You cringe over the price of a gallon of gas, but what about a gallon of Visine? An article in the September issue of ShopSmart shows that if you bought the eye drops by the gallon, the price would be $1,021. Steak sauce? $48. Secret Platinum, $189. Obviously, no one buys Visine by the gallon, except for maybe Cyclops (hey, that stick still burns). Similiarly, except for hobbyists, no one buys a dropper of gasoline. And there are cost-savings by selling and buying items in bulk. Still, makes you think…
prices
UPDATE: MyGallons Refunding Membership Fees?
By 7.15.08
Consumerist commenter doireallyneedausername forwarded us an email he got from MyGallons.com, claiming that his membership fee will be refunded because MyGallons.com cannot find a credit card processor. The email, signed by CEO Steve Verona, says that current members will get a free year of MyGallons.com when (if?) they are ever able to process transactions. Read the email inside.
Do Not Be Lured Into Target's 2 For $4 Heinz Ketchup Trap
By 7.9.08
Andrew writes in to let us know that he’s started to look more carefully at prices when shopping at Target… and so far it’s saved him $0.61 on ketchup…
By 7.7.08
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The WSJ Buzzwatch blog has a list of 50 things that are being blamed on the high cost of oil. Not all of them are bad, apparently my hometown of Elgin, IL is getting a new wind-turbine parts plant. [WSJ Buzzwatch via Kottke]
15 Easy Ways To Save Money At The Supermarket
By 7.5.08
Saving money at the supermarket has never been more important or difficult thanks to the tag team threat of inflation and the Grocery Shrink Ray. Get Rich Slowly published 15 money-saving tips to help you hold onto your hard-earned cash.
New York City: 86% Of Milk Sellers Are Price-Gouging Customers
By 6.7.08
Sorry New Yorkers, but according to the City Council, you’re overpaying for both rent and milk. Anyone charging more than $3.93 for a gallon—86% of the city’s milk sellers, from bodegas to Whole Foods—is violating the state’s milk price-gouging law.
POLL: Did $4 Gas Make You Drive Less On Memorial Day Weekend?
By 5.27.08
AAA is claiming that Americans drove 4.3% fewer miles on public roads in March — the first year-over-year decline since 1979, and that for the first time since 2002, Americans said they planned to drive less this Memorial Day weekend. So, with the national average at $3.936 per gallon, did you actually drive less?
Cable: The Worst Deal Of The Decade
By 5.24.08
The price of everything in the telecom world has fallen over the past decade, except for cable. Cable is now 77% more expensive than it was ten years ago, an increase that dwarfs the rate of inflation and makes telecom executives salivate. The Times looks with pity on all of us who splay our wallets wide for the industry, and asks if there’s any salvation other than à la carte pricing.
Help! My Gas Pump Doesn't Even Go To $4.00!
By 5.13.08
It sucks to be a “Mom & Pop” gas station owner these days. Gas station owning isn’t as profitable as you might think (the oil company gets most of the money) and now it seems that thousands of older pumps just don’t have the ability to charge more than $3.99 per gallon — and also can’t charge more than $99 for the total sale, preventing truck and SUV owners from filling their tanks up all the way.
NYT Editorial Board: Hey Congress, Textbooks Are Too Expensive!
By 4.12.08
The New York Times editorial board called on Congress to make college textbooks more affordable. The measure they endorsed wouldn’t do anything Soviet like directly cap prices, but it would require textbook makers to tell professors exactly how much books would cost impoverished students.
Wrigley's To Introduce New "Slim Pack" Gum Packaging With Two Fewer Sticks, Same Price
By 3.27.08
Sometime soon Wrigley’s will start promoting its new Slim Pack packaging in select markets, and nationwide by 2009. It’s slimmer! It’s easier to carry! And it’s got 15 sticks instead of 17—for the same price! A Wrigley’s vice president told Brandweek that consumers wouldn’t care that they’re getting less product: “To them the value goes up because they’re getting a better tasting product in a better package.” Ha ha consumers sure are stupid, aren’t they, VP of Wrigley’s?
Haggle With Chain Stores
By 3.23.08
The Times is reporting that recession-fearing chain stores like Best Buy, Home Depot, and Circuit City are increasingly more desperate to clinch sales by negotiating prices. Hit the jump to see how ordinary shoppers are wielding research and charisma to knock added savings out of retailers.
Readers Write In With Examples Of More Shrinking Products
By 3.20.08
Brawny’s not the only product skimping on size to sneakily increase profits. Here are two more items readers have noticed recently.
Henry writes:
Our house uses Skippy Peanut Butter, but i just found out they changed their jars from 18 ounces to 16.2 ounces for the same price. I know 2 ounces is not a huge amount of peanut better, but still.
And Matt writes:
I have noticed this same thing with Quilted Northern. I don’t know what the price used to be but i noticed while shopping at sams club now you get less quilted northern than you used to.
If you know of another company that’s downsized a product without passing along the savings, let us know. Maybe we can put together a single reference post so shoppers will see which products are the worst offenders.
Brawny Paper Towels Shrink By 20% While Price Goes up 6%
By 3.19.08
Yet another common product has been hit with the shrinking ray—this time it’s Brawny paper towels, which Jason noticed recently received a new package design, apparently to disguise that there are now fewer sheets and a higher price.
NC Applebee's Can't Afford Breadsticks Or Candles Anymore
By 3.18.08
Glenn’s family went to Applebee’s last night and discovered that the restaurant is cutting back. Really cutting back. You have to bring your own candles now for their birthday cakes, because “Applebee’s doesn’t supply birthday candles anymore.”
Steve Jobs Only Wishes He Could Price Like This
By 2.27.08
Erin writes, “I was searching for an iPod Nano on Google Products and this link came up!” That’s one hell of a markup there, anonymous web store with no branding and an empty “Contact Us” page. Our favorite part: “NOT FOR RESALE”—don’t even think about buying this and marking it up for your own store.
You Can't Discount The Past, Apple
By 2.23.08
A reader noticed that Apple is selling refurbished 8gb iPhones for $349, and they’re listing the original price as $599. “Save 42% off the original price,” says the Apple Store. Gosh, that’s a huge savings! Wait… well sure, the original original price was $599, but we all know that Apple knocked that down fairly quickly, and now a brand new 8 gb model sells for $399—which means actually you’re only saving 12.5% off the Real World Price Right Now of a brand new iPhone, if you went and bought it today.
