# Things that are just too damn expensive **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 30, 2001, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924 "2001-08-30T13:56:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/61 "2001-09-01T02:16:04Z")
How about textbooks-some USED ones run about 65 and up. And the sucky part is when you go to resell them you get ripped off-I once bought a math text-brand new, the new edition, I believe, for 60 bucks, then the asshole at the bookstore gave me ten bucks for it at the end of the semester. That was the LAST time I ever sold a book. ---
**Author:** ![Corrvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbce88/32.png) [@Corrvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corrvin)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2001, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/62 "2001-09-01T03:36:02Z")
Well, I definitely feel better about shelling out $415 a month for a two-bedroom, 1-bath, large apartment. It freaks me out to pay $1.50 a pound for chicken thighs, though. That’s the bits no one wants! Sheesh! It’s not like I want individually cut up chicken strips from the breast… Corr ---
**Author:** ![invisibleOLDlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a88e57/32.png) [@invisibleOLDlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/invisibleOLDlady)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/63 "2001-09-02T00:54:01Z")
you’re complaining about that rent? that’s nothing! Do you live out in the middle of nowhere or something? ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/64 "2001-09-02T01:20:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Corrvin \* > \*\*Well, I definitely feel better about shelling out $415 a month for a two-bedroom, 1-bath, large apartment. > \*\* Man, I gotta move to Oklahoma. I’m at $815 for a _tiny_ one bedroom here. Of course, when I moved here, I _had_ to live in this part of town. The lease is up next May, I will definately be moving then. even if it’s within the city, if I don’t manage to find a job that relocates me before. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/65 "2001-09-02T03:11:53Z")
The United States Medical License Fucking Exam. I’ll be taking Step 2 of this three-Step affair in October. Each of the three Steps costs $385. God, it hurt to write that check. Dr. J ---
**Author:** ![Corrvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbce88/32.png) [@Corrvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corrvin)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/66 "2001-09-02T03:17:55Z")
\<\\> Well, that’s more than a third of what I make. I have a roommate who doesn’t have a job this month, is why it’s hitting me so hard. I have a really good job, too. Of course, what makes me FURIOUS is that my mother makes less than half of what I do a month, for teaching five year olds. You can’t survive on your own on what a teacher makes. Oooh, I’d better not start that rant. This is the wrong thread for that. Corr ---
**Author:** ![Fugazi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@Fugazi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fugazi)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/67 "2001-09-02T10:05:49Z")
Green card application fees. My wife of 12 1/2 years green card is about to expire. She’s not a citizen yet due to residency requirements $115 to apply for a green card. ---
**Author:** ![toshirodragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e68b1a/32.png) [@toshirodragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toshirodragon)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/68 "2001-09-02T13:41:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lieu \* > \*\*I’m a little miffed about the price of pizza. Two larges from Pizza Hut delivered w/ tip AND a coupon sets us back $24.00, a little more if you want the stereo turned down in your neighborhood. \*\* Oh that must have been me delivering. You no like NIN? ---
**Author:** ![JamesCarroll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@JamesCarroll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JamesCarroll)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/69 "2001-09-02T13:50:19Z")
Diamonds. That fact that we actually pay for these useless pieces of rock is beyond me. Sure mining and advertising and rarity boost the cost on the supply side, but the demand is entirely contrived. The **only** reason you buy one is because you’ve been told you should. And how much should you spend? **TWO MONTHS SALARY!!** feh! ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/70 "2001-09-02T22:56:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ferggie \* > When it was apartment-finding time, I narrowed down my choices due to price to two places, across the street from each other, each $355/month for a one-bedroom. I chose the slightly nicer-looking of the two. After my first lease was up, they jacked up the price to $365/month. When I went off my lease, it went up to $400/month (which I was expecting) but starting this month it’s up to $415 (and I suspect this means the folks on a lease will be paying $380). Across the street? It’s still $355. Grr. > \*\* $1800/month studio appartment NYC sorry, but I have no tears left for you ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/71 "2001-09-02T23:00:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JamesCarroll \* > Diamonds. > That fact that we actually pay for these useless pieces of rock is beyond me. Sure mining and advertising and rarity boost the cost on the supply side, but the demand is entirely contrived. Actually the supply side is contrived as well. deBeers has pretty much had a monopoly on diamonds since forever. They more or less stockpile them so they aren’t even that rare. ---
