As inflation continues to run rampant through the US economy, consumers are griping that many of their old standbys are no longer worth it — among them Netflix, McDonald’s Happy Meals, Starbucks and health insurance.
One Reddit user asked in now-viral thread: “What is no longer worth it because of how expensive it has become?”
The responses range from brisket to children to “everything,” which may not be surprising given the economic uncertainty that’s been spurred by inflation, which rose a surprisingly stiff 3.7% last month — still well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.
In the four days since the query was posted, over 28,500 people have chimed in with things that they’re slowly being priced out of.
Below, you’ll find the 10 things that made the most people chirp up in agreement as the things seemingly least worth the extra bucks.
The top-rated reply in the thread simply reads: “most fast food.”
It’s been “upvoted” — Reddit’s version of “liked” — a whopping 23,300 times, and boasts a long-winded thread of Redditors agreeing that fast food “has gotten ridiculously expensive.”
“A ‘value meal’ at McDonalds now costs just as much as a meal at a lot of sit down restaurants like Applebee’s,” one user claimed.
Though the Redditor may be onto something, McDonald’s still seemingly has Applebee’s beat on affordability.
The McDonald’s app in New York City, for example, where the “$1 $2 $3” menu doesn’t actually have anything worth $1 or $2. The cheapest option is a small order of french fries, which will run a hungry customer $2.49.
A Big Mac on the app, meanwhile, costs $6.19, but can be made into a meal with fries and a soft drink for $10.99.
A classic burger at Applebee’s in the Big Apple, meanwhile, is just a couple bucks more, at $15, according to the chain restaurant’s site.
“Remember when McMuffins were 2 for $3?” another user recalled.
One user called out the vacation property rental for charging so much that it’s no longer worth the money. “All of the add-on fees usually drive the cost higher than an actual hotel stay in the same area.”
Another commenter agreed, noting that “an actual hotel stay comes with clean sheets and towels, and no concerns about surprise cleaning fees when you didn’t push the chairs in or something.”
“Not to mention amenities like a gym, a pool, and sometimes free breakfast,” another chimed in of hotels.
Redditors admitted that they’re opting for pirating TV shows and movies to skirt coughing up monthly payments for costly subscriptions to streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime.
In recent months, prices have also increased for many popular streamers.
Netflix announced earlier this month that it plans to raise the price of its ad-free service after the ongoing Hollywood actors’ strike ends, though it wasn’t immediately clear what the new monthly cost will be or when exactly it will take effect.
Disney+’s price increase, meanwhile, is set to take effect later this week.
Ad-free Disney+ customers can expect to see their monthly bill rise by $3, or roughly 27%, to almost $14. The cost of ad-free Hulu will likewise rise $3 to almost $18 — a 20% hike that will make it more expensive than the most popular ad-free tier at Netflix.
And Amazon is in the process of adding advertisements in the TV shows and movies on its Prime Video platform. Customers that don’t want to kiss commercial-free programs goodbye can keep the luxury by dishing out an additional $2.99 per month.
“The cost of living is so high, and the job market is so volatile that I wish I didn’t have kids because the stress is insane,” one user admitted.
“My wife and I make $130,000 together and it still seems like it’s financially untenable to even have 1 child. I don’t know how people with less income are having multiple kids,” another said.
“Daycare is more than tuition room and board at a university,” yet another chimed in as reason to not have kids in today’s inflation-ridden economy.
Redditors then began sharing how much they pay monthly for childcare in the US, and eye-watering sums ranged from $1,600 to $2,200.
One woman chimed in that she waited to have children until she was in her late 30s so she could be financially stable.
“One woman chimed in that she waited to have children until she was in her late 30s so she could be financially stable,” another wrote.
“I used to go to concerts all the time, now I have to be much more selective. Once a year, maybe twice if I’m feeling rich,” one user said.
“By the time all the extras and fees are applied they’re out of reach,” another said, referencing so-called “junk fees.”
President Joe Biden vowed to crack down on the surreptitious surcharges, inviting Ticketmaster, Live Nation and SeatGeek to the White House back in June to discuss “all-in” ticket pricing that will finally stop burying fees in the fine print, which usually results in eventgoers having to pay hundreds more at checkout than what was originally advertised.
Foodies were up in arms about brisket — a cut of beef that’s historically been cheap for its tough texture and long cooking time.
Brisket, which ran for $3.01 per pound on average at major US supermarkets, according to Statista, shot up to $8.84 per pound in 2021.
Redditors blamed YouTube and Instapot for the increase, claiming they each have made “everyone know how to make a tough cut of meat delicious” in their own ways.
Users shared recommendations for latte machines that, although they run for as much as $350, are “cheaper in the long run.”
“My wife and I got away from coffee chains. We now buy the full bean coffees at Costco and grind it at home. In our opinion it tastes a hell of a lot better and the costs are not even remotely comparable,” another commented.
“Wanted to treat myself to a latte at my local coffee shop the other day. I could NOT BELIEVE an 8 ounce — EIGHT OZ — latte was $7.99. The cup was so small my fingers almost went around it. What the hell did I just pay for!?” another outraged user wrote.
“I used to like dropping by Starbucks for a coffee but f–k the $6 lattes or whatever it is now,” another chimed in.
“Omg I got a TALL [Starbucks’ smallest size] dirty chai latte and it was $8,” yet another said.
Others called out Starbucks for being stingier with the rewards these days, such as only making a free birthday drink available for use on the day, “whereas before you had like 30 days to use it.”
Lattes aren’t the only beverages suffering from price hikes. Alcoholic bevs are also costing more these days — so much so that Redditers say they don’t want to go drinking with friends anymore.
“After college it’s become less fun to stand around a crowded place drinking a Corona I paid $9 for,” one user wrote.
“The other day wife and I went to a new Mexican place that recently opened. Her damn margarita was $13 and my Bud Light was almost $6,” another said.
“I scan happy hour menus online like my mom used to clip coupons,” another joked.
“I make six figures and haven’t been able to afford or better said, justify purchasing a new car since 2007. I’m priced way out of my comfort zone,” one Redditer replied.
Others said used options weren’t priced much better.
“When I was looking, Toyota wanted $24,000 for a 2023 Corolla and I would have to wait at least 9 months for it to be built. The salesman showed me a gently used 2019 Corolla with 65,000 miles. They wanted $23,000 for it,” another said.
Yet another said “a new Mazda 3 cost me $17k back in 2006. Crazy how much they’ve gone up.” According to Mazda’s website the 2024 model of the same car starts at $24,170.
A slew of Redditors had a lot to contribute to this one, arguing health insurance rates get worse with each passing year. One user said he and his wife would rather pay out of pocket for medical costs and declare bankruptcy than paying the premium offered through their job, which is reportedly higher than their income.
“I had to abandon the insurance they offered at my work, it would have gutted my pay to the point I would not be able to survive. Now I have no insurance,” one user wrote.
Another Redditor who said they canceled their health insurance plan was relieved to no longer have to pay “$8,000 a year just in premiums then co-pays, then deductible.”
“Man I wish I could cancel mine,” another chimed in. “I pay $18,000 a year for insurance with a 4k deductible. I can’t go without it because my wife is a type 1 diabetic. America f–king sucks for anyone with health problems.”