"It's Just Not Financially Sustainable Right Now": People Are Revealing The Horribly Overpriced Items They No Longer Want To Buy Since They Used To Cost Much Less
1."I'm mostly mad at all the things that have become subscription-based, and you can't outright own some stuff. 70/year to have Microsoft Word? No, thank you."
—oldladyintraining
2."It's so expensive to be single! Living alone costs way too much. But I don't want to have a roommate for multiple practical reasons. Life would be cheaper if I had a boyfriend. It really sucks, I feel like I'm penalized for not having found love yet."
—Jenny Talls
"I completely agree. I'm one of the only financially struggling people I know in my life, and big surprise, I'm one of the only single ones, too. Everybody who can pay their bills and go out and do fun stuff and invest in trips or hobbies is married or living with somebody else. It's such complete crap; working full time should make it possible for anybody to take care of their needs, not just those who can combine incomes."
—sweetcuppincakes
3."$40 for pizza delivery."
—WeatherWitch
"How much pizza costs (specifically delivery) pisses me off so much. So after your order adds up, they add all these fees that usually make the order $7-10 more. That isn't counting toward the tip, so add that on (I always tip $10), and suddenly what you thought may be a $20 order is $40 bucks or more. Everywhere I have ordered have gotten sparse with toppings as well. I used to order pizza not specifically because I was craving it, but because it was one of the few places that delivered. Now, with delivery services, I can order anything I want and spend less. Pizza places need to calm down. Sorry for my pizza rant..."
—nicy2
4."Airbnb has become really sucky. I never use it anymore; I would rather stay in a motel. And no bullshit extra fees!"
—aloysius17
5."Having kids. I love kids and actually love to have at least one, but it's just not financially sustainable right now."
—eklimen
"People are so concerned about a lower population as Boomers get older, and I always point out things like this. It's way too expensive!"
—oldladyintraining
6."The obvious for me is concert tix. I refuse to go to a concert unless it's free because $350 to sit in the nosebleeds while the crowd sings over the artist is way too much."
—ActorAnon
7."My printer has been giving me the very low ink warning for at least a year and a half now. Granted, it's not like I print things every day. But that warning in itself seems like a scam, considering the things I print still come out perfectly. The warnings pop up multiple times every time I print, and it's so annoying. But I will use those cartridges until they actually show they're running out, completely ignoring their dire warnings that I'm dangerously low."
—wildflower_daydreamer
8."Childcare, and the price is not necessarily reflective of quality. Many 'nannies' are college kids whose only experience is that they were a camp counselor in 2008, and they still want you to pay $50 an hour and provide their health insurance, plus, they constantly take days off. Many home providers charge like a center to microwave chicken nuggets and park kids in front of a TV, plus they are caring for their own kids, too, who will always take priority over yours."
"We toured a few that had dangerous dogs, random shady adult relatives living with them, weren't child-proofed, etc. Going to a center, there is more regulation, but no matter how much you pay, they will still take the maximum number of kids that the state allows, so it's not like you pay more, you get a lower ratio. We are beyond grateful for our amazing childcare provider; they were tough to find. But most working, two-parent families can barely afford childcare, us included, and moms tend to be the ones pushed out of the workforce."
—lawyerlady
"Having worked in childcare in the past, I can tell you the problem is that it's a bubble. It's just as dire on the childcare provider's side as it is for the parents. I had to stop because I was starving and working full time and couldn't pay my bills. Early childhood education providers get paid NOTHING, and that is not what you want for the ecosphere that has to do with young babies who don't know how to tell their parents if someone is mistreating them at their daycare. I completely hear you from the parent side of things. It's awful on the childcare side, too, and that's why I personally feel childcare should be universally accessible by being subsidized by the federal government. We have to invest in solving the bubble so that the kids come out on top."
—shalewark
9."I gave my son $5 yesterday to spend at an amusement park with his camp, thinking it would be enough to buy ice cream. It wasn't. He told me it was barely enough to get a regular-sized drink, and that the ice cream was $10 (while large drinks were like $9). Yeah, that pricing is wild."
—ladedah
10."All equipment and parts for pools. I had to buy a very simple pressure relief valve for the top of my filter. A similar valve for normal plumbing might cost $5. The pool-specific version cost $65. My very simple pool cleaning robot, which doesn't have any electronics, is made entirely of plastic and rubber, and is driven only by water pressure from the pool, costs 2x more than a high-end Roomba. It's bonkers."
—AXJ66
11."I saw gum for $6.49 at the gas station yesterday. Gum."
—meow
12."I work part-time as a shuttle driver at an auto dealership. Granted, the vehicles that they sell (and I drive) have cool features like satellite radio, a/c seats, massage seats, and a large touchscreen. But is their top vehicle with these features reasonable for $107,000? Hell no."
—mom2princessalyssa
13."A can of mushrooms used to cost me .69 cents. I had to stick up again, and suddenly now it's like $2 a can! Like it's only been a few months, but the price jump makes me so mad. I practically live off canned mushrooms, and I always knew they were cheap."
—monikap6
14."Event/attraction parking. I had a good discount for tickets to Sandcastle Water Park two weeks ago. I get there, and it's $20 to park!! Also, food inside the park is ridiculous as well! They don't even have size options or kids' portions. One order of their delicious potato patch fries was $9 before tax! Thankful for free cups of ice water!"
—TRUdiva
15.And finally, "Literally just living at this point. 😭"
—ilovecatsandmyhoodies
Is there a particular thing that you believe is incredibly overpriced? If so, tell us what it is and why in the comments or in the anonymous form below.
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