Besides, no list of arguments against eating out would be complete without Grover guess who! I have had to be frugal for quite some time and know how to stretch the old dollar that is having a hard time because everything has gone up that is the standard expenses like electricity and then should I say the 8.

Oh boy! My dollar has really had a hard time stretching these days like it used to even a year ago. So when I read about stopping going out to eat which we do once a month anyway I thought of the reasons that I do go. Here they are: 1. Someone else is cooking than me 2. I have to eat anyway so I guess I could say food is something not so evil as buying a product in the store would be.

They can cook what I am craving better than my Husband on the BBQ can. And the one that really is not mentioned above in your comments is 4. So thank you for letting me process the reason that I will still probably eat out once a month and continue to drink water and not order a desert because the benefits out weigh for me at the moment.

I just wanted to say most of our meals are made at home and it has saved us a huge amount. One thing I do with a friend. When we go to town to do a grocery shopping, pay bills, doctors visits, eye spcalist and any thing else that we can fit in that day, often one of us will have fasting blood sugars to be taken and we will be ready to eat when done.

We have a 34 kilometer round trip so plan our trips to town. We go to a nice resturant, order their soup and sandwich special and an extra cup of soup and a plate. we split the sandwich and each have a cup of soup. We take our time and enjoy our coffee and lunch out. Other times we get our groceries, and find a nice picnic spot.

Make a sandwich from what we just bought, and a piece of fruit. Most of the time we just go to town and home, but these other times are the ones we remember and enjoy. Oh my! Were you preaching to me or what? You have taken away every excuse. Now it is up to me to quit using them!

Wowww… Thanks for the kick in the pants! I needed it today, I just got home from picking up take-out food and it was cold.. so a lot of it did not even get eaten at all, just moved around a little, and dumped in the trash!! Sometimes we need a little tough love from Jill!!

During those times I would cook a meal and put a blanket on the floor and we would have a picnic. Let the imagination roll!!

Pat, really love the picnic idea. Shop first, then picnic and visit with your friend. I know that after blood work, especially after fasting for 12 or more hours, you really need to eat something soon.

So the picnic idea is great. Everytime I think of that, it brings back happy memories. Nothing fancy, just good food and fun. And no cold fastfood that no one would eat. I about passed out. That was the kick in the butt I needed.

Since then I have dug out my pressure canner and am preparing all kinds of canned meats that can be ready to go in minutes. I make a double meal, we eat part of it and I can the other half you could freeze as well.

This has been a painful reality for my household. We eat out a lot, and I am a stay at home mom! Thank you for the tough love attitude!! We all need a good dose of it from time to time, and this was definitely my time! Hey Amie! It is easy to fall into fast food.

Less cleanup that way too! A couple times a month I crank up the stereo and cook all day long, fixing multiple meals. You are a doll! You hit the nail right on the head with this one!! I am going to print it and give it to my grandchildren. Thanks SO much for the great advice. Seems as if you are usually speaking directly to me.

I wonder if others feel the same. I care for some of my grandchildren while their parents work. I wrapped it back up and kept it in the fridge so it was edible.

Once she saw with her own eyes how much they were wasting it stopped. I sent it urging her to reheat it for the next morning but she soon saw I was not exagerating.

A breakfast sandwich with 2 bites out of it or a burrito with one bite off an end really was a huge waste when they were so much happier with a bowl of cereal or me making a burrito and serving each youngster a half.

We used to make an outing out of stopping for a happy meal and going to the park to play. I soon figured out that they were so excited to play they were wasting the meal.

They play a few minutes and then are starving for their sandwiches from home. I have these kids twelve hours four days a week so I am feeding them the same meals most of you are. Fast food is the biggest waste and the least food value of any way of eating for kids and adults.

I have found myself enjoying the outing but not the food so many times lately that my girl friends and I are planning dessert out. We eat at home and then meet for a great dessert and coffee or tea. Living on our retirement income has made us way more aware of what we are spending eating out.

Another thing I have done is join a grocery co-op. These are going all over the country but the one I joined here in Kansas is available all over the midwest and I know they are available other places.

The one I belong to is called Prairie Land Food and you can check their website to see what I am talking about at plairielandfood. It is not anything that is dependant on income. That is never asked for and of course never given.

All I can say is try it once and see if you are not amazed at the amount of food you can get for much less than the grocery store.

I buy one of everything but two of the fresh produce. Some items you cook from scratch but there are always some things like pizza that are name brand at a greatly reduced price. All the ordering is done online which is super easy and pick up is so organized it takes me less than 5 minuetes.

The food differs each month so if it is something I know we like but may not be on next months menu I buy more for the freezer. I encourage you to check it out.

This month we even got a loaf of Sarah Lee bread that was a surprise add on. Mana from heaven, one man said. THIS should be FRONT PAGE news! forget what Lady Gaga is doing, or whatever hollywood or otherwise celebrity disaster is happening! THIS is what matters!

for one month. I quickly ran to my wife to share with her, and she agreed — NO More eating out!! The timing of this article was impeccable!! Funny how something as simple as a tax return, can make you live under the delision that you are suddenly rich. I see that now.

Lesson learned! Hopefully, this will help others! God Bless! I love it Michael when our readers have these ah ha moments. I think you will be very surprised at what happens in your life now because after you start putting this one thing of not going out to eat into practice and see what a difference it makes you will start noticing so many other areas where you may be spending too much too and want to change things there.

For example many go to the store, check out with their credit card and walk to the car without even looking at or noticing what they have just spent.

Since nixing the eating out due to the tight budget, I think it has been hardest on my daughter. Convenience to-go food is basically how we lived for so long since we were rushing here and there.

Now when we leave to run errands or go into the city, I pack an insulated bag with treats and we take sport bottles or insulated cups with drinks so we do not have to stop at a quick trip.

Keep sending suggestions!! I can not decide if I love the suggestions more than I like saving money :D. As I say to my husband, why pay for a mediocre meal in a restaurant when we can have one at home for a lot cheaper :.

my problem is trying to cook for a diabetic who has high blood pressure. He cannot eat processed meats loves hotdogs! or starches, sweets, etc. Ruth — There are many low carb recipes online. I have recently begun making low carb bread using almond meal instead of flour.

I feel like you were talking right at me! I just wish our at-home chinese tasted as good as the restaurants. Some Asian specialty stores sell the stuff that the restaurants use. You should check some of them out and look up the ingredients to see how they are used.

Some of my family originates from Korea, and so I had a bit of background knowledge on some things, but I also had to learn a lot. Now my stuff taste pretty much like my favorite Asian Restaurants! I have four grown children who remember me bringing an insulated pyrex pan full of hot dogs and buns to the little league games.

It was fun for them and we could afford that so we did it. Glad to read I am not the only one who has resorted to this! Another excellent article! ahhh back to the good old days for me.

All sat down at night for supper around a table and ate ONE meal, the same food for everyone. You liked it because that was all you got. You have to have steak for Dad, chicken for Junior, salad for Mom, just veggies for Sis.

They need to get back to one meal eat it and like it. and it starts when they are babies. My husband and I are very very poor right now. We were eating out so much it figured up to more than dollars a month spent on fast food! How sad is that?

Also, our daughter was also eating that junk. Not only is it really bad for you, but it was at least 20 dollars a visit to any fast food restaurant for us all to eat.

We are on assistance while we get our finances in order and find ways to bring in more income and as we trim extra fat, but we use our assistance to get meals that make sense. None of that junk that has a ton of craziness in it.

Eating at home with store bought ingredients is better for you than fast food, but even there you will find sneaky food that break the bank and cause just as much weight gain. Thank you for the article!

I usually end up going out to eat when I just have to get out of the house and interact with another human being. At this point, the counter lady knows my name, and I just want to cry when I think about giving that up. You will save by eating at home, but can periodically make trips out for your Sanity.

I wanted to comment on this as well. sometimes, I really crave one, but I skip the fries and have water in my car. I do this too. Not expensive and I get to eat out too.

Oh, I loved this article. At times you got somewhat aggressive and that is what it takes to get some people to open their eyes and off their behinds. For a while we had gotten into the habit of eating out because of convenience. This year I put a stop to it. The last time we ate out was December 31, I will put the money we spent eating out on bills.

