Thta's a good point. Anna's Taqueria in Boston does fall into that category ($5-6 bucks for really good tacos, burritos and quesadillas). And to be honest, on a programmer's salary saving $10 or $20 is not a major consideration (although if I ate out every night it would add up). The main reason why I cook is time (it still takes me 10 minutes each way to drive from Medford to Davis Square, and if I've been cooking there generally is some leftovers that I can nuke in a microwave for a very fast lunch/dinner), and because I do enjoy cooking.