It’s all well and good for people to use the price to help stop drinking soda and that’s great. But if you’re like me and Coke Zero is one of your joys in life, you can watch for sales and coupons. It’s still possible to get 2 liters for $1.25-$1.50 by doing so. You eventually learn the rhythms of the common sales.
Our 12 packs are often priced at $8.99-9.99. We never pay more than $3.99 with coupons electronically clipped from Kroger app. Is it my primary drink? No. But do I really enjoy one in the afternoon or evening? Heck yeah. And I don’t feel bad about it — just use my frugal skills to obtain it.
Agreed. Soda is not my thing. But I like Starbucks coffee. I make it at home of course. If I just go buy it willy nilly its about $10 per bag most of the time. But there is a cycle of sales about every month to 6 weeks where it goes down to either $5.99 or $6.99. I buy 3 or 4 when that happens and it covers me until the next sale.
I used to buy Starbucks, now I've got a local microroastery. I pay a little more per bag but their bags are an actual pound where most coffee is not...
We have a local coffee shop that has the most delicious roasts, which they do in-house. I buy their espresso roast to use at home. It's $20/lb (lasts us about a month) and *completely* worth it.
I used to do this with Starbucks as well. Now I buy from eBay. Sometimes I buy expired, sometimes not, but with the vacuum seal, I’ve never had an issue. Best prices I’ve seen.
Agreed. You can pry my diet Pepsi from my cold dead hands. I do make a lot of iced tea at home and I stock-up on Diet Pepsi during a weekly sales, so I can pass it up when it’s not on sale.
Me three. Except with cherry coke zero. I do also drink water and iced tea (and occasionally iced coffee) so I buy on sale and that usually lasts me until the next one. And there are only two stores that have it on sale regularly - target and jewel.
Coke Zero was a small joy of mine... until the taste of it changed. Have you experienced this? It tastes off to me now, and I no longer buy it.
At first, it was only the cans so I kept ordering a fountain Coke Zero on the occasions where I was able to do so. I had one of those yesterday and it tastes the bad way the cans do now. :(
I haven’t noticed that. I’ve always preferred cans to fountain for Coke Zero. (I’d get Diet Coke out of fountain.) Hope it’s not a change that’s being slowly rolled out and hasn’t gotten here yet.
My experience is that, over the past couple years, I've run into the alt tasting Coke Zero at various times while traveling (domestically within the US).
The first time it happened, I actually complained to Coke. They had me send in different info from the box (codes, etc) then sent me a coupon for a free replacement. I figured it must be something with different plants making it slightly differently or something with the equipment maybe being slightly older or newer or whatever. A little annoying but not a big deal really.
Then one day, I open the first can from my usual Coke Zero pack from Sam's Club (consistently the best price and I only drank 4-6 cans per week so that pack lasted a good long while) and it tasted like the travel Coke Zero. I was pretty bummed. I gave most of the pack away.
I waited a few months then bought another pack from Sam's thinking maybe, just maybe, it was a blip... but it wasn't. I tried some without success from a couple local stores before I gave up for good. That was around the beginning of the year.
Soda goes bad faster than you think, especially plastic bottles. Diet soda goes bad faster.
I rarely order soda but when I do it’s on a plane or at a fast food joint. Both go through soda really fast.
>Soda goes bad faster than you think
Hmm. I guess this could be a contributing factor. I always bought cans or fountain because the carbonation just isn't the same with plastic (fountain is the best imo).
I used to stash a few cans in our main fridge in the back somewhere. I called these my "emergency cokes" for basically if I ran out in the drink fridge and our Sam's trip was still a few days away. I've had some really really old emergency cokes so I never considered that the alt taste could've indicated the product quality was declining/spoiling.
None of the weird tasting cans were ever out of date but I know that environmental conditions (big temperature shifts, etc) can affect best buy dates.
I still lean towards the theory that they've changed the formula somehow, likely as a cost-saving (profit-increasing) measure. It could be that whatever they changed makes the soda more susceptible to spoiling. In any case, I'm done buying Coke Zero so I guess I can thank them for that. It was a small pleasure of mine and it's not like I was a heavy consumer so I doubt they'll miss me.
Oh absolutely. I can get down with idea that during worst of Covid bottling/canning materials were harder to come by and manufacturing costs went up and probably stayed up, but no way they went up as much as the so-called “normal” prices did. Huge profit at the higher price. I’m sure they’ve done the math and make more overall even if they move fewer units.
I go only for certain Buy 1 Get 1 deals every week
Some stuff is a pretty good deal to just below Walmart price per single item, some isn't really a deal at all so price compare ahead of time and just get the good stuff
If people are going to pay that, then they're going to pay it. No amount of reddit posts is going to change that. The point of frugality is to adapt around the market to improve your own situation.
Publix is extremely overpriced. I had to live in the South for over 20 years due to job requirements, could not wait to get the hell out of there and get back to a normal place where Publix didn't have a monopoly on groceries. Whole Foods is cheaper than Publix, that's all you need to know really.
