What is no longer worth it because of how expensive it has become?

[irisblue]

Stolen from a reddit forum

[snowybirdie]

1. Live

Music concerts by famous entertainers.

[irisblue]

3. I paid $125 for a Bruce Springsteen concert 2015 maybe. fair seats

Even bought a concert shirt. I looked at prices for his now canceled concert seats same auditorium, $250.

I love his music, respect him & his politics, but I can buy CDs for my boo-boo.

I have a lot of CDs

[Elessar Zappa]

8. It's basically how they make money now.

Album releases get streamed and the artist makes very little. So if I really want to see someone live, I’ll pony up the money. Most of the time I don’t have it, but that’s another story.

[TexasBushwhacker]

14. That and the fact that Live Nation owns most of the medium

to large venues, Ticketmaster, even some of the resale companies and manages a long list of artists. Oh, they take a cut of some artists' merch sales too. Monopolies are bad.

[Arthur_Frain]

20. Haven't seen a marquee name for years for this reason.

But that isn’t as recent as all the other stuff. 20 years ago when I went to Vegas to see Buffet, I think the tix were close to $200 each. That’s bullshit, I saw him in Park City Utah in the 80s and I paid less than $20.

I still support live music, but it’s all artists like Brooks Williams, Peter Mulvey, guys that I can go to their show for maybe $30, buy the cd directly from them, maybe chat them up if I have some burning questions, and sometimes sit close enough I could reach out and touch the guitar. Such a better experience.

[snowybirdie]

28. Several years ago,

I saw a small article in a very local paper, that Willy Nelson was appearing on Saturday in the park at Silver Springs, Fl. Bring chairs. Tickets $10.00 A person. Went and he was wonderful! Sang for hours. A few years before, same thing, except it was the Highwaymen, Nelson, Jennings Cash and Kristopherson at a local high school football field, $20.00 a person. Will always love these guys for their dedication to the real fans who made them! Don't see that today.

[Arthur_Frain]

29. Artists still care. Most of them.

About 10 years ago I bought a ticket from Ticketmaster. For a reasonably priced show at a Roger Clyne concert, ($40), the final price on the ticket after all of the various “convenience” fees, was north of $70.

I wigged out.

[Tikki]

53. We just purchased two $15.00 tickets ($34.00 total with fees) to see a..

band from London who I have been hoping would make it across the Pond and
finally they are here in the States.
They will be in the Los Angeles area nearing the end of next month.

I'm just as excited to see POWERPLANT (UK) live as anyone is to see
Taylor Swift or Beyonce or whoever.
We will be sharing the floor of a neighbourhood bar with a few hundred others.

Tikki

[Arthur_Frain]

54. That's going to be a rockin show.

Enjoy that underpriced evening of wow.

[RobinA]

30. Absolutely This

I made the decision this year to stop supporting the entertainment industrial complex. The tickets, the now perfectly legal scalping, the fees, the parking... I'm done. I've seen almost all the people I've wanted to see, there's a few more I could see, but I'm done. I feel like a fool and a mark buying into this nonsense and I will not do it again.

[Dulcinea]

37. Concerts are an indulgence of mine.

My husband & I love live music, but draw the line at "resale seats" (aka legalized scalping.)

[beaglelover]

51. I recently moved and came accross a couple of ticket stubs for Madonna concerts which I decided to

keep.

Drowned World Tour, ticket was for 9/11/2001 but show was rescheduled due to the events of that day, ticket price $85.00

Reinvention Tour, 5/27/2004, ticket price $150.00

I'm going to see her again in March 2024 but I used credit card points to buy the tickets so I don't know yet how much the face value is on the ticket. The ticket agency the credit card company uses is going to wait until closer to the date as they think they'll be able to get me great seats for the amount of points I am using.

[Arthur_Frain]

2. Dining out.

$20 for anything around here. Hamburger with fries, Subway foot long with chips and a drink. Saw a $30 Halibut sandwich “special” a few days back.

[Auggie]

13. This. Restaurant libations too, especially wine.

$18.00 for a glass of white wine the other day; $38.00 for Petrale Sole.

[Arthur_Frain]

19. Yeah, why does anybody drink at a bar anymore?

I understand the social element thing of the bar, but $7-8 for a beer, not necessarily even a pint? Shrinkflation hit the breweries too, mostly 12 oz pours. I can still get a six pack for around $10 at the package store.

[Auggie]

23. Wine mark-ups are absurd: anywhere from 200 to 400%, depending on the wine

The industry standard is to mark up a bottle of wine 200-300% over its retail sales price. Thus, if a high-end wine retails for $20 at a wine retail store, it is likely to sell for $60 to $80 at a restaurant. For rare, expensive or speciality wines, the markups could be as high as 400%

SNIP

When it comes to wine by the glass, there are also industry standards for developing a pricing strategy. One standard, for example, is simply to price a single glass of wine at the wholesale cost of the bottle. In other words, if you managed to purchase a case of wine from your supplier at an implied rate of $10 per bottle, then you should be pricing that wine by the glass at $10.

