Could you go a year without eating out?

[jenniferharris1]

I'm estimating that my family spends way too much money on restaurant meals...at least 200.00/month! I just get so mad at myself just thinking about it. I'm seriously considering issuing my family a challenge...to not eat a single pizza, burger, or restaurant meal for a year and cook exclusively at home or at friends' homes. I'll probably get, "Are you crazy?!"
Could you all do it?

[Natasha]

Hmm...I suppose I could go without eating out for a year, if I had to, but I wouldn't enjoy it. We only eat out about once a month - maybe even less - but the knowing that I couldn't go out to eat would drive me batty.

And a year is a kind of long time...maybe you could try it for a month or two so you don't freak your family out, and then see if they realize how good it is to save the money, and how you were right. :) Just a thought.

Natasha :)

[RD chef]

I very much enjoy eating out. A lot of times I do feel I could cook something equally as good, or better at home. But, I enjoy reading all the choices on the menu, and sometimes it gives me new ideas for creative ways to cook at home. I enjoy trying new wines, and not having to clean up! :p

[andrea]

NO WAY!!! good luck! if you really set your mind to it, you probably could... but i doubt the rest of your family will join you... sorry! i could go without fast food but not "eating out" all together. i love going out to eat!

[claire797]

I could do it, but I'd feel deprived. I love eating out. Since I'm the primary cook and bottle washer here, it's a big treat to have someone else do the cooking occasionally. I also like people watching, being waited on and just being able to relax. If you add all of those elements into the cost of the meal, it's worth paying $12 for a $2 plate of pasta.

[VictoriaL]

Easily.
I love to cook, and to eat what I cook! We only go out to eat if we have to. We've been taken to pricey restaurants, usually on someone's expense account, and I feel guilty about our host spending a lot on a meal that I feel I could make for much less at home (and be much more comfortable while eating it!).
:D

(I suppose I should mention that I'm not an incredibly social person, either!)

[DmOrtega]

Compromise. Have a weekly take out night. It will save you some money and give you a night off from cooking. Leave the restaraunt meals for special occasions. Good luck.

[beejayw1]

Originally posted by Natasha
And a year is a kind of long time...maybe you could try it for a month or two so you don't freak your family out, and then see if they realize how good it is to save the money, and how you were right. :) Just a thought.

I'm with Natasha. Why not break it down into manageable pieces? There are a couple ways to do this:

1. You could say that you will not eat out until, say, February 14 (or whatever other day sounds good), and set a place where you plan to go.

2. You could set aside so much a week to use toward your monthly outing, and make it a family thing to decide where to go.

In the meantime, you could check out CopyKat.com, which has recipes for various restaurant's signature dishes:

http://www.copykat.com/

Try making some of those at home.

[memartha]

Absolutely. We hardly ever eat out. I used to miss it, but now I don't really. It is a nice break NOT to have to cook, but there are ways around that, too! You are right, restaurant meals are most often PRICEY, SALTY and FATTY. Do yourself a favor and try a few months without. Let us know what happens! Martha

[stefania4]

I couldn't do it! I go out for foods that I don't cook well, like Indian, Thai, and Chinese so not going out would mean none of these for a year. I have a hard enough time going 8 weeks without my masala dosai fix...

If it were me, I'd limit it to one dinner and two lunches/month or something similar. I have to agree, though, that it really saves a LOT of money. Last year I started packing my fiance's lunch and he was amazed at what a difference that made in his budget.

[nwheeler]

I could, if I had to, like if my jaw was wired shut, OR if I was poverty stricken.

With my job, I do end up eating in restaurants on occasion, but I don't have to PAY for it myself, so I could get by on that. At least I'd still get to have dinner/lunch out, but it wouldn't come out of my pocket!

I know I could do without fast food for a year, but I can't go without pizza! We get take-out pizza about twice per month and I really enjoy that.

[leebee]

I couldn't do it!! We don't eat out that often. We either go out or get take out about once a week. We used to go out on Sundays for brunch, but now it tends to be pizza on Fridays. Frankly, I like the dishes-free nights, myself! I guess if I were to try to stop, we'd have to do something like, no restaurants for a month and see how it goes. I couldn't commit to a whole year. Eating out is big with our extended families, and it would cut into our social time with them. Good luck!

