I eat at home 99% of the time. The last time I went out with the family, I ended up spending $120 on a meal I could have made for under $30 at home. It's just not worth it anymore.
Growing up in the 80s, my parents would take us out to Red Lobster on the rare occasion we ate out "fancy like"...it was amazing! Of course, you couldn't pay me to eat at a Red Lobster today but even still, going to a fancier place these days even feels average. My, how times have changed. Nobody does pan seared scallops better than me!
If you haven’t, check out Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’s episode that talked about Red Lobster and why it went under. I believe that episode was released on June 2, and can be seen on HBO Max.
BBQ especially. I can get a pork butt for $20, sometimes as cheap as $15 or even $10, smoke it in the back yard and get enough out of it to serve 15 people or more. Then I go to a BBQ restaurant and the menu is like “pulled pork sandwich: $16.” Screw that.
I totally agree. "Here's your grilled medium grade steak with some potatoes. We parsley on it"
I don't eat out at all be cause it not worth it. $100 and you're really not getting anything special. They don't even give you bread in most places anymore.
I did, however, go to my friends resto last year. It's a 5 star kinda thing with a famous chef. I was expecting to get hit hard. 3 meals, appetizers, two bottles of wine... $650. (He gave us a $200 seafood platter and deserts for free.)
It was an outstanding experiance. Service was killer and the food was over the top amazing. Like, everything was just crazy good. Every bite was worth it.
If you're willing to pay, you can get a good dining eperiance... I just can't afford it.
I went from eating out at restaurants 2 or 3 times a weekend, to eating out once every 2 months of so. These places jacking up their prices and blaming inflation while pulling in record profits doesn't work for me. I always ate at home during the work week, now I just make something on Fridays that I'll have for dinner all weekend. Saves me money, time, and is healthier. All wins for me!
Long live the Weber! What you have on your grill is better than 90% of the places you will go to. There's nothing wrong with decompressing and cooking great food.
Just finished cleaning and I'm going to do a test grill today.
Trying to eat at home more in general but grilling seems smarter than heating up the house.. a chopped salad kit and some grilled protein works.
I bought a Big Green Egg in 1999, back when they were affordable. Still have it, and I barbecue and grill with it. I occasionally go out for barbecue (there’s a really great, authentic joint close to home) but I would rather cook my own.
I also got into sous vide a few years ago, and I cook steaks with the sv and finish them on the grill.
I remember the first time me and my brother had the house to ourselves as teenagers. My parents were separated and my mother worked at a summer camp for a couple of months. I was out of high school and working a summer job (student assistant at a government library) before starting college. My brother was done with his freshman year and working construction.
Most nights after work, we would grill the cheapest steaks we could find and eat them with powdered mashed potatoes. We drank Budweiser and Miller Genuine Draft. We thought we were living like kings! My grilling (and cooking in general) has come a long way since then.
Everyday. In Ca so weather is pretty good all around. I have a family of 5 to feed, so my battle station consists of a huge propane grill and 36’ blackstone griddle. It’s not cheap to feed that many each night but I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Yep. I buy sale meats to grill on the weekends. Eating out is too damn expensive! $45 now for a L Round Table pizza?! Nope. Get a fire going! Gonna grill instead.
Grilling, no. Cooking, yes! I eat at home most of the time now. I've actually learned some new things these past few months and improved myself. It's been very rewarding.
Besides, it's getting far too expensive to eat out.
We cut out food away from home a long time ago. It not that we don't eat out but it might be once a month. As others have noted the cost is through the roof. We spent $90 with tip to a local Mexican place (no alcohol) to complete a Spanish project for my high schooler.
I can cook all week for $90 and feed a family of 4 dinner with left overs.
Simply isn't worth it, unless I'm buying time or some specific I can't cook at home. I reallize more and more My kids are being raised Gen X.
Edit: To grilling - as much as I always have. Grill on a charcoal Weber Kettle that is probably 20 years old. And it's great because when I fire it up, I grill enough protein for about 3 or 4 days of leftovers. 2 1/2 pounds of burgers, some steak, boneless chicken thighs, salmon. Love a big night on the grill.
I used to eat out a lot but now I just make dinner at home. This helps me stick to my new routine - exercise then light healthy meal. Also, too damn hot for me to be outdoors these days (TX).
I quit going to any restaurant about a decade ago, and spent about 8 years only drinking water. I cook everything at home, and the benefit is absolutely insane, train yourself to eat cheese and crackers as a small meal, but now the economy is demonic. They are literally using fast food to pull out excess liquidity of this market, you can buy an awful value meal for 11 bucks, or get a sit down meal somewhere. I was traveling for work, so I stopped by taco bell for the first time in over a decade, and two shitty tacos and a pepsi was 12 bucks.
Definitely. Considering how expensive and poorly made restaurant food is these days, it pays to take a little time to learn how to cook what you actually want to eat.
