The economy is in a truly bizarre place right now. Some countries areon the vergeof a recession. Others may or may not have already gone through one andhave rebounded, depending on what expert you ask.Inequalityis deepening while shrinkflation is rearing its ugly head. And despite people grumbling about their expenses,not everyoneis changing their spending habits. It’s a confusing time for many of us.But something that many people have noticed is just how gosh-darn expensive things have gotten compared to years past, from second-hand clothing to even regular fast food meals or just a cup of coffee in town. The r/AskReddit communityshared what hascompletely shocked them in terms of prices, and we’ve collected their most relatable insights. Scroll down to read them.Bored Pandareached out to personal finance expert Sam Dogen for some insights on living with a tighter budget and how breadwinners can treat their loved ones even when times are tough. You’ll find our interview with the author of‘How To Engineer Your Layoff’and the host of the‘Financial Samurai’blog below.This post may includeaffiliate links.
The economy is in a truly bizarre place right now. Some countries areon the vergeof a recession. Others may or may not have already gone through one andhave rebounded, depending on what expert you ask.Inequalityis deepening while shrinkflation is rearing its ugly head. And despite people grumbling about their expenses,not everyoneis changing their spending habits. It’s a confusing time for many of us.
But something that many people have noticed is just how gosh-darn expensive things have gotten compared to years past, from second-hand clothing to even regular fast food meals or just a cup of coffee in town. The r/AskReddit communityshared what hascompletely shocked them in terms of prices, and we’ve collected their most relatable insights. Scroll down to read them.
Bored Pandareached out to personal finance expert Sam Dogen for some insights on living with a tighter budget and how breadwinners can treat their loved ones even when times are tough. You’ll find our interview with the author of‘How To Engineer Your Layoff’and the host of the‘Financial Samurai’blog below.
This post may includeaffiliate links.
Personal finance expert Dogen, the host of the’Financial Samurai’blog, likened tightening your budget to wearing braces to realign your teeth.
“When you first get braces, they are painful. But after a while, as your teeth shift, that discomfort fades. Then the orthodontist tightens them again and you feel it afresh!” the author of the bestseller‘How To Engineer Your Layoff’shared with Bored Panda.
Concert tickets. It’s gotten to be over $100 to sit on the grass, in August, in Houston.
Candy bars69 cents? I’ll grab one from time to time. Full grown adult.$2.69? Lol wut? That’s like actual money. For a candy bar? How are they still in business?
Personal finance expert Dogen suggested keeping one’Financial Samurai’mantra in mind when it comes to budgeting and cutting back on expenses: “If the amount of money you’re saving each month doesn’t hurt, you’re not saving enough!”
Bored Panda was curious about how people can still treat their loved ones even when they’re working with considerably tight budgets.
Dogen, the author of‘How To Engineer Your Layoff,’explained to us that it’s not money that should be the main focus here.
Housing
Second hand clothing stores. Some of the things in there I can buy for same price, if not less, for brand new!
Fabric. When my daughter was little, I sewed clothes for her myself. Now, fabric is so expensive that it’s just cheaper to buy the clothes already made.
“The best gifts we can give our family are our love, time, and attention—all of which are free. Younger children simply want to play with their parents. Older kids appreciate being heard as they navigate various emotions and dilemmas at school. Partners and spouses cherish words of affirmation about how much we care, along with listening to what we appreciate about them,” he said.“Whether our families are young or old, large or small, remembering to actively express our selfless love through quality time and engaged listening connects us in profound ways,” the expert told Bored Panda.“The daily stressors that distract us will come and go, but the bonds nurtured between those closest to our hearts are what matter most.”
“The best gifts we can give our family are our love, time, and attention—all of which are free. Younger children simply want to play with their parents. Older kids appreciate being heard as they navigate various emotions and dilemmas at school. Partners and spouses cherish words of affirmation about how much we care, along with listening to what we appreciate about them,” he said.
“Whether our families are young or old, large or small, remembering to actively express our selfless love through quality time and engaged listening connects us in profound ways,” the expert told Bored Panda.
“The daily stressors that distract us will come and go, but the bonds nurtured between those closest to our hearts are what matter most.”
tip culture, no way i have to tip on everything and be pressured too lmao
Frozen dinners. The entire appeal of the product was that you could buy a meal for $2-3. Now that they are $10, you might as well just buy actual food for dinner.
I’m learning to cook again. Fast food and premade food is too expensive
Feeling wealthy isn’t about any exact number in your bank account. Feeling wealthy comes down tohow you manageyour income, expenses, savings, and investments. If you’re taking care of your and your loved ones’ needs and have enough cash left over to indulge in travel, hobbies, and fun activities—you’re living the life.On the flip side, no matter how much you earn, you’ll never feel like it’s enough if you’re in debt and dipping into your savings to maintain a luxurious lifestyle.
Feeling wealthy isn’t about any exact number in your bank account. Feeling wealthy comes down tohow you manageyour income, expenses, savings, and investments. If you’re taking care of your and your loved ones’ needs and have enough cash left over to indulge in travel, hobbies, and fun activities—you’re living the life.
