There’s no beating around the bush: virtually everything is more expensive today. Some things are now so expensive that they’re no longer worth the money.
It’s a shame because these are things we all genuinely miss. Maybe one day they’ll become worth the purchase again.
Concert Tickets
How often do you get excited at seeing your favorite band perform, only to realize that the ticket prices are outrageous? Not only that, but you have to pay additional fees on top of them.
Not to mention the cost of parking, merchandise, and other expenditures that come with attending a concert.
Sports Tickets
Concerts aren’t the only ticket in town that’s getting more expensive. Taking a family of four to a baseball game can cost you hundreds of dollars in the blink of an eye. The same is true for basketball and hockey games, as well. There’s the price of tickets, concessions, parking, and merchandise/souvenirs.
Don’t get us started on the cost of football games, either.
Streaming Services
What began as a cheaper alternative to cable television has become incredibly overpriced. Not only do streaming services such as Netflix and Prime Video continue to raise the cost of their subscriptions, but they are also testing playing advertisements during shows and movies.
We pay a fee to get away from the ads. It’s almost cheaper to go back to cable at this point.
Airbnb
Like streaming, Airbnb was a cheaper alternative to hotels when traveling. Not only that, but you could stay at places with character in locations hotels could only dream of.
Today, Airbnb renters have to deal with excessive cleaning fees, making staying in a traditional hotel cheaper.
Fast Food
During the 2008 recession, value menus at places like McDonald’s and Taco Bell let people eat items for under a dollar. Today, that’s no longer the case.
A good exhibit is the cost of Taco Bell’s Beefy Five Layer Burrito. It was $0.89 in 2009. Today, the same item is $3.69.
Five Guys Burgers and Fries
Fast food isn’t the only dining option that’s become overpriced. Five Guys used to be viewed as a premier burger establishment that offered diners plenty of bang for their buck.
Now, a meal for one person (burger, fries, drink) can run more than $20.
Door Dash
On a related note, the concept of ordering delivery food from local restaurants was incredible when DoorDash, GrubHub, and other similar services first launched. We could order our favorite meals from our couch and not have to pick them up!
That same meal costs twice as much due to delivery fees, tipping your driver, and other factors. It’s cheaper to go pick it up yourself.
New Clothes
Thrifting has become popular for several reasons, one of which is how much cheaper it is than buying new clothes.
Being able to pick several complete outfits for $20 is a steal, especially when a single pair of pants can run you $60.
New Video Games
With the release of modern consoles such as the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, console games have become more expensive, rising from $60 to $70.
Conversely, if gamers wait for sales to occur, they can save upwards of 50%, to even 75% off. At the same time, you may deal with FOMO by not picking up a game at launch and waiting for a sale.
Getting A Manicure/Pedicure
Here’s a personal story: my wife routinely got acrylics when we first started dating every two or three weeks. After COVID-19, it became incredibly costly and no longer worth the money. It’s far more cost-effective for her to spend $10 and take care of her nails herself rather than spend $200-plus a month.
Soft Drinks
This is another one that hits close to home. Routinely, while grocery shopping, we’d make sure we’d pick up 12-packs of soda cans as they were 3 for $12. Those days are long gone; we’re lucky to get two 12-packs for that price.
Buying A Car
When people ask why I’m still driving my old Toyota Camry, I tell them that I’ve fully paid it off.
Buying a car, whether new or used, is expensive. It adds another monthly payment to my bills. Being able to avoid that and keeping a car that, while old, still runs perfectly fine is well worth it.
Coffee
Grabbing a cup of coffee or your favorite coffee-related mixed drink from the drive-thru in the morning on your way to work is easy. However, your daily cup of coffee may cost you more than you think.
Seeing our monthly statements and realizing we’ve spent hundreds of dollars on these drinks is shocking. There’s also the sticker shock of discovering that adding non-dairy milk is an upcharge, too!
Housing
The cost of buying a house has done nothing but skyrocket since the COVID-19 Pandemic. That 800-square-foot house in your neighborhood that used to go for $79,000 is now nearly three times as much money. For many, the American Dream of owning a home is quickly becoming unattainable. Many wonder when things will change as housing prices and interest rates continue to soar.
The same is true for rent as well. I’ve heard horror stories from friends of their rent going up by hundreds of dollars every year despite their apartment complexes refusing to improve the quality of their units.
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Jake Valentine
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