Soda Sticker Shock!

[AbabeBill]

I know everyone is aware of grocery prices, and the way they’ve been increasing, like an old time analog chronometer spinning and spinning, as if connected to a hamster wheel while on steroids.
Like a lot of people, I enjoy a good ole Coca-Cola from time to time. I’ll drink, at least one 12 Oz. Sometimes 2 in a day. I don’t think that’s excessive. But, I’m thinking of cutting back? I mean wow! I just bought 3, 12 can boxes for $15! ?‍? what the hell? There was a time, not so long ago, 2 years, I could buy 3 of those 12 can boxes for $8 !!! 
Now I know, Covid and bla bla bla inflation, but an increase of $7 in a couple of years? No change in the process, and what the hell is soda anyway? Fizzy water, sugar, coloring, oh and the shhh, secret coke recipe. And if you know what Coke’s secret is, don’t yell it out please. I don’t want Pepsi to find out! I hate Pepsi ? 

I’m thinking of, “grain alcohol and rainwater Group Captain Mandrake”. (General Jack D. Ripper)

Might be a good switch??? ?

I don’t do a rant every day, but that was my rant for today… ?

[~Brian~]

@AbabeBill

I know how you feel! The cost of many things is going up up up, and there doesn’t seem to be any way that they’re going back down. COVID-19 has helped to increase the prices of almost everything that we consume. It also does not help that we have supply chain issues, and we’re unable to get what we need when we need it, and I hate to point it out but those idiots that are on the border between the United States and Canada, are part of the reason that some of this may be going on. For days these people have gone up to the border, and have made it impossible for people to go through. Now the Canadian government has decided that they will invoke some sort of war to make it so they can be held accountable for these actions.

It is my hope that someday the supply chain will be corrected and repaired, so that we can get what we need when we need it, at a reasonable price. I do remember times when sort of used to cost five dollars a 12 pack, and I used to drink a lot of soda between the time I was 20 and 32. My brother Michael has told me on occasion that I used to drink at least 3 Six packs a month, and he knows that because he would go after them.  I used to light Coca-Cola myself, But for some reason after a while the taste of Coca-Cola didn’t even the appeal to me, and I went to different soda. Now I drink orange, and I drink ginger ale, and sometimes I drink Mountain Dew and Dr Pepper. I do that because sometimes Dr Pepper and Mountain Dew are 2 so does that can help me with headaches, but I don’t like to use that unless I am so badly off that I need immediate relief.

I can understand that there are truckers that may Not like what they are doing on the border, and that it may be inconvenient for them and cause them some grief. However, since I am a consumer, and I use a lot of products, I would think that it would be more important that people who need the products would be able to get the products at a reasonable price, at a reasonable time, and and not have something end up going up in price at a ridiculous rate simply because of supply chain issues. I am a supporter of the truckers in the Teamsters as well, but since Covid has begun in 2020, everything seems to have changed, and I’m not sure if there is anyway that people will be able to return to a normal shut up, because of the way Covid works. I hope one day, that everyone will be able to go back to a time when we are able to freely cross the border, and freely decide when we’re going to do something and I have to worry as much as we did in 2020. I also want to be safe, and I want to make sure that whoever I am around I am not giving them sicknesses, because of the fact that my parents are compromisable and can easily pick up things, especially my father.

Let’s hope someday, we are able to get back to “normal” and we’re able to do things like we have in the past. Until that day, we will have to deal with whatever reasonable accommodations and reasonable restrictions have been placed on us, to protect people from getting sick

Brian

[Crinklz Kat]

Well, I'm the opposite.  I hate Coke --- Long live Pepsi!  (well, Diet Pepsi --- can't stand the HFCS laden stuff at all).

I've seen the prices go up as well, but with all of the different store chains, just gotta look for the one that has it on sale and stock up a bit when you do find it.   Oooooorrrrrrr..... use it as an incentive to cut back. 

[beallucanb]

 

Quit buying caned soda, you should buy 16 oz plastic bottles, a bottle you can close it,  come back to it later way less waste.

 

I was making my own with a soda stream, for about 10 years,  I bought a soda stream machine,   hooked it to a 15 lb Co2 container it was saving me money for quite awhile. until but the price of coke syrup went through the roof.

