Why does everything you buy always cost like 5.99 or something, couldnt it just be called 6 dollars?

Answer 1

It is not for taxes -- the taxes are built into the price either before (with gas) or after (as in a sales tax). It truly is a marketing ploy! You could try doing a survey, but I've seen it in action too many times with my own husband. To me, $5.99 is *always* $6.00, but if I ask my husband what he just paid for that item -- he will respond "Five bucks!!" Go figure!

Answer 2

It is to make you think your getting a better price.
when you look at the price , the first number you see is the dollar amount. like when your buying gasoline. One station will be selling it for 3.00 a gallon. A gas station up the road a couple of blocks will have it for 2.99 and 9/10 of a cent. Only 1/10 of a penny difference. You will more likely drive the 2 extra blocks and use more gas to get to the other station than the 1/10 of a cent you're saving at the pump. Just a human peception thing.
we've all done it..

Answer 3

I've heard it has to do with in the old days the prices were that way to ensure that the cash register had to be opened (to get change), and the sale recorded, so that cashiers couldn't pocket the money. But I'm not sure if that's true.

The making it look cheaper thing is also true. It's just the way our brain works that we think 5.99 is so much cheaper than 6.

Answer 4

Marketing.

1. $5.99 looks much cheaper than $6, even though it's just a penny.

2. Imagine a business that has a promo, like buy a total of $20 from our store and get a free brush. Then you buy stuff. It turns out you will only pay $19.96. You need to buy another item to get the freebie. They make more money off of you because you wanted free stuff.

Answer 5

It's a clever selling ploy. You naturally look at the number of $ or £'s first and see '5'. You tend to ignore the '99' and thus, subconsciously associate it as cheaper than '6'. The sales people will tell you that's not the case but that they do it so that when the sales person puts the money in the till they have to give you 0.01 change and thus ring up the sale instead of just putting the money in the till then retrieving it when you've gone.

Answer 6

It is a marketing issue. When someone sees 5.99 it looks less expensive at first glance than the 6.00 does.

Answer 7

Because they will add a $.01-$.60 tax for Example.
In KFC, the Crispy Strips cost about $3.99 for 5 pieces and when you buy the chicken, they add a $.33 tax so the total is $4.32.

Answer 8

It's a marketing trick to make people think they are spending less money. Gas prices are the same way. 2.99 a gallon is really 2.99 and nine tenths, you have to look closely at the sign but it's there

Answer 9

Something to do with taxes?? I don't think it's the sales tax we pay, but the tax the businesses pay.

Answer 10

It tricks the buyer into thinking it's cheaper than it actually is