Sticker shock, a feeling as old as commerce itself, is no longer just an irksome, unexpectedly high bill. In the era of social media, overpaying for dinner is an invitation for anyone and everyone to publicly shake their fist over the health of the global economy.
if you "pay" yourself for labor in the accounting it's often cheaper to eat out, but if you'd be spending time driving to mcdonald's anyway the cost of home cooking is much lower. I average $3 per dinner (for one). For me, this meal would be
Chop potatoes, dump in pot of oil, fry burgers, assemble. If you are an hourly contractor making more than a McDonald's worker and count the 20m cooking as half an hour of wages lost, then it's better to buy. Otherwise, cheaper than the restaurant because material price is about the same and you don't have to pay for their real estate expenses, stolen labor share, etc.
Oh for sure. I work a salaried position and they keep laying people off and throwing their work on the rest of us so i’m working 12 hours a day on the reg. No lunches are required by law where I am so any time i save there is time i get to spend with my family later in the day. It’s also literally around the corner from me so that isn’t part of my accounting.
I’m lucky enough to make a wage now that allows me to actually view convenience cost as something I can manage so for the sake of my mental health it feels worth it to me. This isn’t like an every day thing but if i need to get lunch or dinner for whatever reason it’s def worth it in my situation. A year ago it was a different story lol Definitely dependent on people’s situations like most expenses.