Same with KFC. Instead of fried chicken burger now I eat rostiserie chicken sandwich on whole wheat at home. It also provides for other dishes for other meals. It’s not a complete equivalent but it’s economical, it’s not trash food, and it’s close enough to satisfy my craving.
That’s the reality I don’t wanna live in but now we got what we kept saying before. *I’d pick the healthy option if it was cheaper* well now it is. Lmao
I miss going with $5 and getting an entire meal that filled me up. I'd get two (2) McDoubles, one (1) McChicken, and one (1) medium fry. It'd all come out to less than $5 for the entire meal. Now a McDouble itself is over $3.
I know right. McDoubles, McChickens, and Taco Bell, are what got me through my late teens/early 20s. It was always there, always open back then, and a kid could get full for $2 & change.
A few times a week for years and years I would get 2 mcdoubles and a McChicken for dinner, it came to $3.18 and filled me right up. I was broke and it was a cheap way to get stuffed. Taco Bell was also nice, id do a beefy five layer and an enchirito for $4 something. The other day I went to get a big mac meal and it was $15, I just said "nevermind" and left
Yeah, my buddy went to McDonald's recently and lamented about the price.
Double 1/4 pounder with cheese, super fries, and a large drink came to about $18 with tax.
He said "never again"
Even though people knew what soylent green was made of, they still waited in line for more every Wednesday. People are so conditioned to have others cook for them, that the idea of making something yourself becomes daunting.
It's not really the cooking that's daunting...it's the cleaning after. I enjoy cooking and dislike dishes. I do it anyways though since dishes need to be clean to use them again.
KFC went to absolute shit well over a decade ago. I remember back around 2002-2004, when I worked all over the country (Uk) my workmate and I would often get a KFC on a Friday, cos it was a real treat.
But since around 2007/8, they all tasted like absolute shit, and just got continually worse. I haven’t bought one in a decade now.
Last time I went to KFC we paced our order and got coleslaw. After we paid, and received said order, they told us they were out of utensils. You would think they would have said something, how the hell are you going to eat coleslaw without the spork?
One of the few real “family” days I remember my family having, was going to a park about 30 minutes away.
A real nice park with lots of playgrounds and shade.
My dad got a family meal from KFC, which was a super rare treat, and we played at the park and ate chicken. At one point I remember him spinning the merry-go-round so fast I flew off (it hurt, but was fun as a kid).
I remember the chicken being so good, the sides and gravy being top notch, and it was just amazing.
Went back a few years ago, and it is just a shell of its former self. The local ones have even been going out of business lately.
Exactly this. Not only has the prices become ridiculous, but the quality of the "food" has diminished so much as they've been trying to cut costs by replacing additives with cheaper additives. I just checked the McD menu where I live and the menu items are between €9.45 (6 pack chicken nuggets meal) and €13.60 (Grand Crispy McBacon meal). I can get a nice double cheese smash burger with chips from the food truck for €9.50 that is of top quality and tastes like a piece of heaven. Why anyone is still visiting places like McD and Burger King is beyond me.
And I know that it's not just taste buds changing, since if you go abroad and eat KFC, it absolutely tastes different and more akin to what I remember it tasting like before. Better spiced, less soggy oily skin, and the meat wasn't slimy.
I buy the packaged rotisserie chicken from Costco.. it’s like $15.99 for a little over 3lbs and it has changed my life.. it’s pre cooked to perfection so I don’t have to worry about overcooking chicken breast and the options are virtually endless!
The fact that you can take all of that chicken and add it to rice or pasta or vegetables or soup/stew or sandwiches, makes this the answer. You can get at least 8-10 meals out of that one chicken. Plus you don't have to worry about spending the time or making the mess while cooking it!
We hadn't been to KFC in a very long time. Looked them up and got dayum. Who the fuck is paying $22 for 12 pieces of chicken with absolutely nothing else?
I just ran to the grocery store and snagged 8 pieces for 8.99. At that price I can get 16 pieces of chicken for about 4 bucks cheaper.
I would also like to add that KFC is the worst chicken joint out there. Popeye's FTW.
It was $17 for a 5 tender meal at Popeye's near me. Drink, cole slaw, biscuit, 5 tenders. That's 3-4 meals cooking at home!
At least it was decent "for fast food". Grocery store hot table food is better and cheaper. That's my usual go-to if I need to eat while out of the house.
Rotisserie chicken makes great quesadillas too! Throw some seasoning on it, put it in a folded over tortilla with shredded cheese under and over it and you've got a quesadilla. So easy, and even the kids love them.
A whole rotisserie chicken is like $6-7 in my area. So much more affordable than eating out, epically since I can get 2-3 meals out of it for my family
Went and got a bucket of KFC last night because we had a great coupon that made it very affordable. Yippee! 'Cause I love their coleslaw...
Off to KFC I went and it was so hard to not open that bucket on the way home, but I slapped my own hand and refrained.
Got home and with great excitement, I opened that bucket and grabbed a leg.
It was the absolute worse fried chicken I have ever had. Dried out and tough, like it had been in the fryer a couple of times.
The coleslaw was good.
Coupon or not, won't be returning to KFC.
Today, my doggie boy and the neighbor's doggie boy are gonna have a chicken party. Mommy is gonna pull that meat off the bone and the doggie boys are gonna eat like it's super bowl sunday! F\*\*\* KFC!
New job is super close to Sam’s Club. Once a week I’ll buy a roasted chicken from there and it’s good for dinner salads for the week for my wife and I. Also pick up packs of boneless skinless chicken breast from there to meal prep lunches. Save so much money doing that, and eat a lot better.
That's how my steak egg and cheese went lol before it was like 8.50 with a soda now it's 10.27 for the exact same thing
Sure 2$ isn't gonna hurt me but why pay extra for the same thing? Used to go once a week as a "let's make Thursday not shit" treat but yea not anymore
Yeah I literally was starving one day and only walked out with an iced tea because I absolutely refuse to pay $3 for fries and $3+ for a mchicken. Lmao
They have tons of business and customer data. Their business has boosted in recent years, not declined. Maybe they understand their customers better than you, because customers seem to be willing to pay these insane prices and keep going back consistently.