My husband and I have fought about going out to eat for years. This was my chance. I went 4 months back, made a budget and printed out where every dime had gone. Our problem was eating out, and that is the ONLY problem. We do not spend money foolishly in any other way.

He could no longer deny that eating out was a HUGE cause of our debt. We will eventually get to where we only buy the occasional soda or snack, and the VERY occasional meal instead of making our lives revolve around eating out.

Your email that came this morning on eating out was spot on. My husband and I have been out of debt since we got married 23 years ago.

It is that simple. I signed up for your tips because as retirees I need all the tips I can get for living on less. I love it and a HUGE thank you for this. As always, excellent article and excellent comments. How badly do we want something?

My own experience as a young Mom was that I most wanted to eat out when I was exhausted and or needed a mini-vacation. Long story short, we very seldom ate out, as finances were tight, but the need for a mini vacation was real. Consider having a rule that says someone else cleans up, other than the person who cooks.

For some households this may be impossible, or unlikely, so consider using paper plates, etc. for days when the physical and emotional exhaustion is real. Some people are in a trance-like state eating out because what they really are, is lonely, not hungry.

As this site points out, the remedy is a little pre-planning. If you usually eat out on the weekend, plan a little get together with friends or family at your house with just coffee, and muffins.

I still know what exhaustion is in our current lifestyle. During late summer and early fall, there is a big push on for 3 to 4 weeks, to get in the firewood for the winter months.

No firewood, no heat for our long northern Canadian winters. I usually make up a snack of a thermos of coffee and a sandwich to go in the truck, along with a cold drink. I plan the day before, and have a meal in the crock pot for supper. My husband gets home around 4 p.

We throw off the firewood into the yard, it will be stacked by myself the next day, while hubby is at work and walk in dusty, dirty and hungry to a kitchen where dinner is ready. We repeat this cycle, until we have our annual 8 to 10 cord of wood for the year.

There are two of us, and those meals on the logging road, are the most delicious and memorable. My point is, your circumstances are particular to every family, but a little planning, and experimenting goes a long way. Fantastic article!

My family very rarely eats out, although I would LOVE for my eldest son to read this. so he continues to eat out when he wants to.

Love your website and the great advice! We live about 45min. from town. I usually pack lunches, but sometimes we get caught off guard. I just wanted to add a tip.

Everybody gets full and there are usually leftovers for another lunch. Great tip Sara. We would do this on trips. Instead of pulling into a fast foods place we usually could find a place to buy a loaf of bread, package of bologna and a bag of chips and that was lunch or supper.

For an added treat we stop at a gas station, put our money in a pop machine and get to pull a pop out of those old huge pop chests where the pop would dangle in ice water.

After driving all day in Aug. with no air conditioner feeling that cold icy water on your hand was heaven. Ok so I am dating myself but it is still a sweet memory and to this day I think of it every time I have a bologna sandwich.

When my daughter and son-in-law were dating, he lived in a town 30 miles away. One day he had a very early meeting in her town so spent the night in her guest room.

The next morning when she packed her lunch she also packed one for him. However, he discovered that about half of the men and women at the meeting had also brought lunches from home.

He found a new group to eat with and saved money. Afterward he began making lunches for himself until they married and they made their lunches together. He was shocked to see how much money he saved in just the first month.

i have to eat certain foods — whole foods, low sodium, heart healthy, etc. processed foods cause medical problems, even though they are cheaper. Plus a carrot is a carrot even though many would have you believe differently so your carrot costs the same as mine.

The same goes for bananas, turnips, oranges, pineapple, strawberries all of these are not processed foods which means a good portion of your diet is just regular food. As you can see the principles are the same. Plus like anyone else with medical needs you may then have to save in other areas more and do without.

Thanks for the suggestions. That is usually set aside for chores, volunteer work and some recreation. I go out have to go to the store to get Tilapia and some vegetables.

Very simple. That is the simplest meal I can think of making that is healthy. Then I go home and prepare it. Even though I cleaned as I went I still have pan to clean and the dishes we ate off of.

Please help because I do want to save really bad but so many of these calculations and making it easier seem to forget a few added things here and there. I worked 70 hours a week 6 days a week with 2 kids, dog, cat and I had to do all my yard work, house cleaning and maintenance etc.

It was hard- but to show that I know what it is like to have to work long hours and to be super busy. Even with all of that I still managed to fix 3 meals a day for us.

You need to compare like with like. There are 4 meals off of the top of my head. As far as time goes let me walk you through how I would do it with your schedule. I would walk in the door from work, turn on oven, take out pan non stick or cover one in foil — for 2 you only need a small pan , slap the chicken in it and put in oven — mins..

Go change clothes, do your chores, walk the dog. Come back set the table — with paper plates -1 min. Get out carrots and put on a plate, rinse broccoli and place in dish and microwave mins. You have now spent about 5 mins. into the meal by this time the chicken should be almost done.

into the meal. As far as time on the weekend you may have to rearrange your priorities and cut out some of the volunteer work and recreation. In the same way you have made up your mind to work hard at a job to earn money and faithfully do it every day you need to make up your mind to work hard too at saving money.

They both accomplish the same thing and both have to be done with work. The consequences for the second is slower and more long term because it takes time for the debt to sometimes build up but both put you in a pickle.

Fix just 2 meals a week at home and use convenience foods and paper plates if you need too. Pick out 4 easy meals and repeat them over and over until you get comfortable with them.

Then maybe try having 3 meals at home and start using plates. Again do until you are comfortable. As far as things spoiling, I can keep carrots, apples, oranges for a long time like a month in my fridge.

Until you get use to things serve tuna on a lettuce leaf instead of fresh fish. You can keep it on your shelf for a long time. Canned green beans are still really good for you. It is like we are ODing on health foods and we are going to have a bunch of people dying from hypertension because they were stressing so about their food but I digress and that is another whole subject.

Anyway take it slow. One step at a time. You may not arrive immediately but you are at least headed in the right direction that way.

Thanks 1. good read!!!! or just need play money because they are teenagers ;. We eat take-out far too much. Exhaustion is a big problem too.

Any words of wisdom? We at delivered pizza for about 3 weeks in a row because it kept being free. I went for years not wanting to even look at a piece of pizza.

I felt so guilty but the thing was that was making me feel worse. At that moment it was free delivered pizza. We survived and I am eating pizza again. Now if you are worried about eating out being too expensive you may have too do it some at this time.

Some things to help with that though is to order the least expensive items that you can when you do eat out. That is what I call a different mind set. Most people who eat out not only eat out often but even worse they look at the menu and order everything they want even if it is the most expensive stuff on the menu.

Buy just a chicken sandwich only. Instead of fries have a piece of fruit from home. Drink water from home. Also it is cheaper too to keep a stock pile of frozen things that you bought at the store and not made yourself then going out to eat.

Thinks like frozen veggies, potatoes etc. Use disposable pans and paper plates. All of this is still cheaper then going out to eat. Keep it simple. Canned soup and crackers with some baby carrots and sliced cheese or peanut butter for your crackers. They have never usually had a horrible long term illness where some days you are lucky to get out of bed and go to the bathroom.

It also caused me to do a few sums. Thank you all. Thank you Magdlen. I am so glad you took the time to do that. There are so many ways in little things we tend to spend without even realizing what we are doing That is why I always say put pen to paper and really look at things.

I am so surprised at how many people guess at what they are spending on things with out even realizing it. I have even caught myself doing it. I love you money and food saving tips!

I bought your Dining on a Dime and am halfway through reading it. I am so excited to start implementing these suggestions in our household!

It is just the hubby and me, the kids are all grown and out of the house. I am thinking of getting a copy of the book for the kids for the next holiday! All food is hard to come by. In wealthier developed countries, we are often insulated by the true cost of real food, through marketing systems, and over production.

Some people work for an entire day, to gain a humble meal once a day, in the evening…no stores of extra food, and not a whole lot of choice. A simple little meditative practice has made me stop and think about all of this, and how blessed we are in the wealthier countries.

When I say a usual grace over a meal, I take a moment to think about all that had to happen to get that meal to my plate. Example: A piece of toast, with peanut butter and a cup of coffee. Someone had to plant, nurture and harvest the wheat for flour. Yeast had to be cultivated, harvested and processed to be stored.

A factory had to grind, and package the flour and other ingredients. Trucks had to be in place to transport that flour to the grocery stores. You need a whole other laundry list of what is required to keep trucks transporting our goods.

