Sticker SHOCK!

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I am starting this thread, partly as a vent but partly to learn what sticker shock means or represents to you.

This might seem pedantic given this is a jewellery forum and therefore/conceivably nothing in terms of costs should "shock" but I am acutely aware/surprised how frequently shocked I am at prices of *certain* goods and services.

For example--we have been renovating our house, on and off, since last Aug. By weeks end, the last two BR's will be completed. Over and over I am shocked (and dismayed) at the cost of certain products and installation services. By now you'd think I'd be accustomed to it, but again today--STICKER SHOCK for cost and installation of two small shudders in the BR's. This is on the heels of numerous shocks--pantry door installation that cost more than the door, the $200 paperwork processing fee for the granite, the $500 paperwork processing fee when I bought my car, 10% processing fee delivery company's charge for brokering packages through customs, $12 bucks for drycleaning my DH's dress shirt, $14 bucks for a martini downtown and a $1.60 the fast food vendor in the mall wanted for 250ml of chocolate milk....

Yet, many costs do not phase me at all. Price of petrol--not on my radar. That bottle of wine or scotch--yup. Movie and popcorm, no issue. Increased cost of parking at work--no biggie.

So tell me, do you encounter sticker shock and for what? Does it prevent you from buying?

cheers--Sharon

 

[Matata]

The price of groceries blows me away.

And I agree about your take on house reno goods & services. We've been wanting to get our backyard redesigned for a couple of years but it irks me that a modest redo is at least $40,000.

Medical services & supplies

 

[iheartscience]

It blows my mind how much socks cost. And underwear. Always! I should be over it by now but I'm not!

I hold out and buy undies when Gap has big sales. I bought 16 pairs of my fave undies the day after Xmas for around $2 a pair. I was way too impressed with myself for beating the underwear system.

 

[Matata]

Oh wait, I just thought of something else...ottomans. Have you ever noticed that an ottoman usually costs more than a chair? Why? It's smaller and can't possibly require that much more work to produce. I was looking at a chair for $600 and the ottoman was $850. WTF?

 

[Bella432]

Actually theatres are my sticker shock. Not even thinking of the ticket price per person, you want $4 for a bottle of water? Scratch that, I'm just going to buy a sexy new tote bag and stash my own water bottle and a container of raspberries for the movie! Yet here I am in a diamond forum easily talking about thousands of dollars on a teeny tiny little stone. But... it can be an heirloom right?!

 

[woofmama]

Groceries! I have three adult sized men (one DH & two sons) to feed plus myself. We go thru a lot of food. I spend about $200 a week. Milk, meat, fresh fruits & veggies are outrageous.

 

[amc80]

Movies! Actually, movie concessions. DH went last week. The movie was $22 for two (3D). Our snacks were $25. Yikes.

Anything in Vegas. I was there 4 years ago and a lemon drop was $19.

Razor blades. C'mon, they are little pieces of sharpened metal. Why are cartridges $2-3 each?

Tires. My #1 least favorite thing to buy. We live in a snow area so I had to get good ones- just under $1k.

 

[TooPatient]

medical stuff -- I had to get a brace for my back. The chiropractor said "seven fifty".... I didn't realize he meant $750.00!
Eye drops for my eye infection were $100+ for a little bitty bottle (like end of pinky size)

food --

home maintenance/repair -- Had to have stairs to deck re-build (who puts the stairs OVER the septic covers ). That was just over $2,000 even with the "neighbor discount" (materials and crew labor only). The one section of fence that had to be replaced (propped up with tree branches ) was $4500 (that was only 50% of the total as our other neighbor covered 50%!). And on and on and on...

vet expenses -- dog with ear infection is up to $900
dog tooth cleaning $400 (unless we need to do lung x-rays for wheezing...)
cat tooth cleaning + extractions estimated at $2,000 but could be as much as $3,000 depending on her asthma needs

coffee -- stopped for coffee the other morning. FI had a drip coffee and I had a mocha. Came in at almost $10

 

[4ever]

Servicing my car twice a year costs a small fortune. I know this but it shocks me every time.

