Well, our heroes (and heroines) also get pizza. But they probably get the expensive Southern California pizza, too.

They save some money by eating out of the carry out containers and not have to wash dishes. I also wonder if they still go to the Cheesecake factory. Sheldon does have that Snoopy Sno-cone maker that he uses once in a while. When Sheldons mom visits they must have to cook something too.

In the original unaired pilot, the appearance was that they went to the sperm bank to get money for occasional takeout food. But that part of the story changed dramatically for the actual series. So I wonder, if they had continued with that idea, what their plans were for showing the guys cooking? Perhaps messing things up a lot? Hilarity ensues?

@northcoast said:

This question isn't just for The Big Bang Theory, but for any American sitcom.

Oh, and eating at diners.

The Asian take-out and diner-meal budget for every single lunch and dinner must be insanely high for each character.

(Now, it's true that the TBBT scientists often each lunch at the university cafeteria, but they're still paying for it).

It seems that, in American sitcom land, the only meal that people consistently make at home is breakfast

Home cooked food and dinner table meals don't make for interesting television IMO.

Plus Sheldon made them return the nice dining table and chairs.

@northcoast said:

This question isn't just for The Big Bang Theory, but for any American sitcom.

Oh, and eating at diners.

The Asian take-out and diner-meal budget for every single lunch and dinner must be insanely high for each character.

(Now, it's true that the TBBT scientists often each lunch at the university cafeteria, but they're still paying for it).

It seems that, in American sitcom land, the only meal that people consistently make at home is breakfast

I have the impression that it's only in TBBT where dinner is almost always takeaways, and that it's especially the guys who do that. Penny did go to the supermarket for groceries and she prepared her own meals. Later she started eating regularly with the guys.

In most of the other (older) sitcoms there is the occasional pizza or fast food, but never as often as in TBBT.