Eating out

[luvnwdwgal]

We very rarely eat out so I’d say less than $20 a month.

 

[White Cat]

$250 to $500.

 

[disney4us2002]

Too much. We usually go to a restaurant at least once per weekend. We are retired and have grown children. I get bored cooking all the time but I really need to stay in more as the cost and the calories are absurd. I'd guess around $400 or more per month. That's ridiculous, lol.

Edited to add: Just as ronandannette posted earlier, we are getting ready to do a complete kitchen renovation and they're telling us it will likely take 6-8 weeks. The idea of not having a fridge or oven is a bit scary. I usually love restaurants but I'm sure I will be sick of all of it after the reno is complete.

 

[CGB]

We rarely eat out. Even before covid, we had stopped eating out due to DH's cardiac issues. It has saved us thousands.

 

[RedAngie]

Over the course of a year, I’m guessing the average per month for restaurant and take out meals is $500. Some months higher, other months lower.

@ronandannette , no appliances whatsoever? Not even a mini fridge or microwave?

 

[bluezy]

We easily average $800+ a month for just DH & I...a little higher when our DD is home from college though she doesn't go out with us very often. DH & I eat out for 3 or 4 meal every weekend. He buys lunch at his company cafeteria or a nearby fast-food restaurant every day that he doesn't have a lunch meeting (he usually has 2 lunch meetings every week). I often pick up lunch 2 or 3 times a week if I'm out running errands or coming/going to some appointment around that time. We're making up for all the years that we had 5 kids living at home and going out to dinner would cost us $100+ for a "cheap" meal.

 

[Christine]

Putting cost aside (because that's not why I don't eat out)--I have found especially as I've gotten older that if I dine out and the pace I used to, it's impossible to keep control of my calories over time. I'm always trying to stay within a decent range so I don't turn into a blob. This gets more and more difficult each year. I find that just about everything out is a calorie bomb. I mean, that's why it tastes so good. But I could never manage my weight with routine dining out.

 

[bluezy]

Putting cost aside (because that's not why I don't eat out)--I have found especially as I've gotten older that if I dine out and the pace I used to, it's impossible to keep control of my calories over time. I'm always trying to stay within a decent range so I don't turn into a blob. This gets more and more difficult each year. I find that just about everything out is a calorie bomb. I mean, that's why it tastes so good. But I could never manage my weight with routine dining out.

I agree -- the huge disadvantage to eating out a lot is that calorie consumption can be very difficult to manage. I do not like cooking -- I find zero joy in it. My DH knows this and appreciates that for 30+ years I was cooking meals for 5-7 people 5 or 6 nights a week. Now that we're nearly empty nesters (and have a *lot* more disposable income), he can make my life a little easier by going out to eat a lot. But managing the calories has definitely been a challenge. I usually only eat about 1/3-1/2 of the food I'm served. Sometimes I will bring home leftovers but many times I don't because I know I won't eat them (some things just don't reheat well). Thankfully I do strength training with a personal trainer 3 times a week, so that helps offset some of the eating, but I still need to be smart about how much and what I'm eating. If we ever win the lottery, I'm hiring a personal chef.

 

[Kitty 34]

Probably 2-300 a month depending who is on our tab.

 

[jo-jo]

Edited to add: Just as ronandannette posted earlier, we are getting ready to do a complete kitchen renovation and they're telling us it will likely take 6-8 weeks. The idea of not having a fridge or oven is a bit scary. I usually love restaurants but I'm sure I will be sick of all of it after the reno is complete.

Do you have a laundry room with some extra space? You could easily set up a fry pan, mini fridge, small microwave and small air fryer. Even for breakfast and lunch. I can't imagine eating all meals out for 6 weeks.

 

[antmaril]

Way too much. I won’t want to know.

 

[HopperFan]

I don't know the average, but until more recently we did pizza 2 times a month, table service 2-3 times a month and fast food on crazy days or if on the run all day. That said I've become fed up with fast food prices considering the value so it has slowed considerably. Very few I will consider now. Even my favorite CFA I stopped buy tea by gallon to bring home (I just can't make good ice tea) and even if I drive through on a busy day I only get sandwich and tea, no combo meals. Our last pizza delivery I was so mad after I had ordered and paid they told me they were no longer doing delivery and Door Dash would bring. SO DID HE GET THE TIP I PAID PH??? Decided I am done with pizza delivery and if I have to pick up that will slow that down. I can make my own pizza for MUCH less. Table service dining is cut to maybe 1 per month, if we are at beach 2 in one week (used to be more). Last time went for table service I ordered nothing. I'm just tired of the prices and as we start retirement in a few months (UGH) I'd rather spend money elsewhere and just up my cooking. I like to cook, I like to try new things so I'd rather spend money elsewhere. More often than not I feel more ripped off than I feel well fed.

