I don't understand how people cant afford to go out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I sort of see OP's point -- if you look at marginal cost. Let's say gas is $2/gal higher than a year ago, and you have a car with a 15-gallon tank you fill twice a month. That's 15 * $2 * 2 = $60/month more fuel costs than before. True for some people, an additional $60 monthly expenditure would be unbearable, but not for most. It does ignore that other costs have gone up also though.

Personally if I needed to save, I'd just look to public transporation when possible, or even drive the short distance to make that an option. For example, Ride-On buses in MoCo are free for everyone currently. Then, I'd look at less costly options for eating out or food -- more cooked from scratch vs. ready-made.

It’s not just gas. Everything has gotten more expensive.

This. We're a middle class family (HHI 120k) and don't even rely on a car to get around. We have one but don't require it for commutes. However our grocery bills are 10-20% higher than they used to be. Buying new summer clothes and shoes for our kid cost a bit more this year. We went out for a birthday dinner recently and the restaurant bill was 50% higher than it was last year for the same meal. And so on. We're not broke by any means and we know how to be frugal when we need to be (we've lived on less than this before). Our housing costs are fixed because we own, thankfully (rent is really bad right now and going up). And we are still benefitting somewhat from the boosts to our savings from Covid (both decreased costs from not going anywhere for a while and the economic stimulus, much of which went to childcare but some of which got saved). So it's not like $5/gallon is the difference between putting food on the table or not. But it feels like a luxury to me. We have scrapped two road trips due to gas costs because it would have increased the cost of the trips by a couple hundred dollars. That is not nothing to us. And with everything getting more expensive, we want to be extra cautious with our spending.

Anyway, if a friend thought we were unreasonable for not wanting to go somewhere due to gas prices, that's their problem. Frankly, I avoid the kind of judgmental, obtuse people like OP in general, so if the high cost of gas gave me an excuse to not hang out with them, then I'd definitely take it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how people cant afford to go out.

Gas prcies are up but its only like $50 dollars every 2 weeks for me.

At the end of the day I only spending $40 dollars more a month on gas? Maybe its time to start paying people a living wage. I just don't understand how folks on Facebook are staying home and not going on when they are "working" full tine...

Op my family of 4 went to dinner last night in DC. Our ticket consisted of two BBQ sandwiches with a side each, two BBQ platters with two sides each, and one beer. The tab before tip was $72. If you don’t understand how some people could have a hard time with that I don’t know what to tell you.

Man that’s insane. A few years ago, that meal would’ve been half that price.

???

How many years ago is "a few years ago" to you? Even 10 years ago it wouldn't have been half the price. Maybe 20.

At famous Dave’s, that would’ve been a 40 dollar tab. Even with the beer.

[Anonymous]

We are HHI $220k and it even feels like a stretch for us to have a simple date night out. We went out Friday and here was the total-

Babysitter 6pm-11pm $125
Uber there and back $65
Dinner and 3 beers each at a picnic table at a brewery (aka nothing fancy) $120

So $310 total. We only do this maybe once every 6-8 weeks.

[Anonymous]

Afford is a relative term. Maybe it’s just not worth it. A babysitter for two kids for four hours will be 80-120. The meal for two at a nice restaurant will easily be another 200 with tip. Even assuming gas is a nominal incremental amount, now you’re at 300+ for one dinner out. Could we afford it? Yes, but if we do it every weekend, it adds up fast. Is it worth it? Not really unless it’s somebody’s birthday or family is watching the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how people cant afford to go out.

Gas prcies are up but its only like $50 dollars every 2 weeks for me.

At the end of the day I only spending $40 dollars more a month on gas? Maybe its time to start paying people a living wage. I just don't understand how folks on Facebook are staying home and not going on when they are "working" full tine...

Op my family of 4 went to dinner last night in DC. Our ticket consisted of two BBQ sandwiches with a side each, two BBQ platters with two sides each, and one beer. The tab before tip was $72. If you don’t understand how some people could have a hard time with that I don’t know what to tell you.

Man that’s insane. A few years ago, that meal would’ve been half that price.

???

How many years ago is "a few years ago" to you? Even 10 years ago it wouldn't have been half the price. Maybe 20.

At famous Dave’s, that would’ve been a 40 dollar tab. Even with the beer.

.. but you would be eating barbeque from Famous Dave's.

