Cheapest ‘penny’ sweets are 2p now at RRP. Freddo frog is 25p, cheapest chew bar is 10p.

That’s this week’s price, do we know what they will cost next week? Should I go long on Freddoes?

I remember growing up in the 80’s. You’d get a huge buzz finding 1ps and 2ps (hell, if you were lucky maybe even a 5p!!!!) on the floor on the way to school. Straight to the newsagents to spend it on penny chews.

Pennies fallen out of penny falls in the arcade when you hadn’t put any in and just walk by. Used to actually be able to buy things with a few pence. Though would get chucked out for harvesting the arcade, especially the 10p coins in reject slots. Free games 😁

Earliest coin for me was 1/2p and yeah probably Black Jack’s for that. Cause of many fillings, and removal of. 50p pocket money would go a long way. £1 if your parents were well off. 😄

Black Jack’s

And they were proper racist sweets with pictures of golliwogs on their wrapping, not like the later politically correct ones.

Reminds me of this:

I can remember 3x Black Jack or Fruit Salads for 1p

When I first left school and was working, i was in my local papershop and three kids were arguing over what to spend the tiny amount of money one had. so as i was leaving i reached over and handed one of the boys a couple £’s so they could go for it, and left them to it..

When I was in secondary school there was a length strike by the school caterers and in response the school took the preferably reasonable step of inviting the ice-cream vans that usually lurked outside the school gates on to the school grounds and step in to feed the masses.

Kids had £1 dinner money – so whatever they bought they’d make up the balance with blackjacks, mojos and fruit salads (one of your 5 a day). Within a few days of a diet entirely of sugar it became apparent that the penny sweets were the best value bit of the transaction. So each kid in the que would just order 100 sweets – of course never in the same quantities “73 blackjacks, 6 fruit salads , ten mojos and another 11 blackjack please”

But states 1cent cost 1.5cents to make and a dime (5c) cost 6cents to make

Er isn’t a dime worth 10 cents? It’s a nickel that’s worth 5.

USA pennies are so tiny! And that a nickel is way bigger than a dime always confuses me.

Agree, pennies and two penny pieces are pretty useless.

Maybe some monetary rationalisation is needed? Which coins to keep?
5p
20p
£1
And make a £5 coin?

Seems weird not having a coin for the minimum unit of currency but since it only turns up as the compliment to £x.99 maybe not that bad. Perhaps retailers eager to not move up to the next full £ would move down to £x.95? 🤔 maybe not.

I worked in a bar as teen in the 80’s. A new manager arrived and rounded every price up to the nearest 10p, so we have been selling pints for 1.98 or whatever I can’t remember it was along time ago. It whad been such ball ache doing change etc. And then it was easy, we only had 50p and 10ps in the till apart from change that was used to pay with. Joyous day.

Er isn’t a dime worth 10 cents? It’s a nickel that’s worth 5.

USA pennies are so tiny! And that a nickel is way bigger than a dime always confuses me.

Yeah.

The biggest annoyance for me is that shops often don’t include sales tax (VAT equivalent) in prices, so it’s near-impossible to have exact money ready when your $2.99 McD’s costs $3-something. Add to that the fact they still haven’t fully rationalised card payments so some places take (say) credit cards but not debit cards, it’s near-impossible not to just accrue pennies like mad. A week in the US and I’m walking like ED-209.

The biggest annoyance for me is that shops often don’t include sales tax (VAT equivalent) in prices

that used to annoy me for exactly the reason you outline.

I then realised that it was a fair thing to do: show the price of the product that the store could sell it for and then add the state sales tax: transparency about who is taking what chunk of your money.

If this were done here I expect the regressive monster that is VAT would be more apparent and folks might encourage their MPs to do something about it.

Add to that the fact they still haven’t fully rationalised card payments

oh the card system is wild! It’s like a weird 1970s/2010s mashup. Will the restaurant need me to enter the PIN? Are they pre-authorising or am I paying there and then? Will I have to enter the PIN and sign? Funniest is when you use contactless and then are asked to sign the counterfoil.

My biggest shock was: Walmart does not take ApplePay!

that used to annoy me for exactly the reason you outline.

I then realised that it was a fair thing to do: show the price of the product that the store could sell it for and then add the state sales tax: transparency about who is taking what chunk of your money.

So, show both?

I have half a memory that it’s something to do with having different tax rates between states. I can’t remember now.

oh the card system is wild! It’s like a weird 1970s/2010s mashup.

Me at a US gas station:

“Do you have an alternative method of payment, sir?”

“Uh… no?”

uncomfortable pause

banjo music starts playing in the background

So, show both?

I have half a memory that it’s something to do with having different tax rates between states. I can’t remember now.

Me at a US gas station:

“Do you have an alternative method of payment, sir?”

“Uh… no?”

uncomfortable pause

banjo music starts playing in the background

Show both – that would be great there and here.

Yes, different sales tax in different states. 0% in Delaware.

🤣🤣🤣 you managed to offer something of value instead then?

Show both – that would be great there and here.

Yes, different sales tax in different states. 0% in Delaware.

It would be great there – because you do get that local variation but nationwide retailing and advertising/ marketing is what pushes for the price of good to be stated as X plus tax as X will be the nationally advertised price. Here theres not much point in showing both as you can’t avoid paying it (even people who are VAT registered still have to pay the VAT at the til) and its not really like you can decide to pop into the next county to get a better price.

It is a regressive tax- that successive tax cutting tory governments somehow keep managing to increase. Thatcher cut taxes by increasing it from 8% to 15% and then again to the mathematically infuriating 17.5%. Labour reduced it on things like fuel then cut it to 15%…. then Cameron announces tax cuts and  put it to 20%

At least the mental arithmetic is easier with 20%, hated doing vat returns and invoicing when it was 17.5

I think its fair to say we can expect VAT to go up to 40% in early November :-) Although it would prob actually 37.163% just to make my life awkward.

you managed to offer something of value instead then?

Honestly, I was thinking “wild west stand-off.” But your interpretation is funnier.