People Are Sharing The Things They Stopped Buying Because The Prices Increased, And It’s Just Not Worth It Anymore
Without a doubt, lately, conversations seem to circle endlessly around inflation and the relentless rise in prices, which impacts nearly every aspect of daily life. Sometimes, even the simplest of pleasures become hard to justify because of the cost, and cutting back on them becomes the only option.
A few months back, redditor Glamour-Ad7669 asked the r/Frugal subreddit: "What are the things you stopped buying since the price increases because it’s just not worth it anymore?"
The thread got 4K responses. Below are the top and most-often repeated things people have stopped spending their money on:
1."Most restaurant food."
2."We deleted food delivery apps. The fees, even with a membership, are high. SMH."
"The delivery apps are terrible. An increased price on the food, a delivery fee, AND a tip? I’m only one person, so it makes the price 2–3x the price of what I’m ordering. I immediately put it away and find somewhere close I can drive to, or I just wait to eat until I’m able."
3."Steak. Usually sticking to cheaper roasts when I want my red meat fix because I can't justify the cost of a ribeye in these times."
"I work for a local meat processing facility. Prime rib and ribeye are from the same cow cut. Generally, prime rib is cheaper than ribeye. So, if you have a hankering and find one on sale, get a prime rib and cut the steaks yourself. "
4."Concert prices have gone absolutely wild. Completely out of touch with reality?! I still can't wrap my head around it. Yet it will keep getting worse as they seem to sell out where I live. I don't get it. :("
"I've completely stopped going to concerts. Ever since most of the crowd is filming on their phones and the prices have skyrocketed, it's just dumb."
5."Cable TV. We canceled our TV service, kept the streaming service, and went from almost $200 a month to whatever Netflix is charging now. Also, taking advantage of the library — free books, movies, video games, and passes to do things."
"I was finally able to convince my mom to cut cable earlier this year. I told her to tell me the shows she watches on a regular basis and we found them through different streaming services. Even paying for multiple services, we still save over $100/month over what we were paying."
6."New clothes. There are a few nice thrift stores in my area, and everything I wear comes from there."
"I've started mending clothes instead of buying something new when an article of clothing needs repair. There are plenty of YouTube videos out there that will teach you how to fix small tears and such."
7."I started doing my nails myself. It used to be that I could get a nice manicure and pedicure for under $100, and it would last a few weeks. Now, if I tried to go, it would be well over $100 plus tip. It’s not worth it for me to spend that much every time I want to get my nails done. Now, I do them myself, and I save nail salon trips for special occasions."
"I spent the last year learning to do my own acrylics! Now, I’m really good, and they last at least two weeks even though I’m a hairstylist with my hands in water all day."
8."Chips. I'm sorry, but I'm not paying $6 to $8 for a bag of potato chips. I buy the store brand if I buy them at all."
"Many companies are just testing the consumers' breaking point. They want to see how far they can push us before we just straight up stop buying their stuff. They’re also lying about inflation being a result of shipping, etc. The prices are artificially increased."
9."Iced tea at restaurants. I used to always order it. Now, I typically just order water."
"I work at a restaurant and don't always notice price increases and whatnot. I had someone order a virgin drink the other day, and it came out to almost $8! Insane! Then we introduced a new mocktail that I rang in yesterday for the first time, and it was $10. It doesn't even have booze. It's insane, and I can't keep up either as an employee at this rate."
10."No more movie theaters. Prefer watching things at home via streaming for free or super cheap (YouTube, Netflix, etc.)."
"We still like going to movies sometimes (usually matinees), but the prices of snacks are outrageous. They always have been bad, but last time we went it was like $6 for a Coke! We've decided to forego snacks in the future, at least at a couple of theaters where these prices have been especially egregious."
11."Name-brand cereal (I have to have cereal; it’s not negotiable). Sometimes, I can get name-brand from Costco and not feel so bad."
"There are some things that I’m just floored by how cheap they are at Costco. Cereal being one of them. It’s wild to me, and I find myself checking the receipts to double-check."
12."We don’t go out for drinks anymore. A bottle and mixer is much cheaper at home."
"Alcohol. I used to enjoy date nights with my partner, and we talked for hours over a few cocktails. I'm so over the markup, and although I miss having that date night option, I'm happy that this helped motivate me to sobriety. (I didn't have an issue but wanted to quit drinking altogether for a while.)"
13."Macadamia nuts. Miss them."
"I keep saying I’m going to ask for them for a birthday present, to keep myself from spending so much money on them."
14."Books 😭😭. I only download them now. I want to support authors, but I'm too broke to do that. However, I just changed my perspective and instead am somehow saving trees (for my guilt)."
15."Real talk…buying coffee in the morning. That shit adds up fast!"
"I was BIG on getting coffee from a coffee stand every morning. But the moment they said my 24 oz iced latte was $9, I couldn’t even justify that anymore. I have been on a journey to make the perfect coffee at home that tastes like the coffee stand coffees."
16."Delis and such where you order at one spot, pick out your chips or drink from the aisles, pay for your food at a register, pick up your food where you order it, find a table, eat, then bus your own table, and there is the 'How much tip do you want to leave? 15%, 20%, or 25%' when you check out."
"I've stopped tipping entirely for counter service. The card swipe kiosk tipping has gotten ridiculous. It's everywhere now. You aren't going to hand me a muffin and get a 15% tip. There's no service being rendered it is, to me, the same as any other retail transaction."
17."Baked goods. I have celiac disease, and gluten-free ones were barely worth the price five years ago. Now, none of them are worth it at all. I have learned to make my own crackers and pizza crusts, and I don't miss bread at all. I'm also experimenting with making my own granola bars."
"Making your own baked goods tastes so much better, too, than what you get in the grocery store. I even found a $16 brand new bread maker at the thrift store so I can make my own loaves of bread anytime. I still like doing it by hand but the machine is great for busier days."
18."Fast food. I already knew I shouldn't be buying it, but moving from $10 to $15-plus sealed the deal."
"It’s outrageous that you can get a burger at Chili’s for cheaper than a fast-food place."
19.And lastly, "Soda, but more importantly, I avoid name brands like the plague food-wise."
"A 12-pack of soda at the grocery store is upwards of $7, which is wild to me. I'm a middle-aged man still thinking a can is 50 cents from a vending machine."
You can read the original thread on Reddit.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
