Cindy is a coke addict, she has been ever since I have known her, a self proclaimed Coca-Cola-holic she is, she won't drink a Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper forget it, no way. I once saw her stop the owner of a local Mickey-Dees restaurant, hand him her fountain coke she had just bought at the backed up drive through, and tell him "take a drink of this and tell me why my coke tastes like Dr. Pepper"
John (the Mickey-Dees owner) took the 42oz fountain Coke/Dr. Pepper and looked at Cindy through squinted eyes and with gritted teeth stated "I hate Dr. Pepper" he turned and walked up to the drive through window, holding his hand out and stopping cars like a traffic cop, he stuck the fountain drink through the window and came back with a smile on his face carrying a 42oz Coke that really was Coke for Cindy.
That was entertaining and beat driving around the building to sit in line again to swap out a fountain drink.
We buy Coke for Cindy in large quantities, so to cut costs she did tune her taste buds to accept Shasta cola in addition to Coke, she actually pulled this off without triggering a gag reflex, and yes the slight price difference is worth it in the long run.
The drawback we have found is dented cans which she won't drink from, cans that have been frozen, you know those where the bottom is poofed out and perfectly rounded to where there is no way this can is standing, or a completely sealed can that is obviously empty, causing the rest of the twelve pack to be sticky.
She started returning these twelve packs for a replacement, and the store gladly exchanged these damaged packs for new ones, but she was probably returning two or three damaged cans leaving the other nine or ten good cans being swapped for other good cans, isn't the point of making a return to exchange the damaged products for good products?
I figured the store would return these damaged twelve packs back to the soda company for replacement, wouldn't that make sense?
I started keeping an empty twelve pack container in the garage, and as I add drinks to the "Beer Fridge", it's more of a coke and tea fridge but since it's in the garage we still call it by it's given name.
Ok as I was saying, when I add drinks to the fridge and I find a damaged Shasta can, I add it to the container because she's not going to drink it anyways and I have to drink diet drinks when I do. When I gather up twelve damaged, poofed, and sticky drinks Cindy takes them to the store and they give her a new twelve pack.
A few days back I had a newly filled damaged carton of Shasta cola for Cindy to return, I went along for the ride. She dropped the damaged carton at the register and her favorite store employee looked it over and told her to grab a new one.
Cindy had some shopping to do so I followed her through the produce department, up and down each aisle, and down to the meat market, we even stopped at the "Day Old" rack to see if anything good had been marked down, you can find some good stuff here. The day old pies are really good at half the price.
Cindy bought a few things and picked up a new twelve pack of Shasta, forgetting whatever it was that I was supposed to remember to tell her not to forget, I forgot so that means she didn't get it, so the next morning I rode along with her to get what I forgot, I'm not sure what it was now.
Walking up and down the aisles something caught my eye over at the day old rack, I went to investigate and called Cindy to take a look, as she walked up I held up a sticky can of Shasta cola with the bottom poofed out, in permanent marker "25 cents" was written on the side.
Cindy said "Hey those are my cokes in there" she shook her head and walked away, "man that just ain't right, they are cheaper new".
Not right indeed, they are selling damaged Shasta cans for a quarter a piece, is this a good deal or not? Let's do the math...
Cindy and I normally buy these twelve packs of Shasta "four for nine dollars", they are normally always 4 for $9, Ok now we have damaged cans for 25 cents, is this a good deal?
Nine dollars divided by four is two dollars and twenty five cents, or break it on down by dividing the two dollars and a quarter by twelve and we come up with .1875 or a little less than nineteen cents per can.....for the new and undamaged stuff.
Twenty five cents for a damaged can multiplied by twelve is three bucks, or twelve dollars for four twelve packs.
Most of the time there are good deals on the day old or clearance racks, but this is not one of those in my opinion, you should always check the prices on anything you purchase because although it may look like a bargain, sometimes we are paying up for a cut rate price.
I still don't think my brother in law should have bought that dress just because it was on the clearance rack, the matching blue one Cindy got went better with his eyes.
Do you shop the day old and clearance racks?
John (the Mickey-Dees owner) took the 42oz fountain Coke/Dr. Pepper and looked at Cindy through squinted eyes and with gritted teeth stated "I hate Dr. Pepper" he turned and walked up to the drive through window, holding his hand out and stopping cars like a traffic cop, he stuck the fountain drink through the window and came back with a smile on his face carrying a 42oz Coke that really was Coke for Cindy.
That was entertaining and beat driving around the building to sit in line again to swap out a fountain drink.
We buy Coke for Cindy in large quantities, so to cut costs she did tune her taste buds to accept Shasta cola in addition to Coke, she actually pulled this off without triggering a gag reflex, and yes the slight price difference is worth it in the long run.