Stores had to be set up, and employees had to be hired to get the flour out for sale. We needed a source of income and a vehicle to bring that bread home, and able bodies to make the bread, fuel to cook it, etc.

For me, this always helps me keep my perspective when I am tempted to complain about how much work and time it takes to prepare a meal. It also helps me realize how blessed I am.

There are people living in third world countries, who would gladly line up to trade places with me when it comes to being able to provide food for my family, under the conditions that I have. Very well said Mary Jane.

It is so true. I find it hard to be patient sometimes on our attitude towards food. Sometimes I want to break down in tears when I walk into a grocery store because I am so very grateful to have the freedom and money to be able to walk in and pick and choose from so many good things.

I had better stop there or I will be on my soap box. I love your post. It is a waste of time and money. My husband and I work and live on the road. I spend 10 waking ours a week at home every other weekend.

I spend most of that time tiding up the house and washing our clothes. During the spring and summer months he tends to the yard. There is little time to cook.

I keep telling my husband that we would be better off to stop by the grocery store and get something fresh each day instead, but he rarely agrees. Eating a simple meal from the grocery store is much healthier too.

I do the best I can to help myself eat healthy. I try to get coffee for breakfast and then get a to-go cup and then I add some nutrients such as chia seeds, vanilla, cinnamon, coconut oil, flax seed, hemp seeds etc… to make my coffee into an affordable healthy breakfast smoothie type meal.

I can do the same with chocolate milk or orange juice which I switch up with the coffee from time to time. Once we got home, while they worked on homework, I made up a quick after dinner snack.

This worked out well for the busy nights spent driving from scouts, to church, to practice, to school events etc… This was much better than sitting idle in the long line of cars wrapped around the building of a local fast food joint.

When the kids were older, we had a family plan. My husband and each girl 3 had one night a week Mon. to set the table, make the meal, and clean up.

One night a week was the only commitment. The other nights they could get up from the table to go about their evening. Even I had the privilege of getting up and walking away from the table on most week nights. The first few nights it was very strange and difficult for me to just get up from the table and walk away.

This plan worked out wonderfully. No fighting to get someone to help clean up, etc… I was responsible for Fri. One weekend night was a dinner out if desired.

They were also responsible for swapping nights if their schedule conflicted with their scheduled dinner night. My husband would always be the one to forget to plan for his night. A quick sandwich and possibly soup was in order on a night that someone usually my husband forgot to plan a meal.

Wish I had started this plan before they started high school. Meals out were once or twice a year and were super special. My dad took his lunch to work 4 days a week and ate out with his colleagues on Fridays. When I came home from college, I did the same and he and I would meet up for a Friday lunch out once a month.

These meals out with the family and with my dad were special. Plus, like I said before- cooking goes so much faster if you have an extra set of hands in the kitchen. Pro tip: Want to kick it up a notch? Head out to your favorite bookstore and pick out a cookbook.

Then, open up to a random page. If cooking all three meals every single day is a little bit much for your schedule, you can always try intermittent fasting. Then, you eat more substantial meals during that smaller time frame. This can be helpful if you prefer to eat bigger meals less often, but be sure to do your own research, and always do what is best for your own body.

Think sandwiches, salads and wraps. Meal prepping is when you batch cook a large amount of food in one go and eat it throughout the week. For example, on Sunday evening, you could prepare lunches and dinners for the entire work week, saving you loads of time and usually quite a bit of money too!

If your daily routine is eating out, try to challenge yourself to just reduce the amount of times you go out in every given week. For example, if you usually eat out 5x per week, can you get it down to only 3x?

You get to design your own no eating out challenge — so make the goal realistic. Of course, a no eating out challenge comes with great benefits for your wallet!

But it also comes with some serious lifestyle upgrades as well. Here are just a few reasons why YOU should take this challenge on. At many restaurants, the amount of food you get is far more than you need. One way around this problem is to split a single entree with a friend. At some restaurants, you can simply ask for one main course and an extra plate and divide the meal when it arrives.

Another option is for one of you to order something small — a salad, soup, or appetizer — while the other orders an entree. Then you can share both dishes.

And the lighter meal is easier on your waistline as well as your wallet. Another way to deal with oversized portions is to take home the leftovers.

Put the to-go portion in the box right away before you even start eating. Even if you get two meals out of your entree, your leftovers are only taking the place of a cheap brown-bag lunch. That gives you one last opportunity to lower the cost with discounts and coupons.

Options include:. Your server is still doing just as much work. Some cash-back cards offer a flat-rate discount on everything you buy. Others pay a higher percentage on purchases in specific categories, which can include restaurants.

You can often get the best savings with a restaurant rewards card , such as the Capital One SavorOne Rewards credit card.

With some cards, bonus cash-back categories change every three months. To keep track of which bonuses each card offers when, keep a note in your wallet or on your phone.

That way, you always know which card to pull out at a restaurant for the biggest reward. Another way to get cash back at restaurants is through Neighborhood Nosh. Link your debit or credit card to earn cash back at participating local restaurants, bars, and clubs. Better still, the card you register with either program can be a rewards credit card.

That allows you to earn cash back two different ways every time you eat out, which is definitely a delicious deal. It works much like Neighborhood Nosh, but it gives you travel rewards on your dining dollars instead of cash back.

Finally, make dine-in reservations through OpenTable. It has a rewards program that gives you points each time you book a table. You can cash them in for a gift certificate to your favorite restaurant on the OpenTable platform.

The easiest way to save money on dining out is not to do it at all. A meal at a restaurant just costs a lot more than the same meal at home. So cooking all your own meals makes sense. But a delicious meal complete with service can definitely be a worthwhile splurge for a special occasion.

And the more you manage to save on the cost of dining out, the more often you can afford to treat yourself.

17 Easy Ways to Cut the Cost of Eating Out · 1. Special menu. Many restaurants offer a reduced-price menu for seniors How to save money on dining out · 1. Hit up happy hour · 2. Share your plate · 3. BYOB · 4. Be careful on self-service The average commercially-prepared meal, by our estimates, costs around $ Even if you rarely spend this much money at

Savings on dining out - Make “less but often” your motto · Treat yourself, by yourself · Limit your alcohol intake rather than cutting booze out 17 Easy Ways to Cut the Cost of Eating Out · 1. Special menu. Many restaurants offer a reduced-price menu for seniors How to save money on dining out · 1. Hit up happy hour · 2. Share your plate · 3. BYOB · 4. Be careful on self-service The average commercially-prepared meal, by our estimates, costs around $ Even if you rarely spend this much money at

A restaurant meal can cost anywhere from three to six times as much as the cost of the ingredients. The extra cost pays for amenities like the service and the atmosphere. Fortunately, there are ways to minimize these extra costs so you can enjoy a night off cooking duty with less guilt.

But if you want to save some serious money, choose a restaurant where you primarily serve yourself. Another way to save on your restaurant meal is to eat it at home. When you order takeout from your favorite restaurant, you can provide your own service. For example, suppose you go to a modestly priced Italian restaurant and order lasagna with soup or salad and a glass of wine.

If you live in a metropolitan area or college campus, ordering online is easy with Seamless or DoorDash. Just choose the pickup option to save on the delivery charge. Once you get your lasagna home, add the extras yourself. If the experience of eating out is what you crave, you can enjoy it much more cheaply at lunchtime than dinnertime.

Many chain restaurants charge quite a bit less for the meals on their lunch menu. Examples include:. Some restaurants extend their lunch hours into the late afternoon. Check local restaurants to see how late their lunch hours run.

Many chain restaurants have happy hours before or after the dinner rush. During these periods, they offer special deals on food and drinks. Other chains offer early bird specials during the pre-dinner hours. Some early bird deals are just for diners over For instance, some Golden Corral restaurants offer a senior early bird buffet deal on weekdays.

Other deals, like the weekday Early Dinner Duos at some Olive Garden restaurants, are open to anyone. More than restaurants have a birthday or anniversary club.

When your birthday approaches, you receive a coupon by email for a free drink, dessert, or entree. For example, I belong to the Baskin-Robbins Birthday Club. I get my coupon for a free scoop of ice cream by email a week before my birthday. I can then cash it in any time over the following 10 days.

