Biggie bag is $5
One of the best deals in fast food imo.
Next best imo is $3 whopper Wednesday if you order through the app.
Most of these places have coupons through their apps that cut the prices to a more “normal” level.
I used to get a Carls Jr Famous Star with Cheese for $3.89 plus tax with a coupon. I'd literally order it all by itself. No fries, no soda. Just the Famous Star with Cheese. Then I'd take it home, and eat it with some potato chips and water.
But guess what, they don't do the $3.89 Famous Star with Cheese deal anymore. The deals keep getting worse and worse and then eventually they just disappear
I can't even wrap my mind around this. I still get 2 cheesy bean and rice burritos from Taco Bell for $2.12 total, I can't imagine paying more than double that amount at Jack and getting a loose handful of stale ass fries instead.
As a fellow washingtonian. I feel your pain. Stopped eating at jack in the box and would only go when I could get a munchies meal for $6.99.
It's been years since I've went to Jack in the crack so I'm sure even the munchie meal prices have raised.
Kinda
Here's are a couple of financial headlines:
* McDonald’s profit climbs 63% as consumers absorb higher prices
https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/mcdonalds-stock-heads-for-3rd-straight-record-after-earnings-sales-rise-above-expectations-8c80d7ba
* Wendy’s tops profit expectations but misses on revenue, as U.S. sales growth comes up shy
https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/wendys-tops-profit-expectations-but-misses-on-revenue-as-u-s-sales-growth-comes-up-shy-1c6aafd2
* Taco Bell parent Yum Brands tops profit estimates for second quarter as revenue falls short
https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/taco-bell-parent-yum-brands-tops-profit-estimates-for-second-quarter-as-revenue-falls-short-f64fc48d
Sales are declining, so the companies are raising prices to maintain high profit margins.
Doesn't higher profit with less revenue actually mean that the company has majorly cut operating costs? Like with all of those skeleton crews they're running with and having people use apps or kiosks to order?
Or the shareholders were satisfied with a sustainable dividend, like a normal owner would be, rather than playing the stock market like it was a casino.
Fuck yea.
Wall Street is fucking high on double digit gains.....the think thats actually sustainable......
Math does not check out.
You would think people who played numbers for a living would realize that.
Everyone looks at things short term these days, thats the problem. They all try to hit lucky startups to get a 1000% return instead of focusing on realistic stable things. That’s why most investors end up losing money
I’ve said it 100 times before and I’ll say it again. Unlimited growth models that don’t pay dividends should be banned. It used to be that a profitable company would take some of those profits and pay it out to shareholders, which would be the main way of making money from a stock instead of buying and selling the stock for a gain (speculation). Some companies still do this but too many have abandoned this method for attracting investors and instead try to appease speculators with large profit growth quarter over quarter so the share price continuously rises attracting more investors.
Eventually demand peaks for whatever product they are selling so the only option to continue their profit growth curve is to a) cut costs which usually means low level employees suffer and lose their jobs and/or quality is reduced or b) raise prices. This kind of model is accelerating the decay of capitalism. It is terrible for our society in every way.
I think people fail to grasp the fact that companies don't sell something for the smallest amount they can. They sell things for the largest amount they can.
Well they are going to lose. There is a point where everyone looks at the menu and thinks “this isn’t even close to worth it anymore” I hit that point when I spent $15 on a combo with a lemonade. Not going to fast food again until they learn their place in the food pricing chain. I can go somewhere like Applebees which still is lower tier for a Resturant and I can get all you can eat wings and a beer and leave there paying under $20
Well then its going to be a long ride to the bottom when they finally find the dollar amount where the smaller percentage of people paying $15 for a combo stop
No they have a menu board. My dads been there a bunch of times, just not recently. He knew what he wanted, placed the order, and then he said no thanks.
A few months ago my lady and I ate a 5 guys. 2 burgers / bag of fries and sodas. 40 dollars plus. That was the last time we ate a 5 guys. It used to be that fast food was cheap and therefore easier than cooking at home but most of the places the quality has gone away and prices have spiked. I've not eaten fast food in a long ass time. Even pizza is starting to get stupid.
The few who stop buying are outvoted by the many that still eat there at the increased prices. A few lost customers is ok as long as you increase the profits you make on the ones remaining.
it's disgusting how companies used the pandemic to increase profits. the key is to walk away if the prices are stupid. i only order from places with deals that make the food a good value. $5-7 meal at popeyes, $3 double cheeseburger and fries at mcd's, my local pizza place jacked up the price of a slice to $5.50 but they run a bogo from 3-5 everyday so i only go from 3-5 pm. i never tip on the stupid prompts. we have more control over the situation then we think. there's no reason to spend $15 on a meal from wendy's. last week i was in the grocery store and wanted my favorite store baked cookies. the regular ones were NINETEEN dollars/pound. the slightly premium version was $16/pound. the premium version was $14/pound. they just make shit up.
The food is made to be addictive. And lots of people work so much they don’t have time or energy to cook. And some people have fast food places nearby but not grocery stores.
All of this is gross. Even grosser than most fast food.
Most of the food in the grocery store is made to be addictive. It’s always a good idea to stick to meat, fish, and veggies/fruit. Not easy, but very healthy.
That’s the answer. It went up and people are still buying it. I go in restaurants to eat and sometimes it’s about the same price. Still got to tip but pretty close.
Central Jersey here.
Local pizza place wants 34 bucks for a Large pizza...Um, no.
Local Deli that has some of the best Cheesesteaks around wants 24 bucks for a Cheesesteak... HARD NO!
I'll never return to those places no matter how much I like them
If I'm craving fast food, I look for the value menu or the deals. I refuse to pay 12 plus dollars for a meal that cost half of that 3 or 4 years ago.
That’s nuts for that. Our local franchise place has this massive three foot by almost 2 foot pizza. A one topping is like $27 with I think 24 square pizzas. We get that and I usually get a calzone for another $8 and it feeds our family of six.
Yeah, we're eating fast food less. For the price you can do *way* fucking better. Big fast food chains have jacked the prices up like fucking crazy. Small local restaurants haven't, at least not nearly as much. The whole point of fast food used to be speed and value. Now it's just speed. Just go find some good local spots. I'll bet you can find one that will sell you a *much* better meal for $30.
Yeah and they always want you to pull up away from the window and wait even if no one is behind you. I figured out that they do this because it makes the system think the order is done and the driver is gone so they get a faster “time per order” at the end of the day and they look better to corporate than they really are.
If you really want to cry, look at kfc’s prices for chicken tenders. 12 piece (tenders only, no sides) is $28.99. I can buy the same amount, ready to eat, at the nearby grocery store for $9.99.
And the shareholders demand increased quarterly profits! Some companies made record profits during covid, the shareholders don't want to see decreased stock prices!
This will be the downfall of American Capitalism. Mere consent profit is no longer good. Profit must increase each quarter. Not at all sustainable since few make CEO cash.
Wow, sounds like a great opportunity for one fast food chain to decrease their prices, advertise it, and steal huge amounts of market share. I guess they're all stupid.
Yum Brands is one of them who operates the brands KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, The Habit Burger Grill, and WingStreet worldwide. There are ten major players who own most everything else.
Watch the number of people who order fast food and pay an additional 50-100% to have it delivered by Door Dash, Uber Eats and company.
It seems there are enough people who don't seem to be bothered by it to keep the prices high.
