First all the bs with Twitter and Elon, then Reddit having an exodus to Lemmy (not complaining lol), then Twitch. Are we like, in an alternate self healing dimension or something?
First all the bs with Twitter and Elon, then Reddit having an exodus to Lemmy (not complaining lol), then Twitch. Are we like, in an alternate self healing dimension or something?
It’s not just tech companies like Reddit and Twitter, it seems like it’s most companies. Ever since the COVID lockdowns prices have been going through the roof, you get less for what you pay for, they’re laying off workers, and all while raking in record profits while also crying about how no one wants to work and how they can’t afford anything because of the economy. I’ve never been more cynical about companies than I have been the last year.
I don’t speak for everyone obviously, but to piggy-back on your comment a little, I personally have found myself looking inward/smaller more because of some of the things you referenced. “you get less for what you pay for” - 100% agree, so I pay for less, and try to find value more. I used to buy coffee out nearly every day, now I rarely do. We (wife and I) rarely eat out because it’s exorbitantly expensive. We used to love going to breweries and just putzing around new places, but now we meet up with friends and visit their homes more. I feel like with everything being both expensive and polarizing in some way, I’d just rather spend more time with my friends and loved ones, and not worry about how much i’m expected to tip on this beer that is $4 more than it used to be!
Going out especially is insane. I’m not terribly far off from Hartford, CT, and no matter where we go, if my wife and I go out just for two drinks total, one for each of us, we’re not walking out of there without spending less than $25 or even $30. That’s just fucking wild to me. If we want to have dinner–two mains, one shared app, one drink each–we’re looking at at least $100 to $120, and that’s just to any random place, not a high-end eatery or anything. And every single place will hand you a little Square thing or whatever with tip suggestions that start at 18% and go up to 25%.
100% feel you. Fortunately my wife LOVES to cook (no sarcasm, it’s literally her favorite hobby, I am one lucky bastard), Craft beer/liquor has never been more accessible, and I am pretty decent at cold brewing my own coffee! For now, most the unnecessary spending can be avoided completely and I’m not sad about it.
I just bought myself two pastries, thinking that’s cheaper than getting lunch. Each one was $7.
It’s been so long since I lived in Seattle that those prices look high for past security at SEA. Yikes.
I live near Springfield MA, so not far from Hartford myself.
Your not wrong about prices going up. We are just lucky at the position we are in to make enough money to go out. but we kinda choose where we spend our money.
If we go out its usually to a small brewery or something like that. Where the money we do spend goes to a small, local buisness. We have a brewery not far from our house, and i was so scared they wouldnt make it through the pandemic. They opened in like 2018 or 2019 and were not super busy.
But they are doing better then ever and we make sure to visit often. They know our names, we know theirs, and i have no issue having a good time because i know who and what my money is going to. Ill spend $6 a beer and $10 for a Kielbasa dog there, rather then spend $12 for a meal at wendys anyday