76 Nightmarish Slop People Got Served That May Convince You To Always Cook At Home (New Pics)

Many people are massively cutting back on their expenses.

Based on the findings of a recent Business Insider survey, the vast majority of United States consumers have said that prices have gone up.

Most notably, groceries have gotten more expensive (90% of respondents said that prices have gone up in this category), as has dining out (87%), coffee (84%), personal care products (66%), utilities (65%), and clothes (62%).

“Most respondents said they've noticed a rise in grocery and dining out prices, with one person calling dining out a luxury and another saying it's nearly impossible to do so. Some respondents specifically called out the cost of meat,” BI notes.

Meanwhile, 61% of respondents said that pet food has gotten more expensive, 54% have noticed alcoholic beverage prices rise, 40% said the same about gasoline, and 38% have noticed their rent go up.

One respondent, Jeni Garcin, who, along with her husband, noticed price increases for coffee, tires, etc., had this to say to BI: “It's so frustrating that people like us who are financially responsible, who are doing everything right, are still just feeling like we're stretched every step of the way.”

In Garcin’s particular case, she’s willing to pay the higher price for coffee, which she views as a luxury “self-care item.” That being said, she’s willing to cut back on chips or, when dining out, she goes for the cheaper burger option.

“Even though sometimes I want the sour cream and onion, I look at the price, and I just, I'm not going to do that," she shared with BI.

Many Americans are now changing how they shop for food. Some decide to skip buying treats because they’re too expensive. Others are on a constant lookout for deals.

Meanwhile, another respondent, Sarah DeVillis Adams, stressed to Business Insider that grocery prices have increased.

"It's absolutely affected our bottom line because the other things that are going through increases, we're forced to pay — utilities and things like that. There's no way out of it. And so the only thing we can manipulate is our grocery budget, and it gets harder and harder the more things cost,” she said.

She added that, for her family, dining out has become unaffordable, with one outing adding up to an entire week of food.

If you want loyal, returning customers, then you’ve got to offer them quality products and services that match the pricetag. But if you’re ripping them off, you’re only going to push them away. It’s even worse if you advertise your products as being far better than what you actually serve up.

You’d expect business owners to be rational, but they’re sometimes so fixated on short-term gains that they completely ignore long-term reputational damage.

Like with most things in life, voting with your wallet is your best approach. If a business owner continues to provide products and services that are of an unacceptable quality, stop buying from them.

This eats into their profit margins. And they will either have to change their business strategy (i.e., provide better products) or go bankrupt.

In the meantime, the wrong thing to do would be to continue buying low-quality dishes for huge prices, without voicing your concerns or changing your buying habits. If you’re willing to spend your hard-earned cash on slop, why would these restaurant owners change their approach? From their perspective, business continues to boom.

Instead, look for better businesses to support with your money, ones that actually care about the customer experience.

Or you can finally decide that enough is enough and that it’s a much better decision to cook more often at home, where you can control both the nutrition and quality of the food you’re eating.

You’ll save money. You’ll hone your culinary skills. You’ll boost your self-esteem. And if you’re not cooking alone, you’ll socialize a ton while in the kitchen.

Sure, go out for a celebratory meal with your family, friends, and significant other from time to time. But make sure that it’s a quality restaurant.

In the meantime, embrace cooking at home as part of your daily routine. No matter how tired and busy you are, there are tons of quick, simple, great-tasting dishes that you can throw together. And if you make a bigger batch, you won’t have to worry about the next few days’ meals. Sure, it takes a bit of planning and effort, but it’s perfectly doable.

Once you’ve looked through these culinary abominations and upvoted the most hated pics, we’d like to hear your thoughts in the comments below, Pandas.

What is the most horrible dish you’ve recently been served? Practically speaking, what do you think it would take for restaurants to seriously raise the quality of their food?

What advice would you give anyone to inspire them to cook at home more often? What’s your favorite home-cooked recipe? Tell us all about it!