you go and what you eat. Fast food and big chain restaurants are a huge waste of money because you're paying more for TV commercials than quality food. If you have simple taste and eat common food like pizza, burgers, steak, and spaghetti you're better of just making it at home and saving money.
I disagree. (Unless you're really creative at using ingredients, anyway, and can make several meals out of them)
1 package of flour tortillas: 3.79
1 package of shredded cheese: 2.49 (on sale)
1 can of refried beans: 1.00
Total: 7.28 (not counting onions/sauce)
I mainly want to do this to keep my gut/wallet in check and to curb my SO's impulsiveness when it comes to cravings. When she's craving a specific food, she HAS to have it. When I have cravings for a specific food, I can settle for anything as long as its filling enough and just satisfy my craving on the weekend. Like with her cravings, it ends up being an unplanned $50 sit down dinner on a tuesday.
With a budget, if she wants to eat sushi during the week we may not have enough to go out on the weekend. I think it'll give both of us a better perspective on when to eat out.
Good idea all around. We used to eat out quite a bit and it's hard on your wallet for sure. Now when we get sucked into eating at a low- to mid-level restaurant for whatever reason ($10-15 a plate) I'm usually disappointed in the food. For complicated dishes with lots of ingredients or a big delicious steak, sure, it's nice to eat out on occasion but 9/10 times I'd rather cook and eat at home. You can make a really nice meal for two for $10-15 and have leftovers for lunch the next day.
Also when we eat out, I make sure to really get my money's worth. Skip the pasta since it's so easy to make at home and the markup is insane, don't get wine or soda, skip dessert and appetizers. Steak, fish, sushi, fried stuff, etc are dishes that are messy, smelly, or expensive to make at home so I don't bother and order them at restaurants instead.
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