Author Topic: Sticker shock!  (Read 1478 times)

Hawkmoon

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Sticker shock!
« on: June 08, 2018, 02:59:58 PM »
I have been making a conscious effort to avoid McDonald's recently, and I guess I've been more successful than I knew. I had a hankering for a Mickey D's fish sandwich, so I stopped in at my local McFries and ordered a couple of fish sandwiches. YIKES! They're now up to $4.99 -- each. It wasn't long ago that they were two for $3.00.

McDonald's clearly doesn't want my business.
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230RN

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2018, 03:08:11 PM »
I think it should be obvious that the inflation rate is far greater than government statistics show.

I figured this out several whiles ago when I noticed the prices companes would pay to buy other companies were in the millions and billions instead of the multi thousands and thousands of dollars.

Then I realized that a lot of product shrinkage would never show up in the official numbers, yet reflected a hidden price increase.

And so on.

But what do I know?


Jamisjockey

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2018, 03:18:15 PM »
I gave up that garbage years ago and my body thanks me every day for it.
I occasionally indulge in a jesus chicken for lunch.  That's the extent of my fast food anymore.
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MechAg94

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2018, 03:34:01 PM »
I recall in the early 90's, you could get a small combo meal at most places for around $3.  Of course, then the minimum wage was still about $3.50/hr.  Now, the min wage is over double that and the combo prices followed. 
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Brad Johnson

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #4 on: June 08, 2018, 03:57:45 PM »
When I was in college McD' sold the bargain hamburgers for 29 cents. Ten cents extra if you also wanted a half-melted square of cheese flavored product. We would take up a collection in the group and the least inebriated among us would make a run. You tend to get funny looks when you order forty or fifty burgers at a time.

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lee n. field

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #5 on: June 08, 2018, 04:52:58 PM »
I think it should be obvious that the inflation rate is far greater than government statistics show.

That.
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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2018, 05:00:23 PM »
I think it should be obvious that the inflation rate is far greater than government statistics show.

I figured this out several whiles ago when I noticed the prices companes would pay to buy other companies were in the millions and billions instead of the multi thousands and thousands of dollars.

Then I realized that a lot of product shrinkage would never show up in the official numbers, yet reflected a hidden price increase.

And so on.

But what do I know?



Well, to start with, the official inflation #'s don't reflect some of the most rapidly increasing areas - such as food & energy - unless you specifically select those items into a calculator - but my understanding is that those are not in the "normally reported" CPI/inflation #'s.
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HankB

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #7 on: June 08, 2018, 06:17:44 PM »
I think it should be obvious that the inflation rate is far greater than government statistics show.. . .
My mother's Social Security check reflects that; her annual COLA goes up by a minuscule percentage due to low inflation, but her Medicare premium goes up FAR more due to rapidly rising costs.  :facepalm:

Then I realized that a lot of product shrinkage would never show up in the official numbers, yet reflected a hidden price increase.
Two items that come to mind are cans of coffee and rolls of paper towels. Some years back Consumer Reports noted the shrinking rolls of paper towels, and one manufacturer claimed that was done "to prevent a price increase." The writers at CR opined it was to conceal a price increase.

And I still remember McD commercials which said you could get a burger, fries, and a drink . . . and still get change back from your dollar.

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Ben

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2018, 06:20:15 PM »
I'm sure I saw "Friday 2 for $5" filet-o-fish sandwiches as recently as a few months ago.

I was getting gas at a Chevron station in Fruitland, ID yesterday, and they had an A&W attached. I hadn't been in one in forever so thought, "what the heck?" They had 2 for $5 double cheeseburgers, which I got, and they were very filling and quite tasty. America man.
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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #9 on: June 08, 2018, 07:03:56 PM »
I'm sure I saw "Friday 2 for $5" filet-o-fish sandwiches as recently as a few months ago.

