Why do we spend so much on going out to eat?

[WhoDaresWins]

Being a singleton, going out to eat with friends is a social activity for me. I go out for lunch with co-workers about twice a week (cost $8-10 plus tip). I have dinner out about once a month (although in August I ate out 3 times after the theater and once after work). I guess dinner averages $15-30 for the entree and $10-20 dollars for one alcoholic beverage (excludes tip). I tend to order seafood entrees, and I like nice places.

If I could not afford it, I would not eat out. I don't have to get a theater subscription and stay after to have dinner but it beats sitting at home alone watching TV and eating scrambled eggs or tuna fish.

 

[RAE]

We avoid fast food like the plague. It just isn't that good, and as you point out, it is ridiculously expensive these days.

Yeah, we generally avoid fast food too, except when we are traveling and we don't want to take the time to stop for a sit-down meal. We were on the road this past weekend, and we did have a couple of McDonald's cheeseburgers, but after I eat something like that, I always regret it. We generally eat most meals at home, where we have control over what we cook, so the meals are much healthier. I have a big garden, so most days we have several servings of vegetables, along with some fish or farm-raised meat. We still enjoy eating out at ethnic restaurants occasionally, but it's more for the atmosphere and change of scenery (and ideas that I get from the dishes offered), than it is for the food itself.

 

[Goonie]

I eat breakfast out most mornings, unless I want a really good omelet or really good pancakes, in which case I cook at home! We like Wendy's breakfasts, so we eat there several mornings each week. I only eat lunch out once or twice a month...sometimes not at all. However, when it comes to dinner, we eat out at least half the time if not more. There are several 'hole in the wall' taverns around here that have great food for very low prices! One of them, which is about 10 miles away out in the middle of the cornfields, has an excellent salad bar that's included with every meal, and everything is made 'in house' and fresh! Two people can eat dinner there for less than $20, unless it's ribeye dinners, then it's about $25 for two people (in the several years that we've been going there, we've only had steak twice).

Occasionally we splurge, and go to a very nice up-scale restaurant a couple of towns over. They bill there restaurant as "Casual Elegance", and have everything from gourmet burgers to sushi to steaks to seafood....all fresh...all top quality. And amazingly, the prices are quite reasonable! Dinner for two, including appetizers, salads, entrees, and dessert, runs in the neighborhood of $40-60.

I seldom, if ever, order steak when we eat out, because I can buy custom-cut, prime ribeyes at the neighborhood butchershop for a lot less than restaurants charge, and grill them over the coals to perfection! And I've very seldom had steak at a restaurant that even came close to my standards.

 

[Ally]

We often share or take the remainder home for a second meal, which helps.

 

[Free To Canoe]

Ah, that might work. I just imagine DH taking all the "good" stuff and leaving me the stuff he doesn't like, while I'm distracted. Trust issues....

You have to be quick Sarah!

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

Ew. We avoid fast food like the plague. It just isn't that good, and as you point out, it is ridiculously expensive these days. I just checked and other than during our hurricane evacuation, we only ate lunch at a fast food place once so far this year (Wendy's).

I guess you are paying extra for the fast service, even though sometimes they seem slower than just a regular restaurant.

W2R, I truly do miss all the really good and inexpensive places to eat all over New Orleans. There are so many options. Here in DC, there are plenty of options, but the good places cost much more, or you can go to an inexpensive place but the food won't be very good.

 

[accountingsucks]

We are bad for eating out and since I track costs monthly have noticed eating out category slowly creeping up. Some months spending more eating out than on groceries!!! The thing is we don't really eat out that much, but it adds up so fast. With alcoholic drink and entree it's $50 total for two. Recently we have just gotten water on these outings and it has helped.

Also we've been going more to a local dive that is really good versus a more fancy place. Overall we eat dinner out about 2 to 3X per week and breakfast out maybe 1X per month. Usually I eat lunch at home and I have no idea what my girlfriend does for lunch as she doesn't pack one and too far for her to drive home from work.

As others mentioned, if you go out and meet a friend for wings/beer, is it eating out or entertainment. Obviously abit of both. Yea I could cut down on that, but I also don't want to be totally cut off as this is what friends my age (mid thirties) do rather than go to bars like before.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Accounting, I'd say we are closer to what you are doing, except we almost always been bag for lunch. We go out a few times a week, usually cheaper places, and might spend $20-$30 each time. Some weeks we don't go out at all, though, so it balances out.
But as you say, we like seeing our friends and this is how we socialize.

 

[sheehs1]

We live in a rural area ...maybe 8,000 in the city and 30,000 in the surrounding county. After a light breakfast, I really can not eat 2 meals so lunch is not important to me. I'm sort of a grazer during the day. When I do go to lunch...it is probably $10.00 max.

