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Soda, pop (whatever), you’re dead to me
Posted on January 9th, 2009 – 3:08 PMBy John Ewoldt
As a Dollars & Sense columnist, I feel the pressure of people who assume that I can spout off the current prices of milk, eggs or a can of Spam at a moment’s notice. You know– so I don’t appear out of touch with the common folk as happens occasionally to presidential wannabes. I confess that I only have a vague knowledge of the price of Spam or eggs because they’re rarely on my shopping list. But I know the price of groceries that show up frequently on my list.
That used to include pop. I’d buy Coke or Pepsi when it was on sale. I knew that a good price on a 12-pack was $2.50 or less. A 24-pack was $4.99 or less. In case you haven’t noticed, 12-packs are now $3.50 on sale and 24-packs are $6.50 or so. You know what? That’s too much. I won’t pay it for a product that offers no nutritional benefit. I’d rather drink cold, filtered water from my frig or orange juice or lemonade than pay $7 for pop. Occasionally, in a weak moment I’ll buy the 2-liter bottles on sale for $1.50 (used to be $1 on sale).
I know that nearly all food products have gone up in price, and I’ve responded by doing most of my grocery shopping at Aldi. I buy good stuff there such as spinach bags, premium orange juice, meat and chicken, and fruits and vegetables. What Aldi doesn’t have I buy at Cub, Rainbow or Lunds. I know I’m paying more for everything, but paying more for stuff that’s nutritional doesn’t hurt as much.
Anyone else who’s kicked the Pepsi can to the recycling bin for the last time? Or considering it? Anyone else want to join my boycott?
73 Responses to "Soda, pop (whatever), you’re dead to me"
I am strongly considering kicking Coke. I was at Rainbow the other day and noticed that a case of Coke was on sale for 4.99 (limit 2). I was about to run and get a cart (only had a basket at the moment). But then I noticed the “fine print” - the case was a case of 20, not 24. I kept walking back to the cheese section and skipped the Coke.
I stopped drinking soda about 18 months ago. Not because of price (I work in a movie theater and can have all the Coke products I care to drink while I’m at work) but because I don’t need either the nutrasweet or the sugar. With a few exceptions I’ve stayed off of it. However, at the end of the month there is a coupon for Byerly’s/Lunds that gives a free pizza and 12 pack Pepsi product with a $10 purchase, and I will probably cave in and get that for the Superbowl weekend.
I quit drinking Coke this past summer. It was more related to nutritional reasons (and a possible aditiction to it) than the price. Believe me I still crave it occasionally, but I refuse to pay to price. I too started drinking more water.
Beside the fact that soda provides no nutritional value, it can actually be injurious to bone health. Soda high in phosphoric acid leaches calcium from the body at a high rate, ultimately contributing to brittle bones and/or osteoporosis.
A few years ago my new years resolution involved drastically reducing my soda/pop intake- for nutritional reasons. I limit myself to “maybe 1″ a week, and found it wasn’t as difficult as I imagined. What IS difficult is resisting the urge to buy it at the grocery store when it is on sale in bulk. I recently came across a “buy 1, get 2 free” sale on 12pks. I almost caved, but then did the math to realize just how long it would take to consume all of those cans at my current level (almost a year), and decided it was going to be much healthier to not have the temptation lying in my pantry. At this point, the higher pricepoint just makes it even easier to resist!
I have a pop addiction. Yes, the prices are getting out of hand. I am contemplating going to juices or Kool Aid of all things. I also try and avoid paying $1 for a can from a machine. That is, and always has been, a complete rip off.
My wife and I have quit buying soda for the house since we found out she was pregnant. Juice may be slightly more expensive, but the nutritional value is worth it. The unexpected benefit is that our child won’t have it around, and probably won’t crave it when we’re not there to give her a another choice.
OH, yeah! Kicked the Coke/Pepsi habit months ago. I find a tall glass of tap water with a couple slices of lemon tossed into the water makes for a great refresher watching TV. And yes, a large two liter container of OJ is way better than pop, and costs about six bucks or so.
I was a Coke fanatic - it wasn’t unusual to drink 4-6 cans a day… and then I quit 3 months ago. I have ordered a couple DIET Cokes when eating out and keep a 12-pack of it at home as cocktail mixer but that’s it! (Cool side note - I got the 12-pack free from Coke Rewards for having drunk so much Coke.) Instead I keep two large jugs of filtered water in the frig and drink that, sometimes mixing it with some lemonade powder. Not only am I saving a ton of money, but I feel a lot healthier and have lost some weight.
