Opinion | Never pay full price when eating something fast

You forgot to buy groceries for the week, and the contents of your fridge consist of a couple of eggs, some 10-day-old blueberries, and a hot dog. Your last leftover bun for said hot dog feels like cardboard, and it's almost alarming that it hasn't grown mold, even though it's been sitting in your pantry for the past month.

So it's time to go out to eat, but tragically The new standard for a decent meal in 2024 is $15. America has fallen, and the Minimum wage Workers in Pennsylvania have to toil two hours just to afford a Baconator meal at Wendy's.

In an age of absurd markups—both at the grocery store and at the drive-thru—do your best to never pay full price when eating out. Save your money and show it to the man.

If you're willing to wait until late to eat dinner, Oakland has plenty of great late-night options, most of which start at 9 p.m., the perfect time for those of you taking a night class from 6 to 8:30 p.m. to grab a bite to eat on the way home.

MeltedFor example, offers late-night specials from Monday to Thursday and, depending on the day of the week, burgers, quesadillas, sandwiches and mac and cheese bowls at half price. Stacked has deals including half-price chicken wings on Thursday nights and $7 quesadillas on Wednesday nights. Is it sad to live in a world where a $7 quesadilla is a bargain? Maybe, but alas, we'll all have to play the role of the famished and desperate reveler on Forbes Avenue one day.

There are also plenty of happy hour specials for those who would rather make a holiday deal than search for a cheap meal at 11pm in the dark, alone and possibly drunk.

Viva Los Tacos — which also has its own late-night specials — is particularly dear to my heart because they offer half-price frozen margaritas and $1 pizza slices every weekday from 3 to 6 p.m. You can't get anything for $1 these days. That's why I quit being a stripper.

It would take much longer than an opinion column to break down all the late night, happy hour and lunch deals across Oakland. My best advice is to find a place whose food you like and check out their website or social media to see what deals they have. Sometimes you can fill your stomach and your wallet if you're willing to eat an hour earlier or later.

And if you prefer to eat fast food between classes or while running errands, get the apps. Yes, they collect your shopping information. Yes, it's a little embarrassing to have multiple fast food apps on your phone. But you'll save money.

The other day I was at a drive-thru and the guy in front of me paid $12 for a sandwich and a drink. I, the young, hip app user, paid $4 for a two-patty burger and bacon and cheese fries. The deals are designed to get you to shop there more often, but marketing ploy or not, you can feed three people lunch for the same amount of money you would spend on a full-price meal.

While cooking at home is still the cheaper and healthier option, there will be days when your pantry is empty or you just can't muster the energy to turn on the stove. When that day comes, don't be discouraged by price hikes – there's a $5 meal waiting for you if you just know where to look.

Thomas Riley is a cheapskate. Is that so bad? Give them more ways to save money quickly at [email protected].