What have YOU given up thanks to inflation? Reddit users share the products they no longer buy because they’re too expensive
- Inflation in the US accelerated for a second straight month in August
- Streaming services and fast food are no longer worth the price, Americans say
- Reddit users claim buying a new car has become unaffordable and out of reach
As inflation continues to soar well above the Federal Reserve’s 2 percent target, consumers are sounding off about how many things they used to enjoy are no longer worth the price.
Inflation in the US accelerated for a second straight month in August to a 3.7 percent annual rate – and many household budgets are feeling the pressure.
In a now-viral online thread, one Reddit user asked: ‘What is no longer worth it because of how expensive it has become?’
The question has now received over 29,000 comments – with Americans complaining that coffee, streaming services, going out drinking and buying a new car are now too expensive to be viable.
The top-rated reply in the thread is ‘fast food’ – with users lamenting how prices have gone up at popular chains including McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Five Guys.
The top-rated reply in the thread is ‘fast food’ – with users lamenting how prices have gone up at popular chains
In one comment, which has received over 7,000 ‘upvotes’ – Reddit’s version of ‘likes’ – reads: ‘I went to McDonald’s the other day for the first time in years and was SHOCKED at how expensive it is!’
Another claimed: ‘A “value meal” at McDonalds now costs just as much as a meal at a lot of sit down restaurants like Applebee’s.’
Earlier this year, food giants McDonald’s and PepsiCo were accused of being ‘greedy’ for continuing to raise prices despite reporting boosted profits.
According to Statista, the average cost of a Big Mac in the US is $5.15 – up from $4.33 in 2012.
Other users took to the site to claim that ‘subscription fees on streaming services’ are no longer worth the money.
Scores of television and music streaming services have hiked their prices this year – and many are beginning to crack down on password sharing in a bid to boost lagging profits.
Increasing numbers of platforms have also stopped offering reams of content to subscribers at low, one-size-fits-all prices – amid increasing competition across the industry landscape.
Disney+, for example, announced in August that it was increasing the price of its ad-free plan by 27 percent this month – from $10.99 to $13.99 a month.
Spotify also confirmed earlier this year it would be charging 10 percent more – taking its Premium plan up from $9.99 to $10.99 a month.
Other users named Airbnb as a service which is no longer worth the price.
‘All of the add-on fees usually drive the cost higher than an actual hotel stay in the same area,’ one person wrote.
‘An actual hotel stay comes with clean sheets and towels, and no concerns about surprise cleaning fees,’ another user commented.
It comes as a recent study revealed how 5.5 million homes are lying vacant in America’s 50 biggest cities due to a surge in vacation and short-term rental properties.
Other users took to the site to claim that ‘subscription fees on streaming services’, including Netflix, are no longer worth the money
Coffees and going out drinking were also among the old standbys that Americans were not prepared to splash out on.
Concerts were also on the hit list – with many people lamenting how they used to go to see live music frequently, but rising prices mean they are only able to go to events a few times a year.
‘By the time all the extras and fees are applied they’re out of reach,’ said one user.
Earlier this year, entertainment giant Live Nation and ticketing behemoth Ticketmaster finally vowed to disclose the full price of tickets upfront – as part of President Biden’s crackdown on so-called ‘junk fees’.
Although this means surcharges for concertgoers will no longer be hidden in the small print, it does not mean the extra fees will be eliminated.
In a White House review of 31 different sporting events across five ticket sellers’ websites, service charges averaged more than 20 percent of the ticket’s face value, and total fees – like processing fees, delivery fees, and facility fees – reached up to more than half of the cost of the ticket itself.
It found that a family of four attending a show could easily end up paying far more than $100 in fees beyond the cost of the tickets.
President Biden said the new changes should mean that customers are ‘not surprised at the end when they check out.’
Music concerts are no longer within reach for many Americans, according to Reddit users
While a car may be considered an essential for millions of Americans, buying a new vehicle has become an unaffordable luxury, according to consumers.
‘Even the c**p entry level models with no options will run you near $30K,’ said one Reddit user.
‘I make six figures and haven’t been able to afford or better said, justify purchasing a new car since 2007. I’m priced way out of my comfort zone,’ another replied on the thread.
According to Cox Automotive, the average price of a new car in the US has hit $48,000.
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