We had to take some documents to our solicitors in Blackpool on Monday, all to do with the sale of our Welsh flat, which is at last going through nice and smoothly. So while we were in the vicinity of our nearest Dobbies and we were both hungry we decided to stop for lunch. Mavis loves it there too, which is always a deciding factor.
They had neither of the things we wanted so we had to change the order at the last minute and I ended up with a 'Fish Finger on Grain Bread' sandwich. I don't know why, maybe it's something to do with all our local shops offering this on their menus but with 'Posh Fish Fingers', but somehow I expected more than I got.
It was nice enough and very edible, something a bit similar to the above photo but with brown bread and a big dollop of coleslaw added. They were just cheap, skinny fish fingers slathered with lots of tartare sauce, possibly as I had asked for no butter on the bread.
But on the way home it got me thinking ... what could I buy along the same lines for the same price from the shops? Now obviously when you are eating out you paying for the privilege, I totally understand and appreciate that, and the money for whatever you choose to consume is also covering overheads, property, wages, food and it's cooking costs etc etc. You choose to do this if you can afford to eat away from home, and boy oh boy is its getting harder and harder to hand over the amount of cash needed to be able to eat out without the prices playing on my mind.
You just know what I did first thing this morning don't you ....
I 'shopped' on the Sainsbury's website for the things that would have been needed to make my fish finger sandwiches and all the garnishes that were on my plate.
It turns out that I would have the makings of another complete fish finger sandwich ... PLUS leftovers of two fish fingers, three quarters of a loaf of bread, two thirds of a tub of coleslaw, most of a bottle of mayonnaise, two thirds of a red onion, most of a bag of mixed salad leaves AND a bonus packet of chocolate chip cookies all for the same price as my lunch. 😀
It gets you thinking doesn't it, well it sure gets me thinking!!
Luckily, while we were there we enjoyed our two free monthly coffees, well we paid 30p each to top them up to large-size instead of the free regular sized that you get.
And I picked up the sachets that we had chosen to go with our lunches and that were actually unused.
Do you still enjoy eating out, is it as regular as maybe you used to do it or have you mostly stopped it now. It's something we can and should all decide for ourselves isn't it.
Sue xx
The older I get, the fussier I get. We never eat out now. It’s not the cost so much, I’m just choosy about the ingredients. I go to a lot of trouble and expense to source and cook the best ingredients at home, organic veg and grass fed meat, no seed oils etc. - a restaurant won’t do that. And I’m pretty sure my kitchen hygiene is better than most commercial kitchens. When I was younger I loved a take-away as much as the next person, now I wouldn’t touch one with a barge pole. I don’t even have coffee out. I’m a sugarless black coffee drinker, it’s always disappointing in a cafe so I’d rather not bother. I’m not as joyless as I sound, just older and wiser I think lol
ReplyDeleteAnna
You're not joyless at all, it's what suits you, and actually it would be what suited me too. But Alan has always enjoyed eating out massively, and while I struggle to find food that agrees with me and I actually enjoy when we are out, I will always go out with him for a meal or just a coffee when he asks.
DeleteHe pays ... I eat what I can and provide the scintillating company. :-)
I don't often do meals out as it's sometimes not fun alone but coffee and cheese scone out is still a treat and will continue to be so as long as I can afford it and don't have a live in coffee maker!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I have ever had a meal out on my own, but like you I don't mind grabbing a coffee and occasionally a toasted teacake too if I'm out and about and thirsty or hungry. I made myself get a lone coffee out for the first time the year we lost my Dad and my Mum bravely went out herself for a coffee once a week, its took a lot of guts for her to do that. So I thought if she can do it, I possibly should too.
DeleteWe never eat out for a variety of reasons and I just meet a friend a few times a year for lunch so as you've done in this post, I'm always comparing prices of eating out vs home cooked food. even the most reasonable priced, good food is so much more expensive "out" whatever way you look at it, I find.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I would ever be able to reconcile myself with the prices if I was the one actually paying each time we eat out. Sometimes when Alan suggests a takeaway I volunteer to make a similar meal at home and we do that instead. It makes me much happier.
