Drink Prices

[fluffkin79]

Holy Cow, what's going on here?

 

I took the kids to Taco Bell for lunch. After figuring out what we wanted and the best, cheapest way to order it, I added on 2 small drinks without checking the prices. When I checked the receipt I saw that 2 small drinks = $2.78. Am I the only one who thinks that this is way too much?

 

I already make the girls share (only 1 refill, we aren't cheating anyone) but maybe we should start drinking water instead. Or - horror of horrors - eat at home.

[fluffkin79]

After we sat down to eat I saw that there was a "value drink" for $.79 and was fairly irritated that I didn't see that when I was ordering. I wonder how big it is.

[erinplus3]

I know, it's really ridiculous how they get you with the drinks. I always make my kids drink water when we go out to eat, or I always make them share, or I bring juice boxes or water from home.

 

Is the value drink an add-on to a combo, or is it really only $.79?

[fluffkin79]

The value drink is part of the new .79,.89,.99 menu. You can order it seperatly.

[MelissaS]

I always get water for my boys when we eat out. Soda is not good for children, even as a treat. Our pediatric dentist told us that is horrible for teeth.

[yellowjeepster]

We limit our kids soda intake mainly b/c it is terrible for them and also b/c it is way over priced. We all usually get water w/meals. Soda is marked up the most at any restaurant and this is where they make the most money. Wish more parents would limit soda b/c it attributes to obesity, tooth decay and hyperactivity problems. It is not in the food pyramid, lol.

[christib327]

I think drink prices are way too high at restaurants too. It's insane that it costs almost $5 for 2glasses of iced tea no matter where you go. It's annoying and a rip off. I told DH if we just ordered water at restaurants instead of pop/tea/etc and put that $$ aside, I'd have a nice little stash come time for black Friday.

[Joli]

This tread makes me laugh - I will drive all over town to get the best deal on 12 packs of Pepsi, but when we go out to eat I never look to see how much it costs. When the bill comes I can never figure out why it is so much. Oh well.

[mahalia52]

I think drink prices are way to much and I believe I read an article once about the "profit" made on drinks. I usually drink water, or if carry-out I don't order a drink and get something once I get to where I am going..

[davephillyj]

We all order water and I take the little Kool-Aid packets in with us. No charge for water, and the Crystal lite or kool aid both have less calories! ( I prefer water, but everyone else adds to theirs!) Just a helpful tip! The kool-aid singles is only half sugar and they taste great!

[christib327]

We all order water and I take the little Kool-Aid packets in with us. No charge for water, and the Crystal lite or kool aid both have less calories! ( I prefer water, but everyone else adds to theirs!) Just a helpful tip! The kool-aid singles is only half sugar and they taste great!

That is an awesome idea!!!!

I have tons of those and my kids really like them. DH and I like them too. I'm going to go shove some of those in my purse now!!:)

[davephillyj]

I always have an extra box in the van. I get them for $1.00 a box (16 count) at a bent and dent store. But biglots has the 25 pack box for $2.50 . Just think, we save about $7 each time we eat out doing this! (that's 2 gallons of gas!)

[Guest mldepalma]

We all order water and I take the little Kool-Aid packets in with us. No charge for water, and the Crystal lite or kool aid both have less calories! ( I prefer water, but everyone else adds to theirs!) Just a helpful tip! The kool-aid singles is only half sugar and they taste great!

That really is a great idea - I've never seen the kool aid singles... I've seen Crystal Light, but I don't want the kids to have too much artificial sweetner - and if we use partial packets, then it probably isn't too much sugar too. Excellent - I'm gonna have to see if I can find these next time I go to the grocery store. Thanks!!

[lovetoshopCA]

yeah, prices are ridiculous for drinks. Fortunately, our kids are young enough that they usually get their drink included with the kid's meal at sit down restaurants (milk) and DH drinks water. That means mommy gets to drink her tea. I hate paying that much, but I am a big tea drinker, and since it has no calories, that keeps me from feeling too guilty. But fast food places are pretty outrageous too. I have never understood people who buy more than a small, though. Why bother when they refill them? Even the places that don't advertise it or have them out and readily available almost all do free refills.

[davephillyj]

They also have the individual singles packs for milk, too. It's called moo-magic. .98 at wal-mart for a 10 pack. My kids can't have the high fructose corn syrup because of the bleach in it drives their allergies through the roof! So the only sweet milk at school is sweetened with corn syrup. I send one of the single pack (sugar free) and they love them. They do taste great. Bubble Gum flavor milk is the bomb! They also have strawberry, vanilla, chocolate, banana, and I think orange. Those things are great for on the go.

[christib327]

I didn't know about the milk packets. My kids will love those!

[elena_398]

Its at the movie theatres were they kill you. Drinks (small) are $3.50! Ridciculous. Wonder why when the lights go out, I hear all these caps and cans being opened up. lol

[Stowasser]

Its at the movie theatres were they kill you. Drinks (small) are $3.50! Ridciculous. Wonder why when the lights go out, I hear all these caps and cans being opened up. lol

OMG, we do this.....I will spurgle for the big popcorn for $5 (refills free) and all the kids have to bring a drink, we sometimes have pop but if not than stop on the way at a grocery store that has the quarter pop machines LOL Sometimes, I get a deal on bottled (20oz ones) on sale and can go that way too. They also have to bring candy with them, definitely not buying that there either.....LOL

[elena_398]

OMG, we do this.....I will spurgle for the big popcorn for $5 (refills free) and all the kids have to bring a drink, we sometimes have pop but if not than stop on the way at a grocery store that has the quarter pop machines LOL Sometimes, I get a deal on bottled (20oz ones) on sale and can go that way too. They also have to bring candy with them, definitely not buying that there either.....LOL

My local movie theartre now fines people if they catch you bringing in outside food/drink. $5 fine.

