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"I don't look at prices when I go grocery shopping"

Pilgrimzero

Member
Had a get together with some friends and family over the weekend and one of my friends who, let's say, has more money than the rest of us, said this when I asked him about something he bought at the grocery store.

And I get that he comes from a "different world" that he was born into, then us plebeians but saying that really upset me.

And I know it's on my end and it comes from a place of jealousy. I had just they after noon been grocery shopping and had to be mindful of what was a good value and what I could and couldn't afford that week.

And it just really bugs me. And makes me hate that I work 40 hours a week and sometimes can't afford to buy "the good cheese" or the "good bread".

Not to say he doesn't work as well and isn't an educated fellow. And he is aware that he can come off as arrogant sometimes. He's really a good dude. And as I said this all comes a place of jealousy.

I'm just.... in work and work and thats it. No vacations, gotta buy generic at the store, etc. Just frustrating. And I turn 40 tomorrow.
 
Weird discussion topic. I don't really look at prices too much these days but I've been buying the same stuff for decades at this point.
 
I honestly don't look that closely at the prices, either. Luckily, my wife does.

The other day, I almost got tricked twice at Target because of this. They had a 9 oz. box of Cheerios for $3.12 and a 12 oz. box for $3.17. Of course I grabbed the smaller box first. Then, they also had a 2-pack of this pasta sauce that actually cost more than buying two of the same-sized jars individually. Fooled again.

I mean, I generally don't care much to pay a bit more for higher quality, but this was bullshit, designed specifically to trick people like me.
 

SDCowboy

Member
This seriously angered you to the point where it prompted to you make a thread about it? :/

Anyway, on topic, if it's something I regularly buy, I don't usually look at the prices either.
 

Ray Wonder

Founder of the Wounded Tagless Children
Most of the time idgaf about prices, I'm pretty much set on getting what I'm getting when I'm at a grocery store.
 
One of my greatest pleasures in life is comparing items to try and get the best value.

Paying ridiculous amounts of money for items that could be had for less isn't impressive, it's stupid.
 
I have a pretty set grocery list, so I don't look at the prices of those because I know what to expect. But when buying something new, of course you look. The price is right there.
 

TheOfficeMut

Unconfirmed Member
Topic title reminds me of my sister-in-law who, when shopping with my sibling's money, is not mindful of sales or prices. She chooses not to work so it's his money she uses. Personally I'd be pretty pissed.
 

davepoobond

you can't put a price on sparks
i mostly go to target, its got everything i need in one place so the 1 or 2 dollars i might pay extra accidentally is usually offset by whatever low price they have on other things.

its not worth the gas or time researching temporary deals since i only go shopping like once or twice a month. convenience is worth more to me at my scale.


if it is big purchases then ill do the leg work...
 
I don't really look at prices at the grocery store for most things that I need. If the soap that I need is $5 and it's normally $3.50 then I grin and bear it because, well, I need the soap. If there's some soap that's considerably cheaper next to it, I might buy that soap, but... I've been using the same soap for a decade, and so I don't usually really change those habits. Some things I do though. Like, liquid laundry detergeant, I'll look at the unit price because Tide might be super expensive one day while Arm and Hammer is cheap, so I'll buy that. But I don't have any brand loyalty or preference for laundry detergeant... But, for something I'm going to eat, I usually do have a brand loyalty or preference so I'd pay the extra $0.50 for the brand/food I like.

I'll be somewhat choosy with some things, but usually not. I just know not to buy fruits and vegetables that are out of season, and I don't buy the stuff that's priced more than I'm willing to pay (say, like Pomegranate juice). But some things I know are pricy and I have to buy them, so I don't focus on the price much.
 

old

Member
Unfortunately, the rest of us have to deal with prices that artificially inflated to exploit the growing number of "I don't look at prices" shoppers.

I mean if you can sell a jar of pasta sauce for $10 why sell it for $2? I'm not going to buy it but this asshole still is. So $10 it is.
 

Viewt

Member
Doesn't sound like he was saying it to be arrogant, but you know him better than I do, so I'll take your word for it.

I don't pay that much attention to the price at the grocery store, either. I usually only compare prices when I'm deciding between two brands and there aren't any other differences in terms of quality.