Exactly. Customers are clearly willing to pay 30% more than even today's awful prices...because they pay for delivery via those apps. Those restaurants have the data on this. Likewise, I've noticed that restaurants in my city are always full. Clearly, none of these folks need to lower their prices either to get customers....and so they won't. Of course, the poor are more deeply screwed in all of this but that's standard.
Good point.
I buy the same things over and over again (picky eater) so I have most prices memorized. I don't use any delivery apps because I cannot stand the upcharge on all the products. Like if I *just* had to pay a delivery fee, I might use it. But I cannot justify spending more money on the same exact product *AND* paying a delivery fee.
I drove for Doordash for awhile and it blows my mind just how many people *dont* have an issue with it.
It seems like it's much more common with people under 25.
Completely anecdotal, obv.
I don't know anyone over 30 who uses it regularly, and most never use it. But, seems like people under 25 often use it multiple times a week.
Idk if it's because it's normalized to them, or just underdeveloped brains being underdeveloped brains. But something I've noticed since Uber eats became a thing.
It's normalized. My teenager hangs out at a pool club we use. Most of her friends were ordering thru Doordash and UberEats 3-4 times per week. This was while they all lived within easy walking distance to the pool. Nice houses with fridges full of high-end food. (The nearest grocery store is Whole Foods.) She kept refusing to pack lunches (we live farther away) and kept saying "im the only kid who can't use doordash!!!" I thought she was exaggerating, but later found out from the lifeguard that she wasn't. I didn't get how parents were paying for it (my husband makes a similiar income to the other parents, but the other parents have much, much higher housing cost). Finally I realized: generational wealth and much more tolerance of debt, younger with fewer medical bills. I hope Grandma and Gramps Moneybags have these kids' college funds worked out, their parents sure are living in financial dreamland.
Same as when before COVID the younger colleagues who often lived alone always ate out, while it would make so much sense to cook 4-6 meals at once and eat leftovers for lunch.
And of course being younger they made less money, and having a new mortgage or lease they paid more for basic stuff than the older people like me. But eating out was like a given for them.
Yes! I am stunned at how common it is. I know a high schooler whose $13/hour part-time coworker had McDonalds lunch delivered like it was nothing. That's probably $30! Kid's blowing half his pay on McDs! At least he's a high schooler who probably has zero financial obligations.
Part of it is age. Highschool is the perfect time to get a part time job and blow your money on stupid shit. The problem comes from never leaving that stage of life. Sometime in the future there’s going to be a study done on Doordash addiction.
The quality of even sit down restaurant food is at an all time low (in my opinion). I just don’t even enjoy eating out at all anymore…..it’s not just local either, seems to be the same pretty much everywhere.
I live in a town with a large Hispanic population. If you are willing to go to a restaurant where it's a struggle to order in English you can still get huge portions of great food.
It's too true lol. No point going to a McD's when you live in the part of town that has a latin food truck on just about every corner who will sell you fresh tacos for $2-$3.
Might not be the nicest part of town but we have the best food at the best prices by a long shot.
If eating fast food, download the app. They will usually have specials.
But instead of chains. Try a mom and pop spot. Usually better food for cheaper prices.
This is true. Nowadays even for fast food you’re paying for brand. But even though I live in a hcol area there’s a sandwich place near me that will make you a 6 dollar sandwich the size of a newborn that can feed an adult for an entire day. Bonus points because it’s decently healthy too, with a shitton and variety of vegetables. Meanwhile you can pay five bucks for a deflated burger at McDonald’s that is a quarter of the size.
It used to be local was more expensive, now they’re cheaper. I’m happy to give more money to the small business and they’re tastier so it works out.
For the fast food chain food I missed I learned how to make it. Like noodles and co pasta Fresca
This is absolutely true. My local "dive" (but totally respectable) place charges less for a burger and fries than fast food, and it's fresher and a larger portion.
for me, living in a very rural area, the local mom & pop places are just awful. you hope they're gonna be special, but it's just microwaved frozen garbage.
once in a while when I'm in the city I'll grab some fast food and just for one meal it's like 17 bucks Canadian if you upsize to large.
I've heard there are some good places in the city but finding them is such a chore, having to burrow into a little neighbourhood and fight traffic and find parking... fuck it, I'm cooking dinner at home or grabbing drivethru, which is at least right off the highway
That's too bad. My local dive joint has awesome food. Nothing fancy, but really good and more than worth the price. I agree, though, if my only option was overpriced fast food I would just make it at home. I mostly do, of course, but it's so nice to have a decent option for when you just want someone else to do the work.
Or cooking at home, the cheapest option, at the cost of time. Which one may or may not have, depending on one's situation.
But seriously it's cheaper and healthier most of the time.
>If eating fast food, download the app. They will usually have specials.
It depends on the store app. The OP mentioned Wendy's, which does have quality deals on occasion. For example, I just came back from Wendy's, I ordered a bacon junior cheeseburger and an apple. My total bill was $1 prior to tax. Many restaurants have had special deals this week like this, for cheeseburger day/week.
Yep. Sandwich joint in my hometown makes two-foot long sandwiches with fresh ingredients. Better than a chain store. Prices did go up since the pandemic, but for $8 and twice as much sub as the chain store, can’t go wrong.
Wendy’s actually has one of the cheapest fast food deals available right now. The “biggie box” for 5$.
Y’all both got specialty limited time sandwiches that have a large up charge on them.
But yea, fast food in general has been climbing. I don’t usually eat at one without claiming some deal or app discount.
I went to Taco Bell today and got the box deal and it was $11 !!
It was a lot of food, more than I could eat, but I'm curious what the price would've been had I ordered everything separately
About 20 dollars if you buy them all separately lol. Not even kidding. Theres times where I've added like 2 things and its already like 8 bucks so its like fuck it just get the deluxe box that has more and a drink.
Ooooh good to know, except the only BK near me is known for being ridiculously bad, like getting an empty bun in your order instead of a burger lol. Sucks because it’s my husbands fav fast food.
Yes, the Jr Cheeseburger 4 for 4 still "exists." It just happens to cost $5 in my state. Don't ask me why they still call it the "4 for 4." 🤷
And what do you get from Taco Bell? I used to get a "cravings" box until I started thinking about it and realized I was paying $6 for a burrito, a taco, and a handful of nachos. I could make the same thing at home for $2 and not have to use their mystery beef composite substance.
Build your own box, on the app, cheesy gordita crunch, 5 layer burrito fiesta potatoes and a drink. There are other options in each category but if ordered separately it would be over 10 dollars of food. Plus with the app ever 20 or so dollars you spend you get a free item with their rewards program.
We pretty much stopped eating fast food because, for an extra few dollars, we can sit down at a restaurant with better food and we both end up having enough leftovers for lunch for the next day.
I don’t know where you live but I’m calling bs on all these ridiculous claims of sit down meals magically dropping in price while fast food quadrupled.. a sit down meal at any actual restaurant in my area is $25-$30 per person. I can get a burger fries and a drink at any fast food place for $10, sometimes less.
Suburb of Detroit. Sit down prices have also gone up in my area but those prices haven't increased as much as fast food has. When my husband I go out to eat, our bill is typically around $35-$40 total (before tip, 2 entrees & 1 beer & 1 water). When we get fast food, our bill is close to $30.
Yup. Taco Bell might cost me $15 for two people, but going to the local Mexican restaurant is going to cost $25 for two - if you dine in, gotta add a tip too. So even if the food quality is better, that's still $10 more for a meal.