 

Its funny as all the women have the large sack purses. LOL. We all know its stuffed to the gill with drinks.

[mollannie]

For all you senior citizens - Taco Bell will give you a free drink. When my mom takes my boys, they share her's.

 

The price of pop at restaurants is outrageous. I always order water with lemon and add a packet of Equal - instant lemonade.

[Kara1204]

Its at the movie theatres were they kill you. Drinks (small) are $3.50! Ridciculous. Wonder why when the lights go out, I hear all these caps and cans being opened up. lol

You heard that? Shoot, I thought I had waited until that car gunned it's engine in the movie!

[patandjenny]

I always get water for my boys when we eat out. Soda is not good for children, even as a treat. Our pediatric dentist told us that is horrible for teeth.

ITA! My kids are not allowed to have pop or juice. They drink water or soy milk. Every now and then they will get a splash of juice in their water and they love it. If we are out and someone gives them juice they won't really drink it.

[booga12345]

My boys have always shared their cokes until just recently. Now they put up a big fight about how they don't wanna share and the other one has germs. So now they each get their own and the price is ridiculous. There drinks cost almost as much as their food.

[cokemeyer]

For all you senior citizens - Taco Bell will give you a free drink. When my mom takes my boys, they share her's.

 

The price of pop at restaurants is outrageous. I always order water with lemon and add a packet of Equal - instant lemonade.

me too, but did you just read the latest study out on the level of bacteria in 70% of all tested restaurant lemons? When I saw the article yesterday, I nearly lost my lunch as I had just had about 3 cups of hot tea with plenty of lemon. Now I may steer clear!

Edited February 29, 2008 by cokemeyer

[MissPrissy]

When I was little my dad would make us girls get water b/c the drinks were lots of money. I hated it, and was always upset by this. Now that I'm a mom, I look at the prices and do the same thing for my daughter...even I don't order one! I can finally see the logic in my dad's decision. Hehe.

[randiecipper]

would rethink the soy milk for boys...it causes estrogen like problems...check out google for more info

[conj]

drinks are how they make their money. at movie theaters it is popcorn. this is stuff that costs pennies but has a very high mark up percentage. It allows a lower percentage of mark-up for other items, which would not tolerate a larger mark-up.

 

I am sure some of our business marketing gurus could add more.

[zoemariesmamma]

me too, but did you just read the latest study out on the level of bacteria in 70% of all tested restaurant lemons? When I saw the article yesterday, I nearly lost my lunch as I had just had about 3 cups of hot tea with plenty of lemon. Now I may steer clear!

i don't doubt it...until recently i was a server..it is a very busy place and I have seen on a regular basis servers bussing tables serving food and handling money and then plucking a lemon out with their fingers for someones iced tea

[Azzycat]

Holy Cow, what's going on here?

 

When I checked the receipt I saw that 2 small drinks = $2.78. Am I the only one who thinks that this is way too much?

 

 

What kills me is that at most restaurants this is the price for ONE drink now. We like to order lemonade or root beer or whatever but feel we can only order one drink, so DH and I take turns at restaurants on who gets the drink. And we only feel justified buying the drink if we have like 3 refills on it, and we're lucky if the server is around that much. We have found a lot of restaurants will give us a refill in a to go cup, which is great.

 

They just raised the prices at my Taco Bell. I WISH we had the 79/89/99 prices; I don't think we have seen those for years. Cheapest thing on our menu is now 89 cents; I think there are only 6 things now under $1. Tostadas are now $1.39 or so. Small drinks are probably the same price you paid. Ridiculous....

[twin66]

As a mom of teens, it is hard to convince them they don't need to drink soda all the time, but as they get older, they do see the value of drinking water at the sitdown restaurants if we go. But since they are 15 and almost 20, my hubby and I don't take them out much unless it is a birthday or a holiday/special event and the youngest will get a soda, but the rest of us get water. I like the idea of taking those litte drink things you add to water though. I should keep some in my car and purse. I work at a Chickfila here in Lexington,Ky, and we have always allowed parents to purchase a kids drink even w/o a kids meal, which is 69cents plus tax comes to 73 cents each. I make my younger son take a water bottle to drink at school and one of those drink pouches for like the Propel water whenever possible because here, in high schools they charge too much for their sports drinks at the schools too. Of course my DH and I try to wait til the boys are out doing other things and sneak out once in awhile to eat just the two of us. I don't feel guilty either because we don't get to do much on our own since we are on a tight budget with and 3 males can be expensive enough with groceries. ;-) I also can order kids meals at most sitdown restaurants, and sometimes the appetizer menus have chicken strips/fry basket that is a meal in itself.

Now days just eating at a fast food is as expensive as a sitdown place. If the place is like Logans or O Charley's who serves rolls sometimes my best friend and I have been known in winter to just get the Loaded Baked Potato soup and water and have rolls and there is a meal in itself. I think it is a matter of learning what we can and can not ask for at a restaurant. I usually say, "I think I will order what I did before,etc..." ).

Good luck.

Oh, if you have a Red Robin Restaurant near you, go to their website and sign up and when it is your birthday, you get an email you print and take for a free meal. Tony Roma's does this too. Also Abuelos.

I love finding things like that!