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Someone Asks “What Was Loved By Poor People Until Rich People Ruined It?”, 50 People Don’t Hold Back
According to findings by sociologist Matthew Desmond, which he presents in his new book, Poverty, by America, since 1979, the bottom 90% of income earners in the U.S. experienced annual earnings gains of just 24%, while the wages of the top 1% of earners more than doubled.
Looking at inflation-adjusted figures, ordinary workers have seen their pay tick up only 0.3% a year for several decades. So the real wages for many Americans today are roughly what they were 40 years ago.
Still, people have been trying their best to make use of what they have. And they do find ways to enjoy life. That is until the market changes things for them. There's a Reddit thread that asked the platform users, "What was loved by poor people until rich people ruined it?" and it quickly went viral, receiving an interesting archive of replies. Here are some of the most popular ones.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Farmers markets. When I was a child, we were broke as a joke. The farmers market was where we went to get dirt cheap produce and whatnot. Now farmers markets are super expensive and filled with stalls from out of state farms selling aRtIsInAl cHeEseS aNd nOn-gMO hEiRlOoM tOmaToEs.
Terry Tobias 2 years ago
We still have an actual farmers' market where people can afford fresh produce, baked goods and coffee from local roasters. The prices are low and the quality is great. Unfortunately, I live in upstate NY and we're at the mercy of our weather, so the season isn't year round.
Brenda 2 years ago (edited)
Remember fruit/ vegetable stands on the side of the road? Always good value back in the day. Stopped at one last month. Wanted $10-$15 for a watermelon, $8 for a pineapple, $8-$10 for a pint of strawberries, blueberries or blackberries. Told him his prices were WAY to high, grocery stores were cheaper.
Liz Siemens 2 years ago
We just paid $22 CAD for a small bag of cherries. We ended up throwing the bag away 2 days later cause they were rotting! Brutal!
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Shannon Donnelly 2 years ago
True. I live in Northern NJ. If you happen to be driving around Sussex County, especially the back roads, you'll find fruit and veggie stands that are very reasonable and eggs are $3 a dozen. It's still early in the season, so prices are still a bit on the high side, but as we get further into summer, those prices will def drop. Absolutely worth the drive knowing those fruits and veggies were picked that morning!!
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BC 2 years ago
Sorry, I hate to be that Australian who contradicts everything, but yeah nah. We’ve got heaps of amazing farmers’ markets as long as you’re not in the inner cities.
rob 2 years ago
I think it's totally fine to share experiences from around the world. The internet is not just for conversations about the USA.
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Hagebumi 2 years ago (edited)
Same Here. Everything ist organic and expensive as F*ck. You have to go to a cheap Supermarket where everything you buy is wrapped in Plastik, and Despite you want to save the Environment from plastics and garbage, you have no choice, because you can't afford to buy plastic-free.
v 2 years ago
The farmers markets OP is talking about are taking advantage of the gullibility and stupidity of people to reap higher than normal profits. Most of the people who buy at these high prices don't really know anything other than what some talking head told them. Farm fresh eggs in Colorado generally sold for anywhere between $6 and $10 per dozen. The same eggs in Virginia sell for about $4 to $5 per dozen. The only difference is that the people in Virginia won't put up with the b******t prices.
Krásnoočko Zelené 2 years ago (edited)
After several years in France I finally learned to shop at markets and it's nothing like the expensive and pretentious ones I knew from back home. It's much better AND cheaper than in a regular store. I hope nobody ruins it!
gerard julien 2 years ago
in France every single city, town and village has a street market at least once a week. (the picture here looks like it's a street market in Provence).
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When egg prices were outrageous, I called around to several farms, and their eggs were more than the grocery store.
Momten Jillian 2 years ago
Endeavor to grow your own. It's a satisfaction you can't describe with words. Nothing tastes better than food you have a hand in providing yourself and your loved ones
Bored Potato 2 years ago
The farmer’s market in Exeter, New Hampshire (USA) is really nice and affordable and sells normal stuff. I went there once because of a summer program at a local high school and all the stuff is locally grown or handmade. Really nice.
Quinn 2 years ago
That closing sentence of yours, particularly the silly capitalization of the last few words, depreciated everything you said before it.
Alice Landers 2 years ago
I really don't know seriously what that weird "silly" capitalization means or why it started Anyone want to explain? Thanks
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Vasana Phong 2 years ago
I remember growing up in Philly and there would be a truck with a blow horn announcing it’s fruits and veggies/price per pound, farmers were from NJ, it was so cheap
Nitka Tsar 2 years ago
I‘m not sure but I think I have never seen a farmers market with produce from out of state. That‘s the whole reason for farmers markets, isn‘t it? Local food?
Tee Rat 2 years ago (edited)
I'm from Nebraska and we have farmers from Iowa and Missouri included in our farmer's markets. Missouri is only an hour away and Iowa's border is a 10 minute drive from my home. I believe they're included because we are the closest populated area to their farms and it never hurts to have a wide variety of vegetables offered. We also have fruit and vegetable stands set up through out the city from different farms. For those that don't know this is in the middle of the US and most of the land is agricultural.
