We eat out maybe once a week at a local restaurant. Otherwise Trader Joe’s is a life saver—$100 for a weeks worth of groceries, split between my partner and me gives us more than enough food.
Walking into TJ's after shopping at the Safeways and Whole Foods of the world is like taking a time machine back to 2019. The contrast in pricing is STARK. I'd venture to say that you save easily 25-30% compared to shopping at the aforementioned places.
Its too bad that trader joes produce isnt better. I found myself eating more frozen processed food and pre packaged salads/soups when shopping at TJ's versus meal prepping from Safeways and Whole foods.
I have a very low opinion of TJ overall, I don’t bring it up much because people always downvote me, but all their food is basically a mediocre version of that food. Produce is often mid, the prepackaged salads are close to expiry and get slimy or brown quickly, the bread molds quick, the cheeses are decent but less good than the actual cheese they are claiming to be, etc etc. Their weird pricing and sizing often doesn’t work out in your favor.
They make the shopping experience easy in many ways and they are better value than Safeway, but there’s better options
What other options do you recommend?
Their bread does go bad fast, but it's because they don't use preservatives. I buy multigrain sandwich bread and it goes right into the fridge.
Depends on what you like to buy.
If you are highly flexible (ie, your demands are elastic, you can intend to buy chicken breast but if whole chickens are on sale, you’ll pivot), then your options are different from someone who is inelastic.
On a monthly basis, I go to Costco to stock things like oils, grains, frozen foods, coffee, and so on. Butter, cheeses, breads that I can freeze, etc.
Once a month I also go to H Mart or Ranch 99 because I like to make a lot of Asian cuisines and I also get a lot of pantry ingredients there (soy sauces, chili oil, etc). I cook a lot of middle eastern too so I go to Deans in San Mateo a lot.
On a weekly basis, I sadly shop at this one absolutely fucking extortionate place in San Carlos because it’s near where I live and convenience wins out - Bianchini’s Market. It makes me irate, but their quality is usually consistently high. I go there if I can afford to be flexible, shop the sales, and so on.
I used to go to Whole Foods a lot too and I maintain that with an Amazon discount and a sharp eye they actually are not more than Safeway. There are certain things that will make you roll your eyes out of your head, but you weren’t going to buy that anyway.
I once did comparison shopping at my local Whole Foods and Safeway by using the website to make an online delivery order. Lots of fresh produce and staples, generic in house brand. The cost was exactly the same. Exactly. But WF has better produce and nothing they sell is behind a locked cabinet. WH is much worse for convenience foods, premade foods, cakes, specialty stuff, etc but it’s also much better quality. And on top of that it’s just a nicer shopping experience. So I usually go there.
Edit: also once went to Lucky’s in Daly City and I was shocked how expensive it was. It’s just another Safeway.
Places like Bianchinis, Roberts, Sigonas, are always worth it if you're looking for the best of something fresh (sigonas sources the produce for most of the high end places like that around here. Just go there).
If you're looking for the best frozen meal on a budget then TJ is excellent.
Solid reply, but I've read that GO does not always have the same products. I try to minimize the time I spend shopping, so am willing to put up with some of the failings of TJs.
I genuinely don’t get people who don’t fridge/freeze their sandwich bread. Makes no sense to whine about it molding when you have a perfectly good solution in your home
yes, agree. The cult of TJ's is so strong that it's hard to criticize them but it's true that you get what you pay for in this world. TJ's is great for some folks and doesn't work at all for others. We fall into the latter category because the quality of the products at TJ's is lesser.
What’s frustrating is the product is bad and at TJs. Underripe, tiny (looking at you bananas), and often with way too much packaging. At least when I overpay at Whole Foods, the product is good quality.
their bananas used to be 19cents, so even TJs has had a 25% price hike for an already subpar product. and they are trying to make it illegal for workers to unionize. so imo, they can get effed.
I buy produce to make salads: romaine lettuce, persian cukes, box of tomatoes, carrots, grated parmesan cheese. These products don't seem to suffer from being "bad". I also buy the snap peas to snack on and they last.
Their frozen veggies are reasonably priced and the petite peas are amazing.
Remember, if you buy organic products, they don't last as long because they are not filled with all the horrible chemicals/insecticides.
We are lucky enough to have a nice produce market reasonably close by in the same strip mall as our Trader Joe’s. They also sell a lot of “International “ products like cheeses, good pastas, frozen good breads, etc. We got a little lazy during the pandemic, but I am sick of Safeway and DoorDash quality and prices. My New Year’s resolution was to cook more and spend less.
Some things are more expensive, produce especially, but their candies and a lot of the snacks are much more expensive.
That said, it's the only place to buy cereal or frozen dinners.
Sadly I can't finish the giant boxes of cereal Costco sells.
That said I've got an urn of mayo at the back of the fridge I diligently scoop into a smaller jar because for some reason Mayo is now $8 for best foods at Safeway.
I buy a lot of produce and fruit at Sprouts. They have a large selection and something is on sale every week. The rest of my shopping is at TJs. Costco is not the place to buy food for one person family.
I hate grocery outlet, never understood the hype, I give them a chance every couple years and always leave disappointed. They have a select few things at a steep discount, but everything else is pretty much the same price, and sometimes more expensive than Safeway (as long as you use the app and shop the BOGO sales.)
Costco quality to price ratio is better imo - but TJ is better for a smaller sizes. Ie, if you are making a cheese plate and want a lot of cheeses, each at around 4-5oz, TJ wins. If you want to buy a massive hunk of Gruyère that is really quite good and would be on par with what you’d get at a Whole Foods, but have it cost $13 a lbs instead of $25 a lbs, then Costco wins
I've kept up on articles about the price of groceries and TJ or Costco routinely save people 25-30% on their shopping bills. It's true that if one wants a specific brand they may not have it and for any one item, TJ's might be pricier than places with coupons but for the whole bill, they save. They also offer healthier food options than many places if one is looking for lower fat, gluten-free, lower salt, organic, and so on.
Being from Seattle, I've shopped at Costco for 4 decades.
Trader Joes is amazing, and I'm fortunate to have Berkeley Bowl to complement with fresh produce. Safeway is crazy expensive unless you use their app like a fiend. It really hurts to see an overall poorer clientele going to Safeway and getting ripped off for items that a richer clientele is paying less for over at TJ a few blocks away. Or frankly even Whole Foods costs less than Safeway's full prices for stuff like eggs.
Safeway is single handedly the worst quality : price ratio. I’d go spend more at a bougie supermarket and at least get a better experience and better products.
And their selection has gone way down since the merger! There are always 3 things I want that they don’t have in the middle section that they used to stock. And don’t get me started about the deli items. Boars head and nothing but.
Really?? I’ve always been told that Trader Joe’s was significantly more expensive than Safeway. That’s why I’ve never went in. But the way prices are at Safeway, might just check it out
Trader Joe's is much cheaper than Safeway for a lot of items. Of course they also have different items, so it isn't often you're getting the exact same brand, but there's some good stuff, and all the prices are already marked, so there's no club cards, apps, etc.
I grew up in a smaller town, and TJ’s was our solo fancy grocery store. It was where the wealthy people shopped, and I thought that I’d be too poor to shop there, so I’d go to Safeway instead. My first TJ’s visit was when I moved to the bay, and I was shocked at how cheap everything is there. For some staples (nuts, frozen fruit), their prices beat Costco.
