Life has always been expensive, but the skyrocketing cost of living in recent years has made it exponentially worse.
People can’t keep up. They’re spending more of their money on basic living expenses, and can’t afford the other things getting more expensive every passing day.
Those “things” are often crucial products and services that we need, but can’t afford.
Essential Things Getting More Expensive
The cost-of-living crisis impacts everything. Some of the things getting more expensive are essential, making regular people’s already tenuous living situations far worse.
Here, we highlight the crucial products that regular people can no longer afford.
Insulin
Insulin tops the list of things getting more expensive, because the crucial, life-saving drug is unaffordable for millions of people living with diabetes.
The cost of insulin has increased nearly 200% in the last decade or so, forcing sick people to forgo their medication or starve.
On the bright side, many states are enacting regulations to cap insulin prices, which is great for folks with diabetes, but doesn’t do much to help the general population with rising health care costs.
Which brings us to our second entry:
Health Care
Halfpoint via Shutterstock.com.
Healthcare in general is prohibitively expensive for most Americans, and as costs continue to rise, the situation only gets worse.
Sure, some of us might have affordable insurance, but those plans rarely provide what we really need, so we end up paying thousands of dollars for coverage we can’t even use. Then if we get sick, we pay thousands more for care.
Both health insurance and health care are getting too expensive for people to afford.
Eventually, something will have to give.
Therapy
Although mental health should be covered under healthcare, it’s such a massive problem that it deserves its own listing.
The US is facing a mental health crisis. Lack of access remains one of the most significant issues.
People don’t seek help for their mental health problems because they can’t afford it. It costs too much, and it’s getting more expensive every passing year.
Those who would benefit from therapy or other mental health interventions are forced to struggle on their own, never receiving the care they need to overcome their health issues.
Water
Water is essential to life. Though it’s cheaper than the sugary beverages you’ll find in the grocery store, the cost is still too high.
I skip water at the grocery store and use the tap instead. But my water company almost doubled its service rates in recent years, and many municipalities have problems with their water supply, making it unsafe to drink.
Feminine Hygiene Products
Feminine hygiene products, such as pads and tampons, have long been subjected to ridiculous luxury taxes as if having a period is a choice.
Fortunately, some places are catching up and eliminating the tax, but the products still cost more than they should.
Healthy Food
Fruits and vegetables are expensive, especially considering their short shelf life. Milk is far more expensive than soda.
It’s cheaper to buy low-quality processed foods than to buy and prepare fresh whole foods.
But not all healthy foods are pricey. If you buy local produce in season, you can save a lot of money.
Food in General
To be fair, healthy food has always been a bit pricey. But food in general is among the worst things getting more expensive
Rising gas prices, tariffs, and normal inflation all impact our grocery budgets. People who couldn’t afford the “healthy” options before can barely afford to eat now.
Everything, from eggs to milk, fruits to chips, and even staples like rice and beans, is getting more expensive.
We’re going to be in for massive problems when regular people can’t afford to eat.
Education
In the US, the soaring cost of education is making it unattainable for millions of people. Younger generations are drowning in student loan debt and don’t have high-paying jobs to show for it.
It’s become so expensive that kids are opting out altogether. Why go to college when it’s no longer guaranteed that you’ll come out ahead?
I hate that America makes college so expensive. Education is the greatest gift we can give anyone, so why are we limiting it to the rich?
Housing
Shelter is one of our most basic needs, but t housing is far too expensive. They’re not wrong. The average price of a home in America has soared to over $500,000.
However, the average doesn’t tell the whole story. High-cost-of-living cities like San Francisco, Washington DC, and New York bring up the average.
You can still find more affordable homes in the Midwest and the South; however, those places tend to lack high-paying jobs.
We think the housing market is primed for a crash.
Gas
The war in Iran destroyed gas prices. Average gas prices are soaring to over $4 a gallon all over the country.
The “will they, won’t they” between the US and Iran regarding the Straight of Hormuz isn’t helping the situation. Gas flies up and falls down seemingly at random.
Nobody knows what to expect, making it difficult to plan. But we know one thing: if the situation doesn’t improve, people won’t be able to afford to drive to work anymore.
Living
When talking about things getting more expensive, we can’t dismiss the harshest truth out there: Life, in general, is expensive, and it seems like it’s getting worse by the minute.
We have to work long hours just to survive and often don’t have the time, money, or energy to engage in things we love.
Younger generations have it even worse. Many can’t afford to buy their own homes or even move away from their parents. It simply costs too much to survive.
Something Has to Give
As prices continue to rise and wages stagnate, more and more people won’t be able to afford life.
Unfortunately, society is doing nothing to help the cost-of-living crisis. In fact, we’re actively making it worse.
Businesses are firing swaths of people to lean into AI. Municipalities are supporting massive data centers that require millions of gallons of water to operate at the expense of the actual people who live there.
The never-ending war and tariffs keep inflation rampant.
Eventually, something has to give. We hope the powers that be realize that we’re on the precipice of a massive crisis and make positive changes before it’s too late.