is going out for lunch/brunch once a week as a family too much?

[7999ghkk]

Guess same as everyone else trying to manage the coming cost of living rise o trying to budget ahead. We have two little kids and we regularly - once a week go out for lunch/brunch on a sunday. We dont get any other takeaways and although I do go out for dinner or drinks with friend once or twice a month - DH and I havent been out together on an evening since sept 2019 and he very rarely goes out. But going out for food with family has become our regular. Would you cut it out? Or keep it? It seems like an unnecessary extra but kids dont like ice cream or sweets so cant fob them off with that. How often do you go out to eat as a family.

My weeks shopping today came to £59..

It obviously depends on what you want to spend your money on but 120k the cost of living crisis 🤔

If I could afford it I would love to do this! But our household income is less than half of yours, so we don't. If you want to cut back, why not make something nice yourself? Pancakes always go down as a special weekend treat, or invest in a waffle maker.

So, do a budget.

I know you don't want to, but it's the answer. I have a budget which I've stress tested, i.e. what happens if my salary stays static but my costs go up by X %.

Honestly, you'll hate doing it, but you'll feel much happier afterwards.

Based on your last post, I'd focus more on how you can control your outgoings in future rather than the expenditure now.

Can you remortgage? 5-10 year fixes are good value right now. Is it worth reviewing your energy suppliers/ broadband/ insurances etc to see if you can save some money there?

We go out for coffee/ pastries, ice cream, light lunch a few times a week on a lower income than yours. I don't think it's a big number in the context of overall household expenditure.

@lifesnotaspectatorsport yes, i think thats probably a good idea. Our mortgage is fixed till next year but it's a massive penalty to renew it early. But should look at everything else and whether that can be fixed before the autumn.

We go out on a date night every 2nd week and get a take away usually once a week also but then again we have no mortgage or debts.

I would want to make sure I had a pot of savings that can cover price rises. If you don't have the pot then cut out the brunches and put the money into savings. If you have good savings then you can carry on......until you start eating into them. Then you probably want to reasses the outgoings and cut back on luxuries for necessities.

@7999ghkk

I think it depends…does weekly family meal mean there isn’t money left for you and your husband to go out just the two of you?

Or for you to go out with your mates and him his?

Because if that was the case I’d definitely be cutting down the family brunches

@7999ghkk

just read your updates about high your income is.

As this is the case why on earth haven’t you and your husband been out together for date nights since 2019?!

And why does he barely go out with his pals?!

@RepublicOfNarnia

Tight

Our household income is a little more than yours and we spend way more than this on eating out tbh. Definitely eat out twice a week at least, takeaways once a week. We spend loads on food but I really don't care - we don't really do holidays and we don't own or run a car so two big expenses cut out there.

If you have the money and you're OK spending it then spend it. No one else can or should tell you what to spend it on.

@DeepOW

why don’t you do holidays??

Lots of thoughts here. In terms of why we haven't been out, mainly because we've had a baby, then covid and never got around to getting a babysitter or getting the youngest used to someone else putting them to bed. I would love DH to go out but the reality is he doesn't have any mates where we live. We moved from abroad and due to Covid, kids and stuff just hasn't made any beyond people we hang out with as a family. It's a shame and I'd like him to work on that but thats not about money really.

why don’t you do holidays??

Because we don't really enjoy them. I'm a homebody and so are DH and DS. We do a few short UK based trips a year but nothing longer than about 3 days at a time. I'd rather take time off work and do lovely day trips and meals out than go away.

We had wanted to perhaps take DS abroad for the first time this year but looking at all the pictures of the airports I'm glad we didn't!

As with any thread that involves spending money, the question is not so much “is this too much?” but “is this too much for me?” And only you know what you can and cannot afford.

our household budget is just over 120k

Budget for what? or do you mean your net income is £120k? or that your gross income is £120k?

All would be good amounts but it's a bit unclear from your posts and people seem to think you mean different things.

Honestly if you can’t work out if you can spend 50 quid a week then I’ve no idea what you are both doing that justifies paying you such a generous salary 🙄

So. Much. This.

You’re taking the piss, really.

Maybe go out for a weekly family walk and picnic as an alternative.

What do you mean 120k is your budget?

income/post tax income/budgeted spending?

in terms of budget - 120k is our gross salary so obviously its less net. net we have 6.5 coming in after pensions. and yes clearly a struggling budgeting things for the future when things seem pretty uncertain at the moment.

Read the meaningful money handbook. Work out your monthly budget and add an extra 15% on to allow gor increases. Put an emergency fund aside with 6 months worth of expenses. Then enjoy the rest of your disposable income on what you like.

I eat out probably once or twice a week, but I love food, I grew up in a food focused culture, it's something I enjoy and prioritise. If all my money just went on kids and savings I'd feel like I was missing out on living. Other people feel differently.

Our household income is £170k gross and mortgage and childcare £1700 a month combined. £50 a week on brunch seems frivolous to me.

Our household income is more than that and I would also think that was a lot to be spending on brunch every week. But as everyone else has said, it entirely depends on whether your outgoings are currently too high for your income.

£50 for 2 adults and 2 kids isn't much... I know a poster asked earlier. But where are you eating?

There's probably a good few on here including myself that will spend £15 some weeks in Costa and that's just in drinks and cakes!