Cooking vs Restaurants

[Spongebob]

My wife and I cooked a Cajun bowl last night and it was terrific and extremely cheap.  We used a box of Cajun seasoned rice from Aldi, red kidney beans, a pound of ground sausage and some nan bread we had in the cupboard.  The entire meal cost a little over $7 to make and it was excellent.  The question is, I enjoy cooking and it is cheaper than eating out.  My wife prefers to go out to restaurants mainly because she hates the cleanup and also she doesn't enjoy cooking.  But the way I look at it, the time it takes to drive to a restaurant and back home is usually as much as the cooking and cleaning time, sometimes more.  Despite the fact that I offer to do both, she still likes eating out more than staying home.  Even when we go to one of the non-fussy places, it costs at least $20 for both of us.  

What's your preference and what suggestions do you have to get your SO to want to eat at home more?  Or if you prefer eating out, what's your argument for that?

[no one]

The plus to dining in a restaurant is, no muss, no fuss.
No prepping.
No cooking.
And best of all, no cleaning up.

The con do dining in a restaurant is, you pay a premium for the luxury.

[brewer]

Show her the local restaurant health inspection/code violation reports?

Prior to covid we ate out 2 to 3 times a week (sit down or take out). Now it's next to never.

I like to cook, bonus for the wife is that I clean (at least rinse) while I cook. There is minimal cleanup at the end on the meal so I can slip into food coma if necessary. Plus, a lot of meals I cook will create leftovers for 1 to 2 days.

[Fake Messiah]

What's your preference and what suggestions do you have to get your SO to want to eat at home more?  Or if you prefer eating out, what's your argument for that?

Yeah, I also don't eat out. I mostly eat vegan meals so they are usually quick and simple to make. Just the other day, I cooked barley in tomato juice and onions, then after it got cold, I took a slice of brown whole grain bread, put some peanut butter on it, and then smeared that barely and I thought "This is better than eating out. No restaurant would serve this."

So I like it better than eating out because I know the food that I like to eat better than some chef.

[Duty]

Eating out is a fun treat for me, a rare one at that. If it was a regular habit I'd probably have nightmares about incinerating my wallet with a flamethrower. I also enjoy cooking and find it a great source of satisfaction - job well done etc.

[Angrboda]

I'm not a good cook and I'm kinda lazy. I like to eat out because the food is better and someone else does the cooking. Someone who knows what they're doing.

[Spongebob]

Show her the local restaurant health inspection/code violation reports?

Prior to covid we ate out 2 to 3 times a week (sit down or take out). Now it's next to never.

I like to cook, bonus for the wife is that I clean (at least rinse) while I cook. There is minimal cleanup at the end on the meal so I can slip into food coma if necessary. Plus, a lot of meals I cook will create leftovers for 1 to 2 days.

It's really interesting to hear all the different perspectives on this topic.  I don't think there's a right or wrong answer, just what works for you.  So thanks for the feedback.

@brewer My wife and I both regularly spot the inspection "report card" that restaurants post.  In our state, they are required to post them in plain view and with the overall score.  We can't always see the specific citations, but if a place gets a score less than 90, we get suspicious.  Although, my wife once worked at a restaurant that regularly broke the rules when the inspectors weren't looking, so the report card isn't all that reliable.

And we both absolutely love leftovers.  It's like getting a free meal!  Often the food is better warmed over.

[Ranjr]

After not eating out for a year, I showed her the money we saved.  We bought two new appliances and some vintage barware.  We're entertaining again as friends come to town for football games and water sports.  That has kept the momentum in the home kitchen.  But before long, we'll be eating out like it was 2019.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

We dine out two or three times a month. Other than that, we eat at home.

I like to cook, and though I say it as shouldn’t, I’m pretty damned good at it. Herself likes what I make (with a few exceptions). Clean up doesn’t trouble me.

Boru

[Astreja]

I used to eat out several times a week. Just got tired of seeing so much of my paycheck go to restaurants and started cooking more, and realized that my daughter and I cook substantially better than most restaurants.

On the weekends I usually go out one or two times for coffee and a light snack, and we sometimes bring in some pizza or chicken, but it's rare for us to go out to restaurants for supper.