Household goods affordability

[Ed Pawlowski]

If you're still able to find it for $21, you are doing OK. Seems most of the time now it is $30+. Not difficult to hit $50 either.

[Cindy Hamilton]

You're right. I'm wrong. Thanks for educating me.

Cindy Hamilton

[Tony Hwang]

Hmmm, Eating out? We never go to a fast food joint to eat junk food. Respectable eatery costs ~100.00 per person including tip at least. Going on a cruise is another option. There are all kinda good deals since economy tanked.

[Cindy Hamilton]

Really? I generally figure about half that. Of course, we rarely have any kind of alcohol when we eat in restaurants.

Perhaps we have differing definitions of "respectable". We don't do "cuisine". The places we go most often (in no particular order): German Indian Turkish Japanese Chinese Italian Syrian Steakhouse

Some quite tasty ethnic meals can be had for $25 for two people.

That's all in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Prices are of course higher in a large metropolis.

Cindy Hamilton

[clare]

Surprising number of places, locally, where you can get a good, healthy, sit-down meal for no more than $2 more than a typical fast food meal. A "fast food" meal is NOT a money saver.(unless you are buying off the "bargain menu" "valu meal" etc - in which case what you are getting is usually significantly less than what you would get at the sit-down restaurant too.

[trader4]

A meal at a respectable eatery costing $100+ per person is your idea of a good deal? I didn't see anyone here talking about high end restaurants. Sure, you *can* spend $100 a person at a high end restaurant. Nothing wrong with that. But that isn't the typical dining out experience I'd bet for 100% of the people on the newsgroup.

[clare]

Here in Waterloo Region, Ontario, there are MANY places where you can go to a "respectable eatery" for a sub-$25 meal if you don't drink. Both buffet, country style, family style, or a-la-carte.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, You left out my old country Korea. Korean beef BBQ is good! The place we may be going to eat is formal suit and tie place. Or if I want freebee we can push ourselves to in-laws' private club house, he,he. Some people live to eat, it seems but we eat to live. If I can live without eating, that will be just fine with me.

Here in Calgary AB, there are more hidden rich folks than other cities and consumer price and inflaation rate is higher than national average. Likewise average income of household is higher too. We're retired but we have been able to manage so far. Unemployment rate in the city at the moment is ~4.3%. I used to live in S.S. Marie ON, way back in the '60s. Then to Toronto and transfered out here in the spring of '70 where I raissed family and retired. Now just two of us and a dog in an empty nest. No more cat. Our old cat died in April this year and if we get another kitten, it may outlive losing us.

We love Italian food(our daughter-in-law is Southern Italian) I don't like French cuisine, just good to look at, nothing much to eat,LOL!

[Ed Pawlowski]

$100 per person you consider a "normal" meal? Three times a week? Sure, we do that once in a while, but not a couple of times a week just beause we don't feel like cooking.

We have four good restaurants in town and can get away with $40 to $70 for the two of us for a damned good meal of high quality, not Applebees fare.

[Kurt Ullman]

And you can do if you know where to look. We go to Claudaugh's Pub on Monday for their two for one fish and chips and get out for around $30 with drinks. Tonight we are contemplating going to one of the local pizza places for their buy one pizza get another for $2.22 AND $2.00 drafts with the next one being 2 cents. We can get way too full and way to drunk for less than $20.00 (grin).

[krw]

Sub $20, including drink (no alcohol) but excluding tax is quite easy here (total w/tax about $21-$24). I can choose Italian, Greek, Mexican, Lebanese, or American for between $15 and $20 for any of the three meals. Of course, they have more expensive dishes and there are more expensive restaurants. $50 for two is easy, as well. No need for it, though. Good food can be had for cheap money.

[krw]

Utter nonsense. You can easily spend that, if you're nuts, but it's not necessary to get good food. Actually, without alcohol,that's pretty tough to do. I think the most I've paid was at Ruths Chris and that was $150 for the two of us. My wife had a glass of wine, too.

If you want to wait for a tow home, sans toilets.

[Tony Hwang]

Hey, That's not our fault, in this city everything costs more. Explosive growth and booming economy is the reason. We used to have live-in house keeper who cooked as well for us. When kids grow up and went their own no more of that. Just cleaning lady coming every two weeks.

Right now wife is away back home, Seoul Korea to stay with her aging god mother for couple of weeks(maaybe last time together). I am pigging out almost every day now which is not much fun alone.

[krw]

Such places don't last long. Too much competition.

Sure. Dunk it in gravy.

[Cindy Hamilton]

You're right. (Doh!) We have two Korean places we like to go; one is a barbecue-at-the-table place, the other is a tiny mom-and-pop joint.

Suit and tie. I can't remember the last time he wore a tie, except for weddings and funerals. Luckily we live in a college town, where a lot of informality is tolerated.

Cindy Hamilton

[Nate Nagel]

Around here, I can't get full on fast food for less than $10-12 just for myself. But there's several all you can eat lunch buffets - off the top of my head, Italian, Chinese, and Indian nearby - where you can get out the door for about the same price. I honestly hardly ever make myself lunch because I doubt I could do it for significantly less money. Used to be a Japanese place too but they raised their prices so I don't go there anymore (which is sad because I love Japanese food.)

I would say that the food is better for you as well, but I do have to admit a weakness for cheese and fat (especially when it's stuffed shells day at the Italian place.)

nate

[krw]

Because you can make cheap turkey taste good that way.

It doesn't come any other way.

[Ashton Crusher]

If I have to wear a suit and tie someone else better be paying for the dinner. I would certainly never inflict such dining on myself.

[krw]

No children? Think wedding.

[Ashton Crusher]

I didn't consider those two occasions "going out to dinner".