Just curious...how much do you eat out?

[staceyfe]

I'm amazed at how much eating out is done in our society. I was wondering how the folks at the DIS compare. I myself am at about 1-2 times a week. Oh, the money I could save if I would cut that down. One month I really watched the eating out and it seemed like we had so much extra money. I know it can be a real budget-buster.

Be sure to include in your answer all meals purchased away from home.

 

[BostonTink85]

When I'm at school, I eat out probably once or twice a week, only because the food isn't too good and gets really repetitive. At home though it's more like once every couple weeks that we actually go and sit down somewhere to eat. I agree though how much could be saved by not eating out, ie. the cost of drinks, tip, tax.

 

[CheshireVal]

We eat out on weekends. The last thing I want to do on a Friday night or anytime on Saturday is cook, unless it's a frozen pizza.

 

[shaylahc1]

We eat out about 1-2x a week. That includes fast food. There were times when we were juggling small children and getting little sleep that we ate out a lot. In fact, when our 3rd DD was a baby she had reflux and never slept more than 30 minutes at a time---during that year we ate take out every single night! Now that we have 4 kids eating out is no longer fun, and it gets expensive. My DH does most of the cooking so that helps, too

 

[aristocat]

just about never!

 

[vegasnative]

I would say we eat out about 1-2 times a week. That is usually one lunch for me and the kids and maybe one dinner for all of us. Some weeks we just do one lunch, no dinners out. It costs too much to eat out in my opinion. I like to take my kids once a week, usually a Friday, for some quick food like Taco Bell or McDonalds, because they enjoy it. If we eat out as a family, we typically bring it home to save on the drinks/tips. For example, we will bring home Chinese food or a pizza, and I consider those days "eat out days". I like to cook though, so I don't mind doing it. One way that I have found that I save money is to plan! I plan what we will be eating every night for dinner, go to the grocery store once a week and buy what we need for every nights dinner, and we are set to go. If I am really on the ball, I can plan dinners for 2 weeks, go buy the grocerys and only have to make quick trips to the store for stuff like milk and bread. I find the less I go to the grocery store, the less I spend on those items that are not on the list! So, I really try to plan for 2 weeks out, but sometimes that is hard.

 

[dzneprincess]

well all meals away from home, then I would have to say everyday...I always eat out at lunch. Dinner, well that is a lot too. I chose 5x a week.

 

[runwad]

We never eat out with 3 kids definetely too expensive for us, and if we do we have coupons for free kids meals or get takeout, but I picked less then once a month because we hardly ever do it. Plus I find that it takes longer to get ready and get everyone in the car and go eat, we can eat faster at home then get everyone to where they need to go for sports. I do crock pot meals on the days I work and when I'm home I make a lot so we can have leftovers for a few days. Eating out is just like burning money to us, and besides we are good cooks and enjoy our own food . Although sometimes the kids complain cause their friends go out all the time and we never do but we always stress how lucky they are theiy have parents that can cook when the other kids just usally get hot dogs and mac & cheese for a home cooked meal, sad I think.

 

[annsteere]

If I have to count the double cheeseburger I get for $1.07 and eat with water I filtered at home and carried in the car in a refillable nalgene bottle the number is high: two days last week when I was out of town, one day where I grabbed this between work and errands and tomorrow night when I get off work at 6:00 and have a meeting at church starting at 6:30. That is grabbable protein, not entertainment.

If I only count going somewhere were a waiter brings me food and it is relaxing but costs more than eating at home, the number is about once a month.

We tend to think of "going out to eat" as when both of us enjoy it together and "picked up a bite" as when one of us eats on the road between commitments.

 

[Chicago526]

One to two times a week. It's been about 1x a week the past two weeks though...

 

[MUFFYCAT]

we have pizza every friday, eat out on Saturday night and usually aother night during the week.

i know it's too much but...

 

[kinntj]

We eat out alot, but I'm making up a menu for next week, so we'll see how that works out.

I put 4 times a week. What a waste of money.

 

[lovmy2girls]

We eat out about 3 times a week. I hate cooking. I really, really hate it.

 

[anewvance]

Do you mean actually going to a resturant or having take out? Because if you include take out, we eat out TOO MUCH.... probably 4 times a week. I hate to cook! But actually going out to eat, maybe once every 2 weeks or so.

 

[pearlieq]

DH eats lunch out every day, I eat lunch out about 1/2 the time, we usually eat/out get take out about twice during the week, and we eat out at least once a day over the weekend.

I would say that averages out to more than daily. I don't really have a problem with it--we enjoy it and with it just being the 2 of us it's not all that expensive. In some cases, I could actually make an argument for it being cheaper than eating in.

Either way, we're happy.

 

[Free4Life11]

Probably 3 times a week, rarely sit down restaurants and usually fast food or a sandwich shop for lunch.

 

[DVC Sadie]

We eat out a lot since we retired and it is just the two of us so I voted 5 times a week.

 

[Angela&Kayla]

I guess I never think about how much we eat out until someone asks or I look at our "dining out" portion in microsoft money.

Right now, we've been eatting out every other day or so, but soon we will become "healthy" eatters once again, and when we do eat "healthy," we only go out maybe once a month or so.

 

[Daisysmom]

I take my lunch to work (cheaper, healthier, saves calories), but once in a while I go out with a co-worker (relationship building)

Same goes for most evenings; I will take my kids out every couple of weeks, or have dinner with a friend or two a few times a month.

 

[golden1]

Eating out is just not in our very limited budget right now. Before having children and becoming a SAHM DH and I ate out 2-3 times per week, usually at chain places like Pizzaria Uno or Chilis. Now we eat at a place like that maybe once a month and maybe we do a McDonalds trip once every few weeks. I sort of miss it but not too much. I'd rather be home with my kids.