5 Rip Offs From Your Local Grocery Store
That weekly trip to the grocer might seem like it’s been making your wallet much lighter than usual. That’s not really a surprise because since the year 2005, the prices of most food items have seen an increase of nearly 32% and this includes the 40% price-hike on everyday groceries such as vegetables, poultry and meat. This has been the reason why lots of people have been going out to their local grocers during sales and specials. But, the question is, are these specials actually specials.
Most grocery stores are actually ripping off their customers with the promise of such special pricing and best bargains. Let’s take a look at the examples of some of them.
#1 Bottled Water
Did You Know That Your Bottled of Water Actually Costs Almost 300 Times What You Pay for Tap Water?
The reason is that the bright colored packaging, the convenience of it and the promise of “clean water”, does not come cheap. Production costs of the bottles themselves are nearly 3/4ths of the price that you pay for it so that doesn’t make any sense, when Americans have the choice of just going with their tap water, which is some of the cleanest in the world. If you’re worried, get yourself a water filter and save yourself all that extra money, all while reducing the amount of plastic waste from purchase of bottled water.
#2 Individual Packaging
Anything with individual packaging is not only a rip off but is also another contributor to overall waste. Always remember that when anything is packaged for your convenience, you are also being charged for the people who work to remove that “inconvenience” for you. Things like pre-cooked meats, deli meats and quick meals are just some of the examples of them. If you need the convenience of such things, try setting some time to do your own cooking and bagging. Use reusable containers instead of actual bags and you’d also be doing Mother Nature a solid.
#3 Microwave Popcorn
Microwave popcorn is essentially just marketing ploy. The guarantee of having popcorn made in minutes, just using your microwave oven is definitely enticing. But, what they don’t tell you is that you can achieve the same results with some popping corn and flavoring. The ready-packaged microwaveable options for popcorn actually costs about 5-6 times more than average, store-bought popping corn. If that’s not a grocery store rip off, I don’t know what is.
#4 Salad Dressing
It’s a preposterous idea to be spending a ton on something that you can make in just a few minutes using some simple ingredients. Salad dressings promise you the convenience of not having to chop up pickles finely for your Island dressing but what you don’t see is that each bottle is laden with preservatives that are harmful to health. Aside from that, a simple, home-made salad dressing is fresh and it’s always the best option to eat fresh food items.
#5 Items Near Checkout Counters
There’s a reason why these things are not already in your shopping cart or shopping basket and that’s because you don’t even need them in the first place. Grocery stores, however, have mastered consumer behavior and know that while waiting in line, your eyes will wander and land on that piece of gum, candy or chocolate, even on the “sale specials’ waiting by the checkout lines. These items are usually priced much higher than usual and are designed to make you spend on things that are redundant to your grocery list.
So, the next time you go grocery shopping, scrutinize the prices and avoid such marketing ploys and rip offs. Keep your grocery budget tight and you’ll survive the weekly shopping run. If you suspect that your grocer may be dealing with crimes much worse than your average grocery store rip off, a simple Background Search can tell you what kind of person your grocer really is.
Disclaimer:
The above is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute a legal advice or specific recommendations in any way.