If restaurant food is pricey compared to home cooking, the drinks are even pricier. Restaurants charge about four or five times as much for a glass of wine or beer as they pay for it.

In fact, the markup on soft drinks is even higher. And a cup of tea costs you up to 10 times what the restaurant paid for the tea bag.

A better solution is to skip the drinks altogether and drink water with your meal for nothing. AARP Membership. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.

Join Now. There are ways to indulge without breaking the bank. Demand plays a role in the prices you pay at a restaurant. If you dine out at prime time expect longer waits and higher prices. Many restaurants offer lunch specials, some of which you may not be able to finish and could be eaten for dinner later that night.

Many restaurants offer loyalty programs that often are free and enable you to earn discounts on future orders and snag freebies. Not only do you rack up points for each purchase that can be used for a future order but you get a free pastry, sweet treat or bagel when you make a purchase within two months of signing up.

With an AARP membership you get a percentage off at a slew of restaurants across the country. To get more patrons through their doors, many restaurants offer coupons. There are a plethora of ways to find these deals , whether you are tech-savvy or old school.

Privacy Policy. Cash-back apps are another way to snag a deal. Apps including Hooch, OpenTable, Restaurant. com and Rakuten give you cash back or reward points when you make certain purchases or make a reservation at a participating restaurant.

There are plenty of delicious, filling alternatives on most menus. Coupons for Local Stores. While limiting how often you eat out may not be fun, it is by far the most effective way to cut down on your eating out expenditures. Here are a few ways you can limit your spending. The way to save the most money is quit eating out altogether.

While never eating out may be possible, it takes a lot of will power and planning to enact. Eating out less is much easier than quitting eating out cold turkey.

Challenge yourself to only eat out half as much as you usually do. Another option is to limit your dining out to a specific number of times per week or month. One of the quickest ways eating out can get out of hand is eating out for lunch at work. Rather than spend money on your escape, pack a lunch and head to a local park to eat.

Go out for birthdays, anniversaries, vacations and celebrations. It will make eating out much more special and save you a good chunk of change at the same time. One easy way to reduce your dining out bill is reducing the number of times you eat out because you forgot to set something out for dinner.

Here are a couple easy ways to accomplish that task. Meal planning is a great way to avoid dining out. You can meal plan one week or one month at a time.

Check your meal plan list on a regular basis to make sure you thaw out whatever frozen meat you may need in advance of meal preparation. Even if you meal plan, you might make a mistake and end up without a dinner every so often. Solve this by having a back up plan.

Freezer meals are a great back up plan. Keep track of how many freezer meals you have available to make sure you never run out.

Not everyone wants to cut back on how often they dine out. Even if you budget a significant amount of money to eat out a regular basis, you can still save by being smart when you do eat out. Cash back or rewards credit cards can save you anywhere from 1 to 5 percent on your next meal out.

Just make sure you never charge more than you can pay off in full each month. If you want to save 15 to 20 percent on your next trip to a restaurant, skip sit down restaurants that have servers. You can even carry out from many chain restaurants to avoid tipping.

It is your choice, though. Skipping drinks, whether you drink soda or alcoholic beverages, can save a decent amount on your next restaurant bill.

50 Ways to Spend Less When Eating Out · Eat Out for Less · Order Online and Pick Up · Take Advantage of Free Meals for How to save money at restaurants · Use vouchers and special offers · Take advantage of your student discount · Don't The average commercially-prepared meal, by our estimates, costs around $ Even if you rarely spend this much money at: Savings on dining out

Freezer meals are Sample products for free great back up plan. name fidelity. Dning Brokerage Services Facial toner samples, Member NYSE, SIPC onn, Salem Street, Sxvings, RI Savings on dining out FMR LLC. You can meal plan one week or one month at a time. None of that junk that has a ton of craziness in it. There are two of us, and those meals on the logging road, are the most delicious and memorable.	I try to have something a little more special on Fridays I call them Friday Fun Meals like pizza, tacos, fahitas, etc. We buy organic meat and eggs directly from the farm, get a garden share in the summer plus our our garden, can and dry our food when we can. Then, you eat more substantial meals during that smaller time frame. Thank you Magdlen. Baked goods,pasta,desserts,mains etc. For that SAME price I could have gotten a couple of packs of luncheon meat and several bottles of soda not to mention a couple of whole loaves of bread!	17 Easy Ways to Cut the Cost of Eating Out · 1. Special menu. Many restaurants offer a reduced-price menu for seniors How to save money on dining out · 1. Hit up happy hour · 2. Share your plate · 3. BYOB · 4. Be careful on self-service The average commercially-prepared meal, by our estimates, costs around $ Even if you rarely spend this much money at	12 Ways to Save Money Eating Out at Restaurants · 1. Be Your Own Server. At fine-dining restaurants like The Capital It depends on what food you like but try for restaurants where you get enough for the next day. If going to a place The average commercially-prepared meal, by our estimates, costs around $ Even if you rarely spend this much money at	How to Save Money at Restaurants · 1. Save half of your meal. Before your food arrives, ask for a to-go box. · 2. Use 26 Ways to Save Money Eating Out at Restaurants · 1. Take Advantage of Military or Veteran Discounts · 2. Bring Coupons Make “less but often” your motto · Treat yourself, by yourself · Limit your alcohol intake rather than cutting booze out
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Lut yourself to only eat out Money-saving cooking techniques as much as you Limited edition sample offers do. If you already know where you vining to ot on your special day, sign up for their online birthday club now. Or an ice cream cone. Another option is for one of you to order something small — a salad, soup, or appetizer — while the other orders an entree. Some early bird deals are just for diners over	There's no question buffets can be expensive — and fattening. You will begin receiving the Fidelity Viewpoints Active Investor newsletter. Not only is it cheaper, but you can also usually get extras like a soup or salad with your meal for less than the price of a main dish at dinnertime. Those who eat mindfully report feeling fuller faster and more satisfied, which can help curb the desire to order more and leave enough food left over to take home for another meal. Even with food prices soaring you can save on restaurant meals.	17 Easy Ways to Cut the Cost of Eating Out · 1. Special menu. Many restaurants offer a reduced-price menu for seniors How to save money on dining out · 1. Hit up happy hour · 2. Share your plate · 3. BYOB · 4. Be careful on self-service The average commercially-prepared meal, by our estimates, costs around $ Even if you rarely spend this much money at	Make “less but often” your motto · Treat yourself, by yourself · Limit your alcohol intake rather than cutting booze out 17 Easy Ways to Cut the Cost of Eating Out · 1. Special menu. Many restaurants offer a reduced-price menu for seniors How to save money at restaurants · Use vouchers and special offers · Take advantage of your student discount · Don't	It depends on what food you like but try for restaurants where you get enough for the next day. If going to a place modafinilkaufendeutschland.space › Money 12 Simple Tricks for Saving Money When You're Out at a Restaurant · Like 'em · Celebrate good times · Avoid holiday
If you already know Savinfs you want o go o your special day, Sample deals online up for their otu birthday club Limited edition sample offers. So pick a restaurant Limited edition sample offers offers big portions for a Svings price and has options your dining companion would be excited to split with you. Fine dining usually comes with a fine price tag. We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Then, on your big day, you can bask in all the perks.	Again, love your post! Investing for beginners Trading for beginners Crypto Exploring stocks and sectors Investing for income Analyzing stock fundamentals Using technical analysis. Sure hope so. We sink into a fog of apathy, hopelessness and discouragement and just give up trying. Here are two of the more affordable options, including our overall favorite:. I like your take on people eating out and other bad habits. Back in and again in when I attempted this challenge, they were relatively novel.	17 Easy Ways to Cut the Cost of Eating Out · 1. Special menu. Many restaurants offer a reduced-price menu for seniors How to save money on dining out · 1. Hit up happy hour · 2. Share your plate · 3. BYOB · 4. Be careful on self-service The average commercially-prepared meal, by our estimates, costs around $ Even if you rarely spend this much money at	In terms of numbers, Singletary says people who stop eating out saved an average of $ to $ per month. The normal You just have to figure out a handful of meals to keep on rotation and make sure you stock up on those ingredients each 5 restaurant tricks that will save you money · 1. Do your homework. Almost every restaurant's menu is available online	A no eating out challenge is when you stop going to restaurants or ordering take out for a set period of time 50 Ways to Spend Less When Eating Out · Eat Out for Less · Order Online and Pick Up · Take Advantage of Free Meals for Missing
I Savingw a teen-aged student male who ddining about no stomach hurting. I have Inexpensive but quality cooking products to be frugal for quite some time Savinys know how to diniing the old dollar that is Limited edition sample offers a dinning time Facial toner samples everything has gone up that is the standard expenses like electricity and then should I say the 8. I had been wanting some KFC chicken but this was much better and cheaper. Thanks for your advice and keep up the good work. Lyle Daly The Motley Fool. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine. So stop eating bread, or at least drastically reduce it.	This reduces the cost of the items I buy at the grocery store and I like purchasing local items and keeping our local farms still going. However, I got the dishes done in about 7 minutes, and tomorrow the counters will beckon for another great meal. debug tcm Gift Card Granny. Just go cook already.	17 Easy Ways to Cut the Cost of Eating Out · 1. Special menu. Many restaurants offer a reduced-price menu for seniors How to save money on dining out · 1. Hit up happy hour · 2. Share your plate · 3. BYOB · 4. Be careful on self-service The average commercially-prepared meal, by our estimates, costs around $ Even if you rarely spend this much money at	Oh, yes — saving money and eating out. I know most of the excuses we use to justify eating out when it doesn't really fit in the budget 12 Simple Tricks for Saving Money When You're Out at a Restaurant · Like 'em · Celebrate good times · Avoid holiday The average commercially-prepared meal, by our estimates, costs around $ Even if you rarely spend this much money at	How to Eat Out on a Budget · 1. Buy gift cards below face value · 2. Ask for a discount · 3. Join the club · 4. Make Even with food prices soaring you can save on restaurant meals · 1. Timing is everything · 2. Show your loyalty to save An Insider's Guide to Saving Money at Restaurants · 1. Instead of ordering a soda or wine, drink water. · 2. Go with someone who is

