Study Shows 57% of Americans Consider Eating Out a ‘Special Occasion’ [INFOGRAPHIC]

As we all know, the current economy isn’t the perfect setting to make lux outings of any kind a regular thing. Unless you own a swimming pool of Benjamins and bathe in champagne, if so — I hatchoo. For the rest of us peeps, we’ve become more budget conscious — especially when it comes to food. About 71 percent of Amercians are saving money by whipping up a meal at home instead of dining out, while 57 percent said eating out used to be a regular thing but is now seen as a special occasion.

The following infographic by TurboTax gives an enlightening picture of our spending habits when it comes to food — breaking it down to gender, age (echo boomers to 67 years plus) and even the type of restaurants we seek. It’s a fascinating peek into something we think about every day — from a quick coffee run before work to a dinner with friends. Personally, I’d like to see how the necessity of keeping a food budget has affected the quality of food we eat, and thus, our overall health.

Infographic via TurboTax