budget for going out to eat

dvohnout · July 2010

I'm trying to be a big girl, and make a big girl budget. It seems like DH and I spend a ton of money on food! Between groceries and going out to eat, it feels out of control!

Just curious, what do you and your DH spend on going out to eat in a month?

jenny_seitz · July 2010

This is a place where we need to cut back as well. We're big foodies so it's kinda hard sometimes. I look forward to seeing some of the responses that come from this one!

JEHC · July 2010

Hmm that is a great question. We don't "budget" it, we just go out and spend. We really really need to get started on a real budget, but HH just spends all willy nilly because he's never had to worry about money...it's always just been there for him. Of course I'm the stress case, so I panic, but then spend a million dollars shopping. Not a good budgeting team!

We eat out ALL the time - we love food, and we're always trying out new restaurants. I should try and add up what we spend a month and see...it would probably shock and upset me though.

Kelly5110 · July 2010

Funny you should bring this up. I just reported the total we spent on food for the month of June to Matt the other day. In June, we spent $336.33 on groceries. We spent $158.72 eating out. For a nauseating total of $495.05 for ONE month for TWO people. This canNOT continue.

I don't have the numbers for July here with me, but they're similar. (I used to spend about $100-125 a month on groceries when I was single but feeding Matt on weekends, and my "away from home" total averaged $50.) Part of the problem is that we have a lot of food stockpiled, but it's all stuff that has to be boiled or baked. It's been around 90 outside most days and our air conditioner doesn't work, so we haven't been cooking the cheap stuff; the last thing I want to do is turn on the stove and heat the house up even more. We buy cold stuff that we can throw together, and that tends to be more expensive and less healthy.

We've been eating out and grabbing coffee and stuff a lot, too, because we're on the go a lot in the summer.

August will be a new leaf. I'm getting a jump-start-- I have a roast going in the crockpot today, so we're using up the potatoes and onions that were sitting around the house, waiting to go bad. I have to get better about making sure we eat leftovers so they don't go to waste. Now that I shocked Matt with the $500 figure, I think he's going to be watching what he buys, too (sometimes I think the boy would live on Twizzlers and gas-station coffee if I let him).

pb&fluff · July 2010

We budget $100/week for grocery shopping, but if we go out to eat, it's usually Adam who pays. Except for last night, I paid because I had more left over after I did the budget. When we first started dating we ate out ALL THE TIME...hence my 40lb weight gain. We go out maybe once a week or so now, sometimes less depending on our money situation.

JEHC · July 2010

We sat down and tried to do a July budget...we budgeted $400 for food for the month, and we both laughed and said that's what was going to kill us...how the hell are we supposed to not go over that??? I haven't tallied up what we've actually spent, but I can tell you right now it's over $400. And that's with HH not even being here for most of the month. We spend a ridiculous amount on food. And it's honestly not even because we eat out a lot. It's the meat and fresh veggies. He will only buy the premium cuts of meat, and we eat meat every.single.day. And fresh veggies cost a lot! I am beginning to think our food consumption is out of control.

ashstwrt · July 2010

We don't have any kind of budget.

We're still kind of separate in our finances, so basically DH pays for all the bills and my paycheck goes to groceries, gas for my car, and whatever I buy for the house (toiletries, paper towels,etc). Of course, I have a lot leftover, but we're buying a new car soon and we're currently saving $0 so we've gotta get a savings account started back up. Anyway.....if we go out to eat, DH pays, and if we eat at home, I pay (because I bought the groceries). We used to eat out A LOT, but I've started trying new recipes lately and cooking more. We still probably eat out once or twice a week. Oh and the other part is that DH eats out for every meal when he's at work. If he works from 6a-6p, he'll end up eating 2 breakfasts (fast food) and one lunch. He sometimes gets a discount for being a cop, but sometimes doesn't. I think he would be SHOCKED at how much he spends. I always pack a lunch for myself when I go to work.

Buckeye_43 · July 2010

We go out to eat once a week and maybe pick up something fast or carryout once a week. So we probably spend around $200 a month.

dvohnout · July 2010

I'm glad I am not alone ladies. I have never really made a budget. I've always kept track of bills paid, but never made a budget for the future. I signed up for mint.com bc I needed some place to start.

