Sunday, October 11, 2009

Cutting Back

This is a spinoff of my post about talking to each other while eating out.

I wonder if any of you have cut back on the number of times you eat out because of the recession.

We're still fortunate enough to stick to about once a week (our daughters are out of college and on their own so that means we have more leeway on spending) but it seems as if restaurants aren't as crowded as they were a couple of years ago.

Not sure if that's an accurate perception or not. I often ask restaurant managers how they're doing and get mixed answers. Seems to depend on the place and type of restaurant.

FD

11 comments:

  1. FD, We recently did some retirement planning, including looking at our spending habits, and have cut back on dining out. We live in a tourist town, and summer is our busy season. This winter will tell if some local restaurants can make it or not. Meow

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  2. We have seriously cut back. I miss eating out.

    mouse

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  3. We eat out whenever we feel like it. It isn't a lot because I love to cook, and I'm good at it. I enjoy going to a nice restuarant and then duplicating several of the items at home. Living in Florida there are some great places.

    Katia

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  4. We eat out or order out quite a bit, but I've noticed also that some restaurants are struggling. However, no one likes to admit that in their eating establishment.

    Regarding talking while we eat, I really like good conversation--it's one of my favorite things; but sometimes it gets quiet with just the two of us. Sometimes it's me, when we finally sit down somewhere at the end of a long day, I'm tired and talked out and ready for some silence.

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  5. I think it depends a lot on their price point.

    While I think fast food restaurants are doing quite well, I'm pretty sure fine dining restaurants are getting hit fairly hard. There's a steak house in New York that has created this site: http://www.expenseasteak.com/ which takes your receipt and creates a page of fake receipts comprised of smaller meals and office supplies to turn into your company. That way it doesn't look like you had a $500 dinner on your recent business trip to New York. Ethics aside, it speaks to the current economic climate.

    John and I go out for breakfast more and dinner less. Sometimes we just go out for coffee and eat at home. We still go out as often, but we don't spend as much. It's not such a burden-- I like to cook. As long as I cook, he does the dishes, which is fine by me. :)

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  6. We tend to order takeout or eat out a couple times a week depending on our schedules. I wish that I had more time to prepare meals at home, but usually find myself rushing around with hungry kids... It's just easier at times to stop and eat.

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  7. Meow: I can imagine it's tough for restaurants in tourist towns in the offseason.

    Mouse: Sorry to hear you had to cut back that much.

    Katia: That must be fun to duplicate restaurant meals at home. Congrats on being such a good ccook.

    Mick: I can understand you being ready for some silence after a long day.

    JMDee: It sounds like it works well with you cooking and him doing the dishes.

    Kitten: Yes, in this busy times, it's often easier to eat out.

    FD

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  8. It's not really about our money...it's that so many places we used to frequent have cut back on food quality and service. It's weird because we enjoy eating out, but lately we've been scratching our head asking why bother.

    Really I have the deepest respect for those in the restaurant business, because I know they're dealing with food and if it's not sold it goes bad. So I understand them cutting back but sometimes taste suffers and that just makes it worse.

    mouse

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  9. FD hi, We've always had a date night midweek and still carry this on. Our town has been quite and some restaurants closed but this last month I have seen more people out and about.

    Having been in this trade I know how damn hard it is at the best of times. I do agree with Mouse, some restaurants cut back on quality which does make it worse for them.

    Love.
    Ronnie
    xx

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  10. FD,
    We have almost totally stopped dining out.. a hardship for me but not for hubby.. who hates to sit at a table for long.( a touch of ADHD)
    Boring~

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  11. We have cut back a lot too. Some of it that every time we go out I say, gee, I could have made this better and cheaper at home. I also love to cook and sometimes have a hard time justifying the expense of eating out when I could do a better job myself. (I used to cater and I know the mark up) ~N

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