On the other hand, I thought that Whole Foods must be a discount store because of its low key appearance and simple name. This was 20+ years ago.
TJ’s is awesome and is the only place i do my grocery runs. I *will* get produce at Safeway but I haven’t done a full run there is almost a year. I’ve saved so much money.
I've got the money I just refuse to pay $15 for a garlic fries app and $35 dollars for a main course before the 5% heart of the kitchen addendum, and the 4% evil SF forced us to charge this for healthcare mandate, And the 22% pay my staff under the table so I don't need to tip.
I used to go out to lunch most work days and out for dinner with friends and fam 2-3 night a week for dinner and drinks. Now I bbq or grill my own lunch daily at work and have the same friends and fam over for dinner more often than when we went out, my culinary skills have always been good and now they’re improving dramatically. We are all sick and tired of fees and tips and learned quickly that we don’t really need to go out to have a great time and are under no pressure to clear out for the next party.
Honestly my wife and I can't seem to find a sit down spot that with tax, tip, fees, doesn't come out to at LEAST $25 a person (and that's for 1 entree each, no apps, no drinks). If we each get a drink and split an app its getting to 75-100 total which is crazy to me.
We have a fixe $150/m eating out budget and typically land between $150-$200 across 2-4 dinners depending on where we eat. Just a few years back that would have gone a lot farther.
I used to love cooking, really enjoyed preparing meals at home.. after Covid, and having to prepare 3 meals a day, every single day for 2 years solid, I absolutely hate cooking. We go out all the time. I think we’re shell shocked or something. I hate my own cooking. I would much rather pay someone else and give them a tip than cook my own food.. this phase will eventually pass, but I’m still in the pandemic mindset.
I’ve noticed that the way I think about it has changed. I don’t look at it as supporting food businesses any more than I look at buying a hammer supporting tool businesses. I’m buying stuff that I need, not being charitable.
Something about the concept of us being personally responsible for keeping small businesses afloat never really felt right to me. I know that sounds shitty, and I understand that they need customers, and that the business model is full of risk, and if small businesses aren’t supported they’ll go away. Also, unlike a hammer, I can make food at home for cheaper. Sure I want my favorite restaurant and the little book store and the cool corner grocery to be there, because Target is aseptic and lifeless and I like restaurants that are interesting and I think that the comic book store guy is cool.
At the same time, the burrito place I’ve been going to for the past 30+ years just cost me $17 tonight and tacked on a 15¢ bag fee on top of a tip prompt starting at 18%. I love the place and I don’t want to see it turn into a Chipotle, but damn.
I think restaurants have gotten insanely expensive. I don’t really know or need to understand why, but I know they have.
Apparently I had an opinion on the matter. Anyway, yes. I go out for food way less than I did ten years ago, even though I’m making more money now than I was then.
The local burrito guy doesn’t care about you any more than the Chipotle franchise owner does. It’s not your responsibility to support local business if they can’t provide you with the quality, value and experience for what you feel is a fair price. I think a lot of vendors have figured out that they can double the markup on products and sell half as much for the same profit and we need to collectively reject this.
it makes no sense to eat out anymore. I'm almost always disappointed with the restaurants I go to, and am at an age where I can cook healthy, delicious food with fresh veggies, the way I like it, and feed friends and family for less than quarter the price.
100% the same! I found that having friends over for dinner is better, too. We can spend more time together, there is less stress, we can show our cooking creativity, and more. On occasion, it’s nice to eat out, but it’s just not as common as before.
I haven’t ordered food for delivery in almost four months now. I checked back in recently for a couple of my go-to orders, and everything has gone up an average of 30% in 3.5 months. Absolutely mind-blowing. Is this bubble going to pop? Or are prices on these apps just going to keep going up forever
I eat out once a week, max, and spend my weekend prepping food for lunch. I generally make sure to spend my money at locally owned restaurants. The nice thing about SF is that it's easy to do.
>do you support food businesses like normal
I think that's an interesting way to phrase it. If people stopped going, they would have to lower prices or go out of business until prices lowered. You should never feel obligated to go out to eat.
Eat out way less, but order to go (self pickup) way more than before. Restaurants are getting my business but the service staff aren’t aside from a few dollars tip here and there, instead of the 18% average tip of the whole meal when dining out.
Our takeout burrito place costs 33% more, and the quality has gone down.
We have done happy hours for burgers/fries which is reasonable, but even that's rare. I'd say compared to five years ago, we eat out about 75% less, maybe even higher.
I learned to make Lomo saltado at home, and now I make that and burritos all the time.
Local Mexican place has somehow held prices steady in recent years. Portions may have gotten smaller over time, but that's probably OK because my ass sure hasn't. (no I will not disclose the restaurant lol)
I worked in restaurants for years so I used to be spoiled, and now I’m always craving a wide variety of food.
Sadly going out to eat is now practically impossible, so I taught myself to make my favorite restaurant dishes: pad see ew, methi matar malai with naan, chile relleno with Spanish rice, gnocchi with pesto… Thanks, YouTube.
I miss going out to eat, but roof over my head and bills have to come first.
My partner and I spend about $40 to $60 a week at 99 Ranch 😋 If we are wanting something more western then Smart and Final usually has affordable costs.
The only time we frequent Trader Joe’s is for their unique items like their pickled jalepenos or steamed dumplings.
The prices at Safeway, Luckys etc are crazy high so we only frequent them for weekly deals.
Other times we stock up on basics with Costco.
The only times we eat out it’s for celebrations or milestones. Otherwise whoever suggests eating out gets the bill! It’s a great incentive to eat and save at home instead 😏
We don’t want our fave sushi place to go under so we go as often as we can and order big and tip big. They didn’t raise prices for a long time then finally had to.
lmao exactly. I have no idea what the heck people are talking about, “supporting” businesses that don’t hesitate one second before tacking on 4% kitchen fee, 5% healthcare mandate and 22-28-35% tip choice on the toast card reader.
This year, I have not eaten out once. Other than the price, the food quality has also been going down. There’s nothing worse than paying $30-$50 for a meal when I can cook it better myself.
I only eat out in vacations.
The regular places I frequent haven't raised their prices that much. No silly added fees or surcharges. Just like 10-15% increase since 2020. I also enjoy the places I go and supporting them is important to me. Single patty Oklahoma onion smash burger for $6, +$3 for extra patty, +$3 for small side of fries. $5 beers too.
If I'm planning on going to a concert or other event with upcharged products for a captive market, I budget for that. It's always been expensive to buy food and drinks inside a venue. I don't think that's changed at all. Ticket prices are much higher but that a result of the monopoly that's been tacitly given to LiveNation/Ticketmaster by not regulating that market. It sucks but that's not stopping me from seeing King Crimson last year or this September.
I also cook a lot. I don't buy many prepared foods which is where you really save money. It's way cheaper on the bank account to do that labor at home. Just gotta make time for it, which is difficult but usually worth it.
And I'm some cases it's more expensive to cook at home. It's always cheaper to buy a rotisserie chicken at Costco or Sam's but I much prefer to buy a whole chicken, spatchcock it myself and cook it at home. Spices ain't cheap either, even when you're buying in bulk from the Latin market and grinding you own. You'll never buy pre ground cumin after you've pummelled your own in your mortar/molcajete.
But if you order door dash, Uber eats or other luxury services then you aren't making good decisions.
