Ideas for Not Eating Out

[Yensid_MD]

I did not look where you live but see if there is a Let's Dish near you:

http://www.letsdish.com/

The meals you make there IMHO rival many restaurants, at a lot less. We used to eat out way too much as well.

Also we splurge at Omaha Steaks and buy good meat which we use for nicer meals.

 

[rparmfamily]

Typical menu for me:

Grilled Lemon Pepper chicken breast, corn on the cob, greek salad
Fajitas w/rice and chips/salsa
Spaghetti w/garlic bread
Pot roast (crock pot) w/roasted veggies and potatoes
Leftovers
Teriyaki grilled chicken, rice, steamed carrots
Pizza

 

[grlpwrd]

I do a lot what others have mentioned already, such as salads, theme nights, buying things just in case. What I also do is try to make copycat recipes using such sites as topsecretrecipes.com, www.recipegoldmine.com , and others. It's amazing how much you can cook just like they do in restaurants for much, much cheaper.

 

[staciepm]

I have found that it helps to have meats around that don't need defrosting.

Tyson Terryokki chicken Breasts from costco (precooked so no defrosting)
Crab Legs 2.97lb treat
Shrimp- quick and feels special. Add a few to spaghetti sauce to feel special

I need to not eat out this summer with the kids for lunch. Last year my DD started 1rst grade at 60lbs. At the end of the year the teacher weighed them again and she was 55lbs. I think last summer we ate too many cheap FF lunches. My goal is to pack healthy lunches for the waterparks etc. She really ate healthy at school; because, I packed the healthy foods she loves and no french fries for lunch.

Dh is going out of town this week so I will try to keep eating out to a minimum or none.

Stacie

 

[My2Cinderellas]

tonight - Jambalaya, it's DH's birthday and this is a favorite! We make it fairly mild these days as DD6 likes it too, and then spice it up to taste at the table. I made a birthday cake for yesterday's father's day/DH birthday family get together and we still have 1/2 left so that's done.

tomorrow - cheese ravioli (freezer) with homemade meat sauce (make a BIG batch and freeze in smaller containers for a quick meal) and a salad

wednesday - grilled pork chops and grill potatoes (sliced potatoes and onions in foil, season with s/p, chopped garlic and a little olive oil - double wrap in foil - start them directly on the coals if using charcoal for about 20 minutes, then up on the rack once the meat goes on. I'll add a veggie of some sort.

after that???? the grocery ads come out on Tuesday so I'll look them over.

a secret of my cooking success at home is a well stocked deep freeze. I buy things, especially meat on sale and repackage and freeze. We buy beef a 1/4 or 1/3 at a time, I'll get whole pork loins on sale, the butcher will break them down into roasts and boneless chops for me. The big huge packages of boneless chicken breasts and bratwurst at Costco - repackage into smaller portions and toss in the freezer. We do our own frozen sweet corn when it's in season, much better than the boughten stuff! same thing with fruit for pies/cobbler. i usually have sliced apples and blueberries and rhubarb in the freezer. I also make pesto in the summer, freeze in 1/2 cup containers. this can thaw enough to use in 30 seconds for a last minute side dish.

 

[Littlemotherhaywood]

We've been really bad lately and we honestly can't afford to be One thing we've done in the past is to make up a bunch of meals in advance that freeze well. We did a months worth of cooking before our ds was born and froze everything. Also, we tend to shop in bulk. For instance, we'll buy two or three big cans of sauce and make up a huge batch of spaghetti sauce with meatballs or whatever else we want and freeze it in servings (not individual). We have a freezer full of wedding soup. Not my personal favorite but when you find stuff on sale, it's the cheapest way to do it. If I find myself staring at the fridge at four (which I do often) I will typically make breakfast foods like pancakes, french toast, omelets, biscuits and gravy, egg sandwiches, etc.. or grilled cheese and soup or salad or some sort of pasta. I'm the only one in my house who eats salad so I don't normally make a big bowl of that or anything to accompany any meal. My family is picky, picky, picky!!! Also, when I cook I tend to cook a lot (my mother made enough food for an army and I haven't learned how to scale down) so we always have food for lunches or even a second dinner depending on what it is.