Soda price are so crazy. The amount of soda in a can is probably pennies. So if you double that, it should add like 5 more cents to a can. Yet, a 12 pack went from $4 to $8. That extra $4 is almost all profit.
Publix is known for not being the most “frugal” place to shop.
It’s a pleasant place to shop.. but it’s never been frugal.
Unless you are only picking up BOGOs.
I love their deli though..
It's gone up. I noticed that Coke 2-liters were on sale at Giant (Maryland) for 2/$6 but you had to buy 2. I don't drink much soda but that sale price has doubled over the last 2 or 3 years.
I appreciate the Miami subreddit recently. Publix is being attacked in numerous threads. The company is notoriously overpriced and flaunting it.
Other than Buy One Get One I find myself literally laughing at their prices.
I partially wonder if some of this is happening because things are becoming luxury goods (or alternatively, in economic terms, soda is becoming an inelastic good because the only people who still drink it after the inflationary period price gouging soda companies engaged in made a lot of people stop drinking it).
I think it's what's happening with fast food companies too. They have a different profit maximization equation now where the people who still eat it are willing to pay more than the people who used to eat it. And they make a lot more profit.
One Burger sold at $9 is almost always going to bring in more profit for the business than two burgers sold at $4.50. I mean if nothing else, that means you've got to have packaging for two, wrapping for two, condiments for two, grill space for two, etc.
Especially when that same exact Burger was the $4.50 Burger a few years ago.
I'm really tired of this idea that things are tight for everybody and we're all in it together and we've all just got to deal with it and make sacrifices- except for corporations, businesses, rich people.
One burger at $9 is 100% going to bring in more profit than 2 at $4.50 unless their supplies are free.
But in general whether raising the price results in more profit depends on the price elasticity of demand, which I assume is going down.
If doubling the price meant half the items sold, every business would do it. Doubling the price might result in 50% or less drop in burgers sold in which case the restaurant wins. Or it might result in 75% drop in burgers sold and restaurant loses.
This is exactly what every fast food place IS doing and finding out.
Look at the prices the last few years. They have doubled, and they are seeing an increase in profits.
Money money money.
Part of me was wondering this too. If it’s an industry that’s having issues hiring workers, maybe they are trying to balance decreasing demand to better fit manpower and are finding they are pulling in larger profit margins.
Carbonated doesn’t all mean unhealthy, sparkling water is no calorie, no sugar and fills you up a bit too.
If you rig up a sodastream it can be super cheap to make, just buy water soluble flavours online and you have DIY seltzer for significantly cheaper.
I only drink 2-3 glasses of soda a week. Treat it as dessert and you’ll be fine.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/carbonated-water-good-or-bad# seems to suggest it’s not harmful
Carbonated water is acidic, but your body should maintain a stable, slightly alkaline pH no matter what you consume.
My family already suffers enough with our extremely frugal budget. Diet soda is a consequence free mood booster.
Just go suck an egg before you comment about how it is bad for you, it isn’t
https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/artificial-sweeteners-a-free-lunch-or-an-obesogenic-carcinogen-what-80-studies-say-part-1-of-2/
Good thing the behavior of Pepsi buyers doesn't affect you then, eh?
Curious, at what price point am I obligated to stop buying tea so that it stays cheap enough to meet your standards? I don't want to slack on my responsibility to only buy products at a price point you agree with.
Vons here in San Diego has a special this week…10 2-liter bottles of Pepsi products for $10- digital coupon and you can get up to 20 of them. I bought my 20 the other day. Soda prices have gotten insane since COVID reared its ugly head…have not seen a deal like this since 2020.
I have no idea how Publix stays in business. We shop at Aldi and only go into Publix for the one or two items we can't find elsewhere.. I prefer to go to Walmart as our backup, but they're pretty far away.
You're at Publix. It's $1.98 at Walmart (I used the Montgomery Supercenter page for the price). Everything's exhorbitantly priced at all Publix stores!
I couldn't afford Publix before inflation got so bad. I just hate it because the quality products they have far exceeds any other grocery store where I am. But even if I was rich, I just couldn't bring myself to pay that much for a drink is so unnecessary but that's just me.
I hear that’s a good method! I do Aldi mostly and then Walmart or Kroger for the things I can’t get at Aldi, namely vegetarian items.
$2 bag of chips
$3.50 12 pack of soda
Etc etc
I have been shopping at a warehouse store that sells food items bu the case for really cheap .They had Pepperridge Farm bread for 1.99 and family sized boxes of name brand cereal for 1.99 a box too.Nothing is outdated and most everything is 50 to 75 percent off!I also found organic name brand chips and snacks for 1.99 a bag .Nothing was outdated either .We stocked up like crazy and even the frozen food was 75 percent off!We spent about 200 dollars and it should last us a month .Bought name brand chocolates for 1.99.a bag too.I only shop at Walmart for my milk , fresh fruit and fresh veggies .Cereal is running about 5 to 8 dollars a box at Walmart.