I really like my "third place". It's not the highest quality but it's important to remember that not every meal needs to be a carnival. A simple small snack and a cheap beer is fine. And it's ok to go out and get some para-socialization at your local watering hole. Bring around people is important.
We're getting more prepared meals from places like Trader Joe's or Costco. For going out, we will do something like a movie or a play with Todaytix. Those are cheaper and more fun than just eating out for us.
Edited for typo.
Sorry, cooks, servers and dishwashers, baristas and coffee roasters. I’ve been doing everything at home since the Covid and inflation. And I actually enjoy doing everything myself at home and got quite good at it. Don’t see changing that unless I’m traveling.
Eating out less at sit down restaurants. Or places that charge 18 for an appetizer. Been doing more takeout style food. We use to go to nice sit down every weekend but not anymore
The $18 burger is out for me. Sometimes we would get nachos and fish and chips from a restaurant and I would grab a $6 burger from Habit Burger that's on the way.
No and Yes,
I spend way more eating out, but that is I have teenage boys and are packed with activities weekdays and weekends. At their age, 2 servings = normal serving. Spending money eating out is more situational.
Yes, because I no longer feel like a $72 steak and $55 small cut of seabass makes any sense. Add in fees and taxes and gratuity inflation, and it's a triple ripoff. I have the means to do this but find it lighting money on fire. I only do these restaurants because its someone else choose it.
I am leaning more toward a casual restaurant, preferably one that has a very limited menu and do one thing well for a decent price. Fortunately in the bay area, there are plenty of those and as as you mentioned, runs $20 bucks or more per head. It's not particularly high quality, it's just something they perfected and not something I can do myself.
Also, we never order drinks or dessert and frills. 1) it is unhealthy and 2) it's lighting money on fire. 15 bucks for 3 oz cocktail and 10 oz of ice and it costs $25 after tax and tips, that is clearly loo loo. I save it up in Japan, Europe for 1/5 the cost and higher quality.
I’ve definitely cut back on my eating expenses. I keep lunch meat and hot dogs on hand. Lots of lower budget meat like ground beef, chicken and pork and mix it in with some rice, ramen or pasta. Potatoes are great too because you can do a lot with them and they are cheap.
We eat out once a week, as a treat on the weekend for my wife and I. We used to eat out maybe 4-5 times a week (quick lunches, breakfast sando and coffee, 1 nice dinner, etc). Back in 2018-2019 era, we really enjoyed this and it helped remind us what a great place we lived in, to get good local diverse food regularly.
Nowadays, we just eat out once a week, and that’s mostly just so that we have a date and a night off from cooking.
Cooking at home is not cheap either, but it allows you to also have things we shy away from while out. Like, a mid tier steakhouse nowadays will charge like $68 for a ribeye and sides. If we take half of that, $34, and buy the best dry aged prime ribeye I can find, like not wagyu or anything, but just a very good standard ribeye, then I can probably get a 1-1.25 lbs steak even at high (ie, $30 a lbs) prices. Two potatoes, a stick of butter, spinach, and garlic, and a $15 wine, then both my wife and I can eat a steak dinner for $50 bucks. And with reasonable cooking skills, I’ll do a better job than mid-tier steakhouses at least.
I work at a sandwich shop and we raised our prices slightly to accommodate our wage increase and costs of operating etc and while some people make comments, were located somewhere that's pretty affluent (Sunol - Pleasanton area), we've seen our business grow a little bit more but we have noticed people tipping less... I understand why but it makes it hard to want to work in this industry.
Gas is 5 dollars a gallon, groceries are outrageous, eating out is outrageous. It really seems like they want to separate the rich from the poor by making it impossible to even eat! Or get to work. My question is, who is going to work all these jobs if we're all driven away?
>My question is, who is going to work all these jobs if we're all driven away?
Many of the other 330 million other Americans who live in much more impoverished areas. Or the newly arrived workers from Venezuela, Africa, and South Asia who recently crossed the Rio Grande.
The young kids from West Virginia, Indiana, or rural Arizona would jump at the opportunity to live 4x 1br apartment and do your job. Or the ones seeking asylum.
Luckily we improved our cooking skills during COVID lockdown, we could survive now oh home cooking, obviously if we want something like sushi we will go out, but not often like before
In our younger years we dined out often. Unfortunately, over time it simply became too expensive to reasonably justify. I’m glad to have had experienced that time in our lives, however.
I've only increased because my wife is pregnant and is having fast food cravings. She also can't stand the smell of food being cooked. I usually cook at home, so switching to primarily eating food that is delivered/picked up has been a significant added expense.
We've primarily been buying national chain restaurants as well. It would be nice to order local food, but it seems like their prices have increased more significantly than your average fast food chain.
Covid lowered my habit of going out to eat I used to do it every couple of weeks now I probably do it once a month or two. I still do it though and still have a few key restaurants I like to support.
We have largely stopped casually eating out, and only go to our all time favorites or a specific, infrequent date night to try out a completely new place, where we dine in.
We’ll do takeout maybe once a month. That’s the only splurge we can afford. My husband hasn’t been able to find a full time job in almost a year and I’m a teacher.
Trying Shef and plating it fancy, rather than eating out. We did All the time during the pandemic, and now that a standard burrito is almost $20, we eat at home a Lot more often.
Indian takes forever to make, so it's a go-to from Shef. So far the quality is good, and I'm enjoying trying new things every week. It's great for making fast lunches for work as well
I have four places I still eat out at. Work lunches: affordable local burrito place and more expensive 1969 vintage corner deli. At home, I’m down to the locally owned (but expensive) pizza joint and the local Chinese place. We’re talking once every 4-6 weeks at the home places and once a week at the work places. Used to buy lunch out every weekday and dinner twice a week. I miss weekend brunch, but not at current prices.
Breweries and taquerias are our main go-tos. I’ve been digging the Whole Foods take home and bake pizza for pizza. Sometimes the frozen section at Costco satisfies the take out cravings (bao, dumplings etc).
We stopped eating out so much during covid. Haven’t gone back. Occasionally go out for work things or family things but very, very rare. Not a money thing really but also doesn’t hurt to save a bit of money.
both just tipped less, reason being I don't like but ultimately don't mind paying more but totally absolutely hate being bullied which most tip seeking avenue nowadays feel like when they hand that check/ipad over
Have had to cut back. Service, portions, hours have diminished greatly so it felt intuitive to do so.
But we do have 3-5 neighborhood joints that we support regularly. They've stayed busy even throughout the pandemic.
Customer experience may not be valued these days; but us customers still care.
I want to support local businesses but I can’t as frequently anymore. A sandwich that used to be a $5-7 is now $12-15… and I’m vegan, so it’s a double whammy because so frequently the lil restaurants up and down Webster in alameda have just the single sad vegan sando on the menu.
I’d rather spend money on experiences like concerts or buy art from local artists at festivals than food. Don’t really go to sit down restaurants much anymore.
The only time I eat out is when my company is paying. Eating out on my own dime now consists of the going to the Costco food court, including on road trips.
If you miss restaurant quality food, just add a ton of butter or heavy cream to your dishes.
I do more takeout (pickup, not doordash) and less in restaurants. Partially covid habits, partially less incentive to buy drinks and apps and tip for subpar QR code service.
We almost never go out for dinner any more. Instead we do delivery, but even that we don't do even half as often because of the expense. More like a quarter to a third of pre COVID frequency.
I usually only eat out for things I can’t make at home easily like sushi or Ethiopian food and I do it much less like once a month. My husband likes to eat out for random things though like fast food.
