Do We as Consumers Have a Responsibility to Support Businesses When We’re Also Struggling?
by Katy on April 28, 2025 · 25 comments
A Wall Street Journal article titled “Your New Lunch Habit is Hurting The Economy” came across my Facebook feed, referring to American workers who pack their own lunches to the detriment to the restaurant industry. This really pissed me off got me thinking, as the central premise places the blame on the consumer, rather than the government decisions that have resulted in people scrambling to stretch their dollars?
The article never once touches on the “why” behind why people are making this change to their daily work day. It also presents the premise that it’s “boring” choice.
“Bethany Kennedy, an attorney near Buffalo, N.Y., says she used to spend $500 a month going out to lunch during the week. Rising costs, including a jump in her property taxes, made her reconsider. Now she limits herself to one lunch out a week—when she’s really craving it. She brings in premade meals such as Southwest salads with corn, beans, cheese and tortilla strips or Stouffer’s three-cheese rigatoni from her local Aldi the rest of the week.
She revels in saving money, but there is a downside, she says: “I’m starting to get bored.”
“I’m not trying to eat this spaghetti three days in a row,” said Valerie Myers, a communications professional in Richmond, Va. She knew that if she brought in last night’s leftovers she’d give up out of boredom, so she alternates them and isn’t eating for lunch what she had the night before.”
I packed my own lunches over the 24 years that I worked as a labor and delivery nurse, as did most of my co-workers. Sure there were nurses who bought from the cafeteria or got takeout, but they were in the minority. Were we “hurting the economy” or practicing personal financial responsibility?
I found a non-subscription free version to read through my library’s website, so click here if you too wish to enjoy this Wall Street Journal article.
So what’s your take, does the American worker owe allegiance to businesses when their personal budgets are tighter than ever?
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d love for you, Katy, to write an op-ed contesting what they said!
My entire 17-year blogging career is a op ed response to the Wall Street Journal!
I think one of the problems is that we are a service based economy. By not buying, whether it’s cars, clothing, or electronics we are not supporting our biggest economic driver which involves lots of spending. When the spending stops, whether for goods or services, the economy suffers greatly.
None of us wishes for people to lose their businesses, but you can’t have it both ways.
Therein lies the problem. It is troubling to unwind because there are so many interwoven parts that feel like when you pull out one straw the whole structure feels it.
Supporting local businesses…
I have a friend who owns a business. She buys used name brand/designer clothing, purses, toys, accessories (children’s and women’s mostly, but some men’s, too). No stains, occasionally light “wear and tear”. She then sells them in her shop for a profit. A lot of people in the community buy from her business rather than buy new. I support her business.
As for dining out, we RARELY do that anymore. When we do, we most always go to a fundraiser meal (church, fire department, scout troop, etc.). We get a meal and support our community at the same time.
We have a large number of fairs and festivals in our rural area throughout the year. Many outside vendors (not from the area), independent consultants (Tupperware, Pampered Chef, etc) and we just don’t enjoy those. Instead, we go to the local fireman’s carnival which supports the community.
This is a topic that infuriates me as well. I work for a large city and our mayor mandated employees return to the office 4 days a week(from 3) because we needed to stimulate the economy in the city by going out to lunch and buying coffee during the day. He could have at least lied and made up a reason about better collaboration or productivity or something. I’ve worked here 11 years and brought my coffee and lunch with me everyday so I’ve never “stimulated the economy” even when I was coming in 5 days/week pre-Covid.
I won’t even get on my soapbox about how terrible for your health most restaurant food is and so it’s also essentially saying people need to sacrifice their health for the economy.
That reasoning would make me certain to bring my own lunch and coffee.
Apologies to the service economy, but along with many others, I have to look out for Numera Una. (Hey, no one else is going to do it.) I can probably count on my fingers the times I’ve eaten out per year for the past several years; I try to confine my meals out to genuine social occasions.
And I’ll add that learning to live with “boredom” is a highly underrated frugal skill. Whether it involves getting used to eating leftovers, doing without the latest streaming service, or whatever, it’s usually a win-win. (For general amusement, here’s the comment I posted on a JASNA friend’s blog post about the upcoming Netflix Pride and Prejudice: “I didn’t get Netflix for The Crown; I didn’t get Netflix for the 2022 Persuasion; and I’m damned well not going to get it for this P&P. Money and time saved.”)
I find the concern people have about being “bored” irritating as well. Every meal doesn’t need to be an event. If you’re no longer hungry, it was a success. People can watch Law and Order episodes 16x but can’t have spaghetti two nights in a row? Give me a break.
What I seem to notice with some people is that they use shopping as a hobby and interest. Which is kind of sad and hollow. But maybe I’m missing something enamoring with retail? I think a lot of depressed and lonely people do retail as a hobby. Sorry, not sorry.
Long time reader, first time commenter. I had to as I was reading post this while consuming my packed lunch, a habit I have been doing for over thirty years. I even worked in the restaurant industry and still packed my lunch (much more healthy!)! What would WSJ think if they knew that I also pack my meals when I run errands on the weekends?! Oh, the horror.
