How Often Do You Eat out?

sleet on 16/03/2016 - 12:44
Last edited 16/03/2016 - 16:06 by 1 other user

I've been talking to a few people and realised perhaps I don't eat out as often as others.

I will generally eat out once a week or once a fortnight to catch up with friends. I wouldn't eat out more than twice a week and instead invite them over to cook instead. Eating out to me seems expensive and unnecessary unless it's for a big group of friends or special occasion. Cooking and eating at home is more intimate and cheaper. The great thing is everyone can chip in and help with the cleaning.

Typically, I would spend $15-$40 if I do go eating out. Just wondering how often you guys eat out and how much you spend per outing?

EDIT: Meals that you haven't cooked at home is eating out including delivery hero and food court

Poll Options

  • 52
    Twice or more a week.
  • 30
    Once a week.
  • 12
    Once a fortnight.
  • 15
    Once a month.
Food & Grocery

Comments

  • strikerzebra on 16/03/2016 - 12:48

    These days probably once every few weeks

  • nubzy on 16/03/2016 - 13:01

    Every few weeks. But Thai is a good cheap eating out option. Local one to me is only $10-$12 a main, unlimited rice, no charge for BYO and free oranges and chocolate for desert.

  • Slippery Fish on 16/03/2016 - 13:06
    +2

    Work in a kitchen 60-70 hours a week, you will never eat out again. Like the peons on warcraft 3 would say, work work.

  • SmiTTy on 16/03/2016 - 13:10
    +1

    does delivery hero count as "eating out" ?
    Still spending money - but "eating in" ….

  • Maki on 16/03/2016 - 13:38

    Lunch or dinner? If lunch counts, that has to be more than twice a week…

  • Clear on 16/03/2016 - 13:39

    Several times a week. Often I'm on the road and it's just easier that way.

  • tomleonhart on 16/03/2016 - 13:39

    Once a week. It's our treats :)

  • marcusv on 16/03/2016 - 13:41
    +1

    I used to eat out a few times a week when I lived in Melbourne. Since moving back to Perth I don't as it is much more expensive. For example a pasta dish at an Italian restaurant that would be $15 in Melbourne is $25-30 here.

  • Utopian on 16/03/2016 - 13:51
    +7

    As often as the mrs lets me.

  • scrimshaw on 16/03/2016 - 14:21

    Does eating in a food court for lunch at work count as 'eating out'?

  • sleet on 16/03/2016 - 15:27
    +1

    Yes, eating at a food court for lunch or delivery hero is eating out. A meal that you haven't cooked at home is eating out

    • [Deactivated] on 16/03/2016 - 15:39
      +1

      shit in that case, I eat out at least 5 times a week, sometimes up to 10 times

      • scrimshaw on 16/03/2016 - 16:05
        +3

        Yeap, your Poll options are going to need another one added to it:

        I eat out once or twice a day

  • inherentchoice on 16/03/2016 - 15:31

    Does eating instant noodles with hot water at 7-Eleven count as eating out?

  • bobbified on 16/03/2016 - 15:46
    +3

    Pretty much every day.. for dinner. (No breakfast and on the rare occasions that I do have lunch, it's also bought from outside).

    I got with a mate or two and rather than split whatever we're eating on the night, we always take turns in paying - but it works out to be about $10-20/meal depending on where we go.

    I, living by myself, find that cooking at home and eating out pretty much work out to be within a few dollars of each other per meal as long as I don't go too extravagant when I eat out. For example, if I get a decent piece of steak from Coles or somewhere, it might cost about $8 - add potatoes, milk and some veggies and it works out to be about $13. Items like milk and veggies don't last very long so I can't just buy bulk and leave it at home - means that every time I cook steak, I have to buy it.

    Whereas, if I eat a $15 steak at a pub, I'm paying an extra couple of dollars, but I don't have to use electricity to cook and water to clean the dishes afterwards. And of course, I don't have to put in the effort to cook the thing.