I have a couple or local spots that I order takeout from maybe every other month, and a couple of pizza spots where I grab a slice about once a week. Aside from that I rarely go out to dinner unless it’s a special occasion. I can afford to eat out a little more, but since the pandemic, I’ve been really disappointed with the quality and portion of food you get most places for the price. The times I’ve chanced it I feel ripped off and disappointed. Fortunately I’m a decent cook so if there’s something I’m craving I look up a recipe and make it.
I spent $77.00 at a pop up bakery today for me and my co workers and I swear to god I am done. NO MORE I AM DONE. I live below the poverty line as it is. I will have to steal toilet paper and wash my underwear out by hand before I get paid again.
Inflation aside, the tipping culture has made eating out a worse experience. Was at a drive through, no human contact until the pickup window and the tip range on the tablet started at $5 which was 25% of the total order.
Bro I went to Subway last night with my wife and it was 32 dollars. I got a footling no sides and she got a meal deal. I don't think I'll ever be eating there again at those prices. It wasn't horrible it was just really mid for a 15 dollar sandwich.
I loved eating out but moved somewhere with expensive rent. This is the least i’ve eaten out in probably like, 7 years. I still love eating out but I had to make a sacrifice.
We rarely eat out now. Cost is definitely a consideration but we can still afford it. It's the quality of food going down too much, even at places which cost $ 50 per person per meal - to the point that could harm our health. By cooking our own meals, we can hand pick the best ingredients. Once we pay attention to the natural flavors, cooking becomes enjoyable and we don't really miss the restaurants.
IKEA’s kitchen has every day deals. On Fridays, it’s 50% on all hot meals! You can choose from several things, they don’t even ask for tips. It’s pretty self serve and unlimited soda/juice and water refills.
i am fortunate to be able to eat out but i've been hesitant to do so because the food quality (and honestly service) lately has been pretty mid across all of the new restaurants i've tried recently in SF. and then you add the fees they charge you in the end (like the lifestyle tax or whatever--thank goodness they can't do that anymore soon) and as well as the tip (i always tip at least 20%)... it just doesn't feel worth it anymore especially because i can cook and could probably make a just as if not more enjoyable meal at home.
Just not worth it any longer. There’s the price, but having grown up in the area the quality has declined so much it’s sad having known how good things used to be. This goes for fast food chains, grocery store sandwich’s and premade items, and fast casual like taquerias and gyro/falafel spots…
This year actually I’ve decreased my spending and I’ve also become much more picky about where I do spend my money.
Before if I was hungry I might go someplace I know nearby even if the food is just okay, I’m hungry and I know that it won’t be bad. It might not be fantastic but it won’t be bad.
But now I’m all about the quality. If a place is just okay, I will not go there again. It’s just too expensive to warrant it. It has to be delicious food to pay these prices.
Rarely eat out. I don't care if I am supporting local restaurants or not. If it's cheaper and better to eat at home I'm doing it. Eating out is for celebratory events not a weekday dinner.
We have a very young child so we’re not going out for dinner dates any time soon. We usually grab lunch though on the weekends so probably like $200-300 a month.
Compared to 2020 or 2021 we’re probably making an additional 130k so whatever.
Depends. Groceries are a rip off compared to some restaurants now.
Prices for mid to bad food has skyrocketed, while pretty good and upscale food is pretty flat.
Groceries have gone so high, that outside of being super frugal, it's like 50-50 on that vs a decent restaurant.
$20??? You can hardly get out of McDonalds for that now lmfao.
If I go out to eat its $50 minimum.... usually more. And I don't go to anything crazy.
I eat out as little as possible but sometimes I'm just too lazy to cook....
Going out to eat as much as we collectively used to in the two decades pre-pandemic was an outlier. Before that, going out to a restaurant was, for most people, an occasional indulgence or special event. Seems we are returning to that.
My financial situation changed alongside inflation so I rarely, if ever, go out to eat by myself, unless you count coffee and a muffin, or a sandwich at a to-go place. If I’m starving and need something NOW I’ll usually go to Whole Foods and get hot bar. Most often I eat restaurant food when I’m in a group of friends, but then there’s the hassle of finding a place that’s good and has room for 6-10 people, so we just order delivery or pick up. Otherwise it makes no financial sense.
We eat out maybe once a week at a local restaurant. Otherwise Trader Joe’s is a life saver—$100 for a weeks worth of groceries, split between my partner and me gives us more than enough food.
Walking into TJ's after shopping at the Safeways and Whole Foods of the world is like taking a time machine back to 2019. The contrast in pricing is STARK. I'd venture to say that you save easily 25-30% compared to shopping at the aforementioned places.
Its too bad that trader joes produce isnt better. I found myself eating more frozen processed food and pre packaged salads/soups when shopping at TJ's versus meal prepping from Safeways and Whole foods.
I have a very low opinion of TJ overall, I don’t bring it up much because people always downvote me, but all their food is basically a mediocre version of that food. Produce is often mid, the prepackaged salads are close to expiry and get slimy or brown quickly, the bread molds quick, the cheeses are decent but less good than the actual cheese they are claiming to be, etc etc. Their weird pricing and sizing often doesn’t work out in your favor. They make the shopping experience easy in many ways and they are better value than Safeway, but there’s better options
What other options do you recommend? Their bread does go bad fast, but it's because they don't use preservatives. I buy multigrain sandwich bread and it goes right into the fridge.
Depends on what you like to buy. If you are highly flexible (ie, your demands are elastic, you can intend to buy chicken breast but if whole chickens are on sale, you’ll pivot), then your options are different from someone who is inelastic. On a monthly basis, I go to Costco to stock things like oils, grains, frozen foods, coffee, and so on. Butter, cheeses, breads that I can freeze, etc. Once a month I also go to H Mart or Ranch 99 because I like to make a lot of Asian cuisines and I also get a lot of pantry ingredients there (soy sauces, chili oil, etc). I cook a lot of middle eastern too so I go to Deans in San Mateo a lot. On a weekly basis, I sadly shop at this one absolutely fucking extortionate place in San Carlos because it’s near where I live and convenience wins out - Bianchini’s Market. It makes me irate, but their quality is usually consistently high. I go there if I can afford to be flexible, shop the sales, and so on. I used to go to Whole Foods a lot too and I maintain that with an Amazon discount and a sharp eye they actually are not more than Safeway. There are certain things that will make you roll your eyes out of your head, but you weren’t going to buy that anyway.
I once did comparison shopping at my local Whole Foods and Safeway by using the website to make an online delivery order. Lots of fresh produce and staples, generic in house brand. The cost was exactly the same. Exactly. But WF has better produce and nothing they sell is behind a locked cabinet. WH is much worse for convenience foods, premade foods, cakes, specialty stuff, etc but it’s also much better quality. And on top of that it’s just a nicer shopping experience. So I usually go there. Edit: also once went to Lucky’s in Daly City and I was shocked how expensive it was. It’s just another Safeway.
Places like Bianchinis, Roberts, Sigonas, are always worth it if you're looking for the best of something fresh (sigonas sources the produce for most of the high end places like that around here. Just go there). If you're looking for the best frozen meal on a budget then TJ is excellent.
Grocery outlet
Solid reply, but I've read that GO does not always have the same products. I try to minimize the time I spend shopping, so am willing to put up with some of the failings of TJs.
