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Yes! I forgot about university and that is a biggie.
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American university tuition rates in the 21st century have risen / increased much higher than overall inflation, for several reasons.
- American professors spend too many hours doing academic research..... instead of just teaching, as is the case in other countries.
- There are too many administrative staff. Efforts spent on such things as enrollment diversity monitoring (other countries don't do this).
- High fees paid to visiting celebrity speakers at graduations and assemblies.
- Luxury dormitories, student-center lounges, buffet food bars, Air-conditioning everywhere (not the case in Europe), parking garages (also not the case in Europe)
- Sports teams. I think the USA is the only nation in the world to have university sports teams. Penn State Univ, and Ohio State Univ, each have 300 paid staff on their athletic departments.
But don’t you get more food on your plate at an American restaurant?
Some places yes, some not. That has actually not been my experience very often. I think it depends on the type of restaurant and even the geographical location in either place. If it's something like the fast-food chains (i.e. McDonalds, JITB, Burger King, A&W, etc.) the size and amount of the servings is the same because the food is factory made so it's all the same standard size, and the packaging is a standard size everywhere.
Extra French fries is often a common trick everywhere on both sides of the border but it doesn't count as more good quality food - it's just a greasy carb filler to make it look like you're getting more for your money and make you feel like you want more.
I noticed the chains like Denny's restaurants all have the same size food servings but the plates are different sizes - smaller plates in Canada and much bigger plates in America with the plated food spread out more so it looks like a bigger serving. That bigger plate thing actually occurs in a number of restaurants in both countries.
And those restaurants that do pile on a lot more food per plate are usually putting more of the high carb white filler foods on the plate (French fries, white rice, mashed potatoes, pastas, bread, biscuits, corn or tortilla chips or whatever) and less of the higher quality, higher protein (meat/fish), higher fiber foods like solid veggies (not talking lettuce or coleslaw).
I think in both Canada and America you get just what you pay for in most places that serve food.
An observation to be noted would be one that Canadians do not go out to dinner with the intended consequence to take left overs home with them for the express purpose of providing another meal.
An observation to be noted would be one that Canadians do not go out to dinner with the intended consequence to take left overs home with them for the express purpose of providing another meal.
Americans consider that prospect the norm.
Some Americans do, by no means all. But that has what to do with "things Canadians pay less for," exactly?
Americans with private insurance probably generally pay less in healthcare and prescription costs. So I'm not sure the premise is correct.
Most of my adult life, I've had company healthcare that cost me 0, for basically everything. Now I pay like $100 a month out of my paycheck, co-pays are $10 and prescrptions vary from free to $20 or so. I doubt I would save money by moving to Canada and paying for healthcare out of my taxes.
....... Is bringing home leftovers really not done in Canada? If for some reason you can't finish, leaving food on the plate is certainly more wasteful than being served too much and saving it for later.
Yes, it is done if there is a lot left over, but usually only the higher quality or more expensive choice leftovers get taken home, rarely the salad or cheap white fillers like potato, rice, pasta.
It used to be that in most places if you asked to have the remainder bagged up to take home, the server would take it away to the kitchen and bring back the packaged food in a 'doggie bag' which would include everything that was left on the plate. Some places will still do that, but today in a lot of other restaurants the server will bring you an empty styrofoam container and the customer is expected to fill it up themselves with whatever they select from the leftovers on their plate. Most people will leave behind the cheap fillers.
A lot of people eat the choice foods first anyway, and leave the fillers to the last so it doesn't matter if there's filler left over and no choice pieces.
Yes, it is done if there is a lot left over, but usually only the higher quality or more expensive choice leftovers get taken home, rarely the salad or cheap white fillers like potato, rice, pasta.
It used to be that in most places if you asked to have the remainder bagged up to take home, the server would take it away to the kitchen and bring back the packaged food in a 'doggie bag' which would include everything that was left on the plate. Some places will still do that, but today in a lot of other restaurants the server will bring you an empty styrofoam container and the customer is expected to fill it up themselves with whatever they select from the leftovers on their plate. Most people will leave behind the cheap fillers.
A lot of people eat the choice foods first anyway, and leave the fillers to the last so it doesn't matter if there's filler left over and no choice pieces.
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Yes, it's the same here in all regards. I remember when plates were taken away to be packed, but almost always the server just brings you an empty box nowadays. Most people don't bother with a few tortilla chips or french fries, but if it's an entire half sandwich or an enchilada, they want to take it home.
I've tried taking salad home because I can rarely finish a whole dinner salad, but it's always dressed and is hopelessly soggy by the next day. So I usually share with my husband while we are still at the restaurant.
Some Americans do, by no means all. But that has what to do with "things Canadians pay less for," exactly?
Had you forgotten you asked the question, to wit: "Is bringing home leftovers really not done in Canada? If for some reason you can't finish, leaving food on the plate is certainly more wasteful than being served too much and saving it for later."
It's more complicated than that. For junk food type restaurants, you may get larger portions, although many diner type places give too much food in Canada as well, but more doesn't necessarily mean better value.
Quality pays a role in value as well. I have been shocked at some of the junk food I've bought from BK and DQ in parts of California. They used liquid cheese on a cheeseburger in one DQ in Oregon. I'm sure it varies from place to place, but as I said, more doesn't equate to bette value.
There is no "better" at any Dairy Queen burger, regardless of where you eat it.
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