Saving the Last of my Declining

This week I finally got around to purchasing a clamshell. I don't know why I didn't earlier. Honestly, it is one of the best investments anyone with an unlimited plan can make. For $5, you can buy access to clamshells for the entirety of the school year. Then, you can take as much food as you would like from either of the unlimited dining centers, which are a sunk cost, and bring it back to the dorm to save for times when you get hungry. Instead of going to the Pit or Hillside, you can just take the food you stored from Danforth or Douglass. Over time, the money saved adds up. Maybe I wouldn't have so little declining if I had just invested in the clamshell earlier.

Now, here's the interesting thing. I was baffled that the price of the clamshell was so low! Honestly, $5 for the entire year? Given the fact that you only have to purchase the clamshell once each year, the demand should be relatively inelastic, and the price elasticity should be very low. I would pay much more than $5 for access to the clamshell. Even a $20 price would seem low given how much it would save me. And again, I only have to buy it once? I truly would buy it a a lot more than $5. So why is the price so low? Well, I figured it had something to do with the price of tupperware, and the price of other potential containers, which act as substitutes for the clamshell. However, I don't believe people will turn quickly to tupperware. The clamshell is too convenient, and people often don't care to invest the time to utilize the alternative options. For me, it was a relatively spontaneous decision, made when I was in a rush but wanted to eat more. Buying one had been in the back of my mind for some time, but I had denied that I needed one. Guess having $15 left in declining changed that mentality...