Last time you ate at a restaurant?

[Bob W]

My Grandparents (dad's parents) probably went for years at a time without eating at a restaurant or buying any preprepared food or ordering carry out.   They had no car, lived in a paid off house and made homemade hooch during prohibition.  So they were the original Mustachians.   

My Grandfather died prematurely around 1982 at around age 90.  Grandma made it to 101 around 1993. * 

A year or so ago I tried to see how long I could go with no restaurant food,  no carry out,  no preprepared food.   (exceptions might be things like canned beans but definitely not meals ready to heat stuff)

I can't remember, but I think I made it for 1 1/2 months.   I'm excluding my wife and kids because apparently they do whatever the hell they want.

So how bout it?  Anyone here go for several months?  A year?   Multiple years with only food you prepare yourself?

What's your record?

(I'm thinking about this because of all the budgets I see here,  food appears to be one of the lowest hanging fruits in the budget)  (pun intended)


* Seems Grandparents ate mostly bread, lard and cookies with an occasional shot of whiskey as I recall.

[2ndTimer]

Yesterday.  MacDonald's is giving away free coffee as a promotion.  I did not, of course, order any food to go with it.

[DollarsAndDissonance]

My grandmother's memorial service was held today.  One of my fondest memories of her and my grandfather was the special dinners we ate out at a small French restaurant in their town.  They dined there once a year, at most.  Otherwise, they ate exclusively at home, and even shopped at about four different grocery stores to get the best deals on every item.  I remember how special those dinners out were, and how much they savored every bite.  Today, those meals would probably be very good but otherwise unremarkable to me -- but to them, they were a true luxury, even though they easily could have afforded dining there every week.  I think those who grew up during or lived through the Great Depression had a different attitude about luxury and frugality -- probably even more extreme than many of us so-called "Mustachians".

To answer your question, dining out is easily my biggest Mustachian vice.  It's been about 24 hours for me.  In college, when money was a lot tighter, I probably went a month or longer without thinking twice about it.

[dandarc]

This afternoon - a "we're not renewing one of the project managers farewell lunch".

[tracylayton]

Yesterday, but it was a secret shopper assignment for a fast food chain and it paid $20 plus my meal was reimbursed. I try to do a couple of those a week. Aside from the assignments, I usually eat out once a week but not anywhere expensive.

[thepokercab]

About 6 days for me since the last trip to the restaurant.  I'm grabbing a beer with a couple of friends tonight, so that streak will probably be broken.  I honestly think my personal record is about 2 weeks. 

I'm working really hard on this particular vice and trying to limit restaurant trips to those that are strictly social in nature (i.e. the occasional date night, or meet-ups with friends); as opposed to just ordering a pizza or other restaurant food on any random night.   I want to build up the habit that eating at a restaurant is more of a special occasion activity, and not a primary go-to if I'm hungry and wanting something "quick". 

[crazy jane]

I remember watching an ESPN special about Bernie King who later played for the New York Nicks. He told a story about how the college recruiter met him in a restaurant and he had NEVER been in one and didn't know what to do. He was probably about 18.

[crazy jane]

Oops. Knicks.

[Snow White]

Lunch today and I will likely eat out lunch tomorrow too.  Here's the deal though...I am petite and a small eater to boot so I often eat off the appetizer menu AND take home leftovers for dinner.  Today for instance my chicken salad and ice tea lunch cost less than $5.00 (no tip place) and I will eat the rest of it for dinner tonight.

Neither hubby nor I like to cook, we are both retired (early) and we have more than enough resources to last our lifetimes.  I feel guilty about our eating out habit at times but we are frugal in so many other ways and we aren't lavish in our eating out choices.  So I guess decreasing the amount I eat out isn't really a goal.  ;).

[Beric01]

Today (free brunch by my company).

Before that it was Tuesday, at a cheap Chinese place with my co-workers. Before that I had been a month without restaurant food.

