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30 Pics “For Those In Life Who End Up Paying More Because Of Their Own Idiocy” (New Pics)
There are certain things you can’t escape as an adult like waking up early on weekdays, becoming a kitchen gadget expert, paying bills, and yes, the most mundane one - filing taxes. And while paying taxes if you forget to look at details or lack basic math skills you might end up paying the 'stupid tax'.
The 'stupid tax' is that sneaky fee that some companies hide behind bargain offers and saving deals. And the Stupid Tax subreddit is known for shining light on these unreasonably priced products. With nearly 40k members, this community warns people about paying any additional price for day-to-day items. Enjoy this list of pics that might have you reconsidering those tempting offers.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Subway Really Wants You To Buy Two Cookies
RELATED:
#2
Clearance Mini Quiche At Aldi!
#3
Buy More, Save Less!
justanotherweirdo 1 year ago
And yet people say they’ll never need the math they learned in school
As grown-ups navigating the world of finances, we're all finding ways to save some money. Whether it's comparing prices online, delving into DIY solutions, or just opting for store brands over popular ones, saving a few dollars is like an art form in people’s daily lives.
And who can forget the joy of finding a good deal, only to realize later that the product was a downsized version of what you normally purchase? That's shrinkflation at its best. The term is a combination of two words: shrink and inflation. The "shrink" refers to the change or reduction in the product size, while the "-flation" part comes from inflation—the increase in prices.
#4
A “Deal” On Chips
#5
Hmmm, Tough Call
#6
By Grapthar’s Hammer… What A Savings
It’s more likely that customers will notice the increase in cost; that’s why companies opt to reduce the size of the product while maintaining its sticker price. Simply put, shrinkflation is a form of hidden inflation. Businesses make profit as people pay more for a package containing a little bit less.
For instance, Toblerone cleverly reduced the weight of its chocolate bars in 2016. They increased the gap between the popular triangular peak design, leading to a noticeable decrease in the amount of chocolate per bar.
#7
Now This Is Bs
#8
Inflation Hitting All New Highs
Allen Beloe 1 year ago
In Aus, take a photo, Buy it , show the photo to the cashier and you will get a full refund on the item and the goods gratis
#9
Discounted To 29.99 You Say? 36% Savings You Say?
To deal with shrinkflation, many politicians and corporations have started adopting different measures. In June 2023, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called 75 retailers and consumer groups for a meeting to discuss pricing concerns, challenging large corporations in the process.
#10
Twice The Nutella For The Same Price
#11
What A Deal! The Lady Behind The Counter Said Most People Buy The 3 Pack For $4.99
#12
Hmm, Sounds Like A Good Deal!
Carrefour, the second-largest grocery retailer in France, put warning stickers on certain items on the shelves reading: "This product has seen its volume/weight fall and the effective price charged by the supplier rise." Their intention was to let the consumer know what was really happening.
They identified 26 products, including Nestle, PepsiCo and Unilever, that have become smaller in size without a change in price. Stefen Bompais, director of client communications at Carrefour, told the BBC, "Obviously, the aim in stigmatizing these products is to be able to tell manufacturers to rethink their pricing policy.
#13
For $5.69, You Get Your Choice Of 12oz Or 18oz
#14
Pizza Hut: 5 For $55 Or 1 For $9.99
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
A surprisingly weak attempt to fool Pizza Hut's intelligent customers /s
#15
For Only $58/Mo, I Can Cut My Internet Speed By 3/4
In other countries like the UK, the British consumer groups also warned people of the effects of shrinkflation on common items like cat food and chocolate biscuits, among others.
In the United States, the White House stated that “President Biden is calling on companies to put a stop to shrinkflation.” In fact, the president has called for a bill allowing the Federal Trade Commission to make rules to stop shrinkflation. The bill will also let the FTC and state attorneys sue companies for the same.
#16
Looking To Buy These Wooden Cd Cases In Bulk?
#17
Why Yes, I Would Like To Buy Two Of The Same Game
#18
I Guess I’ll Just Get One
On the other hand, many companies have explained why prices are going up and products are getting smaller. Talking about Pringles, a Kellogg's spokesperson told Which publication, “As the cost of ingredients and production processes increase, it can cost us more to make our products than it used to. That said, prices don’t always increase, for example in 2021 a 200g can RRP was £2.50 and in 2022 it was £2.”
#19
Nothing Like A Good Bargain When It’s On Sale!
Lester the Space Duck 1 year ago
The way these work, is they scan the item with a handheld scanner, which then prints the label. There was probably three packs, they scanned them all at once, and got the labels mixed up
#20
Thanks, I Guess I'll ... Just Wait Then?