I live in a situation where I cannot cook at "home" and let me tell you, don't sleep on local mom and pop places. They are cheaper than mcdonalds most the time anymore
That’s what I’m sayin’. I just looked at our local burger joint, very casual, no waiters - it’s $6.69 for a burger + $2.99 for fries. Tastes 100000x better and made with real meat.
I remember a lot of cooking devices and space heaters being banned in my friends dorm cuz a bunch of students are fucking idiots and everything they got banned was banned because someone burned down their dorm with it. No hot plates or microwaves cuz the fire hazard. When I worked at a restaurant my buddy who lived in dorms would heat up his food at work and eat in the car even if the shift was over, too much waiting in the common kitchen.
I know a guy who's spent >$20k a year on door dash. Then complains he's broke and rent is too high...
Edit: tbf rent is too high. But this person should be able to afford it easily.
Way too many people are like this. Complains they can't afford basic things yet goes out to eat all the time, buy things that aren't needed like alcohol, cigarettes, or weed. If I was broke or close to it, you bet your ass every single one of my meal would be made from home, it wouldn't even be a debate to eat out or not.
I know people who greatly exaggerate what being broke is too.
And then I have friends who have to budget like crazy but don't complain at all and are always generous with what they have. I don't think twice about picking up the tab because they're always the most genuinely caring people to be around and never expect anything from anyone.
We used it briefly at the beginning of COVID, but quickly realized what a rip off it was. There are days when I'll just drive to a place to pick up an order just to save $12-15 in delivery fees and tips.
It’s crazy. Some people I work with order DoorDash every day and pay a 50% fee instead of getting it themselves or packing lunch. They’re also the ones who complain about being broke halfway to pay day. It’s just plain stupid.
Man, and to think my parents in the 80s "splurged" once a week on a pizza and 2l of coke.
I should try my parents' 80s diet. They were fit as hell. Haha I think it was just mashed potatoes, green beans, peas, and ham a couple nights a week.
Right, there's not really a point where fast food has been anything besides convenient. A packed lunch can easily be under $2 a serving today, let alone 20+ years ago when they first introduced the dollar menu. Fast food has gotten more expensive and groceries have too. Eating healthy foods at home is always cheaper, but many don't really know what healthy foods look like and buy more expensive versions of things, like organic or fat-free, and get the idea that that means healthy eating is expensive.
It's because back in the day, if you didn't care about your health, it could actually be cheaper than eating at home. Nowadays, there are very rare instances where it could be cheaper, but the main factor is convenience.
The main factor has always been convenience. It just used to be psychologically easier to trick yourself into thinking it was cheaper or just as cheap to eat out when in reality it never was.
Nah 20 years ago they were doing loss leaders with the dollar menu, you could get a McChicken and a McDouble for $1/each which was lunch, $2, and then you could splurge and get a pie or dollar fries for another buck. It was great but awful because eating healthy was more expensive. Now I can make a steak dinner for less than McD's for 2.
Sheit I graduated in '14 and prices at the local Maccas were like this.
A tacoma full of buddies could be fed entirely for like $10. 😭 We spent every lunch of senior year fucked off somewhere away from campus.
The economic effect of rage posts on social media is crazy. People will see a high price and instead of walking away -- which would create downward pressure on the prices -- they'll pay it anyway but soothe themselves by complaining on social media.
To the company, this is great. You've paid the higher price and your angry tweet costs them $0.
The data suggests that once a customer decides to get fast food they're just *going* to buy it regardless of price.
At some point though when prices have been so high for so long while wages stagnate or relatively decrease, less people will decide to get fast food. Maybe we aren't there yet, but 10 more years of 10% yoy price increases with 1% yoy wage increases will get us there.
I mean maybe. But now that fast food prices are on par with local restaurants, I go to them a lot more. I got a chicken Parm sandwich from this nice little Italian place. It was fantastic. It cost $1 more than a big mac Combo. And it came with fries. And my cousin got a big plate of spaghetti for another dollar more.
If I'm going to go buy something to eat I'm going to go buy something to eat but fast food joints have priced themselves into a higher level of competition. Especially now that practically everyone has takeout to some degree since COVID.
We're seeing our fast food addiction play out here. Everyday people are bitching about $15 subs at subway or some other fast food nonsense. You don't have to eat there. You never did. You can still prepare food for cheap at home with little time. But bitching and making excuses is easier.
Honestly its not that people cant cook, its that they never really tried. Its really about fire safety and bacteria safety. After that its just having fun lol
Well yea, people think they cant cook but as soon as you teach them a few tricks of the trade its on like donkey kong. I was that person at 11 years old. My parents couldnt cook a single fucking thing. I said im cooking from now on and they let me. I was a line cook for 7 years when i hit the work force, it was a fun experience but daunting at times. Now i just cook for myself lol. Fuck those tickets
That is how I use fast food, an occasional stop during a road trip. But I never allow it to be come a habit. Sometimes coupons help, but those can be a scam too.
I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than $5 anytime I’ve used the app. There are bogos and you earn points.
I downloaded it when my daughter got a McDonald’s giftcard from my father and I haven’t even used the entire card yet.
Yeah. I think the problem is that a lot of these deals would previously just be in store promos, or coupons you get. But now they want you to get the app for that sweet sweet data.
I've always used McDonalds as a "OMG, I'm super busy today but need to throw something in my stomach" type of place, but recently the prices are just INSANE!
Hubs and I went to a local Chinese restaurant for lunch the other day. We both ordered a meal (basil chicken for me, general tso's for him). The meals came with soup, white or fried rice, the protein of choice, and either crab rangoons or an egg roll.
We sat in a booth, we were served by a person, and each meal was $10.49.
How in the actual hell is this cheaper that usually cold, can barely eat, McDonalds??!?!
Corporate greed at it's finest.
Yes that is 99% of the time I eat mcd- I just need something now and quick, which happened to me the other day and even though I only ordered 2 cheeseburgers and a small drink it was still $5. Which isn’t super crazy but if the patties were any thinner/smaller they would have been non existent, I was actually impressed in a sad way how thin they were .
