We all like to save money but not everyone has the time to cut coupons or create a detailed family budget.
A few items top the most-overpriced list. By avoiding these goods, you can easily save money.
Movie Theater Popcorn
No surprise here. A large bucket of popcorn at the movies cost us $8 dollars. Researchers say that popcorn probably costs less than $1 to make. Theaters get away with it because there’s no competition. Best advice for saving: Skip the popcorn.
Pre-Cut Veggies
Stir-fry veggies and bagged salad may save you time but they cost you about 25 percent more. Retail experts say we’re willing to pay because it’s easier.
Wine in Restaurants
The estimated markup on a bottle of wine in a restaurant is 100 to 200 percent. Mark-ups are even higher for a glass of wine.
“If you are intending on having the equivalent of a bottle, it is usually best just to buy the bottle,” said Suzanne Bayard of Vinopolis Wine Shop in Northwest Portland.
You can save by buying at a wine shop, then bringing your own bottle and paying a corkage fee. If you buy a bottle and don’t finish it, ask to take it home.
Brand Name Drugs
There is huge markup on brand-name prescription drugs. Same goes for over-the-counter.
A bottle of Aleve cost us $7.49, compared to $4.99 for the store brand.
“Typically consumers can save two-thirds on their drug bill by purchasing generics rather than brand name drugs,” said Dan Kennedy, OHSU Outpatient Pharmacy Operations Manager.
Electronics Warranty
If you’re in the market for electronics, avoid the warranty. You’re probably over paying for something you don’t even need.
“A lot of companies make significantly more money selling warranties than they do off the product itself,” said Tom Gillpatrick, Executive Director of Portland State University’s Food Industry Leadership Center.
Coffee
It’s tough to admit, but you’re paying a lot more than you should at the coffee shop or at a restaurant. Making a cup of coffee is cheap!
Bottled Water
This one is a no brainer. Next time you grab that bottle of water for $1.50, ask yourself: Are you overpaying?
French Fries
Potatoes don’t cost much, maybe a few cents per pound. So why are you paying $2 for those fries at a fast food restaurant?
Travel Sizes
Travel-size containers may be convenient, but they only hold a fraction of the product you’d normally get.