The other day, I came across an article on Yahoo that said Americans have officially spent more money in restaurants than in grocery stores for the first time since 1992.

Initially, these statistics were surprising, but after I thought about personal life, I realized this is nothing to be shocked about.

I love food. I have no idea how much money I actually spend on food from a restaurant, but I would estimate at least $10 to $20 a week. For a single person this is probably not much, because I eat most of my meals at home.

Yes, I also still live with my parents. And yes, they still supply me with groceries. Now you know I’m a loser.

I’ve noticed a trend in my family in the last few years, and it appears most of America has adopted the same mannerisms. My family typically eats at home five nights a week, but we tend to eat out more and more every year.

I would venture to bet many Americans are eating out for the same reason we do — time. Everyone always says “I’m busy,” or “I don’t have time to cook,” or “I can’t cook.”

I understand these problems. I will have these problems when I grow up and move out, which may happen before I turn 30 if I’m lucky.

Cooking is a tedious, time-consuming process. Most people don’t have the patience or motivation to cook an entire meal. I love baking, but one cannot live on cupcakes and cookies. If my mom did not graciously make my food, I would probably resort to pasta every night. It’s easy, it’s simple, it’s tasty, and it’s fattening. Pasta is perfect.

But, there’s one thing better than pasta, it’s eating out. Someone cooks for you, and they have it ready in half the time it would take you to prepare it for yourself. Plus, the restaurant cleans up your mess. You can walk away happy, full and free of any responsibility. Sure, it may cost twice as much as the grocery store, but it doesn’t seem like most Americans care.

I predict the money spent at restaurants will continue to increase and the money spent at grocery stores will continue to decrease as society becomes more and more consumed with their everyday activities. Eventually, cooking at home will become a sacred thing. Maybe we’ll have personal chef robots someday.

The article that inspired this blog can be found at: www.yahoo.com/food/for-the-first-time-ever-americans-spent-more-in-112803758886.html.

To contact Lauren Daniel, email onlineeditor@occc.edu