My grocery budget got wrecked by one week of eating out in Chicago

Honestly, I was doing great saving cash all month, then last week I had three back-to-back work events downtown. Spent $87 on just two lunches and a coffee run near the Loop, which is more than my normal weekly food budget. It hit me hard when I checked my app and saw I blew through 40% of my fun money in five days. Has anyone else had a random week totally screw up a solid budget streak?

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danielh812mo ago

Did you read that piece in the Tribune last month about how Loop lunch spots basically have a hidden tax on them? I swear those places near the El stations just tack on extra because they know people on work breaks aren't price shopping. I heard one guy say the difference between a sandwich two blocks off the main drag and one right on Michigan Avenue is like five bucks easy. That coffee run alone probably cost you the same as a full bag of beans from Aldi, it's wild how fast it adds up when you're stuck in that area.

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phoenixgonzalez2mo ago

Bro i totally used to be one of those people who was like "just budget better" lmao. i thought it was just people complaining about nothing until i actually started working in the Loop full time last summer. seeing the price difference between the spot on Madison vs the one on State is actually insane. that Tribune piece finally made it click for me too, like it's not just "expensive city living" it's straight up them knowing you have 30 mins and no other real options. i still grab coffee from the bodega by my office instead of the chain place and it's literally half the price for the same thing.

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