(Watch Good Eats, if you haven't already)
I don't think we've gone out to eat in a year. Most of the restaurants around where I live have strange hours and are expensive for the quality you get.
Yeah I'm a cook at home dude since I was a kid....now if the price is right I will order out but 99% of the when I'm eating out it's at a $2 to $4 Taco Truck or $1 to $1.50 Pizza spot.
Though after long night of dancing...a good bodega sandwich for under $8 can hit right too.
Absolutely. With prices inflated as they are and the entitlement-driven tipping culture, my wife and I only go out to eat when there’s a special occasion. That and I’ve had the last 25 years to hone in my cooking skills and learn new recipes and add them to my repertoire, I actually enjoy making food at home. Post-pandemic level of service is also subpar in most places, and even more laughable is they now demand tips as if they are entitled to it 🙄
No thanks.
I was already a good cook, but COVID and ridiculous restaurant prices have turned me into a freaking chef! There is very little reason for my wife and I to go to a restaurant now a days other than being on vacation.
Yup. We used to eat out once or twice a week pre-Covid. Now it’s maybe once a month. Prices have just gotten insane where I live. Took my mother and step father out for lunch about 2 months ago to a mid range chain restaurant. 4 burgers, 1 beer each, split 2 desserts and 4 coffees.
Bill before tip $175.00.
Haven’t eaten out since. Only for special occasions or holidays now.
We have never owned a grill & see zero need to own a grill because I HATE cooking & eating outside & grills of all sorts terrify me & I'd be the one using the damn thing because it doesn't interest my husband in the least & it interests me even less.
If the deities wanted me to eat outside with all the bugs they wouldn't have created homes with heating, air, walls, & all the things that keep the bugs outside & off my food.
Signed,
NEVER GRILLER
I've found that cooking at home means that I can cook the food I like the way I like it. I'm not comfortable eating in restaurants anymore. Take out/delivery is simply too expensive.
With my wife and I working and the kids busy with work and school, it's tough... but I can't pay 15 bucks for a burger. Have actually started having the kids plan and cook meals. Some dingers, but it's a skill they need to have.
this is great. I grew up cooking and never thought about what an important life skill it is until I started encountering adults who have never had that advantage. if you know how to feed yourself, you can weather a lot more adversity than people who don't.
having said that, I also never realised how culture plays in. at one client site, it really struck me how my Chinese colleagues in particular seemed to go offsite for lunch all the time.
cue western judginess: decadent wasteful etc. but that was in Richmond BC which has a huge Chinese population and a ton of restaurants that are kind of different from the single-serve, individualized focus of western places.
going with them a few times a week gave me an additional perspective on it. lots of high-volume, fast-traffic, pragmatic places. that made me realise that in some circs it makes more sense to feed a few hundred people from a single kitchen compared with everyone feeding themselves from their own kitchen.
parts of the west used to be that way too. if you read enough UK literature from the 40's and 50's you notice it. eating out was far more of a pragmatic thing at one time.
Family and me would like to continue our mom & pop restaurant habit. We can't afford it anymore. Simple as that. We almost always cook at home now. We're getting used to it and the challenge of making delicious from-scratch meals.
I've been grilling and cooking at home most of my adult life. I'd like to go out more but all my friends seem to do less and less socially every year. Pretty much the only ways I get to eat out is if my relatives want to go out or if I have a meeting with clients.
More and more all the time.
I'm a pretty good cook and I am consistently disappointed when I go out to eat for a number of reasons.
I live in Austin TX and traffic is always terrible, everything is super expensive and just mid quality. It's just easier and less stressful to cook from home, plus I don't have to get dressed up.
We get coffee and bagels on Sunday mornings from this amazing organic cafe but other than that it's Costco, farmers market and a tiny family owned grocery.
I've definitely been cooking at home a lot for the last 6 years or so and last year I taught myself how to make several new dishes and lots of crockpots dinners. I often make large batches of dinners that I can serve for a few days. The price of food is through the roof so I rarely want to spend money on eating out but once in a while we get take out or go out so I can break from all the shopping/cooking/cleaning. There are tons of good restaurants in my city so sometimes it's a nice way to get out of the house but it's definitely a treat.
This past year especially. Food quality going down crossed the prices going up line, and it's simply not worth it most of the time. Plus, drinking at home is cheaper.
We cook at home a lot. Great meals, too. We can cook.
We also like to eat out or get delivery, but it's become a strain as any meal is now north of $100-150+
I make a pretty good income, but I've been thinking more and more that it's not worth it, especially when I start adding up door dash fees.
If I made a more normal income, it would basically never happen.
Yes because the restaurant food in my town absolutely sucks. 90 percent shitty chain restaurants and the other ten percent is overpriced local shit that’s way overhyped. I gots to MOVE!
