Not too often. I take my kids out to lunch about twice a month in the summer, but rarely during the school year. The kid-friendly places are too crowded on weekends.
My husband and I go out to dinner every couple of months or so, either for special occasions or just for the heck of it. We like to go to really nice restaurants, so spacing out those dinners makes it less of a budget drain. I’d rather go out rarely for excellent food than go out weekly for a dinner that’s not as good as something I’d cook at home. I absolutely love going out to eat. Dinner at home for us is usually a loud affair, spiced up with spilled milk and arguments over who gets to sit next to Daddy. There are a lot of laughs, too, but getting away for an evening does wonders for my outlook on life. The martinis probably help too.
One of the perks of my husband’s decorative painting business is that he is often hired by restaurants. They don’t always have a budget to fit what they want, so he’ll work with them and agree to take part of the payment in gift certificates. We’ve eaten “free” so many times that way. :) In fact, we’re going out to eat this weekend at an incredible restaurant where we can use up his tab while we admire his work.