We have a Carl’s Jr less than a mile from home. I rarely go there unless we have coupons. Though it does make a convenient place to stop for a shake when hubby is sick.
I went to subway today. My sandwich was 9.50! I was shocked.
When did fast food get so expensive.
No double meat or cheese, a plain old roast beef subway sandwich
That’s crazy. I don’t know when fast food got so expensive. How are chicken stars $12.48 before tax???
1 Like
Wendy’s 4 for $5 has got to be the cheapest fast food per calorie. For two under $12! A small cheeseburger, 4 nuggets, small fries, and a small drink (for .26 you can make it a frosty). I’m not saying it’s good for you. But it is cheap. However, it recently went from 4 for $4 to $5 so inflation there too.
1 Like
At our local Wendy’s, the Junior Cheeseburger meal is still 4 for $4. Meal deals with other sandwiches are $5-6.
1 Like
I had Subway earlier this week, taking the sandwich with me for an all day hiking trip in the mountains. It was $5.99 for a foot long elite chicken bacon ranch (I get it with green pepper added and ranch removed). In my region ~90% of Subways still accept the $5.99 foot long coupon code. There are sometimes codes with better deals than this, but the $5.99 one has lasted continuously for at least a year.
I also had a junior bacon cheeseburger and an apple from Wendy’s earlier this week. The total bill prior to tax was $1. Throughout the week, Wendy’s offered a junior bacon cheeseburger for 1 cent, with any purchase. Many restaurants had deals like this for cheeseburger day/week, including both fast food and traditional sit down restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of their burger.
2 Likes
Just realized our dinner tonight before tip was $23.69. We ate Chinese food at the restaurant. H had wonton soup, house fried rice. I had house lo mein and we each had an egg roll and a Diet Coke.
2 Likes
Yesterday, at BWI airport, I got a cup of chili with 2 packets of crackers for <$6. It was just right to tide us over after a decent breakfast while we waited to fly to SFO. If we were hungrier, we could have each had a cup, but as it was we shared it and then drank our water out of our water bottles and ate some of the snacks we were given in this trip. None of the other offerings were appealing to us nor reasonably priced at the various fast food and other eateries in BWI.
Similarly at the US House basement restaurant the other day—it was $17 plus tax for my Indian entrée with starch. H paid a similar amount for a small container of sushi. The food was good but more expensive than I remembered from prior visits.
1 Like
Honestly, when minimum wage went to over $18. Plus the cost of ingredients are way up too.
In Denver the day minimum wage went to $17.29, my brother’s coffee at Starbucks went from $7.40 to $8.09. He noticed it and immediately changed his habit of getting 2-3 per day. It was a bridge too far for him (and he usually doesn’t care about the price of things).
Minimum wage went up again to over $18/hr, and all the fast food places around here got rid of their value menus (McDonalds) and we don’t get as many coupons anymore.
Fast food has definitely increased in the the last 4-5 years. I am the family doordasher for those meals so I have watched the increase for 15+ years. A McDonald’s Combo meal used to be $2.99 in the early 90s. If you run that forward with inflation they should be $6.50ish now. But they are closer to $8-10. The increase in wages has played a part in this for sure. I am fine with it because people couldn’t/can’t live on what they were being paid. It does affect how often I am willing to get fast food. We used to average getting food 2.5 times a week and now we are at 2.0 times a week and that number is dropping being empty nesters.
I know this doesn’t qualify for the $12 cost, but on Saturday we were downtown Chicago for our 28th anniversary. We ate at an Italian restaurant and both of us had pasta, I had soup, DW had a salad and we had a total of 3 drinks and cost before tip was $106. We are not big drinkers so I really thought the bill as going to be $30-40 more before arrived. I know we didn’t have steak so it was cheaper, but it was a reasonable night really. Plus I prefer to make steak at home since it is really an easy dinner to make.
On a road trip, stopped at a Sonny’s BBQ sit down restaurant in GA. Could have one of a few sandwiches plus a side (Cole slaw, beans, etc) and a drink for $11.69 or a platter with a choice of 2 meats and choice of two sides and cornbread for $11.49. The two of us had water to drink with the second option and have enough leftovers for lunch for one.
TN and GA have provided cheap gas too. $3.04 and $2.95
4 Likes
At the SF Chinese restaurant we ate at the other night, no offerings were under $25 after tax!
At lunch at mediterranean place we ate at, non-alcoholic beverages started around $5 and dessert was $12 (halvah). I didn’t notice any entrees for $12 or less.
At the BWI airport only the chili I bought as a takeout for <$6 or a cold takeout sandwich would have been <$12.
A $12 budget is challenging. For lunch at the UCSF food court, I got a big burrito and H got a breakfast plate. Each was $12 or less.
BBQ is often within this price point. We have hd dinner at a great pub on the west side of Cleveland a couple of times. They have a BBQ night special day each week with more than several choices that are $9.99 per person. Totally delicious, and worth it!
2 Likes
I was driving down I-75 here in Ohio last weekend saw Cracker Barrel billboards for “20 meals for under $12”! 
Assuming “meals” means more than just one item. Even if it’s chips or fries.
2 Likes
Okay, I know this is unhealthy but every once and awhile I have to scratch the itch for a hot dog. At $8 for the whole meal, it’s cheaper than going to Fenway to have one.
9 Likes
That looks delicious!
1 Like
We had 2 hot dogs and 2 bags of chips at a golf course we were playing, it was $19!
So your deal was outstanding!
2 Likes
@deb922, at least you were still under the $12 per person. 
2 Likes
That’s a lot of food for $8!
H and I were traveling from MA to MD and stopped on the NJ Turnpike. H loves Nathan’s hot dogs (I don’t). Anyway, he got two hot dogs for just under $12.