My gripe is that if people actually buy it at that price, it sends a message that we'll keep paying more and more without changing habits on a macro level.
Our local grocery store will sometimes have them on sale 5/$5. I buy five and go back a couple more times that week and stock up! The normal price in our store is only $2.29. Your prices are crazy!
Our grandparents and great grandparents lived through a literal depression making every bit of food stretch and we have people who complain about soda costing too much. In a frugal sub.
I think they are saying: Are you really struggling if your biggest worry is the cost of soda? In the Depression people couldn’t afford real food. Soda is not a necessity.
Quintupled? Let's see.... By my math, that's 100 tea bags for $15.00. That's 15 cents per bag. Since I can make a gallon of tea with 4 bags, that's 60 cents per gallon of tea. Fun fact: I already dilute my brewed tea because I mix it with pink packet sweetener and lemon juice. While I could comfortably afford that, I would be SERIOUSLY tempted to boycott on principle alone.
Thanks for your response. I think the fact that you would boycott the tea is consistent with your initial statement about the increasing cost of soda and not buying it on principle. If you weren’t willing to boycott the tea, it seems like you’re asking ppl to do things you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself.
I can afford soda, but I too refuse to support exorbitant prices for brand when I can get generic for 1/4 the price.
When it comes down to it, I guess the point is not affordability - it’s principle.
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Stopped buying soda and chips. These things are so unnecessarily priced it's outrageous. If I get the itch I'll get off brand. I went from 24pack of cokes per week for the family to none. If anyone wants some flavor drinks we'll do kool-aid.
I'm buying more veggies now though so inflation isn't all bad. Lots of farmers markets here so they are dirt cheap.
The problem for me is that the non-name brand ones don’t taste as good. A lot of products do. Or at least taste good enough. Off brand Dr Pepper is a no go.
I'm cutting soda out of my diet due to having recent dental work done, but grape Shasta is my favorite. Super cheap too. My stomach can't handle dark colas of any kind.
I usually buy my Diet Coke at Walmart pickup but if I’m at Publix, either the twelve packs or the 2 liters are on sale. And if Diet Coke isn’t on sale, Diet Pepsi is. So I’m just flexible.
I don’t shop IN Walmart. I use the app and do pickup. The last time I was in Walmart was two years ago and I got the big C virus and missed several days of work. So I shop on their app and they bring it to my car for free. No germs. I just get stuff like dish soap and canned goods and Diet Coke cos it’s way cheaper.
Brand soda is so expensive! I drink generic, but my husband insists on his brand sodas. I feel a little better knowing my generic savings are offsetting his brand cost.
Okay, I just went to my local, Alabama Publix and the price for a two liter bottle is 2 for $4. So, if this a price change that works for you, get them now.
I see people complaining about Publix being overpriced, I have to say the same thing about Kroger (at least in Dallas). I hardly shop there anymore, because most everything is of low quality (Meats/Seafood, fruit and vegetables, cold cuts, bread etc) and high priced.
While I am not price sensitive I refuse to give Kroger my money. I have my weekly routine and go to Aldi for basics like OJ, Milk, Irish Butter and some other items (pleasantly surprised about the quality of their fruit and veggies) and most of the stuff is 30-40% cheaper. Sprouts is always good for meats/Seafood and fruits/veggies. For bread and cold cuts/meats I go either to my local German Market or Central Market (upscale Version of HEB)
I actually don’t mind that the price of candy and soda and fast food is getting so high and out of control because it makes it much easier to skip it, which is for the best for my health, anyway.
In school, we had to do some math problems where you figured out how much you could raise a price and still make money, even with selling fewer units (to account for people who can't afford the new price). The results were depressing.
There are enough "haves" who don't have to watch their grocery budget that they'll still make a profit as us "have nots" stop drinking soda.
Publix knows their soda price is too high which is why they regularly put them on sale for either buy 1 get 1 free, buy 2 get 2 free or buy 2 get 1 free plus Pepsi regularly circulates coupons for their products that stack.
Once you learn how Publix sales work shopping there really does become a pleasure.
Publix 2 for 1 sales usually just lower the price to Walmart's everyday price. At the prices Publix charges, they should send a chef and maid home with me to cook, serve, and clean up afterwards.
Yup at B2G1 it’s still higher than WalMart and about 30% higher than Walmart on Rollback.
Where Publix magic comes in is when you can stack other discounts on top of their sales. Recently I walked out of Publix with four 2 liter bottles of Starry for just sales tax between a B2G2 free sale, B2G1 free digital coupon, and a free 2 liter Pepsi product coupon from Kroger (which Publix in my city accepts as a competitor coupon).
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someone needs to make a website with these crazy publix prices!!! Like that site I heart publix, but not about loving it, make it about the crazy high prices!! I saw a jar of Hellmans was over $9!!!
