Nov 10 2008
Eating Out … Breaking the Bank
I had lunch yesterday at a halfway decent resturant about 30 minutes away from where I live. My boyfriend and I settled in and ordered a turkey wrap, some croissants, and grilled chicken with mushrooms. We also ordered coffee, water, and a pink lemonade.
I’m a modern type of woman. I believe in financial equality in a relationship. So, when the bill came I knew I would pick up the tab. Afterall, he had just splurged on a nice resort room for the evening. The bill was $33.00. I could not believe my eyes.
The chicken had been “ok” at best. Basically, it was a non-seasoned grilled chicken breast with a can of mushroom soup poured over it, and a spoonful of sour cream dropped on top. The turkey wrap was decent; plain turkey, tomatoes, shredded cheese, and some lettuce. But how in the world (I’ll restrain from cursing here) did it add up to $33.00?!
The coffee and the lemonade were both $1.79. $1.79 doesn’t sound like a lot of money until you think about how much ground coffee you can get for $1.79. I could have made 10 cups of coffee for that amount of money. The croissants were $3.89. There were 4 of them and they had a little bit of honey on top. I hear Sam’s Club calling the next time I want croissants.
The point is that the economy and the rising costs of food have caused eating out to become an expense that doesn’t fit in anymore. As single parents, we typically watch our money and make sure we have enough to go around. Afterall, when the field trip is due or his lunch account needs more money, there is no second income to fall back on.
I am officially declaring a boycott (at least in my personal household) on eating out.
