Depends on the meal, number of people you are feeding & where you choose to eat out at.
Breakfast i find just for me alone is cheaper to eat out, since i can get a steak & egg, hash brown & toast meal for way cheaper than that cost of buying the stuff to make at home... however buying it for home will give me more than one meal with the potatoes & eggs... I could cook for the entire family on that same amount, which in turn makes it cheaper to cook at home than buy for them all at a restaurant
Lunch/Dinner is WAY cheaper to make at home when cooking for my family, the cost of one meal out cost enough to feed the family at home, yet i can swing thru a drive thru if its just me & be satisfied with a Culvers $3 snack pack.
My problem is that i've never cooked for just one person until now & i find it hard... i have leftovers for days no matter how little i think i am making lol
I would say it depends on the meal. Going out to eat you usually have leftovers.
Latina, you should pick up Taste of Home Cooking for 2 magazine. Those recipes are smaller portions. There might be other cookbooks or recipes online for smaller meals.
I used to work with a girl that had 2 kids and she said she never had leftovers when she cooked. I couldn't figure out what she was making that you would never have leftovers. Must have been TV dinners and grilled cheese. I always have leftovers.
Part of eating out for me is doing something enjoyable and spending time with my husband, plus getting out the house. We enjoy trying different foods and restaurants. Just a nice change of scenery then sitting in your dining room every day.
I dont care to change recipes, i make mostly authentic mexican food. I just need to learn to make a smaller amount, but even when i do it seems to be too much, i'm not good at the judgement call i guess lol
I am just use to cooking for my kids & their friends, but i'm sure i'll get use to it.
It depends on what you consider "food". If you're a Taco Bell, McDonald's type, then it's cheaper to eat out - but you pay the price with poor health. It can take a while to develop a set menu for home cooking of what you/your family enjoys - but if you're a savy shopper and time organizer, it's best and healthiest to cook at home. Also, you don't have to pay a tip as with sit-down places (and now even some fast-food joints are expecting tips!!)
It depends on what you consider "food". If you're a Taco Bell, McDonald's type, then it's cheaper to eat out - but you pay the price with poor health. It can take a while to develop a set menu for home cooking of what you/your family enjoys - but if you're a savy shopper and time organizer, it's best and healthiest to cook at home. Also, you don't have to pay a tip as with sit-down places (and now even some fast-food joints are expecting tips!!)
What fast food places expect tips?
I know they expect tips at buffets, I already paid you $15 and had to get my own food & drink. I'm not leaving you a tip for showing me the way to an empty table, i could have found it on my own, had you moved out of the way..
Several of the "nicer" fast food places have tip jars. Quodba's (sp?), Chipotle's, Panchero's, and I've even been to a Subway that had a tip jar sitting out.
What really takes the cake is going to a Best Western or Comfort Inn and there being a tip jar at the continental breakfast section. I guess you're supposed to tip the motel worker for simply replenishing the food/beverage - something you assume they already get paid for doing. In other words, the motel wants you to pay part of their wage so they don't have to pay them as much.
Go ahead and call me cheap, but we don't go back to places with tip jars that typically don't call for tipping. I tip service people at sit-down places (I am a former waitress), my hair stylist, and hotel maids, but that's it. I've never set foot in a Starbucks (McDonald's coffee is fine, thank you) and don't ever intend to. We have money and would like to keep it that way!! This whole tipping thing has really gotten out of hand.
I've seen the tip jars at lots of fast food places and other things like that. I never leave a tip there either. The employees might not be getting paid much, but they are getting minimum wage. A waitress gets less than minimum wage and depends on the tips to make up for it. Back when I was a waitress in the '80s, I made $2.00 an hour. Minimum wage back then was $3.35.
As for buffets, I don't really tip unless the waiter has come over to fill and refill drinks. I won't leave as big of a tip as I would have when the waiter does more like at a sit down restaurant. A buck or two isn't too much to shell out.
Several of the "nicer" fast food places have tip jars. Quodba's (sp?), Chipotle's, Panchero's, and I've even been to a Subway that had a tip jar sitting out.
