On an average week, how often would you say you eat in restaurants or pick up food and drink to go?
Asked by
jca2 (
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November 30th, 2023
How often would you say you eat outside of the home (purchased food from an establishment)? Please include restaurants for eat in or take out, fast food (Panera, McD’s, etc.), picking up coffee (Starbucks, Dunkin, other coffee shop), smoothies, donuts, bagels, pizza, sandwiches, take out for your work lunch, picking up a pizza or other food for dinner?
I saw an article a few weeks ago about how people are eating out more than ever before.
I am remembering when I was little (1970s), we’d eat in a restaurant for a special occasion, like when I graduated from high school or for a birthday, but we weren’t always getting takeout food and my mom wasn’t getting coffee daily like is popular now. This is partly because there weren’t such opportunities, there was not a Starbucks or Dunkin everywhere, like there is now. We would sometimes go to lunch in the village we lived in (fancy little village with fancy places) or we might occasionally get McDonalds on a weekend.
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31 Answers
Maybe six times a month? Usually about three diner breakfasts with a friend, maybe a lunch or dinner with my kiddo, and one or two lunches with a group.
I really d9n’t care much about food out, I go for the social.
I get a Scooter’s coffee maybe once a week, eat take out with my beading group once a week, and get a pizza maybe once every couple of months. I’m eating out much, much less than I used to.
Last year it was a large amount. This month only groceries from instacart. I canceled my DoorDash account, and I lost my SkipTheDishes password.
If I am in the area I treat myself to a banana split or snack.
My frequency=@canidmajor’s frequency.
I pick up food from Mel’s Diner once a week.
I pick it up from Napoli pizza or vE station (vegan Thai) once every two weeks.
We usually dine in a restaurant once a week, order delivery once a week and I use my badge as payment for food or drink almost every day at work in the hospital cafeteria. The payment is taken out of my next paycheck.
Our city is known as a foodie destination so we have many choices to choose from. In fact, Madison will be featured in the next season of Top Chef that will air next spring.
Maybe once a month when I get a Döner.
Usually 0–3 times a week, average somewhere between 1 and 2 times per week.
I haven’t eaten out in almost four years, since the start of covid. We bring take-out home maybe once a week.
Breakfast on the go 3–4 times a week. Takeout (usually Chinese) about twice a month. Eating out, at a restaurant, 1–2 times a month.
About less than once a month.
Zero
I make everything myself.
Just checking to make sure none of you buy coffee in coffee shops outside of the answers you gave (as per the details in the Q).
@jca2 I am amazed that anybody will spend the $$$ to buy their morning coffee out. I am waaaay too cheap to do that, especially since it involves getting dressed and waiting! My coffee maker is on a timer, mug is in hand almost before eyes are opened!
(And did I mention what a tightwad I am?) ;-)
@canidmajor Me too, and I love the way my home coffee maker makes it (French roast, ground at home, etc.). However, here it seems so popular for my daughter and her friends to get DD or Starbucks, and the moms to get Starbucks. I get annoyed when my daughter wants DD and I say “why didn’t you drink the free coffee?” meaning the coffee leftover from home. When the friends want Starbucks, I get annoyed because it’s like 5 or 6 dollars per drink, and even though I’m only paying for one, it is just frigging annoying that it’s so expensive.
@jca2 I’ve been boycotting Nestlé for almost 50 years, and they acquired Starbucks in 2018, good thing I didn’t really like Starbucks. Ugh. But I recently found out that they also have acquired Seattle’s Best Coffee, which makes me so sad. Still looking for a new fave.
I have never understood paying $5+ for a cup of coffee. It had better be a damn good cup for that price. Starbucks is not cutting it.
@Blackwater_Park a friend who is really into Starbucks told me that the reason why they charge so much is that you’re supposed to be able to have it customized, i.e. “two pumps of caramel” or whatever specifics you want.
@jca2 LOL ok.
Starbucks is swill. They flash roast the beans so they’re burnt to a crisp on the outside and are essentially still green inside. That makes it taste strong and preserves the high caffeine content. A local “real” roaster does it slow and the difference is undeniable. There are so many good coffee shops like this and they’ll usually only charge you like $3 at most if you want to splurge on a gourmet coffee. My sister roasts beans and her coffee is 10X better than Starbucks. It’s honestly a scam what they’re doing.
The only time I drink coffee is once a week when I’m with my beading group, and Scooters is on the way. I figure I can afford $6/week for a treat. If I drank coffee daily, I’d buy my own flavorings for home coffee! ;)
@smudges You don’t do it every day, big difference. That’s a cheap indulgence if you ask me.
Back in my Seattle days, a loooong time ago, one of my friends worked for Starbucks in the earlier days. He was sent to the big coffee auctions in South America to buy the garbage beans very cheaply, because Starbucks was pushing their fluffy, milky, sugary, flavored drinks, so the coffee quality didn’t matter. Great business and marketing plan, crap product.
@Blackwater_Park I agree. A friend buys it 5 days a week. At at least $7 a pop, I think she’s crazy!
I often go several months without going out at all.
@smudges My friend too. I used to say if she took that money and put it in the bank, it would add up so much – like 6 or 7 dollars a day x 7 days a week x 30 days a month. SMH.
That’s like a pack a day smoking habit when you add up the $
@YARNLADY I just go to beading twice a week and doctor’s appts…some periods there’s lots of doctor’s appts! If it weren’t for those two things I’d never leave the apartment. I can’t just go shopping or whatever because of my back. Haven’t given up on fixing the problem with it yet.
You folks complaining about the price of coffee are thinking too narrowly.
Panera’s Unlimited Coffee Club is $11.99/mo for unlimited beverages, including hot and iced coffee. Three cups and it pays for itself. And I really like their coffee.
Plus, I don’t drink booze or smoke. It’s my one vice. Shaddup ya silly gooses.
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