How often do you eat out?

[Carina]

I have been very surprised reading the budget tips on this board that people are mentioning things like cutting down their eating out to once a week (or similar)

To me once a week at a restaurant seems like the before the cut-back not the after.

We've never been big eating out type people.

When we are doing errands in the city at meal time we'll bring snacks and drinks from home and get a $5 Hot and ready pizza to share. That's a few times a year - usually around Xmas 1-2 times and 2-3 other times through the year

As for eating out for the purpose of eating out, we've eaten out 3 times in the past year. Once last June, after commencement ceremonies when our oldest graduated High School. Then 6 months later in December,when she finished her University Program ( she was attending University during her grade 12 year)
Last time was a family friend's 16th birthday in March, and we went out of obligation not because we wanted to eat out, but because we cared about sharing the day with them.

And I have one friend that I go out with for lunch with 2 times a year ( our birthdays) she pays on my birthday, I pay on hers. But that is not my whole family, just the 2 of us.

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?

 

[lelalittlelegs]

Once a week here, for pleasure. My DH works 6 nights a week so on his night off, we eat out. We are a family of 3. We have a HUGE extended family as well and there is at least one other meal a month (for a birthday, anniversary, celebration) that we all eat out for.

 

[mrsbicewdw]

We eat "out" once a week normally, sometimes twice. That means taking everyone to a sit down meal. (Friday night and Sunday after church). During the school year when my husband has class until very late and I have the kids on my own for the night I sometimes go get fast food or order pizza. We are trying to cut back to one meal out a week. Honestly before our second kiddo came along we are out much less...but I also didn't have a baby attached to me 24/7 like I do now. My youngest child is very high needs whereas my oldest never has been. So I am not as able to cook without interruption (or grocery shop easily either).

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

In the past 2 months, I've done it once. Before that, it was about once a week. Saves money and my clothes fit so much better (which was more of the motivation than the money).

 

[dpswift]

Before I worked we rarely went out. As of late we have been eating out too much 1 or 2 times a week on average. We really do need to cut back. I just bought an inexpensive grill so that will make it easier to eat at home. It is just that I quite often do not get home until 6 and I am tired.

 

[sookie]

Usually once during the week (pizza on the kids "school" fundraiser night) and then once on the weekend (rotating restaurants).

I see no reason to change our current arrangement. The pizza is cheap overall and we enjoy our time out on the weekend.

 

[Darcy03231]

Well since right now we're in the middle of a major kitchen remodel and I don't have a working kitchen, too many nights! I didn't count on that when I budgeted the remodel.

Normally we either eat out or get take-out once a week (Friday night). It'd just DH and I.

 

[Nayan]

I rarely eat out. I haven't done so yet this year (except vacation). I find I can make everything else at home for much cheaper and I know exactly what I'm eating and what's in it.

 

[jennyjinx3]

Usually just birthdays and other special occasions. Even then we prefer ordering in.

 

[jennyjinx3]

I rarely eat out. I haven't done so yet this year (except vacation). I find I can make everything else at home for much cheaper and I know exactly what I'm eating and what's in it.

I totally agree with you in the "knowing whats in the food".

 

[texasroni75]

We eat meals out as a family maybe once a month. When DH and I both worked, I admit we had take-out and sit-down restaurant meals at least 3-4 nights a week! Since becoming a SAHM, I've really cut down on that and it has made a huge difference budget-wise. I even find myself bringing along waters/juices and snacks from home nearly every time I leave the house with the kids so that we aren't tempted to get fast food when out running errands.

However, DH gets fast food for himself more often than I would like him to. Try as I might to get him to bring food from home, this habit is proving hard to break. I'd say he spends at least $100 a month on his morning bagel and coffee on the way to work,and late-night chinese food, etc for himself on the way home. It's a work in progress!

 

[JandJ]

We have built into our budget to have one dinner and one breakfast at a restaurant each week. We never eat fast food and since last year we no longer get delivery pizza/Chinese/etc. I love to cook, DH does too, so we could eat in every day. But, it's a nice break to go to a restaurant we enjoy, be served good food, and just relax and talk to each other for a couple of hours. Breakfast out is a fun treat on the weekend. I enjoy Sunday breakfast more than dinner out!

 

[drcmk]

We enjoy eating at a restaurant together. We plan at least one dinner out every week. On special occasions (birthdays, congratulations for good work), the celebrant can choose to eat out or to have their favorite meal cooked, so that often adds another dinner out once or twice per month. We meet friends at a restaurant to socialize, maybe once every other month (we cook at home for friends a few times per year, too). My husband and I sneak out to lunch without the kids weekly--more often if we are feeling indulgent. Finally, a few times per month, we have to eat out last minute because circumstances prevent cooking (e.g. the chicken didn't defrost, the cook got delayed at work, etc.).

I'd say we eat at a restaurant about one in five meals overall, if we include lunches and dinners.

 

[bdcp]

Once a week usually, but yesterday we ate both lunch and dinner out and not because we were out all day. After church we decided to try out a new burger place and then we came home. We then went out for Mexican for dinner.

When our kids were younger and we were on a tighter budget we ate out once per week. Now, not so tight and they're grown, DH and I eat out at least once a week and have pizza or something delivered about once per week.

 

[DawnM]

It really depends. We typically eat once per week min. A typically week is twice, but occasionally it is more.

I also will meet friends for coffee or lunch if I have the chance.

 

[JanaDee]

A lot. With busy schedules and all of us going in different directions, it is hard to plan meals at home. "Out" doesn't necessarily mean fast food.

In years past, when money was tight, we ate out once a week.

 

[McKelly]

We eat fast food or takeout pizza about twice a month. I would say about every 2-3 months we will also go out to eat at a sit down restaurant, like Texas Roadhouse, Red Robin, or something like that.....

 

[NeverlandClub23]

Well, it's just the two of us and we work a lot and at all different times of the day/week/weekends (I work at home as a paralegal and he's a real estate agent, so when I'm done working I become his assistant). We eat out probably 4-5 times a week, but we usually keep our bill around $20-$25. We go to Asian buffets since we maintain a low carb diet and they have the most variety of things we can eat, but sometimes we go to Panera or Jason's Deli and get salads. We don't have cable or ever go clothes/shoe shopping (maybe once a year?) so that does help with our budget. I also enjoy our time going out as it gives us a chance to reconnect (even though we're together most of the day doing work stuff). We turn off cell phones and just talk, whereas when I cook dinner at home, he's in the other room working until I say it's ready, we eat together for 15 minutes and then we're back to working. It's easier to disconnect when we're out of the house.

I also go out to lunch with my boss about twice a week to catch up on things.

 

[sukhakuli]

Fast food is something we only eat when we're on a driving vacation. When we eat out, it is typically in restaurants. It's not because I think fast food is evil, my husband just hates how it tastes.

How often we eat out really varies, like a lot of families. If my husband is working a lot, we eat at home. But some weeks he is home during the day a lot, so we will go out for lunch wile the older kids are in school. When we go to Disney or Sea World for the day, we will eat out there as a family. It just depends. I would say, though, that 90+% of our diet is made at home. I'm a SAHM, so I kind of feel like it is part of my job.

 

[tvguy]

Twice a week, Friday and Saturday night.

Been married 32 years, we have never had a budget. If money was short, we got the $4 entrees at Dennys. If money is fine, then a nicer restaurant.