I hear you about food/restaurant sticker shock - it’s real and more so returning for a visit from Thailand.
But, at the risk of straying a bit off topic, you are wrong about consumer confidence, it is in fact surging:
”The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment for the US soared to 78.8 in January 2024, the highest since July 2021, compared to 69.7 in December and forecasts of 70, preliminary estimates showed. Consumer views were supported by confidence that inflation has turned a corner and strengthening income expectations...”
”Taking January and December together, consumer sentiment has climbed a cumulative 29%, the largest two-month increase since 1991 as a recession ended. For the second straight month, all five index components rose, with a 27% surge in the short-run outlook for business conditions and a 14% gain in current personal finances. source: University of Michigan”
https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/consumer-confidence#:~:text=January of 2024.-,Consumer Confidence in the United States increased to 78.80 points,macro models and analysts expectations.