Many things are expensive but usually the cost can be justified. However, a few recent experiences drove home some of the more ridiculous. I’m not looking for economic debate on why these things cost what they do. This is mostly just a rant.
Anything at a concession counter in a movie theater. $3.50 for a 14 oz. Coke or bag of popcorn? Get real…
Anything relating to car repairs but especially body work. A truck rear-ended me a few weeks ago. Trunk lid needs to be replaced and bumper needs a spot of paint. Total cost $1,650 (and I drive a Chrysler Cirrus…not a Rolls Royce and the $1,650 was my own insurance estimate…I figure it’d be in there interest to low-ball if necessary). At that cost my car should be worth over $100,000 if bought piece by piece.
Cat trees. While at Pet Smart they had a modest cat tree (basically about 15 pieces of wood nailed together with carpet stapled to it) about 4 feet tall going for $150. The deluxe 5 foot version cost over $300. I bought a 5 person tent the same day for $150 at Target. High-tech fabrics, engineering out the wazoo (at least compared to a cat tree) and it costs the same. I’m gonna quit my job and build cat trees at home for a living. Sell them for $70 a pop I figure I need to nail together 5 a day, 5 days a week to gross $91,000/year (say $20,000 for material I net $71,000/year…still not bad). Till that day our cats will have to make do without a cat tree.
I know I’ve run into more stuff like this but can’t think of anything off the top of my head. Anyone have anything else to add to the list?
Gee, I was going to say that if I got raped at the cash register, it would be more than a minor rant, but now I see that’s not what you were talking about.
Yea. The FREAKING COST OF GAS. I paid a $1.52 a gallon a Go-Go Gas. For those who don’t have them, Go-Go is the cheapest ass gas you can get. There are those who claim they water the gas down. And it was $1.52 a gallon. I know it’s not as bad as California, but…ARG!!! This thread could turn Pit worthy quite quickly.
Hey Swiddles, send me a few gallons, eh? This morning driving in when I passed my usual station the price was $1.98 (and I live in the midwest). Haven’t seen it below $1.69 in months. grrrrr…
Fast Food restaurants that charge you extra for containers of sauce!
I mean, come on, how cheap can you get? Even though the extra containers are just a quarter, but, shit, the fact that they charge for it. That’s just retarded!
I just want some free sweet & sour sauce. Now, is that too much to ask?
[ul]
[li]I remember when there were few places in my hometown’s downtown section to buy a soda. You could walk in to one of the movie theatres (sans ticket!) and buy a fountain drink for a reasonable price.[/li][li]80 cents/litre for gas. That’s 3.02 per gallon, but in Canadian dollars. In US that’s $2.02. Higher than the US average, but not like Europe.[/li][li]Cat trees: I actually built one, Jeff_42. Relatively nice, too. It cost me about $65 in parts, and that was with using free carpet remnants.[/li]
It’s has a 2’ x 3’ base, and 3 pedestals at 16", 32", and 48" high. Each pedestal has a 1’ x 2’ platform.
If I had made it for sale, I would’ve charged $100. (I also would’ve put the carpet on more professionally.) Maybe if I went on a volume production I could make them cheaper, but with the labor involved, I’d still charge $100.
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I hear what your saying Coldfire but I would like to know where everyone else here is buying their gas.
At the Amoco next to me house gas is $2.19/2.29/2.39/gallon (prices for the three grades). Gas City (cheapo gas) next to the Amoco gas goes for $2.15/gallon. Granted I live in Chicago but what the hell? You’d think living in a big city would at least buy you some kind of economy of scale to make shipping charges cheaper to be reflected in the gas price! (Of course, the city taxes the crap out of it but even in the suburbs gas goes for well over $2.00/gallon).
Made a trip to KY over Memorial Day Weekend and paid $1.779 a gallon.
I can’t bitch too much about gas. I usually pay $1.429. Back in 1981 I was paying $1.249. I remember that because I had $5 a week for gas and I got 4 gallons even for my money.
However, I can remember when I could fill up my '68 Mustang twice on $5. I remember $10 lids too.
But, Coldfire…now how can I put this…your country is small enough that people standing on opposite borders can play Frisbee. You can mow the whole nation without having to refill the lawnmower. Why do ya need cheap gas?
Ok, I can see where people might think my complaint isn’t terribly valid. Let me put it into perspective. At the cheapest last year, I was paying $0.89 a gallon for gas. I am now paying $1.52. In 12 months, the price of gas rises $0.62 cents. That is something to whine about, isn’t it?
