As inflation has hit the E/M C-Stores, I am finding the only item in most of them that is anywhere near $1 are the peanut packages.
I don't eat them very often, so, they go to the squirrels living nearby (please note - I rinse the salt off of them before scattering).

However, with that being said, I'm even finding that is becoming more and more difficult to find anything valued at around the required $1 reimbursement amount. Many of the C-Stores are relabeling even the peanuts at $1.09 (stamped underneath the price label they have stuck on them is the 69 cents for one and $1.09 for 2.

Maybe the MSC could raise the instore reimbursement to at least $2?

I get a bottle of water. The cheapest brand. An increase would be nice.

@pegleg2000 wrote:

I get a bottle of water. The cheapest brand. An increase would be nice.

A few years ago bottled water was $0.89. Now, the lowest price is $1.39.

Crackers used to be my go-to, but now many of them are $1.39 if they don't have the cheap 69c brand. At some locations, you can't even get a Tootsie pop sucker for $1.

I get either 2 for $1 bags of Frito Lay chips, peanuts (if I can find them), 2 for $1 sunflower seeds, or Frito Lay Peanut Butter Crackers. But, these are getting very hard to find.

I used to buy Arizona products at $.99 - orangeade, pineapple, Arnold Palmer iced tea but it is now $1.69. I still buy it as there is not much available under $2.00. Wise potato chips at $2.00, cany bars at usually $2.49, Fritos at $2.49 are more junk food choices. They magically disappear from the dining room end table. I refuse to pay for water as I bring my on filtered lemon water over ice and in a thermos. Nothing for the squirrels but I agree, they should raise the re-imbursement to $2.00.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/2023 11:03PM by LIJake.

@French Farmer I was thinking about this very topic today which has been a long term issue with me for Exxon and Chevron shops.

I hate having to go into pocket to satisfy the shop requirements. I remember sending the scheduler an email asking them what am I supposed to get for a buck? The shop that I had done had a $1.79 or something like that price point as the cheapest item in the store. So I am only going to get $1 reimbursed and I have to deduct 97¢ from the base fee to cover the purchase plus tax.

For Chevron you are supposed to record how long it takes to pump a gallon of gas, but you are only reimbursed for the gallon and you are going to go a little over a gallon at least 95% of the time. So you are going into your pocket to satisfy that component too.

It is a challenge to find something that is under a $1 with tax. My go to has been Wrigley's gum, but many stores have faded out the 5 packs that are clearly marked 35¢ on the wrapper and the station charges 50¢ or more for and replaced them with a larger package that goes for over $2. I am not a fan of the lollipops, but I purchase them to stay under a $1. One of the Chevrons had 2 for $1 Fritos and a few other brands that were the same price point. Another Chevron down the street had the same size Fritos 2 for $1.50. I will get one in that case. I think these stations don't want the hassle of dealing with cheap marked goods, that might have a nice profit margin of 500% like a piece of bubble gum, when you have to sell a lot to make money.

Some of this candy has been sitting on the shelf for a long time and the safest move is to toss it after you buy it. There have been numerous times where I reach for the candy, like Lemonheads, and it is stuck to the box. You shake the box and it doesn't make a sound because it is stuck to the inside of the box.

Lately I have been getting the regular can of Coke and most places sell them for $1-$1.39. I will either consume it on the road or at home instead of the unneeded candy, but I still hate going into pocket. I looked for water the last few days and it has been going for $1.99-$3+ and we ain't talking about Fiji water.

Another gas station shop does a $3 reimbursement for a promo item, but that amount covers many, but not all items. You can find something to buy for under $3.

I'd settle for the reimbursement being increased to $1.50.
More often than not, I am buying something I want and would buy anyway, so I don't mind going up to around $1.29/$1.39, but it would be nice to get this increased.
Be careful buying gum... check the expiration dates... I almost bought one today that had an expiration date of January 2021. I kid you not!

My product overage (cost of C-store purchase less $1.00 reimbursement) was $290 for the year. I feel justified, and I've convinced my accountant, to claim this as a legitimate deduction. I also exceed, usually intentionally, my gas reimbursement. I travel with three 5 gallon containers and I'm the gas station for my wife and son. I don't feel I deserve a deduction for the gas overage and don't claim one.

