To ask if you view food such as takeaways as a waste of money

[Blameitonme7000]

I personally don’t but I know many do

I think it's fine occasionally, yes I can cook it cheaper but the pleasure of not having to and there being nothing but a few plates to go in the dishwasher after. We only have them about once a month though, pre lockdown we rarely did as we'd rather eat out. On the other hand I know a couple who frequently moan about having no money, have just visited extra on the mortgage to pay outstanding car finance (!) yet have takeaway at least 3 times per week, often 4 and expensive takeaway at that, last night they ordered to collect from TGI Fridays for a family of 4. That is a waste of money to me as they need it elsewhere and just spend £100-£200 a week on takeaway. Pre lockdown I dropped their daughter off after nursery (she attends the school next door) and they'd ordered from a local restaurant the night before and were moaning it had cost over £60 and the food wasn't great.

I love my takeaways. Most fridays we get one delivered. An Indian meal is £13.60 (well it was last night) a Chinese meal comes to just over 15 quid. KFC over 30 quid. If we go further afield for thai or something I find it arrives cold and costs even more.
Those prices are for two people. I can actually cook them to a similar standard, but I would then end up cooking a lot and I want a night off.
Rarely we get another takeaway in the week but then I miss vegetables. When a new kitchen was fitted I had to eat 5 or 6 in a row and I then couldn't eat any takeaways for months.

A friend took heed of my plight and invited us for a proper roast on the last day of fitting the kitchen. I've never enjoyed roast lamb more in my life.

No definitely not, I'm a massive foodie and love getting takeaways! We normally get a takeaway every Friday night and take turns choosing the restaurant. Last night we had an amazing meal from a fantastic Mexican restaurant! We'd normally budget around 30 a week for this.

Getting the food to takeaway is definitely a lockdown thing though, if restaurants were open we'd go out and eat there!

We're lucky to live in a city with a ton of incredible independent restaurants so we have loads of choice and keep how takeaways really varied although I do definitely have my favourites!

I am most envious! Our takeaway options around here are
fish and chips
a not very good chinese
a good Indian
Dominos.

so most of the time I can't be bothered.

It's a leisure activity for us.
We enjoy it. It supports jobs.

This thread has reminded me that our post-Covid deliveroo pass has been really useful - not just for our weekly takeaways as above but for small top up grocery orders. This thread reminded me that we needed a few bits and pieces for the weekend (milk, bread, bacon etc) and I've just had them delivered to the door in under 20 minutes. A luxury but one I'm very happy to pay for at the moment.

We don’t really have takeaways or fast food as I don’t eat burgers so never go to mcds and all the other food types are too greasy for me (Indian is the exception to this) but I truly can’t remember the last time we had one of those!

I really miss restaurants though as this was date night, some local restaurants do deliver and we have had a couple throughout lockdown but I miss someone else doing the cooking and tidying up, we probably went to restaurants once a fortnight pre covid and I do genuinely miss it and it most definitely wasn’t a waste of money for us!

We only really have them on birthdays here.

Maybe 6 times a year.

I don't love having them because I always feel too full because I don't want to waste it.
I started having Gousto and hello fresh and that feels like a takeaway because I choose foods I don't cook

Someone in work has takeaway food several times a week. McD's kebabs Chinese etc and moans she's overweight & skint. Ffs

Not a waste per se.

I don't have weekly takeouts or even monthly.

I'm also WF which causes me a very limited choice!

But I do have a Costa coffee weekly and when ds was competing every month at least once at swimming galas (will start again when restrictions lift) he has macdonalds drive through on way home.

It's all relative to your income and slate cash and what else you spend it on.

Some people take out is important as they are lovers of food and wine and a night in.

The only time is when I've just done a food shop and I know there are easy meals out there or even nice meals yet I still order a kebab box with chips. Irritates me every time.
And I always regret ordering a Chinese because of the cost yet I love the food, I never ever feel calm about it .

I always thought I was a rubbish cook but we started trying out some recipes through lockdown and a lot of them have come out really, really well. I realised that the issue was probably that previously I didn't actually follow the recipe properly and missed out or substituted quite a lot of things. We definitely make a better katsu curry than wagamamas, fantastic butter chicken - healthier than anything at the Indian and my ds's favourite Chinese pork with bao buns. Other things are not so good - spring rolls are always a disaster and I can't make a korma as good as the Indian (but I suspect if I knew how much sugar was in it I wouldn't want to eat it anyway!)

