Discounts You Can Count On

During this difficult time of recession, it's always refreshing to find places of business that are heavily discounting their products. After all, we need all the help we can get to make our paychecks last longer.

When it comes to helping out the consumer during these times, some stores and restaurants get it. If they want to stay in business, they are offering consumers bargains they cannot refuse.

The other day I walked into a Rite Aid Pharmacy
to buy toothpaste. In the vicinity of the cash register I noticed several racks of candy - the big boxes - on sale for $1.00 a piece. They were advertised as "theatre candy". For example, they were stocked with Raisinettes, Dots, and just about any confection you can name.


If you were to purchase these same products at the candy counter in the theater, you'd pay anywhere from $3.00-$4.50 for the same candies. Rite Aid gets it. Mann theaters, Regency, United Artist, AMC and the rest are not. They charge the ridiculous price of $10.00-$12.00 for a movie ticket and then charge exorbitant prices at their candy counters. Why do we continue to attend these theaters that are robbing us blind?

Of course, you can always stop off at Rite Aid or any supermarket to purchase candy at a lower rate and then "sneak" your sweets past the ticket taker. Come on, we all do it. But when a family attends a matinee and spend $20.00 for candy, popcorn and drinks, who's robbing who?

When it comes to cable TV, how about the cable companies charging us a subscription rate for a select group of channels we consistently watch? I don't want to pay $100 a month so I can have 180 channels of which I only watch 10 consistently. They may even get more customers if they took the cable cafeteria approach instead of charging us for channels we don't even watch.



Gasoline prices? Have you noticed any bargains? I have. Most ARCO gasoline stations are doing their best to keep the price of a gallon of gas below $3.00. The same is true for Valero gasoline. To top that off, with Valero the customer also gets the extra bonus of purchasing gas that is "Made in America" and not piped into the U.S. from the Middle East.

One food franchise that understands the need to give people a break during the current recession is Denny's. This restaurant comprehends the financial stress on Americans with their $2 $4 $6 $8 Value Menu that is available all day and every day. In fact, from all appearances the one business that seems to be seeking to lower prices during the current recession is the food industry. Of course, I know there still exists restaurants that are raising their prices regardless of the economy. However, the eateries that are lowering the prices on their menus are experiencing standing room only responses to their discounts. And we should do everything possible to support them.

Yes, we need each other's help. You probably know of other discounts in the airline or travel industry. Housewares and appliances. Restaurants. Gasoline. Groceries. Share your findings with us and let's pool our resources during these difficult financial times.

Discounts You Can Count On