    • Powershopz on 16/03/2016 - 17:00
      +3

      Yeah, cooking for one meal is not cost effective at all.

      You should try cook in batches and get multiple meals out of it. e.g. Make a batch of Pasta for $15 and you can get 3-4 meals out of it.

      Also shopping at markets can save you a stack of money. Steak, steamed brocolli, mashed potato, onion gravy with ingredients bought from a good market would cost you around $8.

      • sleet on 17/03/2016 - 11:03
        +1

        Yeap, I cook in a large batch and portion it out. It makes eating mundane but it is definitely cheaper.

      • bobbified on 17/03/2016 - 11:44
        +1

        Yeah.. I've heard that most people who live by themselves cook in batches to save money.
        For me personally, I have this habit of just eating the whole thing during the day. lol.. i learnt that when I first moved out. So I try not to do that.

        The other thing is, I'm pretty all over the place, so if I get meat and store it in the freezer, I never end up eating it because at the time of wanting it eat it, it's still frozen.. If i take it out in the morning to thaw it, someone always seems to want to go out for dinner last minute after work.

        Sounds like I'm making excuses to not cook at home… but it just seems to be the way my life works.

        So eating out, it is!

        And the markets near me (Vic Markets) is open on certain days, but it closes pretty early (4pm) so it's not easy to get there to buy fresh meat/fish, especially on weekdays.

        The single life…….

  • tj101 on 16/03/2016 - 19:11

    Living in a rural area, we eat out once a week and have a take away every fortnight or so. I make all the rest of our lunches and dinners and morning tea. It's quite expensive to eat out here- dinner and a soft drink is easily $25 per person. But I also think of the health. We have leftovers for lunches a few times and sandwiches and fruit on the other days.

  • try2bhelpful on 16/03/2016 - 23:22

    Actually we mainly do breakfast. Probably 2-3 times a week. It is cheaper than dinner, you don't buy the bottle of wine and it gets you out of bed and gives you a treat to get into work.

  • Gershom on 17/03/2016 - 09:50

    Probably 6 times a week on average.

  • dasher86 on 17/03/2016 - 12:51

    I probably eat out 5 times or more a week.

    Usually consists of buying lunch out for work and going out for dinner.

    If we have dinner during the week we tend to spend $10-15 per person and can include a drink. It's pretty cheap to eat in my area and a large variety of food too.

    Weekends and Friday nights we tend to spend a bit more depending on which area we are in.

    I tend to eat out fairly often but fine dining only on special occasions unlike my colleagues so it sorts itself out i guess.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/03/2016 - 18:26

    Just about every day. Morning or afternoon coffee is a routine and often stretches to lunch. Dinner two or three times a week, one of them being curry.
    I am salivating as I type.

    • [Deactivated] on 19/03/2016 - 13:43

      We are
      1. Lazy
      2. Lacking inspiration
      3. Short of time, (poor excuse, as we have to drive there and back)
      Knowing thyself is half the battle.

  • sleet on 17/03/2016 - 21:40

    How can you guys justify paying so much to eat out? Surely it's cheaper to cook at home and bring it to work for lunch

    • RubenM on 18/03/2016 - 07:44

      Or just fast during the day. It supposedly has health benefits and you don't have to worry about food while you're at work ever again.
      I do it every work day (unless we go out for a team lunch) and I won't have any calories before 4pm that day.

      If interested in IF, have a look at the (overselling) article below.
      http://www.collective-evolution.com/2015/02/05/why-restricti…

    • Sweetnsour on 18/03/2016 - 07:46

      Eating out has the feeling of buying more time to do the things you might want to do. When you eat out, you don't need to plan what to cook, buy, prep ingredients, cook then wash up afterwards. Its the price of convenience in busy lifestyles.

  • [Deactivated] on 18/03/2016 - 07:57

    i live near sunnybank so as often as possible

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