Happy Friday: Cheap Sodas at Bottling Factory
Sent from reader, Melinda:
Our local Coca-Cola bottling factory (Lewiston, ID) has three pop machines outside where you can get cans for 25 cents and 20 ounce bottles for 50 cents. We take the kids here every once in a great while for an inexpensive treat. I also like to stock up for road trips (my husband travels to Boise often as he is in the National Guard). I just bought him 6 iced teas/ diet Cokes for $3 to last him the week down there. I thought others might like to check their local bottling factories to see if they have the same deal.
P.S. They also often have lemonade, water, and ice tea (not just pop). 🙂
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Our bottling factory in Riviera Beach, FL does the same thing. 🙂
Where in riveria beach? I live in Jupiter.
I also have one in the Buffalo, NY area. Never gave it a thought. Thanks for the idea! Looks like the better deal would be to buy two cans instead of one bottle… 😉
But you get coke rewards with the cap from the bottle. 🙂
Right on Melissa! You got me there! 🙂
What!? Here in Northern California, we have a Ghirardelli and Jelly Belly factory but their prices are no where near cheap!
That is awesome! Does anyone know if there is anything in St Louis like this????
I am in St. Louis, also! Would love to know:)
It’s not pop it is soda ;).
I’m from Pittsburgh, PA and it’s pop.
They’re all Cokes in TX 😉
In Tennessee too 🙂
Haha. Reminds me of my time @ Penn State in Central Pa. Western PA its POP and Eastern (Philly area) its SODA. I ordered a Hoagie once and the lady was entirely confused.
From eastern pa – What else would you say besides hoagie? Sub???
LOL! def sub! i have never said hoagie in my life! nc here! 🙂
Don’t get me started!! 🙂 It’s totally “POP!” I’m from Pittsburgh– we speak our own language here 😉
Love that she said pop. Growing up in Ohio we said pop. Living in central PA now we say soda:)
It’s definitely soda. I’m a CA girl and I always laugh when my family in MN says pop. 😉
Am I the only one who laughed realizing you can buy 2 cans (24 ounces of soda) for the same price as one bottle (20 ounces of soda)
I did, too! Automatically figure which is cheaper per ounce! Haha!
Plus, fewer calories per serving, provided you stop at one can. And for some reason, the bottles just don’t taste as good to me.
We have a Pepsi one here! I will have to check it out!! 🙂
My dad just retired from pepsi – the employees break rooms and outside areas have cheaper sodas – BUT I have never seen a machine/shop where actual visitors just passing by can get them cheaper.
In LA (lower AL) it is called coke (no matter the flavor or brand)!
I’m in northern Alabama and its the same here! My husband is from KY yet looked at me like I had three eyes when I told him saying “coke” could mean I wanted a Mountain Dew 🙂
I’m from Kentucky and saying “coke” COULD mean I wanted a Mountain Dew! 🙂
That’s interesting. My husband and I grew up in Ky and used Pop, Soda, or the product by name but we have never heard of using Coke for Mountain Dew.
I am from central Kentucky and all soda is called Coke!
Oh yes, it’s all Coke down here in lower Alabama. When someone asks if you want a Coke, you say “What kind ya got?”
It just seems silly to me that people say that. You have to say twice as much instead of just saying you want a Diet Coke or Sprite or whatever. And what if the restaurant actually has the Pepsi brand? So then the conversation goes like this: “I’ll have a Coke.” “Okay, what kind?” “What kind do you got?” “Pepsi, Diet Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist…” “Okay, I’ll have a Pepsi.” WHAT!?
Wouldn’t be cheaper to just buy a 12 pack of cans at the grocery store?
For me, yes. My stock up price is $2 or less for a 12 pack of 12 oz. cans. Though I haven’t actually paid for soda in more than two years, so I guess tax would be a more accurate price point for me. However, it you’re out and about and need a cool soda, that’s a pretty rocking price. The generic cans outside my grocery store are .50–when you can find them!
Does anyone know if they have one in the Tacoma, WA that does this?
The Tacoma bottling plant used to be on S 38th Street, but it has now closed up.
