Shocking Pricetags: Why Do These Common Things Cost So Much?

Although we realize that many unscrupulous business people will inflate the cost of necessary items (looking at you, insulin!), we expect some stuff to stay cheap. 

We’re shocked when we get to the checkout and learn the exorbitant cost of these items!

Rugs

A modern living room with a sofa, chair, and area rug.
Photo Credit: DesignStock09 via Shutterstock.com.

Small area rugs cost upwards of $200! Carpet is generally cheaper, but you must cover the whole room and pay for insulation. How do people afford to decorate their homes?

Car Repairs

A mechanic working on the underside of a car.
Photo Credit: Gorodenkoff via Shutterstock.com.

They say you should buy a used car and run it into the ground, but those folks don’t consider the high cost of car repairs. 

$1,000 every three months for random repairs may wind up costing more than a monthly payment for a new car. 

Dental Work

Woman smiling in a dentists share with a dentist behind her, their hands are near her mouth.
Photo Credit: Dean Drobot via Shutterstock.com.

Who decided that your mouth is separate from the rest of your body and thus not covered under regular health insurance? Dental work costs a small fortune, dental insurance barely covers anything, and people wonder why so many don’t get their teeth cleaned. 

Being an Adult

Shocked man looking at his phone.
Photo Credit: Cast Of Thousands via Shutterstock.com.

Kids get to enjoy life without worrying about money. Once you reach adulthood and have to pay for your own food, housing, transportation, and everything else, you realize how expensive it is just to exist. 

Landscaping

Pretty green grass in a well manicured front lawn landscape.
Photo Credit: SingjaiStocker via Shutterstock.com.

Even DIY landscaping costs a small fortune. Yard beautification truly is only for the rich. 

Doors

A white exterior door leading to a home.
Photo Credit: David Papazian via Shutterstock.com.

Storm doors, exterior doors, and doors slightly outside standard size cost a small fortune. And then you’ll have to pay another fortune for professional installation.

Lift Passes

View of Aspen from the ski lift to Aspen Mountain
Photo Credit: Melanie Allen, Partners in Fire

More people would enjoy the fun mountain sport if they could afford to get up the mountain.  In some places, lift tickets are more expensive than airfare and hotel stays. 

Groceries

An annoyed couple standing behind their shopping cart at the grocery store.
Photo Credit: wavebreakmedia via Shutterstock.com.

Inflation at the grocery store is forcing folks to make tough decisions. Do they skip meals or subsist on rice and beans?

Healthy food shouldn’t cost so much. 

Starting a Business

An accountant running numbers with a laptop and calculator.
Photo Credit: pattarawat via Shutterstock.com.

America calls itself the land of opportunity, but that’s only true if you already have some money. All the taxes, fees, and startup costs of entrepreneurship make it out of reach for many. 

Fast Food

woman serving food at a fast food restaurant counter
Photo Credit: BlueSkyImage via Shutterstock.com.

Fast food used to be the cheap way to feed yourself until payday. Now, prices at the drive-through are so hefty that it’s not worth it. 

Gardening

Happy woman smiling as she works in her garden.
Photo Credit: Ground Picture via Shutterstock.com.

People want to grow their own food to mitigate the high costs at the store, but starting one is outrageously expensive. The soil, raised beds, and seeds cost more than buying food at the store in the long run. It’s far more work, too.

Being Sick

Man on the couch in pajamas wrapped in a blanked on the phone.
Photo Credit: Dmytro Zinkevych via Shutterstock.com.

Even a common cold is costly when you must forgo a paycheck to recover. Chronic illness and disability are prohibitively expensive. Disability doesn’t pay enough to let people survive, and the condition prevents them from earning an income. 

Too bad we can’t just decide not to get ill. 

Being sick in America truly is a privelege most can’t afford

Pet Food

A man sits on a couch and lean towards his pet cat, who's leaning towards him.
Photo Credit: Magui RF via Shutterstock.com.

Dog and cat food costs far more than it should. The “good” brands offering health benefits are often over $50 a bag, and even the cheap stuff costs too much for ordinary folks. 

The outrageous cost of pet supplies will only lead to more homeless pets and increasingly crowded shelters. 

Home Improvements

A man doing a DIY home improvement rennovation job while his dog watches.
Photo Credit: Zivica Kerkez via Shutterstock.com.

How are people still renovating their homes? The skyrocketing cost of labor and supplies means more people will live in dated houses. 

Children

Teenage girl pushes younger sibling in a stroller.
Photo Credit: Jaren Jai Wicklund via Shutterstock.com.

More and more people opt out of parenthood because they can’t afford it. Childcare costs more than a mortgage, and the rising cost of living means they can’t afford to feed themselves, much less a child. 

Cost isn’t the Only Reason to Opt Out of Parenthood

Woman crossing her arms in a refusal gesture.
Photo Credit: Roman Samborskyi via Shutterstock.com.

Despite all the pressure to procreate, it’s perfectly valid not to want kids. Millennials and younger generations are opting out of parenthood at record rates. 

Here are their top reasons for not wanting kids

A Great Financial Plan Can Mitigate High Price Tags

hands working on a financial plan
Photo Credit: Atstock Productions via Shutterstock.com.

You don’t need to pay a financial advisor to craft a financial plan. Here’s how to do it on your own!

Read it Here: How To Make a Financial Plan

Generational Poverty

hands holding an empty wallet to represent poverty
Photo credit: StanislauV via Shutterstock.com.

Generational poverty is just as real as generational wealth. Here’s a look at generational poverty in America

Mitigate Costs at the Grocery Store

bowl of mac and cheese with bacon on top
Photo Credit: Alexander Prokopenko via Shutterstock.com.

Store-bought mac & cheese, top ramen, and canned foods are some of the cheapest meals you can get. However, they aren’t very tasty. 

Here are some hacks that can help these cheap staples become meals fit for kings!

Is America Actually Dystopian?

Panaoramic of a city with the top mirroring the bottom in a fantastical manner.
Photo Credit: akimov konstantin via Shutterstock.com.

Although there are many fantastic things about living in the US, some of our systems and laws leave many scratching their heads, wondering if we’re already living in a dystopian nightmare. 

Here’s the evidence that makes us wonder if America is actually a dystopia.  

Source: Reddit

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