Sometimes it is nice to take a night off of cooking. With so many restaurant options we are sure to find something we like. There are options of eating in at a restaurant, takeout and delivery. This can make it so convenient for whatever you may be in the mood for. So, the question is, is cooking at home cheaper than eating out?
Have you experienced times when you have had a meal planned but had a busy night ahead as well and opted for takeout? After a long day and you are feeling tired, has ordering in been convenient? These types of things happen, and I do think it is okay sometimes. As long as we are able to afford to do so.
Having a meal plan and some extra meals already prepared in the freezer can help us during the times we just may not feel like cooking.
The question of whether or not cooking at home is cheaper than eating out may be viewed differently by everyone. I am sharing some scenarios that show how costly eating out can be along with some ways that may help you to save some money doing both. Lets check them out.
Cooking at Home
- When cooking meals at home, we have the opportunity to make things more healthy and use up the food that we already have. This is helping our food that we do have to not go to waste. Not eating our food is then money wasted. Like taking our hard earned money and throwing it into the trash.
- By eating at home rather than eating food out, we are not spending extra money. We would only be using the money that we have spent on our groceries. The money we would have spent going out to eat, we could save. Or if we do not have the money to go out to eat, then we would be saving on charging credit cards and then having to owe it back.
- When we eat the food we buy from the store, we can shop sales to get good deals. We can also purchase types of food we like to eat at restaurants such as hamburger for example. Then we can prepare them exactly how we would like them to be. We are not paying for the added costs that we are charged at restaurants either.
Higher Prices When Eating Out!
- As mentioned by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately $3,000 is spent a year for dining out. This is both for American households and for those that live independently.
- According to Statista, even during the pandemic, the numbers for eating food out was still high. When you think of dining out, it does not always necessarily mean actually eating inside of a restaurant. It can also mean take out orders and food delivery.
The numbers
For a family of four that want to get hamburgers and French fries for dinner at a restaurant, it would be more expensive than if they were to prepare them at home from items purchased from the store. If you were to visit a fast food or other restaurant, it would be approximately $4-$10 per person. That may even be on the lower end of the cost. Bringing a total of $16-$40. This does not include drinks, tax or a tip.
If you were to buy a pound of hamburger to make four hamburgers and a package of frozen French fries at the grocery, you would spend approximately $8-$10 total for everyone. Bringing a savings of between $8-$30 before the added expenses of drinks, tax and tip. Which would then bring your savings even higher.
Savings
When it comes to food and saving money, eating if not all of our meals, then the majority of them cooked at home is going to save us money. This does not necessarily mean that you should never eat food from a restaurant. I think that allowing yourself to splurge on it here or there if you are able to is okay. It can be nice to do something different and it can be a treat to do so.
There are ways sometimes that you can save some money when you go out to eat. For example, check and see if any of your local restaurants offer a happy hour. Sometimes some will offer discounted appetizers during this time.
Another idea would be to split an entre with another family member or friend. The servings are usually very large and can easily be shared. So for a family of four going out to eat, you could save money by only purchasing two meals and splitting two meals between four people.
Another option to save when dining out is to only order water to drink. For a family of four purchasing four soft drinks can average about $10. Ordering water will immediately save you that $10.
Skip the appetizers. Restaurants a lot of times serve very large portions of food. Eating an appetizer before a large entre may cause for food to go to waste.
Desserts are expensive ranging roughly between $4-$9 each. Multiply that for a family of four and you are adding an additional $16-$36 onto your bill. If you would like dessert perhaps split two between the four of you. You would save between $8-$18 by doing so.
Does the restaurant you are going to have coupons? Be sure to double check. Do they offer a free appetizer or dessert if you sign up for their email? Different places sometimes offer different things like these. Be sure to check out the possible offers that they do have.
Conclusion
When it comes down to it, it can be nice to both cook and eat at home as well as to get dinner out. Whether that be getting take out and bringing it home or dining in at a restaurant. You can save money by preparing your meals at home. Sales at the grocery can help us to save even more. There are also ways to save sometimes at certain restaurants. The next time you want to get food out, try checking their website or giving them a call to see if they have any specials.
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