Do You Need to Eat Out Every Day?

by: WilliamBlake
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Eating out with friends and workmates can be truly enjoyable, but is it really necessary? How is it affecting your budget? Is it because of peer pressure? This should be taken seriously, since eating out can become a large monthly expense.

Everybody wants to fit in, and it's important to do so in an office work environment. Since eating lunch with co-workers only costs a few dollars and helps establish friendships, why not?

This scenario demonstrates how we think when it comes to spending money on food. Food and good times seem to go together in our culture. Eating out is not the only way to bond over food.

When setting up a budget, a category is created for groceries. A weekly or biweekly shopping trip to the grocery store brings enough groceries in the house to feed the family. Buying lunch when there is food in the house blows the budget.

Ask co-workers to try bringing in their own lunch at least three times a week. Make a plan to eat in the break room together or outside at a picnic table for lunch. They will save money also.

When you eat out, you probably choose the same one or two places. Make some of your favorite dishes at home and take them for lunch. The grocery trips are not just for breakfast and dinner items. Buy foods that are good in a packed lunch. Most workplaces have a microwave and/or a toaster oven. You can prepare your food and eat it piping hot.

If you have a group of co-workers that you spend most of your time with, why not start a lunch club. Each person takes a day and fixes something for the others in the group to enjoy. No one has to prepare a meal more than once a week and they will know in advance when it is their turn.

Since such a lunch club arrangement will mean spending more on groceries, you'll need to adjust your budget slightly. As other people at work notice all the benefits of your lunch club, more people will no doubt join in. The more the merrier, since it will make things easier on everyone else in the club. Lunches don't have to be a big deal. Even simple and inexpensive dishes can be delicious.

All these plans don't mean that you can never go out to eat. Make dining out part of your budget and pay with cash so that you won't be able to spend too much. If you eat lunch out, don't allow yourself to again for dinner. Balancing your expenses this way will help you develop great financial habits.

Lastly, if the group still wants to eat out more often that your budget allows, opt out. Tell them politely that you can't go and brown bag it. They'll still be your friendly co-workers, and you'll have learned a valuable lesson about resisting the temptation to follow the crowd at the expense of your money.

About the Author

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