Sometime last year, they stopped selling Buncha Crunch at BAM Rose Cinemas, where I usually go to watch movies. Instead, they sell Ritter Sport Chocolate bars. I’ve been super bummed, and the last time I went, I settled for popcorn with Pepsi.
Buncha Crunch is my go-to candy whenever I go to the movies. There’s something very comforting about the waxy, 540-calorie treat. It’s got a nice crunchy texture that I prefer over the softer Goobers. I also find that it’s not as sweet as M&Ms, which I find to be too sweet when consumed by the boxful. Coupled with a Diet Coke, it is a delightful combo to partake while at the movies. Most of the time, I’ll finish the entire box by the time trailers are finished.
Today, I followed my wife Melanie to Rite Aid. She wanted to pick up some candy for her teaching staff. I hesitated going because it was getting chilly outside, but I sucked it up and went along. When we got there, I noticed that they were having blow-out sales of all their candy. They were offering a buy one, get one free deal. I spotted Buncha Crunch and immediately grabbed a dozen boxes. At $1.69 a box plus the get-one-free offer, I would be spending less than $1 per box!
Back at home, I checked to make sure that I didn’t just fall for the sale sticker and that I had actually saved some money. On Amazon, a pack of 6 sells for $13.98, or $2.33 per box. I even checked the Restaurant Supply Pro, which sells a case of 48 for $49.02 plus $13.50 for shipping, which works out to $1.30+ per box.
This coup reminded me of the time, some 7 years ago, when the Blockbusters downstairs from our apartment went out of business and as part of their liquidation, they sold boxes of Buncha Crunch for around $1 per box. I remember grabbing eight or so boxes back then.
Here’s the real win: I can sneak these into the movie theater and save myself a lot of money. A box of Buncha Crunch (or some other candy/chocolate) at a movie theater, from my experience, is around $4-$6 depending on the theater. Let’s say at $5 a box, I would probably have spent $50 over the next 10 movie. With my stash of Buncha Crunch, I’ll be able to save quite a bit if I remember to smuggle a box every time I go. I’m sure I’ll eat some at home while watching HBO, but I can see myself stowing away a box in my back pocket to bring into BAM.
When it’s all said and done, I won’t have saved myself any significant amount of money, but the thrill of finding a product I like on the cheap and then knowing that it could save me a few bucks had me feeling giddy like a kid on Christmas morning. I might go back to Rite Aid to get some more.