Saturday, January 5, 2008

Defining a bargain: The price of a candy bar in 2008

The first Hershey bar was made in 1900.
It cost 1 cent in 1930.
In 1962, a candy bar cost 5¢. In 1972, it cost 25¢. In 2004, the average cost of a candy bar was 60¢.

A dollar today is not the same as a dollar in 1962. Inflation makes dollar-to-dollar comparisons impossible. Generally speaking, today you need $586 to buy what $100 would buy in 1962.

But a very curious phenomenon is happening in a vending machine in our lunch room... There are 2 rows in this machine that dispense candy. On one of the rows, prices vary from 75¢ to $1. That row holds only candy bars.

The funny thing is that while I don’t frequent the machine too often, on more than one occasion I’ve seen the Almond Joy candy bars positioned in both the 75¢ position AND the $1 slots.

It’s amazing when we look at how costs have increased so quickly over the span of time. Evidently, inflation is inevitable. I suppose it shouldn’t be especially surprising to expect to pay $1 for a candy bar in 2008. But you know, I really feel like I’m getting an incredible bargain when I pick E9 instead of E2, where I can see the very same candy bar being offered (at the same point in time) for 25¢ more!

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