Ha ha no knives , my houses are gorgeously furnished , but contain only plastic utensils and paper plates , high end ones , but still disposable

I just looked at the menu on the website and it looks pretty much as it did a couple of months ago. I think they change out certain dishes seasonally so some are new, and some that were there, aren't there anymore.

Prices look the same.

Perhaps the OP has previously gone during nights when their choice of menu item was a special, and this time they went when it was their normal price. That happens, and it's always a sticker shock to me when I see the regular price on the bill, when I just assumed it was always that price because I always went on the same night every week - except this one night!

Consider yourself lucky. Here in Michigan, restaurants are only open certain days and hours because of lack of staff. Wages have gone up, and with fewer days open, the prices have gone up and fewer choices available on the menues. Nothwithstanding the months the restaurants were closed, I'm sure they are trying to make up for that loss. As far as food, our grocery store had so many turkeys that they offered, buy one and get one free. Yes, some foods were in less abundance. We had the full Thanksgiving spread.

We rarely dine out, by choice (we both worked in restaurants during our college years, and we enjoy cooking) ...

but I'm noticing a hefty increase in our grocery bill

the cost of living can creep up on you if you're not paying attention

Specials at Palmer’s
 

We haven’t been to Palmer’s in about a year and when we do it’s usually a special occasion. That said your point is well taken. :ho:

Grocery bill is up over 30%, and that is with changing over to Great Value brand products when possible. The days of $9.99lb ribeyes are behind us, now that they have doubled in price. Gonna have to be satisfied with pork, instead.

My kind of guy !

Oh, and don't forget the "shot and a beer" :coolsmiley:

The other day my sone the banker said: Prices double every 20 years.

I wish my annuity doubled every 20yrs

Like everything else it is a matter of choice. I recall reading a long time ago that a restaurant charges five times the cost of the food. They of course need to cover labor, rent, insurance etc.

I like to cook, I like to eat out, truth on review I like to eat. In term of businesses restaurants have one of the highest failure rates. You need the right location, the right food and the right pricing. Price increases, eggs, chicken have recently doubled in price.

Sounds like OP ordered something that the menu lists as "Market Price".

It is actually worse than that. The CPI consumer price index is currently 6.2% The latest number is supposed to be out Friday-tomorrow, and it is expected to be 7%. At 7% prices will double roughly every 11 years and we pay that with after tax dollars.

Personally, as kid my allowance was a quarter. I could buy a slice of pizza at fifteen cents and a small coke at a dime. Our previous home, we lived in it for 40 years and we sold it for 6x what we paid for it. It made me look and wonder. Everything else had gone up as much except for items based on computer chips which are getting cheaper and more powerful

We need to deal with what is not what we wish. An annuity, you give an amount of money to a financial institution, insurance company. They invest your money and long term they know they will make money. As much as they claim to like you, they are in business to make money. As far as an annuity, the commission is huge. If it is say 20%, your return is not on say 1,000 it is on 800. Regrets do not lead to happiness it is either impossible to reverse or very expensive to reverse.

Bananas are cheaper now than I've observed in 20 years.

You could start learning to boil eggs. In your case you will need to boil them till the shell gets soft.