Yesterday I grabbed a couple of quick lunches at McDonald’s. I always liked their two-cheeseburger meal, and Mickey’s drive-through was quick and right on my way.
Sticker shock! Each regular size two cheeseburger lunch was $8.50 after taxes! I swear about a year ago the same meal was under $4.00. Just a single cheeseburger, which used to be on the dollar menu for a buck, is now $2.50. Again, I say, 9% inflation my ass!
Even worse, the burgers were microscopic – they used to make 8/1 burgers – 8 patties to a pound. The ones I got yesterday are 10/1 or maybe as small as 12/1. And the “small” coke they now serve with a meal looks like a Dixie Cup!
So: $7.50 plus tax for a crappy little Mickey D’s lunch. Right across the street is our favorite Mexican restaurant. They serve fabulous Mexican dinners for $8 to $10 dollars, and the portions are so large we usually share a meal or take a carryout box. And (the best part) a huge schooner of Dos Equix for $5! Needless to say, that place is jammed all the time. The service is excellent, everything is clean, and the food is awesome.
So, I’m not shedding any tears for these big fast-food chains with their prices inflated by 150% and portions “shrinkflated” by 25%. These guys are just flat out profiteering on the COVID crisis, which BTW, was over a long time ago and never should have happened in the first place. From now on, our rare dining out excursions will be to good local businesses.
Side note: don’t forget that when prices are double what they were last year, so are sales taxes. So you can expect cities, counties, and states to be doubling their salaries and/or going on spending binges. Makes me miss Montana, where there is NO sales tax.
Tom Balek – Rockin’ On the Right Side
Yeah, there was ham and there was turkey
There was caviar
And long tall glasses
With wine up to hyar
And somebody grabbed me
Threw me out of my chair
Said “Before you can eat
You gotta dance like Fred Astaire”
Rockin' On The Right Side 