That is not really cheap. If you think about it, it is 3$ for a12 pack which is common sale price.
It is cheap though for buying a cold one while you are out and about.
Or if you don’t want 12 of the same kind of soda.
Ha! I pretty much said the same thing above. Great minds think alike!
Ok I am in the heart of Atlanta where Coke is very popular and we host the Coca Cola Factory. I believe it was originated here, but I have never ever seen these prices at or near our Coke facilities.
My work has a pepsi machine that sells cans for .25 cents. It’s nice to have a cheap (cold) option once in awhile, but it isn’t worth stocking up on. It would be the same as a case in the store.
I can’t believe it took so long for someone to point out that is no deal. 12 packs routinely sell for that or less. I buy multi 12 packs on sale and use my Target Red Card to save 5% more or use a rewards credit card to get money back that way. No way I’m making a special trip to Coke plant for drinks while I am out and about. That is about like driving an extra 5 miles for gas to save a penny a gallon. You actually lost money by getting cheaper gas.
Oh good grief, people read into EVERYTHING! I think her point was, if you are out and about and want a soda, 25 or 50 is MUCH cheaper than paying $1.25+ for a soda in a store. She wasn’t saying it was the CHEAPEST way ever. Some people get so ridiculous about this stuff.
I know we have a factory in Philly, but it’s not near my house so this wouldn’t be the best deal for me. But I WISH we had a machine for 50 cent cokes at work!!!
lol
Regular price here is $4.99 at Publix so still cheaper than waiting on that sale. Also, no such thing as stocking up on soda here. I rather get a bit at a time because if not we consume more as well.
Exactly Charel! She clearly said in the story that she takes her children there for a treat. Maybe her and her family enjoy going there.
Growing up we didn’t have pop regularly in the house, so this would have been a treat for me!
Growing up we would stop into the Heart to Heart (the people that make Creamies) and buy their rejects for $0.10 each. While it was usually not too far out of the way, it was a treat and a fond childhood memory I still cherish to this day. Sometimes things that are convenient and the cheaper option are not the most cherished option. We were poor growing up and this was something my mom could do for fun!
Exactly! This sounds like something fun to do. Was it the most frugal? Who cares? I bet her kids will remember taking the trip to the Coke bottler more than the actual pop itself!
Hubby works for Coca Cola. He works where they make the syrup for the fountain drinks. So even though there is no discount on pop, we are able to purchase cases of Dasani water, powerade, and juice boxes a lot cheaper than I could buy it in the store. Every once in a while he will get overstock that he brings home. It is a nice little perk. Plus he gets to drink all the coke products he wants while he works.
Yes also check local companies for retail stores for basics. I go to a local egg plant and get a flat of eggs(30 eggs) for $2
My gpa worked at coke when I was little and when we went to visit we could get it for cheap out of the machines. I thought it was so neat. Not to mention watching the huge conveyer fill the bottles thru the big window on the front of the building.
We don’t have a coke nearby but we do have a Budweiser distribution center. “Hey, Honey, get the keys and a roll of quarters.” LOL worth a try!
We used to have a “Pop Shoppe” near us that sold “pops” in all kinds of fruity flavors for .10 a bottle…probably 16 oz bottles…and you could watch them bottle it…we would buy it by the case…sad day when they folded up shop…Lime Ricky was my favorite,,,
Great suggestions Melinda!
Funny bc sometimes at places when I’m ordering a drink and I say soda please, they look at me like I’m crazy. Soda is soda. Lol
Melinda–I’ve “snuck” out there for years to get a cold pop. Even figured out that if there is no sale going on, it’s less expensive to buy there. Glad you shared. Now, let’s hope there is not a rush and they raise the price! 😉
The Coca-Cola Bottling Plant in Moorhead, Minnesota does not have machines outside.
I’m from Russellville ky. and we use to have a Coke Cola bottling company here, which makes me wonder if that could be the reason everyone says “coke” when ordering a drink. The great part is most all restaurant workers in this area understand “coke” if they only have rc or pepsi then that is what you get. If your from Ky. it is all the same 🙂 “Coke”