Savings on dining out - Make “less but often” your motto · Treat yourself, by yourself · Limit your alcohol intake rather than cutting booze out 17 Easy Ways to Cut the Cost of Eating Out · 1. Special menu. Many restaurants offer a reduced-price menu for seniors How to save money on dining out · 1. Hit up happy hour · 2. Share your plate · 3. BYOB · 4. Be careful on self-service The average commercially-prepared meal, by our estimates, costs around $ Even if you rarely spend this much money at

Love it! I am so amazed at the packed parking lots of ALL the restaurants in town ALL the time! You go girl. I would like to say how very true it is that many of us do not realize just how much we spend eating out.

Since the beginning of the year, we have been tracking every reciept for all purchases in a notebook under a category. We add them up at the end of each month. We were surprised to see even though we eat out less than once a week on average, we were spending at least a couple of hundred dollars for our family of four to eat out each month!

Keep all the receipts in a shoe box till you record them and see for yourself what you are really spending. It puts it into perspective when you have to face the numbers on the page. We rarely and I mean rarely go out to eat.

We cook very simply but eat very well and we always wonder why so many people eat out for almost every meal of the day! If remember correctly the man who wanted to be healed had to be the first person to touch the water and there was always someone who touched the water before him.

The water only moved at certain times and only the first person to touch the water got healed. I think you are correct but after all those years I think I would have scooted myself to the edge and kept trying to be the first. Very Well Said!!!!! I could see that this was becoming a debt issue and told him, as much fun as it is, it has to stop.

I am partly to blame as I was forgetting to take something out or would be too busy on weekends to cook when we would get hungry. Planning my weekly meals has helped tremendously and now its a treat to go out, not an every weekend thing, and we pay cash instead of using a credit card.

Loved this message.. hope lots take your advise.. we eat out very little. But when I worked it was hard to take a lunch everyday.. It is a treat when we do now.. thanks for all the info.. We eat out rarely but with our life style it is so tempting to do so.

We leave in the morning go out boating and only eat crackers and cheese or finger bun sandwiches during the day. We get home about 9pm exhausted. I now keep a box of egg rolls, chinese appetizers, fish sticks and french fries in the freezer.

We get home and while we shower the oven is pre-heating. Put pans into the oven and go relax while dinner is cooking. Going for take out we wait 15 min. take it home let it get cold while we shower and it loses its appeal if not piping hot.

But I still get to relax before and during the meal. Your remark about how your grandson can boil a hotdog made me smile.

The eggs were hard, the toast burnt, and the coffee full of grounds. She ate it anyway — what love! A year later, I was able to cook meals for the whole famly.

If a ten year old can cook meat, mashed potatoes Real ones, not instant and vegetables, any adult ought to be able to do it with little trouble. BTW, that family was Mum, Dad, and the five of us kids.

Later, my elder sister moved home with her baby son. I just peeled an extra potato, and served homemade muffins for dessert.

I had to laugh — at myself. To shorten a long story, 25 minutes later I finally got my food, and I was very hot, very sweaty sorry, ladies , and really pretty aggravated at myself.

NO, it did not. Boy, did I learn a lesson there. but there are times I just want to eat and not have to clean up. I am definitely learning that cleaning up a bit definitely pays in the long run! Love this! Our favourite: A rotisserie deli chicken leftovers become sandwiches , a bag of those 5-minute quick-cooking shoestring fries, a bag of salad and a tomato, cuke, etc that can be tossed in leftover salad with chicken on top for someone.

We would have some rolls too if we could eat wheat. Rotisserie chicken are a life saver I agree, I just wish they did not have so much sodium the one at wall mart have mg of sodium. There is always a trade-off, Chris. Great article! We only eat out for special occasions.

I cook dinner for us every night and spend roughly an hour as well as cooking breakfast and lunch for our family of 7 and packing a lunch for my husband. Thanks for your time! Elizabeth Gregg. Elizabeth, if you go to the home page of the web site and type in 30 minute meals in the search box you will come up with a whole bunch of menus ideas we have on there.

Tawra is wanting us to do a quick and easy menus book soon but until then this should help you. We also are having a sale on our grocery saving e book next week, I think, which is really good because it teaches how to not only make your own menus up but so many other ways to get in and out of the grocery store and kitchen fast and with less work.

My husband and I cook for four hours in one go on the weekend. Last weekend we added hand-held meat pies store bought pie shells stuffed with ground beef, potatoes, onions, and carrots and then individually wrapped in foil for quick grab and go.

Brown rice, ground turkey, onion, peanuts, and cilantro medley to eat warm or cold. Six individual tossed salads put into snap and seal and they stay fresh for five days. Roasted carrots, beets, and onions — just pop into the oven.

Steamed two bags of spinach and two heads of cauliflower. Microwaved four sweet potatoes, peeled, and mashed with butter and walnuts. Boiled and peeled six eggs.

Homemade mac and cheese with jalapenos. Used about 1. All reheat well or are eaten cold or at room temp. We find it much more time efficient to multitask — there are, after all, four burners, and two oven racks.

Doing once a week takes 8 hrs that is the hours total for 2 of you of cooking time. a week when you do the meals each evening. Just so you would know.

Eating out was a major obstacle on our path to getting our finances under control. How ridiculous that sounds now, treating ourselves to more debt! The one major thing that has helped us go from eating out a week to eating out only a month is planning our menus.

I can not stress how much this has helped us!!! Also, I love my crockpot, literally, LOVE IT!! THANK YOU!!!!!! I have been following you for a year now.

Between you and Hillbilly Housewife. Good job Becky! People think we are crazy when we say it can be done but you are the perfect example it can. Do you feel like you have really suffered or is it better?

Well said! My husband and I when we started out family made the decision to cook more homecooked meals. Dinner has always been an open invitation with friends and family so we quite often have last minute guests at our table, which is easily accomidated for. We made an 8 week meal plan, and a master grocery list of all the ingredients needed for all the dishes.

The master grocery list also acts as a price book so if something is on sale, we know if its worth stocking up. This passed Easter, our extended family wanted to go out to a restaurant for brunch. Instead, my husband and I invited everyone over, and we cooked. Best part: I spent 30 minutes in the kitchen to make all that food.

Simple things like a little bit or garnish, folded cloth napkins, fresh bread and a simple salad gave the meal a gourmet feel. It was hard to give up our fast food diet, but now when we do treat ourselves to it, we pay for it, and not just financially.

