While inflation has lowered to 2.4%, it still feels very expensive to buy everyday goods. So when Reddit user PersonalitySuddenz asked: “What is something you’ve officially stopped buying in 2026 because the price has become genuinely insulting?” a lot of people provided their thoughts. Here’s what they said below:1. “Steak. I do still buy it, but rarely. I’ll probably get flamed for this, but the Aldi ribeyes are actually pretty good.”
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“I was at my local Walmart, and two NY strips that were just over 2lbs were $45.17. No more steak in this house. I’m bummed, I love a good steak.”
2. “Concert tickets. I remember right before COVID, $200 was average for floor seats close to the stage. Now, you’re lucky to get nosebleed seats for that much.”
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3. “Beer, wine, or liquor at a restaurant. The drink shouldn’t cost as much as the meal.”
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“Seriously! $18-$25 cocktails are ridiculous!”
“Mocktails are $15, too, wtf!”
4. “Fast food.”
I got Taco Bell for my kid yesterday. Crunch Wrap Supreme, Grilled Cheese Supreme with chicken, and a large soda. That’s three items. $18.70.
Ridiculous.”
5. “Cars. I was going to trade in and get a new Honda, but I decided I’ll just keep driving this one until it’s no longer safe to do so. I have NO idea how anyone that is retired will buy a new car — going to be used cars here on out.”
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“Even used cars are twice as expensive as they were, say, eight years ago. I’m acutely aware of this because my youngest child just turned 16, and the oldest is 24 now.”
6. “Movie tickets (along with concessions).”
7. “Insurance.”
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“The per-paycheck health insurance premiums at my job went up over 30% last year, and then this year went up another 40% on top of that. Last year, I got a pretty generous raise, and this year, I’m bringing home less in my paycheck than I was last year. I can’t keep bringing home less and less every year while everything else just keeps getting more and more expensive. It’s unsustainable. If there’s another huge hike after this year, I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep carrying it.”
8. “Airbnbs. Had a couple of fun times early on, now it’s MORE expensive than a hotel AND has no services, AND they expect you to do chores.”
9. “Restaurants in general. I will only go when someone else demands it in order to socialize with them. I am not interested in paying a $20 markup over the cost of ingredients to sit in a shitty diner and eat scrambled eggs, toast, and hash browns with a cup of coffee. And before the ‘I don’t believe blah, blah, blah’ contrarians start babbling, yes, with tax and tip, I spent $25 for just that two mornings ago to meet with an old friend.”
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10. “Lattes at coffee shops. I love getting a latte, but it’s too expensive. At this point, it’s $8 with tip. I can’t do it. I don’t go out to eat in general. It’s too expensive.”
11. “Magazines. I’m not paying $14 for a magazine that used to be $5.”
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“This is me. I used to buy multi-year magazine subscriptions on Black Friday through a discounter. There haven’t been any good deals in the past two years. When the subscriptions run out, that’s it for me unless there is a deal.
I know I can get the information online. It just isn’t the same for me, so I’m going to really miss them.”
12. “Manicures and pedicures. The prices have gone up like crazy in the last couple of years, and with a new baby on the wa,y I just can’t justify lighting $200 on fire every 2-ish weeks.”
13. “Completely stopped using Instacart, DoorDash, and all similar services. Do the math on how much less it is to pick it up yourself. The markup is insane.”
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14. “Haircuts. I’m a woman who keeps her hair long enough that she can trim it herself these days. I checked with a local hairstylist to get 3″ cut off in a straight across blunt cut, and I got quoted over $100. No color, no styling, no layers, no shampoo services. Ridiculous.”
15. And finally, “Brand new video games. In the last 20 years, the cost of a new game has doubled in Canada. You used to be able to do a lot of pre-orders through Amazon around E3 for a small discount, usually $49.99. Those days are gone, and new games are $89.99 or $99.99 now. I used to nab everything that caught my eye, now, it’s probably one or two a year, otherwise just bargain hunting.”
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Is there something you’ve officially stopped buying in 2026 because the price has become genuinely insulting? Tell us what it is in the comments below.
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