Ditch the Guilt: Smart Ways to Reduce Restaurant Spending

A 2024 survey indicated that the average American spends $2,500 annually on eating out–or around $200 monthly. In a time when American paychecks aren’t stretching like they once did, the restaurant habit can break the bank. Those surveyed said, with recent inflation, they had increased guilt about eating out. 

The after-restaurant guilt is even worse if the meal isn’t very satisfying. You are unsatisfied, your belly is eventually empty again, and your bank account is a little more empty, too (or your credit card balance may be higher). 

While I don’t think foregoing restaurants is the answer, selectiveness and infrequency can make a restaurant visit noteworthy. The guilt felt after dropping a couple of Benjamins each month on going out to eat may be because you know the convenience and entertainment value might be inhibiting other financial goals or creating financial anxiety.  If you have the means to eat out and enjoy it, more power to you (I may need to ask you for advice on the best place to go). But if eating out has become a habit you want to break or it’s what you feel you need to do to get through the week, there may be better options. 

My family doesn’t often eat out unless we are traveling, and then we may bring sandwiches and snacks from home. It wasn’t always this way. We used to buy delivery pizza every Friday night and get many of our meals through fast food, takeout, or sit-down restaurants. But as our family grew, so did our financial needs, and restaurants had to take a back seat to those things. Today, I have a line item in our budget for meals out; it often doesn’t get used. This change doesn’t make us superior–it means we have different priorities and dietary needs. We have learned a thing or two over the years to limit our eating out to save for larger purchases (I’m looking at you warm beach vacation). Better yet, when we do eat out, it feels important because it’s not something we do every day. Whether your budget is tight or you want to reduce the number of meals you eat out, here are some ways to find success.

KEEP IT SO SIMPLE (KISS) 

Lunch

When my kids were young (and sports practices or games required a lot of time away from home), my go-to was to grab a bag of bread, peanut butter, a butter knife, bananas, and water for lunch later. The whole process took minutes and eliminated a run to the nearest fast-food restaurant. 

Snacks

On the rare occasion that I didn’t have a snack but had a hungry toddler, I would go into the nearest grocery store instead of a drive-thru and purchase in-season fruit or pretzels to get us through an afternoon of running errands. 

Dinner

No time to make dinner? 

Do you have eggs? Bread? Fruit? Oatmeal? 

Breakfast for dinner is a kid favorite and can prevent you from spending lavishly at a sit-down meal or nearly as lavishly at a fast food restaurant. To break it down for you, a dinner of scrambled eggs, toast, and in-season fruit would cost approximately $1.60 per serving. A family of four will spend between $35 to $50 on a very modest meal out. Spending $6.40 to feed your family in 15 minutes is pretty good!  

Other quick and inexpensive dinners include:

• Macaroni and Cheese with peas and canned tuna

• Tacos or Burritos with canned beans, corn, salsa, etc.

• Enhanced Ramen Noodles--add frozen stir-fried vegetables and scrambled eggs or tofu

• English Muffin Pizzas with jar sauce, cheese, and any bits of meat or veggies left in the fridge

• Bacon Lettuce or Tomato Sandwiches (or any other sandwich fare you have on hand) 

• Tomato Soup (3TBS of butter, diced medium onion, and a clove of garlic-- add 2 cups of broth and 28oz of canned tomatoes; use an immersion blender for a smooth soup) couple with grilled cheese sandwiches or quesadillas 

• Quick Taco Soup (beans, corn, water, canned tomatoes, a package of taco seasoning, and anything else you want to add)

• French Toast and Fruit (fresh or canned)

• Loaded Air-Fried Potatoes (slice potatoes thinly and sprinkle with salt and pepper and other seasonings), top with cheese, canned chili, sour cream, or anything else you have on hand

• Leftover Smorgasbord--what’s in the fridge is doled out or recreated to become dinner

Don’t Double Batch But Use Your Freezer Other Ways

If ordering food is your go-to when you’re tired, having easy frozen meals on hand could be a big win. I know people double-batch when cooking and freeze the extras. I dislike doing this. It feels like a lot of extra with the extras in my shopping cart, extras to prepare, and extras to cook. Instead, buy some carefully selected freezer meals. These meals aren’t the cheapest option, but they keep me from calling for takeout. The price pales in comparison to feeding a family at a restaurant. I try to keep at least one or two of these meals in my freezer and use them sparingly on overly hectic or exhausting days.