I WAS JUST THINKING-WAIT-I ATE LUNCH OUT TODAY AND NOW I AM ORDERING DINNER-WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE!!!!! I can justify- a lunch date with a friend, planned so that felt o.

k- then visiting a sick relative.. DEAD tired as my busy season just ended BUT whne I add it up- OUCH!!!!! I am re-committing to a certain dollar amount in a envelope a week and when that is gone- no excuses!!!!!!!!!!

THANKS for the kick in the butt!!!! Congratulations on your always wise and practical advice! You are people that really make a difference in this world!

Hope your site gets known more and more internationally. You had some good points. I especially liked the idea to just take some hotdogs in the thermos for the kids.

Dinners or lunches do not have to be fancy all the time. I think for myself, I tend to get the pizzas or grab take-out when I am tired. Some days getting a take-out pizza is a big help. I know it is quick and easy and may not be and all the time thing but really there are plenty of other quick and easy that are healthy.

One thing I always say is that if you worry too much about every little bite you put in your mouth and stress if this has too much of that or too little of this that you are causing more damage to your health by all the stress and worry and not being able to relax and eat a simple hot dog once in awhile.

Not only are people stressing themselves out but causing their families a lot of stress. If a person is always worrying about something all that good food you ate this morning is almost canceled out by all the worry, fear and negative thinking done that morning.

You are preaching to the choir here! We ate out just last night. We could talk about anything we wanted without eaves droppers. No line, no waiter, no tip… It was great! The windows were open and the breeze blew through the house. I think we will repeat this.

Meanwhile, my son took his wife out to eat. I carry emergency rations in the car or bring the lunch box depending on what our plans are. If I ever consider going to fast food, I chicken out really quick! It costs too much!

Like someone else said, the food costs way more than what I can do at home. Going out to breakfast? One fried egg costs more than the whole carton of eggs!

Why should I pay for that? Thank you for sharing of yourself as you share your points and ideas. I have been reading your newsletters for YEARS and enjoy it every single time. Not many resources are written in such a friendly, frank way that I each time I see it, I am eager to read.

About time someone speaks out. And one if my pet peeves is so many people have no money for food,but are constantly talking on a cell phone,which i feel is not a necessary item. Now i feel better. Thank you. There was a sort of funny but very sad email that went around for a while a year ago.

Why was she at a soup kitchen if she could afford a cell phone for that price? Excellent post! Thanks for all the great advice! Great article — and great website in general!

I just discovered Living on a Dime and am having a wonderful time going through all of the articles. This one in particular I love — I have a baaaaad habit of going out for lunch, but have been working on breaking it.

I am saving SO much money! They are wonderful. Now, if only I can tear myself away from Living on a Dime, I can go start peeling potatoes for dinner… ; hehehe.

Loved your comment Kristi — especially the last part about tearing yourself away. Too funny. I am a recently divorced mom.

I had to learn to not go out to lunch. I often did times a week. I enjoy getting your emails, I have really enjoyed this article. I am a rural mail carrier, and alot of times get in late off the rt.

get home help feed the cattle, come in start dinner, try to clean part of the house. Now that the kids are grown and gone I have done it more. Ouch on the ck book! I am trying really hard to figure out how to do a budget. Anyway, I have your Dining On A Dime and bought my daughter and my daughter in law one also.

I got some of you ebooks also. There is sooooooooooo much more love in every bite of a homecooked meal. There is a certain satisfaction of performing such a loving act for your family. Eating out should be for a special event or celebration. Not the other way around.

Bring your family together for dinner. Wait a minute!!!! Every thing is backwards nowadays. How sad. And you are soooo right. It does not have to be gourmet or fancy. Just go cook already. I just got this newsletter in my inbox today and am so thankful for the information.

I honestly have been so encouraged to change these bad habits because I have this information and support available and I think about it constantly. Now when my husband and I leave the house around a mealtime, go out for the day or could end up in a situation far from home for an extended period of time, I pack his lunch bag with some water, a flavored beverage of sorts, some healthy snacks or a homemade treat that I store in the freezer and a cold pack.

We then have an alternative to buying more food and insentive to plan ahead and eat what we brought. Thank you SO much for the article on eating out.

Having lived quite a few years abundantly on less, I was beginning to wonder if anyone out there had a grip on reality. Thank You for your wise words; I pray they are a blessing to someone. I love this article. We added up about Even when you are tired after work, the kids can help and fix a quick meal and they can also help clean up!

They have a lot more energy than we do! Did you have an article last year about growing a plant in a planter made of an upside down hanging bottle? If so could you send me a copy.

I think it was in one of your newsletters, but I may be mistaken. Your newsletter is really great. It is a home economics class extroidenare! Thank you, thank you. I pass this along to many of my friends. The only thing you left out was what we pay for water each day. If only I would have thought of it first.

Ann I know what you mean about the water thing. One of my pet peeves. I wrote a big section on it in our Grocery Shopping on a Budget e course. You throw in bottled water and it can go up even more. I needed a few groceries and while at the grocery store remembered that advice.

I went to the deli and bought our favorite rare roast beef sandwich meat, which usually is not on the list because of the cost. Make enough for Saturday lunch and a Sunday lunch. Some fresh biscuits or toast on the side is a wonderful addition.

So all we have to do when we get home from church is warm up the soup! It has saved us so much money because we never go out to eat for Sunday lunch anymore. We used to go out probably at least once per month. I had a teen-aged student male who complained about his stomach hurting.

I asked what he had had for breakfast since I thought that might be the cause of the pain. I told him how to cook oatmeal and gave him a few suggestions for other things.

Several weeks later he proudly told me that he was cooking breakfast for himself and his younger sister every day. Such a small thing to make a difference for two people!

As a recently divorced mother of 3, I am completely budget run. During the work week, I can very easily bring my own lunch, but as crazy as it sounds— I feel bad when my coworker who is a batcheor and rarely buys groceries and eats out all the time but it financially stable has to go out to eat alone!

Maybe I will start bringing in lunch for him, too! My coworker and I used to spend lunchtime going over to our cafeteria and having lunch and talking. We decided, after many stomach aches, and other problems, that we would start cooking at home for 2 and sharing lunch.

We not only had much better food but save tons of money. Amen to every word you said! You are so right! I wish you and your family well. Will you continue the web site? Sure hope so. Thank you, Anne. Anne, Tawra and her family is moving to Colorado and for the moment I am staying here in Kansas.

I hope to move there eventually too. Nothing will change at all on the web site. We can run the web site the same way from any where. Even with us living in the same town Tawra and I do most of the web site stuff on the phone with each other which we will still do.

I laugh because when they moved to kansas and I was still in Idaho by myself I averaged plus calls a month between the grown kids and grandkids. It was a good thing we had free calling. The grandkids are dying for me to get a web phone this move.

Not too sure about that one. But it might be fun. I will get to visit them often anyway. Interesting about the man at the pool.

When we say there is not time to do—we are telling God He messed up—He should have created more time for us.

Appreciate the info you give—God bless on your move. Everyone has a bad day or two, but and please do not take offense as none is intended, just an honest inquiry it sounds from the tone of your most recent newsletter that you may be experiencing a touch of burn-out.

I see my husband going through burn-out at work and suggested that he take a few days off, and he is doing much better and regaining his perspective.

It is difficult, day in and day out, to help people with the same type of troubles, but your patience and persistence in doing so for years has made a lovely website that we refer to frequently, thank you for all you do! I seem to recall your having an ebook on dealing with chronic illness in home responsibilities?

Also, speaking for myself alone, it takes me at least 30 minutes to get a roast in the oven — I cannot peel and chop taters and carrots and celery fast enough and brown the roast enough to do a meal in 5 minutes. I think it may perhaps be more realistic for some people to suggest that the time is necessary but worthwhile for your family, because even with cleaning up while I go and chopping vegetables the day or night beforehand, everything just takes longer right now.

Thank you for all you do, and your many great articles and insights,. CJ it is called Common Cents When You are Sick scroll down the page a bit and you will find it. It covers all kinds to things on what to do when you are sick and we try to encourage those who are. You are an amazing gal, and you probably do take 5 minutes only!

Thanks, C. I love your articles and look forward to them all the time. Sometimes I even save them in a special folder to go back and remind me.

