The cost of convenience
The cost of convenience is staggering. Let's compare these two different types and brands of dishwashing detergent; one is $20 and the other is $5, both cleaning the same number of dishwasher loads with similar results.
I went for convenience when my children were growing up; it was all about getting things done quicker and easier. I'd shop at places like Sam's Club and Costco and buy items in bulk. We were a very active family, and it made sense for me back then to go with convenience. After we moved back to the US after our military assignment overseas, I didn't renew our membership at any of the warehouse big-box stores; instead, I went with Amazon's Subscribe and Save program. Here's the bad part of that program -unexpected price fluctuations and missing deadlines to postpone or cancel a delivery. Next thing I knew, I was eyeballs deep in boxes of facial tissues, kitchen trash bags, and toothpaste. The program is better now, and the company alerts customers about cutoff dates to adjust their orders, and notifies when subscription prices change--it wasn't always like that.
But I digress; the point I'm trying to make is - we're all trying to save money, sometimes it's right in front of us. Now, don't be thinking that you can just save yourself time and money by ordering online; there are costs hidden there. A few months ago, I went looking on-line for boxes of powdered dishwasher detergent, and I found it, but it was one of those items that fluctuates dramatically in price - from $20 to $30 for two boxes that cost $5 each at the grocery store. My problem was finding a grocery store that sold powdered dishwasher detergent. I went to 4 different grocery store chains, not locations, and not a single location carried it. I ended up at Walmart, and there it was. Our local Harris Teeter has it on their shelves now (it didn’t 3 months ago).
Consumers are changing how they shop. We’re becoming more value-conscious and we want more value in our purchases.
Those gel tabs are everywhere, from our dishwashers to our washing machines. But the downside is that those gel packs waste money; there's no adjusting the amount of detergent you'd use for a smaller load - it's a one-size-fits-all kind of deal. They're also causing havoc in our machines, as those gel packs leave a residue in the drainage systems of our dishwashers and washing machines. The other downside - microplastics are in everything, and unfortunately, they’re in those convenient laundry and dishwasher pods.
The difference between buying a store brand powdered dishwasher detergent or buying a national brand gel pack is in your wallet and in the environment.