How are people still able to afford eating out?

[Anonymous]

My spouse and I eat out 1x a week. We have a drink, or two, and share a meal. We sit at the bar. That’s how we make it work.

[Anonymous]

We have cut way back. I don't tip on carry out and we focus on lower cost places.

[Anonymous]

We now only eat out or do take out on special occasions, like birthdays or anniversaries.

Feel like I've gone back to my 1970s childhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have pretty much quit eating out all together. I can no longer justify spending $17 for a wrap or sandwich from a truck even, $25 dollars for a plate of food that was $12 or $14 three years ago and that doesn't include tips. Also you're now expected to tip for even takeout. It used to be an occasional treat going out, but now it seems like a depressing experience. I am pretty much done with eating out these days. On the bright side, I am learning to cook just about anything I want. It's not perfect but close enough that I don't miss those things I used to get going out. To that I am wondering who here can still afford to eat out, and if so, do you feel like you're getting ripped off?

We definitely don't eat out as much as we used to. Especially fast food. When a McDonald's meal costs almost what a sit-down restaurant meal can cost, it is definitely a waste of money. It's better to go to a "real" restaurant - even if it isn't the finest dining with $250 dinners.
When our kids were little, we could feed our family of 4 at a fast food restaurant for $20. Now, it's $40. Ridiculous. And mostly pretty terrible for you anyway. So, to answer your question: we afford to eat out by not eating out often; splitting the french fries (mainly to eat less of them); using up gift cards we've accumulated and just never used; eating out when some family members have other schedules/plans and it's fewer of us eating dinner together.

And 95% of the time, we don't tip for carry-out or counter-service places like fast food. Tips are for quality of service beyond the basic job duties or baseline responsibilities. I do not feel compelled to tip the guys who merely prepared and handed me the food I ordered from a kiosk. I'll definitely tip the server who served me drinks, took my order, brought me my food, checked how everything was and asked if I needed anything, cleared my dishes, and refilled my drink or brought more bread/chips....and while doing the same for a bunch of other customers at the same time.

[Anonymous]

We never get takeout or fast food anymore (used to be a weekly thing). Now if we don't feel like cooking we make something super simple like eggs and toast or we pull together a charcuterie-type spread. And we're much more intentional about the timing of weekend family outings so that we can be home at mealtimes rather than having to grab something while out.

[Anonymous]

Husbands can put restaurant meals on company credit cards. On expense report just say wife and kids are prospective clients.

[Anonymous]

We eat out but food is basically our hobby. We are also passionate home cooks, constantly reading cookbooks and watching food shows on television, have a food-centric Instagram, etc. So, we cook a lot at home also.

Since neither of us golf (green fees!) or drive new/expensive cars, we aren't paying college tuitions, etc. etc. but we do enjoy dining out as our activity as a couple, we justify it that way. I don't necessarily want to pay, as OP said, $25 for an overpriced salad at lunch at the office. But we were in Vegas last week and happily spent $500+ on a steakhouse dinner we'd been researching and looking forward to for months. Other people in the same situation would have spent that money on show tickets. We preferred to use it for dining.

[Anonymous]

We have tried to cut back substantially. It’s not just the cost but also the calories. I do some food service type volunteering so I can now better identify restaurants that serve Gordon’s Food Service items fresh from the container than I could before. I’m picky about where we eat. It certainly doesn’t have to be high end or anything but it has to be solid. It’s hard to justify going out often when we drop at least $100 for all of us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't tip, ever. It saves a lot of money and makes life easier.

Tipping is the way the wealthy put the risk of operating a business onto the poor people. They pay waiters $3.50 an hour to hope that you people make up the difference. Cheaper to operate that way. If you care about equality, don't tip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't tip, ever. It saves a lot of money and makes life easier.

Agree. Tipping is just throwing money away. It's not my job to pay some guys bills cause he made the wrong career choice.

There’s a special place in hell for both of you! You actually cost the servers money to take care of you (yes, they have to “tip out” the support staff whether or not you tip).
—former server

I have a tip for you.
You're a loser :lol:

So you’re either 12 or 80. Got it.

[Anonymous]

I make enough that I can afford to eat out all the time but I don't. I would rather save my money for a house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe you should stop whining and get a job that pays you more and then you won't have to worry about it.

I really wish dcum used usernames and got rid of anonymous posting so people like this would be forced to think a little and not lean into a horrible version of themselves when replying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe you should stop whining and get a job that pays you more and then you won't have to worry about it.

Whoah!!!
Talk about a bit harsh, no? I mean I get it yeah, go get a job, (I do not want to sound like a teacher) but isn't there a nicer way to say that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have pretty much quit eating out all together. I can no longer justify spending $17 for a wrap or sandwich from a truck even, $25 dollars for a plate of food that was $12 or $14 three years ago and that doesn't include tips. Also you're now expected to tip for even takeout. It used to be an occasional treat going out, but now it seems like a depressing experience. I am pretty much done with eating out these days. On the bright side, I am learning to cook just about anything I want. It's not perfect but close enough that I don't miss those things I used to get going out. To that I am wondering who here can still afford to eat out, and if so, do you feel like you're getting ripped off?

Are you posting from DC? People here are rich from 25 years of war, concentration of the nation's wealth, revolving doors, fake jobs, fake nonprofits, etc. And most are swiping a company credit card when they go out to eat, so it doesn't actually cost them a thing.

This isn’t true at all. Where are you getting this nonsense?

Everyone has an LLC. Everyone is writing off dining or expensing meals. Only total suckers are swiping personal cards at restaurants.

Nope

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Husbands can put restaurant meals on company credit cards. On expense report just say wife and kids are prospective clients.

Did you know that

1. Women can work, too
2. What you propose is fraud?