Me and the girlfriend only go out to eat like once every other month or so, at a sit down place. We might get fast food once every other week or so. ...yeah, we are cheap lol
That's not cheap, it's smart !! Most hunters that I know are resourceful, especially in concerning their diets. Home cooking is, GENERALLY, a fair bit more healthy than eating out. Growing up, I was fed, well. My father has a very lucrative position in a very lucrative field, and, my mother hates to cook. So, my siblings and I were used to eating "good" food. To this day, when I'm hungry, I start thinking about sushi, a higher end italian diner, sea-food, porterhouse steak, etc, etc. I have to consciously tell myself that I will be just as satisfied after eating simple pasta or grilled chicken, as I would be after spending $50 on a single meal, more myself. Honestly, I still give in to these desires, from time to time.
We have 3 kids, so we don't get out much, probably average once every two weeks. We do takeout probably once a week, things like pizza, sushi, etc. As much as groceries cost these days, planning a decent meal is still expensive! We probably spend $200 a week on groceries. 3 boys will eat you out of house and home!
Before kids...quite a bit. Now with a 7, 5, 3 yr old and one due next month...we still get out once during the week and once on weekend (and maybe a quick lunch on weekend if running busy). But meals are very reasonable here - almost always under $40 for 2 adult entrees and 2-3 kids meals (no alcohol for me when eating out). We continue to go out for 2 reasons: 1)it's nice to give us and and the kitchen a break - we cook good meals that require a lot of dishes and a long clean up afterward...so it's more for the "treat" factor 2)we want our kids to know how to act on such occasions - it's great to get compliments from an old couple sitting next to us that our kids behaved so well. Family dinners together at the table are how I was raised - and that will never change - my favorite part of the day, but couple times a week - I still get to be with just the family, but enjoy someone else doing the cooking. I have to add then when I want top notch eating - I have to be the one doing the grilling...it's hard to beat doing it your own way on the grill.
Like I said, now that we have a hefty mortgage of our own, we're going to cut back somewhere. And y'all must remember, everybody spends their disposable income somewhere. Remember the commute thread? A lot of you guys spend hundreds per month on gas. I spend maybe $50 (including my wife's car). I also probably spend 1/4 what most of you guys spend on hunting equipment. My bow is 8 years old (gasp!). I hunt mostly public land. I don't think I've purchased any hunting related gear in about 2 years, sans a few mouth calls. If we had a few kids, and my wife didn't work, there is no way we could eat out like we do.
You will save a ton of money by not going out and cooking at home!! Get a moose permit, shoot one with your bow and you wont have to go out for the next three years.
I'm guessing there's a lot of jealous people posting in this thread, enjoy your wife and let her do what makes both you and her happy, you will soon find that a happy wife makes the greatest wife. You will do fine in the future, and looking back one day you will say, man what a ride.
You have no idea The woman had three Valentines dinners last week plus we took a dear friend and her daughter out. Here is a breakdown for the last week. Sunday Valentine dinner= 95.00 plus another 20.00 in tips. Monday Valentine dinner= 67.00 plus 13.00 tip to waiter and 5.00 to Sushi Chef. Wednesday Valentine dinner= 63.00 plus 13.00 tip. Thursday with our friend and her daughter= 74.00 plus 20.00 tip (waitress first day, wife wanted her to feel good about her new gig) Friday night Wine bar= 62.00 plus 30.00 tip (Covered us and a friend) Sunday I went with friend to Blackhawks game. Ticket, beer at game and dinner at Piece Brewery after= 105.00 or so. There is a flip side to all of this. Today I went with the same friend to the United Center for fan appreciation day, he picked up the tab. The wife is going with the friend we took out Thursday on a trip to Hawaii all expenses paid because they are Trustees for an Animal Foundation. The Foundation has a condo on Molokai and they are going out for a donation to buy permanent land for the only animal shelter organization for the Island. We both work and will likely never have kids, so she likes to enjoy life a little. Having her happy is priceless!
And it's better and healthier for you. Also a good way to spend some time to spend together if you both get into it. Seems like the obvious area for you to cut back and not really miss out on that much.
Here is MY experience with the whole going out to eat deal: Whatever makes your wife happy .... if Momma aint happy, aint NOBODY happy! :D I have found that when the wifey and I get so busy that we haven't gotten that alone time without the kids..and I am talking about alone time where there is no cooking or cleaning ..... there is a small wall that builds up. Taking her to dinner gives her a stress free time of being with her knight in shining armor where the lines of communication are without distraction. $ should not be an issue, especially with us hunters that spend serious cash on our passions. Take her to McDonalds and split a cheeseburger if you have to .. just get that you/her time. Dinner/Lunch/Breakfast also gets you both out of the house and on neutral ground ..... just yuou and her .... and put your smart phones away!!! Just some thoughts from an over-analytical preacher
same here! i hate restaurants! "nice restaurants" we eat out prob 2-3 times a week and we live in diff cities!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! way too much but this time of year we'll rattle the pots and pans a bit more.
I consider myself a pretty good cook, and I can admit that their are many chef driven restaurants that put out more creative food than I can. I enjoy trying new foods with interesting flavor combinations. I'm not ordering anything at a restaurant that I can cook at home.
I mean, look at Alinea in Chicago. It's the most inventive restaurant in the US. The things they are doing with food is phenomenal. I would love to eat there. It will never happen because it would easily cost $1k for me and my wife. But nobody here could even come remotely close to replicating any of the dishes served. Alinea
I can cook as well as the "chefs" at longhorn steakhouse, olive garden, hooters, ruby tuesdays, carrabas, etc.. Those are the restaurants where I live and the places I can afford to go out and eat with any regularity. I don't live in Chicago and wouldn't spend $1000 on a meal if I did.
Well yeah, but there are no chefs in those kitchens, just cooks reheating pre-made SYSCO dishes. If that's all I had to choose from, I would never dine out either.
Outside of traveling, we eat out maybe 1 or 2 times a month. And that's including Subway. In the summer with the resort, we hardly leave the property, so we don't eat out at all from June through the end of August. It certainly helps that we can't get pizza delivered either. Our lack of options helps, but most of the reason we don't eat out anymore is the quality of food. I'm not saying it doesn't ever taste good, but the more we read about our current food industry, both crops & meat, the less and less I want to eat it. Easily 80% of the meat we eat is venison, grouse, or fish from the lake. In the summer we get veggies, wildrice, maple syrup & herring from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share. When we eat at home, we eat much healthier. Get me out on vacation though, and it's game on! I can't tell you how much $$ we spent on sushi in December!
Interesting thread. As I mentioned, we always take our girls with us when we go out, but the places you go would probably not welcome children even if you wanted to take them. I think the budget angle though, is something you and your wife are going to have to tangle over yourselves. Try to avoid any domestic violence situations though. That kind of record follows you for a long time.
This is very true. When I was in my late teens, prior to joining the military, I had 2 jobs, one of which, was working as a COOK, in a Fridays restaurant. There is no "cheffing" going on, there. The food isn't "microwaved", but, things are basic and generic. When I go to a place like Fridays, I generally order a burger, or a salad.
