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Yes. On a recent weekend away trip, we dropped $100 for a seafood dinner on the coast...not my idea of practicality...but my wife wanted to try that restaurant.
I tend to equate the restaurant bill to how many grocery shopping bags that would fill.
We are always picking up from our favorite restaurants
While I've never been a fan of take-out, it does represent some savings when I consider that I'm using my own wine and tipping less than I would for in-restaurant dining.
With take-out, there is also the risk of missing items and/or cold food.
We don't go out to eat that often. When we do we don't fret over the costs. Dining out is a treat and not a substantial part of our overall budget. Usually, my husband takes care of the check and won't even let me see it, lol.
Yes, we're eating out a lot less than pre-inflation.
Both of us have a hard time "swallowing" a $14--or higher--price tag for a mundane sandwich @ lunch--or a $22-$34 entree price for a not-so-good dinner entree.
Cooking more at home means healthier meals (less salt, bad fat, additives) plus smaller portion sizes so we can protect our health & weight.
And often our home-cooked meals are better than what we get at restaurants.
When we need/want to get out of the house, we'll sometimes go to the local coffee joint/cafe and get a coffee and scone or cookie and see the world--and friends...
We enjoy eating out, no cooking, more variety, and no clean-up. But yes, it's gone up, we used to be able to eat out for dinner for about $35 plus tip, including a beer or two and one dessert to share. Now that's definitely more like $50 or even more. We get takeout maybe once a week and go out to eat about once a week. If I golf, I'll eat with my partners at the clubhouse, usually a salad or an appetizer each plus a wine or beer. And occasionally (like once a month) we'll do fast food, which is no longer cheap! Sometimes we might get fried or grilled chicken at the hot bar at our local "better" grocery store. They have an amazing deal including 2 pieces of chicken and 2 sides for $7. It's enough food for a lunch and a dinner as they really fill up the containers. They also sell 6 inch and 12 inch deli sandwiches made to order and they are another big bargain.
While I've never been a fan of take-out, it does represent some savings when I consider that I'm using my own wine and tipping less than I would for in-restaurant dining.
With take-out, there is also the risk of missing items and/or cold food.
We kind of got hooked on online ordering for take-out meals when COVID hit. I quickly learned to unpack the order & check for accuracy & completeness before leaving the place. That way, I could get it corrected before I left. In one instance, it was a good thing I checked, because that order was 100% wrong!
Cold food hasn't been as much of an issue as inaccurate orders.
It's not the restaurant prices for me- it's the vet bill as I keep adopting compromised senior dogs!
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