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Petra Biedermann 2 years ago
Our farmer markets sell produce about 30 % higher than the supermarket. Makes no sense
Lynn Morello 2 years ago (edited)
Our local markets cost you $350 per year to become a member and $50 per market day stall site. (1 car space.}
Robert Hamm 2 years ago
Been wanting to start some market gardening because we grow so much produce, but the markets where I live have a want you to pay up front at the beginning of the season, will kick you out if you miss too many weeks, and even require you to set up an LLC and have business insurance. Not only is this a barrier to very small growers who want to get a start in the business but it makes it real hard for small growers to be able to sell affordable quality produce through a sustainable business model.
Sami-Jo Ross 2 years ago
There's a legit farmer's market that has some of the best produce I've ever had, and when I was a kid there was a horse-pulled cart full of watermelons that would come down every few days in the summer to sell HUGE watermelons at super cheap prices. They were always so, so good, too.
Darth Kittius 2 years ago
Tbh, I do use it a bit to my advantage. I work minimum wage so on weekends I'll go to the bougie farmer's Market and play violin for cash from the wealthier shoppers
Jay Highland 2 years ago
I've never seen an expensive Farmers Market. Where does this person live? Atr they saying there are no normal farmers selling standard fare?
Jay Highland 2 years ago
I've never seen an expensive farmers market. Where does this person live?
moon_magic 2 years ago
Armstrong and Miller (British comedy duo) nailed this https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xw_orOZ0OV0
RELATED:
#2
Affordable housing.
#3
Second hand shopping, there's nothing worse than going into a completely harvested op shop and not being able to find anything in your size / of good quality because hipsters came and raided the place and sold everything at a 150% mark-up on their f*****g depop account.
#4
I’m sure someone already mentioned this but CAMPING. It used to cost close to nothing to reserve a camp site (some are still cheap) but now they’ve gone all boujee and some sites charge you ridiculous fees to pitch a tent in the woods. Same with music festivals in the forests. People would go to get away from b******t societal hierarchies and enjoys music and self expression. Then they got all mainstream and it lost its original meaning (think Burning Man).
Nimitz 2 years ago
I remember when I was a kid. $10-20/night for a spot in a provincial campground surrounded by trees, unable to see the other campers, and bins full of free firewood. Nowadays it's a clearcut acre with no trees and, twice the cost, and if you want a fire at night be prepared to spend $50 on wood. A camping trip used to cost a family $300 for two weeks, now it's $100 a day
#5
All types of what was traditionally "poor people food". Pork belly, oxtails, etc. All the things that use to be cheap because they were considered to be the trash parts. Now that people realize how delicious they can be its driven the price up.
#6
Cheap foods - donuts, cupcakes, hamburgers, wings - that have all been given the "foodie" treatment and went from good cheap eats to gourmet pricing without a corresponding increase in quality.
Leanne Hailes 2 years ago
They keep raising the prices and decreasing the size/amount of the product & no person ever gets an increase in their paycheck. I honestly don't know why they think it's okay. 🤔 should I eat this month or should I have lights & hot water this month 😥
#7
The saying "money doesn't buy you happiness" was originally used by the poor towards the rich asking them to share the wealth. Now its used as a statement to shut down poor people who talk about wanting enough money to survive. (BTW studies shows that money does buy happiness but only if its not too much. Around 100,000$ a year is were they found the highest quality of life and emotional stability.)
#8
So idk if any of y'all in this sub live in rural communities, but big farming industries are killing small farmers. Impossible to own your own farm and make money at this point because big industry pushes you out. A decade or 2 ago you could sustain yourself with your own crops/animals, but now that's become so expensive you need a job on top of caring for your farm. Now with all this s**t going down, rich people are buying up farmland, presumably to make money when the stock market crashes again. I just bought 40 acres a year ago and in the past 3 months I've gotten 15 letters in the mail from various people trying to buy my land for way more than it's worth.
ƒιѕн 2 years ago
This. Where I am from corporate farms killed the small guy, my family included and every family I knew growing up. Banks were unrelenting and forcing all the smaller guys out. We had around 7500 acres, mix of wheat and pasture, we were small. In the late 90's I was custom farming and sowed one owners land back into grass (CRP Program) in NE Colorado. Roughly 96,000 acres. That's 150 square miles of land. Not sure if Greytaks are still around the Billings MT area, but when I was up there they had a field over 300,000 acres if I recall correctly.
#9
Theater used to be the entertainment for the masses and now it's ridiculously expensive and inaccessible to most people.
Kim Kermes 2 years ago
Community theater and music is still affordable and I find it more enjoyable.
#11
PODCASTS!! The number of amazing podcasts that have been ripped off by celebrities who are so out of touch with the average persons daily experiences is disgusting. They are so starved for attention they have to take over any discussion that’s happening.
