That's a Massive Swing
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (113643)
United States
July 8, 2026 7:23am CST
I went to Big R, which is a farm and home store near me, yesterday, since I wanted to check prices on rechargeable fans. Something that would be useful when we go to the camper where it is stored to do a little cleaning or other things inside since there is no electrical hookup there, and it can get very hot inside even with the windows open.
Well, they didn't have any, so that was a wash.
But there's always something that immediately catches my attention when I am there. The prices. Two items caught my attention right away. Spectracide weed and grass killer and 1-pound propane tanks.
The Sprectracide was advertised for $14.99, which is twice the price of what it costs at both Walmart and Menards. The 1-pound propane tanks were $22.99 for a pack of two of the Coleman ones, which I get all the time at Walmart for $9.98.
I am sure people still throw these items in their carts. They must, otherwise there'd be no reason to stock them. But I have to ask why? Is it that people don't know? Or are they just like, "I like Big R and I want to help them stay in business?"
I mean, that's literally money to burn when you could buy about 5-pounds of propane at Walmart for the same cost as two at Big R.
It's insane to me how much difference there can be in the price of the exact same thing depending on where you buy it. And that's not limited to Big R. The same is true of Walgreens and CVS. On most things you can expect to pay around 25% more for pretty much everything.
It's no wonder people are broke.
7 people like this
6 responses
@snowy22315 (211179)
• United States
8 Jul
As I always say, it pays to shop around. People that work for a living don't always have time to do that though, but they could probably order online.
2 people like this
@porwest (113643)
• United States
8 Jul
That's the irony of that excuse. Every extra penny you waste trying to save time, will cost you more time working to make it up. If you break your wage into minutes, it starts to give one a better idea about the time cost and whether trying to save time actually costs you more time in the end.
Let's say you make $15 an hour. That's 25 cents a minute. If you spend 50 cents more on something you will have to work 2 extra minutes.
The secret is not shopping at several stores all at once. It's keeping your "inventory" like a business and building your errands around what you need to replace and who has the best price and keeping enough stock of whatever you need so that you never run out so you're not forced to spend more.
You're never saving time spending more money, because in order to make the money...it requires time working to earn it.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (211179)
• United States
8 Jul
@porwest Don't tell me, tell the ones who are doing it.
2 people like this
@porwest (113643)
• United States
9 Jul
@snowy22315 I always speak in comments to everyone, not necessarily only the person I am responding to. Many people read the comments and responses other than the people in the comment section.
2 people like this
@Ineeddentures (39228)
•
8 Jul
I can relate to this on so many levels
Never mind then being broke
Stupid too methinks
1 person likes this
@porwest (113643)
• United States
12 Jul
@Ineeddentures As the old saying goes, a fool and his money will soon be parted. And if you see a fool with money in his hands...
You have something to sell, and he'll buy it even if the price is ridiculous. lol
1 person likes this
@Fleura (35877)
• United Kingdom
8 Jul
I notice the same sort of things as well, on different items obviously. But then of course you have to factor in the time spent looking up prices and comparing different places, and getting to the different places, cost of transport etc. Sometimes it isn't worth saving a couple of pounds/dollars if it takes an extra hour and more petrol/diesel/gas or expensive bus fares to get there, especially if you are already going to one shop for something else that you can only get there or that is cheaper there.
@lovebuglena (52704)
• Staten Island, New York
8 Jul
It’s weird but when Tasters Choice coffee is on sale at Walgreens/Duane Reade it’s cheaper than in other places. Even cheaper than at Walmart. I got it for $11.99. Walmart was $13.48. It used to be on sale for $7.49, if not less, at one point at Walgreens.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (52704)
• Staten Island, New York
8 Jul
@porwest sometimes people see something on sale and think they are getting a good deal. But then it turns out they are not.
@porwest (113643)
• United States
9 Jul
Very simply put...because they can. If people buy it regardless, who can blame them for putting it on the shelf at whatever price they want that someone is willing to pay? There is a flipside, and that is that if something doesn't sell, then they know to lower the price or put it on sale at a better price.
Many people don't look at prices. They just say, "Oh, I need that," and in the cart it goes...mindlessly.
1 person likes this
