Is this too much to spend on dinner? My friend says so.

[miztressuz]

I don't have anything different to add, as everyone here seems to have summed it up well, expect for our experiences. We spent more than that on a meal as broke college kids and don't regret it to this day, nor even then as we worked our butts off to pay for it. And we remember it to this day! It was an experience, it wasn't just about food as fuel. Oddly enough it was even a French restaurant, but much closer to home Knowing what I know now a couple decades later I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. (although this time we'd remember to bring a jacket for hubby; it was a snooty place but we saw a couple jacketless fellows tucked into the corners like us so I didn't feel so bad once we got in )

I'm a budget person by nature, otherwise I wouldn't be on this board, but we pick and choose what we scrimp on so that we can afford what luxuries we want. Sometimes a meal is a luxury experience. I remember expensive meals long after the food's been consumed. If that's what you want to experience and remember, make sure you fit it in somehow; even if you have to go alone. You don't want to regret it later.

 

[Shughart]

Everyone has different opinions/expectations. That being said, you're going to PARIS. How likely is it you'll end up there again? Go to the restaurant. Alone if you have to. Or treat your friend if you want. Just don't skip it because of someone else's expectations.

 

[tvguy]

Oh yes, and the beers were 25 cents each and if your buy 4 the 5th was free! I remember (or do I) those days!

Granted, I am making 5 times as much money now. I only wish the prices were only 5 times higher. The cheapest happy hour beer I am aware of these days is $2.50!

 

[Dancind]

I hope you get to go back with your husband! Finding wonderful little restaurants is a big part of travel for us, including some of our best memories in Italy. I spend hours on Yelp and similar sites to track those places down, and do look for value. I'm in the camp that wouldn't make my splurge meal DLP, but find an authentic place in Paris. Your travel companion is not a foodie, obviously. Like I said, I hope you get to go back.

 

[MrsPete]

I'd like to preface this by saying that I'm a nurse in my late twenties. I'm not exactly rolling in dough. During the year I save and instead of buying tangible things, I put it toward a (Disney) vacation. I use coupons. I buy on sale. I plan my vacation time on when I can get the best deals on flights and accommodations. What I'm trying to say is that I don't blow money or buy unnecessary things. I know how to shop and budget. I have also hauled my crock pot on Disney world vacations, just to save that extra dollar.

My friend and I are going on vacation to Paris. While we are there on a 10 day trip, four of those days will be spent at Disney. I told my friend that I wanted to eat at a nice restaurant there and I wanted to get table service on at least one day. I told her that the rest of the time we can eat at the quick service places or wherever she wanted to eat. I honestly just wanted to go to one nice place, like Chez Remy or Auberge de Cendrillon. Of course, my friend looks online at the menus and starts freaking out over prices since it was basically be $60-$90 per person. She starts telling me that she can't believe I'd entertain the idea of spending "that much" for one meal. My only response was that it's not every day that we are there and we'd be paying for quality food. She insisted that there was no way she'd be that much for one meal. Yes, she can afford it but it's way more than what she's comfortable with. And she restated that she couldn't believe I'd be willing to pay that much for one dinner. In the end, we ended up on settling on another restaurant that would be responsible and under $30. I'm satisfied with the restaurant we chose but still... I am a little annoyed.

Yes, $60-$90 is a lot to spend on one meal (for me, I know others spend more than that) but why not? We're on vacation and it's not something we do every day. A night out for me at home is Olive Garden. I don't splurge often, but I don't feel like I'm ridiculous for wanting to spend a little more money for a nicer dining experience. That's not a bad thing, right? I don't know. I guess I'm just trying to justify spending the extra money. But now I just feel so guilty about it.

I guess I'm posting to vent/ask for opinions. Is that a crazy amount to spend on dinner?

Do you want to go to these expensive restaurants for the food or the experience? I suggest you go to the restaurant but compromise:

- Go for lunch instead of dinner
- Split a plate with your friend
- Order appetizers

 

[a1tinkfans]

I wouldn’t miss it.
I’d ( also) suggest
lunch over dinner?
Explaining that you Really want to experience it ..and budget xtra for ur friend, if she refuses to budget for herself.
Compromise elsewhere so the costs balance out and that splurge won’t “hurt” ur friend that much.