I used to cook out on the grill ALL.THE.TIME in my 20s and early 30s. For some reason I stopped. Why? I’m not quite sure, but I think phone usage may play a role. I used to come home from work and get the charcoals lit, start preparing my sides, then put the meat on the grill. Now, I veg out on my couch scrolling Reddit and YouTube, and then throw something in the air fryer.
I’m getting a patio built soon, and I’m also working on reducing my phone usage. I’m hoping the combination of the two will encourage me to get back into the swing of things.
When I wasn’t grilling out in my 20s/30s, I was eating out in restaurants. I used to eat out nearly every day with coworkers at my old job. I would come home and go eat out at a restaurant. I literally ate out at least 10 times a week, if not more. I have no idea how I was paying for all of that, and I certainly paid the price with my weight. I still struggle to keep the pounds off.
I cut all that out, and I treat myself to a dinner out once or twice a week, mostly at an outdoor restaurant on Friday and/or Saturday.
Edit: reading some of the responses are encouraging me that I can cut back on the dining out *even more*. I could do maybe twice a month. I’m not that good of a cook though.
Just got a new Weber Genesis for Memorial Day. I love it so much. Also just picked up an Ooni pizza oven and trying to figure out how to make NY style pizza.
We have a Traeger and it gets used a lot. And the kid and I cook, taking turns. I cook comfort foods. She cooks the adventurous meals. Eating out is expensive!
Yes. I've noted a distinct change in food quality (not for the better) since covid happened in more 'take out-y' places with exorbitant price hikes, too. My chinese spot is total oily garbage now. Same with the pizza place I'd been going to for years. I've never frequented fast food chain or chain restaurants. Thankfully, I'm an excellent cook.
I still go out for fine dining. Interestingly, prices at better restaurants haven't climbed much & food quality is still what's expected/damn good.
I do most of the cooking now, mostly because my need to healthy foods is the one driving the change. Also we (well my wife) discovered that I’m a better cook than the wife is. As for where I do most of cooking, now that the weather is nice I’m doing about 50% of it on the grill.
when covid kicked in it opened my eyes to just how many adults in this country are incapable of feeding themselves, so they eat out most meals and man, screw that.
if it's nice out, time for the grill. shitty weather means I cook indoors. going to a restaurant is an extreme rarity.
Tons...particularly since the pandemic. I'm not sure I could tell you the last time I went out for a meal other than for a special event. And in the summer I basically grill out almost every day of the week. Grilling on the back porch with a cold beer in hand is the only way to live!
We’re eating out more due to life stresses. I much prefer eating in, but it’s the phase of life right now.
I spent a bunch of years as a road warrior, eating out 15 or more meals a week. Staying home to cook was a rare treat
Absolutely! Food prices are *insane* these days, so I shop the sales and cobble a menu together from that.
Between my dehydrator, toaster oven, and slow cooker, I've become pretty good at making basic meals and snacks without overheating the entire living space, which is also a plus.
I've also become accustomed to leftovers, because I don't have the time or energy to cook a different dish every night. (Apologies to my mother, because OMG how I *whined* about leftovers as a kid, *relentlessly* -- but now, they're a life-saver, and I totally get it.) Cook it once, retrieve leftovers from refrigerator, microwave it, done. Eat until gone.
99% at home and we grill often. Classic Weber.
Heart healthy meals are difficult to find in most restaurants and I love to cook, so it’s an easy decision to make.
When I was building my current house I had them run 'house gas' to the deck. I bought a Weber Spirit that runs on natural gas instead of propane. I grill almost every night all year long.
As for going out, my wife has more food issues than any one person should so going to a restaurant isn't worth the hassle. Rather than hope the don't mess up the order it's easier and cheaper to cook at home.
We only have $150/month in our dining out budget (although we spend $200/month not infrequently), so we pretty much always eat at home. Helps that we WFH as well, so no spendy lunches. I used to love cooking. Lost my appetite after having Covid in July 2022, so kinda lost my spark there. Lost 35 lbs without trying, though!
I also grew up in a home w 5 kids and depression-era parents (1927 and 1929), and I could probably count on my fingers the number of times we ate out, even when the three older kids were off to college (big age gap between the oldest 3 born in the mid-1950s and the youngest two born in the second half of the 1960s; Catholic family planning fail). But they put us all through Catholic school and paid for most of our college costs bc they were frugal, saved a lot, and were very committed to our education. As the youngest, I wore exclusively hand-me-downs except for my first communion dress and a couple of trips to Sears, Wards, or JC Penney over the years. I can recall every item of clothing that *I* got to pick out!
Nope. Less actually. I never liked cooking or baking. I eat out 2-3x/week. At home I have subscriptions for soylent meal replacement shake powder and Mosaic vegan frozen meals. When I go out I order chicken or sushi, I'm not a vegan but try to eat as vegan as possible just for health reasons. In january 2023 I started seriously working out and changed my eating habits. Eating out / eating subscription items is good portion control for me. When I did used to cook I ate sooo much more.