#12
The outdoors. So many places used to be difficult to get to, required some level of toughness and grit just to see. More and more people argue that they are entitled to see these places without that, and they're flooding in, paving roads, cramming parking lots full, and trampling some of the most pristine, delicate, untouched areas of the world. I'm not trying to gatekeep these places, but nature sure was.
#13
Hawaii. Im Polynesian and rich people have pretty much made Hawaii thiers and im sick of it. Technically not poor people but all islanders.
similarly 2 years ago
It wouldn't be so bad if a bit more of the tourist industry income actually went to the service industry people who serve the food, make the beds, clean the hotels. A lot of the service staff in resort areas are not paid what they deserve. I remember many years ago reading about a ski resort where the prices in town were so expensive that many of the cleaning and service staff lived in homeless tent camps outside of town, even in the middle of winter, because there was nowhere IN town they could actually afford to live and still be able to eat.
#14
Outlet malls. Growing up the outlet mall was the place to find slightly irregular items and last years styles for like 50-75% off retail prices. Now they are just another retail store.
Taibhse Sealgair 2 years ago
That's because as their popularity increased as a place to score deals, the manufacturers realized this was just another marketing channel so they began to make product specifically for it. No longer irregulars, surplus, etc. Just cheaply made versions of the more expensive stuff. https://lifehacker.com/how-to-tell-if-an-item-of-clothing-was-made-specificall-1845761919
#15
Living near the coast used to be a poor people thing a long time ago.
nakedonmygoat replied:
My grandfather bought a house on Cape Cod when he retired from being an airline mechanic in the late 60s. He wasn't poor, but he sure as hell wasn't rich, and a normal middle class person wouldn't be able to do that today. Even if you inherit a house free and clear, the property taxes will eat you alive if you aren't rich.
#16
New York City... Mind you, I'm Puerto Rican, from New York and the diversity that once thrived in that city was 10 fold what it is today. Crazy to think right? I mean it's NEW YORK. My grandmother lived in Little Italy for over 55 years before she passed away in 2019. She lived in the same apartment on Mulberry St for that long and everyone knew who she was. She lived there during the peak, and eventual, fall of the Mafia. The streets on a Saturday night would be closed off, you could smell the food the entire block, people among people among people. I remember walking past as a child with my mom and just being in awe of how many people were just having dinner, drinking wine and just genuinely happy. I would go up to my Grandmothers and climb out onto the fire escape and just gaze at them and I would never get bored... ...None of that exists anymore. Gentrification is a real b***h. Most of the hispanic and black minority have moved to places like Queens and inner city Bronx or Brooklyn, you know.. where the "poor" people belong. Truly sad. I'll never forget New York as I knew it.
#17
ComicCons used to be pretty affordable, and you could chat with celebrities for a while.
Now they are a huge extravaganza, with multiple levels of admission and VIP access and VIP seating. Pictures and autographs with bigger celebrities can cost a shitload, and you wait in multiple lines and are rushed through it.
When I went(pre-Covid) I normally just see/buy art, those folks are usually not super busy and will often sign stuff for free.(unless they are big dudes like Frank Miller)
Joy 2 years ago
Agree 👍 The Comic-Con at London's Olympic is more of a con these days. The organisers are ripping off fans with love in their hearts and not much money in their pockets with a cold-eyed attitude that should shame them. Plus there's less interactive/exhibitions to see. Mostly bored stall-holders who beg you to visit with their eyes. The venue is dirty and unimaginative and each year London Comic-CON slips further down the drain.
#18
Converse. When my dad was a kid it's what the poor kids wore now they are like $50 a pair for the same s**t shoe.
Andy Frobig 2 years ago
I was a kid in the 70s and only wore Converse knockoffs. We dug through the bin at Wards to get a left and a right of the same size and color. They were cheaper than adidas, but not cheap enough for us
#19
Areas before they were gentrified. Gentrification increases house prices and the cost of living. Rawscent added: Cool neighborhoods. The rich move in and eliminate all the diversity that made them cool bit by bit until it’s all just rich people pretending to be cool.
#20
Gaming. Hear me out. Somebody is making those f*****g microtransactions profitable for those companies. I f*****g hate this s**t!
similarly 2 years ago
And the price of new AAA games has been skyrocketing. Now with all the Ultimate Editions etc, people are paying upward of $200 for games that used to go for $50, and you used to be able to buy a game and play it, but now what you buy is more like a demo, and then you buy the DLC on top of it.
#22
Lobster - used to be peasant food, served to inmates, and used for plant fertilizer....
Brenda 2 years ago
This happened once interstates were built, and refrigerated trucks were invented, and planes & trucks made it easy to transport goods. Sellers/chefs were able to get foods that had been unavailable in many areas before. They were the ones who touted shrimp, lobster, etc. And they were only available at very pricey, high end restaurants. In other words, only for the rich.
