Considering the tough times that our eateries are going through right now, I feel a little bad about talking about cutting back on eating out. I’m not talking about just dinners out, it’s all the other ‘not eating at home’ things that we do. The takeaways, the cafes.
I also don’t want you to take from this week’s article to stop and go cold turkey on all eating out. That just won’t work either.
What I do want you to do, is think about your own lifestyle and what you are doing on automatic pilot, and could you do something different and change your routine up a bit.
I’m a foodie, I love food, I love preparing food, and I also love going out to try different styles and places to eat, from cheap and cheerful to super fancy. So, I have been giving this a lot of thought in my own life as well.
I don’t have children living with me, so I don’t have to juggle school lunches while trying to work fulltime and prepare evening meals either. From that aspect life is a bit easier for me now, but I have been there when my daughter was school age.
Eating out, or grabbing Uber Eats, or something from the local takeaway joint seems so much easier than cooking at home, and if we are honest, it is, there are no dishes, you get to spend time as a family, or with friends, without having to worry about distractions (or boiling the potatoes dry) it sounds pretty compelling, doesn’t it?
The downside, it does cost more. There is a price to pay for convenience and no dishes! If you’re ready to save some cash and maybe improve your health a bit, here’s how you can start eating out less often.
But, why?
First and foremost, saving money is a big motivator right now. Regular takeout adds up quickly. Imagine spending $100 a week on lunches and dinners out when you could be spending much less by eating at home more often. When I help clients analyse their spending on food, the surprise always come when the takeout and cafes gets added to the grocery spend.
Another reason? Your health. Even the healthiest restaurant choices often aren’t as nutritious as home-cooked meals. Plus, you rarely know all the ingredients in your takeout.
I got into the habit of grabbing a Mocha when I went out for a walk in the afternoon, I was getting some exercise in, but undoing it by having a coffee as I walked… OK, the occasional custard square didn’t help either!
So, how do you break the habit? Here are 10 tips to help you stop eating out so much.
1. Start Small
Change doesn’t happen overnight. Let’s face it we are also often time poor, and making lunch before heading out the door isn’t easy. Baby steps are good, if you’re used to grabbing a Big Mac for lunch every day, try bringing your lunch from home a few days a week. Making lunch doesn’t have to be fancy, it might be a tin of tuna and some crackers. I got a bit side tracked when I googled “easy lunch recipes to take to the office”, 38 ideas later, I’m back! If you manage a couple of days to start with, great. Gradually, increase the number of meals you prepare at home, so you feel you have the balance that works for you.
2. Avoid Social Pressures
Eating out can be more about the social experience than the food. If your friends love going out, suggest a dinner party at home instead. I find myself doing this more often when catching up with friends, whoever is hosting usually does the main, the rest of bring nibbles, dessert or something to go with the main. Or you could eat at home and join them afterward for drinks or dessert. I find this a hard to do, particularly in winter, plus I feel I’ve missed a big chunk of the social connection bit.
3. Be Smart When You Do Eat Out
Make your money count when you do dine out. If dining out read the menu from top to bottom, do you want just a main? Entrée and main, or main and dessert? Or go for broke and have all three. By the way, the way a menu is laid out is a skill that helps anchor us and spend a little more than we might ideally want to.
If its Takeaways, maybe there’ll be some left over for lunch the next day.
4. Pack Your Lunch, Enjoy Your Break
Bringing lunch doesn’t mean you have to eat at your desk. Enjoy your break - eat with coworkers in the lunch room, find a quiet spot outside, or even take a walk. Getting a break from your workspace is just as important as the meal itself.
5. Embrace the Slow Cooker
If cooking isn’t your thing or you’re strapped for time, the slow cooker is your new best friend. It’s an easy way to prepare meals without much effort, and it makes your home smell amazing. Plus, you can use less expensive cuts of meat, and just let time work it’s magic. And those veges that are starting to look a little dodgy, the slow cooker loves those too.