#21
4/$5.00 Or A 4 Pack For $5.38
David 1 year ago
I think sometimes it depends on what they have in stock that they want to move / get turns and also how it is priced from the supplier. A while back at Winco, two 1 pound bags of frozen peas were less than a 2 pound bag. Later, the reverse. When I used to drink soda, it was not uncommon to find two 12 packs cost less than one 24 pack.
A spokesperson for Mars said, “The inflationary pressures being felt around the globe are well documented and sadly we are not immune to them. While we continue to absorb cost increases coming from raw materials, and retail pricing remains at the sole discretion of the retailer, regrettably we made the difficult decision to maintain the list price of our Whiskas pouches at the new size. We will always offer our high-quality pet food at the best possible value for money.”
#22
Maple Sugaring Spiles/Taps: Buy 4 For ~$14 Or Pay $5 More If You Want The Same Number In Only One Bag
#23
[follow Up] The Sasuage Biscuit ($1.49) Is Still Cheaper Than The Biscuit ($1.89)
![[follow Up] The Sasuage Biscuit ($1.49) Is Still Cheaper Than The Biscuit ($1.89)](https://www.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/6629f3da648de_uGyj0bf__700.jpg "[follow Up] The Sasuage Biscuit ($1.49) Is Still Cheaper Than The Biscuit ($1.89)")
#24
Wow, That’s A Nice Deal
Whether it's inflation or simply a mathematical error, it's always better to check the prices on deals before making a purchase. So next time you're tempted to overlook the fine print, remember: you might end up paying the stupid tax. Tell us if you have ever made a “stupid” purchase. How much did it cost you?
#25
West Elm, 2 For $23 Or 1 For $10. Hmmmm
#26
12x Monthly Payments Are Cheaper Than All Annual Memberships
David 1 year ago (edited)
it's just the 90 ones that are off. Adult and disabled are okay. Adult is 8 cents off for the year. It looks like they took total / 12 and rounded. But somebody screwed up on the 90 and then probably used the same number for the second 90. EDIT: Also, it is likely the annual rates are charged all at once and the monthly amount is just to give you an idea compared to if you just paid month to month (whatever those rates are - not shown)
#27
Getting A Meal + Drink Is Cheaper Than Without The Drink
Bouche and Audi and Shyla, Oh My! 1 year ago
For about a month last year, McDonald's had a 10 piece nugget meal for $2 on Door Dash. Ten nuggets alone was $6 something.
#28
Buy Two For More!
Andrew Keir 1 year ago
Even before the sale, the two-pack cost more than 2 x one-pack. Don't they even care about looking stupid?
#29
Pay More For Four
#30
A Glitch Or Incentive To Buy The Meal, You Decide
EmiTheEpic 1 year ago
“Not available after midnight” sounds a bit ominous. Is the McCrispy a Mogwai or something?
#31
A Tax In Vegetarians Who Don't Know How To Use The Tacobell App
1 year ago
do keep in mind that veggies are getting more expensive, and it's easy to mass-produce meat. That might be why?
#32
Buying The Bundle Costs $22.51 More Than Buying Them Separately
Natasha Arruda 1 year ago
That's just because they're individually on sale but the bundle itself counts as a different game that isn't on sale. Pretty sure that little calculator and preview is programmed into Steam basically for this reason.
#33
You Can Buy Each Individual Episode In Hd For Cheaper Then Buying It All In A Bundle
#34
Steak Extra Tofu Or Tofu Extra Steak?
#35
Why Do They Do This
Glen Ellyn 1 year ago
The package in the middle should be turned around - I'm willing to bet that the 'portrait' version is there.
#36
$3.22 For 10.3oz Or $2.43 For 13.7oz
Lara Verne 1 year ago (edited)
Stores usually lower prices when they need to sell something quick. Bigger item might have shorter shelf life.
#38
1l $43.99 Or 1.75l For $42.99
Lester the Space Duck 1 year ago
Since the 1.75 litre has a dated tag. I'd say it was on sale.
#39
Cheaper To Buy Two Piece Than A Set
Karen Krause 1 year ago
You probably aren't guaranteed they'll use the same material bolt for both. Same color same type of cloth, but different dye jobs make a difference.
#40
I Guess I'll Have 2 600 Ml Glasses
#41
Ordering Wings From Dominos
Natasha Arruda 1 year ago
Nice that you can at least bypass that with the quantity drop down. I'm sure some of these other "deals" you can't get around so easily.
#43
Half The Amount For 19 Cents More
Carl Roberts 1 year ago (edited)
Well..in this case, the larger bottle is on sale, the smaller one isn't.
