eating out or in

Posted on 12. Jan, 2010 by dara in penny pinchin'

Often one of the things that makes it so difficult to save money by grocery shopping is eating & cooking for one. If I cook something and attempt to eat the leftovers, I’m typically sick of it by the 2nd day. Where as going out to eat provides me with variety and quite often (since it’s only me) is just as easy on the pockets. What’s a single girl to do?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had this discussion with my friends and other women our age. The right answer depends on who you ask. If you hate to cook, then eating out may be the best option for you. I would suggest…

drinking water with your meals,
ordering appetizers (they’re cheaper and typically a more accurate portion size as well),
and learning to balance your meals between different restaurant price points.

On the contrary if you don’t mind testing the waters in the kitchen…

try trimming down the recipes to serve 2-3 (you’ll have lunch and not grow sick of leftovers),
freeze leftovers for later, or
trade off dinner duty with a friend (you’ll both learn new recipes and have lunch).

What are some other ways to make eating out or in for one more economical?