We really need to jump back on the bandwagon

 

[tarheelmjfan]

goodevening from the uk!!

we are having;
monday pasta carbonara (ds favourite!)
tuesday pork escalopes with mushrooms and garlic creme fraiche
wednesday pizza (soccer night so frozen )
thursday chicken breasts with bbq beans and fries
friday fish and rice (probabbly with nacho starter as kids just love nachos at the moment.

you can probably tell me love quick food, but i teach food studies in a high school and dh is a head chef, the last thing we waqnt to do after being in the kitchen all day is cook!!
id love to see some of your favourite american dishes, and maybe i could give you soem quick european dishes? lets share!! dh is french, so anything you want to know...
tracy

Tracy,
Our families favorite cuisine is french. We absolutely love it! Unfortunately, it's too time consuming to attempt at home. I used to love to cook, & would routinely spend 2 to 3 hrs. preparing a meal. Now that I have arthritis & a deteriorating spine, I'm no longer able to do that. I would love some recipes that are quicker. We get really tired of eating plain foods. I try to watch my fat intact, as much as possible. I'm a carboholic, & love dessert, so fat is where I try to cut back. I'm up for any recipes you're willing to share. The more the merrier!!! Anything to get us away from the same old foods all the time.

 

[teamagic]

We are in the same boat as everyone else. I tend to stand in the kitchen at 4 pm and try to figure out what is for supper. The answer is go out and eat. We spend way too much on eating out. I agree that if you have a menu planned out it is much less tempting. I will be checking back here often.

 

[Chicago526]

DH and I are trying to eat out less. But one thing we do when we DO eat out is to find deals. There is a great (and I mean G R E A T) chinesse place not far from where I work. They have a lunch special Monday through Saturday. For between $5 and $6 (depending on what you order) you get a bowl of soup, an egg roll, a fried wanton, and a very generous entree. I order a diet coke, DH drinks water, so for about $12 to $15 plus tip, we get a fantastic chinesse meal. If we went for dinner, we'd spend twice that, easily. Sure, it's more than cooking at home but it's a great way to get fantastic food and get that "I want to eat out" bug out of your system.

Another place near our home sends out $5 off coupons, again if we stick to the cheaper items on the menu (burgers and sandwiches) we pay about $15 or so for dinner. And yet another place near us has a hot dog or polish w/fries for $2.49 (and this is the regular menu, not the kids menu). Add in a drink and the two of us can eat for $10. They also have an italian beef w/fries on the menu for $5.99. A bit more, but we get more food and since I can only eat half of it, DH gets to have my leftovers as a snack when we get home.

If you MUST eat out, or find that every once in a while you just need to treat yourself, then try and find the deals at your local restaurants.

 

[sameyeyam]

To save money while on vacation (road trips) stop at grocery stores instead of restaurants. Bring along some disposable plates, utensils, napkins, etc...

Most grocery stores have pre-made green salads, rotisserie chicken, fresh cut up veggies & dip, fresh cut fruit, etc... You can actually make quit a healthy meal out of their freshly prepared items.

Most pre-made sandwiches are yucky tasting, but you can usually buy fresh rolls from deli and enough sliced meat and/or cheese for however many sandwiches you want. Will probably cost about $3-$4 for 4 sandwiches. Many of the deli's also have packets of mayo, mustard that they will give you for free just for asking.

Our local stores have platters with Mexican Layer Dip, then grab a bag of tortilla chips and dig in!

Have everyone grab a piece of fruit for desert. If you want something sweeter, look in the bakery section or grab a box of Ding Dongs!

You will probably spend more than you would preparing them at home. But not nearly as much as you would eating at restaurants. Some grocery stores even have places you can sit down & eat. Or eat in the car or find a local park & make it a picnic, stretch your legs, etc...

 

[PigletFairy]

We HAVE to eat in! Currently DH just took a job which pays monthly (He has been working almost a month no paycheck yet) so we have to eat in. I am in love with 30 min meals! They usually consist of a meat, veggie and a starch. I love my micro rice maker and the oven. Since there are only two of us I can makes us really anything. Normally we eat:
Spagetti- takes about 30 minutes (lunch next day)
Oven baked chicken w/ rice and green beans.
Chili (left overs lunch)
stir fry w/veggies and rice
chicken casserole.
I have several recipe booklets that i got at the $1 place at target and i have several websites i go to. I like making simple foods with lots of flavor. We do buy ice cream and frozen pizzas for those day we want to feel like eating out. I love breakfast and DH does too so sometimes we do that. For lunch at the office I pack sandwich, soup and chips and keep apple sauce at my desk with breakfast bars. I hope this helps with some ideas.