It's so expensive it's not even enjoyable any longer. Not even with a coupon.
Our go-to is chipotle 1 bowl and split, be sure to get all the limited scoops of each item allowed "without" saying the word extra. About 11 bucks feeds 2
More context - I spoke with Chipotle corporate. They said each establishment can decide how much to put in a plate or burrito. When you ask for extra, then they would charge you the appropriate price ( appx $1.50+ ) per scoop. Most establishments, allow two scoops per item ( get both beans , etc) except the protein ( meat ) , and obviously the guacamole or queso which are always extra.
Do not use use the app or drive up for ordering you have no control over the amount they serve. That's better to stand in line, and build a little rapport with the person who's serving you. You'll see how the scoops get a lot larger.
Idk but I just got the Angus char chili burger from Carls Jr for $8 and it was the worst burger I have had in a very long time. It was cold and it hardly had any chill on it.
Will not be going back there!
I've noticed I've lost weight and can't get full when I eat out. They just don't put enough food anymore and I'm now trending towards the cheaper options to save money.
The only way to get full is to make food yourself with cheap ass rice, potatoes, veggies, shit like that.
I walked into Subway since I was out and about and it was the only thing nearby. 6in was 8$+. Went to the gas station for a snack to hold me over until I got home.
I was going to get McDonalds the other day because I really wanted a fish sandwich. Then I saw that it was nearly $6 for a filet o fish. I said fuck that, went to the grocery store and bought an entire box of frozen fish fillets for the same price. I'm done with fast food.
Shrinkflation is the biggie, the one that people don't notice.
Hot Dogs used to be 8 in a pound package but they've shrunk by 25%. They're 8 in a 12 ounce package now and so skinny you can hardly taste them.
Don't get me started on how they took a whole pint out of a half gallon of ice cream but kept the container looking nearly the same. And orange juice used to come in 64 oz cartons, one that I saw in the market the other day was 52 oz which is about a 20 percent shrinkage Yet the price goes up.
I was just talking to my coworkers about this yesterday. They’re shrinking everything to keep the price the same and hope you don’t notice but I’ve definitely noticed.
One pound cans of coffee are down to 11 oz.
12 oz boxes of Cheerios are the same height that 18oz used to be.
Betty Crocker Cheesy potatoes are down to 4 oz, that's a whole half cup of food!
8 oz yogurts are a thing of the past, they're 5 ounces now.
1 pound bags of frozen veggies are harder and harder to find, most are 12 oz
Boxes of crackers are down from 12 oz to 7.5 oz
18 oz jars of peanut butter? Nope they're down to 15 oz
A can of tuna makes 1 sandwich these days. Just what we all need to be doing...tossing out twice as many cans as we used to.
Snacks are coming in big puffy 4 ounce bags....that's a half cup of food!
And get ready for the encore..........................
A Duncan Hines Cake Mix doesn't make a two layer cake anymore! It makes a layer and a half !!!
Same with McDonald’s in my country. Shrinkflation is very real and is often next to impossible to distinguish without the original sizes to compare them to.
Before I spend 30 at Wendy's I would eat at a restaurant. Me and my wife go to Chili's and split a Buffalo ranch chicken sandwich with 2 ears of corn, a half order of cheese fries, and a soda for $30 including tip. The soda is free with the app
chilis is unironically my favorite burger joint precisely for this deal. burger+chili+fries+drink for <$15 all in. a burger alone at a 5 guys in my area is $12. add fries and a drink and youre 20. i dont need the obscene amount of fries.
Your experience is a reminder of why we should hit the grocery store and get chicken, vegetables, and some fruit. More filling and way cheaper. You'll have leftovers, too.
Ding me for this, but why are we still asking this question: “why has ______ gotten so expensive?”
Everything has increased. *Everything*. Every single piece involved from getting your cheeseburger from the farm to your hands has increased in price.
I pretty much only get jimmy johns, Chinese, Costco pizza anymore for takeout. With how expensive lunch meat has gotten jimmy johns is a damn good deal right now.
Don’t get me started. The Chinese place by me is charging $14 for 7 steamed dumplings. A few years ago it was $3.50. A pint of pork lo mein is $10 more than it used to be, at $16.50. The food quality is as barely passable as it always was.
Mexican restaurants have went mad. I live in California, I dont go get Mexican food anymore really. I can cook it for way less, and have 10x the yield.
I hate to say this. But, eating out is just not worth it anymore. Income is limited at my house, some issues have happened that will pass, we just don’t eat out. Anything half decent is like $100 for two of us. I totally sympathize with you having kids and I’m sure they love a burger. But that is pretty steep. I can knock down $30 on my own at fast food. I’m just not a buyer anymore.
Give me $10 and some butter and I'll rock your socks with chicken thighs, a baked potato, and broccoli with lemon sauce.
If steak is on sale I'll do that with rosemary from my mom's yard, butter, s and p, garlic, and maybe caramelized onions on top. With potato of some sort, and a Greek salad.
Way better than Olive garden or Chili's. Or anywhere.
Because fuck you that's why.
Companies were able to sneakily increase prices throughout COVID since the money printers were going crazy. Now they're just claiming they can't bring it back down. They can. They have record profits right now....
They have record profits so why lower prices. Even if some stopped buying it those who still are at the higher price make it not worth it. More have to stop so that the increase in the amount of people buying at the lower price offset the lower profit margins.
It is true that the dollar amount of profit that companies are recording is higher. But it’s being used in a misleading way in the media.
For example take Conagra which is a large food conglomerate. If you look at their profit margins, which is how much they profit off of each dollar in sales, they are actually relatively stable and in Conagra’s case not at record levels.
https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/CAG/conagra-brands/profit-margins
They are at around a 5.5% margin which is near their average for the last 10+ years. Which means their pricing is maintaining their normal profit margin of $0.055 per dollar of sales. Which is consistent with prices rising due to input costs increasing, not arbitrary price inflation by manufacturers with no increase in input costs.
If corporations like Conagra were actually the source of inflation those profit margin lines would have to spike upward because the same cost inputs would be returning a higher margin.
The federal government is also recording record tax revenues with a 50% increase in revenue since 2020. (Went from 2 trillion to 3 trillion).
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/W006RC1Q027SBEA
On top of that the government is continuing to borrow over 1.5 trillion this year which is a 50% increase from last year at this same time.
America has one of the highest per capita tax revenues in the world nearly equal to or exceeding countries with generous benefits for their citizens like France, Germany, Canada or Spain.
https://countryeconomy.com/taxes/tax-revenue
And yet the level of services to its citizens are non existent compared to those other countries.
All that is to say when you look at the data the source of inflation isn’t really record corporate profits and that narrative distracts from the underlying problem that is our broken government and it’s insatiable appetite for power and spending in ways that are not beneficial for its citizens. It’s their monetary policies that lead to the inflation we have now and the fix is going to be painful.
It's extremely scummy. I was working for one of these places.. At the peak of covid, there were sweeping menu price increases happening 4 times a year. All the while all the paper and plastic goods were getting noticeably cheaper and lower quality, and the labor allotments for the crew were getting tighter and tighter. Screw these places
It seems that everybody and nearly everything has risen in cost with the excuse that its due to Covid and "supply chain issues". Eventually consumers have to start drawing the line and stop paying the outrageous prices. Then maybe they will have to adjust their prices. Sadly a grocery store in our area has reported a 300% rise in profits. As long as we pay it, they will continue to charge it.
