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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder how people can afford a takeaway for a family?

784 replies

MaknCheeese · 15/04/2023 19:51

We haven't had a takeaway for a while and I was thinking about ordering one for the family as a treat tonight. I decided not to once I worked out the price, I just couldn't justify paying 1/3 of my weekly groceries budget, £30 on a curry for 4.
When did you last have a takeaway?
How much did it cost and how many did it feed?

OP posts:
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16
Ilovecleaning · 16/04/2023 20:37

Takeaways are poor value for money imo. We are only a couple now but 2 ribeyes and a bottle of wine £20-22. Accompaniments can be cobbled together with stuff out the fridge. Different for families I know but you can pick up a couple of pizzas from Aldi plus extra cheese from the fridge. Home made wedges to go with them are dirt cheap. One potato per person is plenty.

Spanielsarepainless · 16/04/2023 20:40

Two large haddock and chips in Yorkshire in November were £18. But so worth it!

IndiaRose22 · 16/04/2023 20:41

We usually have chippy tea on a Thursday and some other takeaway on a Saturday, 2 adults and 1 dc. That's usually £50 for the two takeaways. We don't drink and don't smoke, don't buy clothes except when necessary, our money either goes on food or the dc. Food is what we enjoy but we are happy to make other larger purchases that we want when we want, such as a pressure washer last week so I could jet wash stuff. We feel comfortable doing that because we don't spend wildly the rest of the time. Yesterday we had tea out with the in laws instead of takeaway and this morning we had breakfast out with my parents.

BluebellBlueballs · 16/04/2023 20:43

I enjoy a takeaway a few years ago could get 2 mains from the Indian for a tenner or maybe one main one side one starter. I know as their minimum spend for delivery was a tenner and we could get a meal for 2 on that if we made out own rice at home. Now ten pounds gets you a main if you're lucky!

Blaueblumen · 16/04/2023 20:55

My favourite is Lebanese, and it’s no more unhealthy than cooking things like tabbouleh and falafel at home.

I'm not sure I agree - the oil to deep fry the falafel is often reused way top many times. This is very unhealthy and can cause cancer, for example.

EarlGreyAndCucumber · 16/04/2023 21:11

Our last Chinese takeaway cost over £75 for six of us, but we did have leftovers for lunch the next day.

We are high earners, but I try not to waste money. We don’t have Indian or Chinese food very often now. We still get fish and chips, but tend to share one fish between two people.

Saltired · 16/04/2023 21:15

Ilovecleaning · 16/04/2023 20:37

Takeaways are poor value for money imo. We are only a couple now but 2 ribeyes and a bottle of wine £20-22. Accompaniments can be cobbled together with stuff out the fridge. Different for families I know but you can pick up a couple of pizzas from Aldi plus extra cheese from the fridge. Home made wedges to go with them are dirt cheap. One potato per person is plenty.

Yeah but you need to actually cook that stuff, and then clean up after it, whereas I can order food, collect it on my way home, and have food on the table within 5 minutes of getting home.

And whilst you might love cleaning as per your username, the majority of people absolutely do not, especially since my partner and I work 22 hours combined per day.

ConsuelaHammock · 16/04/2023 21:17

Usually once a fortnight. 35-40 for 4 . It’s worth it to have a night off cooking .

defi · 16/04/2023 21:20

Different for families I know but you can pick up a couple of pizzas from Aldi plus extra cheese from the fridge. Home made wedges to go with them are dirt cheap. One potato per person is plenty.

^^ frozen or supermarket pizzas just aren't the same. I've reduced our takeaways to save money so been trying lots of different cheaper ones to try and compensate. Some are ok but they're just not as good.

BlondieLady · 16/04/2023 21:48

Not sure of the point of this post. Clearly plenty of people can afford a takeaway. If your weekly food budget is £90 then why waste money on a takeaway?
I don't particularly enjoy a takeaway and prefer to go to a restaurant but I guess that's another post...

FrauleinElsaMars · 16/04/2023 21:48

00100001 · 15/04/2023 19:55

They probably can't. But see it as a cost of living and get in with it and don't spend as much on other things like shoes for their kids, so they're running round in shitty £12 trainers from ShoeZone that fall apart after 8 weeks.

Or different people have different income/outgoings than you.....you sound a very bitter person.

We spend about £40/week on a takeaway and my DD wears exclusively Nike and Dr Marten these days 😂

Blueink · 16/04/2023 22:00

I’m with you OP, surprised how many are having weekly takeout.
Your meal was a decent price if the portions were large enough to feed 4, but agree with you it’s a luxury and expensive compared to home cooked.

Ilovecleaning · 16/04/2023 22:01

Saltired · 16/04/2023 21:15

Yeah but you need to actually cook that stuff, and then clean up after it, whereas I can order food, collect it on my way home, and have food on the table within 5 minutes of getting home.

