Every January since I started Get Rich Slowly, I’ve done an annual round-up of my discretionary spending. That’s not going to happen this year. The numbers are hopelessly muddled by events that created under-reporting in some categories and over-reporting in others. (Kris and I paid for our 2010 vacations in 2009, for example.)
Rather than sort things out, I want to talk about a couple of my spending habits instead. One is a worrisome trend, and one is a thing I’m doing right.
Food for thought
Long-time readers know that Kris and I love to dine out. It’s one of those things we’re willing to spend on. We cut corners in other areas of our lives so that we can afford to make this happen. Still, I’ve been concerned about my restaurant spending for the past couple of years. It seems a tad excessive.
How’d I do last year? Well, my grocery spending dropped, but my restaurant spending went up again — a lot. Here’s a look at five years of data:
- In 2005, we spent $1423.39 to dine out 100 times, for an average cost of $14.23 per meal.
- In 2006, we spent $1869.58 to dine out 108 times, for an average cost of $17.31 per meal.
- In 2007, we spent $2051.93 to dine out 84 times, for an average cost of $24.43 per meal.
- In 2008, we spent $2628.08 to dine out 77 times, for an average cost of $34.14 per meal.
- In 2009, we spent $3443.61 to dine out 69 times, for an average cost of $49.91 per meal.
Holy cats! Will you look at those numbers? We’re only dining out about half two-thirds as often as we were in 2006, but we’re spending nearly three times as much per meal. At the current rate of spending growth, we’ll be spending $300 per meal in 2015! Since I can afford our current spending — I’m not living beyond my means — the real question is: Am I getting my money’s worth? I’m not sure that I am.
If I’m honest, I have to admit that I don’t like the idea that we’re paying $50 per meal. I’d much rather return to our former habit: Dining out more often, but spending less each time. To that end, I’ve been brainstorming ways we can work to cut costs:
- We could do a better job of looking for discounts. We have an Entertainment book, and the local paper often features specials at local restaurants. We should take advantage of both of these. We used to do this, but have fallen out of the habit (primarily because we’ve become so used to eating at the same places again and again).
- We need to find more cheap places to eat. Half the fun of going out is just going out. Sure, we love the fancy restaurants, but we used to be happy with Dairy Queen. (This is lifestyle inflation in action!) The real problem is that the cheap places I know and love (Cha Cha Cha and Imperial Garden) aren’t Kris’ favorites. We need to find cheap places we both like.
- When we do eat in the same old haunts, we need to make an effort to reduce our spending. It’s okay to have an appetizer, entree, dessert, and drink all in the same meal now and then, but we could save money by cutting one or two of these from the mix each time we dine out.
- Finally, we should invite friends to our home for dinner more often. As soon as the book is done (getting close!), I’m going to make a habit of inviting one family to dine with us every couple of weeks. We used to do this a lot, but have fallen out of the habit. It’s fun and frugal to have folks over for dinner.
So, that’s one part of my financial life that still needs work. Next, let’s look at something I’m doing right.
A waning of want
Here’s something that amazes me: We’re twelve days into 2010 and I haven’t spent anything yet on personal expenses. I haven’t even felt the urge. I’ve bought gas for the Mini and groceries for home, and Kris and I went out to lunch last Friday, but I haven’t spent a dime on gadgets or books or games or toys or magazines.
“Big deal,” you might say. “That’s how it should be.” You’re right. But for me, this is a big deal. All my life, I’ve had the uncontrollable urge to buy Stuff. It used to be that I couldn’t go more than a day or two without buying something. Even while writing this blog, that’s been the case. (I’ve just learned to channel my desires into smaller, cheaper things.) Now, as last, I seem to have licked it.
I still want things — no question! — but I’ve become very good at ignoring the wants and moving on. How?
- Sometimes, I just put down the thing I want, turn off my brain, and walk away. I force myself to stop thinking about it. (Usually by thinking about something else — like our upcoming trip to Europe, and how I need to save for that instead.)
