How often do you eat out?

[TimeforMe]

Sit down restaurants for dinner once a week (sometimes more, some not at all), lunch on Saturdays and take out once a week.

 

[mello]

We've cut back a lot over the last few years. We used to eat out once or twice a week, usually a quick weeknight fast food meal and a nicer restaurant outing on the weekend. But with teens who eat more than we do, combined with increasing prices, we found it was costing us at least $50 for a fast food meal and $100 for a sit-down now. So we're pretty much down to only going out to eat on special occasions anymore - birthdays, anniversary, that sort of thing. Which averages about once every month or two.

For health reasons, we quit fast food altogether about 3 years ago, except for the occasional pizza.

DH and I do have a Starbucks date at least once a week though. We don't really consider that "eating" out. But we do have a coffee date budget, 'cause it's that important to us lol!

 

[Lisa71]

Pizza once a week, fast food once a week ( we get salads and augment at home but DD and DS get chik-fil-a or el pollo loco) and one sit down meal every week or two. I do not think that is a lot. 84 meals a month and we average less than 5 percent out.

 

[Lisa71]

Sometimes more (summer in ca it is hard to cook)...winter less than once a week.

 

[wishesuponastar]

I try to limit eating out to only once on the weekend but sometimes it's twice.

 

[tennisfan]

It varies for I can go weeks without eating out but will sometimes pick up a take out if i'm late off shift. This week i'm eating out 3 night as im catching up with my friends as i'm off this week.

 

[pigletto]

We used to average about once a week. Maybe twice a month at a sit down restaurant, but once a week for take out.
Then I started using YNAB and am saving like crazy for a trip. Dh works too far to commute so he rents a place for weeknights. Between trip savings and paying for two residences, the eating out budget was the first thing to be cut. I don't miss it really. I was a little tempted to go out for dinner on the weekend but it's because I wanted to go out.. not necessarily eat out.. just go out and do something. So we grilled and went to the movies (free with points) instead. Healthier and cheaper. Works for me.

 

[Claire&TheBoys]

"More than we should," I would have to say. But, in reality, it's something that my family enjoys. We eat dinner out as a family on average once a week - usually something like O'Charley's or Chili's. We often use coupons and our bill runs about $50 including tip (2 adults, 1 child that eats like an adult and 1 child). We don't drink alcohol and I almost always have water. We get fast food as a family probably once per weekend. I have lunch with my sister once a week and twice a week, my husband buys lunch instead of having a packed lunch from home. Most Thursdays my boss buys lunch for the office, and I go if I'm working that day.

I have never been one to pack lunches to eat while we're out and about running errands. It just doesn't appeal to me. I will either plan my errands for early in the morning between breakfast and lunch so that we're home for lunch, or we'll eat an early lunch about 11:00 so we can run errands afterwards. Or, sometimes I plan for lunch to be part of the day out.

 

[Carina]

My mind is officially blown!

 

[JanaDee]

My mind is officially blown!

Why? Because people eat out more than once a week and consider it normal?

 

[Iowajes]

I eat out for lunch (under $10) once every two weeks; if work is very stressful, once a week. My husband eats out for lunch about once every month.

We eat out dinner (under $30) less than once a month.

A meal over $30 is like once a year.


And we only eat fast food (McDonalds, Sonic, etc) when on road trips.

 

[leebee]

We probably average once or twice a week- sometimes less, sometimes more- for "sit down" and maybe 3 times a month for take out. Usually we go to the local pub on their "deal" night; Monday is specialty burgers and a pint of beer for $10, Tuesday is 2-for-1 pizza, Wednesday is Wing Night (35 cents per wing). We also have a taquiria in town and a hot dog restaurant (both of these are counter service restaurants), as well as Mexican and Thai. If we go into the nearby "city" we usually eat at Uno, Olive Garden, or one of the mexican restaurants. It's mostly for convenience; I work until 6-ish, DH teaches until 8:30pm two nights a week but even on a "normal" night isn't home until 7-ish. I am often just too tired to mess up the kitchen and then have to do dishes that late at night!

Now that it's summer, we'll slack off on the eating out. DH isn't teaching, I'm not working, and we'll resort to using the BBQ for grilled meats and veggies most nights.

 

[lvillotta1]

There are 3 if us 2 kids. We eat out when kids eat free and spend no more than $10. We do not do this every week,but more so during the school year and on dance nights it is as least once a week. Food has gotten so expensive I figure if 3 of us can eat for less than $10 I can not prepare a full meal for that. I also work 12 hr shifts and there is no way I will be cooking on those nights. I take $40 out of my paycheck every 3 weeks for fun money and use that.