I figured the store would return these damaged twelve packs back to the soda company for replacement, wouldn't that make sense?
A few days back I had a newly filled damaged carton of Shasta cola for Cindy to return, I went along for the ride. She dropped the damaged carton at the register and her favorite store employee looked it over and told her to grab a new one.
Cindy had some shopping to do so I followed her through the produce department, up and down each aisle, and down to the meat market, we even stopped at the "Day Old" rack to see if anything good had been marked down, you can find some good stuff here. The day old pies are really good at half the price.
Cindy bought a few things and picked up a new twelve pack of Shasta, forgetting whatever it was that I was supposed to remember to tell her not to forget, I forgot so that means she didn't get it, so the next morning I rode along with her to get what I forgot, I'm not sure what it was now.
Walking up and down the aisles something caught my eye over at the day old rack, I went to investigate and called Cindy to take a look, as she walked up I held up a sticky can of Shasta cola with the bottom poofed out, in permanent marker "25 cents" was written on the side.
 |
| Damaged Shasta can 25 cents |
Not right indeed, they are selling damaged Shasta cans for a quarter a piece, is this a good deal or not? Let's do the math...
Cindy and I normally buy these twelve packs of Shasta "four for nine dollars", they are normally always 4 for $9, Ok now we have damaged cans for 25 cents, is this a good deal?
Nine dollars divided by four is two dollars and twenty five cents, or break it on down by dividing the two dollars and a quarter by twelve and we come up with .1875 or a little less than nineteen cents per can.....for the new and undamaged stuff.
Twenty five cents for a damaged can multiplied by twelve is three bucks, or twelve dollars for four twelve packs.
Most of the time there are good deals on the day old or clearance racks, but this is not one of those in my opinion, you should always check the prices on anything you purchase because although it may look like a bargain, sometimes we are paying up for a cut rate price.
 |
| Brother in Law Robbie and Cindy Shopping |
Do you shop the day old and clearance racks?
Sort of.....our grocery store marks meat down to 50% when it is on its last day in the display case. I buy that and toss it in the freezer. I just have to remember when I take it out that I must defrost and cook the same day.
ReplyDeleteHi Delores, that is a good thing to remember when buying the marked down meats, pay attention to the dates and always defrost and use the same day.
DeleteMore for damaged can! THat is just wrong.
ReplyDeleteHi Joe, yes sir that is what we were thinking also, I didn't calculate the price at first, to tell you the truth I really didn't until Cindy pointed out that it was cheaper new.
DeleteI love Coke, too, and won't drink Pepsi. But I can honestly say I've never had a damaged can---well, unless I'm the one who damaged it. I also never shop those bins of half-priced and clearance items in the supermarket. I am that person who is reading expiration dates, looking for the one that is out the farthest. When you live alone and don't cook much this is important for me.
ReplyDeleteCrazy pricing on that damaged can! They are building some pennies for their extra handling rather than to take a loss.
Hello Jean, we normally only buy their pies and bread from the day old, the dates are still good but the price is cut in half, I was actually shocked that the Shasta wasn't the same.
DeleteThey are definitely doing better selling them as damaged than getting replacements to sell as new.
What the heck? I'm shocked that you come across so many damaged cans in the first place!
ReplyDeleteI buy meat that they mark on special on its last day. Sometimes my grocer will mark down discontinued items, so I have stocked up on all sorts of things that way. Everything from wine to salsa!
Hello Bijoux, I am also surprised to get as many damaged cans also, it's not like they are damaged in every twelve pack but enough to hold out to get them replaced, Cindy emailed Shasta but they have not replied.
DeleteThe discontinued items are always a great thing to stock up on.
I don't think I've ever had Shasta
ReplyDeleteHey Adam, Shasta is actually not bad, the price is a little lower than the Coke and Pepsi products.
DeleteI was just talking about how I haven't seen Shasta Colas in a long time. Do you remember the "Tab" Colas? I used to be a diet cokeaholic. My all time favorite cola is RC cola!
ReplyDeleteWhen I go to a clothing store, I go straight to the back to the clearance racks. I also shop those second hand stores. Unless Its an outfit I need for something, A bargain is all I want.
Lisa
Hey Lisa, being diabetic Tab was my go to cola back when I was younger, that and Fresca too, RC Cola is a great one also.
DeleteI can't get this one in CA but I do love Cheerwine and last time I was back in SC my Mom had bought me some diet Cheerwine she had found, I was in heaven ha ha.
