Cooking at Home vs. Ordering Takeout
By LooeyVille
@LooeyVille (86)
United States
May 4, 2026 6:08am CST
I borrowed this idea for a post from today's Bing Search Engine's daily poll.
They asked:
"Would you rather cook at home or order take-out?"
I was surprised at the results. 65% said they'd rather cook at home.
You all know that my husband and I eat lunch out every day. It's our only meal each day. We treat it like a "date day" and hubby's only socialization.
But I really don't mind cooking. I have fun with it. It doesn't feel like a chore to me. I just don't get occasion to do it.
How would you have answered that question? Would you rather cook at home or order takeout?
17 people like this
19 responses
@AmbiePam (118631)
• United States
4 May
@LooeyVille If that’s the only time he gets out of the house then I think it’s a great thing to eat out every meal.
Plus, if you eat out there are no dishes. That’s a big plus!
2 people like this
@LooeyVille (86)
• United States
4 May
Hubby likes to sit across from me and have an eye-to-eye conversation and hold hands. Plus he likes the idea of being served as opposed to take-out.
1 person likes this
@LooeyVille (86)
• United States
4 May
@AmbiePam We only run our dishwasher once a month and that's just to sterilize our drinking glasses.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (173418)
• United States
4 May
I am the one who almost always cooks our meals and get tired of cooking every day. Tonight we'll be going to a local Chinese place owned by friends. When we go there, we order three orders of Springfield-style cashew chicken and take it home to eat it. 3 orders give us enough food for six meals. Pretty always gets my rice since I won't eat that. Once in a while, she'll also order some crab rangoon and I'll order egg rolls. (I can't eat the crab rangoon.) That gives us another meal I don't have to cook.
2 people like this
@LooeyVille (86)
• United States
4 May
I don't eat Chinese food except for fried rice. Hubby loves the crab rangoon. Blech! 
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (173418)
• United States
4 May
@LooeyVille 
I can't eat seafood. It gives me hives and can cause my throat to swell closed. I've had to be hospitalized before when I ate two scallops. (Scallops used to be my favorite seafood until I became allergic to shellfish.) I really, really don't like being in the hospital.
I can't eat seafood. It gives me hives and can cause my throat to swell closed. I've had to be hospitalized before when I ate two scallops. (Scallops used to be my favorite seafood until I became allergic to shellfish.) I really, really don't like being in the hospital.1 person likes this
@LooeyVille (86)
• United States
23h
@DaddyEvil Like you, I am suddenly allergic to all fish, shellfish, and seafood. I don't really miss it. But I never had the anaphalactic (not sure of spelling) reaction, just the hives.
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (14637)
• Ireland
4 May
@looeyville I love cooking but I’m not so good at it lately. I love cooking fresh, wholesome meat, veg etc and hate fast food. But I’m in a lazy mood right now and can’t be bothered. Next week will see the start of 10 days good eating in Normandy and Brittany and I’ll come home depressed that Ireland doesn’t really do good food. I’m already salivating over the prospect of a good magret de canard, crème brûlée, moules marinière ….
2 people like this
@xFiacre (14637)
• Ireland
21h
@LooeyVille Did you hear about three people dying of hunter virus on cruise from Buenos Aires?
1 person likes this
@LooeyVille (86)
• United States
4 May
We'll be on vacation at the same time! We can regal each other with travel horror stories.
@AliCanary (4289)
•
4 May
Probably order takeout, because there's such a wide variety of choices, and we don't have all those kinds of food at home nor the ability to prepare some (anything deep-fried, flame-grilled or made with a pressure cooker, for example). My husband and I really enjoy going out for dinner, but we've only done that twice since I lost my job (for our anniversary in October and my birthday in November) to keep expenses down. Currently, cooking at home is the most economical option.
1 person likes this
@LooeyVille (86)
• United States
4 May
@AliCanary I hadn't thought about that, but you're right. I can't deep-dry anything here because I don't own a deep fryer. We don't have a gas grill so we can't grill out. I don't even own a toaster! I don't have any kitchen appliances to speak of.
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (4289)
•
8h
@LooeyVille well, the more stuff you have, the more stuff you have to take care of, as my mom used to say. Not having a deep fryer is probably much healthier for both of us!
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (220318)
• United States
Just now
If I could still cook and bake, I'd rather cook at home. I really miss it....don't get me wrong, I enjoy a meal out once and a while.
1 person likes this
@porwest (111917)
• United States
23h
I always prefer cooking at home. It's healthier. It tastes better. And it's highly more economical. Eating out has also become exponentially more expensive, and that may have made some people change their minds a bit lately. That said, I guess the bigger question would be to define cooking at home. I see lots of stuff that's just stuff in a box, and even if you take it home and cook it...it's not exactly "cooking." It's just heating things up.
1 person likes this
@porwest (111917)
• United States
23h
@LooeyVille I have to admit, you get some pretty good deals.
1 person likes this
@LooeyVille (86)
• United States
23h
You make a good point @porwest I probably mostly "fixed food" as opposed to "cooking" most of my life except for Thanksgiving dinners. Lots of boxed and canned foods. And yes, I thought about going to the chain restaurant Chili's because we hadn't been there in about 3 years and I looked online at their menu and their prices were outrageous! OMG! Hubby and I strive to stay at $20 per meal + tip eating out.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (206975)
• United States
21h
Honestly, it depends on the day. I do enjoy cooking at home but if I not in the mood, I am into ordering take out. Most days if I am being honest, if I had a choice I would probably go with take out..but I am good either way really.
1 person likes this
@Orson_Kart (8149)
• United Kingdom
1h
I like cooking at home. I know who the chef is and what ingredients have been used. Plus I know how I like my food cooked.
I do occasionally eat out, but it’s often overpriced and badly done.
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (55751)
• Canada
23h
Since I do love to cook and relax over a meal we prefer to eat in from what I've made.
On the occasion that we would like something (such as Chinese or pizza......) we will do take out.
Again, it is because we enjoy eating in the comfort of our own home, we find it too much of a bother to go out to eat most times.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (96908)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
13h
I have no choice; I have to make something at home. I cannot afford to take out.
1 person likes this
@BACONSTRIPSXXX (17537)
• Torrington, Connecticut
23h
My kids prefer when we cook dinner but takeout on a Friday or if were too exhausted from work works as well
1 person likes this
@Traceyjayne (10471)
• United Kingdom
16h
I love cooking from scratch …..however, as you know, I am also guilty of eating out and takeaways …..
If I have time I say definitely cook at home.
We have takeaways or eat out at the weekend when The Mister is home …..
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (168822)
• United States
17h
Probably cook at home. My home cooked food tastes better and I can eat in my pajamas or whatever.
@MarieCoyle (57896)
•
6h
Maybe you could cook once a week. Fix the table up, light a candle or two, and have a romantic dinner at home. Something different to do, and no one to bother you. Just an idea.
@eLdav1s (307)
• Nigeria
7h
Cooking can be tiresome no doubt but 90% of the time i would prefer cooking at home. This way i can prepare more and do it the way i want it and just eat while in bed (a very bad habit of mine )
)
@Ineeddentures (31220)
•
11h
Would you rather cook at home or order take-out?"
Cook at home, anytime
The standard.of takeaway here has diminished to the point where I just wouldn't buy it