What really takes the cake is going to a Best Western or Comfort Inn and there being a tip jar at the continental breakfast section. I guess you're supposed to tip the motel worker for simply replenishing the food/beverage - something you assume they already get paid for doing. In other words, the motel wants you to pay part of their wage so they don't have to pay them as much.
Go ahead and call me cheap, but we don't go back to places with tip jars that typically don't call for tipping. I tip service people at sit-down places (I am a former waitress), my hair stylist, and hotel maids, but that's it. I've never set foot in a Starbucks (McDonald's coffee is fine, thank you) and don't ever intend to. We have money and would like to keep it that way!! This whole tipping thing has really gotten out of hand.
Ok i have never been to any of those fast food restaurants that you mentioned... Qdoba, Chipotle & Pancheros sound like taco bell fake mexican food to me & ick ick no thanks, i will cook authentic or go out to eat authentic before spending money on fake, much less tipping them for gut rot.
I was thinking you meant you had seen Micky d's, Culvers or BK with tip jars, i was going to say that's way out there & i need to know where so i can avoid them lol Same with subway, i have never seen a tip jar at one, but they aren't serving me at my table or refilling my drink, they would never get a tip from me.
I feel ya on the starbucks... I got a hot chocolate there once (starbucks in barnes & noble, east town mall Madison) because my daughter was manager there & it was free lol but i would have been mad if i had paid the $4.50 +tax menu price, because swiss miss is better at 20 packets for $2.
I've seen the tip jars at lots of fast food places and other things like that. I never leave a tip there either. The employees might not be getting paid much, but they are getting minimum wage. A waitress gets less than minimum wage and depends on the tips to make up for it. Back when I was a waitress in the '80s, I made $2.00 an hour. Minimum wage back then was $3.35.
As for buffets, I don't really tip unless the waiter has come over to fill and refill drinks. I won't leave as big of a tip as I would have when the waiter does more like at a sit down restaurant. A buck or two isn't too much to shell out.
At the OCB in madison there is this awesome little old man & he walks around asking to fill everyones drinks & what not. We use to go there every Sunday morning (my son & i), i'd always leave him $5 because he would clear dirty plates & was so sweet. One day he told me i shouldn't tip him because he doesn't get to keep it if anyone sees him accept it or else he could get fired. I started slipping it to him (sometimes a few bucks more if i could) on the sly & told him to make sure he kept it. He loved seeing us on Sundays lol I bet he would remember me if i came in again.
Ok i have never been to any of those fast food restaurants that you mentioned... Qdoba, Chipotle & Pancheros sound like taco bell fake mexican food to me & ick ick no thanks, i will cook authentic or go out to eat authentic before spending money on fake, much less tipping them for gut rot.
Darn it, you had to bring up Qdoba and now I want some of their chicken nachos. Authentic or not, I love Qdoba. Don't knock it until you try it. They are way better than Taco Bell and they use real beans not bland paste like Taco Bell. Everything is freshly made. Chipotle is a Qdoba wannabe and just not quite as good. Not bad, but not as good. Pancheros I don't really know that one.
I was reading over this really quickly and at first I was thinking up a comment about tipping and then realized that the subject was home cooking cheaper. lol
I will just throw in that I haven't seen a tip jar at Subway, and I will sometimes leave a tip at a buffet. But that is only if the waitress/waiter actually came over in a timely manner and ask to refill the glasses and get the dirty dishes off the table! I hate when they leave the dishes on the table and you have to eat staring at the leftover bones etc. eck. So if I get service, they will get a small tip.
OK..I think like everyone else. Depends on the meal and how many is eating. Quick lunch at McDonald's on the dollar menu is fast, easy, and cheap. Dinner at Texas Roadhouse? Only cheaper if you have 2. And I"m talking if you went out and bought good steaks, all the 'stuff' for loaded potatoes, and tried to make the salad etc at home for 2. May as well save the gas, time shopping, etc. and just go out.
My oldest daughter, her son, my 2 teens, and I will have a 25.00 coupon off a 50.00 meal coupon that we find online when they are like 80 percent off. That leaves having to pay only 25.00, tax, and a tip and the few dollars for the coupon. When you consider there is 5 of us eating and it's usually a good restaurant, then by far it's cheaper.
