Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Items That Should Be Cheap And Affordable But Aren't At All

fan of 100 U.S. dollar banknotes
fan of 100 U.S. dollar banknotes

One of the hardest things in the world is being able to afford life's necessities. We all work and make money (or have parents that do), but having money and being able to afford what you need are two different things.

I'm not just talking about the latest gadgets, either.

Not having a fancy knife set or the newest Apple Watch won't destroy your life.

I'm talking about the things so vital to our survival that they should be cheap, but are actually near impossible to afford.

Redditors know this to be true and are ready to share what some of those vital things are.


It all started when Redditor vashisthaa asked:

"What should be cheap and affordable but is not?"

Money Doesn't Account For Taste

"Caviar. It tastes awful, and comes in mass quantities, and costs $50 for a small tin. Idk why."

– TheGuy_1985

Life-Saving Medicine

"Insulin"

– Negative_Ad8513

"I don't understand how something whose patent was given away for dirt can become so expensive."

– SoftWinterPeach

"45 years ago, my sister went into diabetic coma, nearly died. My parents, of meager means, were able to get her insulin for free. What's going on now is unacceptable."

– frederick_ungman

Hourly Rate

"Therapy."

"Anything mental health related, really."

– IWantOneSpatula

"My psychiatrist reluctantly prescribed me meds with the intention I seek therapy. I keep telling him I’m too poor and “maybe this summer”. But I’ll never be able to afford 200$ a session to talk to someone."

– Snowfreak2507

A Monthly Expense

"Tampons, pads, birth control. Any product that is needed for women that is considered a ‘Luxury’ in todays standards"

– Tobias-Maggot9

"As someone with a uterus I agree."

– Wii_wii_baget

"They should be free. Bleeding is involuntary. Plenty of Dr's offices and clinics give out free condoms. They should do the same with period products."

– inuratus

What Came First?

"Eggs apparently"

– criticalvector

"Seriously, what exactly happened in the last two years? Did the hens unionize?"

– ElSagradoOrden

We Need More Apples A Day

"I would assume, for Americans, health care."

– Less-Print-8829

"Health care...f*cking 'Murica"

– figuringthingsout__

Secondary Health Care

"Including eyes and teeth, for those out there who (like me) aren't American."

"Yeah, a visit to the ER doesn't cost me a cent and my meds are very affordable, but the optometrist and the dentist still cost me a lot, even if they're partially covered by insurance and the parts that aren't covered can be deducted from my income tax. I shouldn't have to reconfigure my whole budget every time I have a cavity or need a new pair of glasses."

– BananasPineapple05

Homes

"Rent"

"As a fellow new yorker"

– SlimePrice

"Montrealer chiming in. Hear-hear! Yeah, our rents are far more affordable, but then our salaries are proportionally lower, so if you're unwilling to have roommates or are unlucky in love, good luck to ya!"

– BananasPineapple05

"My older sister is currently renting an apartment in a somewhat cheap neighborhood and she works as a waitress. She says that the rent is very expensive even though they are 3 roommates."

"(I don't pay the rent since I am a school student and I live with my family)"

– MettatonNeo1

Baby Gear

"Diapers"

– baby4ktreyy

"Baby formula. It’s required in order to feed an infant if breastfeeding isn’t an option (and yes, there are absolutely many valid reasons why it might not be possible to breastfeed. Lack of milk supply, baby has an intolerance to it, mother is taking certain medications, mother’s mental health prevents it, adoption, and that’s just what comes to mind off the top of my head). You literally cannot feed an infant anything other than milk until at least 6 months, and it’s not always an option to rely entirely on donated breastmilk. I’m sure in many locations, donated milk isn’t even a thing!"

"For children old enough for solid food, it’s possible to choose budget-friendly options just like for adults’ food, but there’s no alternative for little infants. Milk (breast or formula) is the only option, and the companies know that so they know they can charge a premium and still sell their product. This leads to families trying to stretch their supply of formula in unhealthy ways like watering it down (babies can’t regulate their electrolytes well, it can be very harmful) or adding fillers like rice (doesn’t have the required nutrition, again babies that young can’t adapt to macro/micronutrient imbalances the same way older children can)"

– BabaTheBlackSheep

Insult To Injury

"Divorce"

– iamadirtywizard

"I agree! It should be very expensive to get a marriage license and very cheap to get a divorce decree."

