eating out vs. groceries, and knowing your budget

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OMG! I get upset when we go out with 6 people and pay 100 dollars. I’d never but never but NEVER pay 100-200 dollars for 2 people! What kind of food could be worth that?

Suzi

Quote:

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Original Message
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From: j514butterfly
To: Budget101_@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 10:39 AM
Subject: Budget101.com : Re: eating out vs. groceries, and knowing your budget

Eating out does take a big chunk of our paycheck. However, we never
eat at fast food places. I figure what some people spend at Burger
King and the like monthly equals what we spend on one Saturday night
at a nice place. Usually it’s DH and me going out without the kids so
I don’t feel so bad spending a hundred or two on dinner for us. If we
brought the kids it would be unreasonable. If we do take the kids
then we choose a middle of the road place such as Bone Fish Grill or
Maggiano’s Italian, etc.

— In Budget101_@yahoogroups.com, “Marie” wrote:
>
> I came in this morning hoping to sit down and post about something
> that I discovered in my budget. I spend several hours per week with
> my budget…as a rule. I know it intimately. I have one page in a
> huge notebook for each month…and when I sit down to work on it, i
> also review the months to come…for example, I know in october, I
> will have a 3rd paycheck….and I have not yet developed a list of
> things to cover with that check…but I’m sure I will..that check
> also does not have medical insurance taken out of it. I am usually
> very careful about what I spend, knowing how little I have to go from
> end to end. (I usually say, my ends meet, they just don’t spend much
> time together)
>
> I was really surprised to see that I’d spent $100.00 in July for
> lunches out, iced coffees on a saturday, and one weeknight pizza.
> ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could have
> sent that extra $100.00 to a credit card…or stocked up on
> groceries. *shaking my head*
>
> Then I was reading a few digest posts from over the weekend, and saw
> one person budget $35-$100 a week for eating out (or was it a
> month?) My question is, why eat out at all? And I’m asking myself
> this also.
> You can buy a greater quantity of food, prepare it how you want,
> etc,., for a smaller amount than eating out….just consider the
> tip!!!!! If I take my 2 children to friendly’s for dinner (We have
> not done this in A G E S) It will cost between $30 and $35.00. The
> tip for that amount is between $5 and $7.00 Imagine how much food
> you could buy at the grocery store for $40-$42.00 !!!!!!
>
> A year ago, I discovered i was spending $200.00 a month on eating
> out….on average. Looking back at old spending lists…I have not
> spent more than $40.00 on “eating out/iced coffee/coffee etc” in
> several months. This month was higher, though I’m unsure why.
>
> Anyway….Happy Monday everyone.
> Marie in Vermont
>

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