It has come to the point where I buy the peanuts or sunflowers, and then just put them back on the shelf or hide them behind something at the counter. (If I leave them in the open there is a chance the clerk follows me out to the parking lot to give them to me. And I have to act happy.) I used to save them, but I can only eat or give away so many, and then they eventually become stale. I don't like to waste food. (My Depression era parents programmed that into me.) I am glad you found a good use for them. Be warned: They are starting to replace some of the peanuts with larger packs that cost a lot more, and they look the same if you are not paying attention.

The “tootsie pop suckers” are the ones doing the audits for base rates. Lol

Cheese! My go-to used to be the peanut packets as was mentioned above, but I've recently been buying a single-serving package of string cheese, Babybels, or cheddar. Many convenience stores sell them in a dairy cooler or a the display unit with premade sandwiches/lunch options for anywhere between $.69 and $.99; also, most states don't charge sales tax on grocery items. And if you don't like the cheese, your dog or cat certainly will!

@Treeline wrote:

Cheese! My go-to used to be the peanut packets as was mentioned above, but I've recently been buying a single-serving package of string cheese, Babybels, or cheddar. Many convenience stores sell them in a dairy cooler or a the display unit with premade sandwiches/lunch options for anywhere between $.69 and $.99; also, most states don't charge sales tax on grocery items. And if you don't like the cheese, your dog or cat certainly will!

Beware! Many Circle Ks and their brands have left those low shelf tags up on cheese (and other things) but programmed the computer for a much higher price!

While I'm on a roll, let me give a shout out to Marketforce and Servimer - two MSCs that have actually RAISED pay and/or reimbursements to keep up with the times!

As it concerns shops for multi-billion dollar oil companies, it is apparent that "working for peanuts" is a term that still applies.

@Treeline Thanks. I am going to check the cheese options to see if there are any for under a dollar.

If you are looking at the top search results for states that charge sales tax on food, that information is outdated and wrong when published. The results I found were from studies in 2019 and 2021 and there were states that were at least charging a county sales tax on food. I remember there were discrepancies in the tax rate charged at a convenience store for food and a grocery store.

@sestrahelena You are so right about Circle Ks having one price displayed on the shelf and charge a different price at the register. I did a route a couple of months ago and every store was overcharging. I did one recently where the shelf read $2.59 for a 24 oz of Coke and 2 for $4 something. The cashier scanned it and it was $2.99. I mentioned it to the cashier, but he didn't change the price. I should've gone back to the shelf and grabbed the shelf marker to show him. This has worked in the past. To top it off, the bottle of soda was room temperature and not ice cold. If I am going to pay more than the price a grocery store charges for a 2 liter of the same soda, is it wrong to expect it to be ice cold?

I don't know about dogs, but if I gave my cats cheese, I would have a mess on my hands....my sofa, on the floor...you get the picture.

@Treeline wrote:

Cheese! My go-to used to be the peanut packets as was mentioned above, but I've recently been buying a single-serving package of string cheese, Babybels, or cheddar. Many convenience stores sell them in a dairy cooler or a the display unit with premade sandwiches/lunch options for anywhere between $.69 and $.99; also, most states don't charge sales tax on grocery items. And if you don't like the cheese, your dog or cat certainly will!

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2023 04:45PM by heywave.

I like when I can find the small travel sized tissue packs. They range from $.75 to a bit over $1, but I have allergies so I always need them. They are not always available though. I also wish they would up the reimbursement. I also like getting a fresh cup of coffee and it's almost always closer to $2 for a small cup these days.

@heywave. I get the picture! We used to have a cat, and she got only a nibble or so of cheese at a time. We have two dogs now, and I stretch the string cheese out over a couple of days as training reminder treats. . .

Another thing to look for is the individual packets of Crystal Lite type water flavoring - often 50 cents. A few places have ramen noodles for 69 cents. It would be nice if we could get a candy bar and not have to waste time looking for the few cheap things. As others have said, prices are rising so fast that they often haven't updated the prices on the shelves and things ring up much higher than marked.

