People Are Sharing Things They No Longer Buy Because They've Gotten Ridiculously Expensive, And Some Are Really Thought-Provoking

It's hard to ignore the fact that life is becoming absurdly expensive. Redditor u/schaudhery asked, "What’s gotten so expensive that you no longer purchase it?" Here are some of the everyday items and services that people, including some members of the BuzzFeed Community, are giving up due to rising costs.

1."My wife and I have three kids. We used to make Friday a more relaxing evening by ordering takeout food. A meal has gone from $30-ish to $50, $60, and now $70 for the same food, plus increased delivery charges. It's just not worth it anymore."

2."Live sporting events. My husband and I recently went to an MLB game. I used to go all the time when I was a teenager and in my 20s, when I made little money. Things were always more expensive at the ballpark, but I could easily afford to eat dinner without ending up short on rent. When we went last week, the amount of money we spent on a few drinks plus some hot dogs and fries could have fed a family of four for a week."

3."Frozen pizza. These days, a frozen pizza is becoming almost more expensive than fresh pizza."

4."Meat. All the cuts of beef that used to be cheap are now outrageously expensive. Oxtail, beef shank, flank steak, skirt steak, even top round. It's hard to find anything for a decent price."

5."Menstrual products like pads and tampons. It's a whole different issue entirely. Period poverty has surged in the United States lately."

6."Subway sandwiches. Even the 6-inch subs are over $7 now...and that's before chips and soda."

7."Lift tickets. The quality of ski season keeps getting worse and worse as the price of everything involved with skiing continues to rise."

8."Mobile apps. I’m so infuriatingly tired of subscription apps. The worst is when you download the app for free, only to get stonewalled by a subscription page. Let’s go back to a one-time fee, please."

9."Grocery shopping has become stressful, even at the 'cheaper' markets. These days, even the no-name, store-brand products have become notably more expensive."

10."Concert tickets. I bought two sets of tickets this year for bands I've wanted to see for over 20 years. One concert cost me $600 for two tickets, and the other was $300 for two. The ridiculous part, though, is that the fees alone cost more than one ticket. I can stomach $100–$150 for good seats to a band I love, but I can't stomach another $150 in fees."

11."Soda. I used to enjoy a Sprite occasionally. But now I'm just not paying $3 or $4 for sugar water that kills my insides."

12."Yoga classes. They used to be $20 a class where I live. They’re now $40 a class. It’s just too much."

13."Cereal! The boxes have gotten so small, and they’re like $7!"

14."The price of a new bra is freaking insane. And a bra is not something you can cheap out on. I lost weight recently and had to replace my bras. I wanted to cry."

15."I never buy chips anymore unless they’re on some kind of 'buy one, get one free' sale."

16."Going to the movies. I just paid $22 per ticket (in Australia) for my daughter and me to watch Dune: Part Two. Two drinks and a popcorn cost me around $25, so I paid around $70 for the two of us to enjoy the movie. It's gotten to the point where going to the movies has to be a rare occurrence."

17."Streaming services with all of their price hikes. I canceled one of my subscriptions after their last price raise and honestly have not missed it. If I hear about something I’d like to watch, I think of all the other shows I want to watch on services I already pay for and watch one of those instead."

18."Food truck meals. I'm not spending $15 for a grilled cheese that I have to wait in the rain for."

19."Fast food in general. If a half-decent meal is more than $10 (which seems to be the case at a lot of places now), then I'd rather just eat at home."

20."Having a pet 😔. I’ve had pets my whole life, but I lost my last cat a few years ago. I miss having a companion, but I know I cannot afford beyond basic care right now. If an emergency arose, I couldn't pay for it."

21."Greeting cards — $7? No way."

22."Takeout coffee. My espresso machine paid for itself in no time."

23."Getting my nails done. I used to go to the salon for a mani and pedi twice a month, but now it’s $50 before tip for my usual gel manicure. It's mind-boggling. When I was a kid, a mani and pedi cost $15."

24."Restaurants, even pickup. OK, that'll be $50 for two entrées, plus a 5% meal tax, a 7% sales tax, a $5.50 convenience fee, and a $3 service fee."

25.And finally, "Simply existing. I feel like I can’t walk out of my front door without automatically spending $20."

What is something that was once affordable but has now become so expensive, you have stopped buying it entirely or indulging in it often? Tell us in the comments or drop it into this Google form.

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.