Going out with my wife isn't what it use to be

You guys can laugh at me, but once a month or so while out for a doctor visit or such, we go through the McDonald's drive thru. Cheeseburger and a chocolate shake for her, big mac for me. $10.00 and I don't know anyone who tips in the drive thru. She's happy. Guess I'm low class; full stomach is good.
There used to be a country diner we liked next county over. Good food (really good!), waitresses were from local farm families. A big meal plus a generous tip (20% plus depending) was $40-$50. They closed last year. Family who owned it said they didn't want to gouge their customers. Sad; we loved that place.
 
My income is pretty much fixed so try to keep it simple. In order to keep things on an even keel,
I keep my income greater than my outgo. That's pretty simple. That's why I grow my own food
for the most part and cut my own firewood and heat my house and domestic water with it. Eating out
is a rarity and saved for special occasions. I also do a lot of canning of vegetables which is labor
intensive but quite satisfying these days. It's not an easy life but I consider it better than being
broke and or homeless.
 
Bone Head said:
You guys can laugh at me, but once a month or so while out for a doctor visit or such, we go through the McDonald's drive thru. Cheeseburger and a chocolate shake for her, big mac for me. $10.00 and I don't know anyone who tips in the drive thru. She's happy. Guess I'm low class; full stomach is good.
There used to be a country diner we liked next county over. Good food (really good!), waitresses were from local farm families. A big meal plus a generous tip (20% plus depending) was $40-$50. They closed last year. Family who owned it said they didn't want to gouge their customers. Sad; we loved that place.
Click to expand...
Not laughing. When I was working, Mc D's was my go-to for a quick lunch. I could make the 1/2 mile drive to Mc D's, order a 1/4 pounder w/ fries and drink for $5, sit down to eat, and be back at work in 15 minutes. As to quality, I have had many burgers at fancy restaurants that didn't measure up. Their fries went down hill when they switched to vegetable oil for frying but were still better than most.

Last Monday, I had a doctor's appointment and another appointment following shortly after so I stopped at Mc D's for a quick lunch. The only thing the was the same as my prior experience was the in/out time. The same meal was now $10, the burger was not up to par, and the fries were definitely off. I won't be going back there any more.
 
Speaking of McDonalds, I can remember back when they used the slogan "Change back from your dollar". At the time a hamburger, order of fries, and a small coke was less than a dollar. The kids working there were making between $.70 and $.90 an hour. Fast forward to today and they can't even hire anyone for less than $18.00 per hour.

Wages have gone up 20 times what they were, but the price of the food has only gone up 10 times what they were. Does that mean we're getting less food, poorer quality food, or the proprietor is making less money? It seems like the size of the servings has increased and the quality is no different, so I'm thinking it's the latter. The person owning the business is making less money per serving than they did 40+ years ago. This is hardly corporate greed.

There was a time in my career when $15.00 per hour was a top wage. Now it's the bottom of the scale. The problem is that at this point in time only the bottom level has been raised. Those who were making $20.00 an hour (roughly 3 times the minimum wage) haven't seen an increase in their paychecks, (except for inflation) nor has anyone else above the minimum level. There was a time when the level of pay was a reflection of the level of skill needed to perform the job. That's not the case anymore. Those jobs that were once seen as entry level, and only needed minimum skills are now seen as jobs that should be paying enough to support a family.

I see it as a never-ending race to the bottom. How long are skilled workers going to be satisfied working for $30.00 per hour when those with no skills are demanding close to or over $20.00 an hour. In time the skilled workers will demand higher pay. To pay these demands the employers will once again have to raise prices on their products, relegating the non-skilled labor to the lowest rung on the ladder one more time. Should the cycle repeat itself often enough established businesses will no longer be profitable and will cease to exist. At that time foreign competitors will fill the product gap. Unfortunately, the lower cost product will likely be imported eliminating the need for expensive labor in this country.
 
cathead said:
My income is pretty much fixed so try to keep it simple. In order to keep things on an even keel,
I keep my income greater than my outgo. That's pretty simple. That's why I grow my own food
for the most part and cut my own firewood and heat my house and domestic water with it. Eating out
is a rarity and saved for special occasions. I also do a lot of canning of vegetables which is labor
intensive but quite satisfying these days. It's not an easy life but I consider it better than being
broke and or homeless.
Click to expand...
+1 on the firewood! We are backed onto a farm, and we can use from the firewood stack in the Dutch barn. My (modern-type) woodburner, placed centrally downstairs, seems to waft warmth through the whole house. The central heating thermostat does not feel the urge to switch on, and I save $$.
We also grow stuff, but not on the scale where we don't have to buy veg at the supermarket, and not like you. I do eat quite a lot from the field, when pheasant shoot season is on. The shooting party enthusiasts come for their social fun, and might take home a bird or two, but the rest is for us :)

Income greater than outgoings - yes, very important. Living quieter ? Somehow I slipped into that. Sure, there is a social side to when I go doing my other passion (sailplane gliding), but we are talking the occasional beer. To get the dude gear on and "go out somewhere" is just not done anymore. Also, consider a return train trip to London (30 miles) for two, with maybe a burger and coffee e each, and a movie or show, will get one well into three figures. My previous millennium psychology won't let me do that. I guess I am a bit of a tightwad!
 
Last edited:
When I retired a few years ago, we bought a corvette convertible. An older one (88), but not so old they're expensive.

Our "date night" is pick a direction on a nice sunny day and drive until we see a roadside restaurant that looks interesting. Stop, have a bite and then head home. It might be a sit down place, it might be an ice cream stand. Doesn't matter to us either way. It's about spending time together, whether we spend a lot of money or a little (a little is the preferred objective), the objective is just to be together and enjoy the day.

It's usually a day trip and we're lucky that the roads are scenic no matter where we go.

The Vette gets 25 mpg, so gas prices are somewhat manageable and the small places tend to not charge as much for food.

Works for us.....
 
Last edited:
RJSakowski said:
Not laughing. When I was working, Mc D's was my go-to for a quick lunch. I could make the 1/2 mile drive to Mc D's, order a 1/4 pounder w/ fries and drink for $5, sit down to eat, and be back at work in 15 minutes. As to quality, I have had many burgers at fancy restaurants that didn't measure up. Their fries went down hill when they switched to vegetable oil for frying but were still better than most.

Last Monday, I had a doctor's appointment and another appointment following shortly after so I stopped at Mc D's for a quick lunch. The only thing the was the same as my prior experience was the in/out time. The same meal was now $10, the burger was not up to par, and the fries were definitely off. I won't be going back there any more.
Click to expand...
I don’t think I’ve beeped to a Mc’Donalds restaurant in 10 years.
I use to like the Big Mac
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top