Letter: A suggestion to end the $0.99 trick

I just went into a local thrift store and found a blue hockey puck for my nephew – it was $0.99. At the till, it rang up to the usual $1.06. I had the standard dollar bill, but that meant that I had to dig in my pockets trying to find six cents, of which I did not have. So another dollar bill was given over – for six stupid cents.

I know, I know – taxes and all.

However, I’m pretty sure everybody knows that the only reason that puck (or anything else – no matter how many 99s are involved) is priced at $0.99 is that the business world does that to trick us consumers into thinking, "Ninety-nine cents? Well, gosh, at least it's not a dollar!"

As if we all don't know that tired old ploy, which has now become standard business practice. You know, the standard business practice of holding up the line while someone has to fish for coins in their pocket – all day long! And then having to count out change – all day long!

So, I put forth this simple suggestion instead: How about all small, local businesses in Grand Forks start a nationwide trend of pricing all the items at $0.93 instead? And then doing so all the way up in dollar amount, so the final purchase price on anything we buy isn't some big mystery when we're standing in line at the register? Instead it's a simple, easy transaction.

Yeah, that'd be cool for literally everyone who has ever stood in any line to buy anything, anywhere.

All apologies for my snarkiness, but come on – ditch the $0.99 mindset already.