I think I’ve mentioned to you that I like to be frugal . Yes, it might not be too sexy, I admit, but I grew up in eastern Europe, so there’s that. There are plenty of things that I refuse to splurge on, ha, ha. And to be honest, I’m baffled that people just throw their money away when they could be saving instead.
So a recent Reddit thread caught my attention. It asked, “What’s something that’s clearly overpriced yet people still buy?” And I love all the answers. As it turns out, I was actually right.
Real Estate
“Every single piece of real estate right now.”
Honestly, I couldn’t agree more. House prices are crazy, especially in North America. How can anybody afford that? When I think of a million-dollar home, a mansion comes to mind, but now that’s the average price of most homes. To me, that’s not only ridiculous but pretty much not affordable for most people. We need to do something about that, right?
Weddings
“Wedding anything. Call it anything but a wedding and suddenly the venue, the food, the everything…. is like half of the wedding price. It’s insane.”
Oh, yeah, that’s right. As you know, I’m planning a wedding, and I can attest to that. The problem is that people are willing to spend that, and that’s why those prices continue to go up. I, however, am hell-bent on staying on a budget, so wish me luck.
Medicine
“Branded medicines. 30% – 90% more than generic medicines.”
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Truth be told, I stopped buying brand-name medicine. Now I just buy the no-name ones. So I suggest you look at the list of ingredients, and if they’re all the same, grab the off-brand medicine, and you’re good to go.
Food At The Movies
“So I found out recently from someone who used to work for a large cinema company that the reason concessions are so expensive at the theatre is because the movie studios take about 80% of the sales for each ticket. It’s part of the contract the theatre signs to get big-name films in their business. But that also means in order to turn a profit, they have to charge out the ass for food and drinks.”
No, thanks, I’ll pass.
DoorDash
“DoorDash. The prices are more expensive on the app, then once you add a service fee, taxes, and a tip it ends up being $10-20 more than if you had just gone in person. Then by the time it gets to you it’s cold and the order is almost always wrong anyways.”
This is what I always thought and that’s why I don’t use this app.
Starbucks
“I mean just coffee, in general, is stupidly expensive. And I say that as a coffee addict.”
Ha, ha, spoken like a true connoisseur. I admit I do go to Starbucks from time to time. And yes, I know it’s crazy expensive. But sometimes, I just want what I want, and that’s that. However, I only do that when I want to treat myself and definitely not every day.
K Cups
“The difference in price/100 grams between them and a regular bag of pre-ground coffee, is absolutely insane.”
Speaking of coffee, I know that people love their fancy ones, but you have to do the math. Those K cups are going to get you every time. So, in the long run, they’re just not affordable. Why not just treat yourself from time to time, huh?
Funerals
“My aunt passed away recently and donated her body to a university’s school of medicine. The school arranged everything, including transportation from the hospital three hours away where she passed. Once they’re done with her body, they’ll handle her cremation and send her ashes to whomever she designated on the forms she filled out prior to her death.”
Wow, that’s actually a much better option than spending $5,000 on a casket from a funeral home, no?
Diamonds
“I sold diamonds at a well-known jewelry store for years. I love working with jewelry & I loved meeting people and hearing their stories… 1) If you need a diamond, get it from a place like the Blue Nile or Brilliant Earth. You can get beautiful specs for $3,000 from them vs $12,000 from a jewelry store.”
I know most ladies love their diamonds, I do, too, but I always knew they were way overpriced, ha, ha.
Brand-Name Clothing
“I was at a factory in Bangladesh once where they were making products for a well-known brand. The factory owner handed me a top and said ‘Take it, it’ll be worth loads by the time you get home’. Sure enough when I got home, the same design top was being sold for about £60-£70. It cost them about a quid to manufacture.”
That’s why I’m a bargain hunter.
Rent
“It’s gone up 35% since the ‘rent is too damn high’ guy said rent was too high.”
Just like house prices, rent has been going up everywhere. It’s pretty insane. So not only people can’t afford to buy a home, but renting is becoming unaffordable too. I honestly don’t know where this world is going, and I don’t like it one bit.
Alcohol At Restaurants
“I remember hearing a long time ago (the ’80s) that a guy took a bottle of booze ($30) from a work party hosted at a bar and the bar charged them $300 for it because that’s what they could have charged. We all thought that was stupid, idiotic, and nearly a crime.”
I remember when I used to go out all the time, and drinks were like $5. Now they’re all at least $15. No, thank you. I’ll just drink at home.
Cigarettes
“If someone’s addicted to something, they’ll go to any length to gain access to that substance. It’s a cruel money game man.”
Amen, to that. So if you’re still smoking cigarettes and can’t seem to quit, I feel for you. Smokes have gone up so much. I honestly don’t even know how much a pack costs, but I bet it’s like 50% more than 10 years ago.
Pets
“Just go to a shelter and grab a fluffball for a reasonable cost.”
I definitely want to do that. Right now, we help take care of our neighbor’s cat, which is free, by the way, ha, ha, but someday, I would like to have a dog again. So I’m going to look for a good organization to adopt one from, that’s for sure.
Gas
“An inelastic commodity. People have to get to work whether gas is expensive or cheap.”
True dat. However, there are choices out there. For example, it may make sense for some people to just take public transit. If your job isn’t accessible that way, you can also find people to carpool with, eh? Or you can try to get your work to allow you to work from home. I mean, most people did it for two years during the pandemic, right?
Cars
“Brand new cars are few and far between. And its not unusual to see used cars with prices $10,000 to $12,000 above what the price was a year and a half ago. It’s insane.”
Speaking of gas, now let’s talk about cars. I’ve seen some ridiculous car prices out there, even for used vehicles. So do yourself a favor, wait at least another six months to a year, and hopefully, the prices will start to come down.
Beer At Sports Games
“You should’ve seen the look on my face the first time I ordered two Bud Lights and a hotdog at a football game and took out a $20 thinking it would more than cover it. Tailgating suddenly made sense to me for more than just the ‘party’ aspect of it.”
This is why I never buy beer at a sports game, ha, ha.
Concert Tickets
Here’s one of my biggest pet peeves. Concert tickets have gone up so much that I pretty much can’t afford to go anymore. I mean, I love live music, but it’s just insane, no? And it’s not just scalpers that literally rob you but all those official sites like Ticketmaster. I’m so over it.
Boy, oh boy!
I realize that there are some things we can’t do anything about like the housing market or rent going up. But other things like cars, going out drinking, or ordering in from those apps, that you have full control over, right?
So do yourself a favor and think about your spending the next time you want to splurge. And I guarantee that you can find other alternatives that are a lot more affordable. What is the one thing you can’t help yourself but spend on, huh?
