I’m going to be starting up a Reader Mailbag category to address interesting questions sent in through the contact form. Not that there’s a whole lot of feedback yet - but I probably have over 500 “unanswered” pieces of mail still left over from Cheap Eats. Since I’ve made it a bad habit to let things slip over there, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to offload some of the related stuff to Cheaplander.

(A note: I’ve had to paraphrase some of the questions, cause they were written more like friendly notes than a real question)

Jen says:

What do you think about 7-11? They have regional cheap lunches and other specials. For instance in Chicago, they offer affordable hot dogs. In Japan, lots of people go to 7-11 for lunches on the go because the items are fresh and affordable.

I personally really like 7-Eleven. When I was (much) younger, it really was a fun place to go to hang out, play video games, get a slurpee. Sluice some nacho cheese over stale chips. Ponder the hot dogs twirling in the display case. Eye the “magazines” behind the counter speculatively.

It was fun. But over the years, I feel it’s picked up much more of an unsavory vibe - or maybe that’s just near where I live. Definitely has been taken down a few pegs in respectability by the equivalent “Squishee-Mart” on the Simpson’s.

Funny side note: a long while back, a visiting Kiwi friend of ours exclaimed while passing one “Hey, a Seeven Leeven!” I guess they didn’t have them where she lived although she’d heard of them. Ever since, I’ve taken to calling it Seevenleeven. Sounds better to me…

As far as cheap prices go - they weren’t ever super cheap, nor are they any cheaper today. The problem is that it’s a CONVENIENCE store, and for that convenience you’re going to pay a little extra. If it happens to be much closer than the grocery store, I think it might be worth it if you can walk there and pick up a bag of chips. Funny, but there’s actually one down the street from us - definitely the closest store. Still, I haven’t been a frequent customer because I just find that I can get nearly everything at the grocery store, except for the questionable heat lamp “food-to-go”.

And as for that “food-to-go”, there are any number of fast food drivethroughs that want your business. Or how about the AM-PM mini markets, the ones that keep running those horrible commercials non-stop on TV. Too much good stuff indeed.

I can’t comment on the regional offerings that 7-Eleven might have - I didn’t even know they had them in Japan. As far as stores that offer bento boxes in the States, you might want to take a look at Famima if there’s a chain near you. They have pretty awesome Japanese convenience store food - but it’s rather pricey.