Real World Math Lessons (Reasons to No Buy in 2025)
Even though I am avoiding all news sources, I know full well that tomorrow, America finally pays the price for it's inbred stupidity. I've made my feelings known about the new reining Oligarchy, and have been personally slinging a No Buy 2025 mantra (see inset) when it comes to defiantly rejecting their power.
Lesson #1: Unit Price
This basic lesson in simple arithmetic found on my local grocery store shelves pissed me off to no end. I'm sure most shoppers have been lulled into thinking the larger the package, the cheaper the unit cost, and gladly heft the extra-large 22lb bag of Brand Name cat food into their carts and check out, thinking they got the best deal.
Well, not at my local grocery store!
All corporate ownership of both the store(s) and the items are unnamed and unlinked, but you can read, right? Look closer at those clearly marked shelf labels (something stores are loathe to maintain, but legally have to for consumer protection), and you'll note the Unit Price 'Pound Rate' stays at a relatively high $1.90/lb for the small and medium sized packages, dips to a decent $1.25/lb for the large size, but somehow, gets more expensive per pound when you grab the extra-large 22lb size bag!
You're better off getting the smaller 'large' 16lb bag here and paying $.11 less per pound!
Not surprisingly, most shoppers at my local also know how to read shelf labels, and the 'large' size is often sold out, leaving the 'extra-large' size the only affordable option, and it pains me to pay the extra $2.42 for 'convenience' when it's straight up profiteering. I should also mention, as I store my pet's food in food safe and air tight 5-gallon buckets at home, the 'large' 16lb bag fits in one bucket perfectly, whereas the 22lb bag is split across two buckets (in reality, it fills one and is stored in it's half-empty open bag going stale).
Lesson #2: Why pay Retail when you can pay Reseller rates?
I'd bookmarked the US manufacturer reseller of this slim wall-mounted temporary workstation (below left), as I liked the idea of fold-away furniture, but my tiny apartment simply doesn't have the wall space for it. At some point or another, I'd convinced myself that I didn't really need it, and put the idea out of my head; I couldn't justify spending a hundred dollars on it.
Imagine my surprise when trolling my current favorite retailer Temu (China's Everything Store), also happens to carry a nearly identical (all that's missing is the brand logo as far as I can tell) item (above right), and at 36% of the cost, with free shipping!
Never one to pass on a good deal, I bought it from Temu, and am delighted to find it'll be here quicker, as it's actually shipped from a US warehouse, and will not have to undergo the usual international customs scrutiny. Any concern about the month-long ship times from China that everyone has experienced in the past have been quashed by the smart retailers who list on Temu. Much of this may be preparing for the Trump Tariffs and other shitty decisions that racist convicted rapist piece of shit farts out on Truth social.
Not to repeat myself, but we are a nation of truck drivers because we are better at buying than making.
The oligarchy is to blame here. I'll gladly send my money to China directly, knowing some American CEO won't be getting his multi-million dollar bonus check this year.
Watch as I find more confirmation bias all around me as the United States of America goes to shit under the greasy thumb of resident Trump and his shithead Oligarch Cabinet.
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