- If I still want the thing when I get home, I put it on my Amazon wish-list. For whatever reason, that’s often enough to satisfy the strange inner workings of my mind. I feel comforted knowing I’ve let myself put it on a list where I won’t forget it.
- I’m very good about using the 30-day rule to control my impulse spending. My Amazon wish-list plays a role in that, but so does my mountain of index cards. (My life wouldn’t be complete without index cards.) I have a handful of cards on my desk filled with notes about the things I want. It’s amazing how many times I sort through this stack and end up throwing cards away because I no longer want the item I’ve written down.
These techniques help me deal with desire. They don’t quell it completely — nor would I want them to — but they do keep it in check. That last rule is probably the most effective. By delaying purchases 30 days, I don’t feel like I’m denying myself. I can still buy what I want if I want it 30 days later, but I’m not just giving in to impulse spending. (When 30 days rolls around and I do still want something, it actually feels pretty good to be able to buy it.)
My current spending moratorium isn’t permanent, and I know that. In fact, the new Dick Tracy anthology comes out tomorrow, so if nothing else, I’ll be shelling over $25 for that.
Remember: there’s nothing inherently wrong with spending money on things that bring you joy. Problems arise when you finance these purchases with debt. If you’re meeting your other financial goals and have money left over, it’s good to indulge your interests and passions. Just make sure you’re getting value for the dollars you spend.
Here are the past installments in this series:
- My 2008 discretionary spending: Progress and challenges
- My 2007 discretionary spending: Highs and lows
- My 2006 discretionary spending: The good, the bad, and the ugly
How did you do on your spending goals last year? Are there areas where you wish you spent less? If so, what strategies do you use to keep yourself in check?
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If you make it downtown Portland at about 3:30 pm on Sundays (opens at 4pm but there’s a line) you can catch Portland City Grill’s happy hour. It lasts all day, the food and prices are very good ($2-4 per item, two items is usually plenty).
Brazil Grill on 12th and Jefferson is pretty good, not exactly inexpensive ($25/person, all you can eat) but the food is good and it’s better than $50/person.
Le Bistro Montage (Cajun) under the Morrison bridge has reasonably priced entrees and is always good but doesn’t open until 6pm and is usually pretty full.
If you like Vietnamese, you can try Pho Dalat near Sandy blvd and I-205, Pho’s a great meal and usually runs about $6-7 for a big bowl of Pho Dac Biet.
I haven’t been there but I’ve heard that Screen Door (Southern) is really good, entrees range from about $10-15. 24th and E. Burnside.
Anyway, there are tons of places in Portland to get great food at reasonable prices and I believe you have my email address if you need more places (variety, lower prices, etc.) to eat. You can also use restaurant.com for discounted meals and they frequently have coupon codes for %80 off the normal discounted gift certificates.
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Yikes! $3500 on dining out, I can imaging why you’re taking a good long look at your habit.
The dining out number reminds me of an ex-girlfriend and I who went out to eat all the time. It just always seemed easier than staying at home. What advice would you have for those still in the singles world who are out going on dates? I don’t want to seem cheap on a first, second, or third date, but I also don’t want to flash around a lot of cash and break the bank trying to impress someone!
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I definitely think quality over price when it comes to food. My hubby is a chef, though so that makes a difference! I know that I enjoy going out more when it’s a nicer meal. That’s why we’ve decided to skip the little fast food and Chili’s-type restaurants and go for the nicer ones less often!
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Remember that the cost of food has also risen a lot faster than inflation in that time. Your spending may not be as different as you think.
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“Just make sure you’re getting value for the dollars you spend.”
When it comes to food, the value should be both judged by price AND whether or not the food is made using some sort of industrial waste. Or, less hyperbolically, be sure that you aren’t saving money by eating hotdogs when you go out:) IF I do get the desire to eat out, Subway’s $5 footlongs are the way to go. I can load that sucker up with tons of stuff (vegetables and such), and save half for later.