DeleteWe do eat out, but not often. What we find frustrating is the inconsistency. Somewhere we might enjoy lunch the first time, is dreadful the second. It makes it all a bit hit and miss, so we usually take a picnic instead. When we do eat out we try not to analyse the cost too much, it's more expensive for all the reasons you've mentioned, and we are helping provide employment. It's when the food/service are very disappointing that you end up thinking why did we bother. Luckily, our favourite place is a lovely cafe run by an Italian couple. They do everything themselves and it is always wonderful. If we couldn't go there every now and then I think we would give up completely.
ReplyDeleteI'm always so disappointed when we find somewhere with a menu that I can choose a few things from ... and then they change things just as it becomes a favourite place. You little café sounds just perfect.
DeleteI don't eat out all that much, to be honest, so when I do, I just enjoy it and pay whatever it is. What I do find is that generally I like my own, home cooked meals a lot more than I do whatever I choose from the menu. Win-win, I guess. xx
ReplyDeleteUnless the atmosphere in the place we're eating in is really good, like you I much prefer a good home cooked meal. Definitely a win-win on flavour and cost.
DeleteWe used to pop out for lunch a lot but recently we have really started to notice how expensive it is. We can be paying £20 just for a sandwich and a drink and it we have a full meal we can be looking at about £40. I’m sure we used to get a nice full meal for £20 for both of us and thought that was a lot. It’s even more frustrating when what you get isn’t as good as you could make yourself. We do go out less now but can’t resist a nice tea room when we are out for the day 😀. Carol … Life of Pottering
ReplyDeleteWe've noticed exactly the same. It used to be just the posher places and a proper two course lunch that would set us back around £40, now it can just be a simple pub meal and two drinks. Most times when we go out for coffee I take a little pack of biscuits with me and Alan buys a scone or cake to have with his. It makes me feel better to save a little and sadly there is rarely a cake I could have anyway.
DeleteWe don't eat out as often as we used to either. Often the food is disappointing and doesn't justify the cost. Our favourite pub has a restaurant with a lovely atmosphere. It's always warm and welcoming and 2 meals from the lunch menu are just £15. We go every couple of weeks for a roast lunch with all the trimmings (no meat for me) or sometimes a good portion of fish and chips. The meals are freshly cooked and made onsite by the chef. A couple of drinks ( maybe a pint and a half of lager ) cost around £7 which I don't think is too bad. We really can't justify spending any more. I think your fish finger sandwich was indeed a bit pricey :/
ReplyDeleteAngie x
A challenge for you - next time you go out see what the exact cost is and then recreate it at home!!
DeleteYes, for a bog standard fish finger butty I thought it was far too much, if it had been a couple of battered fish goujons for example I would have been much more satisfied.
That would be a challenge indeed! The main problem would be the meat element. Gray likes beef or pork cut from a joint and I never buy it because of the long cooking time and also because he only likes it occasionally. It doesn't seem worth the effort when he can eat at the pub every couple of weeks. A massive plate of roast dinner is the equivalent of £7.50. For my part, I get a good variety of veg and often they will make me a Yorkshire pudding too :) I guess we're paying for me not to have to do the cooking!...lol...
DeletePaying for you not to have to do the cooking is worth every penny. 😀
DeleteI rarely eat out any more as like you I always think I could make this at home for a fraction of the cost!! I still do the odd coffee and cake outing with friends and treat the cake as a luxury item :-) xxx
ReplyDeleteIt's more enjoyable when it is a rare treat, so much more of a special occasion isn't it. Perhaps you could check out some menus online and do comparison cooking of some of the meals on your YouTube channel.
