Eating Out Accountability - April

**Ani** · 04-03-2007, 10:48 PM

After breaking my eating out goal every single month, it is apparent to me that I need to be held accountable for this area of my life. It never breaks the bank, but just think of all the things my money could be going to instead of being consumed! I would guess that my hubby and I end up eating out about 15 meals a month. :surprise:

I was thinking that maybe there are others like me here, who struggle greatly with this as well. No offense to any of you that rarely eat out...but you're not welcome in this accountability/challenge.

This is meant for those of us "weak ones" that struggle with something as ridiculous as this. I would love it if some of us who have a struggle with eating out could post our eating out goals for April in here, and then report back in here every time we eat a meal out. That way we would be forced to remain accountable and hopefully that would help us reach our goals.

Alrighty, so my goal for April is to eat out 10 meals or less. I know this sounds like a high goal, but keep in mind that I'm 8 months pregnant and still working well over 40 hours a week, so by the time I get home at night I'm soooo tired that thinking about cooking makes me want to cry. Once I'm not pregnant anymore and feeling better, I'd like to drop my eating out goal to 4 - 5 times a month. I just don't think that's in the cards this month, though.

Hubby and I already ate out one meal -- lunch at Blimpies on April 1st. I had a 6" veggie sub and a Sobe Lean.

I'm proud of us though, because tonight I reallllly was too tired to cook, and my feet were swollen, but I cooked anyway, preventing us from eating out! Woo hoo!

Anyone care to join me? We can kick each other's butts and reach our goals together!

**McD** · 04-04-2007, 09:22 AM

So far I had a happy meal for lunch yesterday--Had to take son to doctor over lunch so I had to do something quick. Last night, it was easier to get subway, son is so sick he won't let either of us out of his sight.

**nodmicks** · 04-04-2007, 09:32 AM

I'm so in for this challenge!!!!
We had a b-day dinner at McD's last night. We will have another b-day dinner out on the 14th. Besides those I'm shooting for only 1 more paid for by us meal out in all of April. We really struggle with this!

We need approx 1200 to reimburse EF, 2000 for a june trip and 2700 in july for braces saved by july and this will really help!!!

**jinx** · 04-04-2007, 09:44 AM

I am in for this challenge. I have gotten into to the habit not just grabbing a quick meal of pizza or chinese food for supper if I am running late or working the night shift, but also of picking up prepared food at the supermarket. The prepared food had a drain on my budget. It's not as if I was picking up an entire dinner either, usually just sides, like if I had chicken cooked at home, then I would pick up mashed potatoes and gravy, things that are really easy and cheap to make.

**Jayne** · 04-04-2007, 10:19 AM

anyone who knows me and dh can tell you that this is our weakness

....we have been known to eat out every night

.....when I think of all the money we have wasted it makes me sick.....so I will definatly join you

**geckoace** · 04-04-2007, 11:35 AM

wow we really need to join you in this. this is our hidden budget killer. ill have to sit and think of an actual number of times to eat out ill add it to my sig once i come up with something

**tlenad** · 04-04-2007, 12:04 PM

Ohh. I'm in too. This is my biggest weakness.

I've already eaten out once this month on Monday at lunch. That is my biggest issue in fact. Lunch here at work. I really need to focus on cutting down on my impulse to go out and eat rather than bring something or eat what I have brought. Other than that I'm going to try and keep eating out down to weekends this month. That I think is a reasonable goal.

So looks like a total of 9 meals out on weekends and 1 meal out during the week to cover Monday for a total of 10 meals. I'm one of those people that has to do all or nothing during the week as it is too easy for me to get lazy.

**SMILESFRSD** · 04-04-2007, 02:23 PM

I'm in. I definately have a problem in this area. I'm going to try to cutdown to 1 p/week, Sundays after church.

**Ani** · 04-05-2007, 10:50 AM

I am SO proud of myself. Yesterday I wanted to eat out SO badly for every one of the three meals. Usually at work we have free bagels, milk, and fruit on Wednesdays, so I never worry about breakfast that day. But surprise! They changed it to Thursdays! I was so tempted to go out and grab something for breakfast because I was STARVING, but instead I offered to go grab my coworker's mail from downstairs in exchange for 75 cents, with which I bought an apple from the vending machine. Then at lunch time my coworker invited me to order in Chinese with her. I stuck strong and ate the lunch that I'd brought, even though I wanted the Chinese SO badly. Then we got home from work late, and I didn't feel like cooking AT ALL, but I did it anyway, and we ate at home.