Come to think of it, I am pretty hungry right now. To the oatmeal!
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http://www.restaurant.com is a good way to save money. I don’t know how many restaurants they have near you, but the selection near Minneapolis is great. $10 gets you $25 off a $35 tab, and they ALWAYS have 70-80% off coupons. $2 for a $25 coupon is great. Don’t ever pay full price there.
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Hello J.D.
As in most cases, the single data point of price paid per meal may not tell the entire picture. Perhaps some tracking for 2010 about the details of your restaurant purchases would be insightful.
For example, cost and quantity of appetizers, drinks and desserts.
Another item to consider is the amount and percentage of the bill you pay for service (“tip”). If you’ve received exceptional service (perhaps partly as a consequence of desperation on servers’ and restaurants’ parts) that would probably lead to increased tipping.
Were there one or two big nights out at a wildly expensive place that caused the average meal cost to skyrocket?
Lastly, Mrs. Money’s comment about seeking quality over price is certainly poignant – there is a very high price for cheap food. A one dollar fast food burger is cheap in end-user’s immediate out-of-pocket dollars, but astronomically high in total cost.
Thanks for reading.
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Yes, the turning off my brain thing has done wonders! When we wander around the mall I typically see a bunch of STUFF I want, but do not need. I shut down my brain for awhile. Often times, I will forget about it by the time I get home. However, I may give that amazon wish list a try. Because some of those things you want but dont need, may make good xmas gift suggestions for other people.
Theres nothing cooler then getting a gift from someone you always never knew you wanted, or forgotten about. Cause lets face it, some of us as frugal enough not to have balls enough to buy it ourselves. lol
~ James
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Eating out is our weakness too; when I was growing up, it was about a once a year occurence for my parents to take all of us (5 kids) out to dinner.
Any chance we’ll get an end of year garden wrap up? Those are always my favorite posts!
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Regarding eating out, when my husband and I go out, we always drink water with lemon. Not only are we saving $5 (plus tax, plus tip), but it’s healthier for us. If we want dessert, I’ll make something or stop by the local bakery which is a LOT cheaper than ordering there in the restaurant. We also try to look at the portions of our order.. if we can save some for another meal, we’ve just reduced the cost per meal. We try not to eat out more than 3 times per month for health reasons, the benefit.. it costs us less too.
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I’m firmly in the “quality over quantity” camp. I enjoy eating out, but since I’m a decent cook I prefer to eat at places whose cuisine I can’t easily replicate myself, like Ethiopian food or sushi (I can’t make sushi nearly as good as my favorite haunt). As a result, the places I go to tend to be more expensive per outing. Plus, I’m very aware of the hidden costs of “cheap” food, and chain restaurants just plain depress me. Eat less, but eat better is my motto.
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Sorry to be a stickler for details, but 69/108 (0.638) is a lot closer to 2/3 than 1/2.
Also, I am almost of the opposite mindset, I’d rather eat out less often, but get a quality meal (steak, for example). My girlfriend and I typically eat out less than 4 times a month (maybe one meal in a weekend).
I was raised that dining out was an occasional treat (maybe four times a year, excluding celebrations/events), so we should enjoy the experience, but not do it so often that it becomes routine.
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Also, think about your health. Moving back to eating out more but for less per meal is fine but not if you are trading healthy food for fast food. Think about the associated healthcare and other costs by doing so.
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I agree with 2.Deadala, prices have risen up.
However, what might work is ordering say one soup and one meal. Typically, portions in restaurants are way oversized, so your stomach is full and you spend less. Priceless is the effect on the level of intimacy between you and your partner after switching meals.
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We’re right there with you on the eating out situation. For us, eating out IS our entertainment many times, and we really enjoy a great meal out either as a family or just the two of us.
I’ve never thought of analyzing our expenditures in this area the way that you have here, but I have all of the information to do so. It sounds like a fun (but scary) exercise!
