"This Was A Breaking Point For Me": People Are Revealing The Everyday Items They Had To Stop Buying Because They Became Too Expensive
Even though we're in 2024, prices on everyday items still have not gone down. So when Reddit user u/trynabetwunk asked, "What’s something you stopped buying because it became just so expensive to have it?" people had a lot of thoughts on the matter. Here's some of what they had to say:
1."Concert tickets."
"Ugh, this one makes me so sad. It's really gotten beyond capacity, though. I'm really glad I got to spend my 20s and early 30s going to shows for maybe $75 max if it was a really good seat, but otherwise between $30 and $45. It's easily in the hundreds now for similar shows, and I don't know how people can afford it at all."
"Nothing beats buying two tickets and having fees that equal the amount of a third ticket."
2."A strange one, but bowling. A few years ago, my girlfriend and I went bowling at a local Bowlero, and it was maybe $60 for shoe rental and two hours of bowling for two people. Just recently, we checked prices online so we could go again, and the same rental and playing time is $150! Insanity."
"This is the only bowling alley left in this medium-size city. It used to be an AMF bowling alley before Bowlero. I looked around, and the next-closest one is in a small town an hour away, so it's not really viable for quick, fun entertainment."
3."Medication. My chronic illness requires an infusion at a $10,000 copay every seven weeks. My yearly income is $60,000. In America, it's much cheaper to die. I can get a lovely funeral for a one-time fee of $10,000."
4."Ads being added to Amazon Prime and Netflix was a breaking point for me."
5."Airbnb. With all the added fees, especially cleaning fees, it’s cheaper to stay in a hotel. I’m not paying a $300 cleaning fee when I’m the one cleaning!"
"Even with a large group of friends, I prefer multiple hotel rooms. Airbnb is so fucking shady with how they count their rooms and 'sleeps' numbers. I want my own bed; I don't want to share a full-size bed with another person."
6."Beef jerky. It used to be a go-to snack for camping, car trips, hikes, etc. Now it's just way too costly, and it feels like it's lower-quality meat."
"I feel like jerky is one of the worst values in the supermarket. Big pouch, barely half filled, and it's $10. It’s a shame, 'cause I’d rather patronize those boutique jerky places, but they’re even more expensive."
7."Ordering pizza. I'll still order for pickup sometimes if there is a good deal, but no more just picking up the phone and randomly ordering one."
"I rarely order pizza because, in my town, it is just all your typical mediocre chains. I decided to go with Pizza Hut because I have a soft spot for their personal pan pizzas, and I like their wings. Twelve wings were $18.99. The personal pan was approximately $7. The total after the delivery fee and tax: $36 and some change. I noped the fuck out. I checked at Papa Johns, and it was the same thing. When did pizza get to be such a scam?"
8."New video games. Everything I get is on sale. Turns out that you can wait."
"I recently discovered that you can borrow them from the library! You have to wait a really long time because there's often a long hold list, but as you said, you can wait. Usually quicker than waiting for a sale, too, and it's free.
"Obviously, you can't keep the game, but I usually only play them once."
9."Soda. I choose not to buy it. I used to buy cases from Sam's or Costco when it was in the realm of $10 for a case of 36; I bought fewer at $12. I have not bought soda in cans since the pandemic made them hit about $17 a case here in Texas."
10."I used to adore exploring the cheese aisle, trying out unique flavors and textures."
"My local Whole Foods has an 'ends' basket where you can get small pieces of fancy cheeses without having to pay $20 for a block."
11."Getting my nails done. I remember going with my sister and getting a manicure or pedicure for around $25–$30, so maybe $35–$45 after tips and taxes. My last nail visit cost nearly $100 after the tip and everything, just for a manicure. That was over a year ago, and I haven’t gone anywhere since — especially when you can get glue-on nails that look fairly nice for $6 and don’t tear up your nails when they come off. I don’t know how other women are affording salon visits these days."
12."New clothes. I tried to downgrade from the mall to Amazon, but that stuff is mostly trash. I thrift now, and it's not as bad as I anticipated. A lot of stuff is discarded with tags; I even found a sweater that I'd wanted years ago."
13."My car. I just said, 'Fuck it — I'll work from home and get a bike.'"
"An e-bike has been excellent for me. I didn't want to get a car, and my city is very hilly, so having the electric motor makes the trip feasible. It's 30 minutes each way, and instead of feeling cranky from being stuck in traffic, I arrive at work mentally refreshed.
"It's funny that people act shocked when I say I spent $2,000 on an e-bike, and act as if it's super expensive, and then they leave to go home in a $40,000 SUV. Most of my coworkers are paying $700–$1,000 a month for their cars (gas, insurance, payment).
"I will likely be able to retire earlier with the money I'm saving from not having a car. I've maybe spent $350 on maintenance for the five years I've had the e-bike, and charging the battery is maybe $20 of power a year.
"I hope more people start using e-bikes instead of cars; it benefits everyone."
14."Eating out. Not worth the price, and the food quality is not there anymore. And there are smaller portions for higher prices."
"I used to get a Buffalo chicken sub from this local joint maybe once a week as a way to treat myself. It was a bit of a splurge, at just under $10 for lunch, but I could swing it. They raised prices just over a year ago, and now it's around $14.80. I can't justify that anymore."
15."Blonde balayage: $500 a pop, $350 for touch-ups. It's wild how much hair salons have increased prices in the last 5–10 years."
Is there a certain product or item that you had to stop buying because the price became too high? Tell us what it is in the comments below.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
