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Budget question: How often do you eat out???

Jenn04 Posted:

Budget question: How often do you eat out???

Do you eat out alot and if so have you ever sat down and figured out how much you spend on eating out?

I am reviewing our budget for the year and going over all purchases for the last 5 months and I am sick to my stomach at how much we eat out. I cant believe how the little grab a sandwich for lunch, grab salads for dinner and eating with friends out on weekends adds up. Like really adds up. (AND DH doenst even drink!) I also have added in food while we are away and that adds up to because we travelled alot last year. But anyway, I am just wondering if anyone else ever broke things down and saw how much they spend on eating out and FREAKED! (PS - I am on the AMEX website and categorizing all our spending, its scary.)
lizzie217 Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

Jenn I know it is insane! Since we moved in together I have been cooking A LOT but the weekends come and we go out with friends for dinner, drinks...it adds up!

DH works in the city and his CC bill is literally just lunch and gas and its insane how much he spends on lunch! I try to send him to work with a good lunch,,,,but most days Im too lazy
futuremrsfab Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

we eat out a lot- we did a spending journal over a month and the % of our salaries was sickening so I feel your pain.

we have started bringing lunch to work almost every day- dh eats out one lunch a week and so do I- and we have tried to be better but its hard- alot of the time the only thing we do with our group of friends is go out to eat- but since we dont see them often, we suck it up and do it anyhow
NapaValleyGirl Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

We did the same thing and we felt SICK seeing how much we spend eating out

Espo22 Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

We used to eat out about 3-5x a week lol but for the past few months I have been cooking alot so we havent gone out that much. But yeah on weekends we'll still go here and there and definitely does add up. And youre lucky your dh doesnt drink bc mine does and he has to have certain scotches and those alone add up.

BIL gave us a $150 GC on xmas to a restaurant we love, so for us it was a perfect gift and loved it since we love going out to eat. Also unexpected since he also got us nice individual gifts. From now one when ppl always ask what i want for xmas im gonna say restaurant gc's usually i say nothing

SFAR89 Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

When we were living with his parents, they don't eat left overs, so I would never have enough food left over to take for lunch the next day. They also didn't keep alot of food in the house, so it was hard for me to save my money on lunch.

I try to make alot of things homemade b/c of my blood pressure and cholesterol.However, I am sure if I looked at my debit card statement and tried to categorize all of the dinners and lunches I would be disgusted as well lol. I eat alot of sushi, and I can't really make that at home so that would probably be my one biggest thing.

But, now that we have our own apartmetn and I can actually COOK anything I want w/out people Biotching to me , I am sure I will save on having to order out.

Bride908 Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

I would love to say its rare but its not. I wish I wasnt so lazy with cooking but its hard. We're trying to eat out less. Last night we had nothing to eat and refused to order in so we made instant mac and cheese and canned soup. O well - we werent hungry anymore lol.

We order in at least once a week and I eat out alot
with friends.

Ughhh budgeting
SFAR89 Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

Posted by lizzie217

Jenn I know it is insane! Since we moved in together I have been cooking A LOT but the weekends come and we go out with friends for dinner, drinks...it adds up!

DH works in the city and his CC bill is literally just lunch and gas and its insane how much he spends on lunch! I try to send him to work with a good lunch,,,,but most days Im too lazy


I tried to do that for him so many times and he ALWAYS forgot his lunch. I don't know why I even bothered after a while lol I guess I thought that day he would remember to take it!
Mrs. V 2008 Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

Hardly ever..Maybe once in a while for a special occasion or when we have a gift card but thats it! its saved us a lot of money!

Jenn04 Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

Yeah I bring lunch alot but sometimes I grab a lunch or two out, plus we will grab a dinner out 1-2 a week and usually always eat out Fri and Sat. Its sick sick sick, I cannot believe it!

lizzie217 Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

Also since we moved in everyone keeps telling me I look like I lost weight,,,,I honestly think its from cooking at home and NOT eating out or ordering in as much...so thats a benefit to cooking also !
anneandchris Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

We do A LOT. And DH has a bad habit of just running to the gas station for a drink or pack of cigarettes which turns into a $20 trip almost every day!

It has been hard since we came back from our HM but startin next week we are going on strict budgets.

The other day we grabbed lunch while we were out shopping and then we were tired so we picked up dinner -- we realized that we spent over $60 on two meals and that we do it too often!
Browneyesncute Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

i'm trying to cut down, but in the last week with the holidays i have no cooked in like 2 weeks!
SB7308 Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

We try not to eat out alot. Maybe 1-2 times per week. Some weeks things come up and we eat out more.

We both bring lunches to work. I rarely buy lunch.
kristin597 Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

We have been cutting down or at least trying to. It's hard bc DH really enjoys going out and he likes to have a couple drinks before the meal and then wine or more drinks during so it does add up.

FinallyEngaged Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

Well DH and I have a horrible habit of buying lunch everyday.... not to mention we are Rangers Season ticket holders, so on game nights we eat out....plus due to the holidays and all the running around we have been doing, it was easier to grab a bite then for me to cook.... after the New Year we will try to at least eat at home as much as possible, so the whole eatting out for Ranger games will not hurt as much. Plus i will attempt to over cook so i have left overs to bring lunch to work

Future Mulligan Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

going to restaurants - once a week maybe

chinese - once a week, sometimes twice

pizza - once every 2 weeks

then during the week sometimes we pick something up on the way home - like subway, or fast food type of things

sometimes we get into healthy eating kicks and we eat just salad and omelettes for dinner which is good b/c that is cheap

going to a restaurant is DEF more expensive than cooking - but ordering take out and fast food is sometimes cheaper....for example, its cheaper for us to get taco bell than for me to make tacos at home, and ordering a pizza is cheaper than making a steak dinner, so sometimes it depends on what you are cooking....

i think that this year we are going to treat ourselves more - last year was rough with saving for the wedding so when it comes to nice dinners we are going to go out, i mean not spend carelessly, but i feel like this is it for US for awhile...like once you have kids it changes hahaha so i want to wine and dine while we can
Dee0522 Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

Going out to eat is one of our favorite things to do! That being said, we usually go out 2x a week... on the weekends. I don't think that's bad. DH doesn't get home from work until 8-8:30 every night so I always cook during the week. Friday nights we normally go out, and then we'll eat either lunch or dinner out on Saturday. If I added up the total amount for the year I'm sure I'd pass out ... but I try not to think about it that way. We look at it as a reward to ourselves for a hard week at work... and it's quality time to spend with each other. We always have really good conversations when we go out.
Butterfly123 Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

We order in once a week and eat out once every two weeks.

TrueLoveIn2008 Posted:

Re: Budget question: How often do you eat out???

Before the wedding, we would go to a bar 1-2x a week or so and eat out both times, but usually it's just sandwiches or burgers. We hardly ever went out for a sit-down meal at a table, usually it was bar food. Now, since we are really trying to save, we go out once every other week or so and don't always eat. We went to a mexican restaurant last Fri and it was the first time since the HM that we sat down at a table when we were out!

We are trying to only eat out at a rest. 1x a month and do the bar thing every other week. Same with ordering in - we do it 2x a month if that.

We both like to cook - and I have always been a saver, so it's not hard for us. Wish we could go out more, but I am just too practical.

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