Americans now spend more on drinking and eating establishments than they do at grocery stores. Over 17 million kids went to college to be waiters or flight attendants.

There are many reasons why so many people now work in the low wage sectors of America. As it turns out, the eating habits of Americans have changed dramatically. Only in the last couple of years have Americans spent more on eating out than they do on actual groceries. Too bad the median annual pay for waiters and waitresses in 2015 was $19,250 with tips included. Companies still haven’t figured out how to outsource servers but our manufacturing base that once provided millions with good paying jobs is completely decimated. It also may have to do with a large number of young Americans living at home. Since homeownership is on the decline with the young, discretionary spending on eating out is up. Way up.

This post was published at MyBudget360 on September 3, 2016.