Good restaurants have had a tough go of it where I live with some shutting down in this economy. It has become a complaint of mine. I also have a hard time paying money for not so good food consequently I cook a lot and my husband grills something I have bought or prepared probably once or twice a week. But since I get tired of cooking every night we do take out probably twice a week - usually Chinese or a dinner from the one or two restaurants locally I will eat the food of or a pizza.

For a nicer restaurant and better food, we drive 45 minutes to an hour and will go once a week or so. Usually a Saturday night. When we do this we don't get out of there cheap. Last week-end the margarita was $15. My husband had 2 drinks..so that was $45 just for drinks. We also had appetizers and both had an entree...so we didn't get out of their for less than $130.00 with the tip..for the two of us. But I did point out to him that without the drinks and the appetizers, we could have done it for far less...maybe like $60.00 or $70.00.

Bottom line I am picky about food. I will not order locally a fettuccine alfredo, mongolian beef, cajun blackened salmon., filet mignon, she crab soup, oyster stew, burgandy beef or whatever when what I make at home is far better. Not to mention our burgers are better cooked on our own grill! That sort of thing. So when we go out we splurge...because it better be better than what I can make!
That said W2R...New Orleans has some of the best food I have eaten. Love the food there!. So do Las Vegas, New York!

O.K. NOW I am hungry!

 

[kumquat]

Treated a couple of friends to lunch today at a local Asian place. Un apertif (shared) plus 3 lunches, $40 including a generous (>15%) tip.

Pardon mon francais, je n'ais pas dire squat en francais recemment

 

[Moscyn]

Food is indeed glorious to me. I tend to spend a fair bit eating out because it is something I enjoy and will give up a new dress for a good meal. I also view eating out like "wine tasting" - I get fresh ideas on new ways to cook, what ingredients to use and presentation. I usually order a drink with my meal and I guess that's where restaurants make money - on drinks. I don't mind paying for a good meal as long as I don't feel ripped off. I also do my homework and find out for promotions or credit card discounts available. I have a monthly dine out group of friends and we like to try out new and good food once a month - the bill is always split evenly regardless of what one orders. Only one of us do not drink, so she orders a mocktail or juice. Since we know each other for some time, we are very frank with how much we want to spend. If some of us want to try something truly expensive and I don't find it value for money (usually one of those molecular haute cuisine which I shun), I just tell them that I'll skip the dinner and they should go ahead without me. With DH, most meals are home-cooked as I love to cook and about twice a week we eat a nice dinner in good restaurants. We usually order drinks with dinner. We do get some visitors from overseas and I think we are quite generous with treating them to meals.

 

[Gumby]

We both love good food and wine. I'd rather spend my money on that than on more "stuff".

 

[Walt34]

We don't eat out that much, maybe once a month or less, so it's not even a line item in the budget. When we do it's with friends or relatives and we get our own check. I stopped ordering drinks other than iced tea years ago after getting rapped $9.50 for a Long Island Iced Tea.

When we do go out it's usually to an upscale place, the total will be $70-$100 for two including tip. I guess that's why we don't do it often.

 

[Badger]

We don't eat out too often. Part of that is because the quality of what we consider reasonably priced menus is not that good and partly because we have both worked in restaurants and exclusive country clubs in the past. The cleanliness, food handling, and inferior ingredients can be more than a little scary (Kitchen Nightmares is not understated).

When we do dine out we find the starters, deserts, and drinks are both too expensive and more importantly they are more than we can eat with our meal. On occasion I may have a beer but usually water with lemon provides a nice drink that cleanses the palate and doesn't clash with the flavor of the food.

One area of expense I have never quite understood is the suggested increase in tip from 15 to 20% a few years ago. The explanation I have heard is that the cost of living has gone up. However, since the cost of the menu items are higher too then that is reflected in a higher realized tip at the same 15%. That being said I tip according to the service given. Higher than 15% if the service is exceptional and less if it is below what is acceptable. Throughout our work years we both never gave less than our best effort and we expect the same from others (restaurant and wait staff) if they expect compensation from our pockets.

Cheers!

 

[marko]

We go to nice places 2-3 times a week and have slowly migrated to sitting at the bar versus a table and ordering appetizers or small plates.

We don't do this to save money (although we do!) but we find that we don't eat as much as we used to. It does cut our eat out bill in half and we also don't over-eat.

 

[Fermion]

My most expensive eat out meal hands down was a $200 omelette at Mont St Michel Abbey in France. I kept trying to remind myself that food in France is expensive, but...

Omelette a Le Mont Saint Michel (Pontorson) Francia Bassa Normandia - YouTube

 

[travelover]

My most expensive eat out meal hands down was a $200 omelette at Mont St Michel Abbey in France. I kept trying to remind myself that food in France is expensive, but...