When I started making my own soda I was paying 50 to 75 for a 5 gallon BIB, the same BIB is now 150 even for off brands, the biggest problem with soda streams are you can't get the level of carbonation you can from a soda fountain, you can buy a 1 flavor fountain for $1,000  it self contained all you do is add ice and syrup and C02.

So I went back to buying soda in bottles,  when I started buying 16 ozers just before  the pandemic took off diet coke was 8.98 for 3-6 packs.

 

If you love to drink diet coke the best deal is to go to Mcdonalds around here any size drink is 100 and 06 tax, every afternoon I stop in and drink all I want.

I stay at Micky D's for a few hours, while BS'ing with the local guys drinking coke, while playing with my computer or phone.

[DailyDi]

A box of coke is $9 here right now. It's been steadily increasing every month for a while now. I still buy it for mom, but I have switched to the store brand, and then haven't had a soda in 2 weeks.

[ValentinesStuff]

Earlier this year 2 liters of Diet Dr Pepper jumped from $1.39 to $1.99. 

[oznl]

Other side of the planet calling:  we buy Coke Zero by the boatload in our house.  There are usually a few 2 litre (67 oz) bottles floating around at any time.  It usually rounds to around AUD3.00 per bottle (USD2.16) at the supermarket, a lot of the time down to about AUD2.00 (USD 1.40) if it's on special.

Yesterday, it was AUD4.57 (USD 3.29) per bottle, labelled on the shelf just like nothing had happened...    That's almost a 50% price jump...  It's made locally btw...

[square_duck]

There is always the soda you find in dollar stores, usually off brands, or older brands, like Neehi or others, and they are much cheaper. I try to stf away from soda......buuuuuuuttt, that Baja blast keeps calling me.. ??????. I usually drink club soda, its fizzy, but no sugar or other crap to make things worse. 

Might give dollar stores, .99 cent stores or dollar tree a shot!! ??

[Dubious]

Box soda cost more than the soda in plastic bottles.

Apparently there is more fizz in cans, but I don't like that much fizz.

[willnotwill]

Depends on the size of the bottle often.    The 2L seem to be fairly flat as soon as opened, but the smaller ones do better.

For a while I had a full up carbonation system (bag-in-box syrups, bar gun etc...).   That got to be a little too much work for how little I drink.    I went to Sodastream for a while but that in a pain as well.    Now I have a Grohe undersink chiller/carbonator.    It gives me fizzy water which I can augment or not with flavorings.    

[Dubious]

I mostly drink water, but sometimes I choose beer or wine, but very rarely soda.

Soda is never healthy. 

[square_duck]

I thought that most modern cars were fuel injected, yet I still hear mention of carbonators....I guess if there is a demand...* Shrug*

[AwakenEvil]

Inflation is a bitch. Hopefully things change but I don't see it changing in any amount of time soon.

[AbabeBill]

I can see reasons why the costs might go up on certain items. But, not on all things, and not the amounts they jump up to, especially. I think it’s scalping on allot of what we buy. The prices don’t go sky high because of actual costs, they go higher, because some companies see it as opportunity! 
Like Coca Cola, suddenly paying out record dividends. Hmmm? I see it as, corporate opportunity, reaping great profits on the misery of the situation. 

[AwakenEvil]

3 hours ago, AbabeBill said:

I can see reasons why the costs might go up on certain items. But, not on all things, and not the amounts they jump up to, especially. I think it’s scalping on allot of what we buy. The prices don’t go sky high because of actual costs, they go higher, because some companies see it as opportunity! 
Like Coca Cola, suddenly paying out record dividends. Hmmm? I see it as, corporate opportunity, reaping great profits on the misery of the situation. 

When metals and the price of oil goes up the cost of all the goods surrounding those goods go up...

[MegaChar]

Aluminum is almost at $2 a pound. Probly why the soda is getting expensive.

Unless your like me and you use it like a secondary savings account. I got around $200 saved so far.

PS: save copper too. Almost $5 a pound and its used in everything.

[Dubious]

In Norway the can have a value of about 10 cents. 

You pay 10 cents when you buy the can, and get back 10 cents when you deliver the can for recycling. 