 

[LoveWDW]

We like the self-made dinners places. The local one is Let's Dish. It is kind of expensive, but in two hours I put together 8 or 12 dishes that serve 6 each. Then I freeze them when I get home and pull them out to cook them. I don't have to buy unusual ingredients that I'd use only once, or many other ingredients. So my grocery bill is less, but the reason why I'm posting is that we have discovered that we no longer go out to eat. We get food as good or better than restaurant food- delicious, different seasonings, fun, and easy to cook. Also, I make the dish according to our tastes- not too much hot spices for my husband. Not going to restaurants means no taxes and no 20% tip, no gas to drive to the restaurant. So even though I'm not so sure we actually save money, so far I am having great fun trying the dishes, and my husband is very happy with the food.

 

[disneymom3]

I have been intending to go to one of those make dinner and freeze it places for quite awhile. There is one by us that also includes the side items in the package. It is a little bit more than Let's Dish, but hardly at all so with the side items included I think we would come out ahead.

I made my planned dinner tonight. I was pretty proud of myself because I found out at about 4 that DH would not be home for dinner and I am soooo tired of being at home with the kids alone that I almost said forget it. Our church youth group is doing a fundraiser at Culvers tonight and we almost helped raise some money for them. BUT we went out to dinner for Father's day yesterday so I resisted and made my enchiladas. It was quite yummy and the feeling of no guilt from spending unneccesarily feels great.

My kids are doing VBS this week and tomorrow when they get off we are going to the Y. I am getting Lunchables for them so a bit more than lunch would cost if I made it at home, but it is an uncommon treat and much less $$ than McDs or something as well as wayyyy healthier. We will pair it up with a juice box and grapes to round it out and it will still be less than $2 per child.

 

[umaangel00]

I joined www.dinnerplanner.com I love it! The recipes are awesome! And a bonus, I do not have to come up w/ something for dinner now.

 

[mom4graceandlogan]

We are trying to cut back on eating out as well. Not only is it expensive and unhealthy, but it can become very monatenous(?sp). We eat at the same mexican place every friday for almost ten years. Before kids our bill would be around $17.00. Now it around $35.00 with two little ones by the time you add tax and drinks. We don't keep sodas in the house , but the kids are allowed to order it out which really adds up. What is even worse is that the family likes my mexican food better and my version is much healthier. But my husband got in this pattern of saying meet me out after work and we would take the night off so to speak. I prefer cooking and saving the money. Af ew things I keep on hand to quickly peak interest in a meal, both by my husband and kids are feta cheese, shredded(not grated )Parmesan and pine nuts which I toast in the oven and keep in the fridge for a week to add to salads and pastas; These ingredients seem to really dress up quick prep. meals. These ingredients aren't cheap, but go a long way and have major flavor impact.

A few money time saving ideas. Buy chicken breast or chicken thighs in the big bulk bags when they are on sale. I do it either in a crock pot with either a can of enchilada sauce dumped on top or a packet of taco bell seasoning packet (add water per packet) cook on low all day, then shred and serve as tacos or enchiladas with rice and beans.

I also marinate several chicken breast in a ziploc with olive oil, oregeno, minced garlic, and lemon juice, then grill it. I do extra breasts, chop and freeze it. It goes great over spinach salad, with tomatoes and feta; over pasta with parmesan, frozen vegetable and olive oil/garlic sauce. Also makes a good cold greek salad when mixed with cucumbers and tomatoes and a ziki yogurt sauce. Spinach Tortellini from the dry pasta section is also pretty cheap. I mix it with a little basil pesto sauce, parmesan and grilled chiken for a meal. The extra pasta and pesto makes a great cold salad with sandwiches. This is pretty much the type of food we would order out and by eating at home save a great deal and personally find it more relaxing than keeping my 2 and 5 year old DD's entertained. Some of these ingredients seem like they add alot to a grocery bill, but a $3.00 pack of pine nuts and a $5.00 jar of pesto sauce can be stretched over 4 or meals. I add a fruit and/ or veggie to every meal and freeze fresh french bread to serve with meals.