Besides, Coldie, we’re Americans. We wage WARS over gas prices. You think we gave a rat’s ass about the people of Kuwait? Nope. We cared about how the Iraquies would jack up gas prices. That’s the way we are. ::waves little flag madly::
Been there, done that. The cat loved the cat condo I
built. But it’s a hot glue intensive project, and after the second or third time you drip 200 degree sticky stuff onto your skin, you start appreciating the store-bought ones.
I know what you mean about the cat trees. My wife and I wanted to get one for our Little Rat Bastard (aka the Fuzzy Black Land Shark). We went to the pet store and priced them, and after we were defibrillated back to consciousness, I went down to the Home Depot, grabbed some raw material, and built one in an afternoon for less than sixty bucks. It’s way bigger and cooler than what you can get at the pet store, too.
Another stupid cost that’s always bugged me is when you go into a McDonald’s or whatever, and all you want is a cup of water, they want to charge you a dime, or even a quarter, just for the cup. Talk about markup…
And regarding the ridiculous cost of concessions at the movie theatre: I know you were just ranting, but there’s actually a really good reason this stuff is so expensive. If you’re curious, check it out:
On another subject, on things that I think are bargains, I’ve always been impressed at the price of a first-class stamp. I think it’s amazing that I can put a piece of paper in an envelope, pay 30-odd cents, and have it show up across the country a few days later. Maybe it’s just me, but I think that’s pretty neat.
As for the movie theater concession stand prices. My next door neighbor use to manage a STAR theater and said that concessions are where the theater makes their money. Not from me, they don’t. I smuggle food in.
As for *things I think are a rip off * one thing:
Art framing stores. It is not so much a talent or a thing you have to have an “eye” for, it is patience. I refuse to pay to have anything framed by these companies.
As for Gas, I’ve seen it at $1.89 in northern metro Detroit. Nothing like a $45 fill up for my van. Which that was my six week gas allowance for my first car. I can’t complain, citing the Coldfire defense, we American’s are a bunch of pantywaists when it comes to gas prices. Yeah, I’m talking to you …:::narrowing eyes::::you know who you are.
Food prices are absolutely outrageous! We have a cafeteria here at work and I can’t believe what they charge for the crap they serve. 1.89 for 3 manicotti, .70 for a bowl of vegetables, .80 for a scoop of mashed potatoes, .45 for 1 banana, .25 for a hard boiled egg, it just goes on and on. I can get a freakin **pound** of bananas for .45 and a dozen eggs for $.95. It’s a rip off.
As for gas, it was $1.52/gallon Monday morning. Monday afternoon it was $1.57 and that evening it was 1.62! It jumped .10 in one day! Now, 4 days later, it’s up to $1.67. It costs me $18.00 to fill up my car where it used to take me $12.00. Guess we should all start taking some lube with us every time we go to the gas station… we know we’re gonna get f**ked, we might as well make it a little easier on ourselves.
Took my little guy to the circus last night. Paid $30 for tickets, $5 for the pony ride, $5 for the elephant ride, $6 to upgrade to ringside seats, $2.50 for bottled water, $5 for two Cokes, $3 for popcorn, $6 for the light sabre, $6 for the stuffed animal, $3 for the balloon, $6 for the picture with the snake . . .
One more rant about gas prices (shut up, Coldfire. I don’t want to hear it )
On Tuesday, I went up to the nearest gas station and put only $10 in the tank because it was $1.67/gallon for the 87 octane crap. Today, I went back to same gas station and it was $1.93/gallon for the same 87 octane crap. That is a 26 cent markup in three freaking days! According to my hubby, the markup actually happened on Wednesday, which means the prices jumped 25-30 cents per gallon in just one day around here. WTF?!?!
Another rant about cat trees…I bought a rather cheapo one, one with just the base and one single pole up the middle (actually, I guess you would consider it a scratching post). Anyway, I spent $15 for this thing, and my cat hasn’t so much as looked at it. I think it would have been easier to throw the money at the cat’s feet and watch her shred them with her claws (she would have probably liked that more).
One more rant…I took the two youngest munchkins to McDonald’s today and bought them Happy Meals and a medium pop for myself. The bill came out to be $8.00. Absolutely ridiculous, considering the food and the toy inside the bag probably cost the company all of 50 cents to produce, then they charge me $3 a pop for each meal.