[vvp39]

Quite a few years ago I discovered that a pickup load of smashed aluminum cans was worth ~ $400, and a pickup load of recycled glass bottles ~$30. Since then I haven't bought soft drinks or beer in glass bottles. I have a few big plastic containers in the shop - when they're full of smashed cans I haul to a metal scrapper in Tacoma. Scrap aluminum isn't as high now as it was then, but I still get $40 or $50 a load.

[Dubious]

6 hours ago, vvp39 said:

Quite a few years ago I discovered that a pickup load of smashed aluminum cans was worth ~ $400, and a pickup load of recycled glass bottles ~$30. Since then I haven't bought soft drinks or beer in glass bottles. I have a few big plastic containers in the shop - when they're full of smashed cans I haul to a metal scrapper in Tacoma. Scrap aluminum isn't as high now as it was then, but I still get $40 or $50 a load.

But how much more does it cost to buy the cans?

[Crinklz Kat]

It does cost more, but it's not usually that significant and it also depends greatly on where purchasing.  Not that many places here in the US charge a "deposit" fee.   And that's really just another name for tax as they're not very likely taking the empties back.  It's not like it was in the past when stuff was in glass bottles and when they were returned, they were fully washed and re-used for the next batch.   Here we have a good recycling program so all I have to do is put the stuff in my bin out at the curb each week. 

Getting back to the price....

At the chain I prefer shopping at,

• a 2L is $2.49, but on sale for $1.99.    $.995/liter   (oh, and this was $1.79 just 2 weeks ago!)
• 6-pk of 1/2 L plastic bottles - $6.29, but on sale 4 for $12.58 (advertised as buy 2 get 2 free).   $1.04/liter
• 12-pk of 12oz (355ml) cans - $7.29 - but on sale for $4.99.   $1.171/liter

At the second preferred chain (this one doesn't require one of those stupid asinine discount cards to get sale prices either!),

• 2L on sale 5 for $5.00  $.5/liter    (and this is where I stocked up most recently)
• 6-pk of 1/2 L plastic bottles - $5.79  $1.93/liter
• 12-pk of 12 oz cans - $7.79 - but on sale 2 for $7.79.    $.914/liter
• 24-pk of 12oz cans - $9.49  $1.113/liter

So, you can see in many cases that it's a few pennies difference in cost - all depends on what your preferred packaging is.  I buy 2L for home.. but the 6-pk bottles for taking to work.  I save a "fortune" not having to buy from the vending machines at work (which I believe is over $2 for a 20oz bottle alone!).   There's several other large chains in this area, but of them, I only use one on rare occasion and I know that most of them are generally higher priced on average.  They have to pay for those rewards programs somehow.

 

BTW... I had heard this rumor but never bothered to see if it actually works.   The rumor is that enough people have registered for the discount cards using "867-5309" within whatever area code you're in.  Anyone ever try it? 

[Amber's Boy]

You bought 3 twelve packs?  More than once?  I'm just messing with you.

I've never really been into soda, but I drink a ,probably unhealthy amount of coffee. I'll be damned if I ever turn down a Coke.  Offer me one.  Try it, see what happens!  If Amber say's it's okay.

  I can be kinda mouthy if I'm not being watched.  I kinda like not being watched.  FERAL CHILD!  Whoop whoop whoop whhoooop!

Try and catch me.

[DailyDi]

11 minutes ago, Amber's Boy said:

You bought 3 twelve packs?  More than once?  I'm just messing with you.

I've never really been into soda, but I drink a ,probably unhealthy amount of coffee. I'll be damned if I ever turn down a Coke.  Offer me one.  Try it, see what happens!  If Amber say's it's okay.

  I can be kinda mouthy if I'm not being watched.  I kinda like not being watched.  FERAL CHILD!  Whoop whoop whoop whhoooop!

Try and catch me.

When my Dad was alive we routinely bought six 12 packs a week as he, mom and I drank different varieties,

[jmac32here]

But the secret is addictive chemicals like what Coke was originally made with *cough*cocaine*cough*

[AbabeBill]

36 minutes ago, jmac32here said:

But the secret is addictive chemicals like what Coke was originally made with *cough*cocaine*cough*

Back when Coca Cola had cocaine in it, so did everything else, like children’s cough syrup. Hey kids, not feeling well? Come and get it! 

[AwakenEvil]

Honestly soda is actually bad for you, think as it as a good thing! Drink water!