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My husband and I like to save money when going out to eat by using Restaurant.com gift certificates. The idea is that you spend, for example, $10 on a gift certificate worth $25, saving you about $15. They are available for most major cities, at both local and chain restaurants, and are a great way to save a few dollars while still enjoying a nice meal out. You just have to watch out for the restrictions, such as spending minimums or exclusions on weekends. They also have sales sometimes on the website when you can get the certificates for even cheaper.
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We usually average about $130 for our restaurant meals plus $50 for babysitting (unless my Mom is visiting).
That said, we rarely eat out.
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Great idea Andrea – to which I’ll add that local radio and tv stations often offer half price gift certificates to restaurants (and other merchants). Check their web sites and see what’s out there, you will be pleasantly surprised. We get our favorite deep dish pizza this way for 1/2 price!
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Food spending is the only real spending problem that my husband and I have. We enjoy it, but dining out shouldn’t be a hobby for us. We always thought we knew what we were spending, but we were wrong. We were spending so much more. I had vowed to keep track of our spending starting this month and going back and looking at the last couple of months was a real eye opener. I just wish I’d started earlier so we could have saved hundreds of dollars!
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I find it very difficult to control my weight if I eat out. I eat out about 4 times a year and when I do, I don’t really worry about what I am eating.
Plus, since I am really cheap, I refuse to pay for salad, soup or breakfast items at a restaurant. I can make them at home for less and they taste just as good.
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J.D., we have the same problem in my home. We’d have so much more money if we didn’t eat out. We also went out less in 2009 than previously, but our average meal went up in cost quite a bit. We spent almost $5,500 for two people to eat out 105 times.
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Budget an amount you feel comfortable about. Check on yourself after 3 months. No worry if your under. You can adjust price or number of times on the next 3 months if your over. It’s not just a selfish act. You are supporting a business you like and the people they support.
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As far as good cheap places to eat, have you tried No Fish Go Fish? Right next to the corner of SE 39th and Hawthorne (3962 Southeast Hawthorne). Their soups are amazing.
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Regarding the Tangent. I live in the Hawthorne neighborhood and love keeping a list of places I think are good values to eat.
Nicolas on Grand (share the mezza)
Riyadh’s at Hawthorne & 14th
Reel’m'Inn (dive bar on Division with cheap fried chicken)
La Sirenita taqueria on Alberta
Thai Noon on Alberta
Zack’s Shack
Por Que No
Pho (any of them, but I like Pho Van)
Clay’s BBQ on Division
That’s the cheap end of the list. I have a more expensive end of the list that I feel is good value even if they do cost more. Feel free to contact me if you want to compare notes.
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Hey J.D.
I’m really impressed at how well you’re keeping track of your expenses and comparing them to your budget. I used to think that I was good until I started reading your blog!
I was just wondering how you keep track of how many times you eat out in a given year? I could easily tell you how much I spent last year on eating out ($5,084 in 2009) but I wouldn’t be able to tell you what meals of the day they were or even how many meals that amount consisted of.
Thanks!
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Daedala is right, the cost of food rose incredibly – milk was $2/gall in 2005, and now it’s $3.50. Do you have another mouth to feed? You might be doing just fine.
BUT I am VERY impressed that you have so much data! I am going to start this – I began it w/ groceries. While he’s great at all other areas of budgeting, to him food is a necessity and thus a budget is entirely unnecessary. He doesn’t buy crackers and cookies and soda, but will go to the store w/ out a menu/meal plan. Thus I began to track it. He’ll come around, he always does, he just needs to see the data!
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JD,
I’m right there with Four Pillars (above) on this one. Ever since the little one arrived, we’ve been eating out less often. It rarely makes sense when you factor in the higher cost of the food AND the babysitter. Plus, the better half makes great meals… although sometimes she needs a break!
-Tyler
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J.D.,
First off, thanks for this phenom blog. I’ve been reading it for about a year now, and while much of the advice I already knew, there are still some great insights and some “light bulbs” that go off.