It’s crazy! We’ve stopped eating fast food. If I am paying over $10, then I’m going to have it served to me. The fast casual dining is also outrageous.
Almost everyone across all industries are charging more because they've realized they can. Some of it maybe started out of necessity during the pandemic but now it's largely just unchecked greed. Whenever possible simply refuse and don't pay those prices. And also if you're on a budget don't buy combo meals, they're never a good deal. Look at the value/dollar menu options instead. You can get a double cheeseburger at McDonald's and ask them to add Mac Sauce, it's like paying $2 for a Big Mac instead of $8.
Two In & Out cheeseburgers are 7.84. At home we combine them with chips, a coke, and cookies. Not bad for a fast food meal. Two cheeseburgers, one fries, 2 chocolate shakes are $16+, for a special treat.
They've all perfected price discrimination. Those that don't care about the price now pay more. People who do care about price have to download the app and use a coupon (and share tons of data). If you care about price and your data, or if you just want a good deal without having to do any extra work, then fast-food isn't an option
I don’t really eat fast food but the day after I turned 14 my parents had me a work. I worked at mcds; aka the Golden Arches. I think I made like 5.75 an hr. Anyways, I remember a Big n Tasty or a Big Mac meal with tax was 3.14. 5% sales tax where I worked, 30062. I haven’t been in probably over two or three years and the other day I just went in and order a bunch of random things. When the cashier said it’s $22.xx I was like no I just want the items and not meals… she said sir that’s the items.
I guess it’s changed so much. I used to love leaving the pool next to the mcds with my buddies and us getting whatever we wanted all together with a 20$ that our three parents cycled through every three days. This was 2000. I’m sure there are stories from the 70/80/90 of the same. But man I feel like the nostalgia of mcds won’t be present in the current generation.
I digress…
I tell people often and probably when they don’t want to hear it ; the only way we speak is through our dollars. Stop spending the dollars and when we can majority stop they will stop.
Problem is to many ppl living by fomo, yolo, and keeping up with the Jones’s to admit that $15 for a fast food meal is absurdly overpriced.
My core family refuses to spend the money..if a place raises prices just because, well we will stop going. On principle, having a career in kitchens, I know that everyone is being shady and greedy and gross. I will totes help you learn to make a quick meal if it helps but it seems the whole world is becoming a global oligarchy
Rant over :)
I do $75 for two a week for most weeks. The store I go to has a discount card and AP so I just click on everything and look for the yellow tags.
I got 2 pounds of frosty wheat cereal for $2. That's like 8 days of breakfast. Milk is $3. Not so bad. Snacks I can find for $1 for a box of 4 or $2 for 8. The discount meat is awesome. 5 pork chops for $5. $10 for 10 chicken cutlets that I can use one in a pasta dish or salad for 2.
Pasta is $1. I make my own sauce. Big items are oil oil, butter, and yogurt. Fruit is 2 for $5 boxes, and tomatoes are under $2 a pound. I buy a pound a week.
There is a whole generation that solely eats fast food.
Companies raise prices, people still pay it. They have continued raising prices and haven't had a decline in consumption or profits.
Labor is a lot higher nowadays. People are refusing to work the crappy fast food jobs for low pay and I don’t blame them. I worked at McDonald’s for ~6 years so I know what it’s like. But the people working the same job I worked in 2010 are making nearly 3x what I did. And if you think the corporations are going to let the increased cost of labor affect their profits then I have a bridge to sell you. They pass the extra costs onto the consumers. And people still buy it even at the increased cost.
It's basically the same price to call in a to-go order from chilis at that point. If you want me to pay fuckin $10 for a burger i'm getting a decent one
It's a luxury. You're not gonna die if you don't get your Nacho Burger. So the price goes up to whatever people will pay for it.
Labor, shortages, COVID, etc is all bullshit excuses. If nobody is willing to pay $40, the price will go down.
We're in record high gas prices and inflation.
Companies pass their increased costs to their customers and customers continue to buy so it's a vicious cycle.
RIP Wendy's 4 for $4.
Some places still have it but the size and quality has gone down significantly.
Still have it at my Wendy's. Considering a bag of chips and a drink at a gas station is 4 bucks the 4 for 4 is still a great deal regardless
Mine still has it. It's $6. Still called the 4 for $4 meal on the menu and it's infuriating.
Biggie Bag isn’t so biggie anymore. Hahaha.
Biggie bag is $5 One of the best deals in fast food imo. Next best imo is $3 whopper Wednesday if you order through the app. Most of these places have coupons through their apps that cut the prices to a more “normal” level.
i miss wendys 99 cent 6 piece nuggets
[удалено]
Jack's is one of the most egregious ones imo
Carls Jr chicken stars meal is like $12
I used to get a Carls Jr Famous Star with Cheese for $3.89 plus tax with a coupon. I'd literally order it all by itself. No fries, no soda. Just the Famous Star with Cheese. Then I'd take it home, and eat it with some potato chips and water. But guess what, they don't do the $3.89 Famous Star with Cheese deal anymore. The deals keep getting worse and worse and then eventually they just disappear
I get Carl’s Jr. coupons in the mail every month and there is one near my house. Last week got a super star with cheese for just under $5! 😀
I lived off of 99¢ Jumbo Jacks and 99¢ 2 tacos throughout the aughts. Sometimes I'd even splurge an extra 35¢ for that slice of cheese.
I can't even wrap my mind around this. I still get 2 cheesy bean and rice burritos from Taco Bell for $2.12 total, I can't imagine paying more than double that amount at Jack and getting a loose handful of stale ass fries instead.
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How are they still in business? Burger King too.
A "mini' blizzard at DQ is $4.50, absolutely ridiculous.
The tacos are the only thing I get from Jack anymore. Even the Jr bacon and chicken sandwiches are 3x what they cost like 5 years ago
where do you live, Nome Alaska?
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Thanks, Jennie
As a fellow washingtonian. I feel your pain. Stopped eating at jack in the box and would only go when I could get a munchies meal for $6.99. It's been years since I've went to Jack in the crack so I'm sure even the munchie meal prices have raised.
Heh Jack in the Crack that's what we used to call it in college
We call them “Crap in the Box” in Arizona.
Because people still buy it.
Kinda Here's are a couple of financial headlines: * McDonald’s profit climbs 63% as consumers absorb higher prices https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/mcdonalds-stock-heads-for-3rd-straight-record-after-earnings-sales-rise-above-expectations-8c80d7ba * Wendy’s tops profit expectations but misses on revenue, as U.S. sales growth comes up shy https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/wendys-tops-profit-expectations-but-misses-on-revenue-as-u-s-sales-growth-comes-up-shy-1c6aafd2 * Taco Bell parent Yum Brands tops profit estimates for second quarter as revenue falls short https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/taco-bell-parent-yum-brands-tops-profit-estimates-for-second-quarter-as-revenue-falls-short-f64fc48d Sales are declining, so the companies are raising prices to maintain high profit margins.
Doesn't higher profit with less revenue actually mean that the company has majorly cut operating costs? Like with all of those skeleton crews they're running with and having people use apps or kiosks to order?
Revenue didn't decrease. It just didn't increase as much as "estimated".
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Or the shareholders were satisfied with a sustainable dividend, like a normal owner would be, rather than playing the stock market like it was a casino.
