The average commercially prepared meal cost around $13, while the average cost of a draft beer is $6, glass of wine is $7, and the average cocktail is priced at over $10. Although these prices are based on happable.com listings and not completely inclusive of all restaurants in the United States, we will be working with these numbers as a reasonable average.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the average American household spends $3,000 per year eating outside of the home. That works itself out to about $60 per week in restaurant spending. Now I don’t know about all of you, but as a 30 something year old, recently married man with a healthy social life, I spend substantially more than $60 a week on restaurants and bars. In fact, I typically spend more than $60 at one bar and/or restaurant at a time. So if I go out twice a week with my wife, we are more likely going to be spending between $120 – $150 a week. Let’s meet in between and say the average weekly cost is $100.
Based on our happable.com listings we see an average of 20% off drinks and 35% off food during happy hour. So if say half the cost of your weekly “going out bill” is food ($50) and half is alcoholic beverages ($50) you’re looking at $10 in beverage savings and $17.50 off of food for a total discount of $27.50 per week. Assuming you find a happy hour destination every time you dine out.