DH buys the beef that is discounted, but not the other meats. Aged beef seems to taste better. Ha Ha. He's also fond of buying the 'day old' bakery goods. I question this practice, who knows how old that stuff really is. Nothing puts a person off quite like moldy pie or cobbler. No, our local store just states 'reduced' and you never know how old it is. I wonder how good the freshly baked items are - he won't buy those 'over-priced' items. Penny wise and pound foolish ...
ReplyDeleteHello Sharon, I'd be scared to buy anything other than beef that had been marked down,we do have some of that in our freezer, the bread and pies on our stores day old rack always has a date so at least we get some idea when we buy these items.
DeleteThe moldy oldy ones would definitely not make me happy either.
Of COURSE I shop the discounted bins, (I'm cheap... no, I'm frugal... that's it... frugal) but you're right. Things aren't always as they seem, and those so-called discounts are often rip-offs. Lots of times, the larger size of a product, which one would expect to be a better deal than the smaller sizes, are actually more expensive per unit. Stores count on their customers to skip the math... and I suspect most of them do.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember EVER finding a damaged can in a case of soda. But I sure wouldn't BUY a damaged can from the discounted bin, no matter how cheap it was.
Hey Susan, nothing wrong with being cheap...frugal that is, but like you said they rely on us not doing the math because when we don't we do pay up for some of the mark downs.
DeleteEven before I would not buy a marked down damaged can of anything from the discount rack, I can't see it.
Sure glad you did the math. Pretty sure no one else does which is why they get away with it. That pouched out can would be a bugger to pull the tab on.
ReplyDeleteHey Patti, I have noticed different beverages in there for anywhere from .25 for the colas to .55 and up for beer but have never done the math before, I would have been really upset had I been buying them. and for that price that tab would have not been worth it.
DeleteI like Pepsi better than Coke. I won't drink Coke. We all have our tastes and that's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI shop online whenever possible, so if I can find a deal I'll go for it.
Have a fabulous day and weekend. ☺
Hi Sandee, my Mom drinks Pepsi also, I don't ever remember her drinking Coke and Cindy is just the opposite, it really doesn't matter to me which I get when I drink one, like you said everyone has their own tastes, that's what makes this old world interesting.
DeleteShopping online is becoming the way to go, I actually find myself doing the same.
I never acquired the coke/pepsi habit.
ReplyDeleteOur stores now have to break down the prices to a cost per unit (generally 100mls) so we can see whether the bigger item is cheaper or not. And often it isn't. Tricky.
Hello EC, yes Susan was mentioning that also on how the bigger sizes are actually more expensive per unit sometimes, I'm going to have to watch that a bit closer now.
DeleteOMG Jimmy, I love the way you tell a story! I had a friend who was also my boss who was addicted to Coke. She had to have a giant Gulp every morning, when she came in at 7:30am. in 2 years, she forgot one day, and we all had hell to pay. I have to mix Simply Limeade with everything, so I totally get Cindy. You read my blog, so you know I can be super cheapy, so yes, I do always check out clearance aisles in every store I visit, as well as asking for a military discount. (Yep, I'm a Vet) I try to use coupons for everything. I'm okay with a dent or two, but I draw the line at holes or opened stuff. Dang, people are getting ripped off buying damaged Shasta Jimmy. What in the heck? (lol) Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteHello Ro, Thank you so much my friend I appreciate you. Oh yes to miss that Coke in the morning is like the end of the world for Cindy just like for your friend, we simply don't run out because it best for all of us if she has that Coke ha ha.
DeleteThe clearance aisles are great places for good deals and asking for a discount is a smart thing to do, especially your military discount that is a well earned one for sure.
There is nothing wrong with being cheapy, using coupons, and asking for your discounts that is just being smart in my opinion, heck they have even started offering me a senior discount...I'd much prefer if they let me bring it up first ha ha.
My parents bought Shasta when we were kids and I really didn't like it very much.
ReplyDeleteHello Stephen, maybe you have to acquire a taste for it, Cindy said at first that she didn't much care for it and now on occasion when she does get a real Coke even though she prefers it says the taste is different.
DeleteSome people might only have 25 cents and tax, so they're happy getting a single cola for less than what it would cost them out of a machine.
ReplyDeleteI used to buy the Save A Lot soda brands when raising the four boys. Mountain Holler and Dr. Thunder and Tubz Root Beer. Also their cereal, like Circus O's.
When we had a Hostess outlet (which we called The Day Old Bread Store) I sometimes bought their buns and bread and treats like the fruit pies and little donuts.
Today I bought a set of 4 little plastic picnic trays, with four bowls and four cups and four sets of plastic silverware, all in bright colors. It was $5.00. The mission had been to get Hick a bowl to microwave his eggs, because I don't like trying to scrub cooked egg out of my glass bowls. So I figured I got a bunch of extra stuff for not much more than a single bowl would have been. When I got home and showed him my bargain, I saw that the yellow tray was cracked at the corner!
