If you haven't figured out that being an adult is expensive, then where have you been all this time?
Between rent and food and all the other things that pop up, you'd be surprised just how quickly the money you have can fly out of your hands.
After Redditor IntelligentTurnip14 asked the online community, "What's one item you didn't realie was expensive until you became an adult?" people reminded us of all the things that make our wallets groan.
"Lots of things, but..."
Lots of things, but recently I bought a rug and I had no idea rugs would be that expensive. I have wood floors for the first time so I've never needed to buy one before.
"I just want..."
Bed sheets, blankets, pillows, at least the good sets. I just want a nice comfy bedroom, but my blankets don't match the decoration.
"I always had..."
Pets. I always had dogs and cats growing up. Well, a few years ago I decided to get my own dog. Large breed dogs are expensive. My dog now has health issues. He is allergic to chicken and has sensitive skin. I spend $100 monthly on special dog food for him. Plus he needs vitamins, monthly groomer visits, yearly physical, toys, etc.
Animals are expensive.
"I'm not just talking about..."
Buying a house. I'm not just talking about the price of the house but just to acquire the house is stupid expensive.
"And you don't realize..."
Mattress. And you don't realize how important a good one is until you really have to think about it. Your sleep is so important and affects everything so it's important to get a good mattress but holy hell they are expensive.
"Thought I was going to be the cool uncle..."
Legos. Buying them for the nieces and nephews. Thought I was going to be the cool uncle by buying them huge sets. That strategy got changed quite quick.
"My parents have owned..."
Rent. My parents have owned their home since I was 3, and paid off their mortgage while I was still a kid, so I never realised how expensive it could be just to have somewhere to live.
"There's a reason..."
Utilities. There's a reason my parents used to walk around flipping switches saying, "What, do you have stock in Edison?!" or that my Mom would throw a sweater at us when we'd complain about being cold but were wearing t-shirts and shorts, bare foot.
Now I am my Mom. Here's a blanket, put on some socks, quit complaining.
"Now I have a laptop..."
Upgrading to new tech. When I was 16-20, dropping a few hundred for a new laptop or a games console was a no brainer (providing I had saved enough). Now I have a laptop that barely survives that I can replace but it hurts too much to part with the money because YOU NEVER KNOW!
"I used to eat entire containers..."
Fresh fruit. I used to eat entire containers of raspberries immediately upon finding them in the fridge and I could never figure out why my mom would be upset I went through them so quickly. They're like $5-7 for like 20 raspberries at most! I just bought kiwi berries because I was curious and hadn't seen them in stores before. $4 for a dozen of them. They're approximately grape sized, if you aren't familiar. Aldi is the only reason I can afford fresh fruit on any sort of regular basis.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
@jaketapoer/Bluesky
@BillAckman/Twitter