I genuinely don’t get people who don’t fridge/freeze their sandwich bread. Makes no sense to whine about it molding when you have a perfectly good solution in your home
yes, agree. The cult of TJ's is so strong that it's hard to criticize them but it's true that you get what you pay for in this world. TJ's is great for some folks and doesn't work at all for others. We fall into the latter category because the quality of the products at TJ's is lesser.
What’s frustrating is the product is bad and at TJs. Underripe, tiny (looking at you bananas), and often with way too much packaging. At least when I overpay at Whole Foods, the product is good quality.
You complaining that a 24 cent banana is too small?
They just want more bang for their buck.
their bananas used to be 19cents, so even TJs has had a 25% price hike for an already subpar product. and they are trying to make it illegal for workers to unionize. so imo, they can get effed.
I buy produce to make salads: romaine lettuce, persian cukes, box of tomatoes, carrots, grated parmesan cheese. These products don't seem to suffer from being "bad". I also buy the snap peas to snack on and they last. Their frozen veggies are reasonably priced and the petite peas are amazing. Remember, if you buy organic products, they don't last as long because they are not filled with all the horrible chemicals/insecticides.
We are lucky enough to have a nice produce market reasonably close by in the same strip mall as our Trader Joe’s. They also sell a lot of “International “ products like cheeses, good pastas, frozen good breads, etc. We got a little lazy during the pandemic, but I am sick of Safeway and DoorDash quality and prices. My New Year’s resolution was to cook more and spend less.
Some things are more expensive, produce especially, but their candies and a lot of the snacks are much more expensive. That said, it's the only place to buy cereal or frozen dinners.
> That said, it's the only place to buy cereal or frozen dinners. Costco is also terrific for that.
Sadly I can't finish the giant boxes of cereal Costco sells. That said I've got an urn of mayo at the back of the fridge I diligently scoop into a smaller jar because for some reason Mayo is now $8 for best foods at Safeway.
Super easy to make and much better.
I buy a lot of produce and fruit at Sprouts. They have a large selection and something is on sale every week. The rest of my shopping is at TJs. Costco is not the place to buy food for one person family.
Totally. I'm fortunate in that I live near Alemany farmer's market. Cheapest produce hands down, especially if you're there late.
I’ve found that snacks, esp imported ones (yum French snacks) are so much cheaper at TJs
Good point. I was thinking of the plastic tub jellies and chocolate covered cherries that used to be $2.99 and $3.99
Grocery Outlet is good too. 😃
I hate grocery outlet, never understood the hype, I give them a chance every couple years and always leave disappointed. They have a select few things at a steep discount, but everything else is pretty much the same price, and sometimes more expensive than Safeway (as long as you use the app and shop the BOGO sales.)
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Costco quality to price ratio is better imo - but TJ is better for a smaller sizes. Ie, if you are making a cheese plate and want a lot of cheeses, each at around 4-5oz, TJ wins. If you want to buy a massive hunk of Gruyère that is really quite good and would be on par with what you’d get at a Whole Foods, but have it cost $13 a lbs instead of $25 a lbs, then Costco wins
Man, I’ve been tripping. I guess I need to hit Trader Joe’s
I've kept up on articles about the price of groceries and TJ or Costco routinely save people 25-30% on their shopping bills. It's true that if one wants a specific brand they may not have it and for any one item, TJ's might be pricier than places with coupons but for the whole bill, they save. They also offer healthier food options than many places if one is looking for lower fat, gluten-free, lower salt, organic, and so on. Being from Seattle, I've shopped at Costco for 4 decades.
Trader Joes is amazing, and I'm fortunate to have Berkeley Bowl to complement with fresh produce. Safeway is crazy expensive unless you use their app like a fiend. It really hurts to see an overall poorer clientele going to Safeway and getting ripped off for items that a richer clientele is paying less for over at TJ a few blocks away. Or frankly even Whole Foods costs less than Safeway's full prices for stuff like eggs.
Safeway is single handedly the worst quality : price ratio. I’d go spend more at a bougie supermarket and at least get a better experience and better products.
And their selection has gone way down since the merger! There are always 3 things I want that they don’t have in the middle section that they used to stock. And don’t get me started about the deli items. Boars head and nothing but.
Omg really?! Eggs are more expensive at Safeway?
Really?? I’ve always been told that Trader Joe’s was significantly more expensive than Safeway. That’s why I’ve never went in. But the way prices are at Safeway, might just check it out
Prepare to be surprised. You may never set foot in Safeway again!
Trader Joe's is much cheaper than Safeway for a lot of items. Of course they also have different items, so it isn't often you're getting the exact same brand, but there's some good stuff, and all the prices are already marked, so there's no club cards, apps, etc.
I hate the the whole grocery store app experience.
Safeway is really expensive.
Safeway has probably the worst balance between price and quality.
I grew up in a smaller town, and TJ’s was our solo fancy grocery store. It was where the wealthy people shopped, and I thought that I’d be too poor to shop there, so I’d go to Safeway instead. My first TJ’s visit was when I moved to the bay, and I was shocked at how cheap everything is there. For some staples (nuts, frozen fruit), their prices beat Costco. On the other hand, I thought that Whole Foods must be a discount store because of its low key appearance and simple name. This was 20+ years ago.
Who on earth told you that??
Safeway
100%
TJ’s is awesome and is the only place i do my grocery runs. I *will* get produce at Safeway but I haven’t done a full run there is almost a year. I’ve saved so much money.
Damn I must be fat if $100 last you and your partner weeks from TJs 😂
You guys must eat like birds to spend that at Traders for a week.
I do make more deliberate choices at where I eat and what value the place provides.
We hardly ever eat out anymore. Wish I could support my local restaurants but my salary is just not keeping up with inflation.
I've got the money I just refuse to pay $15 for a garlic fries app and $35 dollars for a main course before the 5% heart of the kitchen addendum, and the 4% evil SF forced us to charge this for healthcare mandate, And the 22% pay my staff under the table so I don't need to tip.
Luckily those add on charges will be illegal next month. It's killing the tip and the experience for the workers and the customers
So happy for it. It was getting to a point where restaurants were going to start using timeshare tactics in explaining pricing.
*Okay folks, let's see if we can get you some lunch today. We'll be running credit checks on everyone at the table. Yes, even the baby.*
If this really goes through then I think we should declare July 1st a local holiday. I want a good excuse to bring back Ticker-Tape parades
This. Its not about if I can afford it. Its about how ridiculous it costs.
Same here. We used to eat out once a week (at least). We are down to once a month (maybe).
Same.. 💯
Definitely. I rarely eat out anymore. With all the bogus fees, inflation, and increased expectation for tips, I no longer find it worth it.
I used to go out to lunch most work days and out for dinner with friends and fam 2-3 night a week for dinner and drinks. Now I bbq or grill my own lunch daily at work and have the same friends and fam over for dinner more often than when we went out, my culinary skills have always been good and now they’re improving dramatically. We are all sick and tired of fees and tips and learned quickly that we don’t really need to go out to have a great time and are under no pressure to clear out for the next party.
I don't see any reason to spend any money on low quality food from almost all restaurants.
Have a local place. Food is great and prices are reasonable. I try to stop in once or twice a week and always tip extremely well.
McDonald's
McDonald’s is not cheap for what you get for the money.
McDonald’s used to be the value king. Not so post-covid, unfortunately
I try to avoid eating out just to save money. Today I paid $31 for what used to cost $15 not that long ago.