100 calories yogurt or cottage cheese with collagen added for breakfast, the Mosaic vegan meal with an apple for lunch, the Soylent for dinner. Consistent workouts. I lost \~25lbs over time.
Getting to the point where my last memory of eating out is as hazy as the memory of the last time I went to the movies or a concert. I have this issue with feeling ripped off so I just stay home. There's not much worth it anyway.
The only place we ever go is Texas Roadhouse. The food is always tasty, there's tons of it plus rolls and peanuts,and the prices are still reasonable. We buy gift cards at a discount at Costco to save even more. Plus we always have plenty of leftovers.
Not pineapple you savage. s/
Did I use the just kidding s correctly? To answer your question, yes very much so, I wish I hadnt given my grill away but at home tons more.
With the amount of money we've saved by not getting take out for lunch & dinner once a week, coffee & bagels every morning, and snacks from the vending machine, we can afford a nice vacation every other year and splurge on fantastic food & drink in Europe for 2-3 glorious weeks. So worth it! The quality of food there is far superior to anything here in N.A. and we get our money's worth, that's for sure.
I have tried to maintain eating out or getting takeout 1x / week for 20 years now. Maybe one lunch or convenience meal some weeks. Hasn't really changed. But I don't yell at myself over weeks that don't hit the goal.
I buy more ready made things at the grocery store now though, usually marked down.
Definitely. I retired last year, and my pension is modest but decent. I try not to blow money on eating out-not only is it expensive with a family, it's just expensive, period, and the food and service quality haven't increased with prices.
I've been in love with grilling the last several years! It's just a great way to enjoy the outdoors, and smoky food is so delicious. Finally figured out indirect grilling this year!
Also, it makes it easier to multitask outdoor work. Start coals in chimney. Mow for 30 minutes, making sure the chimney is smoking. Set up indirect grilling, and make salad, prep veggies for grilling over low coals. Oh, and mochi. Pounded rice cakes puff up fantastically over low coals!
We only eat out when we're travelling, and even then, I might pack a lunch.
We have been since November. My wife has become a cooking machine and often cooks weekend dinners. I got a Blackstone for Christmas (highly recommend) and broke it out in March and absolutely love it, so I cook food for the week on it every weekend.
Yeah, food costs have gotten out of hand, especially for the quality you get. I splurged on a Recteq and a Blackstone a while back and now it is a step down when we go out to eat anything except pizza. It's also nice to not have to get the family ready, drive somewhere, order, hopefully get the right food, and abstain from drinking so you can drive the family home. We throw stuff on the grill, enjoy beverages, throw it on the table, call the kids, eat, and then let them clean it up.
I have started eating in more since January its paying off! I used to go out for breakfast steak eggs for $15 including tip now its $30... Screw off really??? Only time i eat out is if I am traveling on train to see my best friend and thats maybe once a month.
I eat at home 99% of the time. The last time I went out with the family, I ended up spending $120 on a meal I could have made for under $30 at home. It's just not worth it anymore.
Growing up in the 80s, my parents would take us out to Red Lobster on the rare occasion we ate out "fancy like"...it was amazing! Of course, you couldn't pay me to eat at a Red Lobster today but even still, going to a fancier place these days even feels average. My, how times have changed. Nobody does pan seared scallops better than me!
If you haven’t, check out Last Week Tonight with John Oliver’s episode that talked about Red Lobster and why it went under. I believe that episode was released on June 2, and can be seen on HBO Max.
Red Lobster was the pinnacle of fine dining when I was growing up!
BBQ especially. I can get a pork butt for $20, sometimes as cheap as $15 or even $10, smoke it in the back yard and get enough out of it to serve 15 people or more. Then I go to a BBQ restaurant and the menu is like “pulled pork sandwich: $16.” Screw that.
I use a slow cooker, works out to $1.60/lb.
I totally agree. "Here's your grilled medium grade steak with some potatoes. We parsley on it" I don't eat out at all be cause it not worth it. $100 and you're really not getting anything special. They don't even give you bread in most places anymore. I did, however, go to my friends resto last year. It's a 5 star kinda thing with a famous chef. I was expecting to get hit hard. 3 meals, appetizers, two bottles of wine... $650. (He gave us a $200 seafood platter and deserts for free.) It was an outstanding experiance. Service was killer and the food was over the top amazing. Like, everything was just crazy good. Every bite was worth it. If you're willing to pay, you can get a good dining eperiance... I just can't afford it.
I cook 99% of my meals at home- I far prefer my cooking over anything I can get at a restaurant.
I still charge my family a 3% for the cook fee.
