Not the exact situation, I get in trouble with the SO because I don't want to go out to eat with her and her kids (both over 18 if that makes a difference). The kids always want to go to Applebee's, Buca di Beppo, Chinese buffet, Olive Garden, etc. It's always over a hundred dollars for 4 people. I am not a food snob by any means, but I do not like the food at these places. She says it's about spending time together, well, when we don't go out to eat we eat just about every dinner together. If I do go, and end up paying, I think to myself, this costs more than I make in a day, I really would have liked to not work a day instead.
The other day we met up with some friends for food, I don't know why you have to meet friends at a restaurant. They were saying they owe vet bills on credit cards with 29% interest rates. I'm sure at 20 dollars a person we could have just cooked food for half as much and ended up with twice the food.
I don't get that much more out of a 20 dollar meal than I do a 10 dollar meal. I do the groupon thing so I can try to make her happy by eating out, but of course then it becomes a, well you have a groupon, that means we can order appetizers etc.
I guess I'm just a cheap person in general, going out to eat seems like one of the bigger useless expenses to me.