When a burger and a couple beers passed $50 (and kept climbing) I quit my weekly pastime.

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

This. Things I don’t make at home (chicken parm is my favorite comfort meal but I don’t fry food at home- not even pan fry cutlets). But the list of things I am willing to try to cook is ever-growing.

Most Mexican or tex-mex restaurants , they all have the same menu and it’s all overpriced glop with a big side of cheap rice and beans.

Same with the cheap Chinese carry out, all just glop now with a little bit of low quality meat mixed in.

We've already completely stopped eating in restaurants. We are at the brink of stopping all takeout and swapping it for the grocery quick foods. After that I guess we drop the grocery quick foods.

I will go out for my birthday though.

Pizza delivery

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?

I’m not strapped for time or money, but haven’t always been that way, and OP was asking about ways to save money. I don’t eat much of that stuff but buy locally if I need it.

I think life is a trade off, you spend time to save money or spend money to save time. When I was a younger and poor we grew our own food and made almost everything ourselves. I do like having the skills to do it if I need to. Now I just try cooking more simply so I don’t need to do all that. Or I just go out to eat.

When you’re strapped for money though things like growing a garden, buying fruits and vegetables in season (especially the overripe seconds) and freezing or canning can be huge money savers. Or subs like leeks instead of garlic because it’s cheaper and close enough for most recipes. Buying big bags of carrots instead of the mini washed ones. Making your own spice blends. Adding rice or beans to stretch soups or tacos. That kind of thing adds up when money is tight. Shop the outskirts of the store and minimal from the middle. Buy some old cookbooks that use minimal ingredients to get ideas.

I used to enjoy preparing a new gourmet recipe from time to time. Yet, it often meant purchasing items that I didn’t keep at the ready (special vinegar, spices, mustard, etc) but were unlikely to be used up. Plus, anything gourmet falls flat with my meat and potatoes husband and picky kids. It just feels wasteful so I stick to simple minimal ingredient recipes most of the time.

We did frequently (2-3x a month) buy nice steaks to cook because it made an easy and delicious dinner but I do that only a few times a year now due to cost. It’s not just the per lb price but now that my kids are older, I have to buy so much more!

I’ve changed how I shop for produce. We consume so much produce that I no longer consistently spend the extra money on organic fruits/vegetables. The quality of the produce I find these days is so subpar even when I go store to store that I tend to just stick with what is on sale or buy from Costco.

I started to purchase more generics and plan meals around what is on sale.

I almost never purchase baked goods in a store, bakery or restaurant because prices are so inflated and I’m an excellent home baker.

We do fast casual/restaurants regularly but I often have sticker shock so that’s a place we should cut. I just enjoy the variety and break from cooking so it’s a hard habit to break.

I agree with the comment about Chinese food. DH and kids are huge fans but the food at our usual places became inedible over the years. We finally found a great restaurant but the prices were sky high so it became a very rare treat.

Fixing a steak at home. Fixing a pizza at home. Fixing anything like Chinese food at home.

High end chains like District Taco, Sweetgreen, etc.

Smoothies. They are $12 now

Crumbl cookies, Astro donuts, and other mainstream bakeries.

Quality of ingredients is just terrible now at 1 and 2.

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?

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

Spanish Diner. I'm not paying $17 for a "Spanish" grilled cheese, Josr Andres

I get what I want when I go out. I just go less and less and less. I used to get Starbucks 2x a day at work. Now in down to once a week with my daughter. Last time it was $25, for coffee and cakes. That's ridiculous! Once every other week now. Eventually, I'll replace this with a walk or something else. $25 for crappy coffee and over sugary cake, just is a bad buy.

I do not eat out anymore, at all. It’s been at least 6 months of more. It’s just too expensive and easy to make myself. I used to eat out when hours from home, now I just pack something. Even fast food is ridiculous! We used to go to Indian or Chinese or Nepali buffets a few times a month, never again

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?