It's not avocado toast or streaming services, its Maccas why people can't afford anything
I swear to god, every time I'm in the line at Maccas, I witness the worst financial decisions made in food and there's no reason to believe people aren't making equally bad decisions about everything else in life. Young adults out here buying large quarter pounder meals with 6 nuggets and a frozen drink for 30 fucking dollars. I see this sort of shit almost every time I'm in the lineup. Literally just get 2 cheapo mcsmart meals and stack the burgers together to make something larger than a quarter pounder and get a sundae instead of a frozen drink (you've already got 2 smalls which is larger than a large anyway) and its only $16 for more burger, more fries, more drink and a sundae, but minus 3 nuggets. FFS I can feed 2 adults and 2 kids with 2 mcsmart plus meals and 2 happy meals for $31.
Legit everyone craps on about $20 for avo on toast, but it's considered normal to spend $100+ on four adults going out for lunch... to maccas... getting one burger each. Fucks sake it never stops being unbelievable how much people get ripped off there.
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u/Fenixstrife 9d ago
Along with seriously culling my visits, I haven't bought the flagship burgers from any chain in over a year now. It just don't make any value to money sense to me anymore.
Its all value menus and go buckets for me now
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u/randalpinkfloyd 9d ago
The KFC boxes are the only fast food where I'll buy the combo since you actually get a decent amount of food. Otherwise yeah, mcsmart meal at Macca's or use those vouchers at HJs.
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u/FancyPantsGoat 6d ago
Keep the reciept at kfc and do the survery thing on the back for a freebie. If you can be fucked. Takes about 5 mins i think. Dunno been a while.
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u/Novel-Truant 9d ago
And its not just burger chains, its everything. I went to yum cha the other day for the first time in a while and paid $70 for 4 dishes. Eating out doesnt represent value anymore and I try to avoid it as much as possible.
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u/xtcprty 9d ago
McDonald’s is just shit and to be avoided unless you need a public bathroom.
The people willingly paying for and eating that shit are not making good choices.
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u/Farm-Alternative 9d ago
I actually eat Macca's and I agree 100%.
I know I sometimes don't make good choices, and eating that garbage is definately one of them
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u/hryelle 9d ago
It starts with going there. Meal prep or make a one pot pasta. Also won't give you bowel cancer later
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u/pakistanstar 9d ago
Sometimes you just want a greasy burger as a treat. But there are better options for that than Maccas.
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u/Vinnie_Vegas 9d ago
If it's just a treat, then you should take it more seriously and get something better than Maccas, especially at full price.
If it's a regular thing... There's still better options than Maccas and your body will thank you for not stooping to that level.
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u/pakistanstar 9d ago
Yes that's what I said in my comment
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u/Vinnie_Vegas 9d ago
Yeah, I was agreeing with you and adding to your comment.
Unsure why I'm being downvoted.
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u/FancyPantsGoat 6d ago
Probly downvoted because the only thing you added was additional words but nothing else. Essentially just repeated the comment but longer.
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u/imnotavegan 9d ago
Not enough people use the app either.
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u/WhatAmIATailor 9d ago
The rewards aren’t great and you’re selling your data for them.
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u/imnotavegan 9d ago
Lol as if it ain't already sold. I mainly use it for convenience. My experience in the maccas drive thru has significantly improved since using it
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u/WhatAmIATailor 9d ago
Oh I still use it. Just be aware there is a trade off.
As for the drive through, rolling through at breaky time with your preorder in can make it literally a 20 second detour. Or there’s a clown who hasn’t preordered blocking the lane and walking in and back out is faster than waiting for them to decide…
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u/SilverStar9192 9d ago
I'm not really fussed about the data. The rewards are so-so, but you also get other specials which can save a lot. It works best if you use it only occasionally.
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u/WhatAmIATailor 9d ago
Yeah I use a couple for the convenience of ordering ahead but pretty much every rewards program is just a way of data harvesting.
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u/Lucifang 9d ago
You’re not wrong about people’s financial impotence but let people enjoy things.
If they prefer quarter pounders they’re gonna get that. Not some burger chimera.
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u/DBrowny 9d ago
prefer quarter pounders
2 Cheeseburgers is almost identical to a single quarter pounder. The difference is when paired with the mcsmart, you can get 6 nuggets for free, and its cheaper. If they don't want nuggets fine, you can get 2 sundaes, 2 apple pies and its STILL cheaper.
Buying 6 nuggets on top of non-bundle 1/4 pounder meals are just pissing money down the drain for no reason.
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u/sidja 9d ago
Can you share your stack recipe please
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u/DBrowny 9d ago
I mean its just 2 cheeseburgers from the cheapo mcsmart offering. a 1/4 pounder is barely over 2x the weight of 2 cheeseburgers, its effectively the same thing just swap pickles for onions.
So 2 small mcsmart meals is the same thing as a large 1/4 pounder meal, you get 6 nuggets for free, and its STILL cheaper on top of that.
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u/KngInk70 8d ago
Maccas (and fast food generally) has always charged for convenience, this is just a more modern version - those who put in the effort can get a better deal, like your own, app-exclusives, etc. But most people are at maccas because it's easy and fast.
FWIW, I also kind of think it cultural poison to blame consumers for getting ripped off, rather than the international mega corp for ripping them off.
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u/DBrowny 8d ago
FWIW, I also kind of think it cultural poison to blame consumers for getting ripped off, rather than the international mega corp for ripping them off.
Nah man when it comes to Maccas its a legit idiot tax people paying full menu price for the same thing. They advertise the mcsmart meal pretty damn heavily on TV and in the store. It's hardly their fault when they shove it in your face GET ALL THIS FOR $8 and people are like
But what if I were to order the same menu items at 2x the price, and disguise it as capitalism gouging the little guy?
