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Hey Pandas, What’s Insanely Overpriced But People Keep Paying For It Anyway? (Closed)
Some things cost way more than they should, and yet, people keep shelling out for them. What’s something you think is ridiculously overpriced, but still somehow popular?
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Electricity (thanks Eversource, Connecticut’s power company, for your absurd annual increases! $400-$500 a month for a 650-square foot apartment with electric heat is just crushing.
Paper Towel - yeah, I’m looking at you Bounty…your gouging at the height of Covid has continued… why and when are you going to stop? (Oh…never? Really? What a surprise.)
Groceries - not everything, but that extra $1-$5 per item tacked on since Covid adds up. Why did my Great Grains Crunchy Pecan cereal go from $3.50 more than double? And yes, of course I noticed you made the box smaller to boot.
Gasoline - I can’t pretend to know all the reasons for the fluctuating prices of my car’s lifeblood, but once it nears $4, it’s just not right.
Movie Tickets and attendant snacks - a night out for parents of young children could cost up to $60-$70 - including babysitter.
Why is an ice cream cone upwards of $5-$6 or more!
Why on earth is a no name tequila margarita or a glass house white wine $14!?!
When is “Dollar Tree” going to go back to everything for $1?? Once again…never? Shocker.
Final score:
9points
RELATED:
#2
Some things are so absurdly overpriced it borders on performance art — and yet, we still pay. Wedding venues charge £14,000 just to rent a barn you could book for a goat show at a tenth the price. iPhone charging cables somehow cost £19 for a flimsy wire that frays if you look at it. Cinema snacks? £7.50 for popcorn made from 14p of kernels and the air of moral defeat. Bottled water sells tap in a dress, whispering sweet nothings like “glacier-kissed.” Skincare brands peddle plant goo with a price tag inflated by influencer whisper campaigns. Dealership car repairs charge £600 to plug in a laptop and turn a warning light off with a single click. VIP concert tickets cost £400 for the privilege of being closer to a dot with cheekbones. Coffee shops serve drinks with macadamia foam and organic cinnamon mist, daring you to question the £6.80 bill. And let’s not forget AI tools that charge monthly fees just to write email subject lines, as if “Urgent – Please Read” is a work of modernist poetry.
Final score:
8points
#3
Came to say 'American Healthcare and Prescription Medications', but that's been covered. So - #1: Influencers. Regardless of any direct monetary cost, their cost in terms of damage to society and anything they get near is too d@mn high; #2: All of the overpriced, useless, harmful jack@sses inhabiting corporate C-Suites; #3: The handful of entities committing MASSIVE environmental pollution while telling street-level citizens that they need to give up any small, useful, helpful things because the pollution is really all *their* fault.
Final score:
7points
Benjamin Brogan 4 months ago
Well, it's easier to find new addicts, I mean, patients when you control their fix
#4
Apple products in general. I am not anti-Apple, but it's worth knowing that you're paying 20%-40% extra for that logo.
Final score:
6points
#5
I completely agree with everything that is on the list but wanted to add another one, especially for those of us who are in the US. Let's just say any and everything to do with the US healthcare system. Whether it be medications, hospital bills, Dr visits, X-Rays.. you name it, it's way overpriced but we're forced to pay it if we want to..oh I don't know...live?
Final score:
6points
Benjamin Brogan 4 months ago
I recently Fired Anthem Blue Cross/Shield (2023). My deductible went from $1500.00 USD to $3500.00 USD. Now I don't know about anyone else but that's higher than my rent was in 2021. And the bullying from these insurance companies, don't tell me that if I don't get this exam or take that med or get treatment for something that I don't have - don't threaten me with "we're not covering anything until you do " ... Because that's when I let you (insurance company) go.
#6
Streaming subscriptions, especially when they still show ads
Final score:
6points
Kimberley McMillan 4 months ago
I've cancelled all of mine and now just watch the DVDs that I have or the occasional youtube video. I've never felt more free.
#7
Petrol, gas, electricity, food, taxes.
Final score:
5points
#8
Everything that is necessary to exist - houses, rent, furniture, food, clothing, fuel, automobiles, transportation, medications, medical needs, disability needs, community services like garbage pickups (eg, taxes), hospital visits, surgeries, ambulance, doctor visits, you name it. Especially in America. And everything else that makes existing worthwhile. Greed has destroyed life.