**Author:** ![tradesilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tradesilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tradesilicon)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/72 "2001-09-06T23:05:40Z")
> [@](#): > > You mean like Louis XIII? Yeah, that’ll be the day when I get a taste of Louis. I did have some Courvasier XO, and Remy, both fantastic! But too expensive for daily use. Louis XIII is simply untouchable. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/73 "2001-09-06T23:14:32Z")
“Tollways: 40 cents (or more) to sit in traffic on a road that should have been paid for 40 years ago.” Absent the tolls, the potholes will be fixed and the plowing and salting will be done how? By the road fairy? Chain gangs? Volunteers? ---
**Author:** ![Zumba\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/779978/32.png) [@Zumba\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zumba_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2001, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/74 "2001-09-06T23:41:25Z")
Jogging bras! The good ones (which I need) are $30 apiece. For that matter, all good bras are too expensive. And decent pantyhose cost to much too. And makeup. Why is makeup so expensive? I agree with the posters who said that tampons cost to much. It is expensive being a girl. ---
**Author:** ![Kamandi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5daacb/32.png) [@Kamandi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamandi)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/75 "2001-09-07T01:34:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fugazi \* > \*\*Green card application fees. My wife of 12 1/2 years green card is about to expire. She’s not a citizen yet due to residency requirements $115 to apply for a green card. \*\* And what about the cost when she first applied? My lawyer estimates that when all is said and done, my green card will cost me over $7000. Film and photo processing. Film is $3 to $6 per roll, $10 to process and print each roll, $4 to process slides. And that’s the mass-production consumer price. To get custom work costs double. Enlargements are crazy, too. A 14x17 is $50 in a good lab. And although you can get an 8x10 at Wal-Mart for about six bucks, the shitty quality is not worth that much. I shoot about 100 rolls of slide per year, so that works out to nearly $1000 per year on film and processing alone. For a _hobby_. Camera equipment. I can buy a disposable camera _with film_ for twelve bucks that’ll cover 80% of my photo requirements. To get that last 20% I’ve spent over $3000 on camera equipment, and I’m not there yet. I’m eyeing a lens that retails for over $6000. ---
**Author:** ![holacat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/eada6e/32.png) [@holacat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/holacat)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/76 "2001-09-07T03:33:20Z")
Tampons for sure!!! And pot. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/77 "2001-09-07T07:19:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Natural-J-Bankie \* > \*\*$1250 for a 2 bedroom? I would kill for that! My place is $2000/month, and that’s on the cheap side. Other places are up to $2300/month for a 2 bedroom. \*\* $1070/mo. for a 1400 square foot 3 bedroom/2 bath apartment. It was $995 before my lease expired. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/78 "2001-09-07T17:43:07Z")
Good Scotch… and Advil. ---
**Author:** ![Tretiak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@Tretiak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tretiak)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2001, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/79 "2001-09-07T18:05:24Z")
Cable TV. I would do without it but I need my hockey … Or at least I think I do. BTW I pay $950/month for a moderate sized one-bedroom. ---
**Author:** ![Natural-J-Bankie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/59ef9b/32.png) [@Natural-J-Bankie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Natural-J-Bankie)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2001, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924/80 "2001-09-08T07:59:47Z")
I really shouldn’t be bitching about my rent since I don’t live in NYC. The biggest ripoffs are coffins and wheelchairs. A wooden box or a chair with wheels costs 5 grand? Well I guess dead and handicapped people are just there to be taken advantage of. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-are-just-too-damn-expensive/78924.md?page=5)