#44
Walmart - It Used To Be 3 For $9
#45
The Maths Just Dont Add Up
#46
Two 1 Lb Packs Of Bacon Are Cheaper Than One 1.5 Lb Pack
Carl Roberts 1 year ago (edited)
You have to go to Reddit to see the whole thing. 1 lb is $4.79. 1.5 lb is $11.99
#49
$4.50 For 350g vs. $2.70 For 500g
Tucker Cahooter 1 year ago
Not a fair comparison. The smaller amount comes in a plastic sealable jar which some people might prefer to a cardboard box. So you can pay a premium if you want the jar (of course smart people would just find an old jar to use)
#50
The Price Per Box Increases By $0.009 When Purchased In Bulk
#51
Bww Boneless Wings
FoxEcoLimaIndiaCharlieIndiAlfa 1 year ago
Regular bone in chicken wings are usually always a little more $ than boneless. I personally prefer boneless and I feel like I get more chicken for less.
#52
Get Two Quarts For The Price Of Four!!
Ken Beattie 1 year ago
Yeah I don't have a problem with this one. There is typically a premium on the smallest size. And you're buying two of the smallest size.
#53
Vanilla Extract At Publix
#54
5.85 For 8 Or 2 Lots Of 4 For 5.30
Lara Verne 1 year ago
Well, one is mini filents rich in chicken and other is slow cooked mini filets.
#55
I’ll Take 2 ,5 Mil Please
#57
Only 2 Cents, But Still
CG 1 year ago
This collection in particular isn't even a good collection of these games. Has a lot of performance issues, and doesn't really improve upon the shortcomings of the original games. If you still own the original games and the necessary consoles to play them, or an older collection, and want to replay Metal Gear, just play those instead.
#58
An 18 Pack For $13 Or Two 12 Packs For $10
Ken Beattie 1 year ago
Hmm this one is made more confusing because the 18 pack is equivalent to 72 regular rolls while the 12 pack is equivalent to 26 rolls. So doubling that only gets you 52 rolls worth. The 18 pack is effectively 5.27 regular rolls per $, buying two 12 packs is effectively 5 regular rolls per $. So the 18 pack is still better value for money.
#59
Found My First One In The Wild!
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Papa 1 year ago (edited)
About 40 years ago I was working for a large department store. We had weekly sales where corporate would send us products that we didn't normally stock. Of course it often wouldn't all sell, so we'd have some left. At one point we had quite a few small canned goods. Most of them were between 45 and 50 cents, with just a few slightly over that price. They were just sitting on the shelf not moving. I had a bright idea to mark them all 2 for $1.00 and put them on a table in the middle of an aisle, with a big sign on them. They were gone in a day or two, in spite of the fact that I had marked most of them up. They wouldn't sell for 48 cents, but they flew out the door at 2/$1.00.
EP 1 year ago
I always pay attention to pricing for this exact reason. These things happen all the freaking time where two jars or boxes are same price big one is the bigger version. Or they are the same product and one comes with an additional component. It happens way too frequently to make any sense. This is typically people doing what was asked of them (marking the prices) and not questioning it bc they aren’t giving my thought to what they are doing. Equate it to how you can drive somewhere and not even remember how you go there - autopilot.
jennifer brinkman 1 year ago
Prices are set by the warehouses and their buyers. They get different deals on the same items sometimes depending on buyer
Load More Replies...
Oskar vanZandt 1 year ago
Here's a thought: always compare the price based on a standard unit, e.g x/100g or x/100ml... Bizarre how many people don't understand this?!?
Papa 1 year ago (edited)
About 40 years ago I was working for a large department store. We had weekly sales where corporate would send us products that we didn't normally stock. Of course it often wouldn't all sell, so we'd have some left. At one point we had quite a few small canned goods. Most of them were between 45 and 50 cents, with just a few slightly over that price. They were just sitting on the shelf not moving. I had a bright idea to mark them all 2 for $1.00 and put them on a table in the middle of an aisle, with a big sign on them. They were gone in a day or two, in spite of the fact that I had marked most of them up. They wouldn't sell for 48 cents, but they flew out the door at 2/$1.00.
EP 1 year ago
I always pay attention to pricing for this exact reason. These things happen all the freaking time where two jars or boxes are same price big one is the bigger version. Or they are the same product and one comes with an additional component. It happens way too frequently to make any sense. This is typically people doing what was asked of them (marking the prices) and not questioning it bc they aren’t giving my thought to what they are doing. Equate it to how you can drive somewhere and not even remember how you go there - autopilot.
jennifer brinkman 1 year ago
Prices are set by the warehouses and their buyers. They get different deals on the same items sometimes depending on buyer
Load More Replies... Oskar vanZandt 1 year ago
Here's a thought: always compare the price based on a standard unit, e.g x/100g or x/100ml... Bizarre how many people don't understand this?!?
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