For me takeaways are more about convenience, if we're rushing around and need something quick rather than a big treat. As a (more expensive) alternative we've also tried a couple of the meal kits from restaurants which we've really enjoyed as an alternative to eating out.

It’s pretty expensive near us - maybe £40 for the three of us. I’d say we do about one a month or so. Occasionally we’ll get sushi or something for lunch. DS loves McDonald’s so if it’s a treat for him that would be his choice.

@littlepattilou I don't not believe you just wish ours was as cheap! At our Chinese it's £7 for a main dish and at our Indian it's £9. They aren't that big so wouldn't do us 4 meals. Like I say I don't disbelieve you just couldn't do that here. A half portion of chicken balls would be 3 here so definitely not enough for 4 meals!

Fish and chips costs us £24 for 4 but that's only at the moment whilst the children share a large fish. It'll soon go up.

We would spend £40 on an Indian for 4 and £35 for a Chinese so it's a treat. Not a waste of money but an expense we budget.

Our local Thai restaurant does takeaway and it is immense. 😋

The problem is I can make a nice pizza with the toppings everyone likes, a good curry, Thai or Chinese in less time than it takes for a takeaway to arrive
If we do get one we usually think that I could have made better, cheaper and healthier well before a takeaway turned up.
The exception is a local Burmese restaurant that is doing takeaway at the moment and is amazing

@CandyLeBonBon

You'll still be hungry again in a few hours.

Isn't that the normal digestive process??

Haha. Indeed.

I meant if I spend all that money I like the thrill to last longer than that. My DC are hungry 45 minutes later.

I do not understand why anyone would buy Costa or Starbucks , now that is a waste of money !

We have one once a week usually.Indian costs around £30,Chinese £20 and chippy £14 for me,dh and ds 7

@HelgaDownUnder mine too. They end up using up the leftovers in the fridge in the middle of the night like starving coyotes.

Teens eh?!

Very much depends on the take away. If I'm really fancying something specific whether that be fish and chips or a particular Indian dish or whatever, and we get a good one then I don't mind paying for it and don't consider it a waste. Usually in those cases it will be a treat we plan in advance and look forward to so it maximises the enjoyment.

If we're just feeling hungry and lazy or we decide to try somewhere new that doesn't end up being that great then yes, I always feel pissed off afterwards at the waste of money and waste of calories.

We had a choice of really good Indians near us but the last time we went to one of the previously great options the food was really really disappointing, greasy and just unpleasant. I've had a few codes and discounts from uber eats and so tried using them twice since the first lockdown started, both times it worked out super expensive even with a so called 50% discount and both times we tried restaurants which got good reviews but the food was underwhelming.

But when it's a good one and we enjoy the meal and it feels like a treat then I don't mind at all.

We have them maybe once a month if that, sometimes get 2 in a month sometimes go a few months without.

I have been buying a takeout hot chocolate from my local cafe fairly often in lockdown, was one nice thing to look forward to on my sleep deprived and frequently cold and wet walks with baby in the pram. Having a new baby has been tough through lockdowns and I also really like that cafe and want it to still be there when this is all over so don't begrudge the overpriced hot chocolate 3 or 4 times a week. In other times/ circumstances it would be a waste.

Not at all. I can afford takeaways easily though, when I was skint it would have seemed like a waste.

@Flowers24

I do not understand why anyone would buy Costa or Starbucks , now that is a waste of money !

We have a bean to cup machine so while I do agree a trip to Starbucks tempts the teenager out of her room

Takeaway food is something we'd eat only in an emergency situation or if away from home and there was no alternative /no supermarkets .... if we couldn't be bothered to cook or didn't have time, a sandwich or toast/eggs/tinned soup etc would always be preferable. An exception is fish and chips, at the seaside, maybe once a year!

It's so interesting that a lot of the replies on here sound like people feel a little conflicted - like yes on paper it's a waste of money, but we really enjoy them! I'm the same - yes technically I could go without, and looking at my bank balance, probably should. But it is such a nice treat, especially at the moment, that that bit of joy and indulgence is worth the money.