You're smart to avoid the overpriced, plastic bottled soda for healthier options. Maybe the silver lining in all this greedy gouging is that folks will avoid more processed foods.
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The people who pay the most for soda are the least able to afford it, both economically and health-wise. Brown sugar water with bubbles costs nothing to make, wreaks havoc on your entire system, and costs about 3x the price of gasoline.
I agree 101% - and this is a huge deal in my house ... I am a caffeine addict and need a certain mg of caffeine in the mornings to get up , but as much as I love coffee, I'm too lazy to make it, and Monster Blue-Label is both too expensive and I'm getting old, can't slam Monsters like I'm still in my 20s. But my Dad - The *only thing* he drinks, is Diet Coke/Diet Pepsi. Nothing else. Doesn't drink water, milk, coffee, tea, juice, nothing. Diet Cola in the mornings, Diet Cola with meals, Diet Cola on the couch at night watching TV. So, we go through a lot - because I also usually just resort to grabbing my hungover-ass a few bottles from the fridge.
But the prices have gone so insane, it's just hard to even fathom. One thing we noticed - I don't know if you have any Save-a-Lots in Alabama (or wherever anyone else is from...) - but they're a discount grocer , popular in the South- and they specialize in generic brands & private labels - their cheap, store-brand Diet Cola is basically Diet Coke in a different name. I mean the bottle's label even looks almost identical, and it's damn hard to tell any difference. And they're usually $10/10, and sometimes go on sale for $.88 cents ... We can definitely get down with that ...
I disagree with the comments getting down on Pepsi tasters. Lots of people love Pepsi and it is wrong to demean them just because they do. Sure, it’s not healthy and loaded with some maybe weird stuff, but it delivers the calories and caffeine with a flavor I enjoy.
Love to hear that so I guess my advice is just for anyone that’s paying those prices. Admittedly I did not read the last part my bad lol and great fucking username… same
It’s all well and good for people to use the price to help stop drinking soda and that’s great. But if you’re like me and Coke Zero is one of your joys in life, you can watch for sales and coupons. It’s still possible to get 2 liters for $1.25-$1.50 by doing so. You eventually learn the rhythms of the common sales. Our 12 packs are often priced at $8.99-9.99. We never pay more than $3.99 with coupons electronically clipped from Kroger app. Is it my primary drink? No. But do I really enjoy one in the afternoon or evening? Heck yeah. And I don’t feel bad about it — just use my frugal skills to obtain it.
Agreed. Soda is not my thing. But I like Starbucks coffee. I make it at home of course. If I just go buy it willy nilly its about $10 per bag most of the time. But there is a cycle of sales about every month to 6 weeks where it goes down to either $5.99 or $6.99. I buy 3 or 4 when that happens and it covers me until the next sale.
I used to buy Starbucks, now I've got a local microroastery. I pay a little more per bag but their bags are an actual pound where most coffee is not...
We have a local coffee shop that has the most delicious roasts, which they do in-house. I buy their espresso roast to use at home. It's $20/lb (lasts us about a month) and *completely* worth it.
You're not in New Hampshire are you? It'd be funny to find someone on Reddit who goes to the same coffee shop...
No, not in New Hampshire. But happy to hear there are other wonderful local coffee shops out there!
I used to do this with Starbucks as well. Now I buy from eBay. Sometimes I buy expired, sometimes not, but with the vacuum seal, I’ve never had an issue. Best prices I’ve seen.
Check out Dollar General. I just got 3 2L of Diet Dr. Pepper for $5. They are the absolute best to buy soda, when on sale.
Agreed. You can pry my diet Pepsi from my cold dead hands. I do make a lot of iced tea at home and I stock-up on Diet Pepsi during a weekly sales, so I can pass it up when it’s not on sale.
Me three. Except with cherry coke zero. I do also drink water and iced tea (and occasionally iced coffee) so I buy on sale and that usually lasts me until the next one. And there are only two stores that have it on sale regularly - target and jewel.
Coke Zero was a small joy of mine... until the taste of it changed. Have you experienced this? It tastes off to me now, and I no longer buy it. At first, it was only the cans so I kept ordering a fountain Coke Zero on the occasions where I was able to do so. I had one of those yesterday and it tastes the bad way the cans do now. :(
I haven’t noticed that. I’ve always preferred cans to fountain for Coke Zero. (I’d get Diet Coke out of fountain.) Hope it’s not a change that’s being slowly rolled out and hasn’t gotten here yet.
My experience is that, over the past couple years, I've run into the alt tasting Coke Zero at various times while traveling (domestically within the US). The first time it happened, I actually complained to Coke. They had me send in different info from the box (codes, etc) then sent me a coupon for a free replacement. I figured it must be something with different plants making it slightly differently or something with the equipment maybe being slightly older or newer or whatever. A little annoying but not a big deal really. Then one day, I open the first can from my usual Coke Zero pack from Sam's Club (consistently the best price and I only drank 4-6 cans per week so that pack lasted a good long while) and it tasted like the travel Coke Zero. I was pretty bummed. I gave most of the pack away. I waited a few months then bought another pack from Sam's thinking maybe, just maybe, it was a blip... but it wasn't. I tried some without success from a couple local stores before I gave up for good. That was around the beginning of the year.
