Is it true that you reduce your restaurant visit after Xmas? [General]
2007 Jan 10
I'm with Fresh Foodie. I have reduced my restaurant visits, but it's due to my bulging waistline, not my skimpy wallet!
Man, we took a cross-Canada train trip this year and splurged on first class, which means...all meals included in the fare! They feed you 3 meals a day - I don't think I've actually eaten 3 square meals a day in YEARS (usually all I have time for is just a snack during the day and dinner). AND the meals are all like, soup PLUS salad PLUS entree PLUS dessert. Not to mention all the cookies, candies and beer. Gah. I think I gained about 15 pounds.
New Year's Resolutions = eat healthier - aka cook at home more (with less butter!)
Man, we took a cross-Canada train trip this year and splurged on first class, which means...all meals included in the fare! They feed you 3 meals a day - I don't think I've actually eaten 3 square meals a day in YEARS (usually all I have time for is just a snack during the day and dinner). AND the meals are all like, soup PLUS salad PLUS entree PLUS dessert. Not to mention all the cookies, candies and beer. Gah. I think I gained about 15 pounds.
New Year's Resolutions = eat healthier - aka cook at home more (with less butter!)
2007 Jan 10
Ditto the other comments. We eat out less in January and February because of the holiday eating and weight gain, not because we spent so much over the holidays. We always have several dinners to attend + New Year's Eve food + all the sweets and candies people have given us! So add that all up and we just want to lay low on dining out for a while.
2007 Jan 10
Ditto on the weight thing. I got an 'Entertainment' book with coupons-a-go-go for restaurants I've been wanting to try, though, so I'm sitting around looking for excuses to go out...
That said, the excuses are not hard to come by. I'm pregnant, and eating, well, perhaps too much. But it's an excellent excuse to eat only the very best food, and indulging cravings is great.
Pregnancy is excellent for foodies (note that the nausea does help with the over-eating problem), save for all the bullshit "don't eat that!" out there. People panic over peanuts, minute amounts of wine, unpasteurized anything, etc, etc. It's tedious looking up what is and what isn't worth paying attention to with the purported restrictions. But, being pregnant over the holidays was a joy, food-wise. Still is!
That said, the excuses are not hard to come by. I'm pregnant, and eating, well, perhaps too much. But it's an excellent excuse to eat only the very best food, and indulging cravings is great.
Pregnancy is excellent for foodies (note that the nausea does help with the over-eating problem), save for all the bullshit "don't eat that!" out there. People panic over peanuts, minute amounts of wine, unpasteurized anything, etc, etc. It's tedious looking up what is and what isn't worth paying attention to with the purported restrictions. But, being pregnant over the holidays was a joy, food-wise. Still is!
2007 Jan 11
In my personal experience, I would say my restaurant visits return to normal after XMas. All through December, there are more parties and get-togethers, and more and more, they seem to happen in restaurant vs in people's homes.
In my professional experience, I was a waitress for 5 years in the late 1980s, early 1990s. I remember earning lots and lots of tips before the holidays... and doing lots and lots of station cleaning between New Year's and Valentine's Day!
In my professional experience, I was a waitress for 5 years in the late 1980s, early 1990s. I remember earning lots and lots of tips before the holidays... and doing lots and lots of station cleaning between New Year's and Valentine's Day!
2007 Jan 26
I am trying to do the opposite here....I reduced the restaurant visits before Christmas as they are always overpacked, reduced my attendance at large group work-related restaurant events as the food and service always suffer and I get too stressed anyway, kept going to the gym religiously, and spent a more reasonable amount of money on gifts.
So now: I didn't get the usual bad pre-Christmas restaurant experience, I have less after-holiday stress, have not gained an ounce of weight, my family is glad to not have an over abundance of useless stuff, and I have more money in my pocket for dinners out!
I have been out to lunch 3-4 times since the new year and we kept our regular friday night dinners happening. I think I have been out more after than before the holidays.
My strategy worked and I'm going to try and stick to it for this year!!
So now: I didn't get the usual bad pre-Christmas restaurant experience, I have less after-holiday stress, have not gained an ounce of weight, my family is glad to not have an over abundance of useless stuff, and I have more money in my pocket for dinners out!
I have been out to lunch 3-4 times since the new year and we kept our regular friday night dinners happening. I think I have been out more after than before the holidays.
My strategy worked and I'm going to try and stick to it for this year!!
Ashley
Canadians spend lots of money to buy Christmas gifts. So, it is expected that most Canadians will spend less money eating out after Christmas (think about the huge amount of credit card payment from the Chrismas shopping).
For myself, I do need to control my budget after Christmas? What about you?