Eating out - entertainment or food budget?

WLITC

I'm curious, do you guys class eating out (say lunch with a friend on the weekend) as part of your weekly 'food' budget or your 'entertainment' budget?

kathfisch

Well, I have separate "food in" and "food out" budgets so that kinda solves it. But otherwise I'd class it as "entertainment". If you have space for it in your weekly food budget perhaps you're not being strict enough, I know I don't!!

PaleScene

I class it seperately from my grocery shopping. My categories are a bit slippy - grocery is anything in my supermarket shop that's food or necessary (eg if I buy shampoo at Sainsburys it's in, if I buy myself some flowers as well that's split back out). I'm not very good at classing shampoo bought at Boots as grocery though - I never want to add to that total, so it gets slipped into Misc half the time... I ought to overhaul my definitions and get strict!

I don't have an Entertainment category as such, but now split Eating Out into sub-cats for genuine meals out, takeaways and um, cinema visits - so it *ought* to be called Entertainment :grinheart

I think Kath makes a good point about it being easier to track necessary eating if you regard the eating out as a luxury instead, but if you aren't in a position to have to limit food bills it might be your choice to have all food spending kept together.

Locana

I would class it as entertainment. It's not necessary to eat out however, being with your friends is necessary, but you can always have a coffee..

K9cuddles

I would class it as enterainment...

jobbingmusician

I would class it as mystery shopping, hence income generation

Bargain_Rzl

I have three budgets: food and pocket money (£50 per week), entertainment (not telling), and "not otherwise budgeted" (£50 per month). Normally eating out comes out of the last of these, though if it's a quiet week and it's just something cheap like a Wetherspoons deal, it'll come out out of food/pocket money.

meggiemoo_d

I too would class it as mystery shopping!!! Glad its not just me jobbingmusician!!! Definately worth a try as you don't have to completely become a house-ridden hermit!! You can still have some nights out without completely messing up your finances!!!

The mystery shops include banks, opticians, woolworths etc. Definately worth a look if you're starting to feel disgruntled and feel like giving up due to lack of social life!!!

exil

I class it as "entertainment". Some exceptions though - if I'm on a long train or car journey and have a coffee or sandwich I'd add it in to "travel". (I do travel a lot - relatives spread throughout the country and the world).

A takeaway is a bit different - because portions are so large I find a £4 takeaway will easily provide a main meal for 2, less than a couple of ready meals. I know, I'd
be better off making my own meals!

I used to spend far too much on lunch at work - but now a supermarket has opened opposite and I can make my own sandwiches, saving about £1 a day or £250 a year!

climbgirl

I class it as entertainment too, mainly because I live in London and eat out a lot, so my food budget wouldn't last two minutes if it was included in there!

But if I've had a cheap month with the food budget and the entertainment budget is looking a little grim, I'll be fluid

skintchick

It comes out of my 'me money' which is entertainment, newspapers and magazines, drinks, etc.