To Eat Out (Or Not)

Fine Dining

A relative does not like eating out, even on important occasions.

You can actually feel his displeasure when we insist (except when it is the Sofitel buffet, which he loves).  This is because he thinks eating out is a waste of money.  This view is okay (and maybe true), except that he strongly suggests to everyone (read: bullies everyone) not to eat out (when it is not his money that will be spent).  And for special occasions (like Christmas or Thanksgiving), he wants the cooks in the family to do all the cooking (my husband outshines me in this regard so, no, I am not included in “cooks”).  That does not sit well some of the time with some of the members of the family, the ones who slave it out in the kitchen (who pay for the grocery too – a double whammy?).

But I know he means well.

Now, my husband and I look for every excuse to eat out.  For the past years, the lines between special and not-so-special occasions (or without any occasion) have been blurred for us. Name a restaurant, if it is good (and not so unreasonably expensive), we have probably eaten there (I partly blame food blogs, which I love to read).

But lately, the eating out scene has been flat (pregnancy hormones? ballooning expenses?).  And I find myself agreeing more and more with the relative.

That food served at home is better, and cheaper, and cleaner.  There are no taxes too and service charges, traffic or parking problems or bad service (or arguments because of differing tastes).

And there’s the money saved.

So I pose this challenge to myself: not to eat out for 2 weeks (which I hope to increase to 3 then to a month).

Because we are almost hopeless.  We eat out maybe 3 times a week at the very least (without fail).

This way too, hubby has a chance to impress me (not that I need any more impressing).  And I look forward to enjoying his specialties, which include Beef Lap (Laotian), Asado (some kind of chicken adobo but not), Dynamite Special (Japanese) and Pho (Vietnamese).  And my daughter and I can flex our cooking muscles (she wants to bake while I am obsessing about cooking Abe’s version of Crispy Tadyang).  And maybe I can make videos of those “eating in” attempts for this blog.

Maybe.

So we can also put all those Food Network shows that we watch to good use.

Because, really, I no longer think that it is reasonable to pay P500+ ($10+) for a main dish, or 150+ ($3+) for a slice of cake or coffee.

Okay.  It is okay some of the time, but the frequency should get fewer and farther between.  Well, at least that is the idea.  And I hope I get the idea.

I will keep you posted.

Be rich,

Issa

Article by Issa. Art by Danvic. Copyright 2010.
Website: www.YouWantToBeRich.com
Email: issa@youwanttoberich.com

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