[RebeccaT]

Could I? Sure! Would I want to? NO WAY!

I love eating out, experimenting, trying new tastes I might not at home. DH enjoy it as a way to spend time together without distractions of "home stuff," or as a way to socialize with friends. There are too many wonderful restaurants in Houston!

Now, I do wish that, when socializing, we entertained more as opposed to going out. There are recipes I would love to try that would be difficult to scale down for just the two of us, plus so many of our friends never cook and so I think they might enjoy it.

[wallycat]

I think I have done it :eek:

Unless we are traveling, we rarely go out. I think the last birthday /anniversary, we didn't even go out.
Of course, it's just DH and myself so it's easier to find quick meals that kids may not be willing to eat.

I have so much food on hand--I not only love to cook, I love to buy food...so if we dine out, I reaaaaally have to be out of the mood of being in the kitchen. The thought of food going to waste and spending money on a restaurant meal...I just couldn't do it.

[gymbrat75]

i used to go out dinner all the time when i lived in the city. now that i live in suburbia it's tough finding a restaurant worth visiting or even really great take out.

i especially miss the all the great take out.

d

[Grace]

I couldn't, but not because I love eating out so much - I just can't always get the energy to cook a nice dinner every single night. My job has wierd hours and I never know where I'll be at dinner time on any given day, so if I roll into the house at 8 p.m, after an exhausting day, there's no way I'm going to force myself to cook. Does that mean I'm happy with the dinner we get out? Not usually - I too prefer our home cooking most of the time, but the trade off of not having to do the work or the clean up makes up for what the meal lacks in taste. That said, we only eat out once a week at most (dinner, anyway). I do grab Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits a couple of times a week out on the road, and the boss buys us lunch/dinner every Thursday, so I do eat that. But DH and I only go out at most one night a week. Sometimes only once in two weeks.

I'm going out for dinner tonight though, for a friend's birthday. I don't really want to go, but I have to. I don't even know where we're going yet, but I already know I'll probably be disappointed. Oh well! I agree with the rest who said to try to limit yourself instead of completely cutting yourself off. Sounds more doable.

[lindrusso]

Like others said, even if I could go a whole year, I wouldn't want to! :)

Why not take babysteps as others have suggested? If you cut it out completely, your venture will likely be met with resistance. You could make it less restrictive - like maybe cutting back to once a week. After all, everyone needs a break from cooking sometime, and if you are the primary cook in the family, it may be you who comes to resist your own venture. :D

Or perhaps you could challenge them to cut out at least the junk-food purchases. I could (and should) cut out the junk we eat out (which is not a lot, but could still be improved), but I would never want to give up my date nights with DH when we got to eat at a nice restaurant.

Or run a contest - the person who eats out the least each month gets some sort of prize. Or ask everyone to cut back and throw the money you would have spent on eating out into a community pot that everyone can use at the end of the month (or other specified amount of time) for something fun that everone agrees on. At $200 a month, by the end of the year you could have a signicifant amount of money! :)

I think it's a great idea to cut back on dining out, but I have found that trying to cut something out 100% tends to be much less successful than to cut back gradually or to cut back only a certain amount. Whatever you do, make it fun - everyone will benefit in the end - financially and probably health-wise as well.

[Jeanz]

Unfortunately, no way! It is too time-consuming to commute home (1 hr) before going back out (1 hr) to go back to Manhattan to do anything! It is not always the most convenient to pack 2 or 3 meals a day to go out with.

That being said, I love to try new foods that I would never cook at home, or favorites like grilled foods that just don't taste the same at home, especially since I live in apt that has no grill. I do cook alot at home, but I could never give up going out!