I also made my first foray to Aldi yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised at some of the great deals, and will be shopping there and at Cub and Walmart for the things Aldi doesn’t carry.
Don’t forget bottled water; a testament to the phrase; there’s a sucker born every minute.
I haven’t stopped buying pop altogether, but I have greatly cut back on my consumption. I too have watched with dismay as the price on soda has steadily (and with seemingly no prior warning) increased the last few years. I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s noticed it!
Not to mention it costs Pepsi and Coke only pennies to make the product.
I would join you, except I am addicted to my Diet Coke and would go through serious withdrawl if I stopped cold turkey. That right there should be enough to stop my drinking it–it’s that bad for you. But, oh soooo good. Ugh, I’ll keep paying, sadly.
I could care less what pop costs. You only live once and enjoy it. So tired of alarmists…
I usually just throw my 12 cans in the garbage…
we should ban pop, would that make everyone feel better?
I too am upset about the price of pop. I was able to buy four twelve packs of mountain dew for 10 dollars though yesterday on a special. I can usually find a 2 liter for a dollar or less too. I am usually able to get these at Wal-mart cheapest. Though the twelve packs were at Coborns
I am right there with you. I have one 24 pack of Coke left. After that, I am done as well. I’ve been looking at how to cut costs with another child on the way (and improve my own health), and soda/pop is up next on the chopping block!! I’m looking forward to saving the cash. I can buy the ice tea mixes or kool-aid or something like that for a much better price!! Out with soda in 2009!
I’d join your revolution as I agree, Pop is waaaaay over priced, but I am a popaholic, I am weak. I would drink Diet rite, but they are even more crazy at $4.00 plus for a 12 pack. What, do they have high advertising costs that surpasses Coke or Pepsi? It is a rip-off as a big profit maker for the grocer. But, I gotta have it!!! You’ll have to pry my dead, cold fingers from my cold can of pop.
No.
That’s two posts in a row talking up Aldi… hmm…
Honestly, Aldi creeps me out, whether it’s the having to rent the grocery cart, or the dead silence in the store because of no Muzak. No thanks.
Kicked the soda habit about a year and a half ago-I just decided there was too much High Fructose Corn Syrup in my life and that was one of the primary sources. Feel much better. Since then I’ve seen a documentary about how bad Aspartamame is for you( I was drinking Diet Mt. Dew) and I am very glad I did stop. Now I drink water, iced tea, or Canada Dry Lemon Lime Sparkling Water.
For money reasons, I kicked my one-dan-a-day habit about a year ago, and haven’t looked back. We’ll buy some generic stuff maybe once a year now, and when I don’t bring it in to work, I end up drinking about one can a month instead of one a day. Unintended benefit: my blood sugar doesn’t spike in the PM and then put me to sleep when it comes back down. Despite less caffeine, I’m actually MORE alert than I was before. And thinner, too!
I still need my one morning cup of coffee, though. 
One CAN a day, sorry. 
i’m in!
i’ve (almost) dropped the pop purchases though initially not due to cost, but because i think the artificial sweetners are bad for me and of course, the sugar versions are too high-calorie. like you, i do occasionally give in, mostly to keep around for guests, and my husband still likes decaf diet pepsi. but pop is no longer on my weekly list.
I’m addicted to caffeine and I enjoy the taste so I can’t join but wanted to say that Aldi is a good option if you have one close by. The products are cheap and often better tasting than the other supermarkets. It’s a bit difficult to navigate when crowded though.
I’m with ya! Say “no” to the soda kings!
I’ve almost cut pop from my diet for health reasons, and now only drink a can or two on a weekend for a treat. It’s much easier to justify a 12 pack every month or so then it is to justify the 2-3 dozen cans a week I use to go through.
When I started biking to the grocery store, soda became a 20 lbs. luxury I sure as heck wasn’t going to haul home. Since I started biking, I’ve also stopped purchasing a lot of high-sodium/fat prepared foods I used to purchase; whole foods, especially from the bulk section, weigh significantly less than prepared foods and are undeniably better for you. Additionally, knowing I have to bike it home, I purchase fewer ‘impulse’ items that I think I need, but don’t. Two-wheeled grocery shopping has saved me about $20/month (about 30% of my old grocery budget) since I started.
