Is $12 a ripoff or a good price for 40# bag of 12-12-12 fertilizer?

[slugbug]

The last time I bought ferilizer was about 3 years ago, and I remember getting a 40# bag for just under $6. I finally ran out this Spring, and I noticed that my peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, squash and pumpkins could really use one last application this summer.

I went to our local hardware store, thinking I could find a bag for $8 or less (which was all I had in my wallet, by the way), and the cheapest they had was for $12. I decided to pass, and ask if anyone here has seen a better deal at one of the chain stores.

Of course, I may be completely off base, and perhaps something happened to really drive the cost of fertilizer up to twice what it used to be 3 years ago. Is that the case?

I'll be out and about again tomorrow, and am really hoping that someone here might suggest a better place where I can stock up for the next few years again.

Thanks!

Dayton, Ohio

[JoeSpareBedroom]

Where did you buy it last time?

[bamboo]

[Phisherman]

All depends where you buy it. Cheap brands are just as good. The common mix for vegetable gardens is 10-10-10 and yes, you should be able to cop a 40# bag for $8. KMart, WalMart, Target may have it. Look in HD and Lowes for broken bags--they are even less. Sometimes even a nursery will have drastically marked-down items at the end of season. Store in a cool dry place.