What others pay

[jodifla]

Sometimes you need to get seventeen things done, a picking up the ice cream at the gas station manages to check off three things in a single stop - gas, ice cream, cigarettes.

If you've never paid through the nose due to convienence and having an immediate need - lucky you. But you can't tell whether this guy was a poor money manager, was a poor controller of impluse purchases, or had to get ice cream, had just come from the doctor which took an hour longer than expected, had be halfway across town to pick up his kid in twenty minutes, be back at this end of town in forty minutes to close on a mortgage. I've had days like that and they suck. Fortunately, I'm too busy just making it through my day to worry about the judgement of busybodies wondering why I'm getting ice cream at the gas station.

Yes, this, exactly. Not "surprising" at all.

 

[bella77]

To the OP, I didn't think you sounded judgmental at all. As a person who will go all over town to avoid overspending, I would also be surprised by someone who would pay that much for ice cream (which to me is not a necessity). And to those who suggest that I waste more money driving around than I save, I tell you it's the principle, not the price! I know, I'm crazy!

 

[IUTBAM]

It could be that he was on a road trip, or on vacation. I know when we are on road trips, we stop at gas stations for snacks and I pay a lot more for things than I normally would (like $3.00 each for 2 cookie ice cream sandwiches for my husband and son). Or he could have been in town on vacation, and didn't know where the closest grocery store was or (because he was on vacation) was willing to pay for convenience. I know I do when I'm on vacation.

 

[bdcp]

I look at it this way. Everyone chooses to spend their money their own way. I have family members who dont' understand my love of jewelry and cruising, and our willingness to spend on those things. That doesn't mean they don't spend money on things I think are frivolous or a waste. But in the end it's nobody's business if it's not hurting anyone else.

 

[jaminmd]

I was in the gas station last night and had to pick my jaw up off the ground when the man ahead of me paid $4.59 each for a pint of ice cream (he bought 2). I couldn't believe the cost and I couldn't believe that people are willing to pay it. This was not some gas station out in the middle of nowhere. There's a major grocery store chain less than 1/2 mile down the road. He could have gotten a gallon of ice cream for less than he paid for one pint.

Well, I'll take the risk of sounding like a snob but some of us don't have to count every penny so closely.

I rarely buy ice cream so I don't know what a good price is for ice cream. I just don't care. Nor would I pay attention to what others are buying/spending at the grocery store, then post about it on a message board.

However, I did take the time to respond. I find these posts strange, wondering why you'd even feel the need to post something like this. To each their own, simply stating my opinion.

 

[QVCshopper]

I always say it's not usually what you make that matters, it's how you spend it. I try to save a lot, but that's not important to everyone. To each their own, but I am surprised by other people as well sometimes. BTW, you weren't judging; just commenting.

 

[disneydreamersx4]

I always say it's not usually what you make that matters, it's how you spend it. I try to save a lot, but that's not important to everyone. To each their own, but I am surprised by other people as well sometimes. BTW, you weren't judging; just commenting.

I agree, you were not judging, just commenting about something you saw. I don't mind these posts at all OP, something to chat about. Plus everyone, we are on the budget board aren't we? btw I cringe when I have to pay over $2.50 for 1/2 gallon of ice cream.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

I think everyone is being too hard on the OP. I too have been behind someone in the supermarket and was surprised how much she paid for an item that I know is half the price at another store close by. When you are standing in line waiting your turn for the cash you have nothing to do but look. That is not snooping or being a busy body. After all this is the budget board where people talk about not wasting money, although it never would have occured to me to post about it here. Like most have said people do sacrifice their money for the sake of convenience, to each his own but in our case we love our Disney trips too much to throw our money away like that.
Weekly specials and coupons it is!

 

[pearlieq]

Well, I'll take the risk of sounding like a snob but some of us don't have to count every penny so closely.

Yeah, that's kind of it. Maybe he just didn't feel like making another stop that night or hauling his can all the way to the back of the grocery store for ice cream.

Sometimes the convenience is worth it. The extra $1.50 he spent on that pint of ice cream vs. what it might have cost at the store might have felt like a very fair price to him.

Also, the kind of ice cream you can get at the grocery store for $4.49/gallon is most definitely NOT Haagen Daaz.

 

[luvmy3]

He could have been like my dh and doesn't do any grocery shopping and has no idea how much cheaper he can get that ice cream at the supermarket. Or maybe he just wanted ice cream and saving $1.39 on it isn't really worth the drive to another store, finding a parking spot, standing in another line for it. He can be home enjoying his $5 worth of ice cream or still waiting somewhere else to pay $3 for it.

