Restaurant Soft Drink Scam-O-Rama
There we were Saturday night. Out for with some friends at a new Asian grill place. The waiter asked if we wanted drinks and my friend asked how much the pop was, which, as we know, is never listed on the menu. $2.29.
And, then it hit me. $2.29 for a pop (or soda, as they call it on the East Coast). Even with unlimited refills, I’d have to sit there half the night guzzling Coke to make it financially viable. Why this was such a realization at that moment, I don’t know. Maybe because when I doubled it if Jen were to order a pop, we were talking $4.58. Crazy. When I can buy a 12-pack for $3.50 or less at my local Target, it’s not hard to make that decision.
So, I ordered water and resolved, right then and there, that I was done ordering pop in restaurants. That’s it. Done. Finished. Not anymore. Just can’t justify that kind of expense.
Buying pop in a restaurant is one of the biggest ripoffs on the planet and it’s getting worse. Markup on pop is astronomical, as restaurants struggle to maintain decent margins in a plunging economy. But, $2.29? Umm, I think they’ve crossed the line.
I’m not a big pop drinker anyway so it’s not like this is that much of a sacrifice. So, from now on, it’s water with restaurant meals and an occasional fountain Coke from the local Quik-E-Mart when I’m really parched.
And, then it hit me. $2.29 for a pop (or soda, as they call it on the East Coast). Even with unlimited refills, I’d have to sit there half the night guzzling Coke to make it financially viable. Why this was such a realization at that moment, I don’t know. Maybe because when I doubled it if Jen were to order a pop, we were talking $4.58. Crazy. When I can buy a 12-pack for $3.50 or less at my local Target, it’s not hard to make that decision.
So, I ordered water and resolved, right then and there, that I was done ordering pop in restaurants. That’s it. Done. Finished. Not anymore. Just can’t justify that kind of expense.
Buying pop in a restaurant is one of the biggest ripoffs on the planet and it’s getting worse. Markup on pop is astronomical, as restaurants struggle to maintain decent margins in a plunging economy. But, $2.29? Umm, I think they’ve crossed the line.
I’m not a big pop drinker anyway so it’s not like this is that much of a sacrifice. So, from now on, it’s water with restaurant meals and an occasional fountain Coke from the local Quik-E-Mart when I’m really parched.
posted by W.S. Wuori at 2:07 PM
1 Comments:
Wester, I hear ya! My son and I were calculating soda costs at restaurants a few months back. If you figure $3 per person ($2-plus for the drink, plus tax and tip), times, say, three visits per restaurant per week, and then multiply that by 52, you get $468. That's just for one person and assumes only three restaurant visits per week. If a family of four cuts out soda, that's almost $2,000 per year in savings!
Not to mention that soda has zero redeeming value and plenty of poor health effects, too (sugary sodas can lead to weight gain, diabetes, etc; diet drinks can lead to these things as well, plus have potential cancerous links).
My son is good about always ordering water in restaurants. I try to do the same. But I have to admit that despite knowing the costs (both financial and healthwise), I still sometimes cannot resist the lure of the Diet Coke.
Lorna (Paul sent me your blog link - hope you don't mind me visiting!)
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