I seldom buy soda (and when I do, it’s for cocktail mixers mainly) but I’d be really pleased if they’d do a mixed 12-pak, with 6 cans each of regular and diet. And YES - it’s too expensive, and bulky to carry and store. And 2-liters go flat too quickly.
Although Rainbox has their storebrand soda for .25/can in their vending machine. The taste is OK; good enough for a mixer, but that’s still $3 per 12pak. But you can just buy what you need.
John - You hit every nail squarely on the head with this article (reflecting my views on the topic). I stock(ed) up on Pepsi only on times where I can get a 24-pack around $5.00. Other than that, I’ll drink milk or water instead. It’s better for me anyway. It’s nice to have a “treat” once in a while, but not at $6.99/24-pack WITH A COUPON.
Part of me thinks it’s more than ingredient cost and profit margins. It’s also making up for all the garbage failed beverages out there (e.g. Vault, Snapple, and all these B.S. imitation fountain energy drinks)
Glad to know someone shares my feelings around this as passionately as I do. Thanks for sharing your opinion.
I still buy it by the case! Unfortunately thats my addiction, is coke. I normally will not buy it except when its on sale. Recently at Cub, it was about 4-4.50 a case, with a limit of 2 cases, when you spent 25$. We normally spend about 100$ a week on groceries, so my wife and I went in and carefully figured out just over 25, and bought 2 cases and so did my wife. We walked right back in grabbed a shopping cart and we each bought 2 more cases and spent 25$. I got 8 cases for a good deal, and wont need to buy any for about 3 months. If i do see it on sale again soon, i may buy a little more to stay ahead. You never know when those cheap prices will evaporate!
Well, yeah…of course soda has went up. In the past year we have seen the price of sweetener, corn, and gas prices go up over 100%. You talk about what prices used to be. Single cans were 50 cents in a machine. If you bought 12 cans from the machine, that’s $6. Prices on soda have always been very modest and I have seen what the current economics have done to the beverage industry. If you don’t like the price, don’t pay it. But don’t say it’s way too high.
Even at $2.50 for a 12-pack, it was still unhealthy. And expensive, given what you got. I can’t say that I never buy it, but it is a rare occasion.
Diet has been shown to increase one’s risk of developing metabolic syndrome - and nondiet has unwanted calories. Both have unnecessary chemicals. Cold tap water (or cold filtered tap water if your water is hard) is the best drink out there.
As an addict to Mountain Dew, I would need medical intervention to kick the can habit. I don’t see a ‘pop-patch’ anytime in the future–so I buy on sale and try to choke down a glass of water whenever possible.
Correction to previous post:
“Diet soda has been shown to increase one’s risk of developing metabolic syndrome …”
See
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/05/health/nutrition/05symp.html?_r=5&pagewanted=print
I cannot quit pop. I am addicted. Dr. Pepper is my albatross. But, if it gets much more expensive, I may have to switch to the storebrand Root Beer. But only the Root Beer- all others taste weird.
I totally agree! Also what’s the deal with gas being $1.80 something a gallon when oil is selling for $40 a barrel? Yeah I’m happy as hell that it’s not $4+ per gallon anymore but when it was oil was selling for $140 a barrel. When oil was selling this low years ago gas was $1.25-$1.35 a gallon. I figure they just think the gov. has too much on it’s plate right now with the recession, the wars, the bailouts, and a new Pres on the horizon to pay attention, so they are just going for it.
I just buy the generic Walmart pop. Plus shopping at Walmart pisses the Minnesota “Walmart is evil” crowd off.
Amen! I’ve dialed back my pop consumption considerably due to the outrageous price. Especially my beloved Canada Dry diet ginger ale that used to be substantially cheaper when on sale than my other fave, Diet Coke. Since this is the case, I now have a Brita water pitcher in my fridge.
Boycott Mountain Dew? The Nectar of Gods? My life blood? What, are you nuts? haahaaa
I’m with you John. I’m a price-point consumer, and when an item exceeds the price I feel like paying, whoosh, it’s off my list. There are alternatives, and I do switch to them when need be. Dinky downsized boxes of breakfast cereal- gone. Pop (except at “old” prices)- gone. Candy bars at more than 33 cents each- gone. And so on.