#23
Carnivals and amusement parks. $80 for 2 slices of pizza, 2 salads, and 2 drinks at Six Flags. Everything is not just expensive, its obscenely way past expensive. *Everything*. My son n I filled the backseat up with game prizes and a couple huge stuffed animals last summer, but I easily spent over $200 on games (and we're actually pretty good at 'em). It was a $900+ day 💀
#24
I think work boots and work clothing are being ruined. I want to buy work boots but the good stuff is being discontinued for hipster style boots for people who go to Starbucks and never set foot in a warehouse/construction/trade environment. The same with clothing. Carhartt is a hipster brand. Dickies started doing this flex s**t a while back, although they have sort of remained ok for now.
#26
Football was working man's game. My Dad took me and my cousin to games every week home and away. This is beyond many now
Rachel Reynolds 2 years ago
unpopular opinion: College and HS games are way more fun than pro football (or really any sportsball)
#27
Sewing and sewing supplies. The new machines are plastic garbage and since its become a hobby rather than for the average person the patterns after the 70s use way too much fabric.
#28
Timberlands. They used to be good, inexpensive work boots that would last you forever, but once they got popular with celebrities, the price started going up and the quality went down. Now they're treated like a luxury brand and it's easier to find them in pink or with bedazzles than in a traditional color.
#29
Coachella Used to be (years ago) a kick back event with music lovers. It’s now a s**t show with over the top antics and an opportunity for rich folks to party. The music isn’t the main reason they go.
Chris D'Asta 2 years ago
In the nineties it was Lollapalooza, Phish and Grateful Dead shows. Brand new Birkenstocks and clean hair everywhere.
#30
Mexican food, especially simple stuff like tacos and burritos. It used to be the cheap option, especially where I live as there's a huge hispanic population and lots of great cheap Mexican takeout places. Then all of a sudden tacos became trendy and now places with $5+ tacos exist and everything went up in price pretty quickly. karmagod13000 added: Prolly like ramen noodles or McDonald's. fast food isn't even cheap anymore.
Marie Dahme 2 years ago
When I lived in Phoenix, I left in 2019 and lived there 27 years…you could always find cheap tacos. Guys would set up a little stand late in the evening and set out a couple of tables and chairs with a tarp overhead…cheap tacos. My favorite places is Filiberto’s and in the 90’a you could huge big fat burritos for a couple of bucks…now they are three times that at least !But damnit. Filiberto’s was so freaking worth it ! Love their carne asada burritos with a large pina flavored aguas frescas. They aren’t here in Montana where I am now. 😢. But next summer I’m moving back to hatch chili country..Las Cruces New Mexico. !!! woo hoo ! Tacos here I come !!! lol
#31
Anything that was relabeled as "communism" so that the rich wouldn't have to pay more taxes / give up their lucrative business models. e.g., Unions, state subsidized healthcare, estate tax, etc.
Saint Tim the Godless 2 years ago
Affordability health care, affordability housing, affordable groceries, retirement...
#32
Avocados have become so popular that the locals can no longer afford them.
Hagebumi 2 years ago
To make it even more perverse: At my German "Penny" supermarket (a cheap supermarket) right in front of my house, avocados cost just 55 cents. Origin: Mexico. They come all the way from America to cost us 55 cents but the locals can't afford them anymore? Something is terribly wrong here. The same with blueberries. We have the cheapest blueberries from Peru here, even in winter. How are the farmers paid?
#33
Storage shed auctions used to be really cheap until that stupid Storage Wars show came along. Now instead of buying cheap for some furniture, too many people are jacking up the prices thinking that there's some lost antiques worth thousands that they'd find in every unit.
#34
Every little cool mountain town in the American west.
Terry Tobias 2 years ago
And antiquing! You could find quality, real wood pieces of furniture to refinish or leave natural for little money. I have a mahogany dressing table that I bought and and a cherry sewing table that a friend found on the side of the road that I love. Now, going to look for antiques has become too expensive, and there are too many people with too much money there to enjoy it.
#35
The champion brand. I remember goodwill and walmart selling their champion stuff for cheap, now it's "designer" and it costs so much more now smh Edit: I'm so glad that other people know what I'm talking about. This was my first comment after making a reddit for myself, also, "designer" is a very strong word. It's more "in trend" and popular. It's not as big as Michael Kors and Steve madden but it's difficult to find a champion sweater for less than $50-100+ when it used to be $10-20
Terry Tobias 2 years ago
I love Champion clothes! You're right, they used to be inexpensive, quality clothes. I found some Champion t-shirts online last year that were pretty cheap, and they were much more substantial than more expensive ones I bought that were so thin you could see through them.
#36
Colorado. The original locals are being forced out of the state by the wave of Californians coming in, dropping $500k cash on a house, and then voting for NIMBY zoning laws to keep new housing from being built to compensate for the increased demand.
#37
Vinyl collecting. It was a dead, cheap to get into industry as a hobby. Now come and get your $50 RSD special jizz splatter Chet Baker EP.
#38
Vegan food. When it became a trend the label vegan made it 50% more expensive.
There was a huge scandal in the late 2000s when it was reveal most pizza shops didn't use real cheese, because plant based was cheaper.
Today vegan cheese 200% compared to normal cheese.