I would concur with a lot of the folks here… it’s a quality vs quantity item. If you wanted to drop your avg eating out cost, you could easily hit up the McD’s, BK, or Wendy’s one dollar menus and skew it way down… but you likely wouldn’t enjoy eating out, and would likely raise your long term medical costs as well. Nothing wrong with splurging for good food if you can afford it, and if it doesn’t become common place. But I’m a foodie, so I’m definitely slanted in my views.
If you do want to find the best value for you money, I’d recommend checking out the website “Yelp”. Users review services/restaurants and can create lists to share with the community. Typically, for larger cities, the users will put up lists of either cheap eats that are worth the bang for your buck, or even specials on each day! In Chicago, people have created lists for specials of each day (e.g. Monday night specials results include low priced wings, a French prix fixe 3 course for $30 that’s BYOB, etc.) Excellent resource for finding good restaurant experiences, but also specific price ranges for those experiences.
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JD
Have you considered setting a monthly budget for dining out? You’ve mentioned in the past that you generally don’t like to do “line item” budgeting, but perhaps this is one area where you can make an exception. If you have a set amount to spend every month, you are more likely to want to get your money’s worth when you do go out. And if you spend your entire budget before the end of the month, you have extra incentive to invite friend over instead of going out. Also, by limiting what you spend now, you have more to spend dining out on your vacations.
Just a thought …
JS
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Interesting analysis, J.D.!
We’ve decided to go in the opposite direction as you….eat out less often, though at better(more expensive) places. I find I don’t mind spending $100-$150 for a nice dinner out but spending $40-$50 for poorly prepared packaged food from one of the big box restaurants makes me crazy. We had to feed my daughter and a friend in between soccer practices last weekend (no time to get home) and ended up at a chain restaurant eating bad/soggy BLTs and anemic salads…total after tip: $48. Ugh.
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I’m curious — is hosting people at home really that much cheaper? I’ve found that as a single person, even making a dish for a potluck can cost as much (or more!) as I would spend in a restaurant (I order water, skip appetizers, take half my meal home, and split a dessert with someone or order a mini). It’s expensive for me to host other families and couples at my place, so I don’t do it very often!
I’ve learned that while it seems like a splurge to eat out with my friends, it can be a cost-effective form of entertainment
Anyone else find this?
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You dined out only 69 times in 2009? Where do you find the discipline? That’s only once in every 5 days – not even one lunch and one dinner out a week! I truly don’t know how to get my spending on food so low. My grocery budget alone is $300 per month (including all toiletries, makeup, cleaning products, etc.). I spend an additional $250 just on restaurants, drinks, etc. And that’s for one person.
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I’d rather pay $70 for a good steak dinner than go to a fast food joint 6-8 times.
I consider myself a foodie, and I can cook better than most chain establishment. So, when I go out, I also order things I can’t/don’t make. Dim sum and sushi are two examples where it takes lots of expertise and labor to make it great.
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JD, I think you have the eating out thing all wrong.
My wife and I were in a similar situation and this is what we have done…
We eat out less often but we go to really great restaurants when we do.
No fast food, No cheap buffets, its junk anyway. We do order the occasional pizza but we don’t count that.
We don’t eat out for convenience.
We go out for dinner, breakfast, or lunch because we want to try an awesome new place, go to a really nice restaurant, or visit an old favorite.
You will get your moneys worth this way for sure. Better food and better experience.
We often use the dinners as date nights and get all dressed up as well. My wife really likes that.
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Given that you’re spending money you can afford to spend I think you’re doing fine from a *financial* perspective. But going back to how much something costs in terms of *your* time, you might re-evaluate the amount of joy or pleasure you get from these excursions. If you get a lot more pleasure from the nice restaurants, I don’t see why you have to start eating at cheap restaurants. If the main value you derive from these outings is the time you spend together, well, there may be less expensive ways to spend the time, and you might have fun trying to research and dig them up (i.e., hunting for hidden gems, fabulous new places, places that aren’t too expensive but where you can get dressed up – OR, consider signing up for a gourmet cooking class together, etc.). As long as you’re having a great time (within your means), I’d say, cut yourself some slack.