It’s ur trip too, if you must.. do it alone.. ur worth it and deserve to enjoy the treat
Enjoy!

 

[kathy884]

My husband loves the occasional special meal, and we have sometimes splurged on something like that. For our Disney day, in Paris though, I'm sending DH on a food tour in Montmartre that will cost about as much as a one day park hopper and DS and I will be going to the parks and just be eating counter service. The more expensive meal would be a waste for us. DS is a fairly picky eater with more simple tastes in food.

Growing up too, my parents think food or a meal is only worth so much and such an expensive splurge on food is not something they would do. It's not really worth it to me, but I go along if it's something DH wants to do and is in the budget. On our Paris trip overall, as we have DS a long, we'll be doing more eating in cafes than expensive restaurants while in Paris too.

Everyone has their own ideas and I would be more like your friend than you and baulk at that price for that meal unless if was something DH had talked about as a splurge and really wanted to do. If we do expensive meals with extended family that would think a meal like that would we a waste and really want to do it, we pay for everyone (make it our treat). Maybe you treat your friend to this one meal.

 

[cedricandsophie]

It’s not a crazy amount to spend on dinner especially in and around Paris. But to me it’s about more than the price of the meal but the fact your friend tried to shame you into feeling bad about what you wanted. That doesn’t seem like much of a friend. If it was me I would tell her you can go where you want, but I’m splurging on dinner for me. You can just get an appetizer, get separate checks, etc. or just meet up after dinner. When I travel with friends we always take turns picking restaurants. We get separate checks. Some have appetizers, others have full meals, we split bottles of wine, etc. no *****ing and no shaming

 

[neatokimmo]

I think that is too much for a meal. But I’ve been programmed since birth to think of what else I could spend the money on. Everything is an opportunity cost. $70 is our groceries for a week. A cheap hotel room during meet season. Almost a season pass to Dollywood.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

How was she comfortable paying for the flight but not for the meal? It's like people who spend $4000+ on a cruise but then balk at the idea of spending $20 for Palo. Once you're committed, you might as well make the most of it.
When I saw your thread title, I was thinking $250+ per person. At just 2-3 times your settled on price, you are paying for not only food, but an experience that you would forever remember.

It all depends on where you're flying from and each particular market.

From where I'm at in the middle of the country with Delta just priced out a random early Feb RT PP and it was $1200-$1500. However flying from somewhere like New York and suddenly the price RT goes to $486 for basic and $556 for Main Cabin.

Also people budget for all sorts of things. We like to do a balancing act. Maybe we'll do an excursion which is pricey so we'll offset that cost elsewhere. We just got back from Jamaica and instead of buying drinking all the time at places we stopped at a grocery store and purchased stuff to make Rum Punch for a fraction of the cost and made it ourselves. However, it cost over $500 PP RT to get to Jamaica (though we paid with points) and transportation cost us $300 between airport transfers, hotel transfers, and taxis so we didn't spend a huge ton on food except a meal or two. We did one excursion really on our Jamaica trip and it cost us $140 in transportation costs, $98 in admission fees cost, $40 in meal costs and $20 in tips so in total $298 and it gave us amazing memories. We would have enjoyed that excursion far more than spending that money on one meal. But that is simply just us and our likes.

Different people do spend or feel comfortable spending their money in different ways and not everyone values the same things. My best friend and her husband value spending money on dining at home but don't really vacation. My husband and I value going on vacations and thus don't typically spend a ton of money on food. Even while on vacation like I said it's a balancing act and we may have a really nice meal but that cost gets offset elsewhere or we may opt to spend less on food and spend the cost on a nice excursion.

Totally agree with others though the best solution is to allow each person to spend what they are comfortable with and split up that night for dinner.

