Eating Out vs. Eating In

      I got this idea from a friend that requested I talk about the pros and cons of eating out vs. eating in. I've got to admit that I probably eat out more than I prefer. Typically, I find that I have to eat out on nights that I get home late from work or haven't gone to the grocery store yet. There is the rare occasion my husband and I got out to a nice dinner for a date night. That isn't what I'm really going to compare with this particular article. I plan to focus on the daily trips to fast food restaurants or the restaurant that can be considered a "sit down" restaurant, but tends to be faster than an upscale restaurant. The key these restaurants it they want to get your food out to fast and get you to leave fast. The more customers=more money for them.
      Like I said earlier, I find myself going to fast food restaurants more than I would prefer. I typically do not get off work until 7pm during the week. If my husband doesn't beat me home, then dinner has not been started. By the time my whole family is together for dinner, I don't feel like the task of cooking and cleaning up dinner (even more so now that I'm tired from pregnancy). Every mom knows, there are nights where you realize a grocery trip is needed because the dinner you did manager to throw together is either the last you have out of your freezer or pantry or makes no sense at all. These nights are seemingly valid nights to make a fast food run. My husband and I find ourselves struggling with finding a place that offers healthier dinner options. The problem with that is, the price of the healthier option is usually twice the price of the cheap burger and fries combo meal. Additionally, I have truly noticed how much better I feel when I have been eating healthier than stuffing my body with greasy fast food options. Honestly, I would say it's probably at least 2 times a week that we eat out. I did a budget about a year ago that calculated all of my eating out habits... it was shocking the amount of money each month we spent on eating out!
       I have been making a more conscience effort to keep at least a few items in my freezer or pantry to throw together a quick meal on a late night. I will not lie and say that my "quick dinner" options are always healthy options. There is that  time we get a frozen pizza or bag of chicken tender for a dinner option. More often, we will buy a bunch of vegetables(in the Summer time it's usually all fresh) or big bag of salad and have an all veggie dinner. I have tired my hand at some slow cooker meals. My favorite are chili's, stews, or soups because they are usually fool proof and don't require much prep. One major thing I have noticed, eating at home saves money. We have already noticed how much it's helping our bank account.You can eat healthier and cheaper-period. Honestly, my husband and I prefer to have a steak dinner at home. We know the true quality of our steak, it's flavored and cooked exactly how we want it, and it is ALWAYS cheaper than going out to a steak house. We also know that we can control the amount of seasoning that is put on our food, which is a big deal if you have blood pressure issues. I know it isn't always a reality to say, "Never eat out," but it is definitely something most of us should strive for- at least cutting down on eating out so much.
       I know that eating out can be easy, convenient, cheap (if healthy options aren't what you are looking for), and no dishes-sounds great, right?! In reality, when you eat in, you can eat healthier, control your food better, and SAVE MONEY (especially in the long run).

Picture from: burgerbusiness.com

Picture from: betterrecipes.com