This Woman Made A List Of Things That Used To Be Fancy, Special, And Nice Before COVID That Just Aren’t Like That Anymore, And Some Of Them Are So Frustrating
It seems like conversations about money, inflation, and quality of goods are everywhere these days — probably because finances are so frustrating right now. Things keep getting more expensive, but they sure don't seem to be getting any better!
Recently, I talked with Kate Hindman, a TikTok creator who spoke about consumer goods' post-COVID drop in quality in a video that has garnered over 3 million views.
"Here's my comprehensive list," her video begins, "of things that used to be fancy, special, and/or nice before COVID, that when I tell my children [about], they are going to be shocked."
1."Number one is going on an airplane."
"This used to be a luxury experience," she says in the video. "I would have my blanket, my pillow, my personal TV right there, I would get cozy in the seat — oh my gosh, whether I was going one hour away, five hours away, I was...ready for an enjoyable experience."
"Since COVID, they have shrunk the width of the seats by two inches... The seats used to be, I think, 33 or 34 inches across, now they're 31 [inches]."
Actually, it's even worse than Kate first thought. Apparently, the widest seats offered in economy today are only 17 to 18.5 inches. For comparison, in the '90s, 19 inches was about "as tight as it got" in economy.
Kate continues: "The stewardesses are pretty short and rude — which I completely understand." Passengers don't show flight attendants much respect, and it's a demanding job.
On top of that, Kate points out, many flight attendants got sick and even died during the peak of the pandemic.
"Nurses, teachers, and flight attendants all risked their lives during COVID," Kate tells me. "And they're now being treated like shit by people." It's a bad incentive to work hard and provide good service.
"The snacks are also, like, this big, if that," she says, indicating a small size with her hand. "There also used to be meals on planes!"
"If you were flying for more than three hours, you'd get either breakfast, lunch, or dinner. A meal. Now, they just give you extra of the tiny little snack! I'm f—ing starving the whole time. And now we have to worry about doors falling off, so..."
2.Next on her list: "Going out to eat."
"Just going out to eat, in general, right? You were getting served food that you didn't have to make — amazing, perfect, beautiful, wonderful!"
"Now," says Kate, "no matter were I go, whether it's expensive or cheap, the food quality is odd, at best, and horrible at worst...the portions are super tiny, the service is horrible. It's not relaxing."
3."Getting my nails done."
"I used to get a fill and a pedicure for $40," she says. "Now, I'm lucky if I spend $80, and it's still, like, somewhat enjoyable, I just think the money... It's just not worth it anymore."
4."Next is shopping."
"This, like, really depended on where it was; I will say, going to Nordstrom is still kind of a nice experience, although the quality of the clothes — I'm like, is this Nordstrom? It looks like Forever 21."
"But going shopping when I was younger, right, like going to Forever 21, or Target, it was a lot of, like, cute teenage girls, like me! I worked in retail for years."
The problem isn't the existence of retail jobs; it's the way companies treat their employees. "My grandma worked at JCPenney in the '90s — LOVED it," Kate tells me. Back then, Kate says employees had not just better wages, but better hours and benefits than today.
"It's different to see middle-aged people and elderly people working these jobs [today]," Kate says. Better benefits, hours, and wages "bring [employees] to a certain mood at [their] job," and when these are cut back, she says, employees "don't have the same capacity for quality customer service." It's not their fault, she stresses; it's their companies'.
"[Shopping] was a somewhat decent experience; [it] made me feel special," she says in her TikTok. "Now, I, like, walk in to any retail store just apologizing."
"Why [is a] 40, 50-year-old woman, like, working at Old Navy? I know you're only getting paid, like, $20 an hour."
5.Next: "Farmers' markets!"
"I used to, like, actually buy things from farmers' markets," says Kate. "Now, I just walk through, and it's like, 'Wow, it's even worse prices than the grocery store.'"
6."Disneyland."
"Let's rewind it all the way back to my childhood — $99 for a season pass."
"I grew up having a season pass my whole life," says Kate. "Now, first of all, way too expensive...but also, the experience while you're there, it's just not the same."
7."And, lastly: little snacks and treats."
Kate Hindman / @leftistmommy / Via tiktok.com
"All of the food — everywhere! — every single piece of food you've ever enjoyed in your life is now smaller and more expensive," Kate says. "And that takes some of the joy out of it, no matter what it is."
Her video definitely struck a chord; the comments were full of further examples of things that used to be better. Things like going to the movies, pastries, and restaurant prices were all popular complaints.
All these things in conjunction — things like too-tight airplane seats, $6 croissants, and the lack of easy or accessible indulgences — might be affecting public morale, Kate tells me.
"I feel like we've given up so much [since COVID], and are being asked to give up more," she says. "Housing, a roof, food, medicine — we're told it's socialist to want these things to be affordable... Money used to go further."
...Basically, it can all be summed up like this.
Yes everything is more expensive now but at least the quality is way worse too
— jz2 (@mixedgrass666) January 25, 2024
If you'd like to keep up with Kate, you can follow her on TikTok at @leftistmommy. And if you personally have any thoughts, examples, or tips to give when it comes to what we buy, feel free to comment below!