[RunnerKim]

A year would be tough, but we rarely eat out. Now with a baby - it'll probably be close to never. Mostly because we're too frugal to eat out. We do go out for special occaisons (our birthdays and anniversary) but really try to avoid doing it for convenience sake (and most of the time succeed). We brown bag it for lunches although I do get catered lunches every once in awhile for meetings and such -- don't know if it counts if you're not paying.
Kim

[funnybone]

When we go out to eat, it's usually "to get out" so for that reason my answer is no. Would I miss the food? Probably not (except for at really good restaurants). Also when travelling or on vacation, it would be difficult to not eat out. My idea of a vacation is not to cook. That's one reason I don't go to camping or to cottages. I need a hotel and restauant. :D

[Terrytx]

We don't eat out very often either, but a whole year? I doubt I could do that. It would feel like bondage-being tied to the house for a year. I know for sure the DD would rebel.

[jenniferharris1]

Well, I thought about the whole prospect of not eating out. Makes me feel deprived already. But, I was thinking that, even though it'd be unpleasant for a while, it'd be such an accomplishment if we could actually do it. Eating out makes my kids more open to some unusual dishes that I fix at home. And, my son loves calamari! I didn't even have that until I was 23! (Country girl here) So, there's a certain cultural benefit to going out (rationalizing). But, I admire those people who prefer to stay home. It's just more economical.
I'm still wondering about issuing my challenge. It reminds me of a show I watched where they put 2 families in a pioneer setting, and they had to live without the conveniences of the modern world. In theory, I thought that was neat...but would be difficult to put into practice. :)

[aggie94]

Nope, couldn't do it, and also wouldn't want to. Like others have already said, going out to eat is a main social outlet for us. For example, one of our friends from Oregon is coming to visit tomorrow night. Sure, we could have her over for dinner, but she's never been to Austin (or even Texas, for that matter), and we'd love to show her some of what Austin has to offer, including in the way of dining. And I wholeheartedly ditto the comments about wanting a night off from time to time. I'm the primary cook and cleaner in our house, and some weeks are so stressful and long that by Friday night, I just want to relax with a movie and some take-out. Plus, my co-workers frequently go out to eat for lunch and I would feel completely left out of the loop if I didn't join them from time to time.

[Beth]

I could, and we've been through periods where we hardly ate out. I would make sure I had things cooked ahead like I did when I was working and always have some emergency meals on hand. The kids might have a harder time though, and I would be making a bee line for the nearest Thai restaurant at the end of the year! :D

Why not compromise, as suggested. If you think you spend $200 a month eating out, do you think you could save $150 per month eating at home (you still have to eat, right)? Then why not set a goal -- a vacation, a new item for your home, something that might cost $1,000-2,000. Think of something you'd all like but didn't get to do or have this last year -- or could do on a grander scale next year. Each month, set aside $200. From that, you have to subtract anything you spend eating out -- not forbidden, but a choice you make. Anything you don't spend eating out (or on emergencies) goes toward the fund for whatever goal you set.

If you normally eat out on weekends, try to make family nights cooking together at home -- try some of those things you might not normally cook at home. Try homemade pasta, pizza, ethnic dishes. If your kids are old enough, take turns with family members hosting and serving so others can be waited on (even if it's burgers or hot dogs so DH and kids can give you a night off). Let the kids get involved in figuring what you would have spent and how much you have saved for each meal -- chart it if that will help them visualize the goal. You can work towards a goal, see how much you miss eating out and whether you can have just as much fun working together at home. But you'll still be able to make the choices, and if you decide you miss eating out that much, you can either accept that choice and take whatever money you've saved for a smaller purchase (or a fancier night out) or make the goal a 2-year one.

Let us know if you decide to try a challenge and how you do it.

[KristinK]

DBF and I just enjoy eating out. It gives us a 'date night' once every week or two. We don't ever do it just because we need a night away from our kitchen or we need something quick (we don't eat fast food or pizza anyway). And we only eat out for dinner, so we don't spend any extra money on breakfast or lunch. And we have a couple favorite restaurants in our area that aren't too pricey, and we save the nicer ones for special occasions. But once we're fully on our own, I'm sure we'll have to cut back and budget ourselves a little better :rolleyes:

Good luck if you take the challenge!