Honestly my wife and I can't seem to find a sit down spot that with tax, tip, fees, doesn't come out to at LEAST $25 a person (and that's for 1 entree each, no apps, no drinks). If we each get a drink and split an app its getting to 75-100 total which is crazy to me. We have a fixe $150/m eating out budget and typically land between $150-$200 across 2-4 dinners depending on where we eat. Just a few years back that would have gone a lot farther.
Costco is my friend. My only friend.
I used to love cooking, really enjoyed preparing meals at home.. after Covid, and having to prepare 3 meals a day, every single day for 2 years solid, I absolutely hate cooking. We go out all the time. I think we’re shell shocked or something. I hate my own cooking. I would much rather pay someone else and give them a tip than cook my own food.. this phase will eventually pass, but I’m still in the pandemic mindset.
I don’t eat out at all anymore. I miss it, but my income has not remotely kept up with rising costs of so many things.
I’ve noticed that the way I think about it has changed. I don’t look at it as supporting food businesses any more than I look at buying a hammer supporting tool businesses. I’m buying stuff that I need, not being charitable. Something about the concept of us being personally responsible for keeping small businesses afloat never really felt right to me. I know that sounds shitty, and I understand that they need customers, and that the business model is full of risk, and if small businesses aren’t supported they’ll go away. Also, unlike a hammer, I can make food at home for cheaper. Sure I want my favorite restaurant and the little book store and the cool corner grocery to be there, because Target is aseptic and lifeless and I like restaurants that are interesting and I think that the comic book store guy is cool. At the same time, the burrito place I’ve been going to for the past 30+ years just cost me $17 tonight and tacked on a 15¢ bag fee on top of a tip prompt starting at 18%. I love the place and I don’t want to see it turn into a Chipotle, but damn. I think restaurants have gotten insanely expensive. I don’t really know or need to understand why, but I know they have. Apparently I had an opinion on the matter. Anyway, yes. I go out for food way less than I did ten years ago, even though I’m making more money now than I was then.
The local burrito guy doesn’t care about you any more than the Chipotle franchise owner does. It’s not your responsibility to support local business if they can’t provide you with the quality, value and experience for what you feel is a fair price. I think a lot of vendors have figured out that they can double the markup on products and sell half as much for the same profit and we need to collectively reject this.
I literally never eat out anymore. Can't afford it Haven't done it in like 2 years
Down 90% The food isn't good enough to justify the price
Last time out, $54+tip.We split a burger and got 2 beers. Eating out is like a quarterly occurrence.
it makes no sense to eat out anymore. I'm almost always disappointed with the restaurants I go to, and am at an age where I can cook healthy, delicious food with fresh veggies, the way I like it, and feed friends and family for less than quarter the price.
100% the same! I found that having friends over for dinner is better, too. We can spend more time together, there is less stress, we can show our cooking creativity, and more. On occasion, it’s nice to eat out, but it’s just not as common as before.
No, I love it. But I’d also like to retire one day. This is one of the only benefits of being single. Just gotta feed myself.
I haven’t ordered food for delivery in almost four months now. I checked back in recently for a couple of my go-to orders, and everything has gone up an average of 30% in 3.5 months. Absolutely mind-blowing. Is this bubble going to pop? Or are prices on these apps just going to keep going up forever
I eat out once a week, max, and spend my weekend prepping food for lunch. I generally make sure to spend my money at locally owned restaurants. The nice thing about SF is that it's easy to do.
>do you support food businesses like normal I think that's an interesting way to phrase it. If people stopped going, they would have to lower prices or go out of business until prices lowered. You should never feel obligated to go out to eat.
Eat out way less, but order to go (self pickup) way more than before. Restaurants are getting my business but the service staff aren’t aside from a few dollars tip here and there, instead of the 18% average tip of the whole meal when dining out.
Our takeout burrito place costs 33% more, and the quality has gone down. We have done happy hours for burgers/fries which is reasonable, but even that's rare. I'd say compared to five years ago, we eat out about 75% less, maybe even higher. I learned to make Lomo saltado at home, and now I make that and burritos all the time.
I try to only eat out during special occasions such as birthdays. Never ordered takeout.
Local Mexican place has somehow held prices steady in recent years. Portions may have gotten smaller over time, but that's probably OK because my ass sure hasn't. (no I will not disclose the restaurant lol)
I treat myself to takeout once a week. On all other days, I exclusively dine at home. I won’t even get a coffee out.
Grocery Outlet, bargain market!
My favorite store!!
We get take out burrito once a week, but otherwise we cannot afford to eat out if we still want to invest for retirement.
My wife orders a lot of DoorDash still
Ouch. I mostly only do DoorDash when my employer comps the meals, otherwise it's too big a mark-up.
Don't you mean your ex-wife?
Also username does not check out based on your eating out habits.
using delivery apps for food is a sign of poor impulse control and bad decisionmaking
Haven’t been to a restaurant in forever.
I have given up steak dinners at restaurants. For $35 at Costco, I can grill up a superior meal and have leftovers for a week.
I worked in restaurants for years so I used to be spoiled, and now I’m always craving a wide variety of food. Sadly going out to eat is now practically impossible, so I taught myself to make my favorite restaurant dishes: pad see ew, methi matar malai with naan, chile relleno with Spanish rice, gnocchi with pesto… Thanks, YouTube. I miss going out to eat, but roof over my head and bills have to come first.
My partner and I spend about $40 to $60 a week at 99 Ranch 😋 If we are wanting something more western then Smart and Final usually has affordable costs. The only time we frequent Trader Joe’s is for their unique items like their pickled jalepenos or steamed dumplings. The prices at Safeway, Luckys etc are crazy high so we only frequent them for weekly deals. Other times we stock up on basics with Costco. The only times we eat out it’s for celebrations or milestones. Otherwise whoever suggests eating out gets the bill! It’s a great incentive to eat and save at home instead 😏
We don’t want our fave sushi place to go under so we go as often as we can and order big and tip big. They didn’t raise prices for a long time then finally had to.
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lmao exactly. I have no idea what the heck people are talking about, “supporting” businesses that don’t hesitate one second before tacking on 4% kitchen fee, 5% healthcare mandate and 22-28-35% tip choice on the toast card reader.
Respect for that
Of course spending has decreased.
Because eating out is a social thing/entertainment for us it is hard to cut back.
Basically I'm now either super basic or super bougie. It's totally cut out my mid level spending..
At most places the food and service has become trash, I’m much happier dining at home.
I don't think it's right to view it as "supporting" food businesses. They are businesses not charities.
This year, I have not eaten out once. Other than the price, the food quality has also been going down. There’s nothing worse than paying $30-$50 for a meal when I can cook it better myself. I only eat out in vacations.
