Woman Says She Orders Kids' Meals 5 Days A Week Because It's 'Cheaper Than Groceries'
It's a good bang for your buck, but it points to an even larger problem with the economy.
antoniodiaz / Shutterstock With grocery prices continuing to increase, many people are trying to figure out ways to save money on food.
One woman admitted that she uses a rather unusual trick to save herself both money and time when it comes to perusing the aisles of grocery stores to buy food for herself during the week.
While not everyone will agree with her methods, it seems to work for her, and may be a good option for many people struggling to keep up with grocery store prices.
The woman says she orders kids' meals five days a week because it's 'cheaper than groceries.'
In her video, a woman named Ashley, who doesn't have children, but describes herself as a "kids' meal connoisseur" in her TikTok bio, explained that to save herself money she goes to restaurants and orders from their kids' menus.
"A child-free adult is dismantling capitalism by ordering curbside kids' meals five days a week from chain restaurants [because] it's cheaper than groceries, and $2 more than fast food," she wrote in overlay text in her video.
She continued, pointing out that "the portions are more than enough and the drink comes with it," so she doesn't need to spend extra money on a beverage.
Many restaurants have kids' menus, and while they are usually reserved for the demographic that is in the name, true to Ashley's word, the meals included are extremely cheap.
For example, at Chipotle, a customer can get tacos or a quesadilla, a drink, and chips all for $3.75 to $4.75. At Olive Garden, you could get a main entree, two breadsticks, and a drink for only $5.99. At fast-food chain restaurants, like McDonald’s, Wendy's, and Burger King, their kids' menu prices range from $3 to $5.
In a follow-up video, Ashley gave viewers a comprehensive list of her favorite restaurant's kids' menus to order from. Her list included places such as Longhorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden, Cava, Jason's Deli, Texas Roadhouse, and Outback Steakhouse, to name a few.
Ashley may be onto something, as grocery prices continue to increase, leaving many unable to afford basic food items.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the last time grocery prices were this high was 30 years ago, in 1991. Consumers are spending around 11% of their income on eating!
And while food prices are beginning to decrease — the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts a 2.9% increase in food prices in 2024, compared to a 5.8% in 2023 — many find themselves unable to afford basic necessities at the grocery store.
Though this is due to numerous factors, including the pandemic, inflation, climate change, and even overseas conflict, high prices are also a result of corporate greed. Companies claim that higher wages are increasing the price of groceries, but worker wages aren't proportionate to inflation.
Kyle Herrig, the president of watchdog organization Accountable.us, claimed in 2022 that corporations are raising prices. Why? Because they can. And as one CEO suggested people who can't afford food should eat cereal for dinner, it shows how out of touch these corporations are with the reality of the situation.
"Corporations have used inflation, the pandemic, and supply chain challenges as an excuse to exaggerate their own costs and then nickel-and-dime consumers," Herrig said.
In a 2021 study, researchers found that the average spending on food at home was $5,259 annually, or about $438 per month for U.S. households. But according to the USDA's Monthly Cost of Food report, the average cost for one adult woman is as high as $384.93 per month; and for one adult man, $434.33 per month — and that's just for one person a liberal-cost plan.
When you factor in the cost of groceries for families with three or more people, the cost no doubt goes up. And, of course, that price can vary depending on the type of food that is bought, the amount consumed, where people shop, and how one purchases groceries.
Still, people continue to struggle to afford food, pointing to an even larger problem at hand.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.