Are we all overpaying for 'budget' spice blends at the grocery store?

I keep seeing people in this community recommend those pre-mixed taco seasoning packets at $1.50 each for one meal. But in my experience, you can buy a bulk container of cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder from the bulk bins at WinCo for about $3 total and it covers maybe 15 meals. Why does everyone think the packets are cheaper? I did the math last week and the markup is like 400%. Does anyone else just buy single spices and mix them yourself, or am I missing something?

2 comments

2 Comments

kelly.keith22d ago

Man, you're absolutely right and it's kinda wild how this applies to so many things once you start looking. I notice the same pattern with pre-shredded cheese at the store. You pay like double the price for the bag of shredded stuff that has anti-caking powder on it, and it doesn't even melt as good as the block you shred yourself in 30 seconds. Same deal with those little single-serve guacamole cups at like $2 each when a whole avocado costs 80 cents. People just get used to paying for the packaging and the tiny bit of labor.

kim_smith22d ago

Right?! I feel like I'm taking crazy pills every time I watch someone grab a taco packet. I did the exact same math last month and realized my homemade mix costs like 12 cents a meal. The packets are basically paying for the convenience of someone else shaking the spices together, which I guess is worth it if you're in a real hurry, but otherwise it's just burning money.