For some inexplicable reason, you can get any box of cereal right now for $1.79 at the Rite Aid in Grand Central in Manhattan. These normally run $6-plus. $4-plus.

Plucky weekend editor Carey Greenberg-Berger confirmed this deal by driving over there and emerging with a plunder-trunk-full of breakfast delights: 24 boxes. Only 11 are pictured because he’s a nice guy and gave away a bunch before taking the photo.

When asked about the deal, Rite Aid employees had no idea why the cereal was so heavily discounted. There was no visible damage to the boxes and all expiration dates looked kosher.

For non-New Yorkers, take heart in that there’s still a deal to be found even in this luxor encrusted playground.

Pictures of a reaaaaallly long receipt, inside…

UPDATE: Ok, so here’s the scoop, courtesy of reader Ben P. Wellington. ALL RiteAids on the Northeast have a great deal on cereal. However, it’s only one brand of cereal per week. This week was Post brand cereals. For some reason, perhaps out of human kindness, the checkout lady decided to scan one box of honeycombs over and over again, rather than scan 24 individual, various boxes of cereal. You can see what’s discounted each week by looking at RiteAid’s weekly circular.

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— BEN POPKEN

Quite possibly the deal of the year [This Is What We Do Now] (Thanks to John!)

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