I completed over 20 of those shops for $50 each so I was just fine with spending more than the up to $1 reimbursement. Plus that didn’tout me as the mystery shopper then either.

And didn't I read this week Exxon's CEO's bonus was a mere 35 MILLION dollars?

Would increasing reimbursement on shops to $2 reduce that by maybe $100,000?



quote=shopperbob]
As it concerns shops for multi-billion dollar oil companies, it is apparent that "working for peanuts" is a term that still applies.[/quote]

I used to get the granola bars on the little debbie display, i think they are called Sunbelt or something like that. They were $0.50, a couple of months ago, I got some for 0.75, and a couple days ago they were $1.19.

This is one of the many reasons I wait for bonuses or pay increases. If you can't get your required purchase under reimbursement, I'm going to wait until an extra $0.20 doesn't affect my ability to do the job for a profit.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/17/2023 04:50AM by Morledzep.

I keep a plastic bag in my car. When it gets full of all the goodie, I give them to guys at my job. They fight over it. I just bring the bag, sit it on the desk, and they go after it.

@mystery2me wrote:

It has come to the point where I buy the peanuts or sunflowers, and then just put them back on the shelf or hide them behind something at the counter. (If I leave them in the open there is a chance the clerk follows me out to the parking lot to give them to me. And I have to act happy.) I used to save them, but I can only eat or give away so many, and then they eventually become stale. I don't like to waste food. (My Depression era parents programmed that into me.) I am glad you found a good use for them. Be warned: They are starting to replace some of the peanuts with larger packs that cost a lot more, and they look the same if you are not paying attention.

@ArkLaMissshopping wrote:

I keep a plastic bag in my car. When it gets full of all the goodie, I give them to guys at my job. They fight over it. I just bring the bag, sit it on the desk, and they go after it.

A few years ago, Nature Valley Granola Bars were anywhere from $0.89 to $0.99 each. Now they're about $1.19 to $1.99! Same for the Ritz crackers and the Keebler crackers - all anywhere from $0.69 to $0.99 each. They all went up to well over $1.00. At some of the independent owned gas stations, they began charging outrageous prices. Recently, I couldn't find anything that might be near a dollar (no pricing on the items or on the shelf). So,I chose the Ritz crackers wrongly thinking they would be around $1.00, Boy, was I wrong! The clerk scanned it and told me the price was $1.99!

Anyway, back when everything had not gone up, I often gave the crackers or water I purchased, to the people asking for handouts, etc at some of the busy intersections, often near shopping centers.

I have found Tootsie Pops and Charm Pops to be the cheapest between 10 to 75 cents (LOL profit margin here is the greatest

Big name convenience stores seem to have eliminated almost all of the small, low-priced items and offer only larger sizes at the higher prices.

I also hate the look of the cashier when I ask for a receipt for a cheap item. They already know I bought a few drops of gas. And some of the cashiers will round down the cost if they see I have cash for the in-store purchase, so it is a challenge when I ask for a receipt. I may get something that comes to $1.05 or $1.09 and they just say the dollar (they see me holding), is fine. And I seem to get the same cashiers time after time. So, like was mentioned by another, I end up buying more than a gallon of gas and something inside at $2.00 or more. I do not mind when those shops are bonused. But a gallon of gas is such a dead giveaway.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/18/2023 03:07AM by purpleicee.

You could have needed only a gallon for your weedeater or mower. I don’t really care what the cashiers think when I ask for receipts and always keep my purchases under, or as close to, reimbursement as possible. By the time we ask for receipts, the mystery shop portion is finished anyway. Even if there's no reveal, I feel no obligation to justify my need for a receipt.

@sestrahelena - Good point and illustration about the weed eater.

I just wish I knew what I am doing or ? that they seem to recognize me. I intentionally skip locations for a few months and do other ones and swap back for the next round. But some cashiers see me coming in the store and hurry to grab their uniform shirt and pull it over the one they are wearing and pin on the name tag. I do notice I am always the only one not buying lottery tickets and/or a giant can of beer.

They know you are a shopper when you ask for the in store receipt for a small purchase.