Save Money: Eat In

How much will it save? Sure, as a fact we know deep down inside that eating in is much cheaper than eating out. However, the point hits home once you crunch the numbers. Just out of curiosity we sat down and did the calculations last week. We were surprised.

This is how you can go about your calculations:

Total groceries each month/Total meals each month= $ per meal

This is what our calculations look like:

Total groceries each month: $ 350

Total meals each month: 90 meals

$350/90 = $ 3.889

We can translate this as approximately $ 4.00 per meal for the family. This calculation is can out come for my household which comprises of my husband and I (pets not included).

When we eat out, we usually spend from anywhere between $ 25 to $ 60, with a $ 5 to $ 15 tip!!! Even if we take a lower "eat out bill" of $40, the cost per meal for eating out is more than 10 times the cost of eating at home! A middle range tip of $ 8 amounts to 2 meals eaten at home.

Eating at home is fun: For those of you who think you can't eat well at home, drop that chain of thought. Eating at home is fun. Every week-end we have a feast. Steak dinners, big breakfasts, wine, beer...the works. You can conjure exactly what you want and spend time with your loved one in the kitchen. The internet is buzzing with recipes from all over the world. We have turned our kitchen into a multi-cuisine kitchen, dishing out anything from Sushi to Mac-n-cheese!

Weekly treats: Week-ends are a special time. Choose either Friday night or Saturday night as a movie/ eat out night. Never deprive yourself, especially if you have children. Putting in an effort to eat in over the week, entitles you to a nice meal out. However, even then look for a deal. We all get local coupons or you can look for coupons on the net. Always remember, a penny saved is a penny earned.

The term Frugal is always loosely used. In fact, I prefer the term "smart spender" to "frugal". Frugal, unfortunately is a derogatory term used by frivolous spenders to address smart spenders. Don't ever let it get you down, since you will have saved up money, in case you have to see a rainy day.