 

[slpeters]

It’s not a crazy amount to spend on dinner especially in and around Paris. But to me it’s about more than the price of the meal but the fact your friend tried to shame you into feeling bad about what you wanted. That doesn’t seem like much of a friend. If it was me I would tell her you can go where you want, but I’m splurging on dinner for me. You can just get an appetizer, get separate checks, etc. or just meet up after dinner. When I travel with friends we always take turns picking restaurants. We get separate checks. Some have appetizers, others have full meals, we split bottles of wine, etc. no *****ing and no shaming

I was trying to figure out why the friend's behavior bothered me so much and this is it. There's nothing especially wrong with "I couldn't imagine doing that even on this dream vacation." There is something particularly wrong with trying to make someone else feel bad because they would like to do it. In the end it's less than a hundred dollars...

 

[starry_solo]

@Eluna : I'm sure it's already been said, but why would you need to go to the same dinner/stay together all the time? If your friend doesn't want to spend the $, then she can feel free to go somewhere else while you go and eat your dream dinner.

 

[robinb]

I think your friend is going to get some serious sticker shock when she gets to Paris if she's worried about $60-$90 for dinner.

 

[kirstenb1]

I'm in my fifties, and have never spent 60 bucks at dinner. But I'm very spendy in many other ways. Split up that one night, or go to the restaurant for lunch.

 

[LadyD]

This is my stance. Life is short and you work hard in your life to provide for what is important to you. Never let someone make you feel bad for what you choose to do with your money because it is your life to live. Everyone has different priorities. For me personally, dining experiences are very high value items. I’d rather pay $300 for an incredible meal than spend that money decorating my house because I get more value out of that dining experience than putting more things inside my house. Things don’t bring me joy, but well made food makes life worth living for me. I know people who think I’m nuts for not batting an eye at such cost for food, but I don’t care what they think. I need to live my life in a way that brings me satisfaction.

There is no way I’d fly all the way to Paris and miss out on something important to me because someone else thinks it is ridiculous. They can go find something else to do while I enjoy myself and spending my hard earned money in the way that is most meaningful to me. Your friend is kind of being a bad friend by putting it on you too rather than just being honest and saying that she rather not splurge on food and she’ll go do something else instead and encourage you to go enjoy what is important to you.

 

[Dancind]

LadyD, I'd bet you spend some time watching food shows! We do, currently binging Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix! Have found many places we would love to visit for meals, and a bit of sightseeing.

 

[disneychrista]

Honestly, YES that is a lot to spend on one meal. But if it is something you really want to do then it would be worth it.

 

[OhanaCuz]

I can relate to this. My father and I butted heads about money on a Europe trip. He's a penny-pincher, and there's nothing wrong with that, but he can't ever "turn off" that mode of thinking (even when on the trip of a lifetime). For example, with AT&T's international day pass it costs $10 a day to use your cell phone like you would back home. He absolutely refused to take his phone out of airplane mode. If he got separated in a crowd we had no way of contacting him. He even almost missed the boat one time because he got lost. If he would have turned his phone on I could have texted him the exact location where he needed to go. Even after that he wouldn't budge. For me a $70 charge for a week's worth of cell phone usage on the trip of a lifetime is not worth one second of my time worrying about.

Back home a $60-$90 dinner would be something I rarely do. The high end steakhouse where I live would charge much more than that, especially with alcohol.

 

[_19disnA]

No one on here can tell you where to eat or what is 'right' or 'wrong'. The advice I will offer when going on vacation with someone else who is a friend is that you need to discuss ahead of times these types of things to avoid issues when actually on vacation and look for compromises. If one party always wants to tell the other that THEIR idea of where to go/what to eat/see/shop is the only way to do things, then probably next time you should choose a different person to vacation with.

 

[LadyD]

LadyD, I'd bet you spend some time watching food shows! We do, currently binging Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix! Have found many places we would love to visit for meals, and a bit of sightseeing.

I have to be careful with food shows. I love to cook and bake, and food shows give me too many ideas haha! My wife and I will binge them, and whenever we travel, the first thing we do is research the best places to eat and plan the trip around that.