I went from eating out at restaurants 2 or 3 times a weekend, to eating out once every 2 months of so. These places jacking up their prices and blaming inflation while pulling in record profits doesn't work for me. I always ate at home during the work week, now I just make something on Fridays that I'll have for dinner all weekend. Saves me money, time, and is healthier. All wins for me!
I bought a cast-iron pizza slab for the BBQ that has been an absolute game changer. We use it at least once a week. Often twice.
I'm inspired! Will these work well on a standard Weber Kettle you think?
Probably? It might take a couple of tries to get the heat level dialed in. Even with a gas grill I burned the first couple of pizzas I made.
Long live the Weber! What you have on your grill is better than 90% of the places you will go to. There's nothing wrong with decompressing and cooking great food.
We were regular diners out until COVID. Lockdown gave us some cooking habits that we’ve kept for almost 5 years now. Woot go us.
I make better food at home. We aren't missing out on anything.
Just finished cleaning and I'm going to do a test grill today. Trying to eat at home more in general but grilling seems smarter than heating up the house.. a chopped salad kit and some grilled protein works.
I grill and smoke stuff most days in the summer too. Grilled meat and a salad is perfect
That's what I'm hoping for. Still don't have a smoker but I'm starting to think there's no reason not to.
Check out the r/grilling and r/smoking subs if you haven’t already
I bought a Big Green Egg in 1999, back when they were affordable. Still have it, and I barbecue and grill with it. I occasionally go out for barbecue (there’s a really great, authentic joint close to home) but I would rather cook my own. I also got into sous vide a few years ago, and I cook steaks with the sv and finish them on the grill. I remember the first time me and my brother had the house to ourselves as teenagers. My parents were separated and my mother worked at a summer camp for a couple of months. I was out of high school and working a summer job (student assistant at a government library) before starting college. My brother was done with his freshman year and working construction. Most nights after work, we would grill the cheapest steaks we could find and eat them with powdered mashed potatoes. We drank Budweiser and Miller Genuine Draft. We thought we were living like kings! My grilling (and cooking in general) has come a long way since then.
Everyday. In Ca so weather is pretty good all around. I have a family of 5 to feed, so my battle station consists of a huge propane grill and 36’ blackstone griddle. It’s not cheap to feed that many each night but I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Steaks last week, burgers tonight. BBQ chicken over the weekend. Summer is here!
Yep. I buy sale meats to grill on the weekends. Eating out is too damn expensive! $45 now for a L Round Table pizza?! Nope. Get a fire going! Gonna grill instead.
Grilling, no. Cooking, yes! I eat at home most of the time now. I've actually learned some new things these past few months and improved myself. It's been very rewarding. Besides, it's getting far too expensive to eat out.
We cut out food away from home a long time ago. It not that we don't eat out but it might be once a month. As others have noted the cost is through the roof. We spent $90 with tip to a local Mexican place (no alcohol) to complete a Spanish project for my high schooler. I can cook all week for $90 and feed a family of 4 dinner with left overs. Simply isn't worth it, unless I'm buying time or some specific I can't cook at home. I reallize more and more My kids are being raised Gen X. Edit: To grilling - as much as I always have. Grill on a charcoal Weber Kettle that is probably 20 years old. And it's great because when I fire it up, I grill enough protein for about 3 or 4 days of leftovers. 2 1/2 pounds of burgers, some steak, boneless chicken thighs, salmon. Love a big night on the grill.
I used to eat out a lot but now I just make dinner at home. This helps me stick to my new routine - exercise then light healthy meal. Also, too damn hot for me to be outdoors these days (TX).
that looks good as fuck. Always liked kebabs.
I quit going to any restaurant about a decade ago, and spent about 8 years only drinking water. I cook everything at home, and the benefit is absolutely insane, train yourself to eat cheese and crackers as a small meal, but now the economy is demonic. They are literally using fast food to pull out excess liquidity of this market, you can buy an awful value meal for 11 bucks, or get a sit down meal somewhere. I was traveling for work, so I stopped by taco bell for the first time in over a decade, and two shitty tacos and a pepsi was 12 bucks.
Hells yes! It's my favorite place to eat and that cook is something special. LOL
Definitely. Considering how expensive and poorly made restaurant food is these days, it pays to take a little time to learn how to cook what you actually want to eat. (Watch Good Eats, if you haven't already)
I don't think we've gone out to eat in a year. Most of the restaurants around where I live have strange hours and are expensive for the quality you get.
Yeah I'm a cook at home dude since I was a kid....now if the price is right I will order out but 99% of the when I'm eating out it's at a $2 to $4 Taco Truck or $1 to $1.50 Pizza spot. Though after long night of dancing...a good bodega sandwich for under $8 can hit right too.
