The Briefing Room
General Category => Economy/Business => Topic started by: mystery-ak on July 28, 2013, 11:44:03 pm
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http://www.businessinsider.com/5-items-you-should-never-buy-in-stores-2013-7 (http://www.businessinsider.com/5-items-you-should-never-buy-in-stores-2013-7)
5 Of The Most Overpriced Items In The Grocery Store
Gina Roberts-Grey, InvestingAnswers Jul. 26, 2013, 3:02 PM
Make a list and stick to it. That's one of the best ways to be kind to a budget at the grocery store. You avoid impulse purchases because of hunger or tempting specialty items.
But even the most prudent listmaker might not be protected from paying too much at the grocery store.
That's because manufacturers know which favorite products can fetch higher prices -- and they don't shy away from marking them up tremendously.
To keep from paying more than you have to next time you’re shopping, think twice about tossing any of these five most marked-up items into your cart.
Bottled Water: 4,000% Average Markup
Gulp! Sure, it's handy, but the manufacturing costs of producing plastic for the convenient containers make bottled water one of the worst values at the supermarket, said Jackie Warrick, president and chief savings officer at online coupon site couponcabin.com.
You can save big bucks by investing in a filter for your home faucet (most are under $100) or a pitcher that filters water for around $30 -- as well as a reusable plastic water bottle. That way, you can have all the bottled-tasting H2O you can guzzle without your hard-earned cash going down the drain. (Also handy: Wash out wide-mouthed sports drink bottles, fill up with ice and add a little water. Within an hour, you'll have cold water on a hot summer day for the kids.)
Read more: http://www.investinganswers.com/personal-finance/smart-consumer/5-most-overpriced-items-you-should-never-buy-grocery-store-4509/#ixzz2aO36vPas
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A list is a life-saver at the grocery store; if for no other reason than because it makes it a lot easier to deal with the inevitable question from the kiddies: "can we buy this?" If it's not on the list, then it can't be bought, period.
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Agreed. Always have a list, but also watch for specials. If long term storables are on a 2 for one, it is worth stocking up. Zucchini in season and dirt cheap? Change your planned meals for the week.
Household Specialty Items: Up To 60% Markup
You might think it's easier to pick up light bulbs, school supplies or duct tape at the grocery store instead of making an extra stop at another store. But you're going to pay a hefty price for that convenience because items that aren't food and drinks are costly at the grocery store.
Household items at grocery stores are marked up as much as 60% more than their price at office supply, home improvement and other similar specialty stores.
"You have to weigh the pros and cons of saving money by going to another store or the convenience factor of being able to pick it up in one spot," Warrick said.
This one for me is a bit of a wash. If the speciality store is on my route home, yes. If it is a detour, I'll pick up my light bulbs etc at the supermarket, as their mark-up is less than the extra fuel I'd be using.
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I'm not so sure about the household items. There are a couple hardware stores (we still call them that out here) in the area and a grocery store, and all of them sell certain household items. From what I have compared, the hardware stores are often as expensive, if not more, than the grocery store, and those that are cheaper are usually the watered-down, lower quality dollar store variety. Granted, I do live in a small, relatively isolated town (about 1000), so that might affect prices around here.
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Bottled water:
Watch any public hearing these days and you will see bottled water, not a pitcher and glasses.
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Bottled water:
Watch any public hearing these days and you will see bottled water, not a pitcher and glasses.
Damn. How'd I miss noticing that? You are spot on - it's always bottles now.
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Bottled water:
Watch any public hearing these days and you will see bottled water, not a pitcher and glasses.
Much easier for staff to put out and remove, allowing for fewer staff as well.
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Much easier for staff to put out and remove, allowing for fewer staff as well.
and none of the fluoride related sedation of the masses either.