[rocksinmyhead]

I am terrible about this and it's absolutely low-hanging fruit in our budget. I love to cook, but we love to go out too, and friends are a terrible influence :( last for me was Tuesday... it was dollar taco night BUT STILL

[fujiters]

Today: free Shophouse bowl due to promotional coupon associated with their new opening!

That said, Chipotle is a weekly thing in our house.

[Gerard]

Yesterday, because work paid for it.

Normally, on my own tab, once or twice a month. Usually for something too complex or skill-requiring to do myself (noodles at momofuku, soon tofu at the good soon tofu place).

I did once meet a girl whose first restaurant trip was to celebrate her 16th birthday.

[tofuchampion]

Last Friday.  Takeout pizza.  We do it about once a week.

[deborah]

We eat out about once a year (maybe once every two years). However, when I see my parents, they usually take me out for a meal once during my visit. When I travel, I usually eat out a couple of times. However, drinking out is another matter - it is amazing how often you meet friends for a coffee.

[BlueMR2]

it is amazing how often you meet friends for a coffee.

I can only remember meeting somebody for coffee once ever (and that's just because we needed a place in between our houses to meet up for doing some work).  It's just not even on my radar.  :-)

Went out for lunch today at work.  Had some $10 gift cards from a vendor.  Just had to pay tax & tip, so got a nice 10.68 cent meal for $4 all said and done.  :-)

[Beric01]

That said, Chipotle is a weekly thing in our house.

I was pretty addicted to Chipotle for a while too. The only way for me to stop was to tell myself I could make 4+ meals for the price of one burrito every time I got the temptation.

[Jane]

Tonight. We went out to to our favorite pizza place and had a couple slices. Normally we make our own pizza so this is a treat. We go through phases where we'll maybe get carryout once every week or two, then sometimes go weeks or months without any restaurants.

[southern granny]

Six days ago.  We eat out once each weekend.  Not expensive places, but not fast food either.  It Usually costs about $30 including drink and tip. I am addicted to Buffalo Wild Wings ultimate nacho platter.

[RetiredAt63]

Last Thursday, I took DD to dinner.  We went to Red Lobster because her boyfriend is allergic to seafood, and this was her chance to indulge.  We were "good" though - dinner only, water to drink, no appetizer, no desert, she still ended up taking left-overs home.

I basically count "eating out" in the social/recreational budget category, not food - I will have a coffee if I am gone a large part of the day, or meet a friend (out of town) or DD for lunch or dinner or coffee depending on our schedules.

Back when I worked, I made my own coffee and lunch at work, so coffee/meals out have always been more of a social thing that just about nutrition.

[CommonCents]

DH's family goes out to eat when they see each other.  It's their thing.  I can't wean DH off this with offering other activities or meals at our house.  (He for some reason doesn't like having his mom over for dinner, but ever since she had breast cancer 15 years ago, he goes out for a meal with her pretty regularly, about 3 out of 4 weekends a month.)  Normally it's on a weekend, but this week we also saw her on Wednesday bc we just transferred the car (that DH had paid for 10 years ago) into DH's name and we needed to put the new plates on the car.  Sometimes there are battles to fight in a marriage, and this one wasn't worth it.  I did get them shifted to lunches for the most part, and I have sometimes managed to do a mystery shop the same time.

So Wednesday.  It's pretty terrible habit and 100% facepunch worthy, limited only in that DH fights her on the check about 1 out of 4 times so we're not paying every time.

[NV Teacher]

I'd say June/July, don't remember exactly.  I took a bunch of nieces/nephews to a local café.  Ended up costing me less than $5/person.  That was less than if we had gone to Wendy's so I didn't complain. 

[whydavid]

Last Wednesday my mom invited us to go to Chili's with her (she got a $50 gift card from work as a 'job well done' sort of thing).  The food was off, the service was dreadful, and the baby didn't enjoy himself.  We didn't even eat the leftovers we brought home. 

Our record is probably a month...definitely something we are working on.  The trip to Chili's was great because we both left wishing we had just cooked up the meal we had planned on eating.  Definitely cured us of any desire for restaurant food for a while.