On the flip side, no matter how much you earn, you’ll never feel like it’s enough if you’re in debt and dipping into your savings to maintain a luxurious lifestyle.
Ikea furniture. IKEA particle board junk is now the same price as real furniture made from real wood. Not only that, but there has also been a noticeable decline in quality. Greedflation and ensh**tification all in one.
Restaurants. Recently went out to eat for the first time in a year and spent 100$ for 2 and it wasn’t very good. Felt guilty spending almost a days pay on one meal.
Netflix, Prime, all the streaming services are too much these days.
When it comes to spending money, you want to make sure that you’ve put together a budget and covered your core necessities (e.g. food, fuel, rent, clothing). Then, make sure that you’re thinking about the future and setting a certain portion of your cash aside either in your savings account, investing it, or a bit of both. Many personal finance experts call saving a portion of your paycheck “paying yourself first.”However, just living off rice, beans, and tap water isn’t going to do wonders for your emotional and spiritual health. People need more than just survival. So even if you’re on a tight budget, set aside a small part of your wage to have some fun.
When it comes to spending money, you want to make sure that you’ve put together a budget and covered your core necessities (e.g. food, fuel, rent, clothing). Then, make sure that you’re thinking about the future and setting a certain portion of your cash aside either in your savings account, investing it, or a bit of both. Many personal finance experts call saving a portion of your paycheck “paying yourself first.”
However, just living off rice, beans, and tap water isn’t going to do wonders for your emotional and spiritual health. People need more than just survival. So even if you’re on a tight budget, set aside a small part of your wage to have some fun.
Just getting a drink at a bar.
My sons' college tuition was 10 times what mine cost. I have a grandson coming up in a few years. Will it be 100 times more than mine?
Lyft / Uber aren’t nearly the deal they used to be.
Say, if you used to enjoy eating dinner downtown or grabbing a cup of coffee with a friend, do that from time to time. Or go see a movie at the (ridiculously overpriced) local cinema, treating yourself and your date to some popcorn. It’s the frequency of these activities that matters, not that we avoid them altogether. Otherwise, life is going to be very bland.Of course, there are plenty of cheap and free ways to enjoy life, too. Learning to cook awesome meals at home is a ton of fun, improves your skills, and can really impress your social circle. Going for long hikes out in nature is a fine way to get fit and detach from all the tech in your life. It can be a good alternative to going to the gym if the membership costs have gone through the roof.
Say, if you used to enjoy eating dinner downtown or grabbing a cup of coffee with a friend, do that from time to time. Or go see a movie at the (ridiculously overpriced) local cinema, treating yourself and your date to some popcorn. It’s the frequency of these activities that matters, not that we avoid them altogether. Otherwise, life is going to be very bland.
Of course, there are plenty of cheap and free ways to enjoy life, too. Learning to cook awesome meals at home is a ton of fun, improves your skills, and can really impress your social circle. Going for long hikes out in nature is a fine way to get fit and detach from all the tech in your life. It can be a good alternative to going to the gym if the membership costs have gone through the roof.
Starbucks. A medium soy latte costs 7$ now.
Delivered food - uber eats/door dash/grub hub… Who even uses them
Groceries
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Meanwhile, if you’re passionate about painting, traveling, or rebuilding that sweet 1967 Chevrolet Impala in your garage, you’ll find the budget for these things. You might have to reduce your expenses, but you’ll find that the cliche of skipping lattes at Starbucks can give your budget some additional flexibility.
Fast food. It’s literally cheaper to go to my local burger joint and get a burger than it is to go to Wendy’s and the burger is outrageously better. Plus they have beer.
I’m only just coming to terms with this, but potato chips
Childcare
GrapesI saw they were on ‘sale’ and at the till they were $10…for a bag of grapes…I said to the cashier, “please take them back. I can’t justify a half hour of work for a bag of freaking grapes”.
Soda. I could buy a 12 pack for $2.50-3.00 back then. Now theyre $12+. Like fk that st. I switched to drinking coffee mixed with chocolate milk now cause of it.
Retirement
This may be a bit weird…I still buy it, but not as much as I used too…Gum. I used to buy 2 packs for $2.50 now it’s almost $4.50 for 1 pack.
Jerky
Fn cereal man. Some grade A b**t
Anything that is pre-sliced/portioned/cut. It is like $8 for cut up cantaloupe where i live! I can get 3 cantaloupes and just cut them up in 5 minutes for the same price. Anything done for convenience in that way is out in our house!
Brand new video games. I wait for a sale. I cannot pay 70 bucks for a base game.
Disney tickets.
Replacing the windows for your house.Obviously, if you need to replace one… you need to replace one. But there was once a time where replacing your windows for the energy savings over 15 years + increase in potential resale price was well worth it.Now? You’re looking at $20k-$30k for what? $20 a month savings in energy usage? In a market where there could be a body in the basement which the potential buyer would let you leave so long as they got the house?
Funyuns.Those were my jam. We spent many a good time together. $5.49 for a 6oz bag though is criminal.I could get almost 2 gallons of refined, dead dinosaur juice for that price.
Acrylic Nails. I miss having them but omg
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