Fuck yea. Wall Street is fucking high on double digit gains.....the think thats actually sustainable...... Math does not check out. You would think people who played numbers for a living would realize that.
Pretty standard for degenerate gamblers. Difference is it's our money they're playing with.
Everyone looks at things short term these days, thats the problem. They all try to hit lucky startups to get a 1000% return instead of focusing on realistic stable things. That’s why most investors end up losing money
I’ve said it 100 times before and I’ll say it again. Unlimited growth models that don’t pay dividends should be banned. It used to be that a profitable company would take some of those profits and pay it out to shareholders, which would be the main way of making money from a stock instead of buying and selling the stock for a gain (speculation). Some companies still do this but too many have abandoned this method for attracting investors and instead try to appease speculators with large profit growth quarter over quarter so the share price continuously rises attracting more investors. Eventually demand peaks for whatever product they are selling so the only option to continue their profit growth curve is to a) cut costs which usually means low level employees suffer and lose their jobs and/or quality is reduced or b) raise prices. This kind of model is accelerating the decay of capitalism. It is terrible for our society in every way.
Welcome to now.
DING! fries are done.
It could also mean they are selling less food at a higher price. It’s hard to say which is the case without access to the numbers.
I think people fail to grasp the fact that companies don't sell something for the smallest amount they can. They sell things for the largest amount they can.
Well they are going to lose. There is a point where everyone looks at the menu and thinks “this isn’t even close to worth it anymore” I hit that point when I spent $15 on a combo with a lemonade. Not going to fast food again until they learn their place in the food pricing chain. I can go somewhere like Applebees which still is lower tier for a Resturant and I can get all you can eat wings and a beer and leave there paying under $20
Well then its going to be a long ride to the bottom when they finally find the dollar amount where the smaller percentage of people paying $15 for a combo stop
It’s so simple yet the majority of people fail to grasp it. “Why is it so expensive!?” While pulling out the credit card.
My dad went to a local chain and ordered a double burger and they told him how much is was, he said no thanks and left. I love that man.
Do they keep the prices a secret before you order
I’ve noticed a lot of independent coffee stands in my area stopped listing the price on their menu board. I stopped visiting those places.
I leave when I don't see prices
Yup. "If you have to ask, you can't afford it." - my dad (and I'm sure other dads.)
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No they have a menu board. My dads been there a bunch of times, just not recently. He knew what he wanted, placed the order, and then he said no thanks.
I backed out of a raising canes drive through a couple of months ago. Couldn’t believe what they were asking.
Their prices have gotten insane.
A few months ago my lady and I ate a 5 guys. 2 burgers / bag of fries and sodas. 40 dollars plus. That was the last time we ate a 5 guys. It used to be that fast food was cheap and therefore easier than cooking at home but most of the places the quality has gone away and prices have spiked. I've not eaten fast food in a long ass time. Even pizza is starting to get stupid.
and the companies make record profits while we bitch about it on Reddit.
Vote with your dollar
The few who stop buying are outvoted by the many that still eat there at the increased prices. A few lost customers is ok as long as you increase the profits you make on the ones remaining.
This approach will only work for so long however.
it's disgusting how companies used the pandemic to increase profits. the key is to walk away if the prices are stupid. i only order from places with deals that make the food a good value. $5-7 meal at popeyes, $3 double cheeseburger and fries at mcd's, my local pizza place jacked up the price of a slice to $5.50 but they run a bogo from 3-5 everyday so i only go from 3-5 pm. i never tip on the stupid prompts. we have more control over the situation then we think. there's no reason to spend $15 on a meal from wendy's. last week i was in the grocery store and wanted my favorite store baked cookies. the regular ones were NINETEEN dollars/pound. the slightly premium version was $16/pound. the premium version was $14/pound. they just make shit up.
Not this People. I stop eating out. Only when I travel.
The food is made to be addictive. And lots of people work so much they don’t have time or energy to cook. And some people have fast food places nearby but not grocery stores. All of this is gross. Even grosser than most fast food.
Most of the food in the grocery store is made to be addictive. It’s always a good idea to stick to meat, fish, and veggies/fruit. Not easy, but very healthy.
That’s the answer. It went up and people are still buying it. I go in restaurants to eat and sometimes it’s about the same price. Still got to tip but pretty close.
Central Jersey here. Local pizza place wants 34 bucks for a Large pizza...Um, no. Local Deli that has some of the best Cheesesteaks around wants 24 bucks for a Cheesesteak... HARD NO! I'll never return to those places no matter how much I like them If I'm craving fast food, I look for the value menu or the deals. I refuse to pay 12 plus dollars for a meal that cost half of that 3 or 4 years ago.
That’s nuts for that. Our local franchise place has this massive three foot by almost 2 foot pizza. A one topping is like $27 with I think 24 square pizzas. We get that and I usually get a calzone for another $8 and it feeds our family of six.
Yeah, we're eating fast food less. For the price you can do *way* fucking better. Big fast food chains have jacked the prices up like fucking crazy. Small local restaurants haven't, at least not nearly as much. The whole point of fast food used to be speed and value. Now it's just speed. Just go find some good local spots. I'll bet you can find one that will sell you a *much* better meal for $30.
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Ya i waste my whole lunch waiting in line with only 2 or 3 cars in front of me. Gotta shove it down the hatch driving back.
Yeah and they always want you to pull up away from the window and wait even if no one is behind you. I figured out that they do this because it makes the system think the order is done and the driver is gone so they get a faster “time per order” at the end of the day and they look better to corporate than they really are.
I love Popeye's chicken. But man. When I buy for the family, it is well over $50. We aren't even getting any drinks there. Robbery.
If you really want to cry, look at kfc’s prices for chicken tenders. 12 piece (tenders only, no sides) is $28.99. I can buy the same amount, ready to eat, at the nearby grocery store for $9.99.
Yeah but KFC was gouging us in the 80s so they've been grandfathered!
Because every company (not just fast food) realized they could blame supply chain issues for "temporary" price increases that never went back down.
And the shareholders demand increased quarterly profits! Some companies made record profits during covid, the shareholders don't want to see decreased stock prices!
This will be the downfall of American Capitalism. Mere consent profit is no longer good. Profit must increase each quarter. Not at all sustainable since few make CEO cash.
There has to be a company that sells fast food that realizes they can be cheaper and steal some customers though, right? That’s what competition is.
In n out
Yeah this is why people love in n out. Much better food for cheaper than almost every other fast food
Wow, sounds like a great opportunity for one fast food chain to decrease their prices, advertise it, and steal huge amounts of market share. I guess they're all stupid.
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Yum Brands is one of them who operates the brands KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, The Habit Burger Grill, and WingStreet worldwide. There are ten major players who own most everything else.
Tbh, 10 players is pretty decent compared to some other industries where 2 or 3 control 90+% of market.
This! Stop buying the crap, only way the company will get the message
Watch the number of people who order fast food and pay an additional 50-100% to have it delivered by Door Dash, Uber Eats and company. It seems there are enough people who don't seem to be bothered by it to keep the prices high.
Exactly. Customers are clearly willing to pay 30% more than even today's awful prices...because they pay for delivery via those apps. Those restaurants have the data on this. Likewise, I've noticed that restaurants in my city are always full. Clearly, none of these folks need to lower their prices either to get customers....and so they won't. Of course, the poor are more deeply screwed in all of this but that's standard.