We were just talking about this last night in our household, and holding off even though we are out. The question remains, WHY has this happened? They can’t blame gas prices. Just a few months ago, at Target you could get 4 12 packs for 11 dollars. What is going on? I say boycott.
I like the tast of Aldi Diet Cola better than Diet Pepsi, and you cant beat the price!
Name me one other product besides gasoline that can go from $3/12pack to $5/12pack or $8 a case in one week’s time between ads. Absurd…yet we buy it.
I don’t know… that comes to .29 cents a can, which seems pretty darn cheap to me. I find it far more outrageous to pay $2.00 for a bottle of water, which I can get for free out of my kitchen sink.
Oh c’mon, at $6.50 for 24 cans, pop costs 27 CENTS per can — that’s right, 27 cents. At the $4.99 a case you rave about, that’s 21 cents a can. Either way, buying pop (or soda) is a screaming deal. Where it becomes a rip off is in convenience stores, where a 20 ounce bottle is selling for $1.49. But I’m not buying that you’re swearing off soda pop because it went “up” to a whole 27 cents a can!!!
I’m with you, I only get pop now when I go out to eat, or when making drinks. It’s not worth the money, and water is better for you anyways.
I’m “working on” giving up pop. I’ve started by switching to generic (ex - HyVee or Walmart brand) because it’s cheaper, and pops with less caffeine. I’m hoping in a month or two I’ve gotten my caffeine consumption down enough where I can give it up altogether…
Why would I want to drink sody-pop anyway? I’m glad to hear that John will be entertaining the idea of switching to cold filtered fridge water. By the way, this country should get away from “food products” and back to just good ‘ol food.
I must admit that I’m surprised it took the rising cost of pop to encourage one to stop drinking it.
You’re shopping at the wrong place. Buying soda at the grocery store is never a good deal, in my experience. Target had Pepsi a few weeks ago for FIVE twelve-packs for $15 - plus you got a $5 gift card. When you factor in the gift card, that works out to $2 per twelve-pack — significantly less than the $3.50 per 12-pack on sale price that you quoted.
Doesn’t that come to 30 cents a can and a can a day would be $9 a month? What is the $7 figure, drinking a whole 24 pack in a day? 30 cent cans don’t seem outrageously expensive but if you can do without, yeah better for your health and teeth. No boycott here just moderation.
Keep your stupid boycott to yourself. I’m gonna keep buying my un-nutritional pop. It’s just a matter of time before freaks like you try to launch “Ban the Pop” movement in the name of “safety”. I can take care of myself, thank you. STAY OUT OF MY LIFE!
I would write more but I have to go to the store and buy more pop and bottled water.
I came back from Winter break at the school where I work, and notice that they raised the price in the machines to 1.50 for a soda! Ridiculous. I put my money back in my pocket and walked away. 1.25 was bad, but I can’t bring myself to pay 1.50 for a machine soda.
And they tax it 7% because it’s not ‘classified’ as food for crying out LOUD!!
I used to buy diet Coke all the time. I now buy Sam’s club 2 liter for 67 cents. I drink a lot more water (tap/well) , but I still like it with ice.
I brought a two 12-packs for $5 coupon to Rainbow the other week and tried to redeem it.
Then I saw the fine print….”offer valid with additional $25 purchase”.
That really chapped my a–.
I quit drinking soda/pop 1/15/08 to save money. In almost a full year, I have not craved it once.
The worst part is it’s so inexpensive to produce. I know at least fountain soda for those 32 ounce cups, it’s about 20 cents of soda, and a movie theater or fast food place will charge $1.50 to $4.
John — You might want to try a soda machine like Soda Club with which you can make soda water or flavored sodas for pennies vs store sodas. We love plain “fizzy water” and are very satisfied with this cheap beverage replacement. The NYTimes ran an article on Soda Club Oct 2007 and the company was overwhelmed with orders for about 6 months. (And when I do buy soda to entertain, I agree with Anneesha: give us a mixed box, please!!)
Wow ! Pop is getting expensive. Good thing I don’t drink them.
$3.50 a 12 pack is still less than 30 cents a can. That’s still cheap in my book. Sure I would rather pay $2.50 but the difference is only about 10 cents a can. I don’t see the problem. So Pop should be the only product in the world not subject to inflation?
