eating out
eating out
Spending Smart away from home. First, where are you eating now, and how much do you spend? Think about all the places where you buy food: grocery store, restaurants, school lunch, the soda machine at work, popcorn at the movies, coffee and Danish, and bottled water at the convenience store. We buy and consume food in many locations; they all contribute to the cost of our food. To get a handle on your food dollar, keep track of what and where you spend for a month. After a month, your family will have a feel for how you spend money on food and can discuss how the expenses can be changed.
TIP - Track your expenses by having everyone in the family put receipts in a jar with the names of who purchased it on the back. If you don’t have a receipt, make a note of the amount, what, and where something was purchased.
At the end of the month, spread out all the receipts/notes and put them in stacks by location. Then look at how much you spent at the grocery, restaurant, vending, etc. If you want to make a change, the whole family, including children, needs to talk about the necessary spending changes, because these decisions affect all members.
- Does anything surprise you about your current food purchasing habits?
- Is all of your eating away from home really needed or is it a habit?
- Can you eat out at less expensive places?
- Are there opportunities for shared dinners or potlucks instead of eating out?
- Do you need to learn new skills or get different recipes for more eating at home?
- Can you bring more food from home instead buying away from home?
As the family talks about what is most important, be sure you are all listening to each other.
If you want to know what your spending could be if you ate all your meals at home and with a minimum of “junk food,” check out how much USDA estimates your family could spend on a low-cost diet that meets your nutrition requirements.
Tips for Spending Less When You Eat Out
Where to go
- Check out newspapers, websites, shoppers, ValPak, Money Mailer etc., for coupons. These publications may also have websites where you can print out additional coupons.
- Look out of the ordinary for meals out. Discount stores sometimes offer a lunch special like a huge slice of pizza with a soda for under $2.50. Split the pizza for an inexpensive meal out.
- Consider small, family owned restaurants for your next meal. The food can be great and the price low.
What to order
- Restaurant entrees often have enough food and calories for two meals. Share entrees or, if that isn’t an option, consider asking the server to box half your entry when your food is served and take it home for a meal tomorrow (portion control for today and a meal for tomorrow).
- If you have a small child who isn't going to be eating a lot, share your meal with him/her or order a side dish. At many restaurants, you can order sides of pasta or potatoes. Caution! Check for "split plate" fees.
- Make an appetizer your meal or order an appetizer or soup as your entrée along with a vegetable or side salad. Appetizer portions are often as generous as those of pricier entrees.
Choose water as your drink of choice instead of a soft drink, tea, coffee, etc. Water is better for you anyway.
- If you have a toddler that uses a sippy cup, fill this before going to the restaurant.
- Resist the temptation to order alcoholic beverages. On special occasions, search for a restaurant where you can bring your own wine and one that has no tipping fee (the charge for opening and serving the wine).
- Skip the appetizer or desert: Do you really need all that food? Enjoy your entrée by not getting filled up.
- If you are a light eater or are watching your weight, see if you can choose from the children's menu for yourself. The portions are smaller as is the price, and you can leave the restaurant feeling proud of yourself for sticking to your diet and your budget.
When to go
- Go out for breakfast or lunch. Most restaurants have menus with lower price ranges for breakfast and lunch.
- Eat early and get the senior specials.
- Take advantage of the "Kid's Eat Free" nights at many local restaurants. If you have a coupon for the meal, that will be double the savings.
- If your child does not finish his meal, have the waitress box up half of the meal for you and use it for the next day's lunch.
- Work with other families with young children to develop a kids night out calendar (pdf) of specials on kids meals in your area.
Other resources