Add to all the other comments that the cost of a decent lunch out has gone up drastically. And my pay has not. I was never one to eat out everyday even when I worked full time in an office. I brought leftovers, sandwiches… Being “bored” by one’s food is one’s own fault. When I did go out for lunch I typically went to local restaurants, not chain ones. And it was with co workers I liked so it was a social fun event as well. But mostly I packed my lunch.
I have long joked that if I wrote a memoir, the title would be “More than 50 years of packing my lunch.” It’s such a huge money-saver and you get what you like without the hassle of going to a restaurant. To this day, now retired more than two years, I still make myself individual freezer meals for a quick lunch. The habit is totally ingrained.
OK, Ruby, now you’ve got me going down a side aisle on the titles of memoirs that folks here might write:
Katy: “Proudly Buying Nothing New (Well, OK, Except Underwear) Since 2007!”
Me: “My 2010 Honda Element Stops for All Garage Sales and Interesting Trash Piles!”
OK, I’ll let the Commentariat take it from here…
Mine: “Economist who brazenly packed her lunch for 32 years without giving a rip what the WSJ thinks”
Mine: Young girl turns old woman driving same car for 20 years…
This would an amazing title to a recipe book, actually….
I’ve been packing lunch as long as I’ve been working. For years it was because I was not allowed to leave the building for lunch (I had a paid lunch, so if they needed me I was there) Then I developed a food issue. It was WAY before other people know what a celiac was. It was just easier to pack hat I could eat. My house is paid off and so is my car. I don’t regret it. I choose when and where to spend my money.
When I was under the pressure of working, many of the meals I made were deliberately designed to become leftovers for our lunches the next day; in fact, some of the soups and casseroles tasted better the next day.
Here are my feelings about ruining the economy by bringing my own lunches: The fact is that people who don’t buy lunches, for example, are not just burning the money—they are usually spending it on other items so it does end up back in the economy, just not in restaurants.
If businesses can’t stay in business, it could mean we just have too many of those sorts of businesses. Do we need 100 different burger franchises? No, so I have no heartburn about a bunch of them closing or going bankrupt. I’m sorry if that is your place, but perhaps you should have done a better business plan and sold something with less competition or more essential to life.
Let’s put blame for damage to the economy where so much of it belongs: rapacious private equity firms. I cannot think of an instance where they take over something and add value to it. Don’t focus on my refusing to buy a burger, look at the human hospitals, animal hospitals, dental businesses that are being driven into the ground and bankruptcy due to useless middlemen who contribute exactly zero in real value.
Restaurants have had a free ride or a long time, using the public to pay the salaries they as the business owners should have been paying (through tips as well as through paying so little their employees often qualify for public assistance). Other countries have restaurant systems that don’t depend on tips and still pay decent salaries and even give benefits.
We act like constant consumption is the only economic model available. It isn’t. I support the idea that we have developed a malignant form of capitalism that could use a lot of restructuring so things like income disparity are addressed.
If I spend my money on restaurant lunches instead of investing it or saving it for retirement, no one is going to be there to take care of me when I need those monies I spent on lunches for my old age. (And wait until they privatize social security, which Wall Street types are drooling in anticipation of having access to that money. There will be more people whose retirement incomes are diminished by legal but lethal things like churning.)
Getting off the soap box now.
I agree that competition among restaurants will clear out the ones that can’t make it, however heartless that sounds. It is a risky business in any economy.
Also, it isn’t as though people bringing lunch aren’t spending any money at all, as they have to buy food and, depending on their style, packaging. The money goes somewhere, including, as you said, to retirement, housing, and the like.
1)I remember when I was living with my friends I was on my last $100 when I finally got hired by a long term job- I only had enough money for Trimet and new tights. I had to bring my lunch that first month- I need to wait for my paychecks. I did buy lunch, but only twice a week. My last contract had me in downtown Portland, and I ate twice a week at Fying Elephants to support the business, as well getting coffee with friends at a local cafe.I do want downtown Portland business to be lively.
However, rto initaitives have not come with increases in salary nor support people who are caregivers in families. Therefore, money MUST be saved somewhere, and that somewhere is lunch. $500 x12= $6000. That’s money that can be saved for a rainy day, pay off bills, even be a 3% downpayment on a tiny condo in Portland!
2) Being broke, having a family to support or having a low wage job teaches you to bring your meals, to prep your food. People having been packing lunches FOREVER and a day. My mom , who was a nurse, packed lunch almost every day. and it was just normal to bring last night’s curry, soup or casserole to work, along with tea bags and fruit. Everyone with families in NYC in the 1980s did this. Everryone with families in NYC in the 1880s did this!
I have been a lunch packer from day one. Even as a child, we all carried our lunch to school. So it was natural for me to pack my meals when I started working. Eating the same meals / leftovers doesn’t bother my frugal soul at all, it appeals to my tightwaddery LOL…..I also bring my own coffee. Always have, always will. And, like others here – when i am out running errand on weekends or a road trip – I pack my own drink, and snacks!
I do eat out on occasion, but its a social thing, and I try to support local places.
Both Hubby and I are retired, but I still pack a lunch for the days when I will be out and about. If it’s a particularly long day I will include a cup of coffee!
However, we are fortunate to have a little wiggle room in the budget for things like a weekly date night (inexpensive) meal out and an occasional pour over coffee at a local shop.
I heartily support everything said here. And, hey, WSJ is no friend of the people, never was, never will be.