History Main / JustPenniesADay

Often used with items such as computers, charitable donations, or [[ViewersLikeYou PBS stations.]] Popular with the charities, even if you do realize this will add up to a not-insignificant sum, a few pennies a day still isn't much, and you'll likely spend them anyway—why not on something that'll make the world a better place? Also popular with objects that are supposed to save more in the long run than the extra initial cost.

* Parodied in a letter to British comic ''ComicBook/{{Viz}}'' - "A donation of just £2 a month supplies an African village with water says my water company, yet they charge me £10 a week, the robbing sods"

* The UK's television licensing authority likes to use this one as well.

* ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory'': In "Jeff Bezos vs. Mansa Musa," Bezos mocks Mali's economic decline in a way that sounds like charity ad.

The beauty of this method is that it can make expensive items seem inexpensive while meeting Truth in Advertising Laws. "You can feed a child in DarkestAfrica for less than a can of soda a day!" And it's true. But the charity wants the payments a month at a time, and $1.50 per day just goes by so much more quietly than $46.50 all at once. (In the UK, the DarkestAfrica example is famously and memetically "just two pounds a month", and such appeals are often parodied).

Also compare and contrast CrackIsCheaper. [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Despite the name, it's not actually]] [[PayingInCoins paying for it in pennies]].

* Played with in an episode of Series/TheOfficeUS. Michael Scott buys an insurance policy that is "...only a cup of coffee an hour."

* Played with in an episode of The Office. Michael Scott buys an insurance policy that is "...only a cup of coffee an hour."

The beauty of this method is that it can make expensive items seem inexpensive while meeting Truth in Advertising Laws. "You can feed a child in DarkestAfrica for less than a can of soda a day!" And it's true. But the charity wants the payments a month at a time; and $1.50 per day just goes by so much more quietly than $46.50 all at once. (In the UK, the DarkestAfrica example is famously and memetically "just two pounds a month", and such appeals are often parodied).

Often used with items such as computers, charitable donations, or [[ViewersLikeYou PBS stations.]] Popular with the charities because, even if you do realize this'll add up, a few pennies a day isn't much, and you'll likely spend them anyway - why not on something that'll make the world a better place?

Also popular with objects that are supposed to save more in the long run than the extra initial cost.

* This is especially prevalent in charity advertising. For sixty cents a day (less than you pay for your coffee, you heartless bastard!) you could save the life of this child[=/=]puppy[=/=][[InspirationallyDisadvantaged mentally challenged panda]]. It sounds like a pittance until you realize that you're agreeing to have thirty dollars taken out of your account ''every month.'' Of course, unless you literally have zero income, that ''is'' still a pittance, [[TropesAreNotBad they just made it more digestible]].

** On this very site, an ad for Doctors Without Borders: "25 cents a day can help Doctors Without Borders give emergency care to those who need it most." Of course, you need to pay for at least a month at a time. Though it might be argued that $90.50 a year ($90.75 in a leap year) is still a pretty good bargain if it achieves what it claims, when a single coffee a day will probably set you back over $700 durng that time!

Also compare and contrast CrackIsCheaper. [[IThoughtItMeant Despite the name, it's not actually]] [[PayingInCoins paying for it in pennies]].

* This is especially prevalent in charity advertising. For sixty cents a day (less than you pay for your coffee, you heartless bastard!) you could save the life of this child[=/=]puppy[=/=][[InspirationallyDisadvantaged mentally challenged panda]]. It sounds like a pittance until you realize that you're agreeing to have thirty dollars taken out of your account ''every month.''

** On this very site, an ad for Doctors Without Borders: "25 cents a day can help Doctors Without Borders give emergency care to those who need it most." Of course, you need to pay for at least a month at a time. Though it might be argued that $90.50 a year ($90.75 in a leap year) is still a pretty good bargain if it achieves what it claims.

** On this very site, an ad for Doctors Without Borders: "25 cents a day can help Doctors Without Borders give emergency care to those who need it most." Of course, you need to pay for at least a month at a time.

* Parodied in a letter to British comic Viz - "A donation of just £2 a month supplies an African village with water says my water company, yet they charge me £10 a week, the robbing sods"

Gym payment plans are often structured around this kind of thing, but in reverse. $365 a year sounds so much better as "a dollar a workout."

* ThermoSpa hottubs say that you can own a hottub for about $1.50 a day. That may be true, but there's still the big upfront fee associated with buying the hottub (especially one with all the bells and whistles), no matter how low-maintenance it might be.

Also compare and contrast CrackIsCheaper. [IThoughtItMeant Despite the name, it's not actually]] [[PayingInCoins paying for it in pennies]].

Also compare and contrast CrackIsCheaper.

Gym payment plans especially are often structured around this kind of thing. $365 a year sounds so much better as "a dollar a workout."

* This is especially prevalent in charity advertizing. For sixty cents a day (less than you pay for your coffee, you heartless bastard!) you could save the life of this child[=/=]puppy[=/=][[InspirationallyDisadvantaged mentally challenged panda]]. It sounds like a pittance until you realize that you're agreeing to have thirty dollars taken out of your account ''every month.''

Often seen in similar contexts to FourEqualPaymentsOf. In some ways, this is crueller than advertising the installment plan.

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Gym payment plans especially are often structured around these kind of thing. $365 a year sounds so much better as "a dollar a workout."

The beauty of this method is that it can make expensive items seem inexpensive while meeting Truth in Advertising Laws. "You can feed a child in DarkestAfrica for less than a can of soda a day!" And it's true. But the charity wants the payments a month at a time; and [[RidiculousFutureInflation $1.50 per day]] just goes by so much more quietly than $46.50 all at once. (In the UK, the DarkestAfrica example is famously and memetically "just two pounds a month", and such appeals are often parodied).

The beauty of this method is that it can make expensive items seem inexpensive while meeting Truth in Advertising Laws. "You can feed a child in DarkestAfrica for less than a can of soda a day!" And it's true. But the charity wants the payments a month at a time; and [[RidiculousFutureInflation $1.50 per day]] just goes by so much more quietly than $46.50 all at once.