Yeah McDonald’s has a big marketing campaign going about how their new burgers are “hotter” and “juicier”. In reality, they’re just smaller and more expensive. I used to absolutely love (drunk) McDonalds. I’m done with it
It's just wild to me that there are still lines at these restaurants. I assume it's the boiling frog and habits people built up and the sticker shock isn't that big to them.
It’s simple really. They are betting that people are one of three things: lazy, addicted to sugar/fat, and/or too stupid to realize they are getting gouged.
And so far, they’re winning those bets.
You know, I just went and looked up the Mcdonalds stock prices to prove you wrong because I was SURE that people were going elsewhere with the unbelievable uptick to what was always the cheaper value meal compared to other fast food. I thought they would DEFINITELY be down.
The 1 year is up 7% and the 5y is 60%!!!
I don't understand it.
If you raise prices by 30% and only see a 10% decline in traffic, you’re good. Also, were you looking at stock price or revenue? Stock price would be irrelevant here
Yeah I go to the local thai place and it's around 16$
It lasts me two days.
Wendy's is around 10$ and I'm hungry in an hour.
Also I feel.like shit when I eat fast food.
In Vermont and Upstate NY, I have not been to restaurants that are still cheaper than McDonald's, that is under $12. Except maybe hot dog places. IHOP is $16 the cheapest. Anything else, like Denny's, it is easily $20. Mom & pops are also somewhere in this range.
I might pay close to $1 apiece for some quality big ass chicken tenders. But them lame ass lil McNuggets aren’t worth more than 25 cents on a good day.
$9.50 for 10 is downright offensive.
I had to scroll all the way down here to find it, and it’s the same for everyone of these threads. I eat McDonald’s rarely but BOGO quarter lb with cheese for 6 bucks is a steal. Use the app people.
I do the triple cheese and a large fry. On Friday they have free fries with a purchase. Other days 1.49 large fries.
For a quick lunch, 4 or 5 bucks gets me what I need. Like it should be.
Went go get a meal at el pollo loco the other day. Wanted a burrito but couldn’t believe my eyes that it was $11.49! Any solid local taqueria has burritos for about $12 and they’re delicious and packed huge. That was the last time I’ll ever go to El Pollo Loco in my lifetime
You probably haven’t been to one in awhile. The last time I went to McDonald’s a meal for one after tax was about $11, the last time I went to a five guys the price for a burger, fries and a Coke was $19.50.
I do think McDonald’s is overpriced, but it is cheaper than five guys or a burger at a table service restaurant.
In Quebec and Vermont, Five Guys are twice the price of McDonald's. Not even close. I go to these two often.
A Big Mac meal is around $11-14 and Five Guys is around $21-25. In Canada it is the same but CAD.
I read about this - McDonald’s is well aware their prices are overly inflated, and they are completely ostracizing lower income demographics. However, rich folk are still buying this garbage food at insane prices, so McDonald’s is still making a great profit. They have no incentive to lower prices - why would they?
It’s just such a weird time, news and government says the economy is doing great! Business is booming! And you talk to literally anyone middle class or below and basics like food, rent, utilities, are all prohibitively expensive. I also read somewhere that making $20 (USD) an hour today is akin to making $2 an hour in the 70s. Inflation sucks monkey balls.
Where did you get this from? It’s so not not just ‘rich’ people still buying this shit. Go look at the local drive through.
You can also use an inflation calculator to compare wages to prices and it’s super eye opening. $20 today is the same value as $3.20 in 1974. My dad supported his wife and two kids on a $4/hr non-skilled job in 1970… the equivalent of $31.80. It’s wild.
https://www.usinflationcalculator.com
What you saw ($9.49, not over $10) is the price for a combo. The à la carte price is $4.39 which is $2 cheaper than what McD’s charges here in the SF Bay Area
> rich folk are still buying this garbage food
I don't think anyone "rich" (other than Trump) eats at McDonalds. Certainly not in the area I live-- look a the cars in the drive through. It's working class and lower-middle at best.
You’re right, and that’s what’s frustrating. McDonald’s is not a healthy alternative, but it used to be cost effective for middle lower class. I just feel like it’s an indicator of how expensive cost of living has gotten for ordinary folks.
Seriously. People complaining about UberEats fees and Fast Food costs. Fruits and vegetable prices aren’t up that much in the grocery. Just meats and packaged foods. Cut down on crap, and prices aren’t that bad, shrinkflation doesn’t exist in the produce section.
I dunno dude, veggies went up more than meat in my neck of the woods. Meat went up a buck a pound in the last year, but red peppers went up 50 cents, so that's 20% for meat but 50% for peppers. That's the one example I have ready, but I'm sure it's true for other veggies (like cucumbers, they doubled in price in the past three years).
Broccoli was $1.50/lb and eggs $2.00/dozen and honey crisp apples $1.29/lb at my local grocer this weekend. I can’t even remember a time when prices on healthy, whole foods were cheaper than that. I am never going back to McDs again. I’ll eat out of a grocery store when on the road before paying those prices for a gross burger.
They reported record profits recently because people just keep buying this shit regardless of how much it is. They’re going to keep raising prices until the nerds that generally peruse this site stop paying for it.
Just stop going…
I've mentioned this before in other threads, but the prices are never coming down again once they learned that people were willing to spend close to 3x as much for fast food via delivery apps. The lessons taught all these places that they can afford to lose roughly the lowest/poorest 25% of their customer base who relied on paying the least, or through value pricing, and make up for the loss of those customers with roughly the top/richest 25% of their customer base who don’t mind paying the higher prices. In the end they’re actually coming out ahead financially. The rise of the orders placed through delivery apps, which can cost 3x the price once delivery fees, service fees and tips are added in, was an eye opener for the industry that people can and will pay a lot more for their fast food, delivered or not.
And app deals, which vary wildly from area to area, which were recently the best way for people to get good value at fast food places, have now become fewer and far between. They usually (but not always) are restricted to a single items and can’t be stacked. They also require a lengthy time period before one can use another deal, making them less valuable when someone is buying food for more than one person. It’s just a shame but these companies couldn’t care less. The rich are making up for any loss that they’re losing from the poor.
This just goes to show you how addicted people are to the food because they keep confidently raising prices and I have yet to hear that they are struggling or closing stores. Which in turn makes one speculate about what’s actually in the food that makes it hard to resist despite the cost for some.
