WOW! I think we're out of control! How much do you spend?

[annsteere]

Originally Posted by IUTBAM

That only adds up to around $300 a month, right? (didn't pull out the calculator and it's early and I haven't had caffeine). That doesn't seem bad to me.

Actually, closer to $250/month and it covers 5 people and 4 of them order adult meals. So $50 per month per person.

I think of "eating out" as different than "picking up fast food." Yes, you could make sandwiches at home cheaper than picking them up at Subway. But, you can have quite a few quick/easy suppers from Subway for less than a single, sit down meal in a decent restaurant.

You could do better. But, based on your title, I guessed you were spending much more.

[ICF]

Rough guess I'd say we probably spend about $200-250 / month on 4 people (2 adults, 12, 10 year old kids).

[ZehnJahren]

I'm just one person, but I'd say I spend about $35 a month eating out of the house. That's pretty much one work lunch and two chick-fil-a runs.

[AndreaDM]

Yeah, it comes to $256 a month which really isn't bad at all. We probably spend close to that as well, however we MAYBE eat fast food once a month. We eat out once every week or two, but we usually spend at least $70 per meal, 2 adults and one 9 year old. For us we'd rather eat out fewer times, but have better quality meals, and also stuff we can't easily make at home like Asian food or specialty seafood.

Maybe try the crockpot? I use mine at least once a week, it makes a huge difference to come walking in the door from work and have dinner ready! Both DH and I get home shortly after 6 pm so making dinner can be a real challenge, but eating well is a priority of ours so we suck it up and do it even if it means eating quite late some nights.

[KennesawNemo]

We spend about $75 a week for eating out. This is for me, DH and DS7. It does not include the money we spend on lunch at work.

Difference is we rarely eat fast food and still cook a lot during the week. We always go to a nice sit down restaurant on weekend and enjoy ourselves.

[SaraJayne]

Over the summer, our schedule was so crazy, we ended up eating out 4-5 times a week, all summer. Yeah, it added up quickly, but if we wanted to eat, it was our only option.

Now that school is back in session and our schedule is more normal, we've only been eating out once a week or so, typically on the weekends.

I've enjoyed being at home and having the "luxury" of cooking again.

Our monthly "budget" for eating out (since we don't have a budget) is probably around $200 a month.

[tar heel]

I don't think that's a particularly big figure, although I would think it's out of hand if it's fast food and stuff that's not very good. We usually eat out once or twice a week, but it's as much recreation as food. My main criteria is that we go to places that serve food I don't make at home. Last week, I picked up Greek takeout (under $15) one weeknight, and we ate Ethiopian on Saturday (about $30 with tip). That doesn't sound bad at all until you add on how much I spent at Starbucks...

[marmalade]

If you are buying fewer groceries due to eating out more frequently then that doesn't seem so bad. However if you are spending the same amount in groceries and having the food sit there while you go out, that is where I would have a problem.

We rarely eat out because I am cheap and hate spending money on something that I can make at home for half the price. There are times when I just don't want to cook and clean and we will go out to eat, with a coupon of course.

[pigletto]

This is going to sound nuts but one of the best things I have found for my budget is adequate sleep!!!!
If I'm tired the library books are late, I forget things and pay fees, I opt for convenience instead of preparation.. the list goes on.

Also, if we are tired and overextended we get into deserve mode. "I deserve a vacation".. "I deserve a night out" etc. And in all honesty.. half our dinners out were not fun family nights but 60 dollars down the drain because everyone was too tired and hungry to enjoy eachother.

I also do home daycare, albeit mostly before and after school care right now.
3 days a week start at 5a.m. and I am a ZOMBIE by the time it comes to cook dinner.
I can not stress enough that you need a plan. Plan that dinner in the morning. Thaw the meat, or even better throw a meal into the crockpot while your energy is still there, and it will save you at dinner. I know what you are going through.. dinner time is when all the parents are picking up.. the kids are melting down because they've had a long day, and it's exhausting.

It requires constant recommitment too. Just because I am typing this today doesn't mean I won't have to remind myself next Thursday that we don't need to go out for that 60 dollar dinner because I am tired.

Some last minute saves in a crunch? Grilled Cheese and Soup, Spaghetti, Breakfast for dinner and smoothies, hamburgers on the grill and salad. Keep easy things on hand to save your sanity.
Good Luck!

We are tightening our belts really hard right now for a few long term goals. I am seriously about to revisit the way I think about everything we spend on!


ETA) and one thing I should add is that it may not seem out of control to others.. but everyone has different finances, priorities and ideas. If it's tough for you to save for vacation and you see that you have spent airfare money over the past few months on often mediocre food .. yep I would agree that is out of control. It's all in how you look at it.

[momof1princess]

until DH started his new job (which he HATES) back in may, we rarely ever ate out. usually, only if it was someone's birthday, or our anniversary. now, we (DH, DD14 and I) go out at least once a month, to DH's favorite BBQ place. i think it somehow makes him feel less stressed about the new job. also, since football season started two weeks ago, i've had to eat concession stand food for supper two friday nights in a row, so that's a total of about 10 dollars. over the past 4 months, i'd guess we've spent about $120-$150 eating out. for us, that's shocking.

[Anthony1971]

I think were you live will also have a big impact on what you spend. If we eat at MCD it will cost us close to 20 for a happy meal and 2 adult value meals. If we eat at a sitdown for the 3 of us it is in general in the 50 range for a chain and 70+ for a non chain and that is no app or dessert.
Lunch near work is an easy 10 for non chain maybe 6-8 for chain we rarely brown bag.
Never look at what we spend

[usnuzuloose]

I have noticed the grocery increase, makes me rethink about eating out. I love using my crock pot. Maybe you can try that and make some fun meals with it. And you when the day ends everyone eats at home , and you can relax with out thinking about going out to eat.

[swilshire]

If you also have a spouse, that makes four adults living in your household. Put a calendar on the fridge and ask them each to provide a meal for a couple of days a week. If they are never home at mealtime, they can do something ahead and put it in the fridge. We don't cook every night, but much of it is pretty quick and cheap. This time of year, we are finishing off the end of the garden, so that drives a lot of our meals. Homemade pizza, tomato pie, grilled chicken and veggies.

In the winter, it might be a simple casserole that we can have for dinner and then use leftovers for lunch. Chili is a standby. Pasta salad. A piece of pork cooked in the crock pot.

The key is just to get in the habit of doing it. Make sure you have staples on hand so you don't have to shop for every meal.

We try to eat out once a week, almost always with a Half Off Depot certificate.

Sheila

[ssawka]

We probably spend about $250 to $300 a month. We usually go out every weekend. We do however take advantage of coupons (restaurant.com, groupon, livingsocial, etc.)

I am also signed up with just about every chain restaurant, so I constantly get coupons in my email.

[Pesky]

Probably 100-200/mo. We don't eat out at fancy places with small kids and tend to pick up and eat at home when we do (think pizza and such) so that keeps the bill down.