What’s not worth it anymore?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:- No Starbucks. We make coffee at home.
- No bakery stuff (Costco for bakery cakes),
- Vegetables? Except for the dirty dozen which we get organic - mainly from ethnic veggi stores. Indian or Asian.
- Wine from Costco in Virginia.

Spending more money on local or organic produce, good ingredients.

Eating very well at home. Doing groceries every two days. Keeping close to plant based whole food diet.

Eating out is very rare but in really great places where the quality of food is really good. I don't mind the expense. I want these restaurants to survive.

organic/dirty dozen is a waste of money.

[Anonymous]

A cheeseburger and fries at Five guys is good but is $17.

A burger and fries at La Colline, a French bistro in Arlington is $19 and worth every bite.

I am very UMC but started to bring my lunch when a sandwich from a crappy deli cost $15. I would rather use $5 of ingredients at home and drop $10 to a charity.

[Anonymous]

Outback not great anymore

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Outback not great anymore

Are you posting from 1996? Please warn people about 9/11.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A cheeseburger and fries at Five guys is good but is $17.

A burger and fries at La Colline, a French bistro in Arlington is $19 and worth every bite.

I am very UMC but started to bring my lunch when a sandwich from a crappy deli cost $15. I would rather use $5 of ingredients at home and drop $10 to a charity.

+1
We don't even get fries since they aren't combos at these places. Just the burgers and rarely. LOL pun.

I also refuse to buy $15 sandwiches. Much more disciplined in making them at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As food prices soar and will most likely do so given the impact that policies will soon deeply harm the immigrant community, what is no longer worth it when it comes to dining out or picking up food?

1) Chinese food (at least in my area); quality has been on the decline for years, but last night was the final straw at what used to be our semi-decent local place. The Crab Rangoon was cloyingly sweet on the inside, to the point of being inedible. The noodle dishes and meat dishes alike were greasier than usual, and the quality of meat was sub-par. The dumplings are super thin and don’t hold their shape; I love thick dumplings. Just not worth it anymore, unfortunately, though maybe I can find better Chinese food when visiting friends or traveling. I do love it every now and then!

2) Fast food or quick serve drinks of any sort. We’re going to stick with waters or drinks we bring on road trips, or drink iced tea, soda or alcoholic beverages at home when we bring food home. No alcoholic beverages or lemonades or anything at sit-down meals, unless it’s a very nice restaurant for a special night out; no drinks with casual dining.

What habits have you changed? What’s not worth it to you anymore?

WTF? Food prices have soared the last four years due to Biden. How do you not understand this?

Buckle up. You are in for an eye-opening next few years.

true dat. who exactly do they think is working in the back of restaurant kitchens and in the fields of the farms?

So you should base your eating habits on exploitative labor practices and human trafficking? How about we patiently wait while Big Food has to automate meatpacking and produce picking or at least raise wages to lure Americans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As food prices soar and will most likely do so given the impact that policies will soon deeply harm the immigrant community, what is no longer worth it when it comes to dining out or picking up food?

1) Chinese food (at least in my area); quality has been on the decline for years, but last night was the final straw at what used to be our semi-decent local place. The Crab Rangoon was cloyingly sweet on the inside, to the point of being inedible. The noodle dishes and meat dishes alike were greasier than usual, and the quality of meat was sub-par. The dumplings are super thin and don’t hold their shape; I love thick dumplings. Just not worth it anymore, unfortunately, though maybe I can find better Chinese food when visiting friends or traveling. I do love it every now and then!

2) Fast food or quick serve drinks of any sort. We’re going to stick with waters or drinks we bring on road trips, or drink iced tea, soda or alcoholic beverages at home when we bring food home. No alcoholic beverages or lemonades or anything at sit-down meals, unless it’s a very nice restaurant for a special night out; no drinks with casual dining.

What habits have you changed? What’s not worth it to you anymore?

WTF? Food prices have soared the last four years due to Biden. How do you not understand this?

Apparently as easily as you do not understand how ignorant you are.

NP - Biden contributed a lot to inflationary food prices with higher energy costs, extended unemployment benefits, child tax credits, etc. Low profit margin industries like restaurants and groceries had to compete for labor with free government money, pay higher transport costs, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As food prices soar and will most likely do so given the impact that policies will soon deeply harm the immigrant community, what is no longer worth it when it comes to dining out or picking up food?

