Typically, my family goes out to eat two or three times a week and has for many years. The kids know how to behave in a restaurant (with Ben providing some memorable exceptions) and their eclectic tastes always provide amusement for servers and fellow diners. After all, there aren't too many nine year olds who have a favorite sushi and even fewer whose favorite sushi are spicy tuna rolls and octopus.
Since we returned from our summer vacation in mid-August, we haven't gone out to eat once (save for a weekend away in Williamsburg). That's a month and a half of no Old Shanghai, no Outback Steakhouse, no Five Guys, no Taco Bell, no nothing. Wait, that's a double-negative. How about, "no something". Swish!
Carol and I decided that we were spending way too much money at restaurants and a moratorium would allow us to save money and get out of the weekly habit. It's actually gone pretty smoothly and we haven't starved so I'd say the experiment has been a success. And Carol has bought herself some expensive-looking new jewelry and clothing so I guess we saved some money. Awesome!
My goal is to stick with the home food at least through September and then try to go out no more than once a week. We'll see how that goes. I'm a little worried that I'll feel really bad the first time I see a large dinner check and never want to go out again.
Meanwhile, the kids are dying for some spicy tuna rolls. And just writing this post has made me hungry. Stupid moratorium.
5 comments:
See what happens when you introduce all that foreign muck into good old America? People start getting unnatural urges. In my day we had a roast on Sunday, meatloaf on Wednesday, roast chicken on Friday and leftovers in between -- and we liked it that way. My old man would sooner slit our throats than feed us foreign stuff like rice. Let that be a lesson to you.
I thought Canadians only ate beer, eh?
If only we could follow suit. But a combination of being too lazy to either cook or go to the grocery store, and an unnatural love of drive-thrus, have proven to be too powerful.
Frankly, I'm shocked that we've been able to do it for as long as we have.
ahtitan, you should try it for just a week. It's not so hard as it seems.
You could also adopt the attitude of Roy Williams, a football player for the Detroit Lions (who makes a few bucks) who does not tip--anywhere. He was quoted as saying that when the pizza delivery guy comes to his house, he is coming for free. It's nice to hear about a guy making millions that won't tip a couple of bucks to some kid trying to make a living. Hopefully, the next time Williams goes over the middle for a pass, the safety will remember his days as a pizza delivery guy and level him.
Obviously, your saving money does not apply to lunch!
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