I’m hopelessly addicted to Diet Dew! I call it Liquid Gold and although I buy it on sale - I’ll pay whatever they demand.
Right on. I realize, as you do, that the prices of commodities are rising. This has always been and always will be the case. It’s more expensive now than when I was a kid and will be even more expensive when my kids are grown.
The fact is companies are creating their own missery by raising prices in efforts to raise more capital. 6 months ago, prices started to skyrocket because of the price of oil. It was costing companies more money to make their widgets. When oil prices came down though, you didn’t/don’t see those same companies cutting their prices.
The same can be said of the softdrink makers. They seized an opportunity to raise prices to increast their cash flow, and anyone that thinks they’ll come down is sorely mistaken.
I used to pick up a case of pop every time it was on sale, but I’m with you; no more! I’ll stick to water, juice, milk and coffee. They can keep their high priced corn syrup.
I just returned Florida the 12 pack has been replaced with a 8 pack for the same price as the old 12 pack. Get ready minnesota.
How about Rainbow now selling Coke products in 20-can cases. The price is still better than the 12-pack pricing but it’s awfully misleading.
I think you are thinking like sukrat, but I think you should cover the other side of the topic in the post too…
Everyone knows pop isn’t good for you, and we should all drink more water. That being said, my husband works the night shift and he would be sad and tired without his one can of Coke or Pepsi per night. I get cravings for Coke or sometimes Vernors (which, I’m from Michigan, most of you Minnesota natives like Canada Dry but Vernors is better). In the summer I drink maybe 2 cans of pop a week. Sometimes I drink 1/2 the can and DH gets the rest. I think in all things it’s wise to use moderation. We are not overweight, and we exercise. The times I have tried to cut pop out completely, I craved it more than when I just let myself have one now and then.
I am the odd duck — I love drinking soda but I only drink non-caffeinated diet soda (i.e., fizzy flavored water). That limits me greatly, but I have no desire to go back to a caffeine addiction and I definitely don’t need the calories from sugar soda. I just like fizzy drinks. (I even enjoy drinking club soda with lime juice, but for some reason club soda is VERY expensive at the stores — like $1.79 for a 1-liter bottle at many places — so I usually only drink that when I am at a bar with friends (I don’t drink alcohol) because it’s usually about $2-3 for unlimited refills, and my bar tab is usually about 10% of that of my friends).
The best deal in town is Wal-Mart’s house brand 2 liter bottles of soda at $0.67 each. Tastes just like Diet 7-Up and costs 1/2 as much. My wife isn’t a huge fan of the diet cola, but ounce for ounce Diet Pepsi is often cheaper than her other favorite (coffee), so she feels like she saves money sometimes if she drinks a Diet Pepsi as opposed to a few cups of coffee.
By the way, another vote for Aldi — we started shopping there when I was laid off last spring, and we find that although we can’t get everything there, we can spend $40 there and get the same amount of groceries that we would spend $60 for at Rainbow or Cub — basmati rice, sour cream, cream cheese, bagels, peanut butter, some cereals for the kids, paper products, etc. Now that I’m working, we still save the money by shopping there. It can be $75-100 per month in savings. Oh, and a plug for their no-bake “cheesecake” in a box — it ain’t cheesecake (more like vanilla pudding pie), but a pre-made graham cracker crust and the no-bake cheesecake together come to just barely $2, and the kids love it, especially when you put a flavoring in it (mint, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, etc.)
Aldi, quiet? The two I go to are always so busy that I hadn’t even realized they don’t have muzak. 
Yet another good reason to shop there, in my opinion (besides the prices, quality, and carts that are in good shape): no risk of getting some awful muzak tune stuck in my head!
I stocked up on Coke around the holidays when they were $3.98 (with $25 purchase) since I had to buy baking supplies and food for the holidays anyway. I try to limit myself to one can a day - but often am unsuccesful 
I like Aldi, also, but they never have enough people staffed on the registers and the wait is quite long. At least now they are taking credit/debit cards!
I think you are thinking like sukrat, but I think you should cover the other side of the topic in the post too…
I am unable to understand this post. But well some points are useful for me.
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Dollars & Sense columnist John Ewoldt searches the Twin Cities and beyond for bargains and strategies to spare you time, money and hassles.
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