[amberfocus]

July 5th. The SO and I grabbed a quick lunch out at a noodle place before catching our annual Broadway matinee, which is our biggest entertainment expense/treat of the year.

Aside from those special occasions, I rarely eat out. Our grocery budget is very low (under $3 per person per day), so any restaurant bill feels like a face punch. Also, my vegetarianism disqualifies the vast majority of restaurants around, because I refuse, on principle, to pay $8 for a cold salad that I could have thrown together myself using $1 worth of ingredients.

[tofuchampion]

We're going out for lunch today... but it's for a mystery shop, so I'll be reimbursed + paid a little.

[Squirrel away]

I can't remember the last we actually went out to eat at a restaurant, maybe two years ago. I did go out last November to the cinema to see the second Hunger Games film. I did order some crisps and drinks at the cinema bar. Does that count?:D

[RMD]

Last Saturday...but it was for DHs birthday and his parents paid.  A phenomenal meal that I could not replicate at home easily so I'm good with it.  We've gone several months without dining out in the past, but nowhere near a year.

[iris lily]

Last night.

[MandalayVA]

Sunday, because it was my birthday.  Last time before that was two weeks ago because it was Mr. Mandalay's birthday.  The next time will be when we go to Pittsburgh for vacation in mid-October.  We like holes-in-the-wall so the damage isn't generally too bad though.

[Bob W]

I can't remember the last we actually went out to eat at a restaurant, maybe two years ago. I did go out last November to the cinema to see the second Hunger Games film. I did order some crisps and drinks at the cinema bar. Does that count?:D

So far you're the winner!

  I usually sneak popcorn and snacks into the cinema with our "won it on the radio" tickets.   So I'm  counting that one.  Still that is over 10 months ago and probably puts you in a freakishly outlier category for developed nations. Although this was much more the norm in my grandparents day. 

Depending on who you believe,  the average US resident eats at a restaurant between 200 and 250 times per year.   I'm guessing that doesn't include premade and convenience and frozen dinners.   Since I generally spend at least and average of $20 on a restaurant visit for 3 of us that would mean that these fancy pants trips cost the average US resident the equivalent of funding their entire IRA each year.

I'm heading towards the "if I don't make it from real whole food ingredients at home"  category.   

[Bob W]

I began to realize that perhaps the reason that I enjoy this community and the philosophy probably has a lot to do with the "Grasshopper and the Squirrel  story that was apparently drummed into me as a grade school lad.   

You probably remember the story where the grasshopper plays all summer while the squirrel works and saves his nuts while building a nice winter shelter.  Come winter the grasshopper is s.o.l. and the squirrel is good to go and kicks back for the winter.

So I looked up that story to reminisce and ran across this funny piece from the UK.  Thank you UK people for your sense of humor!
_______________________________________________________________________________

THE U.K. VERSION:

The squirrel works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks he's a fool, and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the squirrel is warm and well fed, but a social worker finds the shivering grasshopper, calls a press conference and demands to know why the squirrel should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others less fortunate, like the grasshopper, are cold and starving.

The BBC shows up to provide live coverage of the shivering grasshopper; with cuts to a video of the squirrel in his comfortable warm home with a table heavily laden with food.

The British press inform people that they should be ashamed that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so, while others have plenty.

The Labour Party, Greenpeace, Animal Rights and The newly created Grasshopper Action Group demonstrate in front of the squirrel's house. The BBC, interrupting a cultural festival special from Notting Hill with breaking news, broadcasts a multi-cultural choir singing 'We shall overcome'.

Some champagne socialist rants in an interview that the squirrel got rich off the backs of grasshoppers, and calls for an immediate tax hike on the squirrel to make him pay his 'fair share'

In response to pressure from the media, the Government drafts the "Economic Equity and Grasshopper anti Discrimination Act", retroactive to the beginning of the summer.

The squirrel's taxes are reassessed.

He is taken to court and fined for failing to hire grasshoppers as builders for the work he was doing on his home and an additional fine for contempt when he told the court the grasshopper did not want to work.