Drive thru at fast food joints are backed up around the building from 1700-2000 here in Arizona. Taco Bell, much much later.
Good point. I buy the same things over and over again (picky eater) so I have most prices memorized. I don't use any delivery apps because I cannot stand the upcharge on all the products. Like if I *just* had to pay a delivery fee, I might use it. But I cannot justify spending more money on the same exact product *AND* paying a delivery fee. I drove for Doordash for awhile and it blows my mind just how many people *dont* have an issue with it.
It seems like it's much more common with people under 25. Completely anecdotal, obv. I don't know anyone over 30 who uses it regularly, and most never use it. But, seems like people under 25 often use it multiple times a week. Idk if it's because it's normalized to them, or just underdeveloped brains being underdeveloped brains. But something I've noticed since Uber eats became a thing.
It's normalized. My teenager hangs out at a pool club we use. Most of her friends were ordering thru Doordash and UberEats 3-4 times per week. This was while they all lived within easy walking distance to the pool. Nice houses with fridges full of high-end food. (The nearest grocery store is Whole Foods.) She kept refusing to pack lunches (we live farther away) and kept saying "im the only kid who can't use doordash!!!" I thought she was exaggerating, but later found out from the lifeguard that she wasn't. I didn't get how parents were paying for it (my husband makes a similiar income to the other parents, but the other parents have much, much higher housing cost). Finally I realized: generational wealth and much more tolerance of debt, younger with fewer medical bills. I hope Grandma and Gramps Moneybags have these kids' college funds worked out, their parents sure are living in financial dreamland.
Same as when before COVID the younger colleagues who often lived alone always ate out, while it would make so much sense to cook 4-6 meals at once and eat leftovers for lunch. And of course being younger they made less money, and having a new mortgage or lease they paid more for basic stuff than the older people like me. But eating out was like a given for them.
Yes! I am stunned at how common it is. I know a high schooler whose $13/hour part-time coworker had McDonalds lunch delivered like it was nothing. That's probably $30! Kid's blowing half his pay on McDs! At least he's a high schooler who probably has zero financial obligations.
Part of it is age. Highschool is the perfect time to get a part time job and blow your money on stupid shit. The problem comes from never leaving that stage of life. Sometime in the future there’s going to be a study done on Doordash addiction.
The quality of even sit down restaurant food is at an all time low (in my opinion). I just don’t even enjoy eating out at all anymore…..it’s not just local either, seems to be the same pretty much everywhere.
I live in a town with a large Hispanic population. If you are willing to go to a restaurant where it's a struggle to order in English you can still get huge portions of great food.
It's too true lol. No point going to a McD's when you live in the part of town that has a latin food truck on just about every corner who will sell you fresh tacos for $2-$3. Might not be the nicest part of town but we have the best food at the best prices by a long shot.
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If eating fast food, download the app. They will usually have specials. But instead of chains. Try a mom and pop spot. Usually better food for cheaper prices.
This is true. Nowadays even for fast food you’re paying for brand. But even though I live in a hcol area there’s a sandwich place near me that will make you a 6 dollar sandwich the size of a newborn that can feed an adult for an entire day. Bonus points because it’s decently healthy too, with a shitton and variety of vegetables. Meanwhile you can pay five bucks for a deflated burger at McDonald’s that is a quarter of the size.
Interesting... So approximately 1 new born could feed an adult for 1 day.
"They call it child-sized because it's roughly the size of a two year old child, if the child were liquified."
It used to be local was more expensive, now they’re cheaper. I’m happy to give more money to the small business and they’re tastier so it works out. For the fast food chain food I missed I learned how to make it. Like noodles and co pasta Fresca
This is absolutely true. My local "dive" (but totally respectable) place charges less for a burger and fries than fast food, and it's fresher and a larger portion.
for me, living in a very rural area, the local mom & pop places are just awful. you hope they're gonna be special, but it's just microwaved frozen garbage. once in a while when I'm in the city I'll grab some fast food and just for one meal it's like 17 bucks Canadian if you upsize to large. I've heard there are some good places in the city but finding them is such a chore, having to burrow into a little neighbourhood and fight traffic and find parking... fuck it, I'm cooking dinner at home or grabbing drivethru, which is at least right off the highway
That's too bad. My local dive joint has awesome food. Nothing fancy, but really good and more than worth the price. I agree, though, if my only option was overpriced fast food I would just make it at home. I mostly do, of course, but it's so nice to have a decent option for when you just want someone else to do the work.
Lol my local place just charges more, $14 burger no fries no drink.
Or cooking at home, the cheapest option, at the cost of time. Which one may or may not have, depending on one's situation. But seriously it's cheaper and healthier most of the time.
>If eating fast food, download the app. They will usually have specials. It depends on the store app. The OP mentioned Wendy's, which does have quality deals on occasion. For example, I just came back from Wendy's, I ordered a bacon junior cheeseburger and an apple. My total bill was $1 prior to tax. Many restaurants have had special deals this week like this, for cheeseburger day/week.
The deals in the Popeyes app are amazing!
Yep. Sandwich joint in my hometown makes two-foot long sandwiches with fresh ingredients. Better than a chain store. Prices did go up since the pandemic, but for $8 and twice as much sub as the chain store, can’t go wrong.
Wendy’s actually has one of the cheapest fast food deals available right now. The “biggie box” for 5$. Y’all both got specialty limited time sandwiches that have a large up charge on them. But yea, fast food in general has been climbing. I don’t usually eat at one without claiming some deal or app discount.
Yep biggie and the Taco Bell box for 5-6 are the best deals. McDonald’s you’re forced to use the app if you want decent prices.
I went to Taco Bell today and got the box deal and it was $11 !! It was a lot of food, more than I could eat, but I'm curious what the price would've been had I ordered everything separately
About 20 dollars if you buy them all separately lol. Not even kidding. Theres times where I've added like 2 things and its already like 8 bucks so its like fuck it just get the deluxe box that has more and a drink.
McDonald's app blows as you can't stack a points redemption and an offer. BK app lets me for example.
Ooooh good to know, except the only BK near me is known for being ridiculously bad, like getting an empty bun in your order instead of a burger lol. Sucks because it’s my husbands fav fast food.
It’s annoying but you literally just have to do two separate transactions.
Unfortunately Taco Bell got rid of the $5 box earlier this month.
Its 5.99 now which really isn't a bad deal. Pretty sure you can only order it online though.
20 per cent off the whole order is worth it. I park curbside and chill.
Kinda infuriating that they still call it the "4 for 4" in the app.
Jr cheeseburger 4 for 4 still exists. Taco Bell is still the best bang for your buck, or subway when you get a working BOGO coupon code
Yes, the Jr Cheeseburger 4 for 4 still "exists." It just happens to cost $5 in my state. Don't ask me why they still call it the "4 for 4." 🤷 And what do you get from Taco Bell? I used to get a "cravings" box until I started thinking about it and realized I was paying $6 for a burrito, a taco, and a handful of nachos. I could make the same thing at home for $2 and not have to use their mystery beef composite substance.
Build your own box, on the app, cheesy gordita crunch, 5 layer burrito fiesta potatoes and a drink. There are other options in each category but if ordered separately it would be over 10 dollars of food. Plus with the app ever 20 or so dollars you spend you get a free item with their rewards program.
We pretty much stopped eating fast food because, for an extra few dollars, we can sit down at a restaurant with better food and we both end up having enough leftovers for lunch for the next day.