[HRJ]

We don't eat out nearly as much as we used to -- if you would have told me, 3 or 4 years ago, that we'd go longer than a week without eating out, I wouldn't have believed you.

But, give it up altogether? No. As others have mentioned, dining out is:

1) a chance to try dishes/cuisines that I can't make at home;
2) opportunity for socializing with friends and family;
3) opportunity for some fun "couple time" outside the house -- particularly in the winter, when the weather keeps us inside a lot and it gets dark so early, it's good to go out for a change of scenery, if nothing else;
4) necessary when traveling or vacationing;
5)necessary if we're out for the day and it's inconvenient/impossible to make it home in time for lunch/dinner.

While I might make a "very special dinner" at home for an occasion like DH's birthday, I couldn't see doing all the work when it's my turn to celebrate -- make dinner on my own birthday or our anniversary? No way. (Don't suggest that DH make the dinner -- that would be special, all right, but not in the way that anyone would appreciate. :D )

What I couldpossibly do, if necessary, is give up "quick food" -- although I haven't been to McDonald's or anyplace like that for ages (except at highway rest stops, when there's no other alternative), I don't think I'd miss eating at places like the Food Court at the mall, and could probably avoid that if I set my mind to it.

Helene

[d_ferrero]

Another "no way" vote here... I could give up fast food in a heart-beat (and essentially I have -- I haven't been to the drive through since my trip to Texas), but a year without sushi or Ono Maze would be a long, slow year indeed. We're in compromise mode right now... we go out to dinner twice a month, and take turns picking up the tab. It keeps it from getting way out of hand, but allows us to enjoy one of our favorite indulgences, too.

[aggie94]

Originally posted by HRJ
(Don't suggest that DH make the dinner -- that would be special, all right, but not in the way that anyone would appreciate. :D )


Helene, this made me LOL!! :p (Probably because I can relate! :rolleyes: )

[Kayla]

Not eating out for an entire year would most certainly take a lot of will power on my part, but I kind of have to do it since money is tight while I'm in school.

I like the suggestions of some of the other posters here ... about setting a goal ... maybe not so much as a year of "restaurant deprivation", but perhaps a month or two, and then treat your family to maybe just dessert out? That could work instead of an entire meal. Also, the idea about getting take out is an economical alternative you could consider.

Eating out, though, is definitely a pleasure. Here in Toronto there are absolutely hundreds of varieties of restaurants to choose from. The slew of different ethnic restaurants and foods is too tempting to pass up.

An idea to eating out, as some have mentioned, is to do it when it's a special occasion, or already planned in advance. For instance, birthdays, anniversaries, congratulatory get-togethers, etc. My mom and I even made it a tradition to go out once a month and try different restaurants in my home town. This way, we looked forward to our meals together, and would not go out much else in order to not go over-budget. It brought us closer, and gave us something to look forward to all month.

Good luck! :)

[Canice]

I can't imagine. In fact, I'm sure I've never (in my adult life) gone a week without eating out.
DBF and I go out to breakfast/lunch (we eat only one or the other on weekends) every Saturday and Sunday and I wouldn't want to give that up. For us, it's just a nice way to start the day or take a break if we're out running errands (plus, I hate fixing breakfast-y things). As for dinner, well, there are too many restaurants on my "want to try" or "have got to get back to" list to ignore. Sometimes I just don't want to cook and can't think of anything I feel like making.... And as Eva suggested, it would be social suicide to announce that I was no longer eating in restaurants. (Unfortunately, I generally could not claim that I'd do a better job of it at home.)

Another vote for compromise/small steps to your goal!

[browneye]

How about a middle ground, here. Set a monthly budget for eating out, whatever you are comfortable with. Say try $100. Then, post that up on a board or somewhere where everyone can see it, and make decisions as a family when you want to "spend" that budget money. Each time you go out, subtract that amount. Everyone will see how much is left. When it's gone, it's gone and you wait until next month to go out.
It will teach your kids something about money as well, and the cost of different kinds of "eating out" For instance, you may prefer some deli take-out nights instead of restaurant dining to save money and have more total nights of eating "out".

Just a thought.