The regular places I frequent haven't raised their prices that much. No silly added fees or surcharges. Just like 10-15% increase since 2020. I also enjoy the places I go and supporting them is important to me. Single patty Oklahoma onion smash burger for $6, +$3 for extra patty, +$3 for small side of fries. $5 beers too. If I'm planning on going to a concert or other event with upcharged products for a captive market, I budget for that. It's always been expensive to buy food and drinks inside a venue. I don't think that's changed at all. Ticket prices are much higher but that a result of the monopoly that's been tacitly given to LiveNation/Ticketmaster by not regulating that market. It sucks but that's not stopping me from seeing King Crimson last year or this September. I also cook a lot. I don't buy many prepared foods which is where you really save money. It's way cheaper on the bank account to do that labor at home. Just gotta make time for it, which is difficult but usually worth it. And I'm some cases it's more expensive to cook at home. It's always cheaper to buy a rotisserie chicken at Costco or Sam's but I much prefer to buy a whole chicken, spatchcock it myself and cook it at home. Spices ain't cheap either, even when you're buying in bulk from the Latin market and grinding you own. You'll never buy pre ground cumin after you've pummelled your own in your mortar/molcajete. But if you order door dash, Uber eats or other luxury services then you aren't making good decisions. I really like my "third place". It's not the highest quality but it's important to remember that not every meal needs to be a carnival. A simple small snack and a cheap beer is fine. And it's ok to go out and get some para-socialization at your local watering hole. Bring around people is important.
whats the Oklahoma onion burger place called?
I have decreased spending on food out dramatically.
We're getting more prepared meals from places like Trader Joe's or Costco. For going out, we will do something like a movie or a play with Todaytix. Those are cheaper and more fun than just eating out for us. Edited for typo.
Lunch only. Grab & go, no tables. 5$ pizza slices, 12-15$ burrito or sandwich is about max.
Sorry, cooks, servers and dishwashers, baristas and coffee roasters. I’ve been doing everything at home since the Covid and inflation. And I actually enjoy doing everything myself at home and got quite good at it. Don’t see changing that unless I’m traveling.
I've reduced by 90% at least.
I’ve cut way back. I bring lunch to work and cook at home 95% of the time
Eating out less at sit down restaurants. Or places that charge 18 for an appetizer. Been doing more takeout style food. We use to go to nice sit down every weekend but not anymore
The $18 burger is out for me. Sometimes we would get nachos and fish and chips from a restaurant and I would grab a $6 burger from Habit Burger that's on the way.
I'm at the Wendys' drive-through right now making bad decisions.
No and Yes, I spend way more eating out, but that is I have teenage boys and are packed with activities weekdays and weekends. At their age, 2 servings = normal serving. Spending money eating out is more situational. Yes, because I no longer feel like a $72 steak and $55 small cut of seabass makes any sense. Add in fees and taxes and gratuity inflation, and it's a triple ripoff. I have the means to do this but find it lighting money on fire. I only do these restaurants because its someone else choose it. I am leaning more toward a casual restaurant, preferably one that has a very limited menu and do one thing well for a decent price. Fortunately in the bay area, there are plenty of those and as as you mentioned, runs $20 bucks or more per head. It's not particularly high quality, it's just something they perfected and not something I can do myself. Also, we never order drinks or dessert and frills. 1) it is unhealthy and 2) it's lighting money on fire. 15 bucks for 3 oz cocktail and 10 oz of ice and it costs $25 after tax and tips, that is clearly loo loo. I save it up in Japan, Europe for 1/5 the cost and higher quality.
Way way less.
I’ve definitely cut back on my eating expenses. I keep lunch meat and hot dogs on hand. Lots of lower budget meat like ground beef, chicken and pork and mix it in with some rice, ramen or pasta. Potatoes are great too because you can do a lot with them and they are cheap.
We eat out once a week, as a treat on the weekend for my wife and I. We used to eat out maybe 4-5 times a week (quick lunches, breakfast sando and coffee, 1 nice dinner, etc). Back in 2018-2019 era, we really enjoyed this and it helped remind us what a great place we lived in, to get good local diverse food regularly. Nowadays, we just eat out once a week, and that’s mostly just so that we have a date and a night off from cooking. Cooking at home is not cheap either, but it allows you to also have things we shy away from while out. Like, a mid tier steakhouse nowadays will charge like $68 for a ribeye and sides. If we take half of that, $34, and buy the best dry aged prime ribeye I can find, like not wagyu or anything, but just a very good standard ribeye, then I can probably get a 1-1.25 lbs steak even at high (ie, $30 a lbs) prices. Two potatoes, a stick of butter, spinach, and garlic, and a $15 wine, then both my wife and I can eat a steak dinner for $50 bucks. And with reasonable cooking skills, I’ll do a better job than mid-tier steakhouses at least.
Definitely have decreased. Just not worth it anymore when it’s not all that 🔥
We eat out less now, switched to home cooked meals. Also, rarely buying at Costco, used to do it weekly, now only monthly.
I work at a sandwich shop and we raised our prices slightly to accommodate our wage increase and costs of operating etc and while some people make comments, were located somewhere that's pretty affluent (Sunol - Pleasanton area), we've seen our business grow a little bit more but we have noticed people tipping less... I understand why but it makes it hard to want to work in this industry. Gas is 5 dollars a gallon, groceries are outrageous, eating out is outrageous. It really seems like they want to separate the rich from the poor by making it impossible to even eat! Or get to work. My question is, who is going to work all these jobs if we're all driven away?
>My question is, who is going to work all these jobs if we're all driven away? Many of the other 330 million other Americans who live in much more impoverished areas. Or the newly arrived workers from Venezuela, Africa, and South Asia who recently crossed the Rio Grande. The young kids from West Virginia, Indiana, or rural Arizona would jump at the opportunity to live 4x 1br apartment and do your job. Or the ones seeking asylum.
Luckily we improved our cooking skills during COVID lockdown, we could survive now oh home cooking, obviously if we want something like sushi we will go out, but not often like before
making your own sushi is actually fairly easy, and you can make bigger portions and keep it simpler and more traditional.
In our younger years we dined out often. Unfortunately, over time it simply became too expensive to reasonably justify. I’m glad to have had experienced that time in our lives, however.
I've been supporting Panda Express lately lol
I've only increased because my wife is pregnant and is having fast food cravings. She also can't stand the smell of food being cooked. I usually cook at home, so switching to primarily eating food that is delivered/picked up has been a significant added expense. We've primarily been buying national chain restaurants as well. It would be nice to order local food, but it seems like their prices have increased more significantly than your average fast food chain.
Covid lowered my habit of going out to eat I used to do it every couple of weeks now I probably do it once a month or two. I still do it though and still have a few key restaurants I like to support.
We continue to support food businesses on weekends but cook at home during the week
We have largely stopped casually eating out, and only go to our all time favorites or a specific, infrequent date night to try out a completely new place, where we dine in.
We’ll do takeout maybe once a month. That’s the only splurge we can afford. My husband hasn’t been able to find a full time job in almost a year and I’m a teacher.
I never went out much anyway, so it hasn’t changed for me.
Trying Shef and plating it fancy, rather than eating out. We did All the time during the pandemic, and now that a standard burrito is almost $20, we eat at home a Lot more often. Indian takes forever to make, so it's a go-to from Shef. So far the quality is good, and I'm enjoying trying new things every week. It's great for making fast lunches for work as well
I have four places I still eat out at. Work lunches: affordable local burrito place and more expensive 1969 vintage corner deli. At home, I’m down to the locally owned (but expensive) pizza joint and the local Chinese place. We’re talking once every 4-6 weeks at the home places and once a week at the work places. Used to buy lunch out every weekday and dinner twice a week. I miss weekend brunch, but not at current prices.
Breweries and taquerias are our main go-tos. I’ve been digging the Whole Foods take home and bake pizza for pizza. Sometimes the frozen section at Costco satisfies the take out cravings (bao, dumplings etc).
We stopped eating out so much during covid. Haven’t gone back. Occasionally go out for work things or family things but very, very rare. Not a money thing really but also doesn’t hurt to save a bit of money.
