Graceful Little Honey Bee

6 Tips to Avoid Eating Out

by 36 Comments

Eating out is a huge drain on the budget, but to avoid it you must be prepared. Check out these 6 tips for eat at home success!

 

The average American family spends over $200 per month eating out. Much of this has to do with convenience and I get that, but it’s costing us our money and our health. My husband and I decided to cut back on eating out and it has been a real eye-opener. We eat at home throughout the week, but then we tend to eat out 2-3 times on the weekends simply because it’s fast, tasty and this momma wants a break from cooking. However, I don’t want to continue feeding my family junk just because I “deserve” a break.

 

I’ve found that eating at home more often requires planning and a shift in thinking. So here are 6 easy tips that have helped me to avoid eating out.

 

Menu Plan

Creating a list of meals for the week is a great way to save money, eat healthier and avoid eating out. If you need help in this area then you can check out my post on how to menu plan here.

 

Keep Snacks in the Car or at Work

Keeping a stash of nutritious and portable snacks in the car or at work is a great way to avoid last minute drive-thru stops. Having things like nuts, dried fruit or peanut butter crackers on hand helps to get through busy days away from home.

 

Use Convenience Foods

I cook mostly from scratch because it’s healthier and more frugal than buying convenience foods, but if keeping a frozen pizza in the freezer will help you avoid eating out then it is a great option. I try to plan simple meals like this for the weekend because I know I won’t feel like cooking.

 

Do Some Freezer Cooking

If you’ve been reading this blog for very long then you know how much I love freezer cooking. Taking a few hours a month to prepare home cooked meals for the freezer is a great way to save money and avoid eating out on busy nights. You can also make things like homemade burritos, muffins or bread to freeze for when you need them.

 

Meal Prep

Trying to eat healthy with a busy lifestyle can be challenging, but setting aside an hour or two per week to do things like chop vegetables, boil eggs, cook meat, shred cheese, etc. will set you up for success the rest of the week. Some people even pack lunches for the entire week on Sunday nights so they can just grab and go the rest of the week.

 

Plan for Events

If you know that on Wednesday nights you will be at soccer practice during dinner, then make a plan to pack something easy such as fruit and sandwiches. Planning ahead is a great way to keep your family eating healthy meals on the go.

 

Count the Costs

What is eating out really costing you? Add up how much money you are currently spending in this area to see how much you could save by eating at home. Also, compare how much a home cooked meal costs vs. a fast food meal. Doing this will cause you to stop and think before you drop $20-$30 on one meal when you could make the same thing for $5 at home!

 

Change is hard and it you’ve been eating out all your life (like me) then trying to stop will be a challenge, but with some commitment and planning you are sure to succeed!

 

How many times do you eat our per week? What do you do to avoid eating out? I’d love to know!

 

Other posts you might enjoy:

Find recipes for 30 common items that you can make at home including ranch seasoning, cough syrup, brownie mix and more!These inexpensive meal ideas will get you through when your wallet is empty!

 

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  1. Lori Alexander says

    I rarely eat out since I have learned how to keep my IBS completely under control and it is NOT through restaurant food! I wanted to thank you, Missy, for teaching me how to make better pictures. It has made blogging SO much more fun! Here is one of my latest posts I wanted to share with you with a picture of my kitchen. Blessings to you! http://lorialexander.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-clean-home-is-pretty-home.html
    Reply

  2. Julia says

    I really love your advice. Eating out can really deplete the home budget and you are so right about that pizza in the freezer! :)
    Reply

  3. Jayleen @ How Do The Jones Do It says

    We very rarely eat out. Maybe once every two months. It helps that we all prefer the hubbie's cooking over restaurant food! We also try to plan errands, etc around meal times so we aren't starving while we're out and about. Of course, there are times when we are out for the day and eating out just makes sense!
    Reply

  4. Rachel @ A Mother Far from Home says

    I got out of the habit in the past few years and now it's not even really a temptation anymore, praise God! Occasionally when we just want to we'll go do it, but other than that I just don't even really think about it. I guess having a lot of young kids helps because that's a crapshoot... ha :)
    Reply

  5. [email protected] says

    We usually eat out on Friday night and get carry out on Saturday night. I totally agree about having the convenience foods ready. I used to skip the convenience foods and then when I was short on time would fall back on carry out. Now I try to have a frozen pizza in the fridge for a crazy night.
    Reply

  6. Laura Sue Shaw says

    These are great tips! We've been working on eating out a lot less and it really helps the budget. I find that if I keep quick foods like sandwich stuff or a frozen pizza on hand it's much easier to avoid eating out.
    Reply

  8. Lindsay says

    Love these tips! This is an area that that my husband and I have been struggling in. I'm going to work on that using these tips. Thanks!
    Reply

  9. Kim says

    These are great tips! We live about 20 minutes from any restaurants. The travel time along discourages us. Have good week!
    Reply

