Where You Buy Something Makes a Big Difference in Cost

While I was on vacation in July (plus a couple side events) I had several experiences that reminded me again that where you buy something makes a big difference in how much it costs. These can be boiled down into two categories as defined below.

Category #1: Soda Pop

Here are my experiences in trying to quench my thirst:

• I try not to drink much pop, but while I was on vacation I did a lot of yard work/landscaping. On one trip to the local Menard's for mulch, I decided that I wanted a cold Diet Coke. It was $1.29 for 20 ounces. Yikes! I knew I could get a 2-liter bottle for 99 cents (on sale) or so at the grocery store. But I wasn't at the store and this one was cold, so I bought it.
• The next day, I found myself at the gas station between more yard work and again I was thirsty. They had Diet Coke for $1.29 for 20 ounces but also had fountain drinks -- $1.39 for 32 ounces. I went with the fountain drink.
• A week later, I was at a professional baseball game. It was sunny, hot, and humid. By the 6th inning I could take it no longer and went to get a Coke. $4.25 for (I'm guessing) 32 ounces. Ugh. (But it was tasty.)
• A week after that, I bought my kids a soda at a concert -- $2 for 20 ounces. Not bad considering it was a concert venue.

Same product, but WIDELY different prices based on where you purchased it.

Category #2: Ice Cream

As you all know, I'm a Moose Tracks ice cream fan and somewhat of an ice cream "expert." so consider the various options we have when buying ice cream (and related) products:

• While eating out, we noticed that a piece of cake and a scoop of ice cream (with fudge over them both) was $7.99. It was supposed to feed a whole family, but I could have eaten one by myself.
• We sometimes go to the local ice cream shop and get a cone or a sundae. It ends up costing us in the neighborhood of $2.50 for 16 ounces or so of ice cream ($10 total for our family).
• Most often we opt for the local store brand (which is very good) ice cream. On sale it's $2.50 for 56 ounces. Buying this we get several desserts from one purchase.

Again, these are the same products (for the most part) but widely different costs depending on where you buy them.

So consider this a reminder for you as well: the price of a given product can vary widely depending on where you buy it. Hopefully, you're making most of your purchases where the lower prices are.

Comments

[ditchtheboss]

Yes, you are right. I have just come back from a day away with my wife. We went to a touristic destination that features many wineries. We were watching our budget while trying to having fun. We were shocked to see that a bottle of water in the hotel was $7. Can you believe that? In the supermarket we pay cents for exactly the same product..

[Money Beagle]

Keep an eye on Little Caesars pizza. You can get a pie for $5 at most of their stores, but if you go to a sporting event where they sell it, it's gotta be around $20 for an entire pizza.

There's an ice cream stand by our house that sells a blizzard type mix (soft serve with your choice of mixture, we usually go for cookie dough) and even though it's expensive as heck, it's better than anything you could get at the store. During the summer months, we indulge once a month.

[Robert M]

There's a price for convenience. Sometimes we're willing to pay it, sometimes not.

[blake]

Twice a week I have to travel to a different site for work. When I gas up the work pickup, most of the time I can't help my self and I buy one of those packages of the orange crackers with the peanut butter on them. Love them! They cost about $1.50 at the gas station. I was in wal-mart the other day and they had a whole box of those pacages for something like $2!

[Budgeting in the Fun Stuff]

Like Robert brought up, convenience fees do add up. I'll pay when I've budgeted for it and decide it's "worth it" to me at the time. If I have any warning though, I preplan other options (like buying snack in advance from Sam's Club or Walmart when we will be taking a long car ride or whatever).

[Strick]

This is why I'm a sucker for the prime steak/seafood on the occasions I do dine out, the mark-up for the excellent preparation/experience seems reasonable when compared to something like chicken or pasta.

[CC]

When I went to Europe I was surprised at how much soda/pop cost. The lowest price I found was 1 Euro but that was rare. Usually it ranged from 2.50 euro to 4 euro. So it was ballpark pricing no matter where you went.

[Stephan]

what about alcohol? One gin n tonic is 8 bucks at the bar, i can get an entire bottle of good gin for around
$20 in NH, now thats a difference!
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[Rob Ward]

So true. A drink (of any type) at the ballgame costs at least $3.50 or $4.00. A beer usually costs around $8.00! (which is why I don't get one).

And I know this is going to open a can of worms, but it is called SODA, not POP or soda pop FMF - did you grow up in Minnesota? those are the only people that say it that way that I know of...my mom grew up there.