The best thing you can do to make sure you can cut back on eating out is to not only menu plan and keep some basics in the house, but to decide the night before or the morning before what you are having and go ahead and thaw the meat or start the crockpot. I also put the cans of beans, box of rice etc. on the counter that morning as a reminder that are eating at home. Also write down every penny you spend in a notebook. It is shocking how many times we would swing by Wendy's etc. without really counting it as eating out. I do flylady.net which has a menu planning component that I don't use, but I do get e-mail reminders in the morning reminding me to figure out what's for dinner. Very helpful to force me to think about it before 4:00 p.m. with no groceries.

 

[Belle5]

I have a large family. I have six sons (19,18, 16, 13, 8, 2) Our grocery bill is huge but eating out is a killer. I have a routine of getting up in the morning and starting laundry, eating breakfast and putting dinner in the crockpot. I remember the years of standing by the fridge at 4 in the afternoon wondering what would be for dinner and ending up in a restaurant. The crockpot was the cure for me...

 

[NALA 24]

Thanks for the great ideas. I'm anxious to try some of the menu planning ideas and websites. We've only paid to eat out once, since I started this thread and that was at McDonald's for less than $20. However, we went to a Graduation Party and a Father's Day Cookout.

 

[KristinU]

Just a tip that if you don't have a make it-freeze it dinner place near you (i.e. Let's Dish or SUper Suppers) or if you find it too expensive, you can do it on your own or with a friend or two. I got a cookbook titled "Don't Panic: Dinner's in the Freezer" and I love it!

I'm also big on planning ahead, it helps us from staring at each other at 6 pm wondering what to have then deciding to take out or go out, then doing the blank stare thing again deciding where to go!

Here's my menu for this week:

Monday: Grilled chicken breasts
Tuesday: "Big Salad" with leftover grilled chicken
Wednesday: (ok, not in the spirit of this thread: we're planning on going out with the coupon for Panera)
Thursday: Asian Lettuce Wraps
Friday: Kielbasa on the grill
Saturday: Veggie pasta toss (along with any leftover kielbasa)
Sunday: Picnic Night - Tuna pasta salad, fruit salad, etc.

Our downfall for eating out is lunches on the weekends. I think I need to make a point of having some sandwich fixings on hand. During the week DH and I each take a frozen lunch to work and DS gets a full hot lunch at daycare, so lunches are kind of a no-brainer except on weekends.

Great Thread!

 

[mjbaby]

We're nearly on two weeks since eating out but things are getting mighty sparse in the pantry - I definitely have to hit the grocery store after dinner tonight.

Tonight's dinner? Creamed chipped beef, toast, scrambled eggs and pineapple. Yep, a "bottom of the barrel" dinner before heading out to restock. BUT, thanks to all the great suggestions here I was able to plan a shopping trip that should do us well for another week to ten days! Woohoo!

Another great benefit to eating in all the time - when we eat out, we frequently get home just in time for baths, stories and bed and the kids don't get much playtime with their dad. By eating at home there's been plenty of time for everyone to play and be together. So it's not just good for the bank balance, it's been good for our family relationships, too.

 

[Local_Girl]

This is a great thread with some great ideas! We have been trying to limit eating out, but I'm like many of you...standing in the kitchen at 4pm trying to figure out what to do for dinner! My family is somewhat picky and we've fallen into a rut with the same old stuff every week or two. So I'm determined to use some of the ideas here to make our at-home meals more enjoyable and eat out less often!

DH also said he's ready to go back to WDW...and since we have to save up for the trip...saving by not eating out will be the perfect way to do it. Now, if I can just get him to give me the $$ to put into a Disney savings account...

One way we do save when we eat out is by sharing meals...we have 2 kids, DS12 and DD10 who rarely if ever order off the kids menu anymore. If all 4 of us order a full meal, it gets very expensive, and it really is too much food. Sometimes, we'll order an appetizer to share (or free chips at a Mexican restaurant works well too!) and then split 2 meals (which sometimes include salad and bread), and then share a dessert. It works well when we agree on everything...