I've always known that food is one area we could improve on. We don't keep a lot of quick meals/snacks around the house, so if we are hungry and don't want to cook, then we order in or go out. It probably evens out to 1 restaurant meal a week and 1-2 to go meals.

I think we spent like $500 for the 2 of us for groceries, restaurants, and fast food. This doesn't include what DH spends on lunches bc our finances are somewhat separate (we each contribute a % of what we make to joint account that we pay bills from. all other money we keep in our separate accounts).

starchik9 · July 2010

lol. you all are going to laugh. Strictly speaking food, we budget $30 a week for food from the grocery store/produce stands, etc. and about $30 a week for eating out, but that varies, depending on if there's a special occasion. We're in college, so we're trying to keep our budget slim to pay off those student loans! This usually ends up with us going out every other week, and otherwise eating home. It's been going well so far! We're not really hurting for money right now (being married does wonders for student financial aid), but I still feel better about saving money to spend on other big things we want to do (like live abroad for a year, then buy a house, etc.)

JEHC · July 2010

Starchik, can you post a menu or something to let the rest of us know how you`re feeding two people on $60 a week? I can tell you right now that's NOT happening in my house. HH has to eat like a friggin king...I could eat toast every day and be happy.

dvohnout · July 2010

Yes I am really interested in what you are buying for $30 a week for 2 ppl. Ramen? If I try really hard and only get essentials, it is still at least $60 in a week.

starchik9 · July 2010

Hmm... maybe I'll pay more attention this next week, but I think a lot of it might have to do with the fact that we spend Sundays with our families (we only live about 20 minutes away from each of our parents). They always make Sunday dinner and let us do our laundry at their house They also occasionally take us out to do dinner as a family (as they did this past week) so that'll give us that meal and then leftovers.

We budgeted after we had all the basics covered (spices, etc.) because starting up is expensive! I am a sales-shopper and coupon-clipper, so that helps a lot. I think the cost of food around where I am is also a LOT cheaper than in most places (Grand Rapids, MI). Hubby is also not picky AT ALL. I'm almost ashamed to tell you what we end up eating!! (I do not have very much experience cooking.) I know one week we were gone Sunday, ate frozen pizza one night, I made a chicken lasagna, which we ended up eating for 2 nights that week and 1 night the next, grilled hamburgers one night, I was gone to work one night, so the hubby had Mac N Cheese and these frozen chicken pot pies the next. We both eat sandwiches for lunch at work with chips and I buy fresh fruits and veggies from local farmers' markets which is cheaper (and better) than in the store. When we go to the grocery store, we try to buy only things that are on sale, because we'll end up eating it (like I said, my hubby is NOT picky). We also ALWAYS eat leftovers. Maybe that helps, but if you ladies want, maybe I'll pay attention to what we eat and how much it costs We don't go shopping every week; probably every other, so that makes the budget $60 a trip.

sboone84 · July 2010

I budget 400 dollars a month for groceries and 200$ a month for dates. Jon and I also have a 100$ a month allowance to spend on coffees, work lunch etc., and I know he spends his eating out at lunch while I pack my lunch usually. He likes going out to lunch with his work friends.

Sarahkay488 · August 2010

Ugh. this is a big issue for us because we waste SO SO SO much money on food. It's tough- HH is a cop so even if I cook a meal, he might be too busy to come home and get it and eat something out when he can... big big waste. we need to get better at this.

CTGirl30 · August 2010

We go out to dinner every Saturday night (our date night) and spend between $75 - $200 depending on where we go. If it's a very fancy dinner for a special occasion (birthday or anniversary) we may spend about $300 or so on that dinner. But that's only on special occasions.

Groceries, we avg about $100 - $125 a week.

hayleymajayley · August 2010

When we were shopping at Trader Joes we used to spend anywhere from 60-100 dollars a week, usually around 90. When we moved we started going to Safeway, where it was about 100-120 a week. Now we just started going to Winco, and we spend like 92 dollars last week, which was awesome because we got all of our normal stuff, plus a bunch of random things, and ingredients for a pot roast. So I'm thinking I'll enjoy shopping there

we have been spending kind of a lot on going out for drinks, not so much for food hah. But once brandon starts school we are definitely cutting back on that!

budget for going out to eat

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