The grasshopper is provided with free housing, financial aid to furnish it and an account with a local taxi firm to ensure he can be socially mobile. The squirrel's food is seized and re distributed to the more needy members of society, in this case the grasshopper.
________________________________________________

There is actually more to this story if you want to copy and paste it into a google search.


 

[rocksinmyhead]

I can't remember the last we actually went out to eat at a restaurant, maybe two years ago. I did go out last November to the cinema to see the second Hunger Games film. I did order some crisps and drinks at the cinema bar. Does that count?:D

So far you're the winner!

  I usually sneak popcorn and snacks into the cinema with our "won it on the radio" tickets.   So I'm  counting that one.  Still that is over 10 months ago and probably puts you in a freakishly outlier category for developed nations. Although this was much more the norm in my grandparents day. 

Depending on who you believe,  the average US resident eats at a restaurant between 200 and 250 times per year.   I'm guessing that doesn't include premade and convenience and frozen dinners.   Since I generally spend at least and average of $20 on a restaurant visit for 3 of us that would mean that these fancy pants trips cost the average US resident the equivalent of funding their entire IRA each year.

I'm heading towards the "if I don't make it from real whole food ingredients at home"  category.   

wait, aren't you the guy who finds Taco Bell and Jack's frozen pizza to be more frugal/superior substitutes for the homemade version? do you just not eat tacos and pizza then? I'm so confused!

[acroy]

on my own dime: about 2 weeks ago, tack out pizza, $16 for a family of 7 :)

on my companies diem: last night!! Party on!! Yes, I'll have another glass of Malbec please!

[Bob W]

I can't remember the last we actually went out to eat at a restaurant, maybe two years ago. I did go out last November to the cinema to see the second Hunger Games film. I did order some crisps and drinks at the cinema bar. Does that count?:D

So far you're the winner!

  I usually sneak popcorn and snacks into the cinema with our "won it on the radio" tickets.   So I'm  counting that one.  Still that is over 10 months ago and probably puts you in a freakishly outlier category for developed nations. Although this was much more the norm in my grandparents day. 

Depending on who you believe,  the average US resident eats at a restaurant between 200 and 250 times per year.   I'm guessing that doesn't include premade and convenience and frozen dinners.   Since I generally spend at least and average of $20 on a restaurant visit for 3 of us that would mean that these fancy pants trips cost the average US resident the equivalent of funding their entire IRA each year.

I'm heading towards the "if I don't make it from real whole food ingredients at home"  category.   

wait, aren't you the guy who finds Taco Bell and Jack's frozen pizza to be more frugal/superior substitutes for the homemade version? do you just not eat tacos and pizza then? I'm so confused!

Why yes I am!   I haven't had a Jack's in probably 4 weeks and yes TB on the road trip last weekend.  I'm also the guy who is attempting to be Paleo so go figure.  (as I said,  "I'm heading towards .....)

I think I mentioned that I haven't done the no eating out thingy lately --- so I was hoping for some motivation here.

Thanks for noticing  Rocksinmyhead.   

So what is your record?

[rocksinmyhead]

I can't remember the last we actually went out to eat at a restaurant, maybe two years ago. I did go out last November to the cinema to see the second Hunger Games film. I did order some crisps and drinks at the cinema bar. Does that count?:D

So far you're the winner!

  I usually sneak popcorn and snacks into the cinema with our "won it on the radio" tickets.   So I'm  counting that one.  Still that is over 10 months ago and probably puts you in a freakishly outlier category for developed nations. Although this was much more the norm in my grandparents day. 

Depending on who you believe,  the average US resident eats at a restaurant between 200 and 250 times per year.   I'm guessing that doesn't include premade and convenience and frozen dinners.   Since I generally spend at least and average of $20 on a restaurant visit for 3 of us that would mean that these fancy pants trips cost the average US resident the equivalent of funding their entire IRA each year.

I'm heading towards the "if I don't make it from real whole food ingredients at home"  category.   

wait, aren't you the guy who finds Taco Bell and Jack's frozen pizza to be more frugal/superior substitutes for the homemade version? do you just not eat tacos and pizza then? I'm so confused!