Another option is to freeze servings. When you have extra lasagna that isn’t appetizing for leftovers on a third night, cut it into single servings and store it in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers. Gather those random frozen servings for a smorgasbord meal night when you are in a pinch.

Make Your Kitchen a Restaurant (or Cafe)

Truth be told, I have a fancy coffee habit. Going to a beautiful cafe and drinking vanilla lattes is a blissful weekday vacation most of the time. I have been disappointed by some (not all) big chain coffee shops. I’m very picky about my drinks, especially with such an expensive price tag. Will I give up my coffee runs? No. Will I limit them? I already have.

I did a couple of things to reduce these trips.

First, I bought and was gifted supplies, like a frother, to make coffee and matcha lattes at home. I’ve become quite good at reproducing several drinks, so I don’t see the need to buy them at a cafe. My home drinks cost around $1.50 (a 75% savings compared to my nearest coffee shop).

Next, I made one rule about going to coffee. It must be done with a friend or family member. No more quick runs while out grocery shopping. If I’m going to pay for an experience, I should make it an experience! That in itself quickly limited the times I could grab a coffee or tea. 

If you have a restaurant compulsion you want to stop, follow my lead by learning to make your favorite dishes. The internet has many copycat recipes for many famous chain dishes. I have done this for a popular soup. It tasted like the restaurant's original.

Secondly, when you go to a restaurant, make it an experience rather than a quick decision. Research and plan, maybe save for it, dress up or down, and get excited about the experience. Something isn’t special when it is ordinary or every day. But if it is a rare event that is planned for, it becomes extra special. 

Meal Plan and Stock Your Pantry and Freezer

Having a plan and sticking to it sounds doable until life throws you a curveball. Instead, make a flexible meal plan. Figure out how many nights you will need a quick meal. Plan for those events. Could you make a large pot of soup or spaghetti sauce the night before and have leftovers to avoid cooking the next day? 

Plan meals that can be easily rotated. The meatloaf planned for Wednesday might need to be swapped with tacos on Tuesday because life just happened. I personally only plan for five dinners for seven days. Leftovers and random ingredients that need to be used up are repurposed in soups, casseroles, bowls, or as potato or soft taco toppings (you can put many things in wraps if you get creative). 

To successfully make inexpensive and quick dinners, pantry staples are a must. A pantry loaded with pasta and sauces, canned beans, rice, and other shelf-stable items can make getting dinner on the table simpler and doesn't require a run to the store. (Keep an inventory of your go-to meals and their staples to make this process even easier. When you run out of something in your inventory, add it to your shopping list).  

Stocking your pantry for who you are is essential. If you hope to one day drink green smoothies and eat black bean burgers, that is a great goal. But if kale and black beans are your dream self, it is probably best to pack your pantry with what you eat now and slowly add the more healthful staples as you become accustomed to eating them as part of your weekly menu. If you have nothing but sprouts and tofu in your fridge and are used to eating burgers and fries, takeout may look more appealing than the tofu when you're in a pinch for dinner. Little improvements are the key.

Cut Back Slowly and Write it Down 

Cutting back on eating out should be a little improvement over time when you have other financial goals or would like to spend less in this area. If you eat out four times a week, can you cut it to three at first and build upon that? Maybe continue by dropping to two meals a week the following month until it fits your goals and priorities. Like most things in life, slow and steady wins the race.

As an added boost, writing down how much you spend each month on eating out can give you enough sticker shock to make dining out less appealing. Your bank account or credit card statements are a good indicator to determine if eating out is creating wreckage or mere missteps, but until you focus on the actual number, it’s hard to see how much this habit is costing you. 

Your preferences are yours alone. If eating out is your favorite activity and you can afford it, you are living purposefully. But for many of us, we’d rather see our dining out money used in other ways.  Even so, limiting eating out doesn’t have to feel like deprivation. Instead, it can be an intentional shift toward something better--financial freedom, healthy eating, or simply a greater appreciation for dining out when you indulge. Making small, manageable changes around meals allows you control over your food budget without sacrificing enjoyment. Whether you’re looking to save for a dream vacation or reduce financial stress, every meal at home is a step toward your goal!