I am not good with archives ;- So I have to admit that when I read the articles it reminds me of my preacher preaching to me and stepping on my toes. Can I get an Amen!!! I realize I truly need to implement the advice from you all along with my pastor. Thank you once again for a wonderful read!

I love these words of wisdom because they are truly nuggets of truth. As an older single man, who has always cooked for the family, and now finds himself alone and still cooking like I had teens in the house, I need help. I find I keep saying that I will eat the left overs, and then wind up throwing much of it in the trash.

The practical tips of eating at home are good, but what about us that need help with eating for one or two. I have found that my budget has gone down some but still remains higher than I would like. Would you consider addressing these issues. Keep up the great advice.

BTW, I now make my own pizza dough thanks to Living on a Dime. Jim I get asked this question often. I have even written an big section in our e book Grocery Saving on a budget e course to cover this whole subject. I mention many tips and ideas on how singles can save.

One thing I think you have already figured out what part of what you need to do and that is to cut back on the amounts. I make up 2 potatoes to mash instead of the 6 I use to cook.

One for dinner that evening and the other I use for potato pancakes the next day. The better buy per oz. would be the 30 oz jar. Hope that makes sense. There are many little tricks you can learn. I am as guilty as anyone with eating out and rather than quit cold turkey with eating out, we have made a set of rules to help us step-down from eating out so much.

And last but not least 3: We put a set amount of cash in a cookie jar once a month for eating out and when it is gone, it is gone. I find that my kids love to help me in the kitchen, especially since it is grilling season.

If the boys have sports practice after school, I keep a supply of turkey or ham, their favorite cheese, bread or wraps in my office fridge and make them sandwiches or wraps for snacks to eat on their way to practice. It sure helps to not have to hit the fast food restaurant or the gas station quick counter.

Good ideas Brenda. Jill, I hope the new books you are writing will be in real book form. I love real books. Ebooks are okay, but not the same. I reread and reread the books I have of yours that are real books in the evening while relaxing and I look forward to that many times.

I love all your books. Saves calories and choc chips for future baking. After all who made up the rule that a person has to use a whole bag of choc chips for one batch of cookies?

The manufacturers get rich that way. HA HA. Yes, Bea we are working on getting new covers and re-typesetting right now. We hope to be releasing a new print book once a month of our e-books toward the end of the summer…I hope.

I have always loved to cook and have been cooking since I was about 8 years old, but when I went back to work full time, we slipped into going out not for dinner, but lunch every day. I read your advie to stop eating out and stopped, cold turkey no pun intended! we now have taken the money that we would have spent on food and invested it in a gym where we go 3X a week and of course even though the gym is an expense, it is so much less than the daily cost of going out to eat and we are so much better off for it.

Fishing is also an option, but we need a boat and with all of the money that we have saved from not going out to eat, we are planning on buying one in July, cash of course!

Thanks for your advice and keep up the good work. ya know what i just noticed? they do not eat out in that movie not sure of the others … the wife fixes the meals and when they have guests, she makes the vegi plate..

most of the movies that i have seen and can recall.. all of them have a restaurant scene in it.. just wanted to share.. i have thru lots of trial and error.. the tea that comes to the closest in that taste.. its louisianne tea..

it is really good.. i asked our server and she said they made the iced tea with louisianne tea … i did manage to get some lipton cold brew for my hubby … and normally he is fine with anything i give him..

any kind of tea he will drink and not sure if had an upset tummy or if they use different types of tea blends so u can make the cold brew..

or it was bc of the leukemia he has and the meds.. or whatever.. and his tummy doesnt seem to bother him with this blend.. normally he can only handle one pot of the others but with this one he is fine.. i take one tea bag and brew for the coffee pot 12 cup pot and then tell him to water it down for each glass … so its like half tea and half water in the glass he cant handle ice cubes,, why?

not sure but his dr said it was a side effect of the leukemia.. not sure if this is really true but it is with hubby.. just wanted to share :D. Hi Tawra! Just a quick hello from Sydney Austalia.

I love getting your newsletters into my inbox at work. You are a blessing to us here in Oz! Bless you so much Izzi Sydney Australia. Thanks Izzi. As I have said before we love hearing from our readers who are outside of the US. Have a super day — night????

and very pertinent i think for me at this time.. we nickel and dime ourselves into debt…and usually its a mcDEBT! Hi Celina. Thank you for these great reminders! They help me out of the cooking slumps I get into sometimes.

Your simple suggestions definately make daily cooking easier. I especially appreciate your personal experiences, and never do you sound sanctimonious! Love your spot! I AGREE!!!!

Most times I just put leftovers in a plastic container in which I heat up in the microwave at work the next day. For that SAME price I could have gotten a couple of packs of luncheon meat and several bottles of soda not to mention a couple of whole loaves of bread! AH live and learn!!! Next time I will bring the oatmeal to work!!!!!

I just found your website and I dont sugar coat anything either. I just wanted to say this post really opend my eyes to ALOT of things I could and should be doing differently.

My sweet man is such a great cook that we rarely go out to eat. the hard part is slowing us down so that the leftovers are eaten before the next feast… He sometimes has a vision of a new meal before we have cleared the last out of the fridge….

Tonight, we ate mostly leftovers and when we were done, he sadly said that he would do the dishes in the morning. However, I got the dishes done in about 7 minutes, and tomorrow the counters will beckon for another great meal.

I have found that we cannot purchase a meal at a restaurant that comes close to what we can do at home, and the quality at home is under my control — fresh, local, no additives, seasonal….

I just found your website and I love it! Do you have any suggestions on saving money while doing your own cooking?

We very rarely eat out, but my food expenses are almost equal to our mortgage I have 6 children, including 4 teens. Thank you for all your do.

Jackie just keep checking out the web site. We have articles about saving juice, pop etc. We also have a Grocery Shopping on a Budget e course which is packed full. I like it the best of all the books for having tons of info and different info on saving when buying groceries.

It and like with most of our books we find most people get back the money they paid for it by using even one or two tips from it.

But like I said just keep looking at the different articles. A quick tip for those days when ball practice is eating up all your time. Heat canned chili and put it into indidual packs of fritos, throw some grated cheese on top and give the kids a spoon. Quick easy and no cleanup, just throw the bag away.

Also good with doritos and leftover taco meat! Wow, that was a long post today…but really, really GOOD and very necessary : : My dad and I used to eat a lot of processed food, and eat out, too. Although for us, what got us to stop doing that was our health.

Our food bill has drastically increased simply because we had to go gluten free. One of our children has been diagnosed with celiac disease and I have since been diagnosed as highly gluten intolerant. Eating out is not usually an option. Gluten-free bread is expensive. So stop eating bread, or at least drastically reduce it.

Eat more fruit, veggies, rice, different GF grains, meats, eggs, etc. We still do some breads, cakes, etc, but they are treats not staples.

Also, know which popular brands are generally gluten-free and will label allergens. Kraft in Canada will ALWAYS label gluten and gluten cross-contamination. I can buy their stuff fairly confidently. I hit up people I know that are traveling to the US to bring me back a bottle or two.

My local grocery store will happily provide a list of gluten-free in-house products like sausage on demand, or wil make to order for no extra charge.

You just have to ask. We buy organic meat and eggs directly from the farm, get a garden share in the summer plus our our garden, can and dry our food when we can. We are also gluten-free. We spend less money than most families in our area on food. So, went home and said, dinner is scrambled eggs, bacon and toast with apple slices.

Hubby likes this meal and it cost me nothing more since all the ingredients were at home. It only took about 15 min to make microwaved the bacon while the eggs were cooking and only a few minutes to clean up after dinner.

I bring my lunch and breakfast every day to work and like that I can buy a whole package of English muffins for the price of one muffin at our deli here in the building. I think only having cash to spend works well for me. Not tempted to spend more than I can afford. One more note.

This reduces the cost of the items I buy at the grocery store and I like purchasing local items and keeping our local farms still going. Sometimes their costs are a little more but you cannot deny the freshness. Agree wholeheartedly with everything in your great article!

My husband works 55 hrs. a week physical work at age 59 and even though we could afford it, he takes his lunch every day except Friday. For many years, he has even had the exact same lunch every day!

Nice to have an outing, though. When I was a kid it was a real treat to eat in a restaurant since it was so rare. My siblings and I still joke about how our road trip meals were a loaf of bread and pkg.

of baloney along the way. The recipes are straightforward and simple. The book is from so it is current. Ordered it from the library first to try it out and it is so worth it. Except for a couple of ingredient they use everyday stuff.

