Prices

Cost versus Price

Price is what you’ll pay, and cost is how much you’ll pay.

Shopping in the fancy grocery store, not Whole Foods, but similar, I ran across a Rhubarb Soda. There was also a Lavender flavor and something else.

Grabbed a quick phone picture and emailed the image, then, I got in a weird way when I answered the question, “Had I tried it?”

I’ll pay, easily, five bucks for coffee. Or coffee drink of some ilk. However, that was $5.99 for a four-pack of coke, or, roughly $1.50 a bottle, plus tax, for a coke that I’m not sure I’d like. To be honest, I find some Dry Rhubarb very entertaining, but that’s on a literary level.

I used to pay, back in the day, old East Austin, I’d wander by a Planet K, they carried my special brand of smokes and “micro-brew” Fuk-Ola Cola. Think it was a skeleteens brew. Mostly carbonated water, pure cane sugar and 11 herbs and spices to give it the cola flavor, but all natural. Good stuff, as far as coke goes. Along the lines of Mexican Coke, which is, allegedly better for us since it uses all-natural ingredients instead of high-fructose crap.

The cola was better, and Mexican Coke, it does taste better, as well as it commonly available throughout my parts of Texas — Costco carries it. Under a buck a bottle.

I’ve almost completely given up coke, not by necessity, but more by convenience. Do love me some Diet Dr. Pepper, especially from a fountain with the syrup adjusted a little rich, but I just don’t drink it that much, not anymore. I have heard that it’s bad for humans, but again, that’s not my motivation. I do consider it a treat — just don’t do it every day, now.

The comment that triggered this derailed train of thought was my willingness to pay $5 for coffee, but unwilling to pay $1.50 for a coke.

I’ve paid as much as $3 for a bottle of water, with another old, now-defunct, South Austin wayside stop getting the vote for the best memories: I got a hot dog, burnt-smoked sausage, and a bottle of water. When I cracked the water open, the top quarter of the water froze. Turned to ice.

Physics, it was sealed and kept at sub-freezing temperature, or the cooler was mis-calibrated, but on a hot summer afternoon, the ice was welcome.

Perceptions. What something is worth, to me, and what price I’m willing to pay.

Price versus cost.

“So you’ll pay upwards of five bucks for coffee drinks, but nothing over a dollar for a coke?”

Weird, I know.