Job Discussion Forums

[ranmawoman]

Is it cheaper to go out everyday and eat at AM PM and places of such, or is it cheaper to go out once a week, buy food and cook it? Furthermore, do people pack lunches and dinners to go to work, or do people eat out with other teachers?

[Glenski]

You can answer this by asking yourself the same question in your home country.

It is always more expensive to buy meals than to make them.

Despite this, many people hit the convenience stores for the 150 yen onigiri or the 500 yen plastic obento or the soba shops for the 600 yen bowl of soup. How many? I don't know. Many also pack their own obento.

[melirae]

A lot of people think eating out is cheaper, but I firmly believe that smart grocery shopping and packing a lunch is the cheapest way to go. You can make stir fry with chicken and veggies with rice for less than 1000 yen and have enough to eat for at least 2-3 meals. Sandwiches for lunch are also another cheap option. Pasta and sauce with veggies is also a cheap meal to make. Fruit and veggies are pretty expensive, but if you buy what's on sale, you can have fresh produce pretty cheap. Super Tamade is also a great place shop for produce, as they always have something on sale and it's usually pretty reasonable.
It really depends on how much you eat and what you prefer to eat. Red meat is pretty expensive but fish is pretty cheap. You just have to think of creative things to make so that you don't ALWAYS eat the same cheap meals!

[Big John Stud]

melirae wrote:

[color=indigo]A lot of people think eating out is cheaper,

[/color]


Who thinks it is cheaper to eat out? Your reasoning is correct. Only a fool would think eat out is cheaper! Think about it! A restaurant or even if you buy precook dinners like a bento, you are paying for the food, someone to cook the food and then someone to package the food. In a restaurant you are paying for the staff. Eating out is convenient but more expensive.

When I am at work I eat out with the teachers and sometimes with the students. I often get them to pay for me, which makes eating out cheap!

[Brooks]

in New York, eating out can be cheaper than cooking at home, if you go to cheaper places. In Taiwan, buying breakfast is cheap, so some teachers get carry out.

You have to think about saving money vs. convenience/ saving time.
At my school we can order bentos or Chinese food for lunch. I tend to get the bento that costs 450 yen. If my made my own bento, I would have to spend more time going to the supermarket.

Going out for lunch will be cheaper generally than going out for dinner.
Going out for lunch can get expensive and really add up.

[Gordon]

When I lived in Seoul, I found eating out was cheaper than eating in. Mind you I didn't have a kitchen, just a portable 1 gas-burner camp stove and one pot so your choices are severely limited. You could eat out for as little as $2-3 US while making about $50-80 US/hr. That was many years ago.

[Lover]

If you are even contemplating eating out or cooking at home, eat out!!!!

[Nismo]

I prefer to cook for myself, both for health and economical reasons, but I'll be damned if I can fit more than 3 days worth of food in the tiny cube fridge!

[melirae]

Same here! I visit the grocery store every 2-3 days, sometimes I go daily even. Maybe that's why a lot of people think eating in is more expensive- they can't exercise self control with all those trips to the store and they end up spending a ton!

[bshabu]

Eating in is usually more economical. I have, from time to time, spent more at the store then going to one of the local dinning estblishments. When they had beef bowls at Yoshinoya, that couldn't be beat.

I also invite Japanese over and cook my favorites sometimes. That can be very expensive, but always a great time. Most are amazed that a guy can cook. And as always the guests bring enough to drink to last me month. I try to make everything from scratch. From salad dressing to marinades to sorbet.

[homersimpson]

[Nismo]