March was largely free of major events, and we spent the month at home.
The averages for this month:
- Lunch prepared at home $2.40 ($2.20 in Feb)
- Lunch eaten or purchased outside the home: $6.77 ($5.95)
- Dinner eaten at home: $5.81 ($5.11)
- Dinner eaten out: $15.20 ($11.04)
The averages are fairly consistent with previous months, with some averages slightly higher, some lower. There has been a slow trend for our evening meals to be a little less expensive on average.
Our most expensive meal was the night at Gordon Biersch at around $17.92 per serve. Our most expensive at home meal was the Rib Eye with Roast Kabocha Squash and Buttered Balsamic Mushrooms at $12.84.
Lunches at home cost 21% of the cost of eating food prepared outside the home, while dinners at home cost 45% the average of dinner out this month.
Had we purchased every lunch and prepared none it would have cost us $308.07 per person in March. We actually spent $39.99 for lunches at home plus $119.67 for lunches purchased or eaten out: $159.66 in total.
Had we purchased every evening meal out and prepared none at home, it would have cost us $381.30. We actually spent $160.29 for dinners at home and $24.59 for dinners out: $184.88 in total.
We saved $344.83 by preparing and eating most meals at home, plus we have better control over what we eat.
Over the month we prepared 28 different recipes for evening meals.