#1
#2
They’ve gotten so expensive over the past few years. It used to be $50 for a yearly exam with shots for each of my pets. Then it went to ~$100. Now it’s over $200. That doesn’t include any flea treatments or medications for minor things they might find. Those also cost about double what I used to pay. I have four pets, and three are geriatric. I went from being able to afford their care for most of their lives to having to save up for their checkups.
We managed to get in touch with ForeignReviews, and they agreed to tell us more about their now-viral post.
"My friends and I were complaining about the price of groceries, especially produce," the Redditor explained its origins to Bored Panda.
"We were reminiscing about the quote 'money doesn't grow on trees' but juxtaposed that with why something that literally grows out of the ground could be so expensive. Then as the conversation developed, we talked about things we thought were much more affordable as a child, such as McDonald's or going to the doctor's, which eventually resulted in me posting this question."
#3
My grandfather never earned more than $35,000 a year, raised five kids, and died a millionaire. WTF.
#4
Right? I remember buying new tires for my car for $20 each. Then I remember that was in 1999 and my car had tiny 12-inch rims.
After going through the answers to their question, ForeignReviews noticed some common themes that are trending with this generation, such as gas, rent, medical care, education, and life in general, but a couple of items that seemed to be recurring and made them chuckle were Legos and cheese.
Interestingly, nowadays, adults in the United States are reaching key life milestones later than they did four decades ago, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data.
Adults who are 21 are less likely than their predecessors 40 years ago to have reached five frequently cited milestones of adulthood: having a full-time job, being financially independent, living on their own, getting married, and having a child.
#5
#6
In 2021 (the most recent year with available figures), just 39% of 21-year-olds were working full time, compared with 64% in 1980, and only a quarter of people this age in 2021 were financially independent of their parents, meaning that their income was at least 150% of the poverty line, compared with 42% in 1980.
#7
I recall one glorious summer in the mid- to late '90s when it was 79 cents a gallon. My friends and I would just drive around and hang out because it was cheaper than mini golf or the movies! My little Toyota at the time got 38–40 miles per gallon!
#8
When I bought my house, I only had a bed in the master bedroom, and all my friends kept saying, 'You make good money, just buy furniture — you could have it furnished in a month.' Then they bought houses and now understand why it took me a year to furnish my house.
ForeignReviews thinks it's natural that as we grow up, we start to see the amount of effort we need to put in to purchase even basic items.
"Along the lines of making a living wage, we find out that after someone spends hours dealing with terrible people or does physically demanding work but cannot survive," the Redditor said. "There does seem to be a disruption in some of the values we were raised on."
"It just doesn't seem like the idea 'hard work pays off' really means anything these days other than to allow corporations to reap the benefits of our labor. Maybe to summarize it more succinctly, we were raised to believe hard work will result in some reward, but the reality is that some of the hardest working people can barely make it, let alone live in some level of security, comfort, or luxury."
#9
#10
I'm getting two 130-year-old maps framed. After I factor in nice frames, preservation glass, and other custom details, the total is over $500. And there was a sale going on during my purchase.
#11
#12
I honestly love grocery shopping, but it's just so expensive. I often look for deals and will buy generic/store brand on most items. My biggest tip for 'goes bad quicker' is to always get from the back because usually that's where the longer-lasting stuff goes.
#13
Seriously! I have almost all filled-in teeth from not taking care of them as a kid, but now every time I go to the dentist, they want to charge me $10,000-plus after insurance to fix stuff that's been fixed before. Almost every year! I can't afford that!
#14
#15
My employer health insurance would cost me ~20% of my paycheck, so now I don't have health insurance.
#16
#17
I went through breast cancer treatment, which includes a mastectomy and reconstruction. My old bras didn't work for my current chest, so I had to replace my entire bra drawer. It cost more than I paid for my surgeries after insurance.
#19
I’ve never been able to get my head around why rugs are so expensive! And I’m not even talking a handmade, intricate one. Just a standard mass-produced thing.