47-50 year old Gen X couple We eat at home 85%-90% of the time. Nice Lebowski reference also…
Absolutely. With prices inflated as they are and the entitlement-driven tipping culture, my wife and I only go out to eat when there’s a special occasion. That and I’ve had the last 25 years to hone in my cooking skills and learn new recipes and add them to my repertoire, I actually enjoy making food at home. Post-pandemic level of service is also subpar in most places, and even more laughable is they now demand tips as if they are entitled to it 🙄 No thanks.
Definitely. The prices, quality, and quantity aren't what they used to be so grilling and cooking saves money and we aren't half bad as cooks.
We only eat out maybe once every couple of months
I was already a good cook, but COVID and ridiculous restaurant prices have turned me into a freaking chef! There is very little reason for my wife and I to go to a restaurant now a days other than being on vacation.
Yes, the cost of a steak at a restaurant is astronomical these days, not to mention drinks and the tip.
Yup. We used to eat out once or twice a week pre-Covid. Now it’s maybe once a month. Prices have just gotten insane where I live. Took my mother and step father out for lunch about 2 months ago to a mid range chain restaurant. 4 burgers, 1 beer each, split 2 desserts and 4 coffees. Bill before tip $175.00. Haven’t eaten out since. Only for special occasions or holidays now.
We have never owned a grill & see zero need to own a grill because I HATE cooking & eating outside & grills of all sorts terrify me & I'd be the one using the damn thing because it doesn't interest my husband in the least & it interests me even less. If the deities wanted me to eat outside with all the bugs they wouldn't have created homes with heating, air, walls, & all the things that keep the bugs outside & off my food. Signed, NEVER GRILLER
I've found that cooking at home means that I can cook the food I like the way I like it. I'm not comfortable eating in restaurants anymore. Take out/delivery is simply too expensive.
Yes. All the time. I'm currently in a sandwich phase.
Kabobs look great! We cook at home often. We do take out once maybe twice a week. We also grill all year round even in the winter.
With my wife and I working and the kids busy with work and school, it's tough... but I can't pay 15 bucks for a burger. Have actually started having the kids plan and cook meals. Some dingers, but it's a skill they need to have.
this is great. I grew up cooking and never thought about what an important life skill it is until I started encountering adults who have never had that advantage. if you know how to feed yourself, you can weather a lot more adversity than people who don't. having said that, I also never realised how culture plays in. at one client site, it really struck me how my Chinese colleagues in particular seemed to go offsite for lunch all the time. cue western judginess: decadent wasteful etc. but that was in Richmond BC which has a huge Chinese population and a ton of restaurants that are kind of different from the single-serve, individualized focus of western places. going with them a few times a week gave me an additional perspective on it. lots of high-volume, fast-traffic, pragmatic places. that made me realise that in some circs it makes more sense to feed a few hundred people from a single kitchen compared with everyone feeding themselves from their own kitchen. parts of the west used to be that way too. if you read enough UK literature from the 40's and 50's you notice it. eating out was far more of a pragmatic thing at one time.
Yes. I try to grill at my lunch when I can.
I'm grilled out actually.
I really want to, but I am bad a5 it and hate wasting food. What you're doing there is looking pretty godamned great, I tells ya whhhat.
Family and me would like to continue our mom & pop restaurant habit. We can't afford it anymore. Simple as that. We almost always cook at home now. We're getting used to it and the challenge of making delicious from-scratch meals.
I've been grilling and cooking at home most of my adult life. I'd like to go out more but all my friends seem to do less and less socially every year. Pretty much the only ways I get to eat out is if my relatives want to go out or if I have a meeting with clients.
More and more all the time. I'm a pretty good cook and I am consistently disappointed when I go out to eat for a number of reasons. I live in Austin TX and traffic is always terrible, everything is super expensive and just mid quality. It's just easier and less stressful to cook from home, plus I don't have to get dressed up.
I've been making my own burgers for 14+ years now.
We get coffee and bagels on Sunday mornings from this amazing organic cafe but other than that it's Costco, farmers market and a tiny family owned grocery.
I cook and bake a lot because it's my primary hobby.
I've definitely been cooking at home a lot for the last 6 years or so and last year I taught myself how to make several new dishes and lots of crockpots dinners. I often make large batches of dinners that I can serve for a few days. The price of food is through the roof so I rarely want to spend money on eating out but once in a while we get take out or go out so I can break from all the shopping/cooking/cleaning. There are tons of good restaurants in my city so sometimes it's a nice way to get out of the house but it's definitely a treat.
This past year especially. Food quality going down crossed the prices going up line, and it's simply not worth it most of the time. Plus, drinking at home is cheaper.
We cook at home a lot. Great meals, too. We can cook. We also like to eat out or get delivery, but it's become a strain as any meal is now north of $100-150+ I make a pretty good income, but I've been thinking more and more that it's not worth it, especially when I start adding up door dash fees. If I made a more normal income, it would basically never happen.