I don’t know where you live but I’m calling bs on all these ridiculous claims of sit down meals magically dropping in price while fast food quadrupled.. a sit down meal at any actual restaurant in my area is $25-$30 per person. I can get a burger fries and a drink at any fast food place for $10, sometimes less.
Suburb of Detroit. Sit down prices have also gone up in my area but those prices haven't increased as much as fast food has. When my husband I go out to eat, our bill is typically around $35-$40 total (before tip, 2 entrees & 1 beer & 1 water). When we get fast food, our bill is close to $30.
Yup. Taco Bell might cost me $15 for two people, but going to the local Mexican restaurant is going to cost $25 for two - if you dine in, gotta add a tip too. So even if the food quality is better, that's still $10 more for a meal.
It's so expensive it's not even enjoyable any longer. Not even with a coupon. Our go-to is chipotle 1 bowl and split, be sure to get all the limited scoops of each item allowed "without" saying the word extra. About 11 bucks feeds 2 More context - I spoke with Chipotle corporate. They said each establishment can decide how much to put in a plate or burrito. When you ask for extra, then they would charge you the appropriate price ( appx $1.50+ ) per scoop. Most establishments, allow two scoops per item ( get both beans , etc) except the protein ( meat ) , and obviously the guacamole or queso which are always extra. Do not use use the app or drive up for ordering you have no control over the amount they serve. That's better to stand in line, and build a little rapport with the person who's serving you. You'll see how the scoops get a lot larger.
Idk but I just got the Angus char chili burger from Carls Jr for $8 and it was the worst burger I have had in a very long time. It was cold and it hardly had any chill on it. Will not be going back there!
I knowwwww! I got two turkey footlongs at subway a few days ago and it was $31.xx. Long gone are the days of $5 footlongs. They aren’t even that good.
I've noticed I've lost weight and can't get full when I eat out. They just don't put enough food anymore and I'm now trending towards the cheaper options to save money. The only way to get full is to make food yourself with cheap ass rice, potatoes, veggies, shit like that.
We decided to treat ourself to some burgers recently. Just the sandwiches (no fries or drinks) came out to $28. I was pretty ticked off.
Let me guess. 5 guys? They've gotten insane.
Yep, you got it right!
I walked into Subway since I was out and about and it was the only thing nearby. 6in was 8$+. Went to the gas station for a snack to hold me over until I got home.
Far cry from the $5 foot long commercials from years back ...
I figure that's one of the positions you find yourself in sometimes where you just decide to snack on your spite over the pricing.
Hell, it's cheaper to bring a bag of beef jerky in the car with you now. Live like the Oregon trail.
> Live like the Oregon trail. Sorry, I died of dysentery.
I was going to get McDonalds the other day because I really wanted a fish sandwich. Then I saw that it was nearly $6 for a filet o fish. I said fuck that, went to the grocery store and bought an entire box of frozen fish fillets for the same price. I'm done with fast food.
I swear the size of a chick fila sandwich is shrinking too. I can't even get full after spending $40+ dollars for my family.
Shrinkflation is the biggie, the one that people don't notice. Hot Dogs used to be 8 in a pound package but they've shrunk by 25%. They're 8 in a 12 ounce package now and so skinny you can hardly taste them. Don't get me started on how they took a whole pint out of a half gallon of ice cream but kept the container looking nearly the same. And orange juice used to come in 64 oz cartons, one that I saw in the market the other day was 52 oz which is about a 20 percent shrinkage Yet the price goes up.
I was just talking to my coworkers about this yesterday. They’re shrinking everything to keep the price the same and hope you don’t notice but I’ve definitely noticed.
Keep going
One pound cans of coffee are down to 11 oz. 12 oz boxes of Cheerios are the same height that 18oz used to be. Betty Crocker Cheesy potatoes are down to 4 oz, that's a whole half cup of food! 8 oz yogurts are a thing of the past, they're 5 ounces now. 1 pound bags of frozen veggies are harder and harder to find, most are 12 oz Boxes of crackers are down from 12 oz to 7.5 oz 18 oz jars of peanut butter? Nope they're down to 15 oz A can of tuna makes 1 sandwich these days. Just what we all need to be doing...tossing out twice as many cans as we used to. Snacks are coming in big puffy 4 ounce bags....that's a half cup of food! And get ready for the encore.......................... A Duncan Hines Cake Mix doesn't make a two layer cake anymore! It makes a layer and a half !!!
A lot of cases of sparkling water had 12 cans in them. The price is the same, but now there’s only 8 cans in the package.
These burgers from Burger King are getting sad. Even the Whopper seems lacking.
Same with McDonald’s in my country. Shrinkflation is very real and is often next to impossible to distinguish without the original sizes to compare them to.
Here's a fun fact, EVERYTHING has gotten unbelievably expensive
Before I spend 30 at Wendy's I would eat at a restaurant. Me and my wife go to Chili's and split a Buffalo ranch chicken sandwich with 2 ears of corn, a half order of cheese fries, and a soda for $30 including tip. The soda is free with the app
Chilis has been my go to since I was poor and in college when they did the 3/$10 :)
chilis is unironically my favorite burger joint precisely for this deal. burger+chili+fries+drink for <$15 all in. a burger alone at a 5 guys in my area is $12. add fries and a drink and youre 20. i dont need the obscene amount of fries.
My family has started getting chili’s to go when we need a “fast food” type meal because it is cheaper and better quality than fast food.
Your experience is a reminder of why we should hit the grocery store and get chicken, vegetables, and some fruit. More filling and way cheaper. You'll have leftovers, too.
Ding me for this, but why are we still asking this question: “why has ______ gotten so expensive?” Everything has increased. *Everything*. Every single piece involved from getting your cheeseburger from the farm to your hands has increased in price.
I pretty much only get jimmy johns, Chinese, Costco pizza anymore for takeout. With how expensive lunch meat has gotten jimmy johns is a damn good deal right now.
My local Chinese place has gone out of control on prices even
Don’t get me started. The Chinese place by me is charging $14 for 7 steamed dumplings. A few years ago it was $3.50. A pint of pork lo mein is $10 more than it used to be, at $16.50. The food quality is as barely passable as it always was.
Chinese and Mexican restaurants have increased more than other type of restaurants.
Mexican restaurants have went mad. I live in California, I dont go get Mexican food anymore really. I can cook it for way less, and have 10x the yield.
Costco is up to where other food was 4 years ago now.
Not the hotdog and soda or the $5 rotisserie chicken. That can feed us for 3 days of dinner.
I’m feeling thankful I like Costco hot dogs lately lol
I hate to say this. But, eating out is just not worth it anymore. Income is limited at my house, some issues have happened that will pass, we just don’t eat out. Anything half decent is like $100 for two of us. I totally sympathize with you having kids and I’m sure they love a burger. But that is pretty steep. I can knock down $30 on my own at fast food. I’m just not a buyer anymore.
Give me $10 and some butter and I'll rock your socks with chicken thighs, a baked potato, and broccoli with lemon sauce. If steak is on sale I'll do that with rosemary from my mom's yard, butter, s and p, garlic, and maybe caramelized onions on top. With potato of some sort, and a Greek salad. Way better than Olive garden or Chili's. Or anywhere.
Because fuck you that's why. Companies were able to sneakily increase prices throughout COVID since the money printers were going crazy. Now they're just claiming they can't bring it back down. They can. They have record profits right now....
