Addicted to eating out???

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-07-2005
Addicted to eating out???
13
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 12:41pm
I know that our biggest money blower is eating out. DH and I both work 40+ hours a week and I know by the time we both get home we are drained and don't feel like cooking. Also sometimes I just really don't feel like cooking. (I know that sounds so lazy.. lol) Do you have an addiction to eating out? How do you make yourself cook and eat at home?

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-14-2003
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 12:50pm

I was also addicted to eating out and justified it by saying things like "I deserve it", or "I am just way too busy" or "It's only $20". Well, $20 three times per week adds up to about $240 per month that I could use to pay down my debt or do home improvement projects that I have been putting off because we don't have the money. We have only been out to eat twice in the past 2-1/2 weeks and I feel so much better about myself and the state of my finances. I used to take the kids out to lunch all the time because we would be out running errands and I didn't think I would have time to get them home and fed. Well, with some better planning on my part, we have been just fine and my wallet is a little more padded for it.

I do things like meal planning, using my Crock-pot a lot and preparing some freezer meals. I also keep a stash of frozen pizzas available for those times when I just do not feel like cooking. I think that it is better to have a $5 pizza in the freezer than spending $25 at Pizza Hut.

Your public library should have some books on making freezer meals. They will have titles like "Once a Month Cooking" and things like that.

Good luck!
Windy

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-05-2004
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 1:41pm

Do you have a crock-pot? Especially with the weather turning cooler, a crock-pot is a wonderful thing to have. If you don't have one, most thrift stores and consignment stores have them, or you could purchase a small one, new, for about $10. Start the meal before you leave home, and it'll be all cooked and waiting for you when you return after work. :-D

Pat

Avatar for cl_phocid
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 3:18pm

Hey momma - this is one I *totally* struggle with.

All my best,
Danni

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-23-2005
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 3:20pm
We find ourselves in the same habit every now & then. We'll go through periods of laziness where all we can think of is eating out, then guilt sets in and we cut way back. Lately, we've been doing much better about cooking at home and trying to save money. And I've been trying to bring my lunch to work more. I mean, when you get 1/2 of a beef for Christmas every year, you really should stay home and cook it, right?? I couldn't tell you how many roasts I have yet to cook before this Christmas beef arrives. But who wants to eat roast all the time?????
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-25-2003
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 3:39pm

Ooooh, me too.

We really like to eat out, and it seems like such a little thing. But each time we eat out, it costs $30. To eat at home costs about $4. So I've been trying to force us to eat at home. It's hard, because we have great restaurants around here.

I've done some crockpot cooking, and stored up stuff in the fridge. I don't have a set cooking day, but I cook sporadically and then freeze it. DH can grill stuff, but if I'm not home, he'll usually just make himself an omelette. I like to bake, so we have lots of muffins and things to have for snacks. (Lunch/Breakfast out is also a major money leak for us).

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 5:17pm

I do think it's addicting-not just for the convenience but the food itself. I'm a SAHM, DH travels a lot. I know our eating out budget ($80 a month) is one of the few places left that can go so I'm working on it. I found that I really missed not eating out at first but then just got into the habit of cooking at home. On the other hand, DH eats out all the time while on the road and still really misses it. I know my food is healthier and certainly cheaper but I think the restaurant food is literally addicting.

Umm...true confession here-not a fan of the crockpot. I keep working on it but I just don't find that many vegetarian meals that go for the whole day and usually it's much easier for me to just cook it than deal with the crockpot. Plus-I really don't like the way the meat tastes when I cook meat in it for the kids and I. But I keep trying....

Taleyna

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 10-03-2005 - 7:36pm
Hi everyone, lurker here. You've hit on one of my pet peeves. I believe eating out is one of the biggest budget busters there is. My husband and I rarely eat out (6 times a year maybe and 3 of those times are with gift certificates) because to us it's just not worth the money. We can't even go out for snacks for under $50 (couple of beers and appetizers) and dinner is always from $75 to $100 (I'm a waitress and always have to leave decent tips). And the most "time" we spend eating out is about an hour and a half. When you figure out how many hours it took to make that money----ouch it's ridiculous and enough to make me not eat out anytime soon. For example, just this weekend we had beers and appetizers at a local resturant which cost $50 and we were there 1 1/2 hrs. Like I said I'm a waitress and I worked 7 hours during lunch today and made $100. I had to work 3 1/2 hours today for our snacks! Enough to make me not do it again for a very long time, I'll tell ya!!! I would much rather go skiing for a day, rent a boat and go fishing, go to the city, etc. Stretch that money out. We've got plenty of quickie, cheap, delicious and healthy meals that we whip up when we're not in the mood to cook. OK, I've had my say! Am I the only person on the planet who isn't into eating out?
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-12-2004
Tue, 10-04-2005 - 12:11am
Hi, Momma. Yes, DH and I work a lot, and we're both too tired to cook sometimes. Yesterday, I cooked spaghetti (not homemade), but the other week, I made a crockpot roast. My biggest problem is watching what I eat, as I am trying to lose weight. Sooo--got a subscription to "Taste of Home" and Cooking for Two. It does help to look at what others have tried. Wish I didnt have so many leftovers. Whiz.
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-21-2003
Tue, 10-04-2005 - 8:55am

Hihere,

duh, yes, eating out is so easy... we did eat out often, and it almost broke our neck, financially. I still 'eat out' at work, i.e. I go to the caf at lunch break, but only take a sall serving of whatever is the day's cheapest meal, and bring some food or a sandwich from home. Eating during lunch break, incidentally, ensures I am not overly hungry or even almost starved when I come home. That make sit easier for me to go grocery shopping on my way home without falling into spending sprees, and also to make dinner at home. Dh often eats on the run, when he's between two appointments, stops at a diner etc.

Advice I can offer is this: Keep a well stocked up pantry, full of things which do not take more than 15 minutes to get done. I can always make myself wait another 15 minutes, I keep telling myself. And if you have a big enough freezer and a microwave (which I do not have either...), you can indeed just precook when you feel like cooking, store the food (with well-readable labels!) and then you have three or four different menu options in your own freezer, ready and served within 15 minutes.

I guess once I'll have too much time I start writing a cook-book - the 15-minute cuisine for two to four ;-)

Greetings, Jordis

ivy_jordis

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Tue, 10-04-2005 - 9:09am

Wow-I can't imagine $50 for appetizers. We live in the Midwest where cost of living is cheaper so I'm sure that makes a difference. We mostly eat at places where the meal is in the $8-13 price range. We drink water with the meal and rarely order appetizers (DH might order an appetizer as a meal since there are usually good veg. options there). We buy an entertainment book each year and use those coupons. We usually tip 20% unless the service was poor and when using a coupon we do tip on the original price and not the discounted price.

Taleyna

Pages