[Ms. Chevious]

Absolutely! I've posted here before in fact about how much I hate eating out - I would have absolutely NO problem not eating out for a year. As it is I think I only spend $50-$100 a year in restaurants.

[Jasmine-Rose]

Well, my first thought was "In a heartbeat!" but I think I have to qualify that a bit.

Sweetheart and I both prefer not to eat out. As a matter of fact, I've been known to beg "Please don't make me go out to dinner!!!". I think we've eaten dinner out five times in 2002, and four of them were on weekends when we were in Vermont (I at King Arthur for classes and he playing golf). That said, we do occasionally find ourselves stopping at one of a couple of sandwich shops that we like when we're out running errands and lunch time is upon us and we need fuel to keep our bodies running in order to accomplish all that is on the list. I guess if I planned better I could avoid those situations but it doesn't happen often and when it does we don't stop for burgers and fries.

Part of it is because I'm lazy - I don't want to get dressed up and drive there and then wait in line and wait for the server to take my order and then wait for the food. Pretty bad, huh? But I agree with Vicci in that I like to cook and I like to eat at home and I prefer not to spend the money in restaurants. And I prefer the privacy of my own home and quiet dinners with Sweetheart.

[lcc]

I could never go a whole year without eating out. I am the only one who cooks around here and sometimes I am just too tired or just plain not interested in cooking. But I do get sick of eating out, we do it more than I am willing to admit.

At Christmas time, Dh and I decided we were sick of it and were going to wait till Valentines to go out to eat again. We were doing pretty good, until tonight that is, but we had a good excuse. It was our daughter's birthday and we wanted to do something special for her. I have noticed in the past that she gets a kick out of when restaurants make a big deal out of peoples birthdays (normally something that I can't stand, it is amazing what you would do for your kids). So we went to Chevy's. You should have seen her beaming when they all came to our table clapping and singing with a sombrero and a big bowl of ice cream. I got a big hug out of her for that one.

[jenniferharris1]

Since we are so dependent upon eating out (sad, isn't it?), we're going to try a 3 month challenge beginning February 1st where we will have a jar and pay ourselves for a home-cooked meal. I think 3 months is not too long, and it doesn't extend into our vacation. I'm just curious to see how much we save. My kids are 11, 4, and 3...and they can be pretty rowdy in public places anyway :).
I'm also thinking a better challenge might be a sugar/snack food challenge. Ice cream is 5.00/carton, and it lasts 2 days in my house. I'm not a restrictive mom; it's just that I feel we, as a family, are so indulgent. I know a woman who doesn't even buy bread! She makes it from scratch every week without a breadmaker! And she told me that as a child, she NEVER ate out. The only times she can remember doing so is when she was rewarded for good grades at McDonald's...every couple years or so! That blows me away. Her parents also gave coupons for TV in time increments (30 min.-1 hour) for good behaviour. And then, here are my kids...asking for escargot and Lobster stuffed mushrooms like it's nothing.

[AD]

I don't really like eating out in public. It may seem unusual, but it annoys me when anyone watches me while I am eating. There are times I depend on prepared food items, usually poultry or beef, since I may not have time or desire to cook those. Only in an emergency would I have an entire meal prepared by a restaurant. But as long as I have the choice, I would not actually eat in a restaurant.

One thing that really keeps me from eating out is the lack of good restaurants. Where I live, there is no restaurant worth going to. I am very picky and given the very plain and basic foods I most enjoy, I am better able to prepare them myself.

[Valerie226]

We seldom eat out. maybe a couple times a year. I am not counting take-and-bake pizza which comes in handy. But I think you should program in a few exceptions so you don't make it an impossible hill to climb. reduce, but don't eliminate. for example, I have friends that live too far away to visit, so we meet in the middle of the distance for lunch. Lunch is such a bargain, you couldn't make it yourself for the price. Anniversaries and birthdays should be exceptions. vacations or weekends away.

[melis104]

No, I probably couldn't and I know my boyfriend could not do it. I've been trying to cut down on eating in restaurants and having takeout. Its absolutley killing him, he's dying for a pizza or sandwich. So far so good,but its only been a week. I think it woiuld be okay on the weekend though. I work Saturday nights so we will probably continue to eat out on Friday nights.

