What’s not worth it anymore?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

If you are going to be so concerned with cost that you are not even going to have a "lemonade" at a sit down restaurant, just don't go. Or go less often and worry less about what you are ordering and it's cost. That is next level nickel-and-diming.

Oh eff off. I make a true MC income (nurse) and what you call next level nickel/diming is just sensible when you earn what I do. (spoiler alert: it's not $200k, $500k or $750k like everyone on DCUM).

I absolutely skimp on drinks during the rare meals out and will continue to do so. Beverages are the highest profit margin item on any menu and I happen to actually like water with a meal. Screw you for saying I should never eat a meal out ("just don't go"). The reason people like me CAN go out is that we don't piss away $37 a person on alcoholic drinks or $16/person on Coke.

Agreed. I was raised MC and am still MC. Going out has always been a luxury, and the main course is the main event. We don't have to get drinks, appetizers, or dessert every time. That's never been my expectation.

+2 When you grow up poor you figure out how to enjoy things without feeling compelled to order EVERYTHING. It’s a weird thing to say that someone shouldn’t go to a restaurant if they aren’t going to order a paid drink.

I agree. We order what we have a hankering for, but it's practically never a meal plus a drink plus a dessert. Usually it's just the main dish. Rarely a drink. Practically never a dessert - I make them better at home!

I love having a signature drink, sharing an appetizer, etc. before the meal, enjoying the ambiance and company... To me, that's part of dining out

And you should! Because it's worth it to you (the title of this thread). There are a bunch of us responding to PP who said we have no business going out to eat -- 'just stay home' -- if we don't intend to order soft drinks with a 400% markup with the meal. Let alone aged Scotch.

Because I am price sensitive, I mix my signature drink at home. I am essentially on a fixed income and cannot be giving [fill in the blank] hotel bar $38 for the same exact libation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

If you are going to be so concerned with cost that you are not even going to have a "lemonade" at a sit down restaurant, just don't go. Or go less often and worry less about what you are ordering and it's cost. That is next level nickel-and-diming.

Oh eff off. I make a true MC income (nurse) and what you call next level nickel/diming is just sensible when you earn what I do. (spoiler alert: it's not $200k, $500k or $750k like everyone on DCUM).

I absolutely skimp on drinks during the rare meals out and will continue to do so. Beverages are the highest profit margin item on any menu and I happen to actually like water with a meal. Screw you for saying I should never eat a meal out ("just don't go"). The reason people like me CAN go out is that we don't piss away $37 a person on alcoholic drinks or $16/person on Coke.

Agreed. I was raised MC and am still MC. Going out has always been a luxury, and the main course is the main event. We don't have to get drinks, appetizers, or dessert every time. That's never been my expectation.

+2 When you grow up poor you figure out how to enjoy things without feeling compelled to order EVERYTHING. It’s a weird thing to say that someone shouldn’t go to a restaurant if they aren’t going to order a paid drink.

I agree. We order what we have a hankering for, but it's practically never a meal plus a drink plus a dessert. Usually it's just the main dish. Rarely a drink. Practically never a dessert - I make them better at home!

I love having a signature drink, sharing an appetizer, etc. before the meal, enjoying the ambiance and company... To me, that's part of dining out

Sure, that’s one way of doing it. But not the ONLY way. Doesn’t mean that people who don’t do it like you do it shouldn’t go at all.

[Anonymous]

What's not worth it to me, food-wise? Delivery. I just can't with the $20 in fees on a $20 order. Or $25 in fees on a $55 order.

I like to sit on my butt in lounge pants in a warm house with the dog as much as the next person on a cold evening. And allow a Venezuelan on a Temu moped to appear at my door any moment with the Indian food, zipping through the cold night so I don't have to.

However, that degree of mark up is not worth it to me anymore. It's too much. I'll eat food on hand, or pick it up myself rarely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Brunch! I don't need to pay $20 for eggs or pancake variations I could make at home.

This is why I almost always order eggs Benedict or sausage gravy at brunch because neither of us make it.

Fair but eggs Benedict when the eggs are lukewarm or cold is the worst. That's the other reason I don't go out for brunch - I really hate lukewarm eggs.

[Anonymous]

Our local Chinese takeout place did the same exact thing. Crab Rangoon with almost NO filling and the filling that was in there was basically thinned out cream cheese and sugar. Barely any meat in the lo mein - whole thing was cabbage. Disappointing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anything processed is likely overpriced. Make it yourself unless it’s really that good.

So you make your own cereal, bread, crackers, naan, pitas, hummus, and everything? What about the value of your time?

A lot of what you mentioned barely take any time to make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anything processed is likely overpriced. Make it yourself unless it’s really that good.