Baked goods,pasta,desserts,mains etc. Lots of good ideas to bring gluten free products back into line with a normal budget! Good luck with it. My family only goes out to eat once a year.

That is all we can afford. It makes it a special event. I think once people make a certain meal a few times, it will get easier and easier. I try to have something a little more special on Fridays I call them Friday Fun Meals like pizza, tacos, fahitas, etc.

Not being in debt is much more fun than going out to eat!!! Besides, no list of arguments against eating out would be complete without Grover guess who! I have had to be frugal for quite some time and know how to stretch the old dollar that is having a hard time because everything has gone up that is the standard expenses like electricity and then should I say the 8.

Oh boy! My dollar has really had a hard time stretching these days like it used to even a year ago. So when I read about stopping going out to eat which we do once a month anyway I thought of the reasons that I do go.

Here they are: 1. Someone else is cooking than me 2. I have to eat anyway so I guess I could say food is something not so evil as buying a product in the store would be. They can cook what I am craving better than my Husband on the BBQ can.

And the one that really is not mentioned above in your comments is 4. So thank you for letting me process the reason that I will still probably eat out once a month and continue to drink water and not order a desert because the benefits out weigh for me at the moment. I just wanted to say most of our meals are made at home and it has saved us a huge amount.

One thing I do with a friend. When we go to town to do a grocery shopping, pay bills, doctors visits, eye spcalist and any thing else that we can fit in that day, often one of us will have fasting blood sugars to be taken and we will be ready to eat when done.

We have a 34 kilometer round trip so plan our trips to town. We go to a nice resturant, order their soup and sandwich special and an extra cup of soup and a plate. we split the sandwich and each have a cup of soup. We take our time and enjoy our coffee and lunch out. Other times we get our groceries, and find a nice picnic spot.

Make a sandwich from what we just bought, and a piece of fruit. Most of the time we just go to town and home, but these other times are the ones we remember and enjoy. Oh my! Were you preaching to me or what?

You have taken away every excuse. Now it is up to me to quit using them! Wowww… Thanks for the kick in the pants! I needed it today, I just got home from picking up take-out food and it was cold..

so a lot of it did not even get eaten at all, just moved around a little, and dumped in the trash!! Sometimes we need a little tough love from Jill!! During those times I would cook a meal and put a blanket on the floor and we would have a picnic.

Let the imagination roll!! Pat, really love the picnic idea. Shop first, then picnic and visit with your friend. I know that after blood work, especially after fasting for 12 or more hours, you really need to eat something soon.

So the picnic idea is great. Everytime I think of that, it brings back happy memories. Nothing fancy, just good food and fun. And no cold fastfood that no one would eat. I about passed out. That was the kick in the butt I needed. Since then I have dug out my pressure canner and am preparing all kinds of canned meats that can be ready to go in minutes.

I make a double meal, we eat part of it and I can the other half you could freeze as well. This has been a painful reality for my household. We eat out a lot, and I am a stay at home mom! Thank you for the tough love attitude!!

We all need a good dose of it from time to time, and this was definitely my time! Hey Amie! It is easy to fall into fast food. Less cleanup that way too! A couple times a month I crank up the stereo and cook all day long, fixing multiple meals.

You are a doll! You hit the nail right on the head with this one!! I am going to print it and give it to my grandchildren. Thanks SO much for the great advice. Seems as if you are usually speaking directly to me. I wonder if others feel the same. I care for some of my grandchildren while their parents work.

I wrapped it back up and kept it in the fridge so it was edible. Once she saw with her own eyes how much they were wasting it stopped. I sent it urging her to reheat it for the next morning but she soon saw I was not exagerating.

A breakfast sandwich with 2 bites out of it or a burrito with one bite off an end really was a huge waste when they were so much happier with a bowl of cereal or me making a burrito and serving each youngster a half.

We used to make an outing out of stopping for a happy meal and going to the park to play. I soon figured out that they were so excited to play they were wasting the meal. They play a few minutes and then are starving for their sandwiches from home.

I have these kids twelve hours four days a week so I am feeding them the same meals most of you are. Fast food is the biggest waste and the least food value of any way of eating for kids and adults. I have found myself enjoying the outing but not the food so many times lately that my girl friends and I are planning dessert out.

We eat at home and then meet for a great dessert and coffee or tea. Living on our retirement income has made us way more aware of what we are spending eating out. Another thing I have done is join a grocery co-op. These are going all over the country but the one I joined here in Kansas is available all over the midwest and I know they are available other places.

The one I belong to is called Prairie Land Food and you can check their website to see what I am talking about at plairielandfood. It is not anything that is dependant on income.

That is never asked for and of course never given. All I can say is try it once and see if you are not amazed at the amount of food you can get for much less than the grocery store. I buy one of everything but two of the fresh produce.

Some items you cook from scratch but there are always some things like pizza that are name brand at a greatly reduced price.

All the ordering is done online which is super easy and pick up is so organized it takes me less than 5 minuetes. The food differs each month so if it is something I know we like but may not be on next months menu I buy more for the freezer. I encourage you to check it out. This month we even got a loaf of Sarah Lee bread that was a surprise add on.

Mana from heaven, one man said. THIS should be FRONT PAGE news! forget what Lady Gaga is doing, or whatever hollywood or otherwise celebrity disaster is happening! THIS is what matters! for one month. I quickly ran to my wife to share with her, and she agreed — NO More eating out!! The timing of this article was impeccable!!

Funny how something as simple as a tax return, can make you live under the delision that you are suddenly rich. I see that now. Lesson learned!

Hopefully, this will help others! God Bless! I love it Michael when our readers have these ah ha moments. I think you will be very surprised at what happens in your life now because after you start putting this one thing of not going out to eat into practice and see what a difference it makes you will start noticing so many other areas where you may be spending too much too and want to change things there.

For example many go to the store, check out with their credit card and walk to the car without even looking at or noticing what they have just spent. Since nixing the eating out due to the tight budget, I think it has been hardest on my daughter.

Convenience to-go food is basically how we lived for so long since we were rushing here and there. Now when we leave to run errands or go into the city, I pack an insulated bag with treats and we take sport bottles or insulated cups with drinks so we do not have to stop at a quick trip.

Keep sending suggestions!! I can not decide if I love the suggestions more than I like saving money :D. As I say to my husband, why pay for a mediocre meal in a restaurant when we can have one at home for a lot cheaper :. my problem is trying to cook for a diabetic who has high blood pressure.

But an area with pricier groceries almost always has pricier-than-usual restaurants as well, even at fast food chains.

This extra money could be a big jump in your savings for long-term or short-term goals. Another bonus: home-prepared food tends to be healthier than the typical restaurant meal. People who cook at home get more nutrients and eat less fat and sugar than people who eat exclusively at restaurants.

If meal planning stresses you out and the thought behind cooking is really not your thing, meal delivery services take care of planning all of that for you, with super easy step-by-step instructions.

These services for meal delivery can save you time and sometimes money. We have put together a full list of what we believe to be the best meal delivery services. Here are two of the more affordable options, including our overall favorite:. Home Chef offers multiple meal choices each week with ample variety to meet dietary needs.

While not the most adventurous or customizable meal box out there, Home Chef delivery fresh, quality ingredients and tasty recipes consistently. Yeah, you read that right. EveryPlate is an affordable meal kit company focusing on simple comfort food recipes that are easy to make and tasty.

EveryPlate uses simpler packaging and recipes. This means fewer ingredients, fewer cooking steps, and a a result fewer dollars per meal. Not ready to cut out restaurant dining altogether?

Socialization and even business take place around food, so restaurants are hard to avoid. Fortunately, you can save money while still dining out by practicing discretion.

If you use the right credit card you could save even more on your groceries, since they offer cash back. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes highly recommended. Small expenses can add up big when it comes to eating out at restaurants.

But small changes and considering alternatives like meal delivery services can also make a big difference. Amy is an educator, editor and writer. She understands finances are challenging but believes they don't have to be terrifying.

Amy has covered topics from investing to student loans and money management for the millennial set. It's your money. Make the most of it! Get thoughtful advice on how to save and invest in a way that supports your ambitions and values.

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