Is there anything that you find to be ridiculously overpriced? I’ll go first. Toilet paper and sanitary products cost too much. They know we have to buy them, so they get away with charging absurd amounts of money.
After someone asked online for other examples of things that are too expensive but shouldn’t be? These are the top-voted responses.
1. Printer Ink
After twelve thousand people in the thread voted printer ink as the number-one response, one Redditor advised, “Stop buying inkjet printers. There’s a reason you never see an inkjet printer in a business. They aren’t printers.
They’re ink vending machines. The business model behind them is to sell them at a loss to get you to buy the ink. Buy a laserjet instead, and you won’t have that problem.”
2. Insulin and Epi-Pens
One angry Redditor shared, “Fun Fact: Joe Manchin, the ‘Democrat’ from West Virginia that is notorious for selling his vote to Republicans, his daughter, Heather Bresch, is the CEO of Mylan who was responsible for raising the price of Epi-pen by 500%. She did this after going on a crusade to have every school forced to carry one.”
3. Funerals
Many people in the thread agreed that funerals shouldn’t be costly. One explained, “The bare minimum was 7,000 dollars for a loved one I said goodbye to last year, and he was even cremated. So the bare minimum included a funeral. So a visitation was a part of this cost, not just a cremation alone.”
4. College Tuitions in the U.S.
Several Americans and Canadians agreed that college tuition is absurd. One American added, “It has not adjusted for inflation, recessions, or economic impact ever.
It’s now considered the high school diploma and is mandatory for any career outside of trade schools. Not only that, financing it has become a bigger racket. The return on investment for most college graduates is a total loss.”
5. Housing
Everyone in the thread agreed that housing is too expensive. Someone suggested, “There is absolutely no reason that the townhouse I bought eleven years ago should be valued at $260,000 more than I paid for it.” Several others explained how renting is even worse.
6. Dental Work
“My most significant stressor is that I need dental work done. I work full-time and can’t afford to save a dime. My dental work is worth more than two months’ wages—no idea what to do,” confessed one.
“Even with dental insurance, this is a mess,” admitted another. “I have dental insurance that was supposed to cover 80% of my procedure. I got a letter saying it was declined for many obscure reasons.
Missing paperwork, improperly submitted forms, basically any reason under the sun to decline coverage. So now it’s a battle between me, the dentist, and the insurance company. I do not like the odds. Otherwise, thousands of more dollars are down the drain for yet another dental procedure.”
7. Food
Many people in the thread (if not ALL) agreed that food is ridiculously costly right now. One suggested, “I swear everything went up 30-100% in the last six months. Eggs doubled in a year!”
Another added, “Lettuce is now way more expensive than avocados.” Finally, a third confessed, “The pasta I used to buy for a dollar is now $3.19.”
8. Bras
One woman asked, “Bras, who got away with making them so expensive?” Others suggested shopping at outlet stores and Ross instead of paying $50+ per bra. However, one argued, “These are great if you’re a common size, but if you aren’t a 34A-34D, you’re out of luck in these shops.”
9. Ticketmaster Fees
“Ticketmaster fees,” one replied. “All these ticketing site fees are out of control. Those service fees. Fees in general. If you can’t avoid the fee, it’s part of the price and should be included in the advertised price. Resort fees are the same. I’ve seen a $20 ticket become an $80 ticket because of fees.”
10. Adoption Process
Finally, one volunteered, “Adoption process overall. There should be checks. But the process itself is challenging and draining between legal fees etc. My young son asked, ‘why is it so expensive to do something good” ‘He has a point.”
We hope you enjoyed this list of things that cost way more than they should.
More From My Life, I Guess:
- 52 Ways to Save Money (That Won’t Leave You Feeling Deprived)
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Amanda Kay, the founder of My Life, I Guess, provides valuable career advice and support for anyone striving to make a living and, more importantly, make a life. Whether it's navigating job searches, learning new skills, overcoming unemployment, or dealing with debt, My Life, I Guess has been a go-to resource for career guidance and financial stability since 2013. Amanda's expertise and relatable approach have been featured in trusted publications such as MSN, Credit.com, Yahoo! Finance, the Ladders and Fairygodboss.