I’m Tired Of Spending Money On Bad Food In Lame Restaurants With Bad Service
So here’s the truly life-changing plan going forward
I’m almost ashamed to admit I spent $671 dining out in restaurants and bars in June. And this doesn’t include meals/drinks my girlfriend paid for or her share of tabs we split.
Almost ashamed because —
- This is a good problem to have.
- We’re able to do this because we make decent or better money and maintain a relatively low cost of living, particularly on housing.
However, there’s a downside to not spending as much as most other people on your necessities. And that’s sometimes losing track of your discretionary spending. Thankfully, I don’t have many wants outside of eating and drinking out and travel, the latter of which is much easier to keep tabs on.
When you’re able to comfortably pay your bills, save a halfway decent amount of money and still have money left over, it’s easy to spend money you could be saving in pursuit of your near- and long-term goals.
Coming to this realization (again, because it has happened before) is the life-changing part. Because my girlfriend and I have made the decision to pull back on this spending — significantly.
In a recent installment of my Living The Semi-Retired Life newsletter, I get into how this all fits into and impacts our future plans.
In today’s Medium article, we approach the situation from a different angle.
The one thing I didn’t include in the $671 is coffee at the local cafe.
I don’t believe in skimping on these relatively small expenses. Certainly, $5 for a coffee is a bit too rich. However, it’s a 3-to-4 time a week ritual for me that provides benefits beyond the caffeine. I appreciate the micro-interactions with the baristas, strangers on the street and people I know who I sometimes bump into as well as the time I spend walking to and fro, people-watching and thinking.
Taken together, these things add to my life and have a direct impact on my work. My neighborhood routines generate ideas and help inform not only my writing, but larger scale plans around my work. They also help enhance my physical and mental well-being.
When you run regular budget surpluses, small expenses like this really don’t add up. Plus, you’re getting worthwhile experiences out of the deal.
Sadly, this is becoming less and less the case when you go out to eat in bars and restaurants.
First, the food and drink is overpriced (for what you get) and, increasingly, not all that good.
Second, the service you receive is just that… service. By and large, hospitality is dead.
At least this is the case in Los Angeles.
Before you flame me, I’m 100% on the side of people who work in the service industry. I did the job. And I took it seriously. That said, I can’t and I don’t expect everybody — or, really, anybody — else to be as passionate about hospitality as I was as a bartender and am now as a guest.
There’s little reason to care these days in the service industry. I understand. So, even if I get a mere baseline level of service, I still tip 20%.
These examples include tips —
$18 all-in for a burrito at a Mexican place near where I live. The going rate for a burrito in LA these days — $12 to $14.
$55, which is half the bill, at a British pub nearby. The food was good, but not great. The service — from the bartender — was weak at best.
But, what makes it worse is something that has become a trend in Los Angeles.
Cocktails here tend to run around $14, on average. At a good cocktail bar, this actually isn’t a bad price. Because you’re getting a well-made drink with quality ingredients.
However, there are some places that can’t even make the classics — like the Old Fashioned we had at this pub — yet they put them on the menu for $14 because that’s what the reputable cocktail bar charges up the street.
Yes, it was a mistake to order this drink at that bar (I warned my girlfriend!!), but…
If you can’t do it even close to well, don’t put it on the menu. If you must have it on the menu, train your bartenders on how to properly make the drink.
$22 for two pints of beer from a local brewery. I love their beer and the people pouring it are always cool. But, fuck me, I can get the beer you see in the image that anchors this article for $3 a Trader Joe’s.
I show these examples to make the point — what in the hell are we wasting our money on?
Going through the motions of going out to restaurants and bars only to be charged an amount of money that absolutely is commensurate with the costs restaurants and bars incur to do business, but absolutely is not commensurate with the quality, value and overall experience they provide.
I might as well have just burned 70% of that $671 and spent the other $201.30 at food trucks, happy hours and on the occasional splurge at a restaurant where we know what we’re going to get.
Because the $469.70 — basically $500 — I’ll be saving each month does go a long way. That’s $6,000 a year on top of what I already manage to save. As my partner and I look toward executing on the road to relative old age, it’s high time to look at the expenses that do add up, reign them in and bank the difference.
My days of eating and drinking out frequently in Los Angeles — and most of America — are finished. I’m saving up for Spain, where I will be more than happy to tip more than 20% (yes, they do appreciate and accept tips in Europe) to make up for the luxury of being able to go out to eat and drink most days of the week at classic, unique places and not even come close to breaking the bank.
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This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Not all information will be accurate. Consult a financial professional before making any major financial decisions.