I was reviewing my spending over the past two months, using Quickbooks, and noticed that last month I spent less than I budgeted for eating out, but more on groceries. My total cost for both categories was just under $600 compared to this months eat-out amount, already over $200, and groceries at about $266. That comes out to under $500, though the month isn’t over yet. This got me thinking that maybe it’s less expensive for two people to eat out rather than to cook more often.
Now, I don’t necessarily like eating out more than I like eating at home. Our choices for eating out are usually less healthy than when we cook. However, because we normally share a meal when we eat out, our food expense is a lot less than most, especially if I stick to water instead of a soft drink. Also, preparing a meal at home for just two people is more challenging. Most recipes produce amounts equivalent to feeding a family of four which often leads to waste in our house.
So does this mean we can eat out more often and save money? Perhaps. But in order to do so, I have to follow a few eat-out rules that we already have in place:
- I stick to water and forgo the alcohol or soda.
- We share a meal (thankfully we like to eat the same things).
- We choose healthier options – grilled chicken, salad, veggies and forget the french fries.
- We select mid-range priced restaurants.
As for grocery shopping, planning a couple of meals a week and having just the basics lying around can save us money when we get tired of eating out. I have a few favorite snack foods that I like to munch on, like carrots and hummus, or chips and cowboy caviar (both healthy and filling options.) Overall, our grocery cost is fairly low, even with rising prices.
Do you share meals when you eat out? Does is cost more or less to eat at home?
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I’ve often thought that it would be cheaper to eat out, for two reasons: as a single person, I waste so much food because it spoils before I can eat it and because grocery store are so expensive where I live. Of course, if pushed I could make very frugal food at home every day, but it’s not the sort of stuff I would actually want to eat every day.
Unless the restaurant is offering special pricing, it is less expensive to eat at home. There are economies of scale that you can take advantage while preparing the meal. You can prepare 2 meals and freeze the other for another day.
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Sometimes I think that eating out can be cheaper. For example, my wife and I love going to Subway and sharing a $5 footlong. That comes to $2.50 per person. You’d be hard pressed to make a huge sandwich like that for the price. And if you buy all the supplies to do it, you’d have to make 10 sandwiches to use all the supplies up before they spoil!
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@Terri – That’s the problem I run into; our food goes bad before we can eat it! If we could get into a better habit of making larger portions (using all the food before it goes bad) and freezing the unused half, that would work. But it takes some planning and time -something I have limited amounts of.
@Krantcents – If only I could get organized enough to make larger portions and freeze the rest, then it would work out well. Our biggest problem is we shop every 2 weeks and can’t get to eating all the food before it goes bad. I guess cooking and freezing would fix that problem.
@Robert – That’s what we run into – sharing a sandwich or meal costs less than buying all the supplies unless we can use all the supplies. But then it comes down to getting sick and tired of eating sandwiches everyday because the food will spoil before we eat it all! Oh the conundrum.
Yeah,we share meals when we eat out and my husband eats whatever I eat, but of course, it must be healthy. I have a big family so for me, it is more practical to cook at home. Maybe eating out is ideal on a small family or for a couple that don’t have a child yet.
Still cheaper to cook at home rather eating out. As for throwing food away, I hear you, it’s one of my biggest pet peeves. One partial solution is learning dishes and recipes made from pantry items that store well, like making pasta with canned vegetables as a topping. Potatoes and onions can keep for a while, and bunches of parsley set in a cup of water will keep a good long while. My preferred way for long-keeping groceries is growing our own, though.
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@Jess – Since it’s just my husband and I, eating out isn’t that expensive especially since we share a meal. However, I’m sure I still save money when we eat at home, as long as we don’t waste too much.
We’re eating out more now that our nest is empty. It is cheaper to eat at home, but with coupons we come close sometimes eating out.
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@Kay Lynn- I need to get better at hunting down coupons and gift cards for less. Then we’d really end up eating out for less.
I have many food allergies, so eat out maybe once a year for myself. I only eat organic/free range meats, eggs, etc… and no restaurant I’ve been to offers those choices. It’s definitely more cost effective to eat at home.
As for throwing food out, I feel your pain. I’m trying to buy less, as food waste is horrible especially when you think how many don’t have the “luxury” of food on a daily basis.