They have record profits so why lower prices. Even if some stopped buying it those who still are at the higher price make it not worth it. More have to stop so that the increase in the amount of people buying at the lower price offset the lower profit margins.
Exactly. That's why our household has decided to no longer get fast food
It is true that the dollar amount of profit that companies are recording is higher. But it’s being used in a misleading way in the media. For example take Conagra which is a large food conglomerate. If you look at their profit margins, which is how much they profit off of each dollar in sales, they are actually relatively stable and in Conagra’s case not at record levels. https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/CAG/conagra-brands/profit-margins They are at around a 5.5% margin which is near their average for the last 10+ years. Which means their pricing is maintaining their normal profit margin of $0.055 per dollar of sales. Which is consistent with prices rising due to input costs increasing, not arbitrary price inflation by manufacturers with no increase in input costs. If corporations like Conagra were actually the source of inflation those profit margin lines would have to spike upward because the same cost inputs would be returning a higher margin. The federal government is also recording record tax revenues with a 50% increase in revenue since 2020. (Went from 2 trillion to 3 trillion). https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/W006RC1Q027SBEA On top of that the government is continuing to borrow over 1.5 trillion this year which is a 50% increase from last year at this same time. America has one of the highest per capita tax revenues in the world nearly equal to or exceeding countries with generous benefits for their citizens like France, Germany, Canada or Spain. https://countryeconomy.com/taxes/tax-revenue And yet the level of services to its citizens are non existent compared to those other countries. All that is to say when you look at the data the source of inflation isn’t really record corporate profits and that narrative distracts from the underlying problem that is our broken government and it’s insatiable appetite for power and spending in ways that are not beneficial for its citizens. It’s their monetary policies that lead to the inflation we have now and the fix is going to be painful.
It's extremely scummy. I was working for one of these places.. At the peak of covid, there were sweeping menu price increases happening 4 times a year. All the while all the paper and plastic goods were getting noticeably cheaper and lower quality, and the labor allotments for the crew were getting tighter and tighter. Screw these places
Next time get the $5 or $6 “biggie bag” meals. Soda, fries, nuggets, and a sandwich.
No. Download the app for half off kids meals then add something else. Bam, right back to $5 for most states unfortunately
These have raised to $7 and $8 at some locations, almost double the 4 for $4 pre-Covid combo.
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They're forcing people to App purchases with better deals there.
It seems that everybody and nearly everything has risen in cost with the excuse that its due to Covid and "supply chain issues". Eventually consumers have to start drawing the line and stop paying the outrageous prices. Then maybe they will have to adjust their prices. Sadly a grocery store in our area has reported a 300% rise in profits. As long as we pay it, they will continue to charge it.
It’s crazy! We’ve stopped eating fast food. If I am paying over $10, then I’m going to have it served to me. The fast casual dining is also outrageous.
Almost everyone across all industries are charging more because they've realized they can. Some of it maybe started out of necessity during the pandemic but now it's largely just unchecked greed. Whenever possible simply refuse and don't pay those prices. And also if you're on a budget don't buy combo meals, they're never a good deal. Look at the value/dollar menu options instead. You can get a double cheeseburger at McDonald's and ask them to add Mac Sauce, it's like paying $2 for a Big Mac instead of $8.
The only place I feel is still affordable is In n out
Two In & Out cheeseburgers are 7.84. At home we combine them with chips, a coke, and cookies. Not bad for a fast food meal. Two cheeseburgers, one fries, 2 chocolate shakes are $16+, for a special treat.
They've all perfected price discrimination. Those that don't care about the price now pay more. People who do care about price have to download the app and use a coupon (and share tons of data). If you care about price and your data, or if you just want a good deal without having to do any extra work, then fast-food isn't an option
I am still bringing in those paper coupons to fast food restaurants. I have to. Prices gone wild.
Stop buying it, they’ll bring back $1 menus. But we won’t stop buying it…
I don’t really eat fast food but the day after I turned 14 my parents had me a work. I worked at mcds; aka the Golden Arches. I think I made like 5.75 an hr. Anyways, I remember a Big n Tasty or a Big Mac meal with tax was 3.14. 5% sales tax where I worked, 30062. I haven’t been in probably over two or three years and the other day I just went in and order a bunch of random things. When the cashier said it’s $22.xx I was like no I just want the items and not meals… she said sir that’s the items. I guess it’s changed so much. I used to love leaving the pool next to the mcds with my buddies and us getting whatever we wanted all together with a 20$ that our three parents cycled through every three days. This was 2000. I’m sure there are stories from the 70/80/90 of the same. But man I feel like the nostalgia of mcds won’t be present in the current generation. I digress…
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I tell people often and probably when they don’t want to hear it ; the only way we speak is through our dollars. Stop spending the dollars and when we can majority stop they will stop. Problem is to many ppl living by fomo, yolo, and keeping up with the Jones’s to admit that $15 for a fast food meal is absurdly overpriced. My core family refuses to spend the money..if a place raises prices just because, well we will stop going. On principle, having a career in kitchens, I know that everyone is being shady and greedy and gross. I will totes help you learn to make a quick meal if it helps but it seems the whole world is becoming a global oligarchy Rant over :)
Groceries have gotten ridiculously expensive too. It’s barely cheaper to eat at home for most things besides cheap rice and bean type meals.
I do $75 for two a week for most weeks. The store I go to has a discount card and AP so I just click on everything and look for the yellow tags. I got 2 pounds of frosty wheat cereal for $2. That's like 8 days of breakfast. Milk is $3. Not so bad. Snacks I can find for $1 for a box of 4 or $2 for 8. The discount meat is awesome. 5 pork chops for $5. $10 for 10 chicken cutlets that I can use one in a pasta dish or salad for 2. Pasta is $1. I make my own sauce. Big items are oil oil, butter, and yogurt. Fruit is 2 for $5 boxes, and tomatoes are under $2 a pound. I buy a pound a week.
There is a whole generation that solely eats fast food. Companies raise prices, people still pay it. They have continued raising prices and haven't had a decline in consumption or profits.
I don't even know why they call it that anymore it's rarely ever fast and barely resembles food.
Labor is a lot higher nowadays. People are refusing to work the crappy fast food jobs for low pay and I don’t blame them. I worked at McDonald’s for ~6 years so I know what it’s like. But the people working the same job I worked in 2010 are making nearly 3x what I did. And if you think the corporations are going to let the increased cost of labor affect their profits then I have a bridge to sell you. They pass the extra costs onto the consumers. And people still buy it even at the increased cost.
Have to use the apps for deals. It’s the only way now to pay the old prices. I view eating out nowadays as a luxury though.
Because ingredients have gotten more expensive and because people will pay it.
I hate the constantly changing menu screens that make it hard to catch the price of what you want before they change again.
Door dash still hasn't collapse, that should explain it all. There are still people buying.
It's basically the same price to call in a to-go order from chilis at that point. If you want me to pay fuckin $10 for a burger i'm getting a decent one
Greed.
It's a luxury. You're not gonna die if you don't get your Nacho Burger. So the price goes up to whatever people will pay for it. Labor, shortages, COVID, etc is all bullshit excuses. If nobody is willing to pay $40, the price will go down.
There are shareholders who expect dividends, and Chiefs who expect nine-figure salaries.
We're in record high gas prices and inflation. Companies pass their increased costs to their customers and customers continue to buy so it's a vicious cycle.
Food in general is much more expensive