 

[aprincessatlast]

My mind is officially blown!

I am with pp..why would your mind be blown that people live differently?

We go through waves. I will be on a cooking kick and rarely eat out then suffer burn out and eat out 3-4 times a week at times. With kids eat free at some places we can often eat out for not much more than eating in. Sure food may not be as good but sure is easy. lol We have a lot of chipotle like places and ethnic restaurants nearby. Eating at large chain restaurants like Outback rarely happen.

FWIW I have been to your beautiful little island OP and it is breathtaking. With that said eating out there was $ and the food so so. So needless to say I can perhaps see why you may not eat out a lot. My kids still talk about the place that does not have ranch dressing.

 

[Elleshoodat]

So tell me, not counting when you are on vacation, how often do you eat out, and is it usually a sit down meal for pleasure, or fast food for convenience?

We have a line item in our budget for eating out as a family, and we eat out once or twice every weekend. Usually when we're out running errands, we'll stop into Jersey Mike's or something similar, and we go out for a sit-down dinner after church.

DH and I also get "fun money" per our budget, and each of us uses some of that to have lunch with coworkers a couple times a week.

For us, it's convenience as well as pleasure. We both work hard at work and as parents (as I'm sure most people on the DIS do), and it's nice to have "off" for a meal or two.

 

[JandJ]

My mind is officially blown!

Yeah, as a couple PP said, I'm also curious why that would shock you? I mean, if you don't like to eat out, that's a personal preference. If you can't afford it, but really wanted to, then it's time to make personal choices and sacrifice something else in your budget so you could eat out more often. It's just DH and me, and I am fully aware of how that's immensely cheaper than taking out a family with kids. But, if you really enjoy spending time with just your spouse out at a restaurant (or even Starbucks as a PP said) then don't take the kids if that's possible (if they're old enough or you can get a cheap or free sitter). When I was little there were nights my mom would give me cereal and my older siblings baby sat. I was perfectly happy with that and my parents got a night out.

DH and I enjoy cooking, but we enjoy a good restaurant meal, too. So, for us, once a week out for dinner and once a week out for breakfast isn't a huge indulgent sacrifice, but again that's a personal preference. We also don't eat at chain restaurants or at fast food places. We have a couple friends who own restaurants and there are dozens of great ethnic places and breakfast places where we live that are really delicious. We're lucky in that respect.

 

[Marionnette]

There are 3 if us 2 kids. We eat out when kids eat free and spend no more than $10. We do not do this every week,but more so during the school year and on dance nights it is as least once a week. Food has gotten so expensive I figure if 3 of us can eat for less than $10 I can not prepare a full meal for that. I also work 12 hr shifts and there is no way I will be cooking on those nights. I take $40 out of my paycheck every 3 weeks for fun money and use that.

Does that $10 include tax? And do you tip for all 3 meals (because the waitstaff is still serving all of you, even if the children's plates are free). I would never be able to find an adult meal for about $4-$5 around here.

 

[Alexle2007]

We are definitely on the far side of the spectrum for eating out. It's usually about 5 times a week for dinner at sit down locations, occasionally it's a carry-out pizza like tonight or Subway, breakfast on the weekends, DS7 and I will grab something from the local coffee place for breakfast 1 or 2 times a week before school and I have lunch with a friend probably every other week. I hate to cook, our schedule is crazy with evening activities for DS and everyone likes something different so it's easier to just go out. I can't imagine only going out only once a month or twice a year.

 

[mombrontrent]

We never eat out unless we are on vacation/out of town. Even when on vacation I prefer to get a condo with a full kitchen so I can prepare at least a few quick meals myself. I am vegan so I just find it easier to eat home although I can find options at most places if I have to. I love to cook anyways and I really think my home cooked meals taste way better then anything I could get at most restaurants.

Mostly though I am cheap and hate wasting money on sub-par food that I don't enjoy all that much. If I am in a hurry I can whip up a quick stir-fry or pasta meal in under half an hour and that's usually faster then it would take to order in food or get take-out anyways. The last meal I ate outside of my own kitchen was back in February on our vacation in the Bahamas. If I am going to be away from home for a long time when I know I'll want a meal I'll pack a PB and J sandwich and a banana. I'll do this for the whole family if we are gone somewhere for the whole day (no refrigeration required) along with some granola bars.

 

[NancyIL]

We eat out/order out more than necessary! That would be the first place to cut back if we wanted to trim our spending.