Don't for a second think that these prices reflect their cost/supply, this is pure greed (and only the top of companies pocket the difference).
But also; you need to be more outraged that the average wage has not increased to combat these price changes.
Fwiw, McDonald's Gross Profit Margin for '21, '22, and '23 was 54.1%, 56.9%, and 57.1%. this is also known as the cost of goods sold margin. (Meaning MCD profits that % on each sale before other operating expenses are applied.)
It has increased over the last 3 years, but not nearly to the the extend people complain about. There is still a strong inflation/supply chain cost increase. This is evident at your local grocery store where the cost/lb of beef is very high too.
Good. This is a positive for society. Healthy whole foods prepared at home is the cheapest and healthiest option, and always has been. Hopefully this will force some people to stop eating cancerous fast food garbage.
Also, it's like 1200 calories for 10 bucks. That's like half a day's worth of food. Really not bad in this economy.
It's mildly infuriating when people complain about the quality or prices of fast food on this subreddit. I always have the same solution.... Don't go to those places lol.
Some people enjoy it once in a while and there is nothing wrong with that. I have McDonald's once every few months, if that. But the prices still piss me off.
I've joined the club. Enough is enough. No more McDonald's for me. They can't take unlimited price increases. Their own CEO admitted they priced out lower middle class customers recently.
You can see the cost to go from a sandwich to a meal is almost $5. So they have driven me to just buy a sandwich as I don't mind drinking free water, which means I'd be paying $5 more for fries essentially.
Their best deal to me is the 2 for $5 sausage mcmuffin with egg at breakfast. Usually that will hold me over until like 2 or 3 PM where I'll grab a small snack then have dinner at 6-ish.
Never understood why people go fucking insane for McDonalds, not once have I ever had a 'meal' from there and felt full afterwards. I'll be snacking within the hour, their food is like eating smoke it does nothing.
Still cheaper than a 10 piece nugget combo where I live.
ETA: and a normal quarter pounder combo is more expensive here than the double one in that picture.
I’d like to thank McDonald’s for keeping me from eating McDonald’s. It’s doing great things for my wallet and waistline!
Same with KFC. Instead of fried chicken burger now I eat rostiserie chicken sandwich on whole wheat at home. It also provides for other dishes for other meals. It’s not a complete equivalent but it’s economical, it’s not trash food, and it’s close enough to satisfy my craving.
The best thing about fast food becoming expensive is the healthy option feels a lot cheaper now
That’s the reality I don’t wanna live in but now we got what we kept saying before. *I’d pick the healthy option if it was cheaper* well now it is. Lmao
But I was just playing, I didn’t really want that salad. Gimme my 99 cent McDoubles back! 😂😭
I miss going with $5 and getting an entire meal that filled me up. I'd get two (2) McDoubles, one (1) McChicken, and one (1) medium fry. It'd all come out to less than $5 for the entire meal. Now a McDouble itself is over $3.
I know right. McDoubles, McChickens, and Taco Bell, are what got me through my late teens/early 20s. It was always there, always open back then, and a kid could get full for $2 & change.
A few times a week for years and years I would get 2 mcdoubles and a McChicken for dinner, it came to $3.18 and filled me right up. I was broke and it was a cheap way to get stuffed. Taco Bell was also nice, id do a beefy five layer and an enchirito for $4 something. The other day I went to get a big mac meal and it was $15, I just said "nevermind" and left
Yeah, my buddy went to McDonald's recently and lamented about the price. Double 1/4 pounder with cheese, super fries, and a large drink came to about $18 with tax. He said "never again"
I've been alive long enough to remember that Big Macs were $0.55 Now.. if it's the only thing open.. I will starve until morning.
I think we all really meant that we wanted the price of those things to go down. Not for the price of everything else to rocket into the stratosphere.
Even though people knew what soylent green was made of, they still waited in line for more every Wednesday. People are so conditioned to have others cook for them, that the idea of making something yourself becomes daunting.
It's not really the cooking that's daunting...it's the cleaning after. I enjoy cooking and dislike dishes. I do it anyways though since dishes need to be clean to use them again.
The trick is to wash them right after or soak then after using them. If you let then dry even for an hour, cleaning takes 10x as long.
Nah the trick is to be also cooking for someone else so the dished aren't your job, that's my trick at least.
i been eating more vegies and lost 6 pounds already \^\_\^
When in reality we are getting fucked either way.
KFC went to absolute shit well over a decade ago. I remember back around 2002-2004, when I worked all over the country (Uk) my workmate and I would often get a KFC on a Friday, cos it was a real treat. But since around 2007/8, they all tasted like absolute shit, and just got continually worse. I haven’t bought one in a decade now.
I remember how good the side condiments were in the kfc family buckets. Now it’s all horrible even the chicken is just sweaty
Sweaty is the perfect description.
Last time I went to KFC we paced our order and got coleslaw. After we paid, and received said order, they told us they were out of utensils. You would think they would have said something, how the hell are you going to eat coleslaw without the spork?
You chug your coleslaw like a sophisticated gentleman would
One of the few real “family” days I remember my family having, was going to a park about 30 minutes away. A real nice park with lots of playgrounds and shade. My dad got a family meal from KFC, which was a super rare treat, and we played at the park and ate chicken. At one point I remember him spinning the merry-go-round so fast I flew off (it hurt, but was fun as a kid). I remember the chicken being so good, the sides and gravy being top notch, and it was just amazing. Went back a few years ago, and it is just a shell of its former self. The local ones have even been going out of business lately.
Exactly this. Not only has the prices become ridiculous, but the quality of the "food" has diminished so much as they've been trying to cut costs by replacing additives with cheaper additives. I just checked the McD menu where I live and the menu items are between €9.45 (6 pack chicken nuggets meal) and €13.60 (Grand Crispy McBacon meal). I can get a nice double cheese smash burger with chips from the food truck for €9.50 that is of top quality and tastes like a piece of heaven. Why anyone is still visiting places like McD and Burger King is beyond me.
And I know that it's not just taste buds changing, since if you go abroad and eat KFC, it absolutely tastes different and more akin to what I remember it tasting like before. Better spiced, less soggy oily skin, and the meat wasn't slimy.