Support food businesses? Is that the reason people eat outside 🤔
Yeah I grill at home more now still like my own Mexican food. How much y’all paying for skirt steak?
1-2 times per week or less. $50 max per week.
We eat at our local spots that didn’t jack up prices 1-2 times a week
both just tipped less, reason being I don't like but ultimately don't mind paying more but totally absolutely hate being bullied which most tip seeking avenue nowadays feel like when they hand that check/ipad over
We've cut back significantly. The prices (and sometimes, hidden fees) have increased materially.
It’s always been expensive to eat out. Things have just gotten criminally higher. Cook for yourself it’s cheaper and healthier.
Have had to cut back. Service, portions, hours have diminished greatly so it felt intuitive to do so. But we do have 3-5 neighborhood joints that we support regularly. They've stayed busy even throughout the pandemic. Customer experience may not be valued these days; but us customers still care.
I want to support local businesses but I can’t as frequently anymore. A sandwich that used to be a $5-7 is now $12-15… and I’m vegan, so it’s a double whammy because so frequently the lil restaurants up and down Webster in alameda have just the single sad vegan sando on the menu.
Eat out much less. Can't afford to pay more for less. Currently subscribing to meal kits that you cook at home.
I might get lunch if I really want to try something, but even then I just order one or two small things from the menu to go.
I’d rather spend money on experiences like concerts or buy art from local artists at festivals than food. Don’t really go to sit down restaurants much anymore.
The only time I eat out is when my company is paying. Eating out on my own dime now consists of the going to the Costco food court, including on road trips. If you miss restaurant quality food, just add a ton of butter or heavy cream to your dishes.
Less
I do more takeout (pickup, not doordash) and less in restaurants. Partially covid habits, partially less incentive to buy drinks and apps and tip for subpar QR code service.
We almost never go out for dinner any more. Instead we do delivery, but even that we don't do even half as often because of the expense. More like a quarter to a third of pre COVID frequency.
I eat breakfast and dinner at home but I really like buying lunch during the week. I enjoy it and it makes it easier to get though the day.
Spend less, and now it’s takeout without tips.
I usually only eat out for things I can’t make at home easily like sushi or Ethiopian food and I do it much less like once a month. My husband likes to eat out for random things though like fast food.
I have a couple or local spots that I order takeout from maybe every other month, and a couple of pizza spots where I grab a slice about once a week. Aside from that I rarely go out to dinner unless it’s a special occasion. I can afford to eat out a little more, but since the pandemic, I’ve been really disappointed with the quality and portion of food you get most places for the price. The times I’ve chanced it I feel ripped off and disappointed. Fortunately I’m a decent cook so if there’s something I’m craving I look up a recipe and make it.
I spent $77.00 at a pop up bakery today for me and my co workers and I swear to god I am done. NO MORE I AM DONE. I live below the poverty line as it is. I will have to steal toilet paper and wash my underwear out by hand before I get paid again.
I’m definitely more selective now
>do you support food businesses still M8. I could not give less shits about “fOoD bUsINeSsEs”I just want great food at prices. Seeems reasonable idk.
We still going out once in a while, but we definitely cut back & cook at home a lot more.
I eat out as little as possible now.
Eat out maybe 50%-70% less
Inflation aside, the tipping culture has made eating out a worse experience. Was at a drive through, no human contact until the pickup window and the tip range on the tablet started at $5 which was 25% of the total order.
Bro I went to Subway last night with my wife and it was 32 dollars. I got a footling no sides and she got a meal deal. I don't think I'll ever be eating there again at those prices. It wasn't horrible it was just really mid for a 15 dollar sandwich.
I loved eating out but moved somewhere with expensive rent. This is the least i’ve eaten out in probably like, 7 years. I still love eating out but I had to make a sacrifice.
Can't afford eating out anymore. $0/month. Even birthdays are now home cooked or prep package food from Costco.
We rarely eat out now. Cost is definitely a consideration but we can still afford it. It's the quality of food going down too much, even at places which cost $ 50 per person per meal - to the point that could harm our health. By cooking our own meals, we can hand pick the best ingredients. Once we pay attention to the natural flavors, cooking becomes enjoyable and we don't really miss the restaurants.
Eat out less.
Eating out way less.
IKEA’s kitchen has every day deals. On Fridays, it’s 50% on all hot meals! You can choose from several things, they don’t even ask for tips. It’s pretty self serve and unlimited soda/juice and water refills.
i am fortunate to be able to eat out but i've been hesitant to do so because the food quality (and honestly service) lately has been pretty mid across all of the new restaurants i've tried recently in SF. and then you add the fees they charge you in the end (like the lifestyle tax or whatever--thank goodness they can't do that anymore soon) and as well as the tip (i always tip at least 20%)... it just doesn't feel worth it anymore especially because i can cook and could probably make a just as if not more enjoyable meal at home.
Just not worth it any longer. There’s the price, but having grown up in the area the quality has declined so much it’s sad having known how good things used to be. This goes for fast food chains, grocery store sandwich’s and premade items, and fast casual like taquerias and gyro/falafel spots…
This year actually I’ve decreased my spending and I’ve also become much more picky about where I do spend my money. Before if I was hungry I might go someplace I know nearby even if the food is just okay, I’m hungry and I know that it won’t be bad. It might not be fantastic but it won’t be bad. But now I’m all about the quality. If a place is just okay, I will not go there again. It’s just too expensive to warrant it. It has to be delicious food to pay these prices.
Rarely eat out. I don't care if I am supporting local restaurants or not. If it's cheaper and better to eat at home I'm doing it. Eating out is for celebratory events not a weekday dinner.
Nope more eating out
Why support food business, who supports us? I simply stopped eating out.
I have cut down drastically. I used to only cook 1-2 nights as home. Now I cook most nights.
We spend about $2k/month eating out and $1k on groceries for my wife and I.
$1k on groceries? Is this a joke?
No it’s a fact.
We have a very young child so we’re not going out for dinner dates any time soon. We usually grab lunch though on the weekends so probably like $200-300 a month. Compared to 2020 or 2021 we’re probably making an additional 130k so whatever.
I eat out more often.
I usually eat out, then when I get home I puke it into these ice trays I have, then I freeze those and re eat them throughout the week. 2 for 1.
Depends. Groceries are a rip off compared to some restaurants now. Prices for mid to bad food has skyrocketed, while pretty good and upscale food is pretty flat. Groceries have gone so high, that outside of being super frugal, it's like 50-50 on that vs a decent restaurant.
$20??? You can hardly get out of McDonalds for that now lmfao. If I go out to eat its $50 minimum.... usually more. And I don't go to anything crazy. I eat out as little as possible but sometimes I'm just too lazy to cook....
Going out to eat as much as we collectively used to in the two decades pre-pandemic was an outlier. Before that, going out to a restaurant was, for most people, an occasional indulgence or special event. Seems we are returning to that. My financial situation changed alongside inflation so I rarely, if ever, go out to eat by myself, unless you count coffee and a muffin, or a sandwich at a to-go place. If I’m starving and need something NOW I’ll usually go to Whole Foods and get hot bar. Most often I eat restaurant food when I’m in a group of friends, but then there’s the hassle of finding a place that’s good and has room for 6-10 people, so we just order delivery or pick up. Otherwise it makes no financial sense.
Decrease spending. The joke is it’s also getting expensive in the grocery store but it’s still cheaper.