[Anonymous]

Even three meals from Burger King cost us $32. Maybe these have been the prices there for a while (we rarely go), but I was a bit surprised.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even three meals from Burger King cost us $32. Maybe these have been the prices there for a while (we rarely go), but I was a bit surprised.

Nope. Fast food has definitely gone insane. A regular meal at a KFC is now $13 plus tax. It used to be $8.

Five Guys - I spent $50 on two people.

2 burritos and guac from Chipotle is now $30.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand how people cant afford to go out.

Gas prcies are up but its only like $50 dollars every 2 weeks for me.

At the end of the day I only spending $40 dollars more a month on gas? Maybe its time to start paying people a living wage. I just don't understand how folks on Facebook are staying home and not going on when they are "working" full tine...

Op my family of 4 went to dinner last night in DC. Our ticket consisted of two BBQ sandwiches with a side each, two BBQ platters with two sides each, and one beer. The tab before tip was $72. If you don’t understand how some people could have a hard time with that I don’t know what to tell you.

Man that’s insane. A few years ago, that meal would’ve been half that price.

???

How many years ago is "a few years ago" to you? Even 10 years ago it wouldn't have been half the price. Maybe 20.

At famous Dave’s, that would’ve been a 40 dollar tab. Even with the beer.

No, it wouldn't. Why would you even bother making such an easily provable lie?



And I'm sorry, if you think you can feed 4 people a BBQ dinner for $40 you're delusional. I don't know why people seem to think BBQ is a cheap food, it's not. It's incredibly time-intensive, the raw ingredients are straight protein, which has the highest food cost of any restaurant ingredient, and on top of that the smoking causes a ton of moisture loss so by the time it's trimmed and done cooking that (already expensive) brisket has lost about 40% of the weight the restaurant paid for.

[Anonymous]

PP are you a highly offended smoked meat connoisseur?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t people realize that “paying a living wage” means that companies have to raise their prices thereby causing everything to be more expensive which in turn means that the “living wage” doesn’t buy as much stuff??

Companies don’t have to raise their prices when they pay people more. They can stop overpaying their executives and shareholders such a grotesque amount of money. It’s ridiculous how people complain so bitterly about income redistribution only when the workers benefit; not when the owners and shareholders make off like bandits.

Arghhhhh. This thread is ridiculous. Not every company is a large bloated corporation. A small family business does not have a billionaire CEO so paying more does result in raised prices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP are you a highly offended smoked meat connoisseur?

No need to get defensive. You were wrong, it's ok to admit it without resorting to childish attacks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even three meals from Burger King cost us $32. Maybe these have been the prices there for a while (we rarely go), but I was a bit surprised.

You have to get the apps now for fast food in order to get their coupons. Or coupons in the mail if you get them. Also, for fast food, I highly recommend the Wendy's Big Bag deal. A lot of food for $5.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even three meals from Burger King cost us $32. Maybe these have been the prices there for a while (we rarely go), but I was a bit surprised.

Nope. Fast food has definitely gone insane. A regular meal at a KFC is now $13 plus tax. It used to be $8.

Five Guys - I spent $50 on two people.

2 burritos and guac from Chipotle is now $30.

Five Guys has been a joke even before inflation. They just keep increasing prices. Today, a single-patty burger, fries, and drink is over $18. At that point I might as well walk into any restaurant or bar and get the same meal for about the same price. Five Guys is not going to last with the way they are going. Especially since there are so many other places now with better burgers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are HHI $220k and it even feels like a stretch for us to have a simple date night out. We went out Friday and here was the total-

Babysitter 6pm-11pm $125
Uber there and back $65
Dinner and 3 beers each at a picnic table at a brewery (aka nothing fancy) $120

So $310 total. We only do this maybe once every 6-8 weeks.

Uber is so not a good deal anymore. That charge would've made me the most angry out of all of your charges that night. Time to metro or drive to closer places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even three meals from Burger King cost us $32. Maybe these have been the prices there for a while (we rarely go), but I was a bit surprised.

Nope. Fast food has definitely gone insane. A regular meal at a KFC is now $13 plus tax. It used to be $8.

Five Guys - I spent $50 on two people.

2 burritos and guac from Chipotle is now $30.

Five Guys has been a joke even before inflation. They just keep increasing prices. Today, a single-patty burger, fries, and drink is over $18. At that point I might as well walk into any restaurant or bar and get the same meal for about the same price. Five Guys is not going to last with the way they are going. Especially since there are so many other places now with better burgers.

five guys is thriving