1) Chinese food (at least in my area); quality has been on the decline for years, but last night was the final straw at what used to be our semi-decent local place. The Crab Rangoon was cloyingly sweet on the inside, to the point of being inedible. The noodle dishes and meat dishes alike were greasier than usual, and the quality of meat was sub-par. The dumplings are super thin and don’t hold their shape; I love thick dumplings. Just not worth it anymore, unfortunately, though maybe I can find better Chinese food when visiting friends or traveling. I do love it every now and then!

2) Fast food or quick serve drinks of any sort. We’re going to stick with waters or drinks we bring on road trips, or drink iced tea, soda or alcoholic beverages at home when we bring food home. No alcoholic beverages or lemonades or anything at sit-down meals, unless it’s a very nice restaurant for a special night out; no drinks with casual dining.

What habits have you changed? What’s not worth it to you anymore?

WTF? Food prices have soared the last four years due to Biden. How do you not understand this?

Apparently as easily as you do not understand how ignorant you are.

NP - Biden contributed a lot to inflationary food prices with higher energy costs, extended unemployment benefits, child tax credits, etc. Low profit margin industries like restaurants and groceries had to compete for labor with free government money, pay higher transport costs, etc.

Well he's gone and they are dismantling that, so can't wait for prices to go down! So excited!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m very reluctant to order salads in most restaurants or fast casual/takeout establishments. It’s not worth it to me because I firmly believe that the lettuce and other leafy greens are not washed. I had one very bad experience about a year ago after eating a Caesar salad for lunch in a restaurant and that was it for me.

My worst experience was at a cute little restaurant in France: there was a live slug, not small, on one of the lettuce leaves. They refused to comp the meal and didn't apologize.

Ha ha, a French person would definitely never apologize for that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is just an echo chamber for shameless misers. Avoiding beverages, apps, and desserts at restaurants is embarrassing. Why bother going out at all? Stay home if you're so broke a $3 soda or sparkling water triggers you.

Thank you! You made me LOL! I grew up w no frills/ 8 kids in the family. We rarely went out to eat. I am well off now. I still am kind of frugal, but life is way too short to always have to count every penny. It is what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fixing a steak at home. Fixing a pizza at home. Fixing anything like Chinese food at home.

Fixing? Do you mean making? Fixing implies something is wrong.

No, no it doesn't. "What are you fixing for dinner?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fixing a steak at home. Fixing a pizza at home. Fixing anything like Chinese food at home.

Fixing? Do you mean making? Fixing implies something is wrong.

No, no it doesn't. "What are you fixing for dinner?"

Why not go full Hayseed:

“Ha-whut are hew fixin’ ter fix fer supper?”

[Anonymous]

Trader Joes was always "junk food, but fancy" for me but lately the quality of even their staples has gone way downhill. The frozen mac-and-cheese used to be my guilty pleasure lunch but the last time I got it, it was watery and bland. They have shrunk sizes and are cutting down quality in all their recipes. I can get most the same international foods at Lotte or Rodmans, only much better quality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fixing a steak at home. Fixing a pizza at home. Fixing anything like Chinese food at home.

Fixing? Do you mean making? Fixing implies something is wrong.

No, no it doesn't. "What are you fixing for dinner?"

Making. Preparing. Cooking. All better than “fixing.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:- No Starbucks. We make coffee at home.
- No bakery stuff (Costco for bakery cakes),
- Vegetables? Except for the dirty dozen which we get organic - mainly from ethnic veggi stores. Indian or Asian.
- Wine from Costco in Virginia.

Spending more money on local or organic produce, good ingredients.

Eating very well at home. Doing groceries every two days. Keeping close to plant based whole food diet.

Eating out is very rare but in really great places where the quality of food is really good. I don't mind the expense. I want these restaurants to survive.

What Indian or Asian stores have better produce? I go to HMart regularly enough but their produce isn't better nor notably cheaper than Whole Foods.

I gave up going to farmer's markets except for very specific seasonal items like apples. Realized you were paying a lot for produce that wasn't better than Whole Foods with the exception of maybe absolute peak 2-3 weeks for berries or whatever.