Anony Mouse 2 years ago
Most pizza shops? Source please. I've never heard of any pizza place using fake cheese. I looked at Wikipedia and in the 90's there was only one brand of commercial vegan cheese and it cost twice as much as real cheese. I think this one is just a lie.
#39
Creating YouTube channels.
KiloNation replied:
The worst part of this is that they all use the same format. Vlogs, 50 different camera cuts in a span of two minutes, clickbait titles and thumbnails.
#41
Taking junky old cars and fixing them up as a hobby. Rich people discovered they could buy up loads of potentially very worthwhile project cars for not much, restore them to a level of unobtainable quality and price which drove the price up, now everyone "knows what they have" (eyeroll.png) and holds out for the big buyers instead of the neighbor down the street. They turned a hobby into a billion dollar industry and entertainment conglomerate so they can sell the cars to other rich people since few people can afford a $200,000 restored Mustang or GTO or whatever it is.
Chris D'Asta 2 years ago
Dad and brother overhauled VW Bugs and Buses for fun when I was a kid. They could buy cheap, repair and sell off at a profit. I just saw two overhauled Bugs that were tagged at 18,000 USD last week. Savages!
#42
Grunge/punk style clothing - bought for few $$ now designer versions sell for 100s.
#43
Food that was cooked out of necessity. Chinese dumplings or pot stickers, for example, was a way to stretch out meat rations over an extended amount of time. A pound of meat can be quickly consumed by a family of five but if you wrap small portions of that meat with carrots, cabbage, and virtually any vegetable in dough and either boil it or fry it, you can satiate the entire household for a longer period of time. When rich people started making it, basically with the same ingredients, the tone of the dish changed. Before, it was consumed because hard decisions had to made to make it through a rough period. Now, at places like Fats, a set of five dumplings will set you back about fifteen bucks and served as an appetizer to a hundred or more dollar meal giving the illusion that you're eating some ballin' a*s dumplings when in reality, it's just dumplings.
Noname 2 years ago
I don't understand this OP's complaint. Anyone can still make dumplings at home to stretch out their "meat rations". How did "when rich people started making it," change the quality of homemade dumplings globally?? If the OP is referring to the cost of buying pre-made dumplings at a restaurant or frozen from a store, sure, it's going to be more expensive than and probably not as delicious as homemade because you're paying someone else to make the dumplings for you, and they will use the cheapest ingredients available so they can make a living selling dumplings. Maybe the OP should get off their butt and just go make some dumplings instead of complaining.
#44
The 'minimalist' lifestyle. You're a multi-millionaire yet for some reason you live in some squeaky clean, showhome apartment with brushed metal everything, and own almost literally nothing. You call this "liberating", when the reality is lots of people genuinely can't afford that apartment or indeed any contents for it.
#45
Hulu, YouTube and quinoa. The first two used to be as free as well as free. I remember we used to find ways to watch Hulu at school on the school laptops. I watched lots of spice and wold and other anime on there. YouTube used to be awesome. Now both are full of ads and not as entertaining because of it. Not to mention they charge you for them just to avoid ads and then Hulu doesn’t honor their word. SMH. Edit to add that a whole civilization used to have quinoa as a big part of their everyday lives. Now big companies have made it a popular health food that costs an arm and a leg. Now they cannot even afford it anymore.
Anna Drever 2 years ago
I use quinoa because my body sucks and I can’t eat rice, one of the foods on the lowest end of the allergen scale, because I have a food intolerance to it. I love rice! It doesn’t love me back. 😞
#46
Alaskan King Crab legs. When I was a kid, we could get a 1 lb box for $.99
#47
Hot springs. Used to be for everyone, and often viewed as dirty or undesirable by the upper class. Now people are buying up land featuring hot springs and making them expensive resorts.
Andy Frobig 2 years ago
Depends on the hot springs. Saratoga Springs was already hoity toity 160 years ago, but there's still plenty of free hot springs in Oregon
#48
Pretty much anything retro video game related. For awhile there everyday people used to be able to find quality retro games, systems and peripherals (Atari, NES, Genesis, SNES, Turbografx, ColecoVision etc) at flea markets and garage sales for just a few bucks. Now everything is snatched up by a handful of resellers and pumped up in price on ebay or at conventions. Thank goodness for emulation.
the quickening 2 years ago
To be honest, it's natural this stuff gets more expensive as more time passes. Things get lost, break, and eventually they get rare. Sucks to be a collector now tho, with people having better access to checking the prices of what they found from the attic, lol.
#49
Yoga. Supernova008 added: Man! An an Indian Hindu, the way western people appropriated and completely ruined yoga is very damn infuriating.
similarly 2 years ago
To be fair though, this happens a LOT when cultures meet. For example: A lot of people were copying Maori "Ta Moko" tattoo designs, even though they are sacred. However, Maori, being the awesome people they are, created "Kirituhi", which is similar, but carries no cultural or religious significance. As well, there are people all over the world who wear crosses because they think it's cool, even though they aren't Christian, and it has no religious significance to them. My person feeling is: as long as it's not hurting anybody, and not stealing someone's cultural identity (e.g. Ta Moko, or wearing a particular Clan's tartan) I don't think we should worry TOO much.