Tomorrow I'm taking it back to Walmart, so that set will probably show up on the bargain aisle. Hope they don't mark it up! I think $5.00 was pretty cheap to start with.
Hey Val, true on someone only having the extra money for a 25 cent cola, it would be better if they were 15 cents so they would be less than the original price and for a nickel more someone could get two, my only problem is with them marking them up and putting them on a rack making you think the price was cut.
DeleteI used to love going to the bread store, Cindy and I used to go when the kids were young and stock up on bread and those fruit pies, oh yes and the little donuts too ha ha I haven't thought about the bread store in a while, I am happy you reminded me.
Yep I'd be taking that cracked bowl back too, like you said it'll probably end up on clearance for 6 bucks ha ha.
I never look at clearance racks anymore, not in supermarkets anyway. They never have anything I would use. My daughter drinks diet coke, sometimes the caffeine free variety, but I can't stand the stuff. Not regular or diet. I'm a Pepsi girl, but have gone off that too, preferring water most of the time now.
ReplyDeleteI think those damaged cans should go back to the supplier to be returned to the canning factory. Why sell a can with a damaged top that can't be opened? And the bottom poofed out indicates something else is wrong in there. Think of canned vegetables and soups where the cans have "blown", those are potentially life threatening cans of food poisoning waiting to happen. It's something we learned about in childhood, but people seem to have forgotten it.
Hello River, I agree the damaged cans should indeed be returned to the supplier for replacement rather than sold to the public, a damaged can scares me as you pointed out for one the top will be hard to open, and as with the canned vegetables and such is there a potential for contamination?
Delete@Val; about those eggy glass bowls: give each bowl a quick spray of olive oil or whatever oil you use, and the eggs shouldn't stick.
ReplyDeleteNow, about all those damaged cans: I'm concerned that there are so many. Have you thought about emailing the company to find out why? it really is very poor of them to consistently send out damaged goods, and if they aren't, then they're being damaged on the way to the store or within the store and somebody needs to be more careful.
Cindy has emailed the company on more than one occasion, I am really surprised they have not responded to her, if the problem is coming from within the store then they should look into how the employees are storing and stacking the product.
DeleteMaybe buying from a different location for a while will help answer this?
River,
DeleteI think I might be able to train Hick to spray the bowl first. He usually makes his eggs secretly, and I don't know until I find the bowl. This last time, we had some leftover bacon (something that NEVER happened when Genius still lived with us), so Hick brought over his secret egg stash from the BARn, no store-bought eggs for him, and told me he was going to make himself an egg sandwich for breakfast.
It has been years since I drank Cola or whatever it's called these days. I didn't really enjoy it. Sounds like a real racket now, in more ways than one.
ReplyDeleteI really don't enjoy it like Cindy does, she may have to go back to buying the "name brand" Coke I don't recall her having this problem when we were.
DeleteI could probably do a whole other post on what people call it, here in the states it depends on where you live, some call it pop, and some call it soda, others call it by what the label reads, and in the South where I was raised everyone calls it Coke, no matter if you are drinking a pepsi, sprite, or whatever carbonated beverage it was still called Coke.
My mom when we were growing up always shopped the day old racks. The 50% discounts on meat and bakery goods helped out a lot. We shop later in the day these days so any discounts are usually scooped up by others. I stop drinking diet cola 6 years ago when the budget necessitated we do so. Budget is better now but found I can do without it :)
ReplyDeletebetty
Hello Betty, you are sure right about missing the marked down items when you shop later in the day, 50% on meat and baked goods is huge and would help out a lot, isn't it funny once you stop something like you did with drinking diet cola that it soon doesn't matter any longer.
DeleteI'm not a big pop drinker but if I do I usual get a coke. One I don't care for is Mt Dew.
ReplyDeleteI do purchase discount item in store...coffee is on
Hi Dora, I used to like Mt Dew but too much caffeine for me now, good to see you Dora.
DeleteSomeone at that store doesn't know how to do math!
ReplyDeleteOf course I shop the clearance racks - and I do know how to do math. But I'm very picky about stuff, and I check carefully before I buy.
I used to drink sodas until about 25 years ago; I stopped when I became pregnant with my youngest and never went back.
It sure looks like they make bigger profits on the damaged stuff, hopefully they aren't in the back room tossing the twelve packs around on purpose ha ha.
DeleteShopping the clearance racks is a really good thing as long as you do the math, I'm the same way if I'm going to get a good deal I want it to be good.
Drinking sodas is not really all that good for you especially in large amounts, it's probably a good thing you stopped.