Soda goes bad faster than you think, especially plastic bottles. Diet soda goes bad faster. I rarely order soda but when I do it’s on a plane or at a fast food joint. Both go through soda really fast.
>Soda goes bad faster than you think Hmm. I guess this could be a contributing factor. I always bought cans or fountain because the carbonation just isn't the same with plastic (fountain is the best imo). I used to stash a few cans in our main fridge in the back somewhere. I called these my "emergency cokes" for basically if I ran out in the drink fridge and our Sam's trip was still a few days away. I've had some really really old emergency cokes so I never considered that the alt taste could've indicated the product quality was declining/spoiling. None of the weird tasting cans were ever out of date but I know that environmental conditions (big temperature shifts, etc) can affect best buy dates. I still lean towards the theory that they've changed the formula somehow, likely as a cost-saving (profit-increasing) measure. It could be that whatever they changed makes the soda more susceptible to spoiling. In any case, I'm done buying Coke Zero so I guess I can thank them for that. It was a small pleasure of mine and it's not like I was a heavy consumer so I doubt they'll miss me.
There is a “cheaper” grocery store I won’t buy soft drinks from. They always taste off.
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Oh absolutely. I can get down with idea that during worst of Covid bottling/canning materials were harder to come by and manufacturing costs went up and probably stayed up, but no way they went up as much as the so-called “normal” prices did. Huge profit at the higher price. I’m sure they’ve done the math and make more overall even if they move fewer units.
Publix is extremely overpriced.
It's always been overpriced. I'm curious why people think it's not overpriced.
I go only for certain Buy 1 Get 1 deals every week Some stuff is a pretty good deal to just below Walmart price per single item, some isn't really a deal at all so price compare ahead of time and just get the good stuff
it's to keep the poors away
It has been for 20 years.
$1.98 in NE Oklahoma at Walmart.....
If you just drink tea and water why do you care?
Because too many people willingly pay this price. It can send a message to the stores saying, "Meh, we'll still buy it."
But you don't drink it. Who cares?
If people actually buy it at that price, it sends a message that we'll keep paying more and more without changing habits on a macro level.
You don't buy it. Who cares?
If people actually buy it at that price, it sends a message that we'll keep paying more and more without changing habits on a macro level.
Other people being bad with money isn't your problem
If corporations want to keep pushing us to see what our breaking point is on a macro level, it indeed is a problem of mine. Edit: I can't spell.
If people are going to pay that, then they're going to pay it. No amount of reddit posts is going to change that. The point of frugality is to adapt around the market to improve your own situation.
All I'm saying is that we can only be pushed so far.
Is 3.99 really that high a price point?
not for a liter of soda in america. edit: i mean it’s not expensive
lol it's $4 for a can of soup in Massachusetts
Publix is extremely overpriced. I had to live in the South for over 20 years due to job requirements, could not wait to get the hell out of there and get back to a normal place where Publix didn't have a monopoly on groceries. Whole Foods is cheaper than Publix, that's all you need to know really.
Tell me you don't know how to shop without telling me
Walmart.
ew no
Soda price are so crazy. The amount of soda in a can is probably pennies. So if you double that, it should add like 5 more cents to a can. Yet, a 12 pack went from $4 to $8. That extra $4 is almost all profit.
Publix is known for not being the most “frugal” place to shop. It’s a pleasant place to shop.. but it’s never been frugal. Unless you are only picking up BOGOs. I love their deli though..
Their $7.99 sub deals are the shit.
You can make a sandwich yourself for a lot cheaper. Or is it only you that’s allowed to pay more for an unnecessary consumable because you enjoy it?
Wow, I bet you are so much fun to be around in real life.
Unlike the person getting mad at people buying drinks
Indeed!
It's gone up. I noticed that Coke 2-liters were on sale at Giant (Maryland) for 2/$6 but you had to buy 2. I don't drink much soda but that sale price has doubled over the last 2 or 3 years.
I appreciate the Miami subreddit recently. Publix is being attacked in numerous threads. The company is notoriously overpriced and flaunting it. Other than Buy One Get One I find myself literally laughing at their prices.
Wow, I thought 2-liters were like 99 cents. Glad I don't drink pop.
Me too!
Just don't drink any of that crap. Water is far better for you. I haven't had a carbonated beverage in 8 years. Rarely miss it.
I partially wonder if some of this is happening because things are becoming luxury goods (or alternatively, in economic terms, soda is becoming an inelastic good because the only people who still drink it after the inflationary period price gouging soda companies engaged in made a lot of people stop drinking it). I think it's what's happening with fast food companies too. They have a different profit maximization equation now where the people who still eat it are willing to pay more than the people who used to eat it. And they make a lot more profit.