Why yes I am!   I haven't had a Jack's in probably 4 weeks and yes TB on the road trip last weekend.  I'm also the guy who is attempting to be Paleo so go figure.  (as I said,  "I'm heading towards .....)

I think I mentioned that I haven't done the no eating out thingy lately --- so I was hoping for some motivation here.

Thanks for noticing  Rocksinmyhead.   

So what is your record?

Hey, not trying to be a jerk, nor trying to say I'm any better than you! I posted earlier in this thread that I just went out for dollar taco night last Tuesday. Honestly my record is probably no more than 2 weeks, although I would love to improve, my boyfriend isn't 100% on the same page and I am weak and easily persuaded :) Just from the other thread I got the impression that you were a regular fan of Jacks/TB and wasn't sure how to reconcile that with moving towards whole foods. Your clarification makes sense, although I guess I'm still a little curious about whether you will re-attempt homemade pizza and tacos in the future or just remove them from your diet. But seriously, no offense intended!

[Squirrel away]

I have to admit that we do get takeaways occasionally but we just don't go out to eat much anymore.:) It's ridiculous but our rescue dogs don't like being left alone so that accounts for our hermit tendencies.:D

[Bob W]

I can't remember the last we actually went out to eat at a restaurant, maybe two years ago. I did go out last November to the cinema to see the second Hunger Games film. I did order some crisps and drinks at the cinema bar. Does that count?:D

So far you're the winner!

  I usually sneak popcorn and snacks into the cinema with our "won it on the radio" tickets.   So I'm  counting that one.  Still that is over 10 months ago and probably puts you in a freakishly outlier category for developed nations. Although this was much more the norm in my grandparents day. 

Depending on who you believe,  the average US resident eats at a restaurant between 200 and 250 times per year.   I'm guessing that doesn't include premade and convenience and frozen dinners.   Since I generally spend at least and average of $20 on a restaurant visit for 3 of us that would mean that these fancy pants trips cost the average US resident the equivalent of funding their entire IRA each year.

I'm heading towards the "if I don't make it from real whole food ingredients at home"  category.   

wait, aren't you the guy who finds Taco Bell and Jack's frozen pizza to be more frugal/superior substitutes for the homemade version? do you just not eat tacos and pizza then? I'm so confused!

Why yes I am!   I haven't had a Jack's in probably 4 weeks and yes TB on the road trip last weekend.  I'm also the guy who is attempting to be Paleo so go figure.  (as I said,  "I'm heading towards .....)

I think I mentioned that I haven't done the no eating out thingy lately --- so I was hoping for some motivation here.

Thanks for noticing  Rocksinmyhead.   

So what is your record?

Hey, not trying to be a jerk, nor trying to say I'm any better than you! I posted earlier in this thread that I just went out for dollar taco night last Tuesday. Honestly my record is probably no more than 2 weeks, although I would love to improve, my boyfriend isn't 100% on the same page and I am weak and easily persuaded :) Just from the other thread I got the impression that you were a regular fan of Jacks/TB and wasn't sure how to reconcile that with moving towards whole foods. Your clarification makes sense, although I guess I'm still a little curious about whether you will re-attempt homemade pizza and tacos in the future or just remove them from your diet. But seriously, no offense intended!

Not offended!   To clarify --- I am moving towards paleo/primal -- I will probably never attempt a homemade pizza again.   I will probably never attempt a homemade taco again as the shells almost always break.   I will definitely eat some Taco Bell Cool Ranch tacos again or even hit an occasional Taco Tuesday at a local restaurant.  Apparently I can justify the tacos on my version of paleo because they do not contain wheat, which is my main focus.  Yes, I know that corn and cheese are not strictly paleo, but as infrequently as this will occur I think I will live.

Regarding the no eating out concept.   Yes,  I do focus on this most of the time.   I also live in realsville here.  On road trips it is a challenge, though not impossible, so I'll rethink that.

Last week we had a conference.  Everyone else ate subsandwiches catered in.  I diligently brought my "Man Salad" in my cooler from home.