Amazing take! Would you say that you could comfortably afford it but are opposed to the costs on principle? What does your average home cooked meal look like? In my experience most people with the means rather enjoy eating out, but you sound a bit like my father.
[Forgot how much HN loves restaurants -- that would explain the karma hit!]
I just don't like paying someone else multiples of what it would cost for me (or my spouse) to do ourselves. We eat pretty simply and inexpensively at home. Lots of rice, potatoes, pasta. I don't pay someone else to fix my car or appliances, either, out of the same principle.
But even if the cost was comparable I still wouldn't be a super-fan of restaurant eating at most restaurants you'd find around where I live (not in a city). They're inconvenient to get to, understaffed, often slow (up to 2 hours due to all the back and forth with servers).
It doesn’t seem like you are making lamb josh or Peking duck at home, though. Can you do those yourselves cheaper than the restaurant?
You can buy Peking duck and make the rest of the dish yourself at home though. The restaurants mostly don't make it themselves either, but that's normal.
> just don't like paying someone else multiples of what it would cost for me (or my spouse) to do ourselves
I live in west Wyoming and stopped eating steaks out for this reason.
That said, I am an adventurous eater. I am curious about food, and for that restaurants are a raison d’être. If you aren’t curious about food, it obviously isn’t worth the price. (The Sysco spots pretty on tourists or those seeking to eat out for convenience. They serve glorified fast food.)
> Forgot how much HN loves restaurants
For what it’s worth, your original comment dismisses restaurants generally. If you point out you prefer to eat simply, predictably and on a tight budget, the conclusion that restaurants don’t work for you follows.