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What Bradly said. Also, if you eat out less, it will be easier to reach your fitness and weight loss goals This is my opinion, bu frequent eating out and weight management don’t work well together. It’s doable, but much more difficult than if you eat in most of the time.
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I highly agree with inviting friends over! People always use going out for dinner as the only way to get together and with everyone’s wallets tightening people would WELCOME being invited over for a meal! Why should it cost $50-100 per couple just to spend time with friends?
I find it very interesting that you calculate how many times you went out to eat in the year to get avg. price per meal. I used to just say, holy smokes $5k a year on restaurants! I will definitely be playing with mint.com today to figure it out. Thanks for sharing!
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Try the big name chains…my wife and I eat at Chili’s, Applebees, O’Charleys, etc and with their specials we can easily keep our tab around $25-30…though we usually get water to drink:)
We also have locals that we enjoy…plus sometimes we’ll do Pizza or something quicker like Quizno’s or Penn Station.
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Looks like we have differing opinions on restaurants! I’d much rather go out 3-5 times a year and spend $75-$100 on a dinner for two than go out once a week and spend $10 on cheap food.
I love the Amazon Wish List idea, and I do it too! I’m certain that ‘fear of forgetting’ plays a major part in my wants. I think something is cool, so I want it now, so I don’t forget about something so cool later on. By putting my wants in my Amazon Wish List, I know they are there for me if I actually do want them.
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@Suzanne (#32) wrote: You dined out only 69 times in 2009? Where do you find the discipline?
See, this is part of why I didn’t do the traditional discretionary spending analysis this year. I actually think my “dining out” is being underreported. Remember how I started giving myself an adult allowance at the end of 2008? I basically take out $200 at the first of every month, and allow myself to spend on anything I want. Well, I don’t track that spending. It’s just a blanket $200 withdrawal in Quicken, and it’s not itemized.
However, I do use that money for meals. I never use it for dining out with Kris, but I do use the cash to buy lunch for myself at least once a week. So my trips to Flying Pie and Cha Cha Cha and Imperial Garden don’t always show up in Quicken because they’re absorbed by this allowance spending.
That’s why I say my numbers are muddled for 2009 and it doesn’t make sense to compare one year to the next. I’m going to try to be better at writing things down this year, even when they come out of the allowance. That should mean I can do my normal analysis next year…
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As someone who often has friends over for dinner, a word of warning – depending on what you’re making (especially if you want to make something special), it’s definitely not necessarily cheaper to cook for others in your home. On the one hand, it is typically cheaper to prepare a dish yourself, but keep in mind that you’re doubling (or more) the number of portions involved, and you may also need to purchase foods in sizes larger than those required for the dish itself (like spices, packages of herbs, etc.) — and you have to be very conscious of using those things up later! This isn’t to dissuade you – I LOVE cooking for friends and still do it often – but I don’t necessarily think of it as a “cheap” alternative to eating out. One alternative is to invite friends who will invite you back for the most part, so you’re getting a “free” meal out of it another time.
Another is to ask your invitee to bring the wine or another portion of the meal. Of course, this depends on how good a friend they are. 
(I only ask for wine/salad/bread/dessert/etc. if the friend asks if they can bring something, but most of my friends do this.)
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Also, I want to point out that I don’t put much special effort into tracking how many times we eat out. All I do is go into Quicken at the end of the year and tally the number of items in the “dining out” category!
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“We need to find more cheap places to eat. Half the fun of going out is just going out.” – I disagree with this statement. To me the best part of going out is enjoying a great meal in a nice setting. My husband and I had a buy 1 get 1 free coupon for Ruby Tuesdays. I’d read in the NY Times where they were changing their menu and it was more upscale so I decided to give it a try. The food wasn’t bad – although the meat, as usual in places like this was overcooked. But the problem was it was in a mall, there were a bunch of kids (little kids w/ parents and unsupervised teens) there, the customers were the type who don’t check their coats and the service wasn’t the kind I was accustomed too. Overall I had a terrible dining experience although I was fed fairly well for cheap (less than $25).