Woo hoo! Go me! I'm beating this eating out tyrant! heh

I will be going out to dinner tonight with friends, but that was planned. Hopefully I can avoid eating out this weekend, as it's going to be a busy weekend and I won't have time. *crosses fingers*

**tlenad** · 04-05-2007, 10:57 AM

I was able to avoid going out yesterdy for lunch as well. I had a peanut butter sandwich for lunch and have brought another one for lunch today. Not glamerous by any means but nice and cheap.

Dinner tonight will be something quick and easy as my parents are having beans and I don't like beans.

Tomorrow, I have one meal scheduled to be eaten out. Perhaps two. I did give myself an extra meal out this weekend as I am taking all of Friday off and have plans with friends all day. We'll see.

**ewokgirl** · 04-05-2007, 02:56 PM

I'd like to be in this challenge, but first, I think I'll need to actually assess how often we eat out. I think I probably underestimate when I say it's about once a week. It's probably 2 or 3 times. It's just so easy, especially on weekends, to run through the drive-thru somewhere! Also, I've been tutoring 3 days a week all day for the past 2 months. I'm usually a SAHW, so I've been too tired and busy lately to do all the usual cooking I do. Tutoring finally ends next week (hallelujah!), so hopefully things will get back to normal.

Am I allowed to make suggestions? I knew right before I started working that I'd be too tired to cook when I got home most nights, so I planned ahead a bit. I bought a big package of lean ground beef and cooked it up with some celery, onion, and green pepper to stretch it, then I froze it in 2-cup portions. Easy to pull out and thaw for a quick meal of taco salad or mock enchiladas (made with hominy, canned tomato sauce, ground beef, and cheese) or whatever. I also made 4 thin-crust pizzas and stuck them in the freezer. We've already eaten 3 of the 4. Oh, and I made 2 different types of muffins in double batches froze them. I've been eating those this past week. Planning ahead definitely helps, but since I've been working, I haven't really done anything else.

**Nada.Leona** · 04-05-2007, 04:30 PM

Boy did you ever post the right thread!

, being a chef, LOVES to eat out because it broadens his palate and helps him decide what he likes and doesn't like about certain restaurants. I am not at all concerned about meals we BUDGET for -- times we go to the high-class restaurants. These are meals that we enjoy and help him with his career. But times when we're starving and just run out for something craptacular is just too frequent.

I'm going to go for 5 times in a month. Hopefully I can get well below that!

**Denvergirlie** · 04-06-2007, 12:08 PM

Our challenge is the weekends. I don't have any issues with not eating out during the week, an occaisional splurge a few times a year with Thai or Pizza mid week, but our weakness is getting out of the house on the weekends and eating out then.

Last weekend we did good, only one meal out ... of course with our coupon it was still $50! So hile it sounded good, it was actually a lot higher priced than if we had gone out to a cheaper place both weekend days.

I find it's easiest to stay home if it's already prepped or planned for. I try to cook on the weekends and even just chop to be ready to whip something up quickly.

Good luck all! Stay strong.

**mcphlips** · 04-06-2007, 12:18 PM

I like this challenge. I'm not sure how many times we go out, but for this month, I'm going to keep track and then set a challenge for May.
Thanks for the great idea!
It killed me after we just spent $50 last night eating out!..at applebee's none the less! UGGGG

**Ani** · 04-06-2007, 01:37 PM

We went out last night with friends, as planned. It was cheaper than we'd planned though, which was good. Then we woke up late this morning, had no leftovers to pack for lunch, and ran out the door with no lunch, so now we're in the process of discussing where we're going to go grab lunch from. Ugh. Oh well oh well oh well. I have to eat. If I wasn't pregnant, I'd just skip lunch and wait until dinner, but I get sick-feeling and dizzy if I don't eat.

I'll make sure that we don't go out this weekend or something to compensate for it. I don't know. We are so bad.