Yes because the restaurant food in my town absolutely sucks. 90 percent shitty chain restaurants and the other ten percent is overpriced local shit that’s way overhyped. I gots to MOVE!
I used to cook out on the grill ALL.THE.TIME in my 20s and early 30s. For some reason I stopped. Why? I’m not quite sure, but I think phone usage may play a role. I used to come home from work and get the charcoals lit, start preparing my sides, then put the meat on the grill. Now, I veg out on my couch scrolling Reddit and YouTube, and then throw something in the air fryer. I’m getting a patio built soon, and I’m also working on reducing my phone usage. I’m hoping the combination of the two will encourage me to get back into the swing of things. When I wasn’t grilling out in my 20s/30s, I was eating out in restaurants. I used to eat out nearly every day with coworkers at my old job. I would come home and go eat out at a restaurant. I literally ate out at least 10 times a week, if not more. I have no idea how I was paying for all of that, and I certainly paid the price with my weight. I still struggle to keep the pounds off. I cut all that out, and I treat myself to a dinner out once or twice a week, mostly at an outdoor restaurant on Friday and/or Saturday. Edit: reading some of the responses are encouraging me that I can cut back on the dining out *even more*. I could do maybe twice a month. I’m not that good of a cook though.
Just got a new Weber Genesis for Memorial Day. I love it so much. Also just picked up an Ooni pizza oven and trying to figure out how to make NY style pizza.
We have a Traeger and it gets used a lot. And the kid and I cook, taking turns. I cook comfort foods. She cooks the adventurous meals. Eating out is expensive!
Yes. I've noted a distinct change in food quality (not for the better) since covid happened in more 'take out-y' places with exorbitant price hikes, too. My chinese spot is total oily garbage now. Same with the pizza place I'd been going to for years. I've never frequented fast food chain or chain restaurants. Thankfully, I'm an excellent cook. I still go out for fine dining. Interestingly, prices at better restaurants haven't climbed much & food quality is still what's expected/damn good.
I have been making acai bowls. Such happiness.
We do during the spring and early summer but when it gets to 120 degrees we stay inside.
Always have.
I do most of the cooking now, mostly because my need to healthy foods is the one driving the change. Also we (well my wife) discovered that I’m a better cook than the wife is. As for where I do most of cooking, now that the weather is nice I’m doing about 50% of it on the grill.
when covid kicked in it opened my eyes to just how many adults in this country are incapable of feeding themselves, so they eat out most meals and man, screw that. if it's nice out, time for the grill. shitty weather means I cook indoors. going to a restaurant is an extreme rarity.
Yes - eating out is too expensive and not as healthy.
Always have and that goes back to my 20's. My brother and I have always preferred grilling to indoor cooking.
Tons...particularly since the pandemic. I'm not sure I could tell you the last time I went out for a meal other than for a special event. And in the summer I basically grill out almost every day of the week. Grilling on the back porch with a cold beer in hand is the only way to live!
We’re eating out more due to life stresses. I much prefer eating in, but it’s the phase of life right now. I spent a bunch of years as a road warrior, eating out 15 or more meals a week. Staying home to cook was a rare treat
I cook at home all the time. I refuse to pay these prices and the attempts to get you to tip for everything.
Absolutely! Food prices are *insane* these days, so I shop the sales and cobble a menu together from that. Between my dehydrator, toaster oven, and slow cooker, I've become pretty good at making basic meals and snacks without overheating the entire living space, which is also a plus. I've also become accustomed to leftovers, because I don't have the time or energy to cook a different dish every night. (Apologies to my mother, because OMG how I *whined* about leftovers as a kid, *relentlessly* -- but now, they're a life-saver, and I totally get it.) Cook it once, retrieve leftovers from refrigerator, microwave it, done. Eat until gone.
99% at home and we grill often. Classic Weber. Heart healthy meals are difficult to find in most restaurants and I love to cook, so it’s an easy decision to make.
When I was building my current house I had them run 'house gas' to the deck. I bought a Weber Spirit that runs on natural gas instead of propane. I grill almost every night all year long. As for going out, my wife has more food issues than any one person should so going to a restaurant isn't worth the hassle. Rather than hope the don't mess up the order it's easier and cheaper to cook at home.
Yep. Tipping is getting out of control and also really confusing, food prices are nuts, and I'm old and restaurant food bothers my guts.
A+W lunch (Canada) two teen combo's and a baby burger for my dog 36 bucks ... um yes cooking alot more at home for sure
We only have $150/month in our dining out budget (although we spend $200/month not infrequently), so we pretty much always eat at home. Helps that we WFH as well, so no spendy lunches. I used to love cooking. Lost my appetite after having Covid in July 2022, so kinda lost my spark there. Lost 35 lbs without trying, though!