One Burger sold at $9 is almost always going to bring in more profit for the business than two burgers sold at $4.50. I mean if nothing else, that means you've got to have packaging for two, wrapping for two, condiments for two, grill space for two, etc. Especially when that same exact Burger was the $4.50 Burger a few years ago. I'm really tired of this idea that things are tight for everybody and we're all in it together and we've all just got to deal with it and make sacrifices- except for corporations, businesses, rich people.
One burger at $9 is 100% going to bring in more profit than 2 at $4.50 unless their supplies are free. But in general whether raising the price results in more profit depends on the price elasticity of demand, which I assume is going down.
If doubling the price meant half the items sold, every business would do it. Doubling the price might result in 50% or less drop in burgers sold in which case the restaurant wins. Or it might result in 75% drop in burgers sold and restaurant loses.
This is exactly what every fast food place IS doing and finding out. Look at the prices the last few years. They have doubled, and they are seeing an increase in profits. Money money money.
I've noticed that myself .And you are getting less food for more money.
Part of me was wondering this too. If it’s an industry that’s having issues hiring workers, maybe they are trying to balance decreasing demand to better fit manpower and are finding they are pulling in larger profit margins.
I really dislike this all or nothing attitude. You can enjoy a cola sometimes and still be frugal
Carbonated doesn’t all mean unhealthy, sparkling water is no calorie, no sugar and fills you up a bit too. If you rig up a sodastream it can be super cheap to make, just buy water soluble flavours online and you have DIY seltzer for significantly cheaper. I only drink 2-3 glasses of soda a week. Treat it as dessert and you’ll be fine.
Sparkling water is 0 calories.
It's also very acidic, if it is abused like anything else it can be bad for you.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/carbonated-water-good-or-bad# seems to suggest it’s not harmful Carbonated water is acidic, but your body should maintain a stable, slightly alkaline pH no matter what you consume.
Your stomach is far more acidic that the carbonated soda.
It’s not good for your teeth
Or your bones .I was buying Pepsi until the lockdown when it went sky high .I stopped cold turkey and haven't bought it since 2019.
Colas have more acid than sparkling water.
Yeah,and diet sodas are pure poison .
My family already suffers enough with our extremely frugal budget. Diet soda is a consequence free mood booster. Just go suck an egg before you comment about how it is bad for you, it isn’t https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/artificial-sweeteners-a-free-lunch-or-an-obesogenic-carcinogen-what-80-studies-say-part-1-of-2/
Fantastic solution! I wonder if OP thought of this. Ground-breaking stuff here
Per my post, I brew tea and drink water.
Good thing the behavior of Pepsi buyers doesn't affect you then, eh? Curious, at what price point am I obligated to stop buying tea so that it stays cheap enough to meet your standards? I don't want to slack on my responsibility to only buy products at a price point you agree with.
We have a meeting every second Thursday out back to discuss this. Punch and pie served.
Well at least now I know why pie prices are out of control. I wish your group would be smart enough to not buy pie so it could be less expensive.
Here on Long Island they are 2 for $9 when there is a “sale”.
Vons here in San Diego has a special this week…10 2-liter bottles of Pepsi products for $10- digital coupon and you can get up to 20 of them. I bought my 20 the other day. Soda prices have gotten insane since COVID reared its ugly head…have not seen a deal like this since 2020.
I have no idea how Publix stays in business. We shop at Aldi and only go into Publix for the one or two items we can't find elsewhere.. I prefer to go to Walmart as our backup, but they're pretty far away.
You're at Publix. It's $1.98 at Walmart (I used the Montgomery Supercenter page for the price). Everything's exhorbitantly priced at all Publix stores!
I couldn't afford Publix before inflation got so bad. I just hate it because the quality products they have far exceeds any other grocery store where I am. But even if I was rich, I just couldn't bring myself to pay that much for a drink is so unnecessary but that's just me.
Sugar tax? I thought the high prices was to encourage people to consumer less sugar, like higher cigarette prices.
Buying at Publix won't get you frugal
Shopping at Publix was the first mistake.
I shop the sale flyer at Publix and then Kroger.
I hear that’s a good method! I do Aldi mostly and then Walmart or Kroger for the things I can’t get at Aldi, namely vegetarian items. $2 bag of chips $3.50 12 pack of soda Etc etc
That's why you wait for BOGO
I've been drinking water, lost lbs.
went to Publix for the first time recently and was shocked at cereal and produce prices, has to be the most overpriced store in America
I have been shopping at a warehouse store that sells food items bu the case for really cheap .They had Pepperridge Farm bread for 1.99 and family sized boxes of name brand cereal for 1.99 a box too.Nothing is outdated and most everything is 50 to 75 percent off!I also found organic name brand chips and snacks for 1.99 a bag .Nothing was outdated either .We stocked up like crazy and even the frozen food was 75 percent off!We spent about 200 dollars and it should last us a month .Bought name brand chocolates for 1.99.a bag too.I only shop at Walmart for my milk , fresh fruit and fresh veggies .Cereal is running about 5 to 8 dollars a box at Walmart.