Pizza! Look around and find a buy one and get one free coupon for a pizza or even a 3.00 off one and throw a side salad together, drink ice water with lemon and you can feed all my family cheaper than making a good pizza.
Of course if you really want to save $$, go to the grocery store with coupons. Buy in bulk, make cheap few ingredient meals, cereal for breakfasts, and use a lot of Ramon Soup packages, casseroles, salads, and you can actually eat cheaper at home of course. But if you are talking really good food, change of location, having fun, get the coupons and take me out because making a really good meal takes money to do. Don't even ask me how much we spend on just a Thanksgiving meal. lol
I made some simple bars tonight and I know I spent enough of just a few ingredients. Peanut butter, Rice Krispies, corn syrup, M&M's and pretzels. On all bue the M&M's I bought store brand since it tastes the same. Sounds like cheap bars, but those ingredients can add up fast.
As for store coupons, I used to always clip them and spend time going through the sale section in the paper. Now I hate dealing with all those coupons and don't bother. I'm glad most stores have cards to scan. Makes my life easier. Make it easier for cashiers, too.
One show you might want to start watching is Food Network's newest member, Melissa D'Arabian. She won the Next Food Network Star competition. She was the one I voted for, too. She is using her background of being a mother of 4 kids under four as the basis for her show. Her show is called something like "$10 Dinners." I enjoyed her in the FN competition and thought she had great enthusiasm.
I remember when stores would give double off coupons up to a 1.00. That was well worth bothering with coupons then. I use to clip them all the time, had a system going in a little coupon purse. lol Boy when I think of it now, the time I spent on it all. Whew. But I sure did save the money. Many times I would get the product free or next to nothing. A double 1.00 makes 2.00. That was good.
My mother in law in Spokane would send me coupons from out there that we didn't get around here. That always was great. I had everyone checking magazines, and our newspapers each week had a coupon section. Many times we would do a coupon exchange with people in our 'group'. lol Ahhh the things we use to do.
Even tho I am sure I saved alot more cash using my coupon system I am glad I don't do all of that anymore. Now I just have my cards and still use coupons if they are worth it. I like the buy one get ones.
Talking about cards...I have so many that I even have a GOODWILL card that saves me 5 percent! lol Does anyone else have a GOODWILL card? Next we will see one at Aldi. Or do they have one too? Haven't been there in a very long time. Hate going there and finding out I don't have a darn quarter on me to pay for the rental of the cart while I'm there! lol
I don't think we ever shopped at a store that did the double coupon days around here. Pick 'n' Save never did that I know of. I don't think Piggly Wiggly did either.
I don't think we ever shopped at a store that did the double coupon days around here. Pick 'n' Save never did that I know of. I don't think Piggly Wiggly did either.
When we had it it was usually at the Kohls Grocery Store. (not affiliated with the Kohl Clothing Stores). I think our Jewel did it also but they are no longer up here in Wisconsin.
I don't go to Aldi much because I usually don't have bags with me. I don't want to buy bags.
We have a store (Sav-a-lot) that also requires you to buy bags if needed. I do because they are really nice heavy plastic with cut in handles. Not the cheap kind that rips easily. I use these at home for various things. I seldom go to this store so I don't always have their bags around.
We used to have a Kohl's which I liked for finding items you couldn't get elsewhere in town. They also had the best buttercream frosting on the cakes. Not overly sweet, just right.
We never did our regular shopping there because it was more pricey. I didn't like to run around too much from store to store. We usually shopped Pick 'n' Save and then Piggly was for occasional items since it was a few blocks from our house. It was a smaller store though. They built a new store and I found them to be more expensive than everyone. I was disappointed with the bakery and deli, too. Really small.
I don't care much for buying bags either but love the Aldi's plastic bags as they're very strong and worth what you do pay for them.. we went to Aldi's today, great prices tho even there prices are rising!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Blue Baboon
I don't go to Aldi much because I usually don't have bags with me. I don't want to buy bags.
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