Comments on: How Much Money Can You Save by NOT Eating Out?

By: Monroe on a Budget » How much can you save by not eating out?

Monroe on a Budget » How much can you save by not eating out? — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:11:19 +0000

[...] OutOfYourRut.com takes on this common topic with some eye-opening numbers: How much money can you save by not eating out? [...]

By: Barb

Barb — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:42:16 +0000

What I find is that my husband being diabetic, I do not know what carbs have been added to the entrees at a restaurant, and we have to add those up every meal. Plus, I cannot handle a lot of air conditioning in restaurants due to a respiratory problem, so I am not always comfortable eating, and I would never eat with my coat on.
Incidentally, glad I found this, can I use it for a reference on some research?

By: Jamie

Jamie — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:06:35 +0000

I really think this article is on point. I often get bored with eating at home and eat out.. I think spicing it up and trying something new is a good point.

Although I do like to go out with my girlfriend. I don’t like spending a lot of money but I don’t want to be cheap so what I do is I’m a member of this savings and discount plans through usadvantageplans.com. I can get a $25 dollar gift certificate for $17.50. This is a typical savings on a restaurant. It really varries. Some restaurants have better discounts.

anyhow, I also onlyyyy drink water. rarely eat steak.

By: Kevin M

Kevin M — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 01:52:12 +0000

Derek – Very well put…”I often wonder how many people have eaten the equivalent of a retirement nest egg simply by spending in restaurants what they could’ve invested.”

What it’s come down to is that eating out has become so “normal” in our culture that many people do it without thinking. We can’t imagine NOT doing it. Meanwhile, cookbooks, cooking shows, master chefs and designer kitchens have become all the rage–to a society where few actually cook anymore. Maybe cooking has moved into the realm of fantasy.

But getting back to retirement…one of the under rated aspects of retirement planning is reducing cost of living. It’s hard to imagine how that will work in a society wedded to the idea of paying someone else to perform a function as basic as preparing our meals. The habits we develop in our younger/working years will follow us into retirement, rest assured. The implications are staggering.

By: Derek Sisterhen | getnakedbook.com

Derek Sisterhen | getnakedbook.com — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 21:31:37 +0000

Hey Kevin,

This is an excellent review of the eating out shift in our contemporary culture. I was just speaking to a group of twenty and thirty-somethings about eating out. I asked, “When you were growing up, wasn’t going out to eat a special occasion?” They all nodded their heads in the affirmative.

When I was little we’d go out to eat to this middle-of-the-road Chinese food restaurant once a month, but I’d always wear my nicest shirt because we were “going out as a family.”

Today, restaurants have been comoditized – you find a fast food or slow-food-fast (read: Appleby’s, TGI Fridays, etc)on nearly every corner. Eating out is no longer a luxury, but when you return to that mindset, you begin to enjoy eating out more and it doesn’t bust the spending plan.

I often wonder how many people have eaten the equivalent of a retirement nest egg simply by spending in restaurants what they could’ve invested.
Derek Sisterhen | getnakedbook.com´s last [type] ..i ate barf-flavored jelly beans for your entertainment

By: Kevin M

Kevin M — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:18:02 +0000

I’ve worked with people who made no more than $25-30,000 per year who spent $50/week on lunch, and wondered if they realized that they were spending 10% of their gross income just on lunch!

By: Financial Bondage

Financial Bondage — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:43:35 +0000

I use to spend $50 a week eating out. it’s not cheap.

By: Kevin M

Kevin M — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:56:11 +0000

David – good point on the health risks. Most restaurant meals pack in salt and gravies loaded with fat and calories. Also, back when eating out was a rare event, it was something special. Today it’s gotten so common that it’s no longer special. It’s now a regular part of the typical household budget, and has to be considered when it’s time to cut.

By: David @ seo-writer.com

David @ seo-writer.com — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 16:18:09 +0000

Frankly, all you pay for is for somebody to overload your food with salt. I much prefer being in control of what I eat…although the occasional Chinese buffet does make me smile. (I did say “occasional”.)

By: Saving’s Sweet Seduction - Real Cheap Food

Saving’s Sweet Seduction - Real Cheap Food — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:24:05 +0000

[...] all that long ago I thought nothing of eating at restaurants two or three times a day, paying dollars for a small coffee in the afternoon, then buying a big bag [...]