The penny rant
It's time for a pet peeve. Of them all, this is the one that irritates me most often. In fact, I can't believe I've never ranted about it here before.
WHY IN THE WORLD do businesses still refuse to price their products in even numbers?!
Switch to Qwest High-Speed Internet, only $19.99 a month ... The Ginsu 36-Piece Knife Set, $24.99 ... the Vacu-Suck Wonder Machine, buy it now for just $99.99.
NO, I do not think I'm getting a better deal because I'm saving a god damned penny. Do these people realize how worthless a penny is? Did they snooze through the third-grade math lesson on rounding up?
Yes, I'm aware that some genius did a study long ago which "showed" that prices with 99 cents seem cheaper to consumers. Well, guess what ... no one is fooled anymore. We've figured it out by now. In fact, I'd say that 19.99 almost seems more than 20. Why? Perhaps subconsciously I recall my first math lesson from Sesame Street, learning to count on my fingers. Nine is a high digit. Zero is nothing. Instead of 19.99 and 20, I see:
999 and 2. Which seems cheaper now?
So instead of feeling like I'm getting a good deal, I feel like I'm getting ripped off, because someone's trying to con me into thinking the price is lower than it is. No wonder people don't trust business! This is part of the reason why.
I have some advice for business owners. Screw the stupid penny. Quit wasting our time with worthless loose change. Skip the psychological mindgames and dumb gimmicks. Just be honest. Just tell me it's 20 bucks. I'll respect you more for it. It's always refreshing to find the occasional item priced in even dollars; I enjoy not being treated like a chump.
PS - Don't get me started on gasoline priced in nine-tenths of a cent, the stupidest fucking thing I've ever seen. Here's my suggestion. Instead of 2.499 a gallon, just charge me two-fifty and throw in the extra puff of gas vapor.
WHY IN THE WORLD do businesses still refuse to price their products in even numbers?!
Switch to Qwest High-Speed Internet, only $19.99 a month ... The Ginsu 36-Piece Knife Set, $24.99 ... the Vacu-Suck Wonder Machine, buy it now for just $99.99.
NO, I do not think I'm getting a better deal because I'm saving a god damned penny. Do these people realize how worthless a penny is? Did they snooze through the third-grade math lesson on rounding up?
Yes, I'm aware that some genius did a study long ago which "showed" that prices with 99 cents seem cheaper to consumers. Well, guess what ... no one is fooled anymore. We've figured it out by now. In fact, I'd say that 19.99 almost seems more than 20. Why? Perhaps subconsciously I recall my first math lesson from Sesame Street, learning to count on my fingers. Nine is a high digit. Zero is nothing. Instead of 19.99 and 20, I see:
999 and 2. Which seems cheaper now?
So instead of feeling like I'm getting a good deal, I feel like I'm getting ripped off, because someone's trying to con me into thinking the price is lower than it is. No wonder people don't trust business! This is part of the reason why.
I have some advice for business owners. Screw the stupid penny. Quit wasting our time with worthless loose change. Skip the psychological mindgames and dumb gimmicks. Just be honest. Just tell me it's 20 bucks. I'll respect you more for it. It's always refreshing to find the occasional item priced in even dollars; I enjoy not being treated like a chump.
PS - Don't get me started on gasoline priced in nine-tenths of a cent, the stupidest fucking thing I've ever seen. Here's my suggestion. Instead of 2.499 a gallon, just charge me two-fifty and throw in the extra puff of gas vapor.