[Wendy w]

I only go out to eat between 1-5 times a month. Although I am increasingly preferring my own cooking, I don't think that I could go a year. But, $200/mo. is a lot. I would suggest cutting back a bit. Good luck!

[ramson]

I couldn't do it and I wouldn't want to try!

I think I'd die of a Pho deficiency or something. Certainly the Pho restauarant may go out of business if I stopped turning up on their doorstep 5 - 6 times a month, and then when the year was over I'd have no where to go for it. Its best that I continue on as I have been.

In addition to my Pho addiction, my work brings in dinner for us at least once a month, sometimes 5 - 6 times per month in addition to a whirlwind of dinners out 2x a year when the sales force comes to town for meetings.

I have a group of friends that I have known for ages and years ago we all stopped exchanging Birthday and Christmas presents in lieu of a nice dinner out for these occassions. I'd hate to miss out on these evenings as lately it seems these are the only times we all make an effort to be together anymore.

I work nights so I don't get to see my friends and family who work regular hours very often. If they issue an invitation to go out, I am there.

Vacations aren't a vacation if you still have to plan a menu, go to the grocery, haul the food into the condo, cook it and clean up afterward. Condo is a dirty word in the vacation vocabulary to my sister & me. (We just returned from a FABOO vacation that involved steak and lobster at least once a day and none of the 15 meals were prepared by us!)

Plus, I just plain like to eat out.

-ram

[SusanMac]

what an interesting mix of responses. for a bb group with so many "foodies" i just expected more people who eat out regularly and often, if nothing else than to try new food or new techniques. there are more people than i expected who cook dinner every night. and i thought i was good in cooking so often (more than i used to).

definitely couldn't and wouldn't go a year (or a week) without eating out. but, it's just DH and me, so it doesn't hit our budget as hard and is a form of entertainment for us.

[lorilei]

Originally posted by SusanMac
what an interesting mix of responses. for a bb group with so many "foodies" i just expected more people who eat out regularly and often, if nothing else than to try new food or new techniques. there are more people than i expected who cook dinner every night. and i thought i was good in cooking so often (more than i used to).


Interesting perspective -- that foodies wouldn't stay home more often to cook their own food.

I've been debating this question (and postponing my response) for some time now. It's a tough one for me.

See - if I made up my mind to go a year without eating out, I could do it. In fact, I would probably have a fine time creating meals at home. Probably would invite more people over for dinner. And definitely would experiment with tons of recipes.

But I wouldn't LIKE being restricted. I do enjoy going to nice places to eat. And I enjoy the aspect of eating out that allows me to socialize with friends (or simply relax after a long day) WITHOUT having to worry about making/serving/cleaning up after food.

So my answer begins to resemble others': Yes, I could do it. But I wouldn't want to :)

[dcornelius]

No way, couldn't do it!!!!! I have a hectic work schedule and there are days when the last thing I want to do when I get home is cook dinner so we go out.... I couldn't make myself cook every night and I don't have enough friends to bum meals off of to cover all my can't cook nights;) . Besides, there is always a new restaraunt opening up around here and I am one of those people who "need" to try the new places....

[TamiKnight]

I've been following the posts on this with interest. Like everyone else, I could--God knows I've done harder things in my life. However, I wouldn't want to. I love to cook, but I work too many hours to make it a have-to. Where I really think I'd stumble, though, is at work. I work at a very small alternative school; there are only 5 teachers. Three of them go out to lunch every day. I live close enough to go home and eat. However, every once in a while, we try to arrange our schedules so we can all go out together. To say no every single time would be taken as a snub. Also, my husband's family all goes out together once a month.