I was getting gas at a Chevron station in Fruitland, ID yesterday, and they had an A&W attached. I hadn't been in one in forever so thought, "what the heck?" They had 2 for $5 double cheeseburgers, which I got, and they were very filling and quite tasty. America man.

Loss leaders for the gas station, no doubt.   >:D  =D

TommyGunn

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2018, 07:41:24 PM »
My shock regarding McDonald's was when,  after a long time,  I went in and bought a double cheeseburger,  and it was the worst tasting *BLEEP!!*  I ever tried to eat.
Never again.
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Andiron

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #11 on: June 08, 2018, 09:02:06 PM »
My shock regarding McDonald's was when,  after a long time,  I went in and bought a double cheeseburger,  and it was the worst tasting *BLEEP!!*  I ever tried to eat.
Never again.

What he said.  People spend actual money,  at Mcdonalds?  You get what you pay for.
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French G.

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #12 on: June 08, 2018, 10:06:12 PM »
I recall in the early 90's, you could get a small combo meal at most places for around $3.  Of course, then the minimum wage was still about $3.50/hr.  Now, the min wage is over double that and the combo prices followed. 

So if we raise min wage to $15 the combos will be $3 again? Yay!

Truthfully, I love fast food. I also love my garden, eating edible weeds, and a generally low carb diet. I have a fast food diet now where if I stop I limit myself to under $5. That means two small burgers or chicken something, no drink, no fries. I stay healthy. Best health of my life I ate fast food usually twice a day. No fridge, no home, and that's where the wifi was. I also did two hours of cardio a day because that's where the shower was. It's all choices.
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HankB

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #13 on: June 08, 2018, 10:26:56 PM »
My shock regarding McDonald's was when,  after a long time,  I went in and bought a double cheeseburger,  and it was the worst tasting *BLEEP!!*  I ever tried to eat.
Never again.
I heard that McD now uses only organic beef in their burgers.

Of course, I've also heard that their definition of "organic" means the cattle died of natural causes.
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #14 on: June 08, 2018, 10:40:36 PM »
I gave up that garbage years ago and my body thanks me every day for it.
I occasionally indulge in a jesus chicken for lunch.  That's the extent of my fast food anymore.

The only Chick-fil-A I know of around here is fifteen miles or more away, in a strip shopping center I never go to. I'd be happy to try them if I were in the area, but I don't see it happening anytime soon.
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Hawkmoon

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #15 on: June 08, 2018, 10:45:06 PM »

And I still remember McD commercials which said you could get a burger, fries, and a drink . . . and still get change back from your dollar.


McDonald's radio (remember those?) ads when I was in high school -- shortly after the signing of the Magna Carta -- were, "49 cents for a three-course meal? Sounds to me like that's a steal. Aaaaaaat McDonald's!"

The 3-course meal was a single hamburger, fries (they only had one size then), and a shake.
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MechAg94

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #16 on: June 09, 2018, 10:39:09 AM »
The only Chick-fil-A I know of around here is fifteen miles or more away, in a strip shopping center I never go to. I'd be happy to try them if I were in the area, but I don't see it happening anytime soon.
The one here is less than a mile from my house.  However, there is a line at the drive through ALL DAY LONG and the inside isn't much better.  Chick-fil-A doesn't build multiple restaurants every few blocks like McDonald's does. 
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MechAg94

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #17 on: June 09, 2018, 10:40:40 AM »
My shock regarding McDonald's was when,  after a long time,  I went in and bought a double cheeseburger,  and it was the worst tasting *BLEEP!!*  I ever tried to eat.
Never again.
I haven't had one of their burgers in many years.  I have the chicken nuggets occasionally.  They don't hold a candle to chick-fil-A and I often regret getting it later.
“It is much more important to kill bad bills than to pass good ones.”  ― Calvin Coolidge

K Frame

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #18 on: June 09, 2018, 02:46:23 PM »
I absolutely love McDonald's fillet of fish sammichs. I mean, they are my absolute kryptonite. I could eat them until I puke.