Omelette a Le Mont Saint Michel (Pontorson) Francia Bassa Normandia - YouTube

Ahhh, but the bragging rights...........

 

[Fermion]

Ahhh, but the bragging rights...........

Yeah, they are worth something

But if you knew how stupid I was, you would not be impressed with the bill. I saw where it said omelette was $38 (or something like that) and a lobster omelette was $49. What I didn't realize was that was the price of the lobster per ounce! Oops.

(I may not have these prices exact...I was in a bit of a shock at the time) The water they brought out with the meal was like $10 too.

 

[travelover]

Yeah, they are worth something

But if you knew how stupid I was, you would not be impressed with the bill. I saw where it said omelette was $38 (or something like that) and a lobster omelette was $49. What I didn't realize was that was the price of the lobster per ounce! Oops.

(I may not have these prices exact...I was in a bit of a shock at the time) The water they brought out with the meal was like $10 too.

I went to a ball game and beer was $7.75 in the stands. Does that count?

 

[aida2003]

Except for pizza and the variety available at a chinese buffet type place, we have pretty much figured out how to eat awesome food at home that is almost always healthier than restaurants. Luckily I like to cook and like to replicate restaurant recipes.

We also cook at home mostly. We go out maybe 1-2 times a month. First, it's not really relaxing because we have to watch that our kids behave and secondly, my taste buds have changed over the last 2-3 years. Restaurants use too much salt and butter for my taste. I recall going to Panera Bread last year or two years ago and enjoying their meals, but the last time we went there 2 months ago I asked to replace French Onion soup with tomato basil soup, but even that was a bit too salty. Paninis also were only OK. I certainly won't return there in the foreseeable future. But we still like Five Guys. I like their burgers (and a few fries to taste salt).

 

[FUEGO]

We also cook at home mostly. We go out maybe 1-2 times a month. First, it's not really relaxing because we have to watch that our kids behave and secondly, my taste buds have changed over the last 2-3 years. Restaurants use too much salt and butter for my taste. I recall going to Panera Bread last year or two years ago and enjoying their meals, but the last time we went there 2 months ago I asked to replace French Onion soup with tomato basil soup, but even that was a bit too salty. Paninis also were only OK. I certainly won't return there in the foreseeable future. But we still like Five Guys. I like their burgers (and a few fries to taste salt).

I like the food ok when we go out. But places like Panera, where you might pay $6-9 for something you can quickly make at home for a couple bucks is hard to swallow, especially when you consider that cost differential x4, plus time to mobilize the troops to/from the restaurant.

Agreed on 5 guys! Two burgers and a huge bag of fries for about $12 total (for the two of us adults). Not particularly healthy but delicious!

 

[ziggy29]

Agreed on 5 guys! Two burgers and a huge bag of fries for about $12 total (for the two of us adults). Not particularly healthy but delicious!

Definitely a guilty pleasure. It's not something your cardiologist would want you to eat regularly, but once in a while it's OK to give into temptation.

 

[FIREd]

We both love good food and wine. I'd rather spend my money on that than on more "stuff".

I agree.

We rarely eat dinner out. Fortunately, I am a pretty good cook and California blesses us with excellent wines and fresh ingredients.

For lunch, I like to eat out several times a week. DW is still working and making lunch just for myself is no fun. I mostly go to Panera for their salads and sandwiches. I also have a good Japanese restaurant nearby when I am in the mood for sushi or Udon noodle soup and tempura. A nice little french bistro for salads and croque monsieur or quiche. And a tea lounge for when I want to have a meditative lunch.

 

[Cassius King]

The wife and I enjoy eating dinner out. Mostly Mexican, Thai and Indian cuisine. I bought a XL Big Green Egg and now we eat ribs, pulled pork, chicken and steak that are better than most restaurants. One of the best purchases I have ever made. Love it. I can cook for extended family and host at my house.

 

[Amethyst]

I love to dress up and go out to dinner at a really nice place. Trouble is, that comes at a far bigger premium than it used to.

Dinner at a non-box-chain, non-ethnic-hole-in-the-wall place that has cloth on the tables: $65 apiece,minimum, unless you order vegetarian, don't have an appetizer or dessert or coffee, in other words: chintz. And if you gotta chintz, what's the point of getting dressed up, etc.?

Wine: 400%+ mark-up. We know lower-end wines quite well, so we know when the restaurant wants $65 for a bottle we can buy for $15.

Tax and tip: 20% is now the minimum tip locally (anything less is supposedly an insult to the server) and tax is 6%. So a $200 meal is now $252.00, and it didn't taste any better for that.

Amethyst