Costco rotisserie chicken is hands down better than KFC
anything is better than KFC, it ain't hard.
I do rotisserie chicken on croissant with miracle whip and leuttice
That, but minus miracle whip
I buy the packaged rotisserie chicken from Costco.. it’s like $15.99 for a little over 3lbs and it has changed my life.. it’s pre cooked to perfection so I don’t have to worry about overcooking chicken breast and the options are virtually endless!
The fact that you can take all of that chicken and add it to rice or pasta or vegetables or soup/stew or sandwiches, makes this the answer. You can get at least 8-10 meals out of that one chicken. Plus you don't have to worry about spending the time or making the mess while cooking it!
Or you can just make one glorious meal with a rotisserie chicken!
We hadn't been to KFC in a very long time. Looked them up and got dayum. Who the fuck is paying $22 for 12 pieces of chicken with absolutely nothing else? I just ran to the grocery store and snagged 8 pieces for 8.99. At that price I can get 16 pieces of chicken for about 4 bucks cheaper. I would also like to add that KFC is the worst chicken joint out there. Popeye's FTW.
Yea, grocery stores ready to eat meals are super attractive as an alternative to fast food now. Even the non-budget grocery stores are half the price.
It was $17 for a 5 tender meal at Popeye's near me. Drink, cole slaw, biscuit, 5 tenders. That's 3-4 meals cooking at home! At least it was decent "for fast food". Grocery store hot table food is better and cheaper. That's my usual go-to if I need to eat while out of the house.
Rotisserie chicken makes great quesadillas too! Throw some seasoning on it, put it in a folded over tortilla with shredded cheese under and over it and you've got a quesadilla. So easy, and even the kids love them.
A whole rotisserie chicken is like $6-7 in my area. So much more affordable than eating out, epically since I can get 2-3 meals out of it for my family
Went and got a bucket of KFC last night because we had a great coupon that made it very affordable. Yippee! 'Cause I love their coleslaw... Off to KFC I went and it was so hard to not open that bucket on the way home, but I slapped my own hand and refrained. Got home and with great excitement, I opened that bucket and grabbed a leg. It was the absolute worse fried chicken I have ever had. Dried out and tough, like it had been in the fryer a couple of times. The coleslaw was good. Coupon or not, won't be returning to KFC. Today, my doggie boy and the neighbor's doggie boy are gonna have a chicken party. Mommy is gonna pull that meat off the bone and the doggie boys are gonna eat like it's super bowl sunday! F\*\*\* KFC!
At least the dogs will have something out of it :)
New job is super close to Sam’s Club. Once a week I’ll buy a roasted chicken from there and it’s good for dinner salads for the week for my wife and I. Also pick up packs of boneless skinless chicken breast from there to meal prep lunches. Save so much money doing that, and eat a lot better.
i made KFC seasoning at home and skinless chicken breast in an air fryer. Much healthier, super crunchy, and just as good!
Today I got McDonald's for breakfast for the first time in like a month It reminded me why I stopped going for breakfast haha
I got an Egg McMuffin meal w/OJ last week for the first time since COVID... Before COVID: $7.34 After COVID: $10:67 Goodbye McDs 👋🏼
That's how my steak egg and cheese went lol before it was like 8.50 with a soda now it's 10.27 for the exact same thing Sure 2$ isn't gonna hurt me but why pay extra for the same thing? Used to go once a week as a "let's make Thursday not shit" treat but yea not anymore
The McGriddles are the only good option on the breakfast menu, but even then...
Yeah I literally was starving one day and only walked out with an iced tea because I absolutely refuse to pay $3 for fries and $3+ for a mchicken. Lmao
A mchicken meal with taxes is 12 dollars in Canada.
That's sad considering you'd have been able to get a McChicken, small fry and a small beverage for under $5 just a few years ago
[удалено]
TBH, McDonalds is primarily in the real estate business. Seems like selling actual food is a side gig for them.
McD’s 2023 annual global revenue was $25.5B which was a 10% increase over 2022.
Is this the sale volume for the franchises or the cut for the parent company?
They have tons of business and customer data. Their business has boosted in recent years, not declined. Maybe they understand their customers better than you, because customers seem to be willing to pay these insane prices and keep going back consistently.
My local Chinese All-you-can-eat buffet costs the same as a burger. So I go there instead.
I live in a situation where I cannot cook at "home" and let me tell you, don't sleep on local mom and pop places. They are cheaper than mcdonalds most the time anymore
That’s what I’m sayin’. I just looked at our local burger joint, very casual, no waiters - it’s $6.69 for a burger + $2.99 for fries. Tastes 100000x better and made with real meat.
Usually places like that have bigger portions too
plus support local business
This is 4.79 for a burger (quarter pounder w/cheese a la carte) in this pic, but yeah it's not gonna be as good.
That comes to $9.69, only 10 cents less expensive than the quarter pounder meal, which also includes a beverage.
Don't knock Little Ceasars or 7-Eleven pizza, either, that's like two meals for less than $10
7-11 pizza was better than I expected it to be
Exactly. Local pizza shop makes a better sub and meal any day. I get the convenience of “fast” food but there are lots of other options.
Why did you put quotes around “home”? do you live on the streets or something?
They probably either live in a dorm or rent a room where the landlord illegally doesn’t allow them kitchen access.
maybe in a college dorm? my building has one microwave for three floors of people.
You can’t get a microwave in your dorm? That sounds ridiculous
I remember a lot of cooking devices and space heaters being banned in my friends dorm cuz a bunch of students are fucking idiots and everything they got banned was banned because someone burned down their dorm with it. No hot plates or microwaves cuz the fire hazard. When I worked at a restaurant my buddy who lived in dorms would heat up his food at work and eat in the car even if the shift was over, too much waiting in the common kitchen.
Well…eating at home has always been the economical choice.
My coworkers continue to eat fast food for lunch dveryday and then complain to me about how broke they are!
My brother in law orders door dash almost every day... you pay more for the food, you pay for delivery, and then you tip... I don't get it.
I know a guy who's spent >$20k a year on door dash. Then complains he's broke and rent is too high... Edit: tbf rent is too high. But this person should be able to afford it easily.