I've pretty successfully limited myself to them only a few times a year, but I'm salivating right now thinking about them.

For awhile they were on the 2 for $5 menu at stores here in DC metro. I still managed to stay away.

Now that I'm on the diet trail, though, they are OFF LIMITS.

If I want fish, I'll buy fresh at the grocery and make it myself. And, you know what? Cod is on sale at the store right now.
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BlueStarLizzard

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #19 on: June 09, 2018, 08:24:41 PM »
*shrug* I've never seen how the "fast food diet" was cheap anyway and I grew up on it.

Sure, it's generally cheaper than sit down restaurants, but it's still not cheaper than eating at home.

I always thought the appeal of fast food was in the ease of acquiring food in a timely fashion (hence the "fast" part of fast food) and the blessing of DRIVE THROUGH WINDOW.

Well, that and the magic of greasy, gross goodness. *sigh* You real food snobs can suck it. I'm going to love my chemical laden greasy goodness till I die of the heart attack.  :P
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lupinus

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #20 on: June 09, 2018, 09:21:31 PM »
It's really not that much cheaper really. I can go to the pizza joint and get two slices and a drink for about the price of an average value meal. Throw in tip cause it's a sit down place an it's only marginally more expensive. My favorite local diner is a bit more...but not by much.

Either way eating outs expensive. It has it's perks if you'd be cooking for one, but it's still not cheaper. Hell if cooking is to much of a hassle for one frozen dinners are cheaper. And probably still cheaper than fast food.

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Andiron

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #21 on: June 09, 2018, 10:19:44 PM »
A lot to be said for meal prep sunday.  Cook a bunch of food and eat it during the week.  Kind of brainless, and gets you tasty food at a fraction of the cost of drive thru trash.

Fast food drains the wallet and ultimately makes you into a nasty fatass over time.  That being said I love me a spicy chicken sandwich every once in a while.
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K Frame

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #22 on: June 11, 2018, 08:07:51 AM »
My friends in Iowa pretty much eat out lunch and dinner every day of the week. Breakfast they eat at home, but their kitchen is rarely used. Some days they do eat left overs from the previous day's lunch or dinner.

The one day we at lunch at the house it was burgers and dogs on the grill. Every other day was eating out.

I can't even begin to imagine how much they spend every year on eating out, but the amount must be huge.

For me, eating out is a treat. Most of the time my "eating out" involves me assembling a salad from the salad bar at the grocery store and bringing it either back to the office or home.

Before I started the diet my primary forays into eating out were to one of the local Chinese restaurants for lunch during the week or dinner on the weekends.

Now that I'm focused on weight loss goals, that's off the table for awhile.

I made up a bunch of stuff over the weekend that's going to give me lunches and dinner for the rest of this week and probably into the weekend.


I still want a *expletive deleted*ing Fillet O'Fish sammich, though.

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K Frame

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #23 on: June 11, 2018, 08:11:11 AM »
"You real food snobs can suck it."

Meh. My theory is that they're not food snobs.

Just monumental douchebags.  :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
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MechAg94

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Re: Sticker shock!
« Reply #24 on: June 11, 2018, 10:09:45 AM »
It's really not that much cheaper really. I can go to the pizza joint and get two slices and a drink for about the price of an average value meal. Throw in tip cause it's a sit down place an it's only marginally more expensive. My favorite local diner is a bit more...but not by much.

Either way eating outs expensive. It has it's perks if you'd be cooking for one, but it's still not cheaper. Hell if cooking is to much of a hassle for one frozen dinners are cheaper. And probably still cheaper than fast food.

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For that matter, Dominos has a daily pick up special of a large 3 topping for $7.99 or something like that.  There are lots of options for over-eating food that is supposed to be bad for you.

I do agree that eating home cooked food is cheaper and better.  Even eating home cooked food that is generally considered bad for you is often better. 
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