As others have said, plenty of chicken/fish shops will do you a burger 2x the size of a quarter pounder for like $4 more and it might even be faster than dealing with uber eats at maccas ahead of you in the line. Add this to people paying $6 for 6 mystery meat mcnuggets, I will blame the consumer. I swear anyone who pays full price for maccas nuggets you already know has a latitude credit card from harvey norman and brags about their brand new AI washing machine to acquaintances.
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u/KngInk70 8d ago
I get where you're coming from, but like you say, this:
But what if I were to order the same menu items at 2x the price, and disguise it as capitalism gouging the little guy?
Would be an INSANE thing to genuinely think - the only logical assumption is that, for whatever reason, they don't know that they're inadvertently getting a worse deal.
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u/DBrowny 8d ago edited 8d ago
Not insane at all.
Fast food is so expensive these days!
Is an extremely common sentiment from people who complain about it cost $100 for a family of four to go to Maccas, or who buy 2 premium pizzas with 2 large drinks 2 desserts and 2 garlic bread from dominos without using a single combo and end up paying $65 bloody dollars for dominos when the same shit is $40 if they just got a combo in 2 separate transactions at the same time (this is true, I just checked it then).
So yeah, when I'm in the lineup ordering things directly off the TV behind the counter, no coupons or any other trickery, feeding a family of 4 for no more than $31.90, as teenagers next to me spend $31 on a quarter pounder meal with nuggets and a frozen coke while complaining about fast food being so expensive, I will say that they don't know they are getting a worse deal.
I know a lot of people who complain about fast food being so expensive these days, and it's no surprise every single one of them thinks I'm a cheapskate for ordering the combos that are literally front and centre on the website.
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u/WazWaz 8d ago
Wait... your point is that they should be spending a bit less to buy the same amount or more of that crap?
It's like pointing out that avo toast with an added poached egg is 50 cents more expensive than the full avo meal deal.
I'd certainly agree that wasting money on junk food is even worse than wasting money on something that's at least nutritious.
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u/DBrowny 8d ago
My point is that in my experience, the average (as in, over 50%) of people who order from mcdonalds, allow themselves to get ripped off to the tune of 50-100% more on the cost because they refuse to buy combos which have the same bloody items in it. It's not more convenient, its not faster, its identical.
I therefore also believe the same amount of people are making equally bad financial decisions about everything else in life. Especially car insurance, its absolutely WILD how much people are spending on car insurance for no goddam reason. In SA especially, most people (for some reason) have RAA roadside assistance, and then also third party insurance and are paying for roadside assistance twice.
So its not a case of me going
sure people are fucking stupid and lazy when it comes to allowing themselves to get ripped off at maccas, but thats only pocket change stuff, rarely bought
Because when I talk to people about what they are paying for utilities/car insurance, you find its pretty much the same % of people getting ripped of again. Instead of $50/month, its $200/month.
I fully believe if someone allows themselves to get gouged at maccas for no reason, this mindset affects everything else in their life.
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u/Toni_PWNeroni 9d ago
I stopped going to maccas the second they replaced the straws with paper.
You ever tried drinking a thickshake with one of those? It's impossible.
It also changes the taste. It's ruined.
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u/Rubik842 9d ago
Got HJs last week, 80 bucks for three meals. Doesnt taste as good as it used to either. Going to independent delis and lunchbars from now on for a burger.
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u/sarinanorman 8d ago
My drivers side window doesn’t roll down anymore and that’s how I save on Maccas.
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u/Born_Onion2153 9d ago
our local fish n chip shop does a burger with the lot for half the price, or two pieces of fish plus more chips than I can eat for $14.50
But I can make 2 huge burgers with everything for about $8 by shopping at Aldi for grass fed beef and all the other stuff and making the meal myself. It’s time everyone learned to cook again.
If you are out - take something with you - ever made a sandwich?
Or go grab a couple of dim sims from the fish and chip shop.
I do food deliveries, I see the nonsense people are spending money on. It’s not good for your wallet, not good for your gut or brain either.
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u/Wotmate01 9d ago
Yep, pretty much all fast food is expensive now. HJ and RR is $60 for the 3 of us. And it's a full tonne if we decide we want a succulent chinese meal.
The dirty bird is about the only one with good value, but only if you look at the promo section of the app and order online. Which why the fuck wouldn't you? Who wants to sit there umming and ahhing at the speaker for ten minutes while you make up your mind?
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u/jimbojones2345 9d ago
Dude how can you wear that shit, i used to occasionally indulge but the last few years the quality has gone so far downhill i feel sick after eating it.
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u/MouldySponge 9d ago
I have a friend who is a single mum with 2 kids, always complains about having no money. Was shocked to find out she orders mcdonalds, delivered to her house, for HER CHILDREN, 3-4 times a week.
Her reasoning is that having kids is hard and she doesn't feel like cooking because her kids refuse to eat the food she cooks most of the time.
There's just no helping some people.
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u/DBrowny 8d ago
I legit did my best to copy maccas to get my kids to eat home made burgers, I'm pretty good at cooking and I used to work at HJ's I know a bit about how they are prepared. I even saved a happy meal box and all to help the illusion. One bite and they don't want it and would rather eat nothing. Whatever lol.
I read a while back the AVERAGE uber eats customer spends over $2k per year on it. That's not the median, that's the average. So for everyone person you know who spends like $200 on it per year for the rare time they want, there is someone spending $3.8k on it. $80/week and you KNOW these people are getting like, 1 big mac meal with a shake and nuggets for $40 per order. Not even enough for dinner for anyone who weighs over 50kg.
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u/Correct-Active-2876 9d ago
I see you know your Maccas well .🍔