Dining out budget.

[timelett]

On average, what you spend on dining out,this may be to personal, We spend between 200 and 400 a month I feel like we spend more than we should. 

[Scrolling Steve]

Everyone is different, but that is way to much for my household....We might spend 90.00 a month, tops.......Jussayin!....Not meant as a criticism, We just don't  dine out that often.

[TAIrving]

We seldom dine out.  

[jerry walters]

My friend and I go out to breakfast once a month.  Once in a while the kids will ask me to go out with them.  I usually end up paying.  That's just what a dad does.  In our younger days would invite my parents out with us.  We would pay, but my dad would usually give me a couple of 20's.  

Jerry

[Scrappile]

My wife would love to spend that a month eating out.  Not me!  I don't have that kind of money, and I can not stand to sit in a restaurant with all the background noise going on.  I have to just sit there because even with my wonderful new hearing aids, I cannot understand anything someone says when they speak to me.   I Like quiet.  I do not mind the noise of most tools though.   That is a sweet sound.

[Dak0ta52]

I just purchased a new grill and the way I enjoy cooking, I have something on it most every weekend. I cook anything from meats and veggies to breads and desserts. Our going out is usually to a reasonably priced restaurant about once or maybe twice per month. For special occasions (birthday, anniversary) we might visit a little more pricey restaurant. So our monthly "going out" budget is usually around $75 to $150.

[Dan]

Since retirement we seldom go out. Like Rodney I bought a new grill in May and will cook ribs,pork butts,steaks, pizza, fish, and an assortment of veggies. I've even baked bread and cakes on the grill. Of course with temps in the 20s I limit my time in front of the grill. I will be grilling baby back ribs Wednesday since my wife is working. She makes bbq sauce from scratch and it's the best I've ever had.

[Jim McDonald]

Never really tracked our dining out. I do know it is too frequent, but since I do 95% of the cooking, I can live with the meals out.

We have been doing a lot of soup type meals since Christmas, so our dining out has been somewhat limited.

[Scrappile]

In reality,  most retired people I know do not dine out often... 

[barb.j.enders]

Our dining out has definitely changed since retirement.  We used to do dinners, now it will mostly be lunches.  Lunches are now running about what dinners used to.  For a lunch, with both ordering a meal, and possibly a glass of wine, will run about $80.  More often than not though we are splitting the entree.

[rjweb]

Well those ribs sound good, now i might have to go out to eat, RJ

[Phil Royer]

We probably spend just over $100 a month. About one decent place a month and fill in with fast food. Lately one local barbecue place has been offering a special whenever the local NFL team wins which has been quite often. 

edited on 1/27 - looks like more barbecue today, maybe again in a couple of weeks.

 

Edited January 27 by Phil Royer

[Stretch]

We spend nothing on that

[timelett]

Well I think we will start watching money spent  on that and put it to better use, thanks. 

[Bill WIlson]

16 hours ago, timelett said:

Well I think we will start watching money spent  on that and put it to better use, thanks. 

That's always good practice.  I really don't know how much we spend on eating out, probably somewhere around $100/month or so.  I know people who spend much more and some who rarely eat out.  It's a matter of personal preference.  If you are already thinking that your spending is too high, then re-evaluating and prioritizing your funds is a wise choice.

[ChelCass]

It is rare to be able to eat out for less than 20.00, More like 30.00 unless you go to a sub shop.  We go in spirts on eating out depending on where we are around dinner time, home or in town.  Hubby and I are both good cooks and have our special dishes we make. So no one gets stuck cooking all the time.

 

[wombatie]

That is what we would probably spend in a year.  Don't go out much.

Marg

[OCtoolguy]

All I know is, if our microwave ever quits we will starve to death. My wife hates cooking, I don't know how, and with the new rules for tipping I won't go to a restaurant with servers. We do Micky D's, In n Out and Taco bell. We spend maybe $100 a month. Here in California the minimum wage for fast food workers is now $20/hour so that has pretty much doubled the cost of fast food. We will be departing Earth at just about the right time.

[rjweb]

Ray, what are the new rules for tipping, RJ

[OCtoolguy]

18 hours ago, rjweb said:

Ray, what are the new rules for tipping, RJ

Well, evidently 10% isn't enough anymore. 

And don't get me going on corkage. We and our good friends went to a nice steakhouse for dinner right after the pandemic ended. We took a bottle of our preferred wine. Not an expensive bottle and it even had a screw top. They dinged us $15 to open the bottle and pour it into 4 glasses. Outrageous! Sorry, if I appear to be a cheapskate but I did my job for over 40 years and never got a tip once. My pay was derived from the profit of what I sold with no regard to the service I provided.

[Bill WIlson]

Some background on tips;

A quick history lesson

Tipping became the norm in the 1900s. Rumor has it that the practice drifted over from Europe thanks to the aristocracy. After their European visits, where tipping was part of the culture, they wanted to seem more cultured and in-the-know than their peers. Perhaps they were a bit too enthusiastic about the whole thing, because Americans were subsequently criticized for over tipping by Europeans and continue to be to this day. But there’s actually a legitimate reason why Americans continue to tip more than Europeans.

In the 1960s, the U.S. Congress decided to a so-called “tipping credit,” which meant that the employer could pay the employee under the minimum wage if they earn tips. Still active in many states, this means that employees walk home with a slim paycheck and rely on tips to get by. This true in the food industry. However, not everyone who is tipped lives off them. Some professions include tipping as a bonus, but you should be aware of the unwritten rules there and tip accordingly.

10 things no one tells you about tipping in the US