The ridiculous cost of living
As you read, you might feel like this post is more of a rant than anything else. That may be the case, but I am often dumbfounded by how insanely expensive it is to simply live your life.
The markup on products these days seems to be out of control at times. It is easy to understand sometimes why people are pushing for a $15 minimum wage when it costs so much just to function on a daily basis.
Let's get the big one out of the way first:
Cell phones. I think we can all agree that cellphones are ridiculously over price. We all know that the cost to make them is a mere fraction of what they actually charge for them. This has been hashed and rehashed over the years and yet nothing is done about it.
For a while there were some companies like OnePlus that were offering reasonable prices for high quality phones, but even now their prices aren't too far off from the big name brands.
As much as some would hate to admit it, smartphones are a part of life now. It is just a fact. My smartphone is my mailbox, my tv, my radio, my newspaper, my book, my computer, my gaming console, my map, my wallet, my calculator, my photo album, and oh yeah, my phone.
I would stop short of saying a smartphone is a necessity, but I think we can all agree how integral they are (when used responsibly). That fact alone probably answers the question as to why companies can charge such a premium for them.
Let's take a step back and assume that smart phones aren't quite as important as I think they are. Instead, lets talk about insurance. Any insurance, you pick. The costs are ridiculous. We supposedly need it, but quite honestly I think there are really only two main categories of insured people.
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The first category would be those who are under-insured or not insured at all. I myself was in this pool at one time. It is just too dang expensive. I had been cut to part time at my job and the HR person was in a state of disbelief when I told her I didn't want the COBRA insurance. I had to explain that thanks to their decision to downsize my job it was either take insurance or pay my rent. Unfortunately so many people are in this position because the rates are so insane.
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Then there are those who are over-insured beyond belief. In some strange twist of fate, I am probably in this category now. They have insurance for everything and people pay for it. Then, in your worst moments when you really need the product you have been paying for, they fight with you over trivial things. It is a joke.
Companies and people are getting big paydays for a product that you will hopefully never use and when you do have to use it, they make it as difficult as possible to get what you deserve.
Finally, you are going to laugh, but this is the group of products that really got me going on this rant. It is unbelievable to me how overly expensive personal hygiene items are. When my wife and I go shopping I am floored by the price of simple things like toothpaste, soap, deodorant, TP, shampoo, over the counter medicines, feminine hygiene products, etc.
These are things that people need to use every day (hopefully they are). It just seems a bit like the companies are taking advantage of us and charging excessively for things that they know we need. In many cases it isn't just a vanity issue, it is a health issue. People shouldn't be forced to make the choice between being clean and eating or paying their other bills.
And don't get me started on the cost of fresh produce!...
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