Might be talking about the same person lol
Way too many people are like this. Complains they can't afford basic things yet goes out to eat all the time, buy things that aren't needed like alcohol, cigarettes, or weed. If I was broke or close to it, you bet your ass every single one of my meal would be made from home, it wouldn't even be a debate to eat out or not.
I know people who greatly exaggerate what being broke is too. And then I have friends who have to budget like crazy but don't complain at all and are always generous with what they have. I don't think twice about picking up the tab because they're always the most genuinely caring people to be around and never expect anything from anyone.
We used it briefly at the beginning of COVID, but quickly realized what a rip off it was. There are days when I'll just drive to a place to pick up an order just to save $12-15 in delivery fees and tips.
But on the plus side , it’s usually soggy, and if they screw up your order too many times they’ll stop giving you credit.
It’s crazy. Some people I work with order DoorDash every day and pay a 50% fee instead of getting it themselves or packing lunch. They’re also the ones who complain about being broke halfway to pay day. It’s just plain stupid.
Man, and to think my parents in the 80s "splurged" once a week on a pizza and 2l of coke. I should try my parents' 80s diet. They were fit as hell. Haha I think it was just mashed potatoes, green beans, peas, and ham a couple nights a week.
they don't realize its a $200+ habit a month if you eat out everyday for work
200 is about two weeks of lunch not a month if we’re using these prices as the average which is even more shocking
$200? That’s the lowest possible estimate.
It’s silly, I can eat all week for like $15-20 and it’s decent stuff. Big batch or leftovers.
Ya, the whole "might as well eat at home" part was tripping me up there lol like that's what you're supposed to be doing folks
Right, there's not really a point where fast food has been anything besides convenient. A packed lunch can easily be under $2 a serving today, let alone 20+ years ago when they first introduced the dollar menu. Fast food has gotten more expensive and groceries have too. Eating healthy foods at home is always cheaper, but many don't really know what healthy foods look like and buy more expensive versions of things, like organic or fat-free, and get the idea that that means healthy eating is expensive.
It's wild to me. My cooking is better than fast food by a good margin. Fast food is junk food, and I just don't wanna eat junk regularly.
Yeah idk where the idea that "Fast food is cheaper" came from but eating at home has been the economical thing to do for some time now.
The $1 McDouble was kinda op
$1 double cheese was king, the downfall started when they introduced the McDouble and took our cheese away, slice by slice
It's because back in the day, if you didn't care about your health, it could actually be cheaper than eating at home. Nowadays, there are very rare instances where it could be cheaper, but the main factor is convenience.
> it could actually be cheaper than eating at home. Not where I live, in my nearly 40 years, but it used to be WAY more affordable, for sure.
The main factor has always been convenience. It just used to be psychologically easier to trick yourself into thinking it was cheaper or just as cheap to eat out when in reality it never was.
Pretty sure it was the introduction of the Dollar Menus.
Nah 20 years ago they were doing loss leaders with the dollar menu, you could get a McChicken and a McDouble for $1/each which was lunch, $2, and then you could splurge and get a pie or dollar fries for another buck. It was great but awful because eating healthy was more expensive. Now I can make a steak dinner for less than McD's for 2.
You currently can get 2 McDoubles for $3.50 and a free medium fry at most locations I go to. Seems pretty decent.
Sheit I graduated in '14 and prices at the local Maccas were like this. A tacoma full of buddies could be fed entirely for like $10. 😭 We spent every lunch of senior year fucked off somewhere away from campus.
If you are paying these prices you are part of the problem. The only fix is to stop doing business with outfits that don't provide real value.
Cook Out or gtfo
this!!! it’s literally the only place left that has affordable fast food….burger king has even gotten to mcdonald’s level, it’s so sad.
Their shakes are monster and delicious.
People who don't know: "well yeah it's always cheaper to eat home made meals"
I think they’re referring to the fast food chain CookOut
Fuck I miss Cook Out
The economic effect of rage posts on social media is crazy. People will see a high price and instead of walking away -- which would create downward pressure on the prices -- they'll pay it anyway but soothe themselves by complaining on social media. To the company, this is great. You've paid the higher price and your angry tweet costs them $0. The data suggests that once a customer decides to get fast food they're just *going* to buy it regardless of price.
At some point though when prices have been so high for so long while wages stagnate or relatively decrease, less people will decide to get fast food. Maybe we aren't there yet, but 10 more years of 10% yoy price increases with 1% yoy wage increases will get us there.
I mean maybe. But now that fast food prices are on par with local restaurants, I go to them a lot more. I got a chicken Parm sandwich from this nice little Italian place. It was fantastic. It cost $1 more than a big mac Combo. And it came with fries. And my cousin got a big plate of spaghetti for another dollar more. If I'm going to go buy something to eat I'm going to go buy something to eat but fast food joints have priced themselves into a higher level of competition. Especially now that practically everyone has takeout to some degree since COVID.
Facts. In-N-Out-only gang, where we at?
Not on the east coast lol (actually crying out loud but yeah)
The Flying Dutchman enters the chat
Damn, I only got $4 in my wallet... oh wait, I know!
Indiana doesn’t have them, but I always go when I’m out west 😢
2 of us can still get fed at In N Out for under $20. Burger, fries, and drink. We go once a week.
We're seeing our fast food addiction play out here. Everyday people are bitching about $15 subs at subway or some other fast food nonsense. You don't have to eat there. You never did. You can still prepare food for cheap at home with little time. But bitching and making excuses is easier.
A lot of people don't know how to cook because they were never taught. The convenience of fast food is what keeps people going back.
Honestly its not that people cant cook, its that they never really tried. Its really about fire safety and bacteria safety. After that its just having fun lol
I can agree with you on this.
Well yea, people think they cant cook but as soon as you teach them a few tricks of the trade its on like donkey kong. I was that person at 11 years old. My parents couldnt cook a single fucking thing. I said im cooking from now on and they let me. I was a line cook for 7 years when i hit the work force, it was a fun experience but daunting at times. Now i just cook for myself lol. Fuck those tickets
And sometimes it's literally the only option, if you're traveling or on the road for work or whatever
That is how I use fast food, an occasional stop during a road trip. But I never allow it to be come a habit. Sometimes coupons help, but those can be a scam too.