Final score:
5points
Benjamin Brogan 4 months ago (edited)
"Disposable Society Built of Disposable Convenience" making us all "conveniently disposable"
#9
Starbucks.... very much overrated.. In India, most go there to show off highly priced coffee. I find it okay and dont mind it once in a while. But we have some amazing coffee chains growing in India that are Indian, are good and will costly not exorbitant.
Final score:
5points
#10
College
Final score:
5points
Bored Sailor 4 months ago (edited)
Another root cause item. Why is a 150 year old government supplemented University costing 150% more compared to a few years ago but not offering really anything new. Change one word in text book make it mandatory and charge a 90% profit margin. In US if it did become government funded the Universities and Colleges would be thrilled because they will profit 2 fold.
#12
Religion.
Final score:
4points
Aileen Grist 3 months ago
Depends on the religion - and the person following that religion. Atheism is a religion, following a football/soccer/hockey/baseball etc., team is a religion to 'true' fans.
#13
Existence. Just because we had the audacity to be alive. We pay with our very breath. Our bodies. Our peace of mind. We pay for every sip of water. We bust our @.s.s just to have a carefree moment with a roof and a decent meal. They turned existence into a commodity that none of us can afford. In the U.S. the healthcare system makes sure of that. But the world knows exactly what I mean. The knowledge that even after death they will take their payment from the very memory of you, from the mouths of your loved ones... the knowledge that we can't afford to be alive or to have lived... It's all part of the payment. It's soul crushing. (I'm not s.ui.c.i.de.al, just seriously disillusioned and so d.a.m.n. tired)
Final score:
4points
Benjamin Brogan 4 months ago
I feel you. I see you. I almost answered "Existence" but, then I thought of "Everything". I'm not delusional. I'm not sui*c*dal. It's just a real sad time to be alive in today's society. Think about it, we are all a part of a "Disposable Society Built of Disposable Convenience" which is not sustainable. Hence, we are all "conveniently disposable". A sad fact.
#16
Also... Willful ignorance. The kind that elects corrupt politicians. Not worth the price at all. Especially when said politicians literally tell you what they are gonna do and what the cost will be.
Final score:
3points
BeesEelsAndPups 4 months ago
Honest question though, is it corruption if they tell you they are corrupt. Like when Trump flat out says, I will only allow the Paramount merger, which will make their CEO $2 billion, if they personally give me $15 million (which is exactly what happened). Is it corruption, or is it just extortion
#17
Pricey overseas holidays are my bugbear, especially all inclusive ones where they never leave the resort. It's like some throw back to colonialism where they seen to enjoy losing by a pool whilst being served on hand and foot by locals. And those who go on city breaks and then complain about the local culture or the fact that there is a lot of other tourists there.
Final score:
2points
#18
Housing.
Final score:
2points
#20
Séx. You either pay for it directly or indirectly. Either way, it costs time, money, and effort.
Final score:
0points
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What do you think ?
StrangeOne 3 months ago
Forest fires. It's incredibly costly in many ways, but we keep paying for it cause they are happening and there's not much we can do about our droughts.
Seadog 4 months ago
Cell phones in general. Guarantee there's not a single one out there that cost more than maybe $100 to manufacture. $50 is probably closer to the truth. The fact I can order an unlocked one from the manufacturers store at 1/2 or less than buying one loaded with useless junk from the provider is proof they're a rip off. Last one I bought was $189 where the provider wanted over $500. And I can take that unlocked phone to any provider if I decide to change providers.
StrangeOne 3 months ago
Forest fires. It's incredibly costly in many ways, but we keep paying for it cause they are happening and there's not much we can do about our droughts.
Seadog 4 months ago
Cell phones in general. Guarantee there's not a single one out there that cost more than maybe $100 to manufacture. $50 is probably closer to the truth. The fact I can order an unlocked one from the manufacturers store at 1/2 or less than buying one loaded with useless junk from the provider is proof they're a rip off. Last one I bought was $189 where the provider wanted over $500. And I can take that unlocked phone to any provider if I decide to change providers.
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