Fast Food Prices getting too Expensive to Eat Out in the Magic Valley

Everyone has those nights when they come home from work, they don't feel like cooking, none of the leftovers sound good, and you decide it is time to hit a drive-thru and get some fast food. It used to be easy to get food and feed the family for under $20 maybe more or less depending on the size of the family. As with everything, it isn't as affordable as it used to be, and it raises a question, when is fast food too expensive to get?

Fast Food Prices in Twin Falls

This last week, I was speaking with a coworker who went to get a milkshake at lunch from a fast food chain. She had gotten them for years, but hadn't gotten one in a while and was surprised when she ordered it to find out that what was around $3 was now over $6. This got us talking about how much fast food prices have increased over the last couple of years, yet many of us do not make more money. Growing up it was standard for most kids' meals to be around $1.99, but nowadays many are over $5 and often higher than that. Yes, the pandemic changed things and made supply and demand for products much tougher, but the increase in prices is hurting the customers.

When is it too Expensive to Eat Fast Food?

Many things have gone up in price in the last few years, such as groceries, gas, fast food, and clothing, but the one thing that hasn't is most people's salary. Everything continues to rise in cost, yet most of us aren't seeing the raises and bonuses we once did. Most employees are seeing more of a workload for the same amount of pay, with so many workers having been let go due to the pandemic. Working so much makes going to a fast food drive-thru convenient, but with the increasing prices, at what point will it become too much? Taking the family out for ice cream is almost double what it used to be, the same as getting dinner for the family. When it comes to not wanting to cook, it may be better to stick with sandwiches or soup to save money these days. 

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The next time you go through a drive-thru, look at the menu and the prices and think back to how much it cost you a few years ago, or even ten years ago. The prices continue to increase, and as they do, will the number of orders you place decrease or stay the same? We all need to have that quick meal from time to time or spoil ourselves with some good fast food, but how often you go may be dictated by how expensive it gets. When do prices get to be too high that you will stop eating fast food in the Magic Valley?