Americans are choking on surging fast-food prices. "I can't justify the expense," one customer says
Americans are choking on surging fast-food prices. "I can't justify the expense," one customer says
The price of a McDonald's Quarter Pounder with Cheese meal has more than doubled since 2014, data show.
Kevin Roberts remembers when he could get a bacon cheeseburger, fries and a drink from Five Guys for $10. But that was years ago. When the Virginia high school teacher recently visited the fast-food chain, the food alone without a beverage cost double that amount.
Roberts, 38, now only gets fast food "as a rare treat," he told CBS MoneyWatch. "Nothing has made me cook at home more than fast-food prices."
Roberts is hardly alone. Many consumers are expressing frustration at the surge in fast-food prices, which are starting to scare off budget-conscious customers.
A January poll by consulting firm Revenue Management Solutions found that about 25% of people who make under $50,000 were cutting back on fast food, pointing to cost as a concern.
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In theory this will mean a more healthy population, as people start cooking food at home, instead of eating fast food.
Sucks for people on the move though.
disagree. if you stopped eating fast food only because you can't afford it, you're not going to all of a sudden "eat healthy." you're just going to switch to ramen, tv dinners, frozen tendies, or whatever other <1 minute to cook garbage from the grocery store. nothing's happened except "cheap fast zero effort food" has become "cheap slow greater than zero effort food"
You're not wrong, but I'm still betting that stuff you buy from the supermarket and cook at home will be healthier than what's cooked at a fast food joint.
if by "stuff" you mean actual fresh produce, fruit, and even meat, then yes you're right-- i'm talking about the prepackaged shit in a flashy red/yellow themed bag/box, which is as close to fast food as you can get without being fast food. that's what people are switching to if/when they ditch the drive thru
The biggest issue is breaking the habit - when people are building new habits, some portion are going to make healthier decisions (Though you're right, some will continue doing the next lowest effort option)
except that the prices of food as a whole are going up right alongside fast food.
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Who cooks three meals for themselves? Just skip breakfast.
Cook fast meals. Meal prep.
Regardless, stop eating garbage fast food.
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People who have time to cook will. Many low income families are 24/7 parenting and working with little extra time. Cooking 3 squares is just not going to happen.
Not saying you're wrong in some cases, but I buy these pre-cooked meals at Costco, where all you have to do is heat them in a pan/oven and serve, then they're quick to do (and I'm a horrible cook to boot).
But I get it, it comes down to how much money you have, and how much time you have to spend to make how much money that you have.
But the bottom line is, at the end of the day, for practically everyone, eating home cooked meals is going to be better for them, than just sustaining off of fast food meals from outside 24/7.
spoiler
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People who have time to cook will. Many low income families are 24/7 parenting and working with little extra time. Cooking 3 squares is just not going to happen.
But the bottom line is, at the end of the day, for practically everyone, eating home cooked meals is going to be better for them, than just sustaining off of fast food meals from outside 24/7.
I never said anything remotely like it’s better to do fast food 24/7
I never said you did. I was just saying that eating some Costco sold food that you have to prepare in your own home would be preferable than eating fast food 24/7.
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I never said you did. I was just saying that eating some Costco sold food that you have to prepare in your own home would be preferable than eating fast food 24/7.
You keep acting as it as if those are the only 2 options (3 home cooked or 3 fast food).
I'm talking about overall which scenario is healthier/better to be eating, outside food versus home cooked food, specifically what ingredients each uses and how each one is prepared.
So either you’re presenting a false dichotomy or you’re responding to something I didn’t say. Your framing is too binary and doesn’t reflect reality.
You're misinterpreting what I'm saying, and missing the overall point being made.
It's not a quantity issue in and of itself, it's which of the two scenarios you choose whenever you want to eat.