Join Early Retirement Today
View Poll Results: Your upper $/person limit for a restaurant dinner (OTHER than special occasion)?
$20/person or less 51 25.12%
up to $30/person 40 19.70%
up to $40 34 16.75%
up to $50 40 19.70%
up to $60 12 5.91%
up to $70 5 2.46%
up to $80 4 1.97%
up to $90 3 1.48%
$100/person or more 14 6.90%
Voters: 203. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Poll:Restaurant Meal Upper Guideline (NOT special occasion)
Old 09-18-2018, 11:14 AM   #1
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Midpack's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 21,204
Poll:Restaurant Meal Upper Guideline (NOT special occasion)

We dine out a lot, so I keep track, and lately many of our restaurant tabs have seemed a little higher than we're comfortable with. So I thought it might be a fun poll for some, and I know this crowd varies from foodies to folks who rarely dine out, all good.
  • Since we're singles, couples and families I used $ per person
  • This is more routine dining out, please exclude special occasions where many will splurge.
  • I assume no one has a strict limit, just what's the $ limit after which you'd often conclude 'that was more than it was worth to us' and maybe not go back anytime soon unless for a special occasion.
  • Total tab with everything including taxes and tip.
__________________
No one agrees with other people's opinions; they merely agree with their own opinions -- expressed by somebody else. Sydney Tremayne
Retired Jun 2011 at age 57

Target AA: 50% equity funds / 45% bonds / 5% cash
Target WR: Approx 1.5% Approx 20% SI (secure income, SS only)
Midpack is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 09-18-2018, 11:42 AM   #2
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
audreyh1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Rio Grande Valley
Posts: 38,008
We don't eat out very much when at home. When we are traveling, sky's the limit!

I cook a great deal when at home. We eat very well esp. compared to local restaurants.

I don’t skimp on the grocery budget either.

I have to say the seafood restaurant prices in Washington state makes the prices here look like a steal. I never thought I’d think Pappadeaux menu a bargain!
__________________
Retired since summer 1999.
audreyh1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 11:56 AM   #3
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 9,358
We usually go out for ethnic food like Thai or Indian with a buy one get one free coupon so under $20 for 2.
__________________
Even clouds seem bright and breezy, 'Cause the livin' is free and easy, See the rat race in a new way, Like you're wakin' up to a new day (Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether lyrics, Alan Parsons Project, based on an EA Poe story)
daylatedollarshort is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 11:56 AM   #4
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Nemo2's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 8,368
I possibly participated in the poll under false pretenses - we (almost) never eat out, (and never say 'dine'), and regard being waited on as an intrusion and a bit of a PITA.

However, like many things, it's sometimes unavoidable, but if necessary we pay as little as possible.
__________________
"Exit, pursued by a bear."

The Winter's Tale, William Shakespeare
Nemo2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 12:01 PM   #5
Full time employment: Posting here.
jjquantz's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Western Maryland
Posts: 926
If we can find someplace with a pleasant atmosphere and good food, then $40 per person is about where I feel I MIGHT get my money's worth. However, my definition of "pleasant atmosphere" is a place which is quiet and good food needs to be better than I can make at home. So it is increasingly hard to find a place that warrants the effort, let alone the $$.

If I could find my ideal restaurant - the music is Mozart, or maybe some Cole Porter, diners are leaning toward each other speaking in whispers, the food is well prepared, then I could see going to $75 per person once a month or so, but this place doesn't exist, so my vote at $40 reflects more the reality of places that are "acceptable" but not what I would really like to have.
jjquantz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 12:05 PM   #6
Moderator Emeritus
W2R's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,474
Want a complete break down? I love this. I keep meticulous records of what I ordered and how much I spent every time I go to a restaurant and have this information at my fingertips. So anyway, here you go, my break down for August:

We eat lunch at restaurants every day together, and I almost never eat breakfast or dinner out. In August, I took F to Outback for his birthday lunch and spent $42 there for both of us. Other than that, my average (including tax and tip) was $8.03 for my lunches on the other 30 days in August. My highest for those 30 lunches was $11.00 including tax and tip. That was just on one day when left a 45% tip due to extraordinary service, and with a normal sized tip (for me) I'd say my upper guideline with tax and tip is $10.00 . An upper guideline for just the meal without tax and tip would be $7.00.

We go to inexpensive mom'n'pop restaurants that serve home cooked food, never fast food. Going to this type of restaurant helps to keep the costs down. Also I ordered just water to drink on every day in August, and no sides, no appetizers, no desserts, no extras, so that keeps the costs down too.

On 11 of those 30 days I ordered just soup.
On 15 of those 30 days, I ordered just a small side salad (green with vinaigrette or Caesar, 5 of them with grilled chicken added).
On the other 4 days I ordered a grilled chicken pita.

So these choices keep costs down as well. These are normal sized meals for me now that I am older and eat less. I can say with some certainty that never in my life (even when younger) have I spent more than $30 for just myself at a restaurant, even on per diem when traveling for work to high COL locations. However I have partaken in more expensive restaurant meals many times when relatives or others who were footing the bill pushed me to spend more.
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.

Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
W2R is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 12:17 PM   #7
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Fedup's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Southern Cal
Posts: 4,032
I tend to over order when we eat out. Especially in Europe because I never know what kind of portion we get, plus what kind of vegetables they serve. We eat a lot of vegetables and avoid a lot of cheap carbs like mashed potato or fries. So the bill could be high sometimes and my husband and I don’t mind paying for it, as long as it’s good. Plus, I like to sample different dishes on top of our regular favorites. I voted for $60 per person. We don’t usually drink wine, we drink sparkling water so it’s not free either.
Fedup is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 12:28 PM   #8
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Red Badger's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Hog Mountian
Posts: 2,077
I voted $100. we do have breakfast and lunch on occasion, and do so at local eateries where we get out for ~$10 or less per head.

When we "dine out" in the evening, we run about $70-ish per person. The wine tab gets us north of a hundred bucks **"quick, fast, and right away."

**As quoted by Major Payne
__________________
Never let yesterday use up too much of today.
W. Rogers
Red Badger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 01:08 PM   #9
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 214
Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Badger View Post

When we "dine out" in the evening, we run about $70-ish per person. The wine tab gets us north of a hundred bucks **"quick, fast, and right away."

**As quoted by Major Payne

Yes, and those specialty cocktails add up too. They just sound so good, and usually they aren't something I can easily make a home without buying a bunch of specialty ingredients. They are pricey though. If we go someplace with a special cocktail menu, I'll usually order a drink from it.


I used to eat at fancier restaurants, but I kind of prefer the less pretentious places these days. Our bills for three people run around 60-70. If my husband and I go someplace nice, it runs around $120-150 (cocktails, entree, coffee, dessert).
hausfrau is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 01:38 PM   #10
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,581
Wow, I consider $20 per person when dining out a splurge and special occasion. Of course, when we travel, many times it can run that high or higher, but week to week, very rare to break $15 per person. Helps that we don't drink anything but water and never order desert (seldom even have one with dinner at home!).
RE2Boys is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 01:40 PM   #11
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 8,968
I have no limit except for not stuffing myself.
RobbieB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 01:40 PM   #12
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Fedup's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Southern Cal
Posts: 4,032
This is upper limit, not as usual.
Fedup is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 02:08 PM   #13
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
MRG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 11,078
We generally eat out 3-4 times weekly, mainly after the gym so we can get needed electrolytes. These should be medical expenses. Normally eat at a local Mexican place and drop $~50 with drinks and tip(We will be eating leftover carnitas tomorrow).

Guess Robbie is rubbing off on me.
MRG is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 02:19 PM   #14
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Teacher Terry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 7,002
We go out twice a week and spend 40 each time for 2 for dinner, drinks and tip.
Teacher Terry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 02:24 PM   #15
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Tampa
Posts: 11,232
I voted 40 per person as we will on a semi regular basis eat out at a semi higher price restaurant chain like Bonefish grill. We do eat out 4x weekly, so keep it cheaper otherwise.
__________________
TGIM
Dtail is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 02:27 PM   #16
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
skipro33's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Placerville
Posts: 1,788
Normally in the $25 per person range, but you asked about upper limit. For us, I'd say $40 a head. Anything higher and it's gonna count as a special occasion, even if there isn't one on the horizon.

I consider vacations special occasions. I love to eat what the region may specialize in.

So, here's a question; what's the MOST ever spent on a meal dining out? Went to Mama's Fish House on Maui a few years back. A magical evening, pulled out all the stops with cocktails, hordurvers (sic), salad, entree, wine, dessert, coffee and maybe a few more cocktails. Right at $285 with tip I believe....


Photo of dessert
skipro33 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 02:28 PM   #17
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Big_Hitter's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Les Bois
Posts: 5,761
since we quit drinking it's easy to go to a very nice place for under $100
__________________
You can't be a retirement plan actuary without a retirement plan, otherwise you lose all credibility...
Big_Hitter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 02:31 PM   #18
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
jollystomper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,135
We go out 3-6 times a month, depending on our schedules. The places we typically eat have entrees between $8 and $29. Most of the time our bill is < $30 per person, but on occasion, it has gotten up to $60 per person. This is usually due to a generous tip and/or ordering enough food that we end up taking 1/3-1/2 of it home and being able to make an additional meal out of it.

We almost always drink only water when eating out, and DW almost never gets dessert, so that helps keep the bill down.
__________________
FIREd date: June 26, 2018 - "This Happy Feeling, Going Round and Round!" (GQ)
jollystomper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 02:34 PM   #19
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Teacher Terry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 7,002
150 for 2 is the most we have ever spent.
Teacher Terry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2018, 02:49 PM   #20
Moderator
Aerides's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 13,879
We average about 80 for two at our local sushi place, our most frequent nice-ish dinner out. A nicer steakhouse can run to $120-$150 if we get a bottle of wine and a nice appetizer to start.

But travelling? Don't care, and it's higher. In Japan, a really good sushi dinner can easily break $300.
Aerides is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
New guideline for spending safely in retirement Dreamer FIRE and Money 15 12-10-2017 04:50 AM
Social Security: 7 guideline changes coming in 2018 kgtest FIRE and Money 7 10-24-2017 07:07 AM
Cost of a restaurant meal imoldernu Other topics 124 01-20-2015 07:19 PM
Upper arm/Shoulder exercises calmloki Health and Early Retirement 4 04-27-2007 09:16 AM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:17 PM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.