Do you have a laundry room with some extra space? You could easily set up a fry pan, mini fridge, small microwave and small air fryer. Even for breakfast and lunch. I can't imagine eating all meals out for 6 weeks.

Yeah we had a microwave, two burner hot plate, grill and lots of small appliances, george foreman, crock pot, pressure cooker, waffle maker etc ... plus garage fridge/freezer. The cost of renovation and all new appliances was enough for me to not want to go out to eat.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I have no idea. We tend to eat out a lot due to softball, but not all dining out is created equally and some parts of our softball life equate to more dining out than others. One month, we could spend $200 dining out and another, we're spending $2,000+. The farther we are from home and the more restrictions host venues have about outside food, the more we're spending.

 

[AustinTink]

I thought about this thread today as were were eating out for lunch. DH and I had two Cobb salads, a spinach artichoke dip appetizer, a margarita for me and a bourbon and coke for him. It was right at $100 after tip.

Tonight we’re going out to dinner with our kid for steaks.

Some of y’all are making me feel guilty about our eating out habit after reading your more frugal spending habits.

 

[barkley]

Do you have a laundry room with some extra space? You could easily set up a fry pan, mini fridge, small microwave and small air fryer. Even for breakfast and lunch. I can't imagine eating all meals out for 6 weeks.

the little portable induction cooktops are GREAT for this purpose. i've got one that came with a deep square shaped pot/lid/strainer/steamer insert. i like that you can set a temperature so for some foods you can simulate oven cooking (if your pot has a tight lid). i also like that there's no risk of buning myself on a hot surface in a small space.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Do you have a laundry room with some extra space? You could easily set up a fry pan, mini fridge, small microwave and small air fryer. Even for breakfast and lunch. I can't imagine eating all meals out for 6 weeks.

This. we did a to-the-studs kitchen remodel a few years back, and had the microwave, fridge, and a small convection oven (counter-top size) in my craft room (which is actually a dining room, we're just not formal dining room people). Our one concession was using disposable plates--DH is the dishwasher, and he was having to wash them in the bathtub, so we tried to minimize his pain! We may have bought more convenience-type foods, but we didn't eat out much more. It helped that the weather here allows year-round grill use.

To answer the OP's question, we spend ~$500 a month on eating out. We're a family of 4-6, depending on who's here. We're much more likely to do takeout--aside from vacations, the last restaurant meal we had, in an actual restaurant, was probably close to a year ago.

In addition to the grill, we have a smoker and an outdoor pizza oven (I even make the dough). While we do Domino's in a pinch, the homemade is far superior. DD20 even brings over a dozen or so college friends, for a pizza and pool party once in a while.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Forgot to add--we also used one of those induction burners. And a crockpot. You can really get creative when you put some thought into it--and remember, it's only for a limited time.

 

[gshanny]

It is just me, so $40-$50, if that.

 

[dvcgirl67]

I just looked at our restaurant spending for the year....$7,800, so an average of $650 per month. I deducted vacation meals from that total. We budget $2,500 a month for "general spending"....which includes everything from some items we need for the house to local entertainment/day trips...to dining out, so it comes out of that bucket. We have a separate budget for groceries.

This year I signed up for one of those meal kit deals...Green Chef, and am doing three dinners per week. It's not cheap, averages $90 a week for three meals including delivery. Not sure which bucket we'll pull from for that but we're enjoying it so far.

 

[tvguy]

I'm going to estimate $250 to $300 a month for two adults. Every Friday and Saturday night.
Some of these estimates are from places that must have much lower food prices than here.
Last Friday we had dinner at In and Out, A single cheeseburger, a double cheese burger, one order of fries and one order of Animal Style fries came to $17. Saturday night IHOP, eggs and steak tips, senior turkey dinner and two coffees came to $38, $45 with tip.
I think the last time I went to McDonalds I got two Egg McMuffins and a Mocha and it was $17