On Wed, 2022-08-24 at 17:05 -0700, Keith Smith via PLUG-discuss wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I just went to 5 guys in Chandler and ordered 2 double cheeseburgers, a
> large Fry, and large fountain drink. It was for me and my wife. We
> usually only get one cheeseburger, however she wanted one by herself.
>
> Here is the punch line : almost $40.00. Yes you saw that correctly.
>
> About 8 years ago we stopped going out to eat for the most part when 2
> combination plates of Mexican food with drinks came to $40.00. We
> decided to not eat out and very rarely do so.
It's the hip thing these days to charge a fortune, chintz on the product or service,
goof it up, then blame it on unavailability of employees, the supply chain, or
whatever political party you hate, and then laugh all the way to the bank on the
customer's dime.
Stop the madness. If a business charges outrageously and/or stinges on the
product/service, cross them off your list. If gas costs too much, use a bicyle,
public transportation, carpool, whatever, and also next time get a 50mpg car.
In other words, don't support the ripoff artists with your money. Saves you money,
and benefits society by bringing down inflation. I wish everybody did this.
>
> Any thoughts on places to get halfway decent food for a reasonable cost?
Canned vegetables are still cheap. Eggs are still relatively cheap. I just bought
red cabbage at $1.49/pound. Nutritious, can be boiled into a soup, and in a real
pinch (for lack of money or to lose weight) can substitute for bread in a sandwich.
>
> I think I may evaluate making my own burgers. With the cost of beef we
> eat very little.
Costco sells a pack of about 12 or 15 frozen burger patties for (IIRC) under twenty
bucks. One burger plus a little beans and/or cabbage satisfies you unless you're
REALLY hungry. I fry them approximately 3 minutes on each side, at medium-high heat,
and they come out delicious.
If you search, you can find fairly cheap breaded fish filets you can just bake for
26 minute, flip at minute 13. If you set an alarm, you can do other things while
they cook. Not as nutritious as fresh fish, but preparation time is a tiny fraction,
and you don't need to cook them the second you get home.
I sometimes put oil on the bottom of the frying pan, open 1 can of garbanzo beans
and 1 can of spinach, rinse in the can with tap water to get all the salt out, throw
them in the frying pan, mix them together, throw on the spices of your choice, and
if you like hot, some hot sauce, cook with a lid on medium-high heat until the water
evaporates but before things start to burn. However, you need to attend it to flip
things over so the bottom layer doesn't get burned. This is a good activity while
you wait for your fish in the oven.
I don't drink coffee, but if I did, I'd get instant coffee like
https://www.nescafe.com/us/products/tasters-choice/ . It's probably about 15 cents a
cup. Don't make Howard Shultz even richer by shopping at Starbucks or some other
yuppie coffee joint. And oh, for gosh sakes, don't get those buck a cup coffee
makers that require a special kind of coffee cartridge. I think Lennart Poettering
invented those.
For those who like it hot, consider Da Bomb Beyond Insanity hot sauce:
https://www.mohotta.com/product/da-bomb-beyond-insanity/Hot-Sauce
This sauce is so hot and so concentrated that a drop in a quart of soup will make
the soup fairly hot (too hot for some), and add tremendous taste. I guarantee you
that if you put this stuff on or into food (use very little), it won't be tasteless.
You know the rubber chicken always served at catered events? A tiny smearing of Da
Bomb will make the rubber chicken taste very interesting. For me, one bottle of this
sauce is a 4 month supply, so don't let the fifteen dollar (plus shipping) expense
disuade you. It costs less than the tax on your Internet or cell phone service.
Besides, you can probably find it on sale. Don't get anything hotter: The hotter
ones smell bad and burn your digestive system.
I don't think we can discuss food without discussing time. A lot of ordering out
happens because of lack of cooking time. It doesn't have to be that way. I'm not a
chef, I'm a short order cook. When picking what to cook, my main priority is
minimizing what needs to be washed afterward. Second priority is quick cooking time.
You know these guys on TV who have acres of prep area, and who mix in stuff in three
different bowls, and sequentially wait for cooking task A to be done before cooking
task B gets done? Looks good on TV, but not for the guy who just worked a 12 hour
day and needs sleep. If it's not quick, easy and uses just one pot or pan, I'm not
gonna do it.
As far as taste, that can usually be kludged in with powdered onions, powdered
garlic, pepper, hot sauce, and other quick to sprinkle spices. But not too many
spices. My experience tells me that spices are like medicines: The more you use, the
more likely adverse interactions.
HTH,
SteveT
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