Also, as long as DH and I have been married, trying out new restaurants is some of the most adventurous stuff we do together. I just wouldn't want to have to say no every time. Again, I know I could, but I wouldn't want to. However, I am trying to cut back, for health and financial reasons. I agree that it seems wasteful to spend so much going out to eat. I justify it, though, by going early so we get in on the lunch specials, or using coupons. With just two of us, sometimes it's actually cheaper to eat out than for me to fix a big meal at home. You believe me, don't you? ;)

[dcornelius]

I believe you Tami!!!!! My logic works the same way especially when the day had been really long and tiresome!

[funnybone]

I was doing a search on something and came across this thread. I am resurrecting it out of curiousity to see if anyone has actually gone without eating out for most of the year.

Anyone? I haven't.

[wallycat]

Funnybone,
we were close.
DH took me out for my b-day in May lst year (sushi lunch); otherwise, we have not been out since then. I did meet JackieO for lunch this year, but that's it as far as I can recall.

As I posted, I enjoy cooking and buying food so much that going out only appeals to me when I'm totally burned out being in the kitchen :D

[sunberst]

NO WAY JOSE!

;)

i eat out on average once a week. cannot imagine going an entire year without eating out at all. it would not happen.

sure eating out can be expensive, but so are groceries! sometimes i swear i pay more for all kinds of ingredients to cook a nice friday night meal and we probably could have gone out to eat for the same price! especially with ethnic dishes because i end up running all over town for various ingredients and it all adds up price-wise and time-wise.

too bad this post wasnt a poll...

[p. j.]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jenniferharris1
Absolutely!! I ]hate eating out. Waiting for a table, waiting for the waitperson, waiting for the food, waiting for the check, and then a big fat disappointment with the food (usually). Also, it's such a waste of food because I can never eat it all. As for it being social, I find it very hard to have a conversation in a noisy resturant, which most of them are. Not to mention the expense! No thanks! I would rather stay home and eat a bowl of cereal while lounging in my comfort clothes, ie pajamas;)
Sorry to be so glum, but you asked :p

pj

[Carolina68]

I haven't been out to eat since I was on vacation in early August and I haven't missed it at all. With that said, I'm not sure if I could go an entire year though, I would hate to give up eating out while on vacation...for me that's part of my vacation, otherwise it wouldn't be a problem.

[tbb113]

Originally posted by sunberst

too bad this post wasnt a poll...

You could always make a poll about the topic ;) Think of how many people have joined since this was originally posted and all the new responses we could get :D

[Beth]

I'll have to say not this coming year. DH and I bought some dining gift certificates in the scout auction last night. Nowe the hard part -- getting to use them!

[bmonczka]

Canice, I second your comment. I can't remember a week we didn't eat out at least one meal! Even though I love to cook, dh and I seem to eat at restaurants quite a bit, probably 3-4 times per week (that's some lunches, some breakfasts, some dinners). There are just those nights when I don't even have the energy to open the refrigerator let alone lug out a skillet!

We have a huge part of our budget devoted to "entertainment/meals". What can you do?!:( I definitely couldn't go a year without dinner out! I guess we over-indulge after suffering all those college years on 67 cent boxed macaroni with a 55 cent can of green beans, when we were broke, broke broke! Back then, finding change in the couch and realizing you had enough to go to Taco Bell was a big night out :D

[bmonczka]

Another thought occured to me...we even plan our vacations around meals- where do we eat first! That's the first thing we check out when we get to a new city, the concierge or the closest copy of Fodor's!

[golden1225]

Well, I guess we could, as we love to cook and our food is usually better than what we can get at a restaurant. However, we'd dearly miss our favorite Vietnamese food. I can make a lot of it at home, but those spring rolls (the cold ones) are just better out, I think!!

have you tried going to restaurant.com? they have lots of gift certificates and half-off coupons for restaurants.

:)

[PAMMELA]

I love to go out for libations and food!!! And we order pizza EVERY SUNDAY!!!

[VALERIEA234]

NOT A CHANCE!!!!!!! I HAVE A FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT, AND THE FOOD IS GREAT, ITS CHINESE.

[pinky]

i dont think i could do it either - living in new york city, it would be a shame to not go out and experience all of the amazing restaurants that the city has to offer! plus, sometimes its a pain bringing my lunch on the subway to work, and sometimes i just get home way too late to make dinner.