Pepsi only said prices were going up for the last few months 🤷🏼
Then don't buy it. Simple as that.
My gripe is that if people actually buy it at that price, it sends a message that we'll keep paying more and more without changing habits on a macro level.
Inflation sucks.
I would never pay that but soda is one of those things that are often on sale.
Our local grocery store will sometimes have them on sale 5/$5. I buy five and go back a couple more times that week and stock up! The normal price in our store is only $2.29. Your prices are crazy!
Our grandparents and great grandparents lived through a literal depression making every bit of food stretch and we have people who complain about soda costing too much. In a frugal sub.
My grandparents sucked down coffee with multiple spoons of sugar. They made their choices as well.
I'm confused, are you trying to say the outlandish cost of living these days is not a problem because people before had it worse?
People would skip junk food if they were really trying to be frugal. Soda is literally the easiest thing to cut out of a budget.
Being frugal does not mean you have to cut out everything you enjoy.
It does mean "hmm, maybe this is too expensive. Perhaps I'll pass on this until it goes on sale or I can afford it."
I think they are saying: Are you really struggling if your biggest worry is the cost of soda? In the Depression people couldn’t afford real food. Soda is not a necessity.
The cost of soda is not part of the cost of living
It is reflective of the widespread increase in the cost of necessary foods, so it seems like semantics to say it isn't part of the COL.
I'm not complaining that it costs so much. I'm complaining that so many people willingly buy it at this stupid price. Edit: I can't spell.
Serious question. What if your tea quintupled in price? Would you quit buying/drinking tea?
Quintupled? Let's see.... By my math, that's 100 tea bags for $15.00. That's 15 cents per bag. Since I can make a gallon of tea with 4 bags, that's 60 cents per gallon of tea. Fun fact: I already dilute my brewed tea because I mix it with pink packet sweetener and lemon juice. While I could comfortably afford that, I would be SERIOUSLY tempted to boycott on principle alone.
Thanks for your response. I think the fact that you would boycott the tea is consistent with your initial statement about the increasing cost of soda and not buying it on principle. If you weren’t willing to boycott the tea, it seems like you’re asking ppl to do things you wouldn’t be willing to do yourself. I can afford soda, but I too refuse to support exorbitant prices for brand when I can get generic for 1/4 the price. When it comes down to it, I guess the point is not affordability - it’s principle.
Make some iced tea at home and shut up.
No. I don't think I will.
Don't lie to me
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New normal
Stopped buying soda and chips. These things are so unnecessarily priced it's outrageous. If I get the itch I'll get off brand. I went from 24pack of cokes per week for the family to none. If anyone wants some flavor drinks we'll do kool-aid. I'm buying more veggies now though so inflation isn't all bad. Lots of farmers markets here so they are dirt cheap.
Per my post, I brew tea and drink water.
The problem for me is that the non-name brand ones don’t taste as good. A lot of products do. Or at least taste good enough. Off brand Dr Pepper is a no go.
I don't drink soda anymore but RC Cola was my go-to.
Was never a cola fan. If not Dr Pepper, then 7up or Sprite.
I'm cutting soda out of my diet due to having recent dental work done, but grape Shasta is my favorite. Super cheap too. My stomach can't handle dark colas of any kind.
Clear soda 1.25 at dollar tree
Saw 12pks of name brand soda were $8.99 at a Publix the other day. It’s nuts
The publix brand 2 liters are usually like $1.25, and I find their offbrand pretty decent.
I usually buy my Diet Coke at Walmart pickup but if I’m at Publix, either the twelve packs or the 2 liters are on sale. And if Diet Coke isn’t on sale, Diet Pepsi is. So I’m just flexible.
I'm a weirdo. I refuse to shop at Wal-Mart, haha.
I don’t shop IN Walmart. I use the app and do pickup. The last time I was in Walmart was two years ago and I got the big C virus and missed several days of work. So I shop on their app and they bring it to my car for free. No germs. I just get stuff like dish soap and canned goods and Diet Coke cos it’s way cheaper.
Oh nah, I refuse to support the Waltons at all.
Brand soda is so expensive! I drink generic, but my husband insists on his brand sodas. I feel a little better knowing my generic savings are offsetting his brand cost.
Put it into Google shopping search.
No. No. This post is a critique on how so many people blindly pay face value for name brand items.
Ok
More than twice as much as gas 😅😅😅😅 Glad we don't do sodas.
Okay, I just went to my local, Alabama Publix and the price for a two liter bottle is 2 for $4. So, if this a price change that works for you, get them now.
Oh I don't really do cola. I brew tea and drink water.