SNIP

Another pricing strategy requires a bit more calculation but is just as useful. For a standard 750 ml bottle of wine, calculate (on average) how many pours you make for that bottle. For most restaurants, that works out to a number between 4 (on the generous side) and 6 (on the less generous side). So let’s assume an average of 6 pours per bottle. Simply divide the bottle price by the number of glasses to arrive at the appropriate price per glass. So, if you are selling the bottle for $60, that implies a per glass price of $10.

https://sommelierbusiness.com/en/articles/menu-intel-1/wine-pricing-strategy-profitability-and-adjustments-14.htm#:~:text=The%20industry%20standard%20is%20to,be%20as%20high%20as%20400%25.

Actually, these mark-ups sound a little conservative to me.

[Arthur_Frain]

24. Waited tables at a restaurant that served wines in the 80s.

Even then, the mark up on wine and champagne astounded me, even the “corkage” fee was high back then.

[Dulcinea]

38. If I drink at home, I don't have to monitor my alcohol intake!

Plus it's a lot cheaper!

[yellowdogintexas]

33. we have a couple of Italian places with BYOB for wine and beer

The restaurants have what is called here a corking license, meaning they can open your wine for you. They also provide glasses.

Our Democratic Woman's Club adjourns for lunch at one of these places (after our monthly meeting). We usually have 30 to 40 people and 10 bottles of wine at least.

[Arthur_Frain]

39. What do corkage fees run these days?

Back in 1982 in SLC Utah it seemed astronomical at the time. Just to open their brought from home bottle of wine was like $20 if I remember.

[yellowdogintexas]

43. the restaurant does not charge us to open our wine.

They have a limited TABC license to open customer's wine. (Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission) They don't serve it to us, just open it.

[bamagal62]

4. Concerts and sporting events

[Niagara]

5. Let me add:

The expense of a brand new vehicle. Car insurance has gone up as well. I also live in Buffalo and it seems like the majority of driver's got their license from a cracker jack box, no driver's training required.



Cable television. We get streaming services Hulu, Sling, Amazon Prime, Disney Plus, and a few other's and we don't pay anywhere close to what our basic cable bill use to be.



Greeting cards. I will admit to purchasing greeting cards at both the Family Dollar and Dollar Tree. I refuse to pay $8 for any greeting cards. I'd rather place the extra money into a gift.



I'm sure there's more that I could complain about, but I'll stop there.

[yellowdogintexas]

34. greeting cards are out of sight. I definitely get mine at Dollar Tree

also gift bags and paper supplies for parties.

Used cars are definitely off the wall. I finally felt I could go ahead and replace my car which was totaled when a woman ran a red light and destroyed mine. I was planning on another 5 years in that car.

Anyway, finally found a replacement I can afford after 18 months. Prices are leveled out and what I can get now for the same amount of $$ back then will have far fewer miles on the odometer.

This will be my last car purchase, most likely.

[Niagara]

40. My apologies on the loss of your vehicle, yellowdogintexas.

I know how frustrating that can be.



I certainly hope that you weren't seriously injured in that accident.

[yellowdogintexas]

44. Thank you, I was not injured at all. The air bags did not even deploy

It was kind of a T-Bone hit, but she got me at the very front end of the car.

[3catwoman3]

50. Trader Joe's has a small but adequate selection...

…of greetings cards, all of which are only 99 cents.

[Conjuay]

6. Have you priced theme park tickets?

By the time you’ve parked, gotten through the gate and perhaps had a drink, two people are already out about 300.00.

[AllyCat]

22. Last year we paid $35 to get into Six Flags for Fright Fest.

This year, it was $69 each and $35 to park the car

[Cartoonist]

7. Newspapers

It's been a long time since they cost a dime. I kept buying them until they passed a quarter. They also have lost their relevance. I only occasionally read one at the library.

[multigraincracker]

9. When I was on the road I use to gab a burger

off the dollar menu. now its the $3 menu. Now I take some some nuts with me when I hit the road.

[erronis]

10. Taking an airplane for a vacation.

- Securing your home and pets before you leave.
- Transportation and parking at the airport
- Rip-offs in the airport for every commodity
- Rip-offs in the airport for luggage
- Rip-offs by the airlines for tickets with hidden charges
- Waiting in lines to be insulted/assaulted by TSA
- Waiting in the dirty boarding areas
- Hearing that your flight has been delayed
- Hearing that your flight has been cancelled
- Waiting in line to find another flight
- Possibly sleeping in the airport in the dirty boarding areas or spending $$$$ at a hotel
- Getting shoved into tiny seats with some *ahem* interesting seat-mates
- Getting shitty service while in flight
- Waiting in line to rent a car and paying WAY too much

Repeat on the return trip.