6. Shop More Often
For singles or couples, buying smaller quantities more frequently can help reduce waste. Fresh produce and perishables can go bad quickly, so shopping more often ensures you use what you buy. Be careful with this one, shopping often can also add to your food bill, if you aren’t able to resist the temptation of the chocolate biscuits, or snacks, that are on special that end up in your trolley that weren’t on your list.. having a list is a good idea too.
7. Meal Prep Like a Pro
We have all seen those You Tube videos on batch cooking. There is no way I could eat the same meal seven days a week! But you can make some bases that you just add a protein too. I do this for my Mum when I visit her, she loves a curry sauce I make for her, she fills her little containers with the sauce, pops them in the freezer and then as it thaws, she cooks a piece of chicken, or fish. Meal prepping saves time, but you need to create the time first. Try and find an hour or two a week, that you can allocate to cooking time. When you know you have your own readymade meal it will help you avoid the temptation to Uber eat when you are worn out after a long day.
8. Try Meal Kits
If deciding what to cook is a challenge, meal kits can be a lifesaver. They come with everything you need and instructions, making home cooking a no-brainer.
This is also a great way to learn to cook if it isn’t your thing, and you can also make a bit of a family event out of it as well.
Again, these are more expensive than getting the ingredients yourself, but weigh up the convenience against the cost, and give it a go, even if just for a short time.
9. Make Copycat Meals
Miss your favourite restaurant dishes? There’s a whole world of copycat recipes online. These recipes mimic popular restaurant meals, and you’ll know exactly what’s in them.
Make it fun, you may have the odd disaster, or you might just create something amazing too.
10. Make Eating Out Special
If you eat out all the time, it loses its charm. Save dining out for special occasions. It’ll feel more exciting and rewarding. Remember the more we do something, the level of enjoyment decreases over time, and it ceases to have the WOW factor.
I had a client many years ago, who travelled internationally for his business, I recall feeling a little envious of all the amazing places he visited and restaurants he went to, until he told me he couldn’t wait to get home and enjoy some beans on toast! Too much of a good thing lost its shine.
There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a restaurant meal or takeout. Make sure it fits with your lifestyle and budget and isn’t’ just a habit. Get bang for your buck, make it enjoyable and memorable. If you can’t remember what you had to eat last time you ate out, it might be time to try something new. Cutting back can save you money and maybe improve your health too.
Lynda Moore is a Money Mentalist coach and New Zealand’s only certified New Money Story® mentor. Lynda helps you understand why you do the things you do with your money, when we all know we should spend less than we earn. You can contact her here.
18 Comments
Similar story here.
We are fortunate enough to be in a position where such spending is 'doable' but it is an eye-opener, and we've taken to withdrawing a bit of cash each week that can be used for cafe visits, takeaways etc. If the cash can't cover it we don't do it.
I'd rather cut that figure down and pay for a family holiday to Fiji or something, rather than fatten myself up like a French goose destined to sacrifice its liver for a nice pate de foie gras.
An interesting read, thank you. As a teacher I tend to get asked every other week by my students "why don't we learn practical money skills at school?" (which they do anyway, they just find it too boring to retain) and it is articles like this I think about. Being good with money is usually nothing to do with math or numbers, it is about psychology. I try to explain to them that learning to be good with money is really about understanding yourself and your desires, impulses, habits, and tendencies.
Personally I don't eat out much. It's expensive, and as a cyclist who trains 10+ hours p/w I'm too hungry most of the time for the small portions.
One thing I've learnt in recent years is that bread is ridiculously easy to make at home (although it does require an oven). I use this recipe at least a few times a week: The 5 minute baguette (youtube.com)
Much tastier than storebought bread and once you get used to it can move into kneading the bread etc and trying different variations.
Good fresh bread makes things like sandwiches go from a (imo) 3-6/10 to a 7-10/10.
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