Everyday Items People Didn't Realize Were Super Expensive Until They Had To Buy Them

As children, we dream of becoming adults.

Living our own lives in our own homes, no longer under the rules and regulations of our parents.

That being said, when this momentous occasion does happen, reality often sinks in faster than anyone expects.

As it soon becomes clear we don't have the cushion and safety net of our parent, and if we want to buy things, we need to find the money to make those purchases ourselves.

When we also realize how much we took for granted just how expensive some things are...

Redditor spacemonkey6654 was curious to hear what items people didn't realize came with hefty price tags until they had to buy them themselves, leading them to ask:

"What’s an everyday thing you didn’t realize was ridiculously expensive until you had to pay for it yourself?"

The Price Of Garbage...

"A nice trash can, like a stainless steel one. They were all like 80 bucks at the store I went to." - Ecstatic-Book-6568

Who Doesn't Love A Sunny Room?

"Curtains, I was shocked the first time I had to buy some for a place that didn't have them."- Hopguy

Million Dollar Smile...Literally...

"Dental Work."- Traditional-Rock-998

"I used to skip the dentist because it felt way too expensive, and frankly, I hated the dentist in general."

"I have sensitive teeth, and simple cleanings were super stressful/uncomfortable."

"After years of thi,s I learned that ignoring my dental health and skipping annual checkups ended up costing me far more than if I had just invested in those two visits a year."

"Still f*cking sucks though and of course you get the occasional surprise."- smelly_cat69

And You Wonder Why Americans Have Bad Eating Habits...

"Berries."- lafolielogique

"My kids grandparents introduced him to raspberries because apparently they hate me."- SkylineDrive

Oh, Healthcare...

"Vet / pet bills."

"The cat is free, so why not right?"- jpea

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words... And Costs A Thousand Dollars...

"Picture frames."

"I was shocked the first time I saw that they often cost more than what they’re displaying."- 2manyhotdogs

picture spinning GIF by Anthony Antonellis Giphy

Our Most Endangered Natural Resource...

"Water."

"I grew up in a rural area in a forest with a well."

"We never paid for water, and it was always amusing to me to hear people talking about 'paying their water bill' on television."

"Then I grew up and moved out, and started having to pay for water."

"Great googly-moogly."- the2belo

All For Display...

"Throw pillows!"

"I never particularly liked them, and then had a series of dogs who were pillow destroyers, so I never got in the habit."

"I recently went into an upscale store and fell absolutely in love with a pillow that was $150, and I was shocked!"- PorchDogs

Lucky, Lucky Pedestrians...

"Car insurance. really stings too, every month that goes by is like, welp, no accidents, but at least I'm a few hundred bucks lighter anyway."- edgar_jomfru

No Problem Thumbs Up GIF by Mayhem Giphy

And Yet We Walk All Over Them...

"Floor rugs."

"I must have spent over $3,000 on rugs just for my modest-sized family home."

"Many of them were bargain finds at a local clearance place."- EnemyCharizard

Cost Of Living... At Home

"Better learn to do your own Trade work."

"Because it's all astronomical these days."

"Gotta take a mortgage out to get a plumber, HVAC, electrician, ect ect."

"And they don't pick up the phone for less than a 5k job so you'll be using Jeff's handyman for anything small."

"Sh*tshow out there."- Km219

Suddenly The Bus Doesn't Seem So Bad...

"Car repairs, even everyday things like brakes, oil changes, etc."

"And new tires? "

"Yikes."- DaikonEntire5320

Car Repair GIF by Ilves Motors Giphy

What's A Minor Crack Or Two?

"Getting things fixed."- MrsCrowley79

"I long for the days before I knew about that feeling of total dread people get when they hear a strange noise coming from the car, the discouraging 'beep' from a malfunctioning appliance or the trickle of water from a leaking pipe, with the knowledge that whatever was causing it was going to pretty much clean out their savings for the next month or two."- RedWestern

Climate Control...

"Installation and purchase of a water heater in the winter, once the old one stops working."- RogerMoore2011

Is A Good Night's Sleep So Much To Ask For?...

"Mattresses."- Ok-Good8150

"How can a basic coil king-size mattress cost over $2,000?!?"

"Make it make sense."- CoolJeweledMoon

protest mattress GIF Giphy

We all have an idea of what our dream home should be.

Once we start furnishing that dream home, however, that home might stay in our dreams...