Posted on 09/21/2016 6:00:22 AM PDT by C19fan
What’s for lunch? If it’s a homemade sandwich or last night’s leftovers, you may be in good company.
An increasing number of Americans are ditching $10 sandwiches and $12 salads in favor of food from home, according to new data from the research firm NPD Group. Lunch traffic is slowing at restaurants around the country, with weekday lunch visits down 7 percent compared to a year ago, the steepest decline since the beginning of the recession, data show.
The reason? Nearly 40 percent of Americans now work from home (at least on some days), according to Gallup, and lunch out is becoming too expensive for many to justify.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Lunch has gone from about $6 to over $10 in just the last few years. In the last year alone the usual has gone up more than 10%. Restaurateurs in downtown Houston should get a clue, the oilfield is in a bust and you aren’t going to make up loss of business by raising prices. Even the company cafeteria is too high. A burger and fries with water is $10.
The food trucks were more overpriced than the brick and mortar lunch places downtown. I tried that a couple of times, and it just wasn't cost effective.
The big secret to saving money on lunch is to have your own cooler of soda (or other drink). That saves a lot right there. Then use coupons to get a Subway sandwich for $3.
Every time we go to a “family style restaurant,” ethnic or American, not fast food but NOT fine dining, with 5-6 people and most ordering water and no alcoholic drinks, no appetizers, maybe a couple ice creams for dessert, some kid menu items, we spend $100. Pre tip. How can we afford to just casually go out to eat any more? We cannot.
We took our lunches to school back then and ate at our desk not in come cafeteria, milk was a nickle for a half pint brought into your school room, then went out side for the rest of the lunch period to play. No need for staggered lunch hrs that begin at 10am and go downward. Our parents never ate out. Mom always cooked, then you could afford for Mom to be a stay at home Mom. Now you can’t.
I carry my lunch nearly every day. It’s better and far less expensive.
I always thought that hospital food was OK. My mother loved to be in hospitals and I was often forced to eat there for lunch. I just started culinary school so you can tell I like cooking.
I’ll make sure your name hasn’t dropped off the ping list.
“always buying the cheaper gas”
Gas Buddy, for folks who don’t use it.
https://www.gasbuddy.com/GasPriceMap?z=4
(Zoom in or search) Locally, there is a 64 cent a gallon swing from the cheapest to the most expensive in a one mile radius.
We did that too. Going from Hammond, Ind to La Follotte, Tn about an hr outside Knoxville in a day when we were kids and dad did the driving, mom never learned.
Since it’s just the 2 of us, we stop at rest stops for potty breaks and lunch. LOL. I’m not allowed to drive as I take Meniere’s meds and those things make you to sleepy to drive. It’s a 2 day trip to Niagara Falls to visit his 90 yr old brother. Few years back we took a 2 week trip, stopped at several relatives for a couple of nights each, spent 1 night in a motel the entire round trip, even had a day trip over into Canada. Course that was back before I had to go on these stupid meds and I could do part of the driving. That one super Vertigo attack became a life long Meniere’s issue. Altitude is a big issue setting it off. Have to start popping them before we leave home now.
$2.00 bag of Walmart tuna fish. I make decent money for my part of the country but no way am I going to spend $200-300 a month on lunch.
Possum is pretty good.
That’s what I hear but the restaurants where I live aren’t hurting for lunch and just try getting in a good one on a weekend night. I have trouble reconciling what I’m told with what I see.
The only time I go out for lunch is if a vendor is paying.
Thank you!
I’ve started doing more meatless dishes. A nice eggplant parmigiana yields multiple servings and I love eggplant. Zucchini casseroles, lots of veggies prepared with love.
I'm with you. My Family never ate at restaurants or fast food joints. First time I was in a McDonald's, it was for a friend's birthday party, I was in 4th grade - I had some fries.
I'm not a big fan of restaurant food
I love eggplant parm. I make an onion/eggplant chutney in late August and September. I’m crazy about chutney because it’s so simply and forgiving and so delicious. My farmer’s market went into overdrive with bell peppers and I made tons of chutney.
Whatever that is sounds nasty.
A few years back, I was awarded Employee of the year for a former employer. Along with a trophy it came with money for a weekend trip. It was $1500.
We turned that into a ten day trip for the family of six. I think we spent $100 of our own on that trip. Some tents, mostly with friends and one hotel night.
I love chutney too. I’m obsessed with Indian Lemon or Lime Pickle but I’ve been dragging my feet making it.
I dated a guy who worked in Bombay for 8 years. He taught me Indian cooking ... not as intimidating as it used to seem. I have never been as slender as the years I cooked almost all Indian!
Many of the fast-fooders have “dollar menus” that are pretty reasonable. A double-burger, fries, and a drink for about 3.50 is cheap.
But...so is a PBJ made at home.
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