Is it really cheaper to dine in than eat out?

Question

I have no cooking skills, my gourmet dish is the chilli dog and chips. Is it really less expensive to eat in than eat out? Whenever I try to go grocery shopping I'll end up spending maybe 100 bucks and that 100 bucks turns into about 5 meals or so. Where-as that 100 bucks could've been spent on 10 meals eating out.

So how do you people do it, what's the secret to not eating out?

Answer 1

You need to learn some very basic recipes and expand from that. Any easy way to learn is to search online for "crockpot" recipes and invest in a crockpot. If you are only cooking for one you will have leftovers. Repackage them into gladware, seal and date and freeze. After a few weeks, you will have LOTS of convenient meals to use when you don't feel like cooking. You can actually get away with cooking once or twice a week when you master this technique. Good luck!

Answer 2

It depends on what you are buying and how you use it. I may spend $25 at the store, but many items also last a week, and a meal I cook will last a couple days as left-overs. It is cheaper to eat in than out, if you compare the same menu. If you are making fried chicken at home, a whole chicken costs about $4, but an 8-piece bucket of chicken at KFC costs much more than that. Even hamburgers at home are cheaper than eating at McDonalds. The more service you get at a restaurant the more it costs. A porterhouse steak costs maybe $10 per lb, but in a steakhouse you would pay $25 for a porterhouse steak dinner.
Im single and I do it just as easily as a family of 4.

Answer 3

I learned from my mama. She was always looking for what's on sale and clipping coupons. Some stores will DOUBLE those coupons! Sometimes I buy my basic staples at discount grocery stores like Aldi's.....waaay cheaper. Make a list. Plan ahead. Make sure stuff you are buying can be made into two different meals. For example, say you're buying bacon for cheeseburgers, well pick up some pancake mix and syrup and maybe eggs and you got yourself a fat breakfast!! get it? Also, don't waste money on name brands, usually it's all the same. Buy in bulk when you can. Join Sams Club or Costco. Freeze stuff for later.

Answer 4

If you are cooking for one, it is cheaper to eat out. But only if you are eating at fast food restaurants. Fast Food will make you put on weight. To make it cheaper to cook for one cook meals like chicken & dumplings, spaghetti, lasagna, that you can freeze and heat up later. Also hamburger & tuna helper's are cheap. Rice and roast beef. Depends on the store you shop at as well. Aldies is a good in-expensivie store. Krogers not so much. I hear Wal-Mart has good prices and Myers. I shop at the commissary on Base.

by the way these are all easy meals. I don't like to cook but can cook all that i mentioned and then some.

Answer 5

I eat out every Wednesday because that night is the Church Club. It is cheaper if you just go to a local grocery store and pick up some hot or heat-able meals like noodles or something.

Answer 6

Unfortunately, with all the value menus it is cheaper to eat junk food out than to bring it home and make it yourself, however if you are actually cooking healthy food, like you would get in a pricier restaurant, you could probably save a lot of money by preparing it at home.

Answer 7

i think you may need to spend your 100 bucks one week on some basic cooking lessons

Answer 8

listen its not hard to read cooking directions 1 box of spaghetti is like 88 cents and a jar of sauce is like 1.50.its not that hard to boil water pour pasta stir boil like 10 minutes strain and pour over heated sauce .under 3 bucks boxed good ole mac n cheese they even make easy mac like 2.50 there are already cooked meals sounds like you need to take a class

Answer 9

YES, Eatting in lets you design and pick your own food. PLus it is much cheaper to buy a case of noodles at walmart for 3.oo tan it is to buy noodles at a restureant fo 11.oo!

Answer 10

It all depends on what you are eating. I can spend $100 and make dinner for 20 (casserole) or dinner for 2
(lobster).