In an unexpected turn on family dinner table talk, Alex MacLaren devised a pretty smart workaround. She fed her kids proper meals that were made from scratch, while simultaneously making them believe it was take-away. The concept originated in part from the exorbitant fees charged by food delivery companies. A recent Finance Buzz challenge showed how these expenses can almost double the cost of eating out. MacLaren’s strategy not only conserved cash, it amused her kids, who rushed in for dinner without a hint of the trick.
When it came to the evening meal, MacLaren’s children would rush into the house asking what there was for supper, thrilled at the idea of takeout. To maintain the façade, MacLaren even fabricated a story about having placed a pizza order from an Italian restaurant. Her kids particularly loved that piece of information. The mother told Newsweek she was in shock. She was amazed that her entire family bought the tale “hook, line and sinker,” proof of just how successful her ruse truly was.
MacLaren uncovered the fact that she had made that meal many times before, which is what allowed her to perform that sleight of hand. For her, “The big surprise was…they all liked it, but because they’ve eaten this before I wasn’t surprised about that,” she continued. Her kids aren’t crazy fussy eaters, but they’ve got their thing. It makes successfully executing her plan all the more satisfying as a result.
Food delivery delivery fees are soaring due to default tip percentages and surcharges. MacLaren knew firsthand how expensive take-out can be for a family. She added, “Takeout for a family is cost prohibitive, so we don’t get takeout very frequently. This new financial reality pushed her to look for more creative options. The enthusiastic reaction from her kids made her want to try this approach again and she’s thinking about it.
Her TikTok video exposing the dinner deception has gone viral, reaching more than 2.9 million views. Commenters, we agree, are buzzing with amazement and excitement for MacLaren’s creative approach! “Shame on you as a human. As a mother, you’re my hero!” wrote one respondent, reflecting the love-it-or-hate-it reaction playfully elicited by such an attention-grabbing tactic.
MacLaren wants to make this “false advertising” trick standard operating procedure. She understands that she needs to pick her battles strategically. There’s at least one of my kids, if not two, home with me almost all the time. As a result, I have absolutely no idea how often I’ll be able to slide in a fake-out take-out without them catching on,” she said. Even with the tough challenge on her hands, MacLaren is hopeful about giving the trick another shot. With that, he beamed and concluded, “I’ll certainly do it again next time I have an opportunity, though!”
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