avocados

When you’re living in 2024 but want to spend money like it’s still 2019, you’ve got to make some significant lifestyle changes. Studies show that the cost of eating out at a restaurant has increased 25% since the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020.

In addition to your meal being more expensive, a growing number of restaurants are adding “service fees” to your meals at check out, and the customary 15% tip has now gone up to what feels like 20%.

That’s why a TikTok video by vegan fitness influencer Jasmine Pineda has many people grinning from ear to ear. In the video, she proudly brings her own avocado and a knife to a restaurant. She cuts the fruit and adds it to her meal to avoid paying the $3 to $6 avocado upcharge.

The short and sweet video sums up what many people have to do to get by these days.

The video was a hit on TikTok, receiving over 200,000 views. “This is the smartest thing ever!!! Why didn’t I think of this? Thank you, girl, lol,” ColorMeMonique wrote in the comments. “Super smart, honestly. These places charge too much for avocado!” Ashley added.

Some people admitted that they bring their own food to restaurants all the time. “I’ve brought my own salad dressing… and even my own toasted bread at breakfast,” Jen wrote. "I have brought my own lettuce to Mexican restaurants," Jo-Lei added.

Why does it cost extra to get avocados or guacamole at most restaurants?

There are a lot of reasons why there’s a hefty upcharge for avocados when you are eating out. According to Mashed, a big problem is that the cost of avocados is constantly in flux. “Avocados are a very demanding crop when it comes to water and requires around 50 gallons of H2O per pound of fruit,” the site wrote. “If California or Mexico are experiencing bad weather, it can dramatically affect the crop and raise prices. A restaurant might pay $40 for a case of avocados one week and the next week, that same case might be $90.”

Another big reason for the price hike is that avocados have a short shelf life, so restaurant owners always have to throw them out. Further, they turn brown when left out too long, which isn’t very appetizing for most diners.

"For restaurants and others that produce guac at a mass scale, you may be throwing out literal tons of guacamole," Michael Alexis of The Great Guac Off Competition told Reader's Digest.

We all have to do what we have to do to get by during hard times, and Pineda’s TikTok is a fun way of showing people a creative way to stretch their dollar while also enjoying the good life by going out to eat. It feels like a bit of a taboo to bring food and cutlery from home to a restaurant, but what’s the restaurant going to do? Kick her out after they already brought her some bread and a salad?