# Eating Out Vs Home Cooking



## ClassicRockr (Sep 17, 2014)

I *use* to REALLY love to cook and that was something that my wife really loved about me. She told me that she was never much of a cook, but believe me, she does have her "specialties" that I love. Anyway, for the last few years, there are times that we find that eating out can cost less than buying the food, preparing/cooking it. We do use discount coupons quite a bit for eating out, so that helps cut the cost of eating out. We love going to our local buffet for dinner, but do watch how often we go. Love going out for breakfast on weekends, since my wife only has cereal during the week. 

We know that eating out isn't very nutritional, but to us, and many who enjoy a good Prime Rib, Lobster, Mexican or Italian Dinner at times, "nutrition" isn't part of our vocabulary.......when we order these d------licious dinners! 

 I know there are those who live to far from restaurants to eat out that much, but that's not us.

So, how much do you eat out?


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## SeaBreeze (Sep 17, 2014)

We don't eat out that much anymore, not like we did when we were younger and working.  The quality of the food in a lot of places just doesn't seem to be that great anymore.  After watching a few episodes of Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsey, and hearing on the news of restaurant workers with bad hygiene, making customers sick, or that gal who drank the sweet tea with the lye poison in it, it's easy to stay home.

My husband is an excellent cook, and often prepares our meals.  I have a few dishes that I can make pretty well also.  At home we charcoal barbeque rib eye steaks, and make things like crab legs, oven grilled salmon, homemade nachos, etc.  On special occasions hubby might throw up a pretty good gumbo or green chili with pork. I used to make eggplant parmesan and lasagna, but it's been a long time.  Costco has some frozen that are pretty good, so I don't hassle making from scratch.

We do have a good Mexican restaurant near us, that we take out from sometimes.  We'll either get pork carnitas or smothered chili rellanos (crispy), etc.  There's a really good Chinese restaurant by us that delivers, so we get that sometimes.  Also a NY pizza place, so we'll take home some pizza and cannolis for dessert. For us, eating at home is just more enjoyable, so it works for us.


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## Ina (Sep 17, 2014)

Sea, we too prefer to eat at home. If we want Mexican, Chinese, or some other tasty food that we don't generally have we get take out as well. Sometimes we will go out in the back pasture, and have a picnic, and watch the sun set. 
It beats feeling like we have to hurry through our meal, so that someone in the along waiting line can set down.  :tapfoot:


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## Steve (Sep 17, 2014)

We used to eat out somewhat, but we now enjoy a good home cooked meal..
I do all the cooking but my wife does the baking of deserts.. I have been trying baking but I prefer leaving it to her..
A good quality home cooked meal is hard to beat considering you know what you are eating...
We are not concerned with the price of food but rather the quality.. It turns out MUCH cheaper to eat at home.. 
Where we live, there are NO restaurants which means travelling about 3 hours to go out for a meal...
 Just doesn't make sense unless we are in the big city anyway..

Both my wife and myself are on low carb which most restaurants have a hard time with.. Salt is another thing we eliminate... Eating out just isn't for us, but cooking a really good meal at home is definitely OK.....


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## hollydolly (Sep 18, 2014)

We out at least twice a week..I cook every night but I get a break from it a couple of times a week at least. Even though I live in the countryside there are still many restaurants and pubs to choose to eat in, and if we need to go more cosmopolitan London is just 30 minutes away where there's probably no type of world food that is unavailable.


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## ClassicRockr (Sep 18, 2014)

First......SB, with your menu, we'd stay at home also!

Anyway, perhaps we are just getting lazy and old ("er").........can't leave that "er" off at the end. LOL
We still cook at home, just not as much as we use to. When we go to our favorite Mexican restaurant, wife will order a dinner of pork carnitas and we have enough left over to make either burrito's or taco's at home for two meals. On weekends, if we don't go out, wife may make blueberry pancakes and I will cook up some bacon or sausage. She also makes great French Toast. She also makes "very tasty" potato salad, apple salad and spaghetti/meatballs. Oh, I've been known to throw a steak, burgers, hotdogs or ribs on the BBQ once in a while.
On NFL "game day", if we don't go out to watch, we will toss some frozen potato skins, pretzels and wings in the oven at home.

This is why I say "we don't eat out all the time", but we have noticed that it is more than we use to.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Sep 18, 2014)

We have always gone out to eat A LOT-even when the kids were growing up. It was just easier with me working and all. Then in 1991,when we moved 3 hours away from work,we started eating in restaurants every single night,except Sundays. On Sundays I would cook and the kids and grandkids(and usually their friends) would all come for dinner. When we sold our business in 2010 and were home all the time,I started cooking most every night. And now that we have foster kids we mostly eat at home,although lately we`ve been going out a little more often.


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## Capt Lightning (Sep 18, 2014)

I'm one of those who lives miles from restaurants so only eat out when on vacation.
When I was working, we ate out occasionally. Later, I travelled abroad a lot and ate out most nights.  When I retired, I just wanted to eat at home.
Anyway, I enjoy cooking.


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## Twixie (Sep 18, 2014)

I have eaten in some of the best restaurants in the world..but nothing beats a good home made steak pie..with mash and gravy..

Followed by a home made Key lime pie...

Smelly French cheese with red wine..

And a good coffee...


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## AprilT (Sep 18, 2014)

I love home cooking, only, I seem to have lost the skill set, but I do still prepare most of my own meals to my own dismay.  I would much rather eat someone else's home cooking, I'd even help with the clean up after.    But the nice thing is that if I wanted to I could walk out my door and be within minutes in front of quite a of few restaurants that serve fare from around the world; we have Asian, English, Irish, Italian, Dutch and other types of cafes up and down the streets over my way.  Most I've yet to sample.  

These days it's almost cheaper for me to buy take out than it is to pick up all the ingredients I need for the some of the meals I want to prepare at home.  One phone call and I can have chicken broccoli, pepper steak or lemon chicken, in less than 20 minutes from the restaurant up the street.  Some days I still cook a really terrific meal, I'm just not as motivated to do so these days, but, boy would I love to sample some of Twixie's steak pie with mash and gravy. 

BTW, I live in a touristy area, so food is always available, even have a spot that's called munchies open of late, late night eating.  I've never made use of them, but, one of these days I picture myself sleepwalking over to the tiki covered spot for a bit at 3am.


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## Twixie (Sep 18, 2014)

AprilT said:


> but, boy would I love to sample some of Twixie's steak pie with mash and gravy.



you would be welcome anytime AprilT..you can kick your shoes off in my house..


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## AprilT (Sep 18, 2014)

Twixie said:


> you would be welcome anytime AprilT..you can kick your shoes off in my house..




Ah, thank you Twixie, same from me to you kind lady.


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## oldman (Sep 18, 2014)

We eat out at least twice a week at restaurants. Generally, when we are home here in PA, we may have another couple over once a week and also we usually get invited to a friend's once or so a week, but I would rather have people come here for dinner. I help do the cooking, well, not really the cooking. I peel the onions, tomatoes, potatoes or whatever. I also heat up the veggies. My wife prepares the main dish and the dessert. I will also help with clean-up.


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## RadishRose (Sep 23, 2014)

I usually cook/eat at home, but I love dining out too.


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