Inflation has pushed the prices of many items so much that many Americans simply cannot afford them! Almost every product you can imagine has increased in price lately, but here are 17 particularly surprising items now too expensive for average Americans.
Video Games
Remember when you only had to part with $25 to get the latest video games on the market? Sadly, those days are long gone. Now, a $70 price tag has become the new norm, and gamers even need to pay additional money to get downloadable content!
Breakfast Cereal
Boxes of cereal, once considered budget options for breakfast, are now seen as budget killers by many Americans. Popular brands have become so expensive that cheaper, lower-quality store-brand cereals witnessed a 20% increase in sales between 2022 and 2023 alone!
Sodas
Between 2018 and 2022, the price of beverages increased by a whopping 45%, and there are projections that this will continue in 2024. Business Insider reports that US consumers are turning away from PepsiCo products simply because the prices have gotten too expensive.
Salon Sessions
Unfortunately, inflation has also affected independent businesses, so even beauty salons have had to increase their costs. This has caused outrage among customers, many of whom complain about how manicure sessions now cost $80, over 100% up from the previous prices they’re used to.
Thrift Store Items
The concept of thrift is simple: provide high-quality, original (but second-hand) goods that are cheaper than new items. Despite this, thrift stores around America have steered off this path, offering “thrift” items that are more expensive than their mainstream alternatives.
Fast Food Deliveries
Food delivery services don’t just charge up to 20% more than the regular prices of meals at restaurants; they now have delivery fees inflated by hidden charges and tips. These easily double or even triple the total cost of orders, which gives Americans a harder time justifying the use of delivery apps.
Brisket
In 2015, briskets were only about $3 per pound and featured in many Americans’ daily diets. Fast-forward to today and their prices have doubled on average and more than tripled in some stores. Unfortunately, the increased interest in BBQ culture and limited production are to blame for this.
Concert Tickets
Many Americans also find it too expensive to attend their favorite artists’ concerts, with the Wall Street Journal documenting a 55% increase in ticket prices between 2009 and 2019. The culprits are the ever-increasing costs of artists, vendors, venues, and promoters, as well as surcharges from booking platforms.
Cable TV Bills
Despite the decline in viewership, cable TV prices have also kept rising over the years. A majority of Americans now consider it unaffordable, with many opting for lower-priced streaming platforms to watch their sports and TV shows.
Streaming Services
Even streaming services aren’t safe from inflation. With prices 27% higher than in 2023, more Americans are cutting down on their subscriptions. Outrageously, some streaming services are now including advertisements in their low-priced paid plans, and they’ve cracked down on password sharing, too!
Potato Chips
Americans consider the current price tag of potato chips too high to be worth it. Between 2020 and 2023, the price of pre-packaged chips rose by up to 50%, and overall, the average price of potato chips now sits uncomfortably above $6. Is all that cholesterol really worth it?!
Fast Food
Fast food prices also climbed to record highs in 2023 (up over 10% from 2022), and they don’t seem to be slowing down soon. As seen in Newsweek, foodies are now forced to “replace their treats with ‘fakeout’ instead of takeout, cooking cheaper versions of their favorites.”
Takeout Coffee
Coffee bean prices soared by 41% in 2021, causing the average cost of coffee to increase by 10%. Now, due to global supply issues caused by changing weather patterns and international conflict, things have gotten worse. Take-out coffees now cost $6 to $7, a price tag many find ridiculous for daily consumption.
Used Cars
Moving to high-ticket items, even used cars are going out of the reach of many Americans’ pockets. Prices have generally risen by 30% from the levels that they were in 2020, and now you’d need nearly $30,000 to get one you can truly rely on.
Eggs
Even the prices of small, daily items like eggs have become too steep for comfort. A dozen eggs now cost around $3 and went as high as $4.89 in January 2023. US News blames this on the outbreak of bird flu and increased labor and chicken feed costs.
Tickets to Sports Events
Many Americans have also been priced out of seeing their favorite sports teams live. The cost of admission rose by 100% between 1999 and 2020, and you’ll now need over $150 to attend an NFL game today, not to mention the food costs!
Furniture
Finally, it’s also been harder for Americans to afford furniture recently, especially if they’re looking for high-quality pieces. Even furniture at IKEA isn’t that affordable anymore, and many have been forced to settle for cheap, barely durable “fast furniture” instead. We miss the good old days when low prices still got you high quality.
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