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If you're on a fixed income, you've probably noticed your favorite dishes are more expensive or your eating out budget doesn't stretch as far as it used to. And you're

right. The Consumer Price Index in December 2024 says prices at restaurants, casual dining and fast-food establishments are up 1.7 percent over the past 12 months.  So when you do decide to

eat out, you want to make it count. One way to do that: Know which dishes are actually worth the money you're spending — meaning the ingredients make sense for the cost of the dish and

they aren’t easy to make at home. We spoke to four professional chefs about popular dishes they don't think are worth your money when you’re out to eat. SHRIMP COCKTAIL This menu staple

is an appetizer that requires two ingredients — shrimp and cocktail sauce — and usually has a high price point at restaurants. It also incredibly simple to prepare at home. "This is

one of the easiest dishes in the world to make," says Richard LaMarita, chef-instructor of plant-based culinary arts at the Institute of Culinary Education’s New York City campus,

adding that you can buy shrimp that is already deveined and peeled so all you have to do is cook it and plate it. HOW MUCH DO OLDER ADULTS SPEND EATING OUT? On average people aged between

55-64 years old spend around $3,811 eating out a year and those aged 65 and older spend around $2,509, according to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Even for the novice cook,

cooking shrimp is easy. "You just simmer it in water for five minutes until the shrimp is done," says LaMarita."You don't want to overcook it."  Place shrimp so it

hangs off the side of a bowl and pour cocktail sauce in the middle to dip. He adds restaurants buy pre-made cocktail sauce so if you make it at home and use store-bought sauce, it's the

same as what you would get at a restaurant. SCALLOPS Scallops may be a dish you seek out when you want to celebrate a special moment, but Bill Collins, a personal chef, who worked as a cook

at the Ritz Carlton Boston, says it's a dish that's often over cooked at restaurants. It's also rare to find quality scallops — meaning restaurants are often using scallops

that are just so-so — he says. Good scallops are so hard to find, it’s a dish that Collins doesn’t even make himself very often. "I can't remember the last time I cooked them at

home because I haven't loved the look of them in the market for that special meal."  And scallops are pricey, often about $25 a pound, says Collins, who has also authored four

cookbooks. When he does find quality ones, he likes to sear them at home. His tip to sear them to perfection: An instant thermometer that reads 135 degrees so the scallops are moist and

cooked but not dried out. CHEESE PLATTER It's fun to share a cheese platter at a restaurant, but but they are very often overpriced for what you get, says LaMarita. He prefers to make a

cheese platter at home because they are simple to prepare and more cost-effective.