Ever notice how lots of prices at the store end in $0.99? So did Eli from Philadelphia, and he asked us to find out why. Turns out, it’s a method retailers use to get us to buy something — and it’s not their only one. This week, we’ll learn about how our brains work when we’re shopping, why it’s hard to resist a sale and some of the ways physical stores encourage us to spend a little more money. Plus, Jed’s piggy bank will tell us a story … sort of. It’s our last episode of this season, and we’re going out with a jam.

Read the transcript here.

And now … tips for grown-ups listening to “Million Bazillion” with kids

Money Talks

Take a minute to recap the episode and review the key points. Here are some questions to get the kids going:

1. What’s the name of Jed’s piggy bank?
2. How does a $1.99 price tag trick your brain, versus a $2 price tag?
3. When something is marked “on sale,” are you more likely to want to buy it? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever noticed a song playing in a store? What was it and how did it make you feel?
5. What’s something you saw recently in the checkout aisle that you really wanted?

(Scroll down or click here for the answers!)

Tip Jar

There’s lots of great research out there about consumer behavior. Here are a few things we found useful:

• “How Stores Trick You Into Buying & Spending More” from Money Crashers
• “How Your Grocery Store’s Layout Is Costing You Money” from Real Simple
• “The real reason most prices end in 99 cents” from CBC Radio

Gimme 5

Thanks for listening to this season of “Million Bazillion”! Have the kids got something they want to ask Jed and Bridget about, thoughts or comments about this season? Have them think it over, and send us a voice memo here. 

Money Talks answers

1. Piggytron.
2. Since we read left to right, your brain sees the 1 first and thinks the price is closer to $1 than $2.
3. Answers will vary.
4. Answers will vary.
5. Answers will vary.

(Click here to scroll back up to the questions!)

Stories You Might Like

What we know about social media’s effects on kids

Can tech help protect aging brains from online scams?

Drivers wanted: EVs are all over the Frankfurt Motor Show

How will the tech IPO boom change Bay Area real estate?

Are brain implants a privacy issue?

We’re still trying to wrap our brains around DeFi