So you make your own cereal, bread, crackers, naan, pitas, hummus, and everything? What about the value of your time?

A lot of what you mentioned barely take any time to make.

Um, not if you make one or two. If you make all of the above and all the other obvious “it’s so easy to make your own” items like ricotta, it’s all you will do all day! Especially if you have teens and tweens who eat. And a job. And a life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The irony of your post is that I cut back on dining out big time in the last four years despite record illegal immigration. It sure didn't make dining out less expensive!

I'm an excellent home cook so whenever eating out I couldn't avoid the reality that I was paying the equivalent of half the week's grocery bill for one perfectly pleasant but not amazing meal. So I stopped the habit of takeaways and eating out and never looked back. Do eat out when traveling (and get tired of it soon enough) but otherwise at home I cook every day. And it's no big deal because I do enjoy it. And I cook everything from traditional American to French and Chinese and Middle Eastern so we have plenty of variety. By the way, once I sharpened my skills on Chinese at home, takeaway Chinese the few rare times I have it at a friend's house is always overly salty/greasy/oily/sweet.

What's also not "worth" it to me is a big expensive prime rib roast. We had the annual Christmas rib roast and it was nice but it's still a big boring expensive piece of meat. I'd much rather have had something else.

Was going to say— meat is no longer worth it to me because it’s so expensive. Vegetarian ingredients— especially legumes and grains, are so inexpensive in bulk that I can splurge on fantastic produce.

[Anonymous]

Anything ‘stir fry’ or ‘with vegetables’, 95% of the time it’s just a big mess of cheap fried onions with maybe a green pepper and a mushroom thrown in

[Anonymous]

My calculations for "worth it" are going to change depending on what happens at my job -- if I have to e in the office 5 days a week (something that hasn't been a requirement for decades), I'm going to do no take-out-- I'll be bringing luck & coffee from home, saving money so I can retire ASAP (I'm old)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree that drink prices are ridiculous now. $4-5 for a soda really adds up.

Are others still tipping 10-20% on takeout at places like Panera or Cava? I’m starting to question it with prices up. Often I’m ordering on a screen.

Def not tipping 10-20% at Panera or cava. Nope. My local place yes. Not chains.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree that drink prices are ridiculous now. $4-5 for a soda really adds up.

Are others still tipping 10-20% on takeout at places like Panera or Cava? I’m starting to question it with prices up. Often I’m ordering on a screen.

You don’t tip at take away places. These servers are not on tip based salaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

If you are going to be so concerned with cost that you are not even going to have a "lemonade" at a sit down restaurant, just don't go. Or go less often and worry less about what you are ordering and it's cost. That is next level nickel-and-diming.

Oh eff off. I make a true MC income (nurse) and what you call next level nickel/diming is just sensible when you earn what I do. (spoiler alert: it's not $200k, $500k or $750k like everyone on DCUM).

I absolutely skimp on drinks during the rare meals out and will continue to do so. Beverages are the highest profit margin item on any menu and I happen to actually like water with a meal. Screw you for saying I should never eat a meal out ("just don't go"). The reason people like me CAN go out is that we don't piss away $37 a person on alcoholic drinks or $16/person on Coke.

Agreed. I was raised MC and am still MC. Going out has always been a luxury, and the main course is the main event. We don't have to get drinks, appetizers, or dessert every time. That's never been my expectation.

+2 When you grow up poor you figure out how to enjoy things without feeling compelled to order EVERYTHING. It’s a weird thing to say that someone shouldn’t go to a restaurant if they aren’t going to order a paid drink.

I agree. We order what we have a hankering for, but it's practically never a meal plus a drink plus a dessert. Usually it's just the main dish. Rarely a drink. Practically never a dessert - I make them better at home!

I love having a signature drink, sharing an appetizer, etc. before the meal, enjoying the ambiance and company... To me, that's part of dining out

I don’t enjoy that for a regular meal out. Too much. I am happy with water and my entree. Maybe if it is a special night out a few times a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree that drink prices are ridiculous now. $4-5 for a soda really adds up.

Are others still tipping 10-20% on takeout at places like Panera or Cava? I’m starting to question it with prices up. Often I’m ordering on a screen.

You don’t tip at take away places. These servers are not on tip based salaries.

Decent people tip a few dollars in recognition of the person who packed up their order, ensured it was correct, and rang it up. Do you literally have to? No. Are you a decent person if you don’t take a moment and a few measly dollars for this act of kindness? Also no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree that drink prices are ridiculous now. $4-5 for a soda really adds up.

Are others still tipping 10-20% on takeout at places like Panera or Cava? I’m starting to question it with prices up. Often I’m ordering on a screen.

You don’t tip at take away places. These servers are not on tip based salaries.

Found the cheapie here!