Chips and Salsa Why America has lost its edge
Chips and Salsa Why America has lost its edge

Today is my pissed off post entitled Chips and Salsa Why America has lost its edge.

Chips and Salsa Why America has lost its edge

This is a true story that just happened a few days ago.

OK here is the story:

I work this website full time, this is what I do. However, my business partner Julie works 3 jobs; her full time job is a civil service manager for the state of California. Early this morning she calls me up and asks me to do her a favor. She has a meeting across town and she has been assigned the task of bringing chips and salsa to her office meeting. She has to leave for the meeting at about 11 or so, but she does not really have time to stop by the store and get the required “chips and salsa,” so she asks me to get it for her.

So, at about 10:30 or 11, I go to Raley’s (a local grocery store). Not only is Raley’s a top supermarket here in Sacramento, but it ranks as one of the top 3 supermarket chains in America; so this ain’t just some dump supermarket – it’s a credible place to go shopping. So, while I am in the parking lot of Raley’s, Steve calls me up and wants to go eat at an Indian restaurant (Pooja) across town. So I go into the store and grab some Tostitos chips and Tostitos salsa, which is the common brand here in California. So I grab 1 bag of chips and 2 large jars of salsa; Yeah, so far so good. I walk up to the register and the cashier who is Chinese (California FTW) checks me out, and the total is $11.99 . I’ll let that marinate with you for a minute. Yes $12 as in twelve American dollars for a bag of chips and salsa. I am going to write that one more time just so you can be sure that you read that correctly. $12 US Dollars for a bag of chips and two jars of salsa. Not only was it $12, but that $12 included a savings of 12 percent because the salsa was on “sale.” Personally, I wouldn’t believe you if you wrote the same thing, so I took pictures of the chips, salsa and the receipt as proof (Pix or it didn’t happen).receipt04222009067

Chips and Salsa Why America has lost its edge

I would love to hear from any sane person living in America to tell me why chips and salsa cost $12. This is the reason why America has lost its edge in the world economy. We have taken a relatively mundane product, advertised it, made a college bowl game out of it and priced it so far out of the market that it’s no longer a viable option to the average Joe. Stuff like this just plain pisses me off. I am American; I have served in the US military and as a government contractor, so I have somewhat of a vested interest in the wellbeing of America. How can I be proud of a country that whose business gouges their customers at every opportunity? I honestly don’t know what else to say, because I did end up going to that Indian restaurant with Steve and this is what I had:

Pooja butter chckentamarind salsa

Yep all that food, which included all you can eat chips and salsa AND all you can eat butter chicken, naan, salad etc, for $9.78. The Indian people are kicking ass right here in America.

Thanks for reading Chips and Salsa Why America has lost its edge.


Charles Lloyd
Charles Lloyd

Self processed fitness missionary and author of most of the ridiculous fitness articles written on Charles Lloyd Fitness.com. I am not really a writer, but a workout fiend who happens to have a blog. The single mission of this website is very simple: Get You In Shape. I have been blessed with the gift of good health and want to share it with you. Join Me.

    21 replies to "Chips and Salsa Why America has lost its edge"

    • Rich

      Oh I know. I went to a 7-11 the other day and Doritos + Vitamin Water + a magazine cost me 18 bucks…

    • joshua

      dude, buy cheaper salsa. tostitos is expensive for exactly the reason you gave: the advertise themselves to make the best chips and salsa, and therefore are expected to cost more. offbrands are usually just as good, and Pace, is way better anyway. you can get a jug of that stuff for like $10 and store brand chips. i mean, i know it sucks, but use your eyes, the prices only go down when you look at brands other than Tostitos.

    • Jay

      that’s corporate greed my friend and that is what is wrong with America. They have sent out jobs over sea’s because of the greed for more profits.

    • JACster

      … And if you want it for less, than you have to put up with crap products. I seriously found dead roaches in some bargain tortillas. Apparently, dollar store food made them gag, too.

    • Mark

      That’s not corporate greed- that’s inflating the money supply by printing new dollars to blow on govt welfare programs. Which drives the value of your dollars down, which raises the price in dollars of chips and salsa, gold, etc.

