Budget for eating (in and out)

[Little L]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

Oh my, our dining out expenses are my budget buster big time.

We are a family of four and we have spent a frighteningly amount of money over the past on dinners out.

I ran a total in Quicken recently and I was HORRIFIED at the amt of money we spent.

We could've paid cash for the car we bought last July.

Since cooking is not my favorite thing to do it was easy to just go out. I'm not so consistent with meal planning and without a plan I'm not able to just throw a meal together.

Well I've since started using a new spreadsheet for our spending plan that only allows one dinner per week. Trust me, that is a significant improvement for me.

I really hope to stick to our plan. We cannot continue as we have in the past. Fortunately we have minimal debt, well other than our mortgage, but our kids are in private school and tuition isn't getting any cheaper.

I NEED to stick to my plan.

[Ima saver]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

Well, I am sure I am the worst one on here for eating out, but I can afford it, so I just keep doing it. It is our main form of entertainment.

[pearlieq]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

Well, I am sure I am the worst one on here for eating out, but I can afford it, so I just keep doing it. It is our main form of entertainment.

Ooh, I could give you a run for your money!

But we can also afford and enjoy it, so within reason, why not?

[Gruntina]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

I treated myself out to eat last night because I have been working OT everynight lately for our end of quarter reportings....

I felt really sick in my stomach aftwards.. I wonder if it was because I have been eating home cook (non-processed) meals for so long? I used to be a eating out junkie and had no problem prior to eating home.

[trillium]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

we were big eater outers... but we've cut back big time for now since budgeting...

Dad helped with taters and pork, and a huge number of tips of how to save money when doing groceries... i thought some of the stuff was pretty much common sense, until he showed me...

Some of what he taught me:
1) Sam's Club had an 8 lb pork loin for $1.98 lb. A 2 lb pork loin at the grocery was $3.99/lb, with boneless center cut chops @ $4.99/lb. We bought the 8 lb and he cut it down for me. I ended up with 8 chops, 6 filleted chops for stuffing, a 2 lb pork roast, and the ends that wouldn't cut into chops well, diced for stir fry.

2) When veggies are on sale - buy buy buy! He bought me a 50lb bag of potatoes. I thought he was JOKING, until I did this. Took the biggest 12 out and made twice baked potatoes (they freeze well, so its pop a tater out of the freezer and into the microwave!). Made three batches of mashed that are frozen (one with garlic, one cheese, and one plain). Thin sliced some and blanched them for use in au gratin and stews. And what was left, cut them into fries, baked and frozen.

3) There is a chicken plant close to my dad's place that sells any rejects at pennies for the lb. By rejects I mean they go to package whole chickens for sellings and its missing a leg or a wing. Instead of throwing it away, the plant sold 40 lb. boxes for $14.00. Great for BBQ...

Needless to say - a trip to dads = a full freezer.... but he cooks old school down home farm cooking so I feel like I have SO much to learn from him!!! I can't wait till its harvesting season

[living_in_oz]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

We budget $20 a week on dining out. Sometimes we don't eat out at all. Usually we save up for a couple weeks so we can go to a nice restaurant. Sometimes, though, we might choose to go to Pizza Hut on "family night" where we can all eat for about $15.

I honestly don't "get" the "I'm too tired to cook" thing. By the time a person gets dressed(or freshens up), gets into the car, drives to the restaurant, waits in line to be seated, waits to be "waited" on my a server, waits for their meal to arrive, eats, pays bill, drives back home, and walks into the house, how much time has a person "saved" by going out to eat????!!!! Really, I just don't get it! I'm tired when I come home too sometimes. You know what my family does? We reheat leftovers or make a PB&J. That's MUCH less time consuming than going out to eat AND much better for our health! Restaurant meals are terribly unhealthy. After our quick meal we have the rest of the evening to just relax

Of course, that's NOT to say that we never go out to eat...we do. But, it's something that's planned and looked forward to. Our family is going out tonight. We've planned it and we're all looking forward to dressing up a bit and having a nice meal out tonight. Our family gives up fast food that's not really very good to have a nice meal out at a nice restaurant once or twice a month. We appreciate things when we don't get to do it often!

