Eating out -vs- eating in

[Lyle]

I suppose I could average it to paying for food away from home at 3 times a week. But it is much more cyclical than that. For two to three weeks, one or the other cooks and cooks and we don't go out unless necessary work-wise, and then it's usually only me. Then, we'll go out 7-8 times a week for a couple. Who said the secret to success was consistency?

Oh, we also attend several fund-raisers a month where food and wine are free. I usually stick to the wine.

[Fynnicki]

Let's see...that depends on what qualifies as "eating out." I probably grab breakfast about twice a week...just by grabbing a bagel or some other pastry and juice on my way to work. I try to bring food from home, but don't always have time. The same with lunches...I try to pack my own, but on occasion don't have time or don't have enough tasty leftovers sitting around. On those days, I'll grab takeout from one of the numerous lunch places around my office; my favorites are Dean & Deluca and the Breadline. This can happen anywhere from 0-5 times in a given week. Generally, the more hours I spend at work, the more breakfasts and lunches I eat out.

I tend to eat most dinners at home. My husband does most of the weekday cooking, and usually has something ready for me when I get home from work (at about 7:30 or 8 most nights). We probably order takeout (usually pizza or Chinese, although sometimes we'll splurge on Takeout Taxi, a service that delivers from many area restaurants) once a week or so. We also try to get out for a restaurant date about once a week, although this can be either a lunch or dinner on weekends.

Generally, I prefer to eat at home or bring food from home for meals at work - those meals are less expensive and more satisfying. But eating out (including takeout) is definitely a convenience, and I try to make those meals as tasty as possible as well.

[SobaAddict70]

At least once a week, if I'm not working tons of overtime.

My confession: I'd go to Jewel Bako for the rest of my adult life if I could. Oh well, reality bites.

Soba

[thom]

Hmmm... None of the usual UK suspects seem to have posted here yet, I feel our London contingent would up the average a little.

As far as I'm concerned for dinner I probably eat out three times a week, cook once a week (myself or my partner), takeaway once a week, and 'fend for myself'* twice a week.

For lunches maybe 2 meals out and three sandwich style light-lunches during the week, and at the weekend one meal out, one late brunch.

I think this is pretty typical of someone with a partner and no kids living in a city centre and having a job which involves some restaurant-based schmoozing.

I have a feeling my rapidly slowing metabolism and impending fatherhood will necessitate some fairly radical changes to my eating habits, and probably not before time.

Cheers

Thom

*Leftovers, quick fix snacky teas - salads, soups, baked spuds etc, sandwiches, maybe even a guilty convinience meal grabbed on the way home...

[tissue]

For the past month, I've been eating out practically every day, twice a day.... do leftovers eaten from dinner eaten for lunch count? And does it count as eating out if your company has lunches catered sometimes? I haven't had a homecooked meal in 5 weeks.

I actually enjoy cooking, but since I've been working really late these past few weeks.... no way I'm going to cook something when I get home at 12:30. I just want to crawl into bed and pass out.

[Peter B Wolf]

.....Tomorrow, we will celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary......

Congratulations Snowangel.

We also celebrate our 22nd on 6 June.

Our 12 year old adopted daughter and our newly 11 year old adopted daughter (see "Father's Day Thread") give us a 'Surprise' party. We 'secretly' know, (and don't) they are inviting a lot of friends and do a meal.

Otherwise re subject: I do the cooking at home daily, and we also fall into "Nickn's" category

[fresco]

Friends in New York say they know people--a lot of people--who do not own coffee makers, but simply order in in the morning. At first blush, it sounded depraved, but if every second establishment on the high street is a deli with pretty good, inexpensive coffee and delivery...

[fimbul]

My girlfriend and I rarely go out to dinner, since we'd almost always rather cook for ourselves. We're pretty good cooks, and we often just like our food better than J. Random Chef's. When we do go out, it's either a special occasion and we go somewhere fairly fancypants, or it's because we're crazy-busy/exhausted/nearly dead -- and we go to the Indian place up the street or the (sorta) Mexican place around the corner. (Both places have very good food, so it's no skin off our noses.)

Lunch is a different story. My SO usually eats leftovers or nibbles on fruit, yogurt, and juice. I eat leftovers or salads when I can, but I'm often pressed to go out by co-workers, so I end up eating out or ordering take-out. I'd rather avoid this, but, sometimes that's easier said than done.

That said, I'm trying to go out to dinner just a little more often, just to see what's out there. So many ideas to steal, so little time (and money)....

[LEdlund]

My husband and I eat dinners at a restaurant about once a week. I cook simple things for dinner during the week and I take the leftovers for lunch the next day. I almost always supplement the leftovers with some greens from a salad bar near my office. My husband gets soup or salads from Briazz, etc. for his lunch.

On the weekends, we usually eat one breakfast and one lunch out. Weekend dinners at home are much more fun and experimental.

We stop every morning on the way to work for our coffee.

Until writing this all down, I didn't realize how much we pay others to fix our food for us

[a-nomad]

We usually eat out twice a week (one nice meal and one cheap-to-medium priced restaurant).

Of course, my wife is an incredible cook (who really enjoys trying new dishes and perfecting her current ones), so eating-in is also always a pleasure for me (often as enjoyable as eating out ... we just have to clean our own dishes afterwards).

[Random Alias]

2 times a week - occasionally 3.

Mondays almost always - I'm not motivated enough after the weekend to cook.

Friday and Saturday almost never- prefer to avoid the most crowded times.

Almost only eat out for Dinner, although one in a while on the weekends will grab lunch out. I never eat breakfast (usually not awake) and lunch is whatever is at hand. We go to a nice restaurant about once a month.

[Xanthippe]

.....Tomorrow, we will celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary......

Congratulations Snowangel.

We also celebrate our 22nd on 6 June.

Socrates and I celebrated our 22nd on April 13, and we look forward to at least 22 more!

And I'll add my congratulations, too, snowangel. Have a blissful celebration . . .

[suzilightning]

date nights are tuesday, friday, saturday and sunday - we almost always eat at home; monday and thursday i work till 9 so leftovers; wednesday i work till 7 so leftovers again.

we will eat dinner out maybe once every two or three weeks. if husband has been traveling for work and eating at all those chains that engineers seem to prefer - he would rather have a nice cooked meal at home.

we were on vacation for 5 days recently - at at the motel 3 dinners, out for 2 - better than last year when i got to cook all 5 nights

[suzilightning]

Tomorrow, we will celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary.

happy anniversary snowangel -

john and i just celebrated 21 on 15 may down the shore

if he lives through the backpacking trip he's on this weekend (it is pouring rain here - quelle suprize with flood warnings and he is up in the catskills of ny) we will try to head for another 20+

[snowangel]

Congratulations Snowangel.

We also celebrate our 22nd on 6 June.

Thanks to everyone for their good wishes. And, yes, June 6, 1981 was a grand day to get married.

And, my folks did take Peter and Diana home with them after dinner; Heidi passed out at the table, was carried into bed at 8:00 pm, so...

And, it was better than going to a restaurant. We'll do that in the winter.

[Xanthippe]

Thanks to everyone for their good wishes.  And, yes, June 6, 1981 was a grand day to get married.

And, my folks did take Peter and Diana home with them after dinner; Heidi passed out at the table, was carried into bed at 8:00 pm, so...    

And, it was better than going to a restaurant.  We'll do that in the winter.

How sweetly romantic, snowangel. SIGH . . .