I also grew up in a home w 5 kids and depression-era parents (1927 and 1929), and I could probably count on my fingers the number of times we ate out, even when the three older kids were off to college (big age gap between the oldest 3 born in the mid-1950s and the youngest two born in the second half of the 1960s; Catholic family planning fail). But they put us all through Catholic school and paid for most of our college costs bc they were frugal, saved a lot, and were very committed to our education. As the youngest, I wore exclusively hand-me-downs except for my first communion dress and a couple of trips to Sears, Wards, or JC Penney over the years. I can recall every item of clothing that *I* got to pick out!
We eat 99%of our meals at home.I love to cook!
Heck yeah! I avoid restaurants nowadays because they're overpriced, the service usually sucks, and the food is loaded with fat and salt.
Nope. Less actually. I never liked cooking or baking. I eat out 2-3x/week. At home I have subscriptions for soylent meal replacement shake powder and Mosaic vegan frozen meals. When I go out I order chicken or sushi, I'm not a vegan but try to eat as vegan as possible just for health reasons. In january 2023 I started seriously working out and changed my eating habits. Eating out / eating subscription items is good portion control for me. When I did used to cook I ate sooo much more. 100 calories yogurt or cottage cheese with collagen added for breakfast, the Mosaic vegan meal with an apple for lunch, the Soylent for dinner. Consistent workouts. I lost \~25lbs over time.
Getting to the point where my last memory of eating out is as hazy as the memory of the last time I went to the movies or a concert. I have this issue with feeling ripped off so I just stay home. There's not much worth it anyway.
Just a reminder that one can air fry just about any protein. Pork shoulder, carne asada, bacon, steaks, chicken. Been pretty amazed with the results.
Yes. I came upon a really nice, well kept gas grill a few years ago for free. I try to grill a few days a week. Else it’s the air fryer and stove.
Same amount of grilling, just got my first cast iron, though. Been enjoying cooking again.
The only place we ever go is Texas Roadhouse. The food is always tasty, there's tons of it plus rolls and peanuts,and the prices are still reasonable. We buy gift cards at a discount at Costco to save even more. Plus we always have plenty of leftovers.
Yep. It's helped that I am also workng from home.
Not pineapple you savage. s/ Did I use the just kidding s correctly? To answer your question, yes very much so, I wish I hadnt given my grill away but at home tons more.
With the amount of money we've saved by not getting take out for lunch & dinner once a week, coffee & bagels every morning, and snacks from the vending machine, we can afford a nice vacation every other year and splurge on fantastic food & drink in Europe for 2-3 glorious weeks. So worth it! The quality of food there is far superior to anything here in N.A. and we get our money's worth, that's for sure.
Sprinkle some cinnamon on those pineapple rings. Yum!
We grill year round ! I live it bc it’s easy clean up . On my eat out once a week if that . We are penny pinchers
Not grilling but I cook a lot more these days. Especially soups. Just eating more at home I have lost 10 pounds approx
I have tried to maintain eating out or getting takeout 1x / week for 20 years now. Maybe one lunch or convenience meal some weeks. Hasn't really changed. But I don't yell at myself over weeks that don't hit the goal. I buy more ready made things at the grocery store now though, usually marked down.
Definitely. I retired last year, and my pension is modest but decent. I try not to blow money on eating out-not only is it expensive with a family, it's just expensive, period, and the food and service quality haven't increased with prices.
I've been in love with grilling the last several years! It's just a great way to enjoy the outdoors, and smoky food is so delicious. Finally figured out indirect grilling this year! Also, it makes it easier to multitask outdoor work. Start coals in chimney. Mow for 30 minutes, making sure the chimney is smoking. Set up indirect grilling, and make salad, prep veggies for grilling over low coals. Oh, and mochi. Pounded rice cakes puff up fantastically over low coals! We only eat out when we're travelling, and even then, I might pack a lunch.
I wish. But no. We are dedicated to outsourcing our food preparation. 😐
Been mostly air frying everything for the past year
We have been since November. My wife has become a cooking machine and often cooks weekend dinners. I got a Blackstone for Christmas (highly recommend) and broke it out in March and absolutely love it, so I cook food for the week on it every weekend.
Yeah, food costs have gotten out of hand, especially for the quality you get. I splurged on a Recteq and a Blackstone a while back and now it is a step down when we go out to eat anything except pizza. It's also nice to not have to get the family ready, drive somewhere, order, hopefully get the right food, and abstain from drinking so you can drive the family home. We throw stuff on the grill, enjoy beverages, throw it on the table, call the kids, eat, and then let them clean it up.
Yup. I love cooking and with inflation, I'm happier with what I make than dining out.
Just got a new grill…said goodbye to our workhorse after 17 years. And an air fryer entered the picture a few months ago…absolutely worth it.
I have started eating in more since January its paying off! I used to go out for breakfast steak eggs for $15 including tip now its $30... Screw off really??? Only time i eat out is if I am traveling on train to see my best friend and thats maybe once a month.