I left off the very real possibility of catching diseases from the meat-cattle seated all around you.

What's not to like about this?

I used to really enjoy flying. Many times across many oceans. TWA, Pan Am, Air France. I'm not getting on one of those steel tubes again if I can help it.

[blue neen]

15. +1000.

It's not worth it!

[leighbythesea2]

18. Agree

Travel requiring plane trip. If there is not a free place to stay once there, and walkable, cannot justify it often. Very sad bc have a love of plane travel too!

[yellowdogintexas]

35. I can check 1 bag without charge with American because I am a member of their

miles club, and have their Master Card.

Airports are the prime example of a captive audience.

When I fly to PHoenix, I often have a stop over to change planes because those flights don't use as many miles. My favorite airport for changing planes when flying from DFW to Phoenix is El Paso.

[sinkingfeeling]

11. Motel and hotel rooms. Remember when Motel 6 actually cost $6?

[milestogo]

32. Not really, but I've heard that.

My mother used to keep logs of everything spent on family vacations, and its all there. Unbelievable.

[Mr.Bill]

12. Drinking in a bar.

I can't even afford to get drunk unless I'm at home. Which is actually a good thing, I suppose.

[leighbythesea2]

16. Gift Bags, greeting cards, some Halloween candy

Tried buying gift bags last year bc I was too busy to wrap. Used to be worth it. Now if they’re economically priced they fall apart. If not, they’re 6.99 to start, and up. Still buy cards, but not as many. And I used to work for Hallmark, so have a sense of what it costs to make this stuff.

For Halloween have gone to other types of items like noodle cups, Mac & cheese cups, and chips bc kids luv them (especially teens) and the cost per serving/oz—is nearly what chocolate is, now. Still buy some candy, but the prices pain me.

[doc03]

17. Was watching an old Emergency show last night filmed in San Francisco. I saw a sign on

a restaurant meals for $1.50. But back then I was making $2.10 an hour.

[BunnyMcGee]

21. Any pay television service

There is about 4 channels to watch, and Fux gets some money too.

[Auggie]

25. Coffee shop coffee and drinks, especially Starbucks

[hlthe2b]

26. I'd have to say concerts; skiing (even for locals using season passes: $$$$$); new cars;

eating out at most restaurants, generally speaking. Trendy clothing that costs a $$$ but is out of fashion in six months or less.

On a smaller, albeit more regular scale, Starbucks lattes or even brewed coffee though it has been that way for quite some time--I make my own for less than half the price.

Fortunately, I'm okay eating more simple fare--healthier and saves a $$$$$.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

49. The $300-a-Day Lift Ticket That Every Skier Hates

LIFESTYLE | TRAVEL

The $300-a-Day Lift Ticket That Every Skier Hates

Single-day passes now cost enough to pressure beginners to commit to more than one day on the mountain

{snip picture}

Popular ski properties owned by Vail Resorts, including Park City in Utah, are charging as much as $300 for same-day lift tickets this season. DANNY MOLOSHOK/ASSOCIATED PRESS

By Allison Pohle
https://twitter.com/AllisonPohle
[e-mail]
Oct. 10, 2023 9:00 am ET

{paywall}

[Ptah]

27. Automobile.

[malthaussen]

31. Pipe tobacco.

I smoked a pipe for decades. Tobacco is $50 a lb and increasing all the time. Not worth it.

-- Mal

[yellowdogintexas]

36. beef . Remember when hamburger was a bargain food?

I cringe when I look at beef prices.

The price of beef chuck or bottom round for pot roast of stew is atrocious. Now I just use Kirkland Canned beef and just add it to a stew after the veg are partially cooked.

[Kali]

42. and the freaking cheap cuts cost more than good steak

[avebury]

46. And chicken which used to be very reasonable has also

gone way up in price.

[Niagara]

41. I'm not a concert or theme park attendee.

The last concert that I attended was Super Diamond and the tickets were given to us since the original owner of those tickets over scheduled themselves with a wedding and Super Diamond on the same day/night.



About 90% of theme park attractions I refuse to ride, so it's a waste of money for anyone to invite me to one. I'm afraid of heights and the majority of attractions they build today look like straight up anxiety inducing panic attacks. I'm not interested. I happen to like being on the ground.



I also don't drink alcohol. There's no particular reason why I don't drink, I just don't. People think I'm 10 to 12 years younger than I actually am, most likely because I don't drink.

[Skittles]

45. candles

name-brand soft drinks

energy drinks

[Paladin]

47. Cuban cigars.

And yes, I'm fully aware of the stupid, archaic laws.

[Emile]

48. Eating out at a local restaurant.

[Upthevibe]

52. irisblue ...........

Good post!

I'd say eating out at a restaurant. It's just too expensive.

When I've had an exhausting day at work, I'll drive through a Jack-in-the-Box and pay only around $4 for four tacos (which, IMHO, are quite tasty for fast food)....