Gallon of gas got you down? Other liquid 'necessities' far
higher; 10 big markups
By Chris Pummer, CBS MarketWatch
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Sticker shock strikes U.S.
motorists every time they fill their gas tanks lately: $30
to $40 a fill-up is proving tough to accept. Sure, gas costs
40 percent less than two decades ago after adjusting for
inflation. And in the United States we still only pay about
one-third of what they do in Europe.
But that's little consolation. Retail prices have been
hitting record highs for two months. We took cheap gas for
granted for so long, abandoning our fuel-efficient cars of
the '80s for SUVs and minivans, and now it's catching up.
Rather than grousing, there may be some comfort in realizing
gas is far cheaper than virtually every other liquid product
purchased.
While a gallon of regular fetched a record $1.82 nationwide
May 3, a price survey of several dozen commonly consumed
fluids found only one -- a plastic jug of supermarket-brand
"drinking" water at $1.19 a gallon -- selling for less. The
rest scanned in at $2.79 to $46,000 a gallon, based on a
survey of prices from Northern California supermarkets and
national Web sites.
Many of these products are only moderately more expensive
than gasoline, but they're staples of life:
Milk -- $2.79 a gallon on average Coke (KO: news, chart) --
$3.33 a gallon (based on a 2-liter bottle) Tide (PG: news,
chart) liquid detergent -- $12.61 a gallon (based on a 100-
oz. jug) Hershey's (HSY: news, chart) chocolate syrup --
$14.98 a gallon (based on a 24-oz. bottle) Glidden (ICI:
news, chart) Endurance paint -- $22 Other products sell for
much more than gasoline, but we pay it little mind:
Kraft (KFT: news, chart) ranch dressing -- $31 a gallon
(based on a 16-oz. bottle) Pepto Bismol -- $56 a gallon
(based on 16-ounce bottle) A1 steak sauce -- $64 a gallon
(based on a 10-oz. bottle) Raid Home & Garden -- $73 (based
on an 11-oz.can) Vaseline (UL: news, chart) petroleum jelly
-- $88 a gallon (based on a 13-oz. jar) And others we're
willing to splurge on or buy out of desperate need:
Deep Woods Off insect repellent -- $124 a gallon (based on a
6-ounce can) Coppertone (SHR: news, chart) Sport Lotion sun
block -- $192 a gallon (based on 8-ounce bottle) Robitussin
Maximum Strength (WYE: news, chart) -- $214 a gallon (based
on 4-ounce bottle) Dom Perignon 1996 champagne -- $379 a
gallon (based on 750ML bottle) Robert Mondavi (MOND: news,
chart) 1999 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon -- $581 (based on
750ML bottle) Of course, gasoline is a commodity that varies
little, whether you buy Exxon, Chevron or from an
independent station. It's produced by the boatload and
carries no packaging costs.
Yet most of the U.S. supply is extracted from the ground as
crude, transported to a tanker ship, crosses an ocean, gets
run through a refinery, trucked and unloaded into gas-
station storage tanks -- only then to be pumped into your
vehicle. Considering crude oil is now running about 90 cents
a gallon, and state and federal taxes about 38 to 50 cents,
that's not much of a markup for processing and handling.
By comparison, consider what each of these 10 products costs
on a per-gallon basis, most of them personal-care and health-
care items that capitalize on a brand-name:
Starbucks (SBUX: news, chart) coffee -- $33 (based on a 12-
oz. cup) -- Without hesitation, many of us pay a huge markup
for water run through coffee grinds. A three-pound can of
Colombian, on sale at the supermarket for $4.99, will yield
about nine gallons, at 55 cents a gallon. A 6,000 percent
markup is a hefty price to pay for convenience. Pam Extra
(CAG: news, chart) Virgin Olive Oil cooking spray -- $123
(based on a 5-oz. can) This product also plays to
convenience and commands quite a premium. Considering a 101-
oz. container of Star Extra Virgin Olive Oil on sale at
$12.99 costs the equivalent of $16.51 a gallon, that low-
tech spray nozzle and pressurized can is costly alternative
to just pouring out a teaspoonful. Old Spice cologne -- $278
(based on 4.25-oz. bottle) This 67-year-old scent has its
loyalists -- especially among older men -- but at this
markup, it begs the question: Why not pay twice as much for
something a bit more distinctive, and don't apply it by the
palmful just because it's cheap? Tylenol (JNJ: news, chart)
Infant Drops -- $1,738 (based on 0.5-oz. container) First-
time parents freak out when their newborn or infant spikes a
common 104-degree fever, and would pay anything to relieve
their delirious baby's condition (Note: Tepid baths help
considerably). While store-brand acetaminophen liquid is
widely available for older children, it's hard to find for
infants. This is a generic pain killer in a suspension fluid
for crying out loud. Afrin nasal spray -- $1,892 (based on a
0.5-oz. container) The inability to breath through one's
nose is frightening at worst and frustrating at best. But
chronic users might resign themselves to being mouth-
breathers, and then splurge in retirement with all the money
they'd have saved. Bausch & Lomb (BOL: news, chart) Renu
rewetting drops -- $2,097 (based on a .5-oz. container) The
cost of hard-contact lenses goes well beyond replacing ones
lost. For those for whom it's a remedy, laser surgery should
look cheap by comparison. Rogaine Extra Strength (PFE: news,
chart) -- $2,176 ( based on a 2-oz. package) Desperate times
call for desperate measures and for balding men, especially
single ones, the cost of preserving thinning locks is no
object. Forget that many users sprout only peach fuzz or
suffer a scorched scalp after extended use. Untold thousands
try this product before discovering its failings or coming
to accept that their attractiveness is more than follicle
deep. Primatene Mist -- $3,377 (based on a 0.5-oz.
dispenser) Not breathing through your nose is one thing, not
breathing at all is another matter. That life-threatening
situation is just what this product aims to remedy, with an
enormous mark-up in the process. Colgate Simply White Tooth-
Whitening Gel (CL: news, chart) -- $5,643 (based on .34
ounce bottle.) That's quite a pretty penny to pay for a
little bit 'o bleach, specially formulated though it may be.
But such is the price of vanity.
Chanel No. 5 perfume -- $46,000 (based on 0.25 ounce bottle)
Since 1921, this scent has been the reigning queen of
women's high-end perfumes. Suffice to say, at this price,
it's a good thing a little goes a fairly long way. So next
time you're muttering profanities under your breath when the
gas pump surpasses $40 while filling up your SUV, make a
mental note to at least be a conscientious shopper on all
other liquids you buy.
It really is worth reading those "per-ounce" price labels on
supermarket shelves and not be wedded to items that are
themselves essentially commodity products Remember, wealth
is often built not by how much you bank, but by how much you
don't spend.
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---= BOYCOTT FRANCE (belgium) GERMANY--SPAIN =--- ---= Move
UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
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