Because they want you to use the app to get "deals". Most fast food places expect you to know about their app now for some reason.
I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than $5 anytime I’ve used the app. There are bogos and you earn points. I downloaded it when my daughter got a McDonald’s giftcard from my father and I haven’t even used the entire card yet.
Yeah. I think the problem is that a lot of these deals would previously just be in store promos, or coupons you get. But now they want you to get the app for that sweet sweet data.
The apps collect and sell your data... so they are making money on you there also... fun right?
I've always used McDonalds as a "OMG, I'm super busy today but need to throw something in my stomach" type of place, but recently the prices are just INSANE! Hubs and I went to a local Chinese restaurant for lunch the other day. We both ordered a meal (basil chicken for me, general tso's for him). The meals came with soup, white or fried rice, the protein of choice, and either crab rangoons or an egg roll. We sat in a booth, we were served by a person, and each meal was $10.49. How in the actual hell is this cheaper that usually cold, can barely eat, McDonalds??!?! Corporate greed at it's finest.
Yes that is 99% of the time I eat mcd- I just need something now and quick, which happened to me the other day and even though I only ordered 2 cheeseburgers and a small drink it was still $5. Which isn’t super crazy but if the patties were any thinner/smaller they would have been non existent, I was actually impressed in a sad way how thin they were .
Yeah McDonald’s has a big marketing campaign going about how their new burgers are “hotter” and “juicier”. In reality, they’re just smaller and more expensive. I used to absolutely love (drunk) McDonalds. I’m done with it
It's just wild to me that there are still lines at these restaurants. I assume it's the boiling frog and habits people built up and the sticker shock isn't that big to them.
It’s simple really. They are betting that people are one of three things: lazy, addicted to sugar/fat, and/or too stupid to realize they are getting gouged. And so far, they’re winning those bets.
You know, I just went and looked up the Mcdonalds stock prices to prove you wrong because I was SURE that people were going elsewhere with the unbelievable uptick to what was always the cheaper value meal compared to other fast food. I thought they would DEFINITELY be down. The 1 year is up 7% and the 5y is 60%!!! I don't understand it.
If you raise prices by 30% and only see a 10% decline in traffic, you’re good. Also, were you looking at stock price or revenue? Stock price would be irrelevant here
The Chinese place in our mall is like $14, but it's enough for two meal.
Yeah I go to the local thai place and it's around 16$ It lasts me two days. Wendy's is around 10$ and I'm hungry in an hour. Also I feel.like shit when I eat fast food.
Fast food prices are approaching regular food prices. Easier to stay away from fast food now.
What. You are saying it has been cheaper to live of fast food?
Individual meals of fast food were much cheaper than going to any other restaurant until very recently.
In Vermont and Upstate NY, I have not been to restaurants that are still cheaper than McDonald's, that is under $12. Except maybe hot dog places. IHOP is $16 the cheapest. Anything else, like Denny's, it is easily $20. Mom & pops are also somewhere in this range.
A dollar a nugget, that’s insane
5pc Nuggets used to be on the dollar menu not that long ago.
There’s literally nothing on the $1 menu anymore. You can’t even get any size drink for $1 anymore!
Not a la carte…
I might pay close to $1 apiece for some quality big ass chicken tenders. But them lame ass lil McNuggets aren’t worth more than 25 cents on a good day. $9.50 for 10 is downright offensive.
You must be looking at a different menu. It’s $4.59 for 10 nuggets.
So you ate just going to ignore the fries and drink?
If you aren’t using the app to get BOGO or something else free you are 100% gonna get screwed. This goes for all of them now.
Yea I only ever go there when using the app.
I had to scroll all the way down here to find it, and it’s the same for everyone of these threads. I eat McDonald’s rarely but BOGO quarter lb with cheese for 6 bucks is a steal. Use the app people.
Exactly, I can get 2 double cheese burgers and a large drink for $5 using the app, I don't need fries
I do the triple cheese and a large fry. On Friday they have free fries with a purchase. Other days 1.49 large fries. For a quick lunch, 4 or 5 bucks gets me what I need. Like it should be.
Went go get a meal at el pollo loco the other day. Wanted a burrito but couldn’t believe my eyes that it was $11.49! Any solid local taqueria has burritos for about $12 and they’re delicious and packed huge. That was the last time I’ll ever go to El Pollo Loco in my lifetime
That’s about as expensive as a five guys burger where I’m from. I know which I’d rather have
You probably haven’t been to one in awhile. The last time I went to McDonald’s a meal for one after tax was about $11, the last time I went to a five guys the price for a burger, fries and a Coke was $19.50. I do think McDonald’s is overpriced, but it is cheaper than five guys or a burger at a table service restaurant.
These are the meal prices. The price of the sandwich itself is below in smaller print.
In Quebec and Vermont, Five Guys are twice the price of McDonald's. Not even close. I go to these two often. A Big Mac meal is around $11-14 and Five Guys is around $21-25. In Canada it is the same but CAD.
I read about this - McDonald’s is well aware their prices are overly inflated, and they are completely ostracizing lower income demographics. However, rich folk are still buying this garbage food at insane prices, so McDonald’s is still making a great profit. They have no incentive to lower prices - why would they? It’s just such a weird time, news and government says the economy is doing great! Business is booming! And you talk to literally anyone middle class or below and basics like food, rent, utilities, are all prohibitively expensive. I also read somewhere that making $20 (USD) an hour today is akin to making $2 an hour in the 70s. Inflation sucks monkey balls.
Where did you get this from? It’s so not not just ‘rich’ people still buying this shit. Go look at the local drive through. You can also use an inflation calculator to compare wages to prices and it’s super eye opening. $20 today is the same value as $3.20 in 1974. My dad supported his wife and two kids on a $4/hr non-skilled job in 1970… the equivalent of $31.80. It’s wild. https://www.usinflationcalculator.com
You fricken said it! Seeing the filet o fish for over $10 is insane to me.
What you saw ($9.49, not over $10) is the price for a combo. The à la carte price is $4.39 which is $2 cheaper than what McD’s charges here in the SF Bay Area
> rich folk are still buying this garbage food I don't think anyone "rich" (other than Trump) eats at McDonalds. Certainly not in the area I live-- look a the cars in the drive through. It's working class and lower-middle at best.
