Keep Your Money

Last week we had to take Kate to Hershey Medical for a surgery consultation. (Nothing major!)  When we left we stopped and had dinner at Applebees.  

I'm sure you've seen the commercials, right?  Applebees 2/$20 options!  They include an appetizer to share, two dinners of a select menu and a dessert.

The man and woman behind us ordered the 2/$20 deal.  I know this because...well, I'm nosy!  The both got the 6oz. steak and all of the fixings that came with it, plus the added app and dessert.

We, too, wanted the 6oz. steak dinner, but we didn't want anything extra.  Because their vegetables (with the exception of broccoli) really weren't vegetables at all (c'mon, is a potato really allowed in the veg category just because it is grown in the ground?!) we asked if we could have a side salad in place of our second vegetable.  There would be an up charge.  Fine.

Sadly, when the check arrived, I realized that we spent several dollars more for our meal than our neighbors.  They ate WAAAAAY more food than us for less money.

Some call this value.

I call this the "American Way."

WAKE UP!

Restaurants are actually paying YOU to eat more.  That's right.  They're paying you.  "Well," you argue, "You can't blame us for wanting a bargain."  Really?  Is it a bargain?

The cost of being obese is enormous.  That food is not a bargain.  There is no value.

Applebees can keep their money, thank you very much.  If being healthy means paying more for my dinner, than where's the check?  Hand it over.  It's worth a few extra dollars in the long run.

No offense to Applebees.  I could have picked any restaurant, really.  And the food was good.  And, in the end, it really was comparable to other restaurants in terms of price.  But, my point is not to be fooled by "value." 

On another note, my kids opted for celery over fries with their hamburgers.  Now, that's pretty cool.  They ate all of it and were happy with THEIR choice. 

When one person dares to take a step toward health, the whole family ends up inevitably following.  Now, how much is THAT worth?