    • Charles Lloyd

      Thats BS Josh, why should I buy something cheaper? Im not going to go out of my way to some podunk supermarket to buy chips and salsa….this is just stright up greed

    • Charles Lloyd

      Jay thats beyond greed, this takes greed to a new level….$12! for chips and salsa is absurd

    • Charles Lloyd

      Thats exactly my point, why should I half ass anything, I assume Tostios is a good product which is why I bough it….this is just stright up greed

    • Charles Lloyd

      Im with you Mark whatever it is, its stupid

    • Mark

      On Saturday April 25, There is a rally at every single branch of the private Federal Reserve Bank (the entity responsible for inflating our money supply). The rally is in support of HR 1207 — the bill that currently has 60 co-sponsors and is in committee right now to audit the fed!

    • Dave

      that tends to happen when you buy brand name.

    • Charles Lloyd

      Something needs to be done Mark this is just straight up BS

    • Sam

      Wow… sounds like we need a new cabinet-level position called the Snack Czar to regulate all snack companies. The snack Czar should be able to fix prices for all snacks at “reasonable” levels so all the “average joes” can buy them and get fatter. And then we should have a Obesity Czar that will regulate exactly how much of the aforementioned price-fixed snacks each individual can have. Yeah… fucking morons. “Straight up greed?” If so, Charles, why did you buy it? Why did you willingly exchange money for it? Do you have any idea how markets work? Do you have any knowledge of basic economics? Now please tell me you know all about economics and that it doesn’t matter because those people are “evil and greedy.”

    • Charles Lloyd

      No I have ZERO idea how markets work Sam im too stupid to figure that out, I bet you know, but since im not on your level of “smartness” I wont bother to ask because your economic knowledge will clearly be too much for me to handle. If you dont know why I bought them you clearly didn’t read the story. The next time you go to the store offer to pay a 100% premium on everything you buy, that will teach people like me to quit complaining over spoiled milk.

      Yeah we do need a Snack & Obesity Czar and more government control on our lives, that is exactly what this article is about, nothing gets past you.

    • Sam

      Right… I get the sarcastic bit about you being “too stupid.” But if you really think we need more government control in our lives then you really are an imbecile. I did read the article, I do know why you bought them. What I can’t figure out is why you’re complaining. You live in one of the most taxed and regulated states in the country. I’m not sure about this, but from a quick online search it appears you went to a pretty high-end grocery store. And then you bought over-priced, name brand junk. And then you whine and complain and wonder how chips and salsa could possibly cost so much. And then, even better, you wonder why I question your knowledge of how markets work.

      I tried to come up with an example of government control and regulation so far-fetched that no one could possibly agree with it. I’m still wondering if you’re kidding. Do you honestly believe we need a “Snack & Obesity Czar?” Seriously?

      Although I’ve spoken with people who believe in the kind of government control you espouse I still can’t get over how you can ignore history and (here is comes again) basic economics.

      You are in pretty sympathetic company in California. Here’s what you should do: Get a state S&O Czar going, enact a bunch of price controls there in CA and we’ll see how it goes. The rest of us will be laughing at how you’ve ruined your economy. Actually, we’re already doing that. We’ll just laugh more… and harder.

    • Sam

      By the way Charles… Despite our differences on political/economic issues, I’m diggin your fitness and cycling posts. I’ve been looking for a road bike for a while. I might even get one someday. 🙂

    • Charles Lloyd

      The chips and salsa was way too much money, $12 for chips and salsa is absurd. Raley’s is not a high end grocery store, I wouldn’t have anything to complain about if I went to something like Whole Food, where you know your going to pay a premium to eat some East Romanian bananas that were harvested by Sherpas wearing homemade sandals.

      I don’t see your point about how chips and salsa costing $12 has anything to do with adding a Snack Czar, also I know how markets and economies work. But if you keep charging people $12 for chips and salsa your pricing yourself out of the market… don’t believe me go ask GM on how they are getting killed in the auto industry by the Japanese, Koreans and Germans.

    • Charles Lloyd

      Get in there and do it Sam. Cycling is way way fun. All you got to do is go to a bike store and start riding, it free and fun, plus any good bike store you go to all the people there are pretty much hippies anyway :p

    • Eve

      Great Blog you have here Mate, Provides Excellent information without being stereotypical. I am just a joker who roams around the web reading blogs and here I pass On! Thanks Buddy

    • Charles Lloyd

      Thanks for droppin by Eve

    • Kelly

      All these years later and still applies… Really funny!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.