DeleteWe eat out very seldom. Same reasons as everyone above. Quality and price. We had one restaurant where we were going for fish and chips (I don’t generally deep fry at home) but last time we went I think they must have changed fish suppliers and the price had increased by half. Disappointed. We would just as soon have something out of the slow cooker or toss together a sandwich and salad. ~ Carol in Iowa
ReplyDeleteFish and chips used to be so much more affordable here in the UK until the cost of living crisis really bit. Now it costs them so much more to fire up the huge fryers, and the fish and chips (and the large sausage that Alan gets too) all cost more, and sadly it means that a takeaway fish and chip supper has almost doubled in price.
DeleteEating out is an occasional treat, a special event. We take DD, SIL and the boys for a Chinese buffet at Northampton twice a year, which we all really enjoy. We have a lot of small courses to appreciate all of the different tastes. I hate to see people piling a plateful of everything.
ReplyDeleteDH and I have a monthly lunch in term time, at the local college restaurant, £16.50 for a three courses, silver service, cooked and served by the students. They are a delight and the food is seasonal and very good, the delicious blood orange posset with an almond biscotti!
The rest of the time I take homemade cake, or a tasty picnic and a flask of proper coffee. I take a nice mugs, fabric napkins, and pretty food boxes, to make it special. We both had years of frugal packed lunches for work.
That all sounds so nice, and you really do make a special treat of it whether buying out or taking things from home.
DeleteI have not eaten out for the last five years, since COVID. I dislike large groups and the prices here are not great. I make better food at home.
ReplyDeleteThat's usually my first thought too ... I make better food at home!!
DeleteWe have stopped eating out as it always disappoints and is expensive. I think that is very expensive for a fish finger sandwich. For not much more (around £10) we can get fish and chips from our local chippie and the portions are so big that we have one between us and the quality is really good. It's still only a very occasional treat though.
DeleteAt Dobbies the fish and chips lunch is £14, at our local chippy it is just over £10 but we share a portion of chips and usually have a fish each.
DeleteIf I "eat out" it is rarely in a sit-down establishment - instead it is a car picnic. With my income reduced by 2/3 now that I am a widow, I am wary I can only spend it once, so even a Gregg's roll is viewed as a treat!
ReplyDeleteI think a Greg's roll is a great treat. I would be more than happy with that. 😀
DeleteWe used to eat out lots especially coffees but since Covid we have eaten mainly at home. I’m quite a fussy eater because I don’t like processed food and as a mainly veggie, I am fed up with little choice and unimaginative food being offered. I’d rather buy good fresh food and cook it myself. Catriona
ReplyDeleteI usually have a very limited choice. If I stopped eating fish again, it would be even smaller. 🫤
DeleteWe don't eat out as much as we did pre-Covid, but I do like a meal out as I'm the only one who cooks in this household. OH can fry an egg or open a tin but!! Now we are in Belper there are a lot of eateries ranging from fish and chips to posh restaurants, but we tend towards the lower end of the market unless its a celebration. Xx
ReplyDeleteIt's hard when you're the only one that cooks isn't it. I think Alan likes eating out so much because he likes to have an evening or two off from cooking. If we go out for lunch he just has a snack for his tea. 🙂
DeleteI eat out but as it is 100 miles one way for me to get to the shops, I need a break. However I do watch what I buy cost-wise. The other day I bought one cooked chicken strip at the grocery store deli for $1.20 and it with a drink from the dollar store did me well. I do have a lunch box with me on these trips but when the weather is -30F I don't like eating in my car. I do not eat while I drive.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, you definitely need a break after that journey. I was the same on long journeys.
DeleteFor long car journeys I bring a mix of coffee powder and dried milk so it can be spooned into two mugs and boiling water added from a flask as we drive.
ReplyDeleteIt might not be high quality but out on the road without a cafe in sight it tastes great!
