Can someone explain why aluminum foil is so damn expensive?

[maslex]

I just saw the latest commercial for Reynold's alum foil and got me thinking of my trip to Walmart last weekend. I went to pick up a box and noticed it was $9/something for it!!!!!! FOR WHAT??? I don't remember how much foil it was but that's a bit ridiculous, no?

 

[kwelch10377]

I usually pay about $3 at Target for the 25ft roll, so I am guessing you were looking at maybe the 100ft box, which that price seems pretty reasonable.

 

[MolonLabe]

You want to know a real shocker?

We buy foil about once every 5 years. We get the huge industrial thing from Costco. Last time we bought some it was about $15 for it. I hadn't looked at the price of foil since.

Flash forward to a couple months ago and it was about $30!

Anyone who tells you there isn't inflation has been hiding under a rock and not buying thing.

The short answer to your question: The dollar has been losing value over the past several years as the Federal Reserve 'quantitatively eases' our currency into oblivion.

As the value of a currency goes down, purchasing power goes down. One of the most blatant things that rise and fall proportionately are metals.

hence why people are stealing wiring and pipes from homes, man hole covers ect. ect.

It's also why gold has gone from $500 an ounce to $1700 an ounce in about 5 years. heck silver went from $10 to $30 an ounce in about 5 years too. Copper, Nickle ect. ect.

The metal value of a penny and a nickle are now worth more than the face value of the coin.

Inflation is the hidden tax.

 

[topolino]

You want to become truly sticker shocked just look at the price of men's refillable razors!!

 

[jlewisinsyr]

As the value of a currency goes down, purchasing power goes down. One of the most blatant things that rise and fall proportionately are metals.

hence why people are stealing wiring and pipes from homes, man hole covers ect. ect.

It's also why gold has gone from $500 an ounce to $1700 an ounce in about 5 years. heck silver went from $10 to $30 an ounce in about 5 years too. Copper, Nickle ect. ect.

There is correlation between commodities and the valuation of the dollar (and other currencies), but they are not mutually exclusive. Stocks and commodity purchases can move completely independent, and linking it directly to inflation is incorrect.

 

[Hannathy]

That has to be a darn big roll of foil. I just bought some for my DD going camping and it was under $1.50 for the small roll of store brand.

 

[Planogirl]

It's very expensive here too and I've been wondering why. I use as much Saran Wrap as I can nowadays but of course you can't use it when you cook.

 

[ChrisFL]

Its not cheap to make a special hat every day to protect our brains from outside influence

I'm sure I'm not the only one who goes through lots of foil for mental stability

 

[leebee]

Its not cheap to make a special hat every day to protect our brains from outside influence

I'm sure I'm not the only one who goes through lots of foil for mental stability

I'm sure the little green men don't know what I'M thinking, and I'm protected from their thought rays!

 

[maslex]

That has to be a darn big roll of foil. I just bought some for my DD going camping and it was under $1.50 for the small roll of store brand.

Yeah, I checked out Walmart's brand and I think for their small box (could have been 10ft?) was about $3. Just seems so expensive for something you're going to end up throwing away anyways.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

You can get 25 ft of foil at the Dollar Tree for a buck.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

You want to become truly sticker shocked just look at the price of men's refillable razors!!

I know and my husband seems to go through them like crazy. GRRRR

 

[OceanAnnie]

I know and my husband seems to go through them like crazy. GRRRR

OT- You can extend the life of the razors by applying some olive oil to them. I read that somewhere. I have used a spray of olive oil on razors. It did make a difference to me. Easier to rinse off too.

 

[honeydiane1953]

Supermarkets, etc. do this all the time. Tin foil is outrageous. For the past two months a good NEW name ice cream has been 3 for 10$$. Now most have changed over. Tonight I went to the same place and it 3.39 per half gallon. These places don't stay in business by standing still. They get u hooked then go up!!

 

[kelleigh1]

OT- You can extend the life of the razors by applying some olive oil to them. I read that somewhere. I have used a spray of olive oil on razors. It did make a difference to me. Easier to rinse off too.

We might have to try that.

 

[Jennasis]

Don't buy the name brands!

 

[Janepod]

Supermarkets, etc. do this all the time. Tin foil is outrageous. For the past two months a good NEW name ice cream has been 3 for 10$$. Now most have changed over. Tonight I went to the same place and it 3.39 per half gallon. These places don't stay in business by standing still. They get u hooked then go up!!

So it went from $3.33 each to $3.39 each? Doesn't sound so bad.

 

[SandrA9810]

You want to become truly sticker shocked just look at the price of men's refillable razors!!

I think it was about $30 for five pack of blades at Walmart. I dry the blades off and don't keep it in the shower after I use it.

So it went from $3.33 each to $3.39 each? Doesn't sound so bad.

It's 50 cents here, a quarter there, and it's not all at once. Generally enough to keep you purchasing it.

Of course the OP could be referring to the fact that the original quantity was greater when it was on sale. Now a smaller amount is the same price.

 

[Cindy B]

Here is my foil alternative:

Wait until Dec 26. I go to Target and buy all the Reynolds Wrap, Saran Wrap, paper towels, Dishwashing Detergent, Tissues, Swiffer Items and such while everyone else is grabbing wrapping paper. Yes, all these items are Christmas marked at 50 or even 75% off.

I usually grab about 2-3 rolls of foil for about 1.25 each. That keeps me until next year and I do the same.

Sure the boxes may have snowflakes on them, but that isn't a big deal to me- same with the tissues and papertowels. The cleaning products usually just have a Christmas sleeve that is easily removed if you wish.

 

[usd2bmd]

It's not just the foil, my husband and i were talking about this as well. When we got amrried 18 years ago we would go grocery shopping and spend $40 and buy whatever we wanted.

Now we go shopping and are lucky if we can get out of the store for less than $100.