How do you manage eating out?

[oiprocs]

I can't seem to grasp how to NOT spend a lot on food outside the home.

It's so much easier to just buy an already made meal.

If I go to Costco/Albertsons/etc I just buy snacks, drinks, frozen items; stuff that does not need cooking.

Do you set aside X amount of dollars for eating out and that's it? Do you have the willpower to just not spend it?

 

[Crono]

Buy healthy food.
Eat that.

 

[Electric Amish]

\Lawnchair

 

[Platypus]

You eat frozen items, drinks and snacks that do not need cooking every day?

 

[Quiksilver]

/Popcorn.

 

[joesmoke]

make sure you remove her underwear first, check for stink/visible oddities---> munch away



also, cooking for yourself isnt cheaper just healthier

 

[TallBill]

Originally posted by: scorpious
I can't seem to grasp how to NOT spend a lot on food outside the home.

It's so much easier to just buy an already made meal.

If I go to Costco/Albertsons/etc I just buy snacks, drinks, frozen items; stuff that does not need cooking.

Do you set aside X amount of dollars for eating out and that's it? Do you have the willpower to just not spend it?

Bolded for the lulz

 

[JS80]

some people like $500 video cards, other people enjoy $100 dinners.

 

[K1052]

Well a shower is a good start...

 

[moshquerade]

i see what you did there

 

[Krazy4Real]

No, you just set aside X number of minutes to cook every other day. Here's a hint. Make more than what you normally would eat and put the leftovers in the fridge. Then you can just warm that up the next time you're hungry and you don't have to cook again.

 

[OCGuy]

We make good money.

 

[oiprocs]

Originally posted by: OCguy
We make good money.

Most honest answer thus far.

Lakers fans are the best I tell ya.

 

[SonnyDaze]

Originally posted by: K1052
Well a shower is a good start...

And then a leg up on each shoulder...

 

[KeithTalent]

I have a running cash flow statement where I track all incoming and outgoing cash and cash equivalents. Doing that for a few months helped me to monitor where my money was going and re-allocate it to things I really wanted to spend it on (or save, etc.). When I noticed I was spending an inordinate amount of cash on breakfast and lunch, and even dinner (but not great dinners, crappy stuff), I decided to start bringing in my own lunch and breakfast and trying to eat at home more often.

Rather than wasting my money on crappy mall food for lunch, or at average restaurants, I just wait and spend it on a decent meal at a nice restaurant, or even buy a nice piece of meat to enjoy at home, which is really much more gratifying, for me anyway.

KT

 

[Ns1]

i hold my breath

 

[SilentZero]

We budget for eating out twice per week, but its rare that we do. My wife shops for the week and cooks dinner most days, so whatever we don't spend on eating out we will spend on other things.

 

[knawlejj]

Originally posted by: joesmoke
make sure you remove her underwear first, check for stink/visible oddities---> munch away



also, cooking for yourself isnt cheaper just healthier

agreed, to both statements.

 

[oiprocs]

Originally posted by: KeithTalent
I have a running cash flow statement where I track all incoming and outgoing cash and cash equivalents. Doing that for a few months helped me to monitor where my money was going and re-allocate it to things I really wanted to spend it on (or save, etc.). When I noticed I was spending an inordinate amount of cash on breakfast and lunch, and even dinner (but not great dinners, crappy stuff), I decided to start bringing in my own lunch and breakfast and trying to eat at home more often.

Rather than wasting my money on crappy mall food for lunch, or at average restaurants, I just wait and spend it on a decent meal at a nice restaurant, or even buy a nice piece of meat to enjoy at home, which is really much more gratifying, for me anyway.

KT

What do you use? Quicken? Is it easy to learn? Or you just have an Excel sheet?

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: scorpious

Originally posted by: KeithTalent
I have a running cash flow statement where I track all incoming and outgoing cash and cash equivalents. Doing that for a few months helped me to monitor where my money was going and re-allocate it to things I really wanted to spend it on (or save, etc.). When I noticed I was spending an inordinate amount of cash on breakfast and lunch, and even dinner (but not great dinners, crappy stuff), I decided to start bringing in my own lunch and breakfast and trying to eat at home more often.

Rather than wasting my money on crappy mall food for lunch, or at average restaurants, I just wait and spend it on a decent meal at a nice restaurant, or even buy a nice piece of meat to enjoy at home, which is really much more gratifying, for me anyway.

KT

What do you use? Quicken? Is it easy to learn? Or you just have an Excel sheet?

Just a spreadsheet (OpenOffice). Very handy and can be a real eye opener when you first do it.

KT

 

[oiprocs]

Originally posted by: KeithTalent

Originally posted by: scorpious

Originally posted by: KeithTalent
I have a running cash flow statement where I track all incoming and outgoing cash and cash equivalents. Doing that for a few months helped me to monitor where my money was going and re-allocate it to things I really wanted to spend it on (or save, etc.). When I noticed I was spending an inordinate amount of cash on breakfast and lunch, and even dinner (but not great dinners, crappy stuff), I decided to start bringing in my own lunch and breakfast and trying to eat at home more often.

Rather than wasting my money on crappy mall food for lunch, or at average restaurants, I just wait and spend it on a decent meal at a nice restaurant, or even buy a nice piece of meat to enjoy at home, which is really much more gratifying, for me anyway.

KT

What do you use? Quicken? Is it easy to learn? Or you just have an Excel sheet?

Just a spreadsheet (OpenOffice). Very handy and can be a real eye opener when you first do it.

KT

Column for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

And you fill it in every day?

 

[Amused]

Back in the 70s this is how we flossed.

 

[SonnyDaze]

Originally posted by: Amused
Back in the 70s this is how we flossed.

:laugh: :laugh:

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: scorpious

Originally posted by: KeithTalent

Originally posted by: scorpious

Originally posted by: KeithTalent
I have a running cash flow statement where I track all incoming and outgoing cash and cash equivalents. Doing that for a few months helped me to monitor where my money was going and re-allocate it to things I really wanted to spend it on (or save, etc.). When I noticed I was spending an inordinate amount of cash on breakfast and lunch, and even dinner (but not great dinners, crappy stuff), I decided to start bringing in my own lunch and breakfast and trying to eat at home more often.

Rather than wasting my money on crappy mall food for lunch, or at average restaurants, I just wait and spend it on a decent meal at a nice restaurant, or even buy a nice piece of meat to enjoy at home, which is really much more gratifying, for me anyway.

KT

What do you use? Quicken? Is it easy to learn? Or you just have an Excel sheet?

Just a spreadsheet (OpenOffice). Very handy and can be a real eye opener when you first do it.

KT

Column for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

And you fill it in every day?

I don't use mine exclusively for food, I use it for everything, but I do group the items in categories like that, yes.

KT

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: Amused
Back in the 70s this is how we flossed.

this made me laff


i budget for 2 "out" meals a week, but i rarely spend more than 50 bucks each. otherwise i cook at home, unless theres some reason that keeps us out late other days. my kids volleyball nights were a must night, not enough time to get home, cook, eat and get back for practice.