Is it really frugal to split meals? Or is it more frugal to take home half a meal for tomorrow lunch? I’m really torn on the subject. Honestly I can think of scenarios where either situation works.
For the most part, I like to take home half of my meal and eat it the next day. Why? Because if I’m eating out during the week, then I’m not cooking and I typically take leftovers for my lunch the next day. Thus if I don’t take home a meal, I end up with a can of soup or nothing for lunch; or I buy lunch again. So it likely will cost me the same as buying dinner and eating half of it for lunch or splitting my meal and then buying lunch the next day.
However, when travelling I do split all my meals with DH. Mostly because it’s harder to store leftover when you are travelling and easier to stop and share a snack if you are hungry. This allows for less wasting of the food as well, since it can be difficult to finish a meal alone.
One thing that does prevent me also from splitting meals, is the surcharge places charge you to split a meal. Why do they do this? Is it that much work to bring an extra plate? If I see a surchage, then my frugal side comes out and I refuse to pay the surcharge and order my own entree and take half of it home. Surprisingly the restaurant doesn’t charge for doggy bags, although I’m expecting that to change soon as well.
Do you split meals, or do you typically doggy bag it?
12 responses so far ↓
1 Meg // Jan 23, 2009 at 2:14 pm
Restaurants charge more at dinner than at lunch and they charge extra for splitting meals for the same reason – because you’re paying for the length of your seat at the table (the ambiance) more than you’re paying for the food.
I typically don’t split meals or doggy bag it; I usually finish my dinner!
But I think it really depends on what you’re eating as well. It’s easy to reheat and reserve some things (Italian food, Chinese), but it’s not so nice to have leftover salad or fish the next day.
2 Fabulously Broke // Jan 23, 2009 at 4:35 pm
I basically eat what I can without wanting to throw up (and have room for a tea for example) then I ask to take the rest home.
Fabulously Broke in the City
“Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver.“
3 Stacey // Jan 23, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Can’t split meals with my husband – he eats too much! He could probably eat his entire meal, and half of mine as well.
He’s skinny, too.
With that said, I prefer a doggy bag because I like leftover lunches, too. I try to order healthier foods that reheat well, and save the salads and fish for home-cooked meals.
4 LivingAlmostLarge // Jan 23, 2009 at 5:28 pm
I sometimes eat my whole meal depending on what it is!
5 Miss M @ M is for Money // Jan 23, 2009 at 5:47 pm
I’m a doggie bag girl myself, there is no splitting meals with Mr M. He’s over 250, he clears a plate no problem. I like having the lunch the next day, something different than my usual brown bag lunch. I hate it when they charge to split a plate, often with a girlfriend we’ll order one appetizer and one entree to split. I would never pay to split a plate.
6 Tom // Jan 24, 2009 at 12:42 am
For me, doggy bagging it is the way to go.
I have a larger appetite than most, so know one would probably split with me!
Plus, I might find it awkward eating out and going that.
7 Kristy @ Master Your Card // Jan 24, 2009 at 1:43 am
I doggy bag it. I’d probably split the meal if everyone I knew wasn’t so picky…ok, if I wasn’t so picky. A friend and I will order the same meal from this certain restaurant, with one exception…she likes white gravy, I like brown gravy. So, we just don’t split our meals.
Personally, I think splitting it is more frugal because I take my lunch to work everyday anyway. I eat a lot of PB&J, tuna, and egg salad sandwiches. But, that’s just me. I see the argument about buying your lunch if you don’t have leftovers, but I think if you wanted to be frugal you could work around that with sandwiches, or soups as you said. Even a bag of popcorn is better than nothing, LAL – eating nothing is bad for you!
8 LAL // Jan 24, 2009 at 12:09 pm
My problem would be that someone would want to order appetizer and dessert to go with the split meal! Then I haven’t saved money or calories!
10 emily jane // Jan 28, 2009 at 1:29 pm
We’ll split meals, me and the spouse. It still works out cheaper than taking leftovers home because food at home doesn’t cost as much as that half a meal in the doggy bag. ($15-$20 for the entree = $7.50-$10 per portion, I can pull something out of the freezer for much less). The one place that charged us a fee for splitting recently closed, and we usually leave an extra tip when we split a meal.
11 HowToMe // Jan 28, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Interesting post. I enjoyed the read
Thank you.
12 LivingAlmostLarge // Jan 28, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Emily Jane, I try to only split when we travel. But the paying to split the meal is what really bugs me.
Festival of Frugality - 162nd Edition - Jan 27, 2009
Leave a Comment