This is a guest post from Trisha Wagner, a freelance writer for DestroyDebt.com. Destroy Debt is a debt community featuring debt forums. Trisha writes regularly on the topics of getting out of debt and personal finance.
No one will argue the fact that the past twelve months have led many families to tighten the purse strings on the household budget. When times get tough and the economy takes a turn for the worse the first response from consumers is to cut costs. Spending less and saving more are age old practices that seem to have fallen to the way side for quite some time yet are rising in popularity as people try to deal with staggering debt levels, unemployment and reaching the end of their credit limit. The restaurant industry is feeling the pinch as dining out both socially or with the family appears to be a slowing trend. Here are a few reasons how dining in will save you money and benefit your family.
Eating out is expensive.
The first and most obvious reason why eating at home is better for your budget is dining out can get expensive. The other night after an exceptionally long week I decided to take my son to his favorite restaurant after receiving a good report from daycare. As we got in line at McDonald’s (my son is 3, hence his choice of dining) I noticed a handwritten sign at the register that said CASH ONLY, it appeared they were having trouble with their credit/debit card transactions. I must admit, I am so accustomed to using my debit card for virtually all payments that I rarely carry cash and this night was no exception. I collected $7 from my coat pockets and purse. And for that my son got his gourmet Kids meal and I was stuck with the dollar menu. My point is this – even stopping off for fast food as a quick dinner can quickly add up.
Your family will eat healthier.
I don’t know of too many households that have menus on the dinner table or short order cooks in the kitchen. Of course you will want to provide meals that your family will enjoy, but the cook controls the kitchen and if you want to incorporate healthier foods into the family diet you have the opportunity to do so in creative ways. Don’t be afraid to experiment with fresh fruits and vegetables; if you out of new ideas check out any cooking website online for instant inspiration.
Lunch counts and the costs add up.
Eating out is not limited to dinner. If you, your spouse or your kids are paying for lunch each day when you could be packing a lunch from home you are likely wasting money which could be applied to other areas of household expenses such as debt reduction or savings contributions. Spending just $5 per day for lunch equals $100 per month per person that could be added into your household budget.
A great incentive to make dining at home even more appealing would be paying yourself for each meal. The concept is this; you can commit to putting a certain amount of money into savings for each meal served at home. Don’t forget the tip!!
Photo credit: Country Home
The thing about eating out is certainly expensive. During financial crises curbing outside food bill is not enough you need to take more concrete steps. So saving money and earning that extra buck is not the only thing managing money by following some rules is also very important to get rid of debts.
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Certainly!!dinning out has become very expensive today. Getting out of debt has become very importnt in todays challenging economy.I am planning to follow your tip of paying yourself for each meal,from the very next meal of mine:-)
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Trisha,
We made it through the entire two weeks of vacation without eating out. It’s true – it’s more expensive and not as healthy. 95% of our meals come from out kitchen.
Emily,
I’m off to another computer to subscribe again. One more and your in four digits!
Writer Dad´s last blog post..Writing Without a Niche
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So true. We rarely eat out because like to eat local healthy foods, and it’s expensive. When we do eat out (maybe once a month) we make sure to only eat at places we love. Mr Chiots and I also split a meal making it half the price to eat out (although we still tip the waitress as if we bought 2 meals).
Susy´s last blog post..Rain in the Garden
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Love the new look btw! Yes we’ve decided that eating out is now a luxury and only for special occasions. So we’re trying to get out of our cooking rut. Apparently most people only have 5 dishes they can cook without really trying, so we’re experimenting more which is cheaper and healthier.
Liz@VioletPosy´s last blog post..Vegetable Gardening the Easy Way
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I was lost as soon as I saw the photo…
sigh
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Great post! Don’t forget the environmental implications of eating out vs. eating at home as well! So much water and energy usage is wasted at restaurants, not to mention all the packaging, straws etc. that we send to the landfill after 1 use. We’re eating at home to save our budget, our health and our planet.
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We eat out WAY too much around here. Over Christmas we had quite a few house guests and I spent so much more at the grocery store. I couldn’t believe it when we actually SAVED because of all the meals I had been cooking for everyone. We’re going to try and eat out much less now.
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LOL, I am the same way….I never have any cash on me and once could not order at McDonald’s because they were having the same issue with the “Cash Only” thing.
We really don’t eat out alot, but my ds1 does get a hot lunch everyday at school and it does add up! Something to think about…thanks!
Bella Casa´s last blog post..My Favorite DIY Project from 2008
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I wish my dining room looked like that!
I’ll admit that we love to eat out, especially ethnic foods I’m not very good at cooking, like Thai or Indian or Japanese food. This is our frugal downfall. I do have a goal to try and learn how to make delicious foods like these, and I have, but it’s so much work!
I do love to cook, however. There is something about learning how to really make something from scratch that is terribly great! The first time I made yogurt in the crockpot, or canned my own (u-pick) fruit into jam, or made granola…I felt freedom from buying those overpriced, over-high fructosed syrupy things, and free from the little plastic tubs that probably don’t get recycled. I live in the city, but daydream of chickens and eggs, and growing staples beyond the tomatoes and lettuce that is possible now.
Is that crazy thinking, or what?? (my husband thinks so!)
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Living in one of the culinary capitals of the world, eating out less is one of the hardest things to do. We limit it to once a week which is pretty good (for us). Japanese or any other type of cuisine that’s impossible for me to duplicate at home is what we usually go for out. Other than that, I havent had fast food in almost 10 years and he probably havent had it in 20. We may grab a quick bite at the farmers market (organic, healthy, sometimes raw vegan food) but only if we’re desprate.
Carla´s last blog post..Green + Chic Product Review: Golden Earth
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