Capitalism: You're doin' it wrong

[Corpse XxX]

Make lunch at home, probably free of charge since your parents probably bought the food..
All problems solved! Easy as..

Although i see your side of the story, but prize and demand you know..

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Congratulations to the OP: You've just figured out why private monopolies are indescribably shit.

My advice: Lower her demand. Either bring in your own stuff and sell at a lower margin, thus forcing her to lower her prices. That's the free market. If she tries to go all 'barriers to entry' on you, then I'd advise that you do the same- point out the massive profit margin being made, etc, etc.

And by the way- that is an absurd profit. You should be able to make a lot of money simply by undercutting her.

 

[bodyklok]

jack the price up and make a 500% profit margin!

Don't you make more money that way?

Yes, but it's not fair at all. If you're prices are way too high, people will buy them somewhere else for cheaper.

Well then what are you complaining about then?

 

[theklng]

how about setting up shop and selling mineral waters for 1$ at your school? sounds like there is a market for that. if anything that'll lower the prices. it beats ranting about it here.

 

[Draygen]

...but you can get a can of coke in the vending machine for 75 cents.

Forget that jazz. You can get a case of cokes for roughly 25 cents each. Put it in the fridge, and keep it in some sort of insulated thing until you're ready to drink it. Hell, I just take advantage of the fact that they keep my office at work at about 40 degrees (F) year around, and just leave a warm soda on my desk until it gets cold. You're just paying a 300% price just for "cold".

 

[Fearzone]

So, in short, I'll be packing a bag lunch from now on, and saving about 20 bucks a month.

That, my friend, is captialism.

Most of the rest of the original post is actually promoting socialism, that is: centralized pricing based on moral outrage causing one to turn to some abstract model of what prices "should be." This line of thinking has no place in a free market. If she wants to charge $500 bucks for goddam vitamin whatever water, then great: watch her wallow in losses until she faces bankruptcy, and with any justice in the world she will go bankrupt, unless she is a bank, and then she goes crying to uncle sam for a bailout.

Anyways, a fair argument is that she does have a monopoly on school sales, whereas capitalism must endeavor to encourage competition. Do not demand she lower her prices. Demand the school system allow competition.

However, how really hard is it to bring your own lunch and "vitamin water?" I bet after water, corn syrup is the main ingredient.

 

[Donbett1974]

I don't know if anyone said this but the people hire by school to make your food have to give a kickback to the school if they sell pop, candy, chips, and so on that does cut into their profit.

 

[Spartan Bannana]

jack the price up and make a 500% profit margin!

Don't you make more money that way?

Yes, but it's not fair at all. If you're prices are way too high, people will buy them somewhere else for cheaper.

Well then what are you complaining about then?

Fairness
By the way, I just found out that she's getting fired next year, so YA!

 

[Hey Joe]

Go to the PTA with that shit.

It's utterly irresponsible to be charging kids that much in a time of recession. She may comeback with the fact that it's going toward funding, but I'm guesing the parents would be outraged by the fact they're providing cash to kids to buy food at overly inflated prices.