Why Is Everything So Damn Expensive Now?

MartinRaymondo

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MartinRaymondo 〰️ 〰️

I went to McDonald’s and ordered two cheeseburgers and a large fry. 

We haven’t had a two-cheeseburger meal here in 25+ years, so I didn’t bother getting a drink. 

The total cost was almost $12! 

When did everything get so damn expensive? 

People have been discussing this for a year or two; however, the past few months have been noticeable. 

We all know the gas price, so that’s not a big surprise, yet it still hurts when we have to go to the pump and pay. 

Here’s a neat little experiment you can do with some free time. 

Go into a poor area where you live, and while filling your car up, look around at the prices on each gas pump. 

I did this in a few places where I live, and you can see very odd amounts. 

I saw one for nine dollars. 

Another one was $7.50, and one of them was $3 dollars. 

Can you imagine things being so expensive that you can only put three dollars of gas in your vehicle? 

The cost of food is completely outrageous. 

It’s not that you can’t find deals anymore. 

It’s that the price of everything has increased so much. 

In our city alone, our minimum wage a few years ago was $10.85, and now it’s over $14. 

While people think that’s great, it doesn’t solve much. 

Everything is getting more expensive — rent, food, utilities, gas, and even car prices. 

Speaking of car prices, those are out of control. 

They often blame it on microchip production issues, saying that’s what’s causing the hold-up. 

But honestly, who really knows? 

I could sell my car for more today than I paid for it three years ago. 

The only issue is that it wouldn’t solve the problem as I would still need a vehicle, and then I would pay more anyway. 

Public transportation fares have risen, and if you don’t use it and own a vehicle instead, you’re familiar with the high insurance cost. 

Some people in the United States have reported that their costs have doubled and even tripled on renewal. 

On top of insurance for a vehicle, you then have payments for gas and repairs. 

Even without payments, it’s still expensive. 

My car insurance costs $1040 annually, plus $40 for my license. 

I spend roughly $2000 on gas, $300 on car washes, and $900 on yearly repairs. 

I’m assuming my figures are meagre compared to most people. 

I’m still over $4000 a year with no payments, cheap insurance, reasonable repairs, and an average amount of gas. 

I can’t imagine people having a vehicle payment on top of that in the neighbourhood of $500-$1000 a month. 

Housing costs are also through the roof, depending on where you live.

Not long ago, you could rent a room for $400 for people like students.

Now you’re lucky if you can get one for $750.

Everything has gone up since the pandemic, and inflation is starting to catch up in people’s lives.

Incomes aren’t keeping up with the rising costs of everything around us, so it’ll be interesting to see what unfolds in the next few years. 

There’s a reason people living in their car videos on YouTube are gaining popularity. 

Many people can relate to them, and they might even find themselves on the brink of joining this demographic due to an unexpected medical bill or sudden job loss. 

Speaking of jobs, there don’t seem to be many decent jobs on the market. 

When I was searching a few years ago, casually, I applied and sent out close to 40 applications. 

I never received one phone call or one email from either of them. 

It isn’t easy to work two or three jobs as some people do, as you must travel to these locations. 

If they are far apart, working three jobs, let alone two, is challenging. 

At least one of those jobs will likely be a minimum-wage position with irregular hours. 

This situation can be difficult for individuals with additional responsibilities, such as caring for children or elderly parents. 

There should be a new president in the United States at the end of 2024, so we can only hope that things improve from there. 

We all know how well the government controls money and the economy, so I wouldn’t hold your breath. 

It’s scary to think about how tough times are at the moment, but history shows that we usually manage to push through. 

As they say, infamously in the Hunger Games, “May the odds be ever in your favour.”