Trent and I used to go out to eat or order takeout three or four nights a week. We lived in a location where very good Indian, Japanese, French, and Italian cuisine were easily within walking distance; we could smell the aromas from our apartment window. Nowadays, we go out to eat maybe twice a week at most, and our destinations are places like Panera and Chili's - where we don't have to worry about our kid being too loud or disturbing other patrons. It's a distinct improvement to our budget.
I'd like to say we'll stop going out altogether, but realistically, that won't happen. We need to be realistic if we're going to save. Especially because we work from home and spend what seems like 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, cooped up in our modest-sized condo, we sometimes hanker for the chance to get out and experience society. Going to the park and participating in our running group helps, but we need to find other (cheap) options, as well. Those will become more readily available when the weather warms up.
In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy my bagel and not worry about it. For us, frugality isn't about depriving ourselves. It's about setting and staying within limits, and we're doing that.
-Susanne
We're doing the same, cutting back on how much we go out. It's so hard though, b/c we used to eat out several times a week. I miss that.
ReplyDeleteI miss it, too. That's one of my very favorite things to do. For me, it is a sensory experience: the food, the sounds of the other people in the restaurant, the smells... We try to cook well at home, but sometimes it just isn't the same!
ReplyDelete-Susanne