– Old-Bug-2197

Sounds About Right

"Electricity. When you provide something in such quantities as to turn it into an everyday commodity, you don't get to charge double fees to sustain everyday life."

"Like increasing rent because you live on a higher floor."

– Bhelduz

Free For All

"Fruits. God allows these to grow without human interference mostly. They should be everywhere like hand sanitizer. Take some if you are hungry .. just not the entire Container"

– Lisa4today

A Girl's Best Friend

"Diamonds. They are one of the most common stones in precious gemstones, and yet -- thanks to De Beers Corporation marketing them for the last century and gaining a monopoly world wide on their mining, they are super high priced. Fake diamonds can be made for 50-100 dollars per carrot that other than a specific frequency of light passing through them slightly differently are unrecognizably different in every way (they literally are diamonds just made faster). Given that and a lot of non-diamond look a-likes you would think it would be less valuable, but nope... they're still crazy expensive for no reason other than monopoly. Ruby's and Emeralds (even more so) are actual rare stones unlike diamonds (common)."

– heathm55

Living. Just Livin

"living (your life)"

– DarkFluids777

"No kidding. Brought here against my will and then have to work my a** off to just keep my head a little above the water."

"I only stick around out of pure f*cking spite."

– thecatwhatcandrive

"If living was cheap, everybody would do it."

– lavahot

The sad thing is, this is all true.

Do you have anything you'd like to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Screenshot of Mark Kelly; Donald Trump
Fox News; Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Trump Issues Unhinged Ultimatum To Fox News After They Interview Democratic Senator About Healthcare

President Donald Trump slammed Fox News after Fox White House correspondent Peter Doocy interviewed Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly about the government shutdown and healthcare, telling the conservative network to "get on board, or get off board, NOW."

The federal government shut down last week after the White House and Congress failed to reach an agreement on federal spending. While Senate Democrats are in the minority, they hold enough seats to filibuster and are insisting that Republicans agree to extend federal subsidies for people insured under the Affordable Care Act.

Keep ReadingShow less
family of five walking away from camera
Some Tale on Unsplash

Parenting 'Hacks' That Sound Ridiculous But Actually Work

Parenting is a hard job, so you can't blame parents for seeking some tips and tricks to try to make it easier.

Desperate times call for desperate measures, right?

Keep ReadingShow less
Scott Jennings; Van Lathan
CNN

Conservative CNN Pundit Shocks Panel With Heartless Justification For Brutal Immigration Raid In Chicago

CNN Table for Five MAGA mouthpiece Scott Jennings' lack of empathy shocked his fellow panelists after his ludicrous justification for a violent nighttime Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid that saw children bound with zip ties.

Host Abby Phillip led the panel discussion about the administration of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump and its handling of people they assume are immigrants in Chicago, Illinois.

Keep ReadingShow less
Theo Von tried to flirt with ESPN’s Jess Sims on College GameDay and got publicly rejected
ESPN

Theo Von Rejected Live

Controversial podcaster and part-time flirt Theo Von learned the hard way that College GameDay isn’t The Bachelor.

It happened last Saturday when ESPN host Jess Sims wrapped up a segment with Von, who was a guest picker predicting college football matchups alongside the show’s regular analysts.

Keep ReadingShow less
Judge Diane Goodstein; Image of Diane Goodstein's house during explosion
South Carolina Judicial Branch; @ColinRugg/X

Authorities Investigating After Home Of South Carolina Judge Who Ruled Against Trump's DOJ Is Destroyed In Explosion

Authorities have launched an investigation after the home of South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Diane Goodstein was destroyed by a fire caused by an explosion after she blocked the Department of Justice's request for a full voter registration list for the state.

Firefighters responded to a fire at Edisto Beach in Colleton County on Saturday afternoon at the home of Goodstein and her husband, former state Senator Arnold Goodstein. The cause of the fire is currently not known but authorities are investigating it as an arson attack. Three people were hospitalized after the fire.

Keep ReadingShow less