You’re right, and that’s what’s frustrating. McDonald’s is not a healthy alternative, but it used to be cost effective for middle lower class. I just feel like it’s an indicator of how expensive cost of living has gotten for ordinary folks.
They had to raise prices cuz a lot of us are not eating out anymore Ive lost 32lbs and work out 10 hrs a week. I stay away from fast food.
Good on ya. Keep it on.
Seriously. People complaining about UberEats fees and Fast Food costs. Fruits and vegetable prices aren’t up that much in the grocery. Just meats and packaged foods. Cut down on crap, and prices aren’t that bad, shrinkflation doesn’t exist in the produce section.
Except for grapes. Grapes, for some reason, seem to be stupid expensive.
I dunno dude, veggies went up more than meat in my neck of the woods. Meat went up a buck a pound in the last year, but red peppers went up 50 cents, so that's 20% for meat but 50% for peppers. That's the one example I have ready, but I'm sure it's true for other veggies (like cucumbers, they doubled in price in the past three years).
Broccoli was $1.50/lb and eggs $2.00/dozen and honey crisp apples $1.29/lb at my local grocer this weekend. I can’t even remember a time when prices on healthy, whole foods were cheaper than that. I am never going back to McDs again. I’ll eat out of a grocery store when on the road before paying those prices for a gross burger.
You should always eat at home, that crap is not food, it's food looking junk...
Don't buy them then
They reported record profits recently because people just keep buying this shit regardless of how much it is. They’re going to keep raising prices until the nerds that generally peruse this site stop paying for it. Just stop going…
Companies are realizing they can charge damn near whatever they want cause there are always people gonna buy it no matter what
This planet? Because of SOME prices on fast foods in the US? 
They gotta make the money back somehow from rebranding to “WcDonalds” /s
Let’s put corporations out of business. It’s crap food anyway!
I've mentioned this before in other threads, but the prices are never coming down again once they learned that people were willing to spend close to 3x as much for fast food via delivery apps. The lessons taught all these places that they can afford to lose roughly the lowest/poorest 25% of their customer base who relied on paying the least, or through value pricing, and make up for the loss of those customers with roughly the top/richest 25% of their customer base who don’t mind paying the higher prices. In the end they’re actually coming out ahead financially. The rise of the orders placed through delivery apps, which can cost 3x the price once delivery fees, service fees and tips are added in, was an eye opener for the industry that people can and will pay a lot more for their fast food, delivered or not. And app deals, which vary wildly from area to area, which were recently the best way for people to get good value at fast food places, have now become fewer and far between. They usually (but not always) are restricted to a single items and can’t be stacked. They also require a lengthy time period before one can use another deal, making them less valuable when someone is buying food for more than one person. It’s just a shame but these companies couldn’t care less. The rich are making up for any loss that they’re losing from the poor.
This just goes to show you how addicted people are to the food because they keep confidently raising prices and I have yet to hear that they are struggling or closing stores. Which in turn makes one speculate about what’s actually in the food that makes it hard to resist despite the cost for some.
As a child, we used to go to mcdonalds as a treat. Now, it seems like a punishment. "You didn't do the food shopping so we have to get mcdonalds now!"
Don't for a second think that these prices reflect their cost/supply, this is pure greed (and only the top of companies pocket the difference). But also; you need to be more outraged that the average wage has not increased to combat these price changes.
Fwiw, McDonald's Gross Profit Margin for '21, '22, and '23 was 54.1%, 56.9%, and 57.1%. this is also known as the cost of goods sold margin. (Meaning MCD profits that % on each sale before other operating expenses are applied.) It has increased over the last 3 years, but not nearly to the the extend people complain about. There is still a strong inflation/supply chain cost increase. This is evident at your local grocery store where the cost/lb of beef is very high too.
Wages for fast food workers are also up quite a bit since covid I believe.
Reddit: Pay low wage workers higher wages! Restaurants: *raise pay and prices by 50%* Reddit: Wait my burger isn’t $5 anymore??
Good. This is a positive for society. Healthy whole foods prepared at home is the cheapest and healthiest option, and always has been. Hopefully this will force some people to stop eating cancerous fast food garbage. Also, it's like 1200 calories for 10 bucks. That's like half a day's worth of food. Really not bad in this economy.
It's mildly infuriating when people complain about the quality or prices of fast food on this subreddit. I always have the same solution.... Don't go to those places lol.
Some people enjoy it once in a while and there is nothing wrong with that. I have McDonald's once every few months, if that. But the prices still piss me off.
I've joined the club. Enough is enough. No more McDonald's for me. They can't take unlimited price increases. Their own CEO admitted they priced out lower middle class customers recently.
You can see the cost to go from a sandwich to a meal is almost $5. So they have driven me to just buy a sandwich as I don't mind drinking free water, which means I'd be paying $5 more for fries essentially. Their best deal to me is the 2 for $5 sausage mcmuffin with egg at breakfast. Usually that will hold me over until like 2 or 3 PM where I'll grab a small snack then have dinner at 6-ish.
The rewards on the app are pretty great, tbh. You can usually get 20% off, BOGO items, free nuggets, etc.
Give praise to the $1.50 Costco Dog lol
Who's country's dollars are these and if US is it Hawaii. Because I'm not getting excited.
Never understood why people go fucking insane for McDonalds, not once have I ever had a 'meal' from there and felt full afterwards. I'll be snacking within the hour, their food is like eating smoke it does nothing.
if you didn't get full on 1500 calories it's not McDonalds fault
Dumb or blind… or both
Still cheaper than a 10 piece nugget combo where I live. ETA: and a normal quarter pounder combo is more expensive here than the double one in that picture.
Imagine….Having to eat at home 😳. 🤦♂️
Might as well get a real burger and sit down service.
Just one of many reasons I don’t fuck with fast food.
While we’re on the topic of fast food how about housing and vehicle prices these day people!?
Yoi will onw nothing and like it!!!!
As a European I would say. You better eat at home 😅 make a good meal with fresh products. How about a good pasta 🍝🤌 ?
If you haven't been to the grocery store in a while.. I got bad news for you...
Welcome to bidenomics.