re: 62% of Americans now cook at home

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mean honestly, that probably was the American Dream for quite some time.

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My family was poor growing up, trailer poor, and we had rice and protein and bread with veggies or fruit with pretty much every meal. We certainly weren’t splitting a rotisserie chicken only

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mean honestly, that probably was the American Dream for quite some time.

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My family was poor growing up, trailer poor, and we had rice and protein and bread with veggies or fruit with pretty much every meal. We certainly weren’t splitting a rotisserie chicken only

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My point was merely that affordable decent quality meals available for the average citizen is kind of the dream of society. American Dream never promised steak and lobster on the table every night for each blue-collar worker. We tend to move the goal posts when it comes to what a successful society looks like.

And I totally agree prices are out of control. I stopped at McDonald's with my son after a late baseball practice a few days ago and got a spicy chicken sandwich and did my old man rant on how I used to leave my baseball practice in high school and this cost me 99 cents that I'd scrape together from my console change .

It doesn't change the fact that our current society is leaps and bounds better than basically all of history in terms of affordable access to food.

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Once i learned i can cook as good if not better than most restaurants, the prospect of eating out has waned. Not to mention the cost

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I also find that the older I get, retail meals just aren't as satisfying. Yes, I can go eat sushi or Greek food that is delicious. But that's the exception. Most burger, seafood, and steak places and even most Mexican food places just don't do it for me anymore.
I feel the same way about going out for drinks. I used to absolutely love going to a bar and having a drink. But the older I get the less enthusiasm I have for it. Way more enjoyable drinking on the patio with the dog in my lap then sitting in a bar waiting for an inattentive bartender to pour me another scotch.

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i have been told that resturants didn't exist and everyone cooked at home in the old days

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2003 isn't the old days.

I can get a 22 dollar stuffed chicken a Billy’s, make 2 sides and eat for a week. Maybe 30 dollars total. Can’t go fast food without starting at 15.

I almost always cook at home mostly because my elderly parents live with me and my mom has multiple food allergies. My SO and I eat out on date nights but I don't think the quality of restaurant food is increasing along with the prices.

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I think poor people in America do have it the best ever

I think the middle class in America is the one that’s on the downward slide , and a fast slide as that. I do not think at all this is the best time for middle class Americans

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The trajectory since the 80s is certainly the middle class being increasingly squeezed into accrued wealth for the richest while adding a few more benefits for the poorest.

Any economic policy seems to be for either the extreme wealthy or extremely poor while politicians compete for the middle class on "culture".

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$25 to feed a family of 5 with a home cooked meal is insane . B

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I can easily do this. Not every time, but I can make quite a few different meals for 5 people for $25.

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The point of going out isn't to get food better than you can make yourself at home.

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For me it is.

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The point of going out is the luxury of not having to do the work. That's why it costs more. You have to pay others to do work so you don't have to do it.

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I understand that. But i put priority on flavor/quality over the work of doing it myself. Keep in mind, though, i love cooking, so the work of cleaning up, prepping, etc... is worth it for the payoff at the end. I understand that isn't how some people approach it.

Muh real world data!