When a bargain isn't a bargain

[disneysteve]

There is a chain of "discount" stores in the PA/NJ area called Ollie's. We hardly ever go there because we, my wife especially, don't like buying the really cheap knock off versions of things. We're fine buying the store brand at Target or WalMart or Wegman's but feel those are a few steps above the dollar store and other discount store versions.

I happened to go there today with my mom and cousin. While browsing the food aisles, I saw that they had a box of 100 tea bags for $0.99. That's a great deal. At Wegman's, I pay $2.00 for a box of 48 store brand tea bags. So I grabbed a box of green tea bags.

When I got home, I wanted to make a batch of iced tea as I was out. I decided to blend the black tea I had from Wegman's with the green tea I just got at Ollie's. I normally use 6 tea bags per batch. I opened the box from Ollie's and noticed that the bags looked like they had a lot less tea in them. I looked at the box and found that 100 bags from Ollie's weighed 3.5 oz. while 48 bags from Wegman's weighed 3.75 oz. The Ollie's "discount" tea bags had less than half as much in them. No wonder they were so cheap. You really need two tea bags to get as much tea as one bag from Wegman's. So although the box is half the price, you're getting half as much stuff. Some bargain that is.

[DaveInPgh]

We've been to an Ollie's in MD and I wasn't impressed at all. I thought the prices were ok, but certainly wasn't wowed by anything. Pretty much every customer we encountered had a shopping cart full of stuff, and we ended up walking out of there with ONE item. We bought some wrapping paper that featured something special to my mother. That was it. I have no desire to ever step foot in an Ollie's ever again.

I feel the same way about Big Lots.

[disneysteve]

I feel the same way about Big Lots.

Funny that you say that. Big Lots is right next to Ollie's so we went there too. I bought a $2 kitchen funnel because DD needs one at school and Target didn't have a simple cheap one.

There was a time in our lives when we bought a lot of that cheap crap. Fortunately, we're no longer in a position where we need to do that. We can afford better quality. Plus we've learned that better quality often turns out to be a better value and save money in the long run by not needing to be replaced as often, for example, or being more energy efficient.

My mother still has that Depression-era mindset, though. She wants to find the cheapest price and that's it. My cousin isn't any better. He was looking at some bath towels. I picked one up and the thing felt like sandpaper. I've had better towels in cheap roadside motels. Sure they were only $4.99 but there's a reason for that.

[snafu]

In my mind a bargain isn't a bargain until I've done a bit of research to verify, price checker [our apps are dreadful], unit cost, and offer quality vs price balance. I like to buy wrapping paper, gift cards, snack zip bags, cocktail napkins, paper plates/plastic cutlery, Halloween decor, waterless hand cleaner type items at any Dollar Stores for products that get used and immediately thrown out. [Target opened 'B' stores and shoppers rejected the chain. We don't have American style deep discount stores.]

We've a couple of 'liquidator' outlets where they sell easily identified branded merchandise whose packaging is squished or running close to expiry date. Stock constantly rotates, they rarely have the same stuff from one visit to the next. I see it as 'social' shopping, a fun place to go with shopaholic friends

Their wall freezers are often stuffed with caterer's excess and authentic ethnic foods. They sell a lot of out-of-season, brand names, paper goods, and serious overstock that didn't sell in our region. After the 1st snow fall it will likely be full of gas BBQs, patio furniture and picnic supplies.

[FLA]

The only deep discounters I like are Tuesday Morning (deep discounts on originally expensive items like bedding) and Ocean State Job Lots. You have to know your prices at OSJL but they have a huge gluten free section for my friend, nice little gourmet jellies and crackers and they often get Lands End rejects. But there is a ton of crap to wade through. They have coupons and special deals. I once got 2 dozen gorgeous gift bags for a quarter each. I don't go often.

I've never found anything at Ollie's or Big Lots

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

In general, you get what you pay for in life.

[greenskeeper]

when shopping for groceries you need to be quick with basic math to see what product is the best value for quantity versus price

[disneysteve]

when shopping for groceries you need to be quick with basic math to see what product is the best value for quantity versus price

In this case, you also needed to know the product size you were comparing to at a different store - which I didn't. I knew the price of 48 tea bags elsewhere and used that as my basis of comparison. It never occurred to me that the cheap bags would only have half as much tea in them.

[DaveInPgh]

In this case, you also needed to know the product size you were comparing to at a different store - which I didn't. I knew the price of 48 tea bags elsewhere and used that as my basis of comparison. It never occurred to me that the cheap bags would only have half as much tea in them.

A mistake easily made because companies put in a lot of effort to make it difficult to comparison shop.

[bjl584]

There is an Ollie's close to me. I like there store, but you do have to watch what you buy.

They are kind of like a Big Lots (if anyone has ever heard of that store.)

Basically, they are a close out store. Their inventory constantly turns over, so you never know what they are going to have.

I've bought some household items at Ollie's and was able to save some money and was happy with the purchase. Household cleaners, some basic hand tools, a throw rug, some storage bins and containers.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Cheap paper plates. Then when serving on them you have to use 2 to hold the food.