The Silver Lining of an Overpriced Meal

[CommonCents]

Friday I had lovely plans with my husband.  We were going to go sailing at a local place I have a membership and then go watch a free movie outside on a big screen.  Unfortunately, it rained/thunderstorm which shut down the sailing place and my husband proposed we eat out dinner with drinks instead of our prior plans to eat sandwiches.  I usually fight him on eating out and sometimes for marital harmony I agree to go and enjoy myself rather than seething with resentment, like this time.

The bill came and it was $50 after tax/tip for an app, a cheap entree, and 3 beers (he had 2).  Totally doable - but as I pointed out to him, the food was pretty subpar, particularly for $50.  We eat WAY better at home (in terms of both taste, quality and health) for much less.  Before, the bill's been closer to low $40, so he's been able to ignore the expense, but because this one was more it actually surprised him enough to agree with me.

So for $50, I got him to agree that we could have dinners out the next time by picking up sandwiches and skipping the beers until we got home.  I'm choosing to see this as a long-term win (or the start of one, I hope) rather than a short term $50 loss!

[MrFancypants]

My wife and I usually come to the same conclusion after eating out for whatever reason....  the food my wife prepares is almost always better.

We still go out every now and then just to get out though.  But we try to reserve it for stuff we aren't great at preparing, like Indian or Thai.

[Blany]

I’ve been learning the hard way not to complain about restaurant meals when I do go out for them.  I’m glad your SO was able to come to an agreement with you and you both learned something.  I am sure dinner was quite good (even if not as good as home cooked) and the company was excellent.  I would caution not to complain every time you got out for a meal.  I was being accused of “always being negative”  and even finding myself feeling negative energy when eating out.  I concluded that restaurant meals aren’t so bad and that I was in fact being too negative.  This was making mine and others people experience less enjoyable.  I now just expect less and am satisfied with what ever meal and drinks I choose.  I don’t eat out much but when I do its turns out being more fun.  I think you handled the situation well!

[Mrs. Frugalwoods]

Good plan and great way to look at it! If it's a new long-term habit, then it's definitely worth the $50.

[hybrid]

This is a good tale to read, the missus and I have had similar experiences. When we do go out, it's usually not for mediocre or overpriced food. $20-$25 can get us a pretty darn good ethnic meal we don't normally eat at home, and the rest we can fix at home.

I'm not opposed to occasionally dining out, I am very opposed to overpaying for mediocre food like the OP described. 

[boognish]

I'd echo the sentiments that overpaying for a relatively cheap crappy meal is worse than splurging on a nice meal. I think paying ~$15 for two crappy meals at McDonald's is way more soul crushing than ~$50 for a great ethnic meal.

Generic blah food from diners for $10 a plate makes me want to punch my face.

[Albert]

I'd echo the sentiments that overpaying for a relatively cheap crappy meal is worse than splurging on a nice meal. I think paying ~$15 for two crappy meals at McDonald's is way more soul crushing than ~$50 for a great ethnic meal.

Generic blah food from diners for $10 a plate makes me want to punch my face.

That's exactly the reason why I almost never do it. The exception being if I'm traveling alone and just need to eat something far from home.

As to the situation OP described whenever you go out to eat to a new place you run a slight risk of food not being good. It happened to me also recently. We went to a Greek restaurant in a small town just across the border in Germany. The place looked nice from outside, but the food turned out to be well below average. About 50 euros wasted (for 2) but I'm not beating myself up about it too much.

[CommonCents]

Yes, and in fact I pointed out how much more enjoyable a different local place is, even though it's a bit more expensive.  I suggested fewer trips there would be much preferable to many trips at this overpriced place!

Luckily we've almost entirely cut fast food places from our diet, except while traveling when we sometimes indulge.  Looking up the food calories for various meals has also helped to change my husband's preferences.  (He even quoted the calories for a Blooming Onion to his mother, when she tells us she has a coupon for a free one at Outback, for why we passed on it!)

[Basenji]

This thread makes me think of Tyler Cowen, the economist:
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/05/six-rules-for-dining-out/308929/

He has a food blog, https://tylercowensethnicdiningguide.com/, which we consult quite often. If you are in the DC area and are looking for a relative bargain (best food for cheapest price), he's your guy.

[libertarian4321]

Friday I had lovely plans with my husband.  We were going to go sailing at a local place I have a membership and then go watch a free movie outside on a big screen.  Unfortunately, it rained/thunderstorm which shut down the sailing place and my husband proposed we eat out dinner with drinks instead of our prior plans to eat sandwiches.  I usually fight him on eating out and sometimes for marital harmony I agree to go and enjoy myself rather than seething with resentment, like this time.

The bill came and it was $50 after tax/tip for an app, a cheap entree, and 3 beers (he had 2).  Totally doable - but as I pointed out to him, the food was pretty subpar, particularly for $50.  We eat WAY better at home (in terms of both taste, quality and health) for much less.  Before, the bill's been closer to low $40, so he's been able to ignore the expense, but because this one was more it actually surprised him enough to agree with me.

So for $50, I got him to agree that we could have dinners out the next time by picking up sandwiches and skipping the beers until we got home.  I'm choosing to see this as a long-term win (or the start of one, I hope) rather than a short term $50 loss!

There is nothing wrong with going out to eat now and again (though preferably at a place with good food), just don't over do it.  Save it for special occasions.

You don't have to live like a monk, just temper your spending, in order to reach FI.

[WildJager]

I agree that cooking at home yields much better food for a significantly cheaper price.  With that said... sometimes it's fun to just hang out at a fancy, perhaps romantic restaurant and relax with someone you love.  If only for the novelty.  I don't blame the industry as a source of entertainment, though I do blame our culture for considering that eating out almost every night is a viable option.