"We can't justify a £52 lunch" - AIBU to think you didn't need to?

[PropitiousJump]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg3g11z6d8o

I found this article irritating. Middle earning families complaining they can't afford a day out, in part because of the expense of eating lunch and dinner out. A family of four in both cases.

I completely agree it's got expensive to eat out, but have they never heard of taking your own sandwiches?

And if you look at what they've eaten, they've ordered a lot of extras that have bumped up the bill.

Costa family - £52 lunch for four. If they could have done without an overpriced bag of crisps on top of their mains, and not had puddings (this was lunch, not dinner) they could have got the bill down to a more reasonable £40ish - a tenner each.

Pizza Express family - £174 dinner for four. If they cut out the starter and side orders and the adults had soft drinks instead of alcohol, they could have got the bill down to approx £109 for soft drinks, mains and a dessert each.

This isn't saying they are eating too much - it's not a diet-bashing thread - but common sense says that if you are eating in a chain place on a day out and trying to keep costs down, you don't order loads of extras and alcohol. Have a drink and a snack at home if you're still hungry. Save all the extras for an 'occasion' where eating out is the focus of the event and you're going somewhere special, not fuelling up in a chain restaurant.

AIBU?

Going to pizza express without checking the app for deals is madness though.

The reduced price with an offer is the real price in my head.

You would have to pay me a LOT of money to eat a sandwich from Costa 🤢

Why?

Are you kidding?! Processed junk 🤢 There is literally nothing in there that’s nice, fresh or not full of sugar! And their coffee is horrible. If I am forced to buy a sandwich (very rare) I’d choose Pret.

Yes, I guess if there’s a good value kids eat free option I’d think about it.

I don't know what you think will happen to you having a cheese toastie at Costa?

Is it mature cheddar from the farm shop on hand baked sourdough? No of course not.

But to say you wouldn't eat if somebody paid you - is silly as well as probably untrue.

That just seems mean.

We are really living in a bubble if we think not eating regularly in Costa and Pizza Express is "grim".

What annoyed me with the pizza express one was that it was a lot more than anyone normally orders, 4 lots of dough balls and polenta chips? Who orders that unless the bbc are paying. We regularly eat pizza at a local brewpub where pizza is £15, side salad is £5 (enough for 2) and beer is £6, I’ve never had space for dessert nor garlic bread, pizzas are generously sized, £47 really fills up the 2 of us, we are not small eaters. Avoid chains is the moral of the story

God what a world we live in when people can’t be honest about how much the world is shafting us all right now

Not my post, but what's mean about it? I have a friend who often accuses me of being mean because I buy cinema snacks in home bargains rather than in the cinema, or waiting until offers are available, but she's always pleading poverty and is resentful I have more disposable income than her, despite us having the same income.

It seems mean to not eat out for every meal on holiday.

Their cheese and tomato toastie is amazing. I've tried to recreate it at home with no joy 💔

The fact that the hot sandwiches are pre made, refrigerated and then half arsed warmed up is really off putting. I'm surprised food safety legislation allows it tbh.

The bread is also really insubstantial, meaning you're hungry again really quickly.

Are you serious? Mean to who?

I think the point is that Panorama thinks that this is more important than people who can't afford to eat properly, let alone eat out. It's almost like 'people like US shouldn't have to suffer. We're too important.' What happened to we're all in it together?

Well to me.

This is a really interesting discussion. I agree with other posters in that it’s a reflection of how our living standards have been eroded.

It’s not about eating in Costa or PE, it’s about being priced out of what would be fairly normal options for a family meal out. They once were relatively good quality, affordable options that are now out of reach for people earning a reasonable salary, whether you personally would choose to eat there.

Really?! We only ever eat out for 1 meal, usually at lunch to take advantage of lunch offers (so full hot meal, two courses) then picnic lunch and self catering breakfast. Never thought of that as mean. It's still way more eating out than our normal home routine (once a month or so)

Plus who wants to cook and wash up on holiday!

Surely you can care about both? Me not eating out won’t put food on someone else’s table.

You've totally missed the point, OP.

We’ll have to agree to disagree about that.

much less mean to get some nice fresh bread, local cheese and salad for one meal than microwaved slop from harvester.

but each to their own.

You've missed the point of the article.
Eating out, whether it's a cup of coffee in Costa cafes, or a meal for 4 in Pizza hut, etc is much more expensive than previously.
Eating out is discretionary spending; ie, the item that can be cut or reduced.
Next time, the family may well take a packed lunch, and will buy food out less often.
Over the last 29 years or so, the number of Eating places has grown in our small suburban town. As the cost of living bites, I expect some will close, as people will be eating out less, whether that be families on days out, or commuters grabbing a coffee on their way into work.
Parents may still wish to take their children out, but will save money by not buying food out. Eating out will be saved for special occasions.