The 2009 Eating Out No More Challenge!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 11-10-2008, 05:08 PM

I know it's only November, but this would be a great time to start a thread for people to challenge themselves in another aspect of frugal living: eating out.

We all like to eat out. I do love to have a donair here and there, but it really weighs on our wallets. Most of the time, we're eating out either based on convenience or because everything in our house to eat is just something that isn't appealing. Some of the time, the foods that we order are things that we can't get in the stores (like donair meat, yum!). Honestly if I could make my own donairs at home then I wouldn't have to go out for them ever again...but sadly, I don't have a grill that allows me to make a traditional donair. God, now I want a donair...but they're at least $8.95 each!

Back to the subject at hand...

I would like to start a challenge for everyone who has problems with eating out and wants to start saving money! This challenge has a real challenge to it: eating out cannot be included in your daily life at all. That means you can't even stop at the Krispy Kreme/Dunkin Donuts/Tim Hortons for that coffee and donut. These are items you can make at home, so really there should be no excuse as to why you have to get them in the first place.

After looking at how much my family has been spending on eating out, and the success we had last night with diverting the family's eating out plans to something made at home, I think it would do the budget a world of good by cutting out that extra part of our lives. Chances are that if it's something we can get from a fast food or take-out place, we can make it at home with a bit of creativity.

I am issuing this challenge to everyone, myself included, to cut out extraneous spending in an area that we could buffer our wallets and be healthier in the long run.

Who is with me?

**janelane** · 11-10-2008, 05:45 PM

I'm so with you. This has definitely been our biggest hurdle and we've had a terrible time curbing it.

**IntlMom** · 11-10-2008, 05:49 PM

I'm in - we have been doing better, but there is always room for improvment!

**Squirt** · 11-10-2008, 06:11 PM

I think I need to join this one. Post how much I've spent eating out in my sig or something. I'm not guilty of eating dinners out or getting takeout- it's lunch at work that gets me!

toile · 11-10-2008, 06:18 PM

I need to do this for hidden gluten reasons, and my hubby salt reasons.

But....are you saying we never ever eat out in 2009?
Not even once?

The reason this is a problem is I have a group of friends that always meet for each others birthday throughout the year.

My kids also ask to eat out at their choses place on their birthdays?

Or are you saying curb it as much as humanly possible?

I SO want to join this!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 11-10-2008, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by toile

I need to do this for hidden gluten reasons, and my hubby salt reasons.

But....are you saying we never ever eat out in 2009?
Not even once?

The reason this is a problem is I have a group of friends that always meet for each others birthday throughout the year.

My kids also ask to eat out at their choses place on their birthdays?

Or are you saying curb it as much as humanly possible?

I SO want to join this!

It's more of a convenience thing. Truth be told; DH and I would get takeout every year for our anniversary and this year, we did the same thing. I think special occassions may be excluded, especially if they're a tradition.

It would be an awesome idea to keep tally of it in signatures and I'm sure that there will be slipups along the way. This goal was primarily to help those who were eating out in excess or were eating out not due to special occassions and could otherwise eat the things they order out at home.

**Wendy99** · 11-10-2008, 06:42 PM

What a fabolous idea of posting our eating out amounts in our signature. I would love to see how much I've wasted in this department - way too much!!! Count me in

**khjmom** · 11-10-2008, 06:54 PM

This sounds like a great idea. My family has been struggling with this for awhile...it seems easier to just grab something than to take the time to cook at home. When it truly is just me not planning ahead. I would love to see how many days we could go next year without eating out.

**BlessedMomof2** · 11-10-2008, 07:30 PM

I will join in on this challenge. We made a new years resolution this year to not eat out unless it was a Special Occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc) and lasted 4 months. I hope to make it longer in 2009.

Good Luck to everyone joining in.

**nodmicks** · 11-10-2008, 07:42 PM

I'm in but will still do date night with dh and the occasional lunch with a friend. However I'll try to do away with the I'm too beat to cook so lets pick up a .................

I'll keep a running total in my signature. When are we starting? Oh btw I know we will be out to luch with mil since we are running her out of state. She will likely treat though.

Just give me a start date

This will help since dh is layed off and cash is tighter.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 11-10-2008, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by nodmicks

I'm in but will still do date night with dh and the occasional lunch with a friend. However I'll try to do away with the I'm too beat to cook so lets pick up a .................

I'll keep a running total in my signature. When are we starting? Oh btw I know we will be out to luch with mil since we are running her out of state. She will likely treat though.

Just give me a start date

This will help since dh is layed off and cash is tighter.

It'll be on January 1st.

**mrsmac62** · 11-10-2008, 08:41 PM

Count me in. I usually budget for 1 lunch out each week, $4, but having included it in the $25 grocery challenge I'm finding it quite difficult to afford. And it is really hard to break the habit of meeting friends/ family in town for a coffee at McD's. If it was only coffee that would be fine, but, the muffins, sandwiches, cookies- they always smell so good!

toile · 11-11-2008, 08:52 AM

I went ahead and started today because I was afraid I would try to to eat out a bunch right before Jan 1st LOL.

I really believe this is healthier too.
In the past when I did this and we were stuck somewhere with no food, we ran into a Publix or Kroger. We bought a simple meal like sandwiches or meat/cheese for me.. The great thing was we usually had leftover to take home.

I am excited and think I can do this

Thanks for starting this!!!!!!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 11-11-2008, 12:25 PM

Originally Posted by toile

I went ahead and started today because I was afraid I would try to to eat out a bunch right before Jan 1st LOL.

I really believe this is healthier too.
In the past when I did this and we were stuck somewhere with no food, we ran into a Publix or Kroger. We bought a simple meal like sandwiches or meat/cheese for me.. The great thing was we usually had leftover to take home.

I am excited and think I can do this

Thanks for starting this!!!!!!

You're so very very welcome.

I actually sat down last night and started a list of items to stockpile to make this possible. I'll be starting a thread in the stockpile section just to make sure I'm keeping up with this goal. I just need to go through the chinese food recipes and get a good list there too. Most everything else is included; even the sixteen meals I came up with.

**hollyhill** · 11-12-2008, 02:12 AM

I am definately in! But then we don't eat out much anyways... so does that count? There is the ocaisional icecream cone, milkshakes and donuts for the kids...

I can easily make milkshakes and serve icecream at home (I will just keep stocked up) and buy the occaisional donuts from the bakery. So I am in. Every bit helps.