#50
Creativity on the Internet everything seems to be patented or copyright protected.
#51
Ripped denim jeans. They're casual, comfortable, and usually ripped in places caused by typical wear patterns. Then rich people had to make them weird, make them with clear plastic cut-outs. Make them look how an alien would guess what ripped jeans are supposed to look like if you translated it into their language poorly and then had to describe them. And then charged $2000 for the monstrosity.
Brenda 2 years ago
I refused to buy my youngest those. Why would you pay for jeans somebody ripped up on purpose and is charging you for it? Charging 2x to 3x times MORE than the cost of unripped, decent jeans? Finally agreed to let them have a pair IF they could find them at a resale or thrift store for $10 or less. They found a pair at a local thrift store for only $5. I happily paid for them. They were a designer brand that retailed for $50 to $150.. after showing them that, they happily shopped second hand for expensive items.
#52
Tybee Island, Ga. Aka the Redneck Riviera used to be a place where one could get a house close to the beach for a relatively low price, until rich movie stars started buying there.
#53
I'm pretty sure barbecue was created by poor people as a way to make bad cuts of meat slightly edible. Now those same cuts are as expensive as the rest because barbecue isn't the last option before starvation.
#54
Carhartt equipment. Used to be for people who do work. And now the beenie costs $35. (LPT: the same carhartt beenie you see everyone wearing is still $7 at the Home Depot, and like I said, about $35 in stores at the mall!)
#55
Beaches, a bunch of country clubs and families bought up most of the public lakes and now if you want to swim at a beach you either have to drive out of your way to the few public areas left or pay out the a*s to a country club
#56
Living in cars. Maybe not so much "loved" but with housing being the way it is - living out of a car/van is one of the only ways people can get by. The rich trying to capitalize on the boho lifestyle and how "freeing" it is to go so minimal is gross when the people in the car beside them are just trying to get by. People can't afford rent and a car to get to work, somehow rich people stepped in to make that look appealing.
Jeremy James 2 years ago
I spent much of my 20's working sh*tty jobs and living in an old VW bus on the side of the road that was held together with zip-ties and voodoo. Now I see trust fund kiddies whose parents pay for everything posting videos making it look like a hip lifestyle and congratulating themselves on being so unconventional and quirky.
#57
Target. I don't have a Walmart by me, so a while back, this was the cheapest store next to the dollar store for us. Now thanks to all the rich people on social media hyping it up, it's not as inexpensive as it used to be. I've even heard some rich moms complain that it's 'not as cheap as people said it was'. Yeah, because you guys won't leave it alone.
TBW 2 years ago
I've worked in retail comparison shopping for a while now, and Target and Walmart prices are pretty on par with each other, so I don't really get this. There are some areas where Target costs notably more, like clothing and home furniture/goods, but on average, those items are better quality, not to mention the far better experience of shopping inside a Target than a Walmart. Walmart is the most overhyped cheap goods store. They usually have the lowest "standard" price on things they sell at any given time, but if you are a savvy shopper, "sale prices" at other retailers and grocers will often be less (and you can usually find that item on sale at least once a month elsewhere). Target "sale" items are almost always better deals than Walmart, especially on household supplies. The best things to buy from Walmart are items that rarely go on sale elsewhere.
#58
The Internet - Remember back when all of the things that now have outrageously pricey subscription fees or are locked behind paywalls were all freely available and there was a variety of competing sites innovating and experimenting with new ideas. Not saying things were perfect and there have been many QoL improvements since but the core ability of people anywhere in the world having free and equal access to a huge variety of content has now been segregated to those who can afford it. Also many of the features of sites that do have free offering levels, have had services (once offered for free), now behind a paywall as they are considered desirable and very little new features that add meaningful value are added.
Kathryn Baylis 2 years ago
Remember when you actually bought and owned technology, like with the discs to download internet sites and programs like Microsoft Office?
#60
Living in Brooklyn.
#61
Chicken and waffles. Got some at a place recently that bragged they used hand-breaded chicken strips (aka microwaved nuggets). wtf - just put a piece of fried chicken on there and call it good.
Piper 2 years ago
I am not sure I understand this one. I live in the Deep South, home of chicken and waffles. And Fred chicken. And fried okra, and greens and all the yummy stuff. Most places use tenders and not bone in. True story, we were craving this and after a freezer scan, we had mini frozen waffles and chicken nuggets. Viola! Cheap imposter chicken and waffles. They did in a pinch.
What do you think ?
Nice Beast Ludo 2 years ago
The Goodwill bit is very true but I don't blame rich people. I Blane trashy people scouring Goodwill to resell every thing and try to make a fortune and they come from all economic backgrounds. Except the very poor who can barely afford their own clothes and now especially can't afford them at the only store they used to be able to- Goodwill.
Tyranamar Seuss 2 years ago
Yes. People should consider the ethics of buying in thrift shops and then upcycling.
Load More Replies...