Regardless, I can sympathize with both of you. Up until like 5-6 years ago, I was struggling pretty badly in terms of finances. Things took an upswing and I'm doing a lot better now, but your lifestyle really does change when you can afford it. And when you're hanging out with others, sometimes it can come off as flaunting when you're really just sharing details.

I guess what I'm saying is, unless you think he's purposefully trying to make you feel bad, maybe cut him some slack.
 

hey_it's_that_dog

benevolent sexism
As someone who obsessively looks at price tags, not out of necessity, but out of a compulsion to optimize, I try to remind myself sometimes that no matter what I'm buying at the grocery store it's still a lot cheaper than going to a restaurant, even fast food.

I don't know if framing things that way would help you feel better, OP, but try to give yourself credit for making smart choices about your food and finances. Some people eat out all the time when they could be saving a ton of money instead.
 

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
Topic title reminds me of my sister-in-law who, when shopping with my sibling's money, is not mindful of sales or prices. She chooses not to work so it's his money she uses. Personally I'd be pretty pissed.

No, no, no, no. I am sorry, but she is your brother's wife, at that point it is basically their money unless she is breaking a budget they have both set.
 

Carn82

Member
we don't really "look at prices" but do "try" effective shopping. We try to save money on stuff where it's easy to save money on (usually household stuff like cleaners, toilet paper, cheap basic ingredients for cooking, etc); we try to look for discounts, and try to plan dinner for at least a bunch of days ahead so we can (re)-use some ingredients / left overs. But we don't save on quality meat or bread.
 

120v

Member
i used to not really look at prices either, until a friend (who actually makes waaay more money than me) told me about how expensive my go-to grocery store was compared to one down the street.

started going to said grocery store, honest to god probably saved at least $1000 the past year
 

RinsFury

Member
I look at the prices for everything. Making a mistake and buying the wrong item could mean not having enough money left to eat that month.
 
I'm not well off by any means but it's kind of the same for me. I usually buy the same shit from publix all the time so I know how much it's usually going to cost.

Obviously I will look out for deals and what not but for the most part I rarely look at the prices either.
 

zoukka

Member
I've started to slip as well. I live alone and have lots of disposable income so I've become more lax with my spending over time. I need to tighten my shit up again since it's just dumb to lose money like that. I can buy premium food, but I should always buy the cheapest version of that quality.
 

SDCowboy

Member
Unfortunately, the rest of us have to deal with prices that artificially inflated to exploit the growing number of "I don't look at prices" shoppers.

I mean if you can sell a jar of pasta sauce for $10 why sell it for $2? I'm not going to buy it but this asshole still is. So $10 it is.

I think most people would notice that price point. Not carefully checking the price of things doesn't mean one isn't aware of the general price. I think most folks know the general prices of things they buy regularly.

If I'm buying a potato, I'm not likely to dwell over what the price of it is because I also know what price range to expect.
 

btrboyev

Member
I don't either. I usually pick up the same things with an occasional thing here or there. My grocery bill is always between $60 and $90
 

Kas

Member
I don't look at proces, but that's because I honestly memorized all the prices of the shit I buy every week.

Wipes, cat litter, cat food, acetone, bread, milk, eggs.

All memorized.
 

xxracerxx

Don't worry, I'll vouch for them.
C5GP1Oz.jpg

*beats coconut against rock*

"TELL ME HOW MUCH YOU COST!!"
 

Izuna

Banned
Man, I know what it's like to do this because of some people who I have hung out with, but boy does it make regular life feel bad.

I make sure that when I go to a restaurant I only have reservations about wine prices, tho.

A special occasion is a special occasion...
 
I don't think about the prices of things at the grocery store or keep track of grocery spending.

Unless you're being paid minimum wage or living close to the poverty line, (reasonable) grocery shopping is almost certainly not where you're being careless with your money.
 

PillarEN

Member
On a personal level I want to get to the point where if I want strawberries I buy strawberries regardless of the price tag.

Well not those white Japanese ones. There's higher than normal prices and then there is crazy prices. We are talking regular old strawberries here.
 

satriales

Member
I went to the supermarket with someone from work at lunchtime and they were just chucking things in their basket without looking at the prices, and it must have cost them £15 just for that one lunch. I'm there with a loaf of bread and some cheap filler and salad, trying to make £5 last all week.
 
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