But I’m not doing that again. The experience was just awful and the food wasn’t that good (although it probably was the best part of the evening). I’d rather pay $50-$100 for a great meal in a nice atmosphere where I’m waited on hand and foot.
Sure we eat at places like Moe’s, Chipotle, and other quick eat places, but for a good meal I’m not hitting chain restaurants. I’ll pay more for a better dining experience and I’d rather patronize my local restaurants who place an emphasis on atmosphere and service as well as good food.
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I had a slight freakout when looking at my restaurant spending at year end. Mint.com’s time-based graphs by category are really cool. Our restaurant spending was high and all over the board. Then, I viewed it as the broader category of “food & dining” and realized it was probably our most consistent category. When groceries go up, dining out goes down. Context is important, too, and groceries aren’t free, either.
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Just skimmed comments so don’t know how many have mentioned these points:
- if you drink alcohol (I do) BYOB!!!!! Learn a little about wine(Wine for Dummies was helpful to me) and find a good wine shop. If you know a little you can get drinkable stuff for $10 a bottle.
- If you go to a place with a bar, get water. Have a cocktail at home before you go out.
- Try places that don’t have servers.
_ Splurge on a special appetizer. Your taste buds are freshest at the beginning of the meal.
-restaurants.com is good.
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Hi,
Have you tried Restaurant.com? My husband and I bought some certificates on ebay before Christmas. There are several restaurants we enjoy in our area and the savings are actually significant. Ebay will help you save even more than purchasing on their website. I gave away several certificates as gifts for Christmas and folks were really pleased. Try it. Perhaps some of your favorite restaurants participate!
Cathy
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@JD – why don’t you set up a “Cash” account in Quicken, and when you take out the $200, transfer it there and then itemize your spending? I do this and usually end up with a few missing dollars here and there but overall it helps me out.
We hardly ever go places that would cost $50 a meal, our favorite places are Panera Bread, Qdoba and McAlister’s Deli. Sort of a step above fast food but usually under $20 a meal. Our budget is twice a week, or $40.
That being said, if you enjoy dining out I would guess it’s probably better to spend more for fewer meals than trying to go for quantity.
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Have to say I agree with the comments regarding a different attitude toward eating out. If I can have it at home with my wife and enjoy a bottle of wine with it for the same or less than it would cost to eat out, I would rather be at home (read hamburger meal here).
When I dine out, I want an eating experience that I am not likely to do better in my own home. When I say this, I think sushi or a chef prepared meal. I would rather have this experience less often and pay the necessary price for the experience than pay $25. just to eat out.
As to putting your desires on hold to give yourself a chance to decide if they are really what you want, I have been getting better and better at this and I find this is an excellent way to reduce my ongoing expenditures for two reasons:
1. sometimes I just decide I don’t really need it.
2. often, further research points me to a better opportunity or the same opportunity at a better price and I am that much more satisfied with my decision when I finally make it.
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Okay, I feel better now. : )
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We budget $100 for the month for entertainment, and that includes “going out for food” money. We have to be so careful with how we spend it – if we want to go out for a nice meal (say, $50) at the beginning of the month, we have to watch our spending for the rest of the month. It also keeps us in line. Sometimes, we buy fast food (if we’re on the road, or if my pregnancy cravings say “eat at Culver’s!”), or sometimes, we might just get a cup of coffee and split a baked good. It’s fun, and it’s a small splurge.
I do agree that half of the fun of going out….is going out. It’s nice to not have to clean up and do the prep work of making dinner, and then to just leave the dirty dishes when we’re done! I like the experience of getting ready to go out – maybe wearing a nicer outfit than usual, getting to the restaurant, people-watching, etc.
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