Swinger Panda 2 years ago
Yeah, I really think this is the fault of greedy capitalism. We can't fault people buying what they like. Supply and demand has existed forever.
Joe Bloe 2 years ago
People are greedy, whatever the system they are in. Not just rich people can be greedy, but you just can't do much problem when you are poor and greedy.
Load More Replies...
Alecto76 2 years ago
Most of these are because the [product] became popular. The blame should be placed on capitalism and those that profit off it by saying oh it's popular now, let's jack up the price.
Noname 2 years ago
Maybe in a few cases, like the ripped jeans (which you can make your own at home, so why buy?) , but most of the consumer price increases are due to the rising cost of production. As the cost of materials to make goods increases, it is reflected in the cost of the manufacturing which is passed on to the vendor who must sell the product at a price that also pays the expenses of the venue (rent, taxes, wages, insurance, electricity,) as well as (hopefully) enough revenue to live on. Add in that consumers have been demanding "eco-friendly" and "anti sweatshop" products causes the price of production to increase to accommodate these values.
Load More Replies...
majandess 2 years ago
This article may have contained a lot of truth, but it's also anxiety-inducing. As it is, when I go grocery shopping, I feel like I can't afford to eat. My son needs new shoes and clothes, but that's not gonna happen any time soon. And reading this just reminded me of the hole I'm trying really hard to not fall into.
AspieGirl88 2 years ago
If I could answer that in just one word? WATER … to the poorest of people in the world, clean water is one of the most precious things they could ever wish for. Sadly, the rich people of the world who are corrupt & don’t care about the poor. They have no problem polluting water sources with toxic waste, plus there are companies like Nestlé who say “water is a privilege, not a right”. Then there’s the more recent story of the government official in India, who drained an entire reservoir just to get his mobile phone back; all that drained water (now deemed unfit for irrigation) was meant to help with severe water scarcity, crop losses & forest fires. He didn’t care that many people would suffer as a result, but he cared about the phone & he cared about the eventual loss of his job. Just goes to show; even something like water can bring out the greed/selfishness in humanity. 🚰 🤷♀️☝️
bill marsano 2 years ago
Many of these complaints are mere sour grapes and ignorance. Don’t like it when people upsell Goodwill stuff? Then shop at Goodwill. The rich ruin tacos/dumplings/ramen? Eat where they’re cheap (e.g. Chinatown) not chain restaurants. Yoga is still yoga—just not affordable at fancy clubs you are not required to join. Scarcity is critical: yes, salmon was cheap; in Colonial times they were over- abundant; creeks and streams had to be cleared with pitchforks; labor contracts often specified that laborers could be fed salmon only so many times a week. Got a beef with gentrification? Try this: young couple marry, save, work hard, raise kids, put ‘em through college, meanwhile pay mortgage, utilities, insurance, repairs for 30 years. Then the nest is empty and the old folks dream of Arizona—but you say no, don’t sell, forget warm retirement, remain in freezing north. A lot of you moaners have a lot of growing up to do. You don’t recognize your own entitlement.
Shankshaw Redeemer 2 years ago
I live in what used to be considered Small Town America. Now, the gargantuan hospital system that's taken over every hospital and doctor's office in the state has built a bike trail. We're overrun with cyclists and races and all sorts of "from-froo" eateries. The price of housing has risen tenfold and it's become Small Town America where every Tom,D**k, and Harry wants to live. I am quite displeased with my town!
Thenatural 2 years ago
Glastonbury festival....was absolutely wild when I was late teens early 20's.....no security to speak of..zero police and absolutely brilliant....this was 30 years ago..then radio 1 got involved and now it's just another excuse for 'slebs and influencers pretending to 'rough it' ...utter c**p now
Thenatural 2 years ago
Just saw an article that showed festival goers queuing to get their hair blow dried!! Yeah...that's what Glastonbury is all about....
Load More Replies...
Scott T Brynildsen 2 years ago
So, it seems like you're all complaining because people who make more money like the same things you do and can afford it because of the choices they made.
Curry on... 2 years ago
I think when the rich shop for these things, without scrutinizing prices, suddenly prices go up and the rest of us can no longer afford them. Perhaps the rich should be examining how merchants set out to separate them from their money.
Load More Replies...
Ahmad Hamad 2 years ago
Productive families stores in KSA, it's like farmers markets in USA. It was built so the families sell their handmade products(foods, clothes, toys...etc). Now, they're expensive shops with expensive products.
Andy Frobig 2 years ago
I bought a Belstaff motorcycle jacket in the '90s for $200. Not cheap, but fair for waterproof protection. Then Prada bought the company and now that jacket is $900. Inflation doesn't account for that
Noname 2 years ago
Of course it's not -the name brand causes the price increase and Prada and Gucci and these other high end companies market solely to the wealthy and always have.
Load More Replies... Nice Beast Ludo 2 years ago
The Goodwill bit is very true but I don't blame rich people. I Blane trashy people scouring Goodwill to resell every thing and try to make a fortune and they come from all economic backgrounds. Except the very poor who can barely afford their own clothes and now especially can't afford them at the only store they used to be able to- Goodwill.