[nanamom]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

I don't care about eating out very much, but my DH loves to eat out. It is his answer to everything. I am slowly reducing the number of times we do it and cutting back how much we spend when we do but it is still high. He has become resigned to not going out for lunch 2 or 3 times a week because I pack a lunch and then meet him at the mall so DH2 can play. We still have lunch after church on Sunday out and I don't mind that as much. We are going to cheaper places and he is starting to see the use of ordering water to drink. Dinner is about once a week now and that is a big improvement. Still it is a big part of our budget.

[Ima saver]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

pearl, I am glad someone else can give me a run for my money. I stay home a lot, so I really look forward to going out on our "date" every night.

[genmed]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

Living in oz.. when I used to "eat out", the too tired thing came from me being too tired (physically and mentally unable to expend another neuron on thinking), and DH (although able to do many things, doesn't cook) being willing to go out to get stuff. So, I can understand the too tired part. Nowadays, I have so many meals in the freezer ready to pop in the oven it's not even an issue.

[Scanner]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

I'd like to help out but admittedly, my wife and I are guilty of eating out a lot. IT's just too hard for her - working all day and then cooking a nutritious meal. We do Old Country Buffet a lot so the kids have something nutritious available.

I often said they should get into the "meal plan business."

We would be their first customers.

[Little L]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

Being tired and saving time are two different things. Yes, I could make dinner in less time it took to drive to a restaurant, find parking, order, eat, pay and drive home but I'm not trying to save time, rather for me, it's the convenience of someone else prepping, cooking and cleaning up.

It's a stupid waste of money but the convenience of it is what appealed to me. But now I've re-priortized my priorities and my kids eating healthy meals and us saving money is now more important than convenience.

[markio26]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

we eat out on special days and on friday's (our date nite) more than everyday... it does become expensive.. i hate unplanned times, when someone drops by and doesn't want to eat what we offer them...

[tinapbeana]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

i hate unplanned times, when someone drops by and doesn't want to eat what we offer them...

perhpas it's just me, but if someone drops by unexpectedly they cannot expect to have their preferences taken into account in a dinner that's already been planned. eat what's offered, or call ahead next time!

[Ima saver]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

I budget about $100 a week to eat out, but my grocery bill is very very low. I scrimp in other places so that we can go out and enjoy ourselves. We ate out last night. The owner of the restaurant hugged me cause she was worried about us. We missed two nights in a row.

[DebbieL]

Re: Budget for eating (in and out)

I personally would get very tired of restaurant food. I cannot stand it even when on vacation (after awhile). A week of restaurant meals and I can't wait to get home for my own cooking. I LOVE getting condos, or rooms with mini kitchens so I can at least prepare some meals even when I'm away from home. My own cooking (and my husband's) is usually better than anything we would get in a restaurant (and healthier usually too). I don't like the fact that most restaurants prepare things in ways that are WAY more fattening than what you would make them at home. I know this for sure, my husband is a professional chef, and even when he cooks at home I sometimes SHUDDER at the amount of butter/cream/oil I see going into something. Sure it tastes good, but I've slowly got him thinking a little more healthwise (at least most of the time). That kind of eating is okay occasionally, but on a regular basis it isn't too healthy.

I would say I spend maybe $20-$40/monthly on eating out (some months it's $0, but I might go out to a nice restaurant the next month, etc). Our grocery budget is much higher. Probably at least $400/month (we are in a very high cost of living area in Canada - no real couponing here available - not like in the US anyways). Healthy foods are definately more expensive too! We eat a very healthy diet (typically) and I've noticed it's a LOT more expensive than eating more crap.