{"id":26707,"date":"2026-04-21T13:43:26","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T13:43:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/didebta.com\/?p=26707"},"modified":"2026-04-21T13:43:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T13:43:26","slug":"how-much-to-budget-per-month-for-eating-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/didebta.com\/?p=26707","title":{"rendered":"How Much to Budget Per Month for Eating Out"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Food. It\u2019s the third-highest\u00a0expense for Americans\u00a0and usually people\u2019s biggest budget buster.3<\/sup> Whether it\u2019s your daily coffee run, lunch with coworkers, or a last-minute dinner via DoorDash, eating out isn\u2019t cheap\u2014especially as\u00a0food prices continue to go up.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re getting out of debt, the only time you should see the inside of a restaurant is if you\u2019re working there. And if you\u2019re trying to save, you should aim to spend less\u2014or even cut it out entirely\u2014since eating out is a luxury, not a necessity.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s break it down so you can decide what makes sense for your budget.<\/p>\n

How Much Do Americans Spend Eating Out?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Americans spent an average of $3,945 eating out in 2024\u2014roughly $329 each month.<\/strong>5<\/sup>\u00a0And those fast-food meals and restaurant tabs continue to add up.<\/p>\n

On average, people say they eat out between four and five times per month and order takeout or delivery three times a month.6<\/sup> That may not sound like much, but even a couple of $15\u201325 meals each week can quickly push your monthly total into the hundreds.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy for those costs to fly under the radar. As Kevin from the Ramsey Baby Steps Community Facebook group put it: \u201cEating out is one of the biggest expenditures, but people are never true with themselves about how much they spend. <\/strong>Grocery shopping, meal planning and eating at home will fast track your savings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Just because the average person spends over $300 a month eating out doesn\u2019t mean you have to do the same. Ultimately, your eating-out budget should make sense for\u00a0you<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0your<\/em>\u00a0money goals.<\/p>\n

How Much <\/strong>Should You Budget for Eating Out Each Month?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

How much you should spend eating out\u2014and on food in general\u2014depends on several factors, including your family size, income and financial situation. That\u2019s because it\u2019s going to cost more to feed a family of four than it will to feed a family of two at a restaurant.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how much people spend eating out, on average, based on family size:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
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Household Type<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Monthly Spending<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Annual Spending<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Single person<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

$218<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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$2,622<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Married (no kids)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

$372<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

$4,469<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

Married (with kids)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

$498<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

$5,974<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Single parent<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

$294<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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$3,5297<\/sup><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Now, these numbers can help you\u00a0estimate your own budget, but they don\u2019t work for everyone. Instead of focusing on what\u00a0other\u00a0<\/em>people are spending, the best thing you can do is focus on your own\u00a0financial goals.<\/p>\n

How to Decide Your Eating-Out Budget<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The quickest way to make progress on\u00a0any\u00a0<\/em>financial goal is to cut back on your eating-out budget\u2014or even cut it out completely (yeah, we\u2019re serious).<\/p>\n

We\u2019re not saying you have to swear off restaurants and takeout forever. But if you\u2019re feeling stressed out by bills, debt payments and not having enough in your savings, you need to make some sacrifices, starting with your food budget.<\/p>\n

Before you set a number, take a look at what you\u2019re currently spending. Go through your bank or credit card statements from the last month and add up every restaurant, coffee shop and delivery charge. There\u2019s a good chance it\u2019s more than you think.<\/p>\n

If you want to make this easier going forward, EveryDollar can help you keep an eye on your spending. Instead of guessing, you\u2019ll be able to see exactly how much is going toward eating out as the month goes on\u2014which makes it a lot easier to adjust before things get off track.<\/p>\n

Once you have a clear picture, adjust your eating-out budget line accordingly (even if that means setting it to zero so you can throw all your extra money at your debt).<\/p>\n

Ask yourself a few key questions:<\/p>\n