Tyranamar Seuss 2 years ago
Yes. People should consider the ethics of buying in thrift shops and then upcycling.
Load More Replies... Swinger Panda 2 years ago
Yeah, I really think this is the fault of greedy capitalism. We can't fault people buying what they like. Supply and demand has existed forever.
Joe Bloe 2 years ago
People are greedy, whatever the system they are in. Not just rich people can be greedy, but you just can't do much problem when you are poor and greedy.
Load More Replies... Alecto76 2 years ago
Most of these are because the [product] became popular. The blame should be placed on capitalism and those that profit off it by saying oh it's popular now, let's jack up the price.
Noname 2 years ago
Maybe in a few cases, like the ripped jeans (which you can make your own at home, so why buy?) , but most of the consumer price increases are due to the rising cost of production. As the cost of materials to make goods increases, it is reflected in the cost of the manufacturing which is passed on to the vendor who must sell the product at a price that also pays the expenses of the venue (rent, taxes, wages, insurance, electricity,) as well as (hopefully) enough revenue to live on. Add in that consumers have been demanding "eco-friendly" and "anti sweatshop" products causes the price of production to increase to accommodate these values.
Load More Replies... majandess 2 years ago
This article may have contained a lot of truth, but it's also anxiety-inducing. As it is, when I go grocery shopping, I feel like I can't afford to eat. My son needs new shoes and clothes, but that's not gonna happen any time soon. And reading this just reminded me of the hole I'm trying really hard to not fall into.
AspieGirl88 2 years ago
If I could answer that in just one word? WATER … to the poorest of people in the world, clean water is one of the most precious things they could ever wish for. Sadly, the rich people of the world who are corrupt & don’t care about the poor. They have no problem polluting water sources with toxic waste, plus there are companies like Nestlé who say “water is a privilege, not a right”. Then there’s the more recent story of the government official in India, who drained an entire reservoir just to get his mobile phone back; all that drained water (now deemed unfit for irrigation) was meant to help with severe water scarcity, crop losses & forest fires. He didn’t care that many people would suffer as a result, but he cared about the phone & he cared about the eventual loss of his job. Just goes to show; even something like water can bring out the greed/selfishness in humanity. 🚰 🤷♀️☝️
bill marsano 2 years ago
Many of these complaints are mere sour grapes and ignorance. Don’t like it when people upsell Goodwill stuff? Then shop at Goodwill. The rich ruin tacos/dumplings/ramen? Eat where they’re cheap (e.g. Chinatown) not chain restaurants. Yoga is still yoga—just not affordable at fancy clubs you are not required to join. Scarcity is critical: yes, salmon was cheap; in Colonial times they were over- abundant; creeks and streams had to be cleared with pitchforks; labor contracts often specified that laborers could be fed salmon only so many times a week. Got a beef with gentrification? Try this: young couple marry, save, work hard, raise kids, put ‘em through college, meanwhile pay mortgage, utilities, insurance, repairs for 30 years. Then the nest is empty and the old folks dream of Arizona—but you say no, don’t sell, forget warm retirement, remain in freezing north. A lot of you moaners have a lot of growing up to do. You don’t recognize your own entitlement.
Shankshaw Redeemer 2 years ago
I live in what used to be considered Small Town America. Now, the gargantuan hospital system that's taken over every hospital and doctor's office in the state has built a bike trail. We're overrun with cyclists and races and all sorts of "from-froo" eateries. The price of housing has risen tenfold and it's become Small Town America where every Tom,D**k, and Harry wants to live. I am quite displeased with my town!
Thenatural 2 years ago
Glastonbury festival....was absolutely wild when I was late teens early 20's.....no security to speak of..zero police and absolutely brilliant....this was 30 years ago..then radio 1 got involved and now it's just another excuse for 'slebs and influencers pretending to 'rough it' ...utter c**p now
Thenatural 2 years ago
Just saw an article that showed festival goers queuing to get their hair blow dried!! Yeah...that's what Glastonbury is all about....
Load More Replies... Scott T Brynildsen 2 years ago
So, it seems like you're all complaining because people who make more money like the same things you do and can afford it because of the choices they made.
Curry on... 2 years ago
I think when the rich shop for these things, without scrutinizing prices, suddenly prices go up and the rest of us can no longer afford them. Perhaps the rich should be examining how merchants set out to separate them from their money.
Load More Replies... Ahmad Hamad 2 years ago
Productive families stores in KSA, it's like farmers markets in USA. It was built so the families sell their handmade products(foods, clothes, toys...etc). Now, they're expensive shops with expensive products.
Andy Frobig 2 years ago
I bought a Belstaff motorcycle jacket in the '90s for $200. Not cheap, but fair for waterproof protection. Then Prada bought the company and now that jacket is $900. Inflation doesn't account for that
Noname 2 years ago
Of course it's not -the name brand causes the price increase and Prada and Gucci and these other high end companies market solely to the wealthy and always have.
Load More Replies...
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