I used to more prepared, but now I just bring myself a snack as I know Alan will want a hot drink and a cake from the cafe ... and while he's buying his he might as well get me a coffee too. 😄
DeleteWhen I make my annual trek over the Pond (almost always solo), I book places to stay with kitchen facilities which saves me an inordinate amount of money over the course of several weeks. I maintain my Waitrose and M&S cards for discounts and use their apps. I usually shop in person, but Waitrose delivers to my regular London hotel. This worked out well when I was traveling alone and got Covid in 2022. I had to extend my stay in the UK an additional 10 days as I could not return to the US or leave the hotel at that time until I had a negative test. Boots delivered my extra Covid tests there, too. Was very helpful. And at least I didn't have to rely on room service for 10 days. (Horrors!)
ReplyDeleteIn general, I simply prefer to buy my own ingredients for meals like breakfast and dinner. When I am out during the day, I usually get tea and a scone or a simple salad somewhere for lunch. I do enjoy going to a nearby pub for a Sunday dinner and when it is busy, I sometimes end up sharing a table with people and having interesting conversations. I used to travel a great deal on business so not fazed about eating alone. But given a choice, I much prefer to eat in the quiet of my own place after a busy day out and about.
Oh gosh, imagine what room service meals would have cost you for 10 days!!
DeleteWe don't eat out very often and when we do it is usually after Mass or when we go up and visit our son. The after Mass is mostly a breakfast which is relatively inexpensive (however the cost of the coffee sends me for a tailspin). With our son it is usually lunch out or perhaps a pizza or fried chicken meal which leaves him leftovers for awhile.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
That all sounds very sensible, and a nice treat too. 🙂
DeleteWhen I first retired 2 years ago I kept to my same eating out patterns, but that soon changed due to costs. Now I still eat out with friends as I live alone and it is social interaction but I will have the meal and not drinks to save money. I always have a muesli bar in my bag so if I am not home until say mid afternoon I can eat that to allay hunger.
ReplyDeleteA meal is a real sociable treat when shared with friends isn't it, it really makes it special. ❤️
DeleteI don't think I've ever seen fish sticks/fish fingers as a sandwich over here in the US.
ReplyDeleteI haven't gone out to eat in a cafe or restaurant since the pandemic, but, I will get take out to go and eat it at home. Usually, it is food that I don't generally cook for myself, from smaller family owned local restaurants, and usually, ethnic food. It costs more to eat out or get food to go, but, sometimes, it's nice to not have to cook and it's a treat.
The UK is pretty famous for eating carbs on carbs, so breadcrumb coated fish on a sandwich fits in perfectly. 😄
DeleteAh, but you are paying for someone to prep serve and wash up and clean, plus their heat light electricity rates tax.... so it will always be cheaper to eat in.... provided you don't include paying for buying, prep, heat etc...😁
ReplyDeleteYes, that's exactly what I said in the post, and that's why I never object to paying more. It just pulls me up short and makes me realise how much more I would get for my money if I did it myself. 😀
DeleteHere in the US, there may be fish sandwiches at restaurants, but they would be a filet, never fish sticks. In any case, I would only get fish if it were a nice big piece of haddock. We rarely eat out, but sometimes my sister and I will take our elderly aunt out for lunch, or some of my daughters will want to go out. We have an authentic Mexican restaurant that serves food we can't make nearly as well at home, with fresh salsa and homemade chips...mmm.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's nearly always worth going out if you're going to be eating a particular authentic cuisine isn't it. 🙂
DeleteWe usually have breakfast in Wetherspoons twice a week after swimming - a small vegetarian (mine), a traditional English (Jon) and unlimited coffee (although we only have the one) comes to less than a tenner. I love the pub at 8.45am in the morning, its so chilled and its always the same staff & punters so it feels almost like being at home! A few branches of Spoons shut down last year and I'd hate it to happen to ours, I feel like we're doing out bit for society by being regulars! xxx
ReplyDeleteIt's your absolute duty to keep going. 😄 We definitely don't want to lose any more Wetherspoons. 😔
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