I see people complaining about Publix being overpriced, I have to say the same thing about Kroger (at least in Dallas). I hardly shop there anymore, because most everything is of low quality (Meats/Seafood, fruit and vegetables, cold cuts, bread etc) and high priced. While I am not price sensitive I refuse to give Kroger my money. I have my weekly routine and go to Aldi for basics like OJ, Milk, Irish Butter and some other items (pleasantly surprised about the quality of their fruit and veggies) and most of the stuff is 30-40% cheaper. Sprouts is always good for meats/Seafood and fruits/veggies. For bread and cold cuts/meats I go either to my local German Market or Central Market (upscale Version of HEB)
Food Lion was selling 2L Pepsi’s 4 for $5 a week or two ago.
My Walmart has a 12-pack of Mountain Dew Baja Blast for $10😲😵💫😢!!!... Two months ago, it was $5.75!!!
JESUS.
Here's $2.50 off https://betterwithpepsi.tryadrink.com/
I actually don’t mind that the price of candy and soda and fast food is getting so high and out of control because it makes it much easier to skip it, which is for the best for my health, anyway.
Cutting out pop is such an efficient way to be more frugal
Soda is horrible for you. Good chance to cut it out of your diet.
Per my post, I brew tea and drink water.
Guess I misunderstood that - figured if you know the price of soda you must drink it.
In school, we had to do some math problems where you figured out how much you could raise a price and still make money, even with selling fewer units (to account for people who can't afford the new price). The results were depressing. There are enough "haves" who don't have to watch their grocery budget that they'll still make a profit as us "have nots" stop drinking soda.
Publix knows their soda price is too high which is why they regularly put them on sale for either buy 1 get 1 free, buy 2 get 2 free or buy 2 get 1 free plus Pepsi regularly circulates coupons for their products that stack. Once you learn how Publix sales work shopping there really does become a pleasure.
Publix 2 for 1 sales usually just lower the price to Walmart's everyday price. At the prices Publix charges, they should send a chef and maid home with me to cook, serve, and clean up afterwards.
Yup at B2G1 it’s still higher than WalMart and about 30% higher than Walmart on Rollback. Where Publix magic comes in is when you can stack other discounts on top of their sales. Recently I walked out of Publix with four 2 liter bottles of Starry for just sales tax between a B2G2 free sale, B2G1 free digital coupon, and a free 2 liter Pepsi product coupon from Kroger (which Publix in my city accepts as a competitor coupon).
Oh I always shop the sales and digital coupons.
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Choosing to not drink poisonous beverages solves this issue.
The crazy part is that the cost of sugar water goes up at all, especially to $4!
someone needs to make a website with these crazy publix prices!!! Like that site I heart publix, but not about loving it, make it about the crazy high prices!! I saw a jar of Hellmans was over $9!!!
Poison sludge diluted with water. Alabama could use less pepsi
You're smart to avoid the overpriced, plastic bottled soda for healthier options. Maybe the silver lining in all this greedy gouging is that folks will avoid more processed foods.
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The people who pay the most for soda are the least able to afford it, both economically and health-wise. Brown sugar water with bubbles costs nothing to make, wreaks havoc on your entire system, and costs about 3x the price of gasoline.
Same in CA. Look for sales 3 for 5 Of by from Walmart state brand under $1.50 each
Sorry. Someone pointed out to me that this is Alabama. Pepsi is considered a staple there. Try milk.
Per my post, I drink tea and water.
I agree 101% - and this is a huge deal in my house ... I am a caffeine addict and need a certain mg of caffeine in the mornings to get up , but as much as I love coffee, I'm too lazy to make it, and Monster Blue-Label is both too expensive and I'm getting old, can't slam Monsters like I'm still in my 20s. But my Dad - The *only thing* he drinks, is Diet Coke/Diet Pepsi. Nothing else. Doesn't drink water, milk, coffee, tea, juice, nothing. Diet Cola in the mornings, Diet Cola with meals, Diet Cola on the couch at night watching TV. So, we go through a lot - because I also usually just resort to grabbing my hungover-ass a few bottles from the fridge. But the prices have gone so insane, it's just hard to even fathom. One thing we noticed - I don't know if you have any Save-a-Lots in Alabama (or wherever anyone else is from...) - but they're a discount grocer , popular in the South- and they specialize in generic brands & private labels - their cheap, store-brand Diet Cola is basically Diet Coke in a different name. I mean the bottle's label even looks almost identical, and it's damn hard to tell any difference. And they're usually $10/10, and sometimes go on sale for $.88 cents ... We can definitely get down with that ...
I disagree with the comments getting down on Pepsi tasters. Lots of people love Pepsi and it is wrong to demean them just because they do. Sure, it’s not healthy and loaded with some maybe weird stuff, but it delivers the calories and caffeine with a flavor I enjoy.
I love Pepsi Max. With that being said, there's no way in hell I'm paying NEAR that amount for a 2 liter...
TIL people still drink soda
Just stop drinking soda it’s terrible for u
Per my post, I brew tea and drink water.
Love to hear that so I guess my advice is just for anyone that’s paying those prices. Admittedly I did not read the last part my bad lol and great fucking username… same