 

[ssawka]

It depends on the ice cream, if it is Ben & Jerry's or Häagen-Dazs, that's a normal price. Even in the grocery store, you are not going to find these brands much cheaper unless there is a sale.

 

[disneybound31]

Sometimes you need to get seventeen things done, a picking up the ice cream at the gas station manages to check off three things in a single stop - gas, ice cream, cigarettes.

If you've never paid through the nose due to convienence and having an immediate need - lucky you. But you can't tell whether this guy was a poor money manager, was a poor controller of impluse purchases, or had to get ice cream, had just come from the doctor which took an hour longer than expected, had be halfway across town to pick up his kid in twenty minutes, be back at this end of town in forty minutes to close on a mortgage. I've had days like that and they suck. Fortunately, I'm too busy just making it through my day to worry about the judgement of busybodies wondering why I'm getting ice cream at the gas station.

Yowsers...

 

[Mom2Ben02]

When I was nine months pregnant, I had to "run in" for a gallon of milk. Walgreens was closed, and the thought of walking allll the way to the back of Super Walmart to get milk was more than I could bear. So, I went to the gas station. I actually held that gallon in my hand for a good three minutes, deciding if, a) I shouldn't just go to Walmart, or b) we really needed the milk at all. Paying an extra $2/gallon was painful for me...almost as painful as that walk would have been!

 

[LIFERBABE]

I have found that when I was couponing, leader shopping and hopping, I spent way more on groceries and wasted alot more.

I still hit SAMs/Costco for certain things but I rarely shop ads/sales and our food budget has declined significantly.
One way I control our spending is shop at smaller markets. I am in/out in 10 minutes and less than $30. No impulse buys!
I have a WM neighborhood market 2 miles from my house but I avoid it at all costs!

 

[mamaLori05]

Well, I'll admit I'd being one of those people you'd be shocked at then. I don't really pay that close attention to grocery prices. If I want/need to pick something up, I just pick it up at whatever store I am passing. If I want it right away and the only "store" I will be passing is a gas station, I will stop and pick it up there to save myself the time. I'm usually doing my running around with kids in tow, so my time is more precious to me than saving a buck or two. Last week I was helping out at my dd's school bookfair. I had to leave to pick up my ds from preschool (and offered to pick up a friend's ds as well) and decided I would come back afterwords to continue helping since things were busy. I knew the kiddo's would be hungry and want a snack, so I stopped at the gas station on the way back and let the kids pick out some snacks to eat while they were waiting for us to finish up. Yes there is a grocery store a few miles down the road, but I wasn't going to be passing it. I spent $15 on a couple of small bags of snacks and juice bottles, but it was money well spent for me since I was able to get in and out in about 2 minutes (close parking, snacks by the register, no lines =quick in and out). The grocery store would have added an extra 20 minutes just to park, walk across the parking lot with two little ones in tow, and then head to the back of the store where the snack isle is, and then get in a line to check out. I know some think it's crazy, but to me my time is worth it.

 

[Virgderon]

I have done this. I have to have my diet soda, and I am very careful to look for the best price possible on it and buy 3 or 4 12 packs at a time. But- if it is not on sale anywhere, I am going to buy it, and if I am paying $4.50 for a 12 pack, it doesn't really matter where I am at.

But I don't think you are being judgemental, OP, just surprised. It is tough for us couponers/savers to pay too much for anything.

 

[snoopyluvsdis]

I am judgemental towards people who pay to much for ice cream and then complain that they are broke.

 

[mamaLori05]

I am judgemental towards people who pay to much for ice cream and then complain that they are broke.

I think complaining about being broke and actually being broke are two totally different things though. Most people I know complain about being broke at one point or another, but they aren't necessarily broke. We complain about being "broke" around the holiday's, but if you saw our bank records you would see that we are no where near broke. We just feel broke because of all the money being spent on xmas gifts, even though the money was saved up for and expected.

 

[~disneydiva~]

This thread makes me want to buy a pint of ice cream.

 

[girli565]

I buy things at gas stations out of convenience. The time saved is worth the higher price to me. Especially when I really don't want to stop at the grocery store, park super far from the entrance and then end up going through the whole store and probably pick up 10 more items (like it always happens when you stop in for just 1 thing), have to lug them in from the car, put it all away, and then be even more tired! It's worth the extra few dollars to me just for that reason alone.

Maybe that man was having one of those days and just the thought of going into a grocery store was torture?