And whilst you might love cleaning as per your username, the majority of people absolutely do not, especially since my partner and I work 22 hours combined per day.

Show quote history

My username is ironic and how many hours you and your partner work is of no consequence to me. I actually know you have to clean up after. Why wouldn’t I know? Why did you bother replying to my post as if it were some kind of criticism of you, your dislike of cleaning and your long working hours?

Liorae · 16/04/2023 22:07

Indeed. Choosing between heating or eating or holidays in Dubai. How very Mumsnet.

DanceMonster · 16/04/2023 22:10

Blueink · 16/04/2023 22:00

I’m with you OP, surprised how many are having weekly takeout.
Your meal was a decent price if the portions were large enough to feed 4, but agree with you it’s a luxury and expensive compared to home cooked.

Yes it is a luxury, that’s why it comes out of our ‘treat’ budget.

Saltired · 16/04/2023 22:12

Ilovecleaning · 16/04/2023 22:01

My username is ironic and how many hours you and your partner work is of no consequence to me. I actually know you have to clean up after. Why wouldn’t I know? Why did you bother replying to my post as if it were some kind of criticism of you, your dislike of cleaning and your long working hours?

Show quote history

Because you strongly implied that people eat takeaways because they don’t have the imagination to throw some supermarket cheese on a supermarket pizza. Obviously everyone knows that these things are an option; it’s just most people don’t care because they are too busy.

And of course how many hours people work is relevant - if one of us were a SAHP then of course we’d have more time/energy for cooking. Hell, even if we worked normal 9-5 jobs.

But yeah, after being out the house for 12ish hours each, we might want to outsource cooking; just like people choose to outsource washing the car/cleaning the house/childcare/getting a haircut/waxing their labia. All of those things can be done at home for free too.

DanceMonster · 16/04/2023 22:13

Liorae · 16/04/2023 22:07

Indeed. Choosing between heating or eating or holidays in Dubai. How very Mumsnet.

Is it ‘very Mumsnet’, or is it just life? Some people have lots of money, some don’t. That isn’t a phenomena that just exists on Mumsnet. Some people are struggling to make ends meet and some aren’t.

Panda89 · 16/04/2023 22:13

Yeah for us it is a luxury, we budget for it. We enjoy food, takeaways or eating out are a nice break from the cooking/cleaning and we can all order what we want

Bayleaf25 · 16/04/2023 22:14

It’s all relative, we can probably afford a takeaway once a month but our car is over 12 years old with over 100k miles on the clock so have no car lease/loan. Also mortgage is ‘relatively’ low.

but yes agree that a takeaway isn’t cheap these days.

Saltired · 16/04/2023 22:18

FrauleinElsaMars · 16/04/2023 21:48

Or different people have different income/outgoings than you.....you sound a very bitter person.

We spend about £40/week on a takeaway and my DD wears exclusively Nike and Dr Marten these days 😂

Show quote history

Same! We aren’t even really high income; but we prioritise family time in the evening over some other things; so that means outsourcing dinner a few nights a week. It isn’t always unhealthy either - sometimes we get sushi/salads/soups.

My kids don’t do without shoes for us to do this 😂 They have a whole collection of Nike/adidas/reebok/sketchers/clarks.

… however, I do pretty much need to prise her cheap matalan ones off her feet.

Iguanainanigloo · 16/04/2023 22:25

We usually have a takeaway once a fortnight and dinner out once a fortnight. It's a treat, and something the children look forward to after a long week at school. Ours are only primary and don't eat a huge deal, so we don't order an extravagant amount.

Middleagedspreadisreal · 16/04/2023 22:26

I can't remember. They're unhealthy, fatty and salty so never have them

Ilovecleaning · 16/04/2023 22:27

Saltired · 16/04/2023 22:12

Because you strongly implied that people eat takeaways because they don’t have the imagination to throw some supermarket cheese on a supermarket pizza. Obviously everyone knows that these things are an option; it’s just most people don’t care because they are too busy.

And of course how many hours people work is relevant - if one of us were a SAHP then of course we’d have more time/energy for cooking. Hell, even if we worked normal 9-5 jobs.

But yeah, after being out the house for 12ish hours each, we might want to outsource cooking; just like people choose to outsource washing the car/cleaning the house/childcare/getting a haircut/waxing their labia. All of those things can be done at home for free too.

Show quote history

Jesus I don’t know where your anger comes from but will you focus maybe on replying to posts you agree with or something? Or vent your anger on someone else. Eat and buy what the hell you want.

Smurf2019 · 16/04/2023 22:29

Its expensive whatever way you look at it. its a nice treat

We haven't had a takeaway in about 6/7 months because of the cost.

VincentVaguer · 16/04/2023 22:29

Some people work ridiculously long hours but don't live near a decent takeaway.