  10. Lydia @ Thrifty Frugal Mom says

    This is such a great post, Missy! We eat out maybe 1 to 2 times a month. Both of us grew up not eating out much because our families weren't small and couldn't afford it. That has definitely helped us be more okay with not eating out much, although I very much enjoy the break from cooking and sometimes wish we could do it more! :) I agree though, that the biggest thing that has helped me is planning ahead to make sure I have a couple of ideas for easy, quick meals for the weekend. In fact, the last several months we've gotten into the habit of having toasted tuna salad sandwiches and fruit/yogurt smoothies for Sunday dinners. The kids look forward to it and love it and it's one less thing for me to worry about. :)
    Reply

  11. Elizabeth Ours says

    Great post! It drew my attention because I blogged about "She bringeth her food from afar" yesterday. So, I have grocery shopping, meal prep, and family meal times on my mind! :) Because we have ten children, we don't eat out every week. I'd say on average twice a month. It's easier now that some are out of the nest! :) Great tips here! Thanks for sharing!
    Reply

  12. J @ A Hot Southern Mess says

    Great tips! I especially like the idea of keeping some convenience foods in the house. I usually cook from scratch too, and when I'm too tired to cook, we go out. I'm going to start making sure we have frozen pizzas in the house just for that! Thanks for sharing! Join in on our weekly #CelebrateSouthern link up! We'd love to have you join in on the fun! www.ahotsouthernmess.com
    Reply

  13. Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says

    These are such great tips, Missy! I use all of them. We used to eat out once or twice a week until I saw what it costs us in a year. Multiplied over 10 and 20 years, we are talking about a significant amount of money. Quitting the eating out habit was very difficult for me. I felt (and still do) that I deserve a break, but decided that it is too costly. Like you, I plan for simpler meals when life is busy. The crock pot is my best friend. I also purchase convenience foods on ocassion. One of the biggies for me is a loaf of french bread. It makes an easy pizza and it is much cheaper than the frozen kind. I broke the habit by challenging myself to see how long we could go without eating out. A week became a month and a month became six. Now we only eat out when traveling or on very special occasions. I do miss it, but I don't miss the savings! Thanks, again, for sharing your tips with us.
    Reply

    • Missy Rakes says

      I use my crockpot all the time and try to keep freezer meals in the freezer. You're right eating out once or twice a week over a long period really adds up!
      Reply

  14. Monica says

    SO many people tell me about planning freezer meals in advance and I have yet to take advantage of it! This summer I'm planning an epic garden so I'll be in the kitchen a lot canning, freezing veggies, etc. I should be able to squeeze time in to prepare meals in advance! Right now, however, my freezer is PACKED to the brim with donation breast milk. :D So, nothing fits in our freezer except for a tub of ice cream. ;)
    Reply

  15. Robin says

    When we do eat out because errands ran longer than expected or other unplanned reasons, we avoid "happy meals" and divide larger portions between our kids. For example, a ten piece chicken and medium fries with three orders of Apple's is just as much food (my two year old doesn't eat a whole happy meal!) and is cheaper than three happy meals plus no toys laying around that I will just get rid of!
    Reply

  16. Toni @ Debt Free Divas says

    Keeping snacks in the car is so key. Well - my baby bag - some times a quick outing can take double the time. I really try to avoid the drive thru with little ones. It's not a habit I want to start.
    Reply

  17. Angie says

    Great tips! I have tried meal planning before and it goes well for a while then poof. It's usually just the hubs and I but for the last 7 months and for the next 6 or so we have had a friend and her 3 girls living here. She and I are going to try to do some meal prep. Wish us luck!
    Reply

  18. özlem arslan says

    In the turkish kitchen we do have a variety of baked food alternating to pizza, which we also love a lot. Whenever I bake something, I try to bake some more than needed, which will go in the freezer. These are then ready quick food. Also here in Turkey you can buy ready dough from the bakery, to the same price like the baked bread. With this we can make homemade pizzas to the quarter price of ordered pizza...
    Reply

  19. Judy says

    I see by your pictures that many of you ladies are much younger than myself. Once we get older, there are a few things that tend to creep up on us, like high blood pressure and cholesterol. Restaurant food is notoriously high in sodium and fat and Lord knows what else. The you have had to take the time to drive to the restaurant etc. I find now that I have no choice but to cook from scratch and even have to watch canned and frozen goods. Planning is everything. So you might as well get in the habit of cooking at home to safeguard your health. I, too, keep a frozen pizza. If I have to blow the good eating habits, at least I don't have to over pay. My challenge now is cooking single, having been recently widowed. Have already been a big fan of freezer meals - just have to tweak the system a bit
    Reply

  20. Kyri says

    Thank you for the tips. I really need to start planning things out better. Any tips for freezer cooking with a small top freezer? I finally have an oven that cooks evenly and now I'm finding new ways to use it :)
    Reply

  21. Bethany says

    This is an older post but I just now read it, and I'm finding that the one thing that keeps me from eating out more than anything else is having a clean kitchen. If I do my dishes every night and put them away every morning, I'm so much happier to cook and so much less overwhelmed and exhausted by the prospect.
    Reply

  22. Viva says

    Being a college student, takeout is the biggest problem for me... it's just so convenient! But I'm glad you shared some of your tips, I know I'll get some use out of them!
    Reply

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