Beverages, $4 juice, $5 coffee, $4 water. I don't buy drinks when I'm out.

Tee shirts. Every time I find a really perfect tee shirt (perfect not too tight not too loose shape, great neckline, not to soft not too stiff fabric) I think, "great, I need a couple of those", look at ticket, bam $45...I just can't pay that much for a simple white tee shirt!

 

[monarch64]

You SHOULD have sticker shock over tees, undies, socks, etc. There is a gigantic markup on basics...because those are the bread-and-butter items on which retailers make their margins. There was an "extreme couponing" thread here recently--I should've responded and told PSr's to watch and wait for sales on basics. Never, EVER, pay full retail for mass-marketed apparel or footwear.

 

[Lulie]

Servicing my car twice a year costs a small fortune. I know this but it shocks me every time.
quote]

Yep, $950 to replace fuel level sensors due to erratic fuel readings. Mostly labor cost due to tank removal
Bread....$7.98 for an artisan loaf? Really?

 

[distracts]

Everything having to do with the wedding. My parents have a friend who says "one wedding unit" is 1k, and nothing you buy costs less than one wedding unit... so true, unfortunately. Hair and makeup? One wedding unit. Rehearsal dinner? Four wedding units. Dress + alterations? Two wedding units. Sigh!

 

[Dancing Fire]

my favorite booze went from $85 a bottle to $130 a bottle...

 

[JulieN]

Lemme guess, DF. Martell Cordon Bleu? I have switched to whiskey.

Underwear gets me every time. I think about wearing girls' sizes just for the price savings, but I haven't done it yet.

 

[missy]

I get sticker shock a lot LOL. It seems to me that money has lost its value in that everything is so darn expensive that money is just not worth what it used to be. Almost every day I cannot believe what things cost. The cost of groceries (ridiculous what we spend for 2 people!) to the cost of clothes to the cost of maintenance.

We have to get one of our treadmills fixed and the cost of the first service call (there will be at least another as they already told us they wouldn't have the part we need in stock since it is an older treadmill) is $275 and when they diagnose the problem and order the part (parts still under warranty so hopefully no extra cost with that) it will be another $150 when they return. And that's hoping it only takes 2 visits to fix! Don't think I didn't call the other authorized dealers to see if anyone had a less expensive service visit-I did and nope. All the same. Crazy IMO but no choice as I don't want a broken treadmill. Sigh.

My doctor appointments. My dermatologist accepts no insurance but I am loyal to him as I have complex medical issues and I trust him over others I have gone to. I have been seeing him for the last decade or so now. Well, his fees have gone up to around $350 a visit and that's before any lab tests if they are necessary. Talk about sticker shock. And my dh now sees him since his melanoma diagnosis over a year and a half ago. I am not taking any chances with my dh's health that's for sure. But when we leave that doctor's office after one visit it is usually well over $700 in fees for the both of us. And I see him almost monthly (my dh sees him every 3 months). Our insurance doesn't reimburse us much at all because they do 70% of usual and customary (after we meet our high deductible) with a cap so we get back very little.

Let's see- sticker shock I am sure to experience once we get the final cost of our backyard fixup after Sandy. We still don't have the price on that if you can believe it as the men are still working! That was my dh's project and he hates when I micromanage so I tried not to but believe me I know we are in for some shock on that cost.

I could go on and on but I won't bore you with more sticker shock. Suffice it to say that yes, I experience sticker shock a lot.

 

[rosetta]

Yeah, I get a lot of sticker shock. My solution is not to buy it. We have the good old NHS so healthcare is something we never have to worry about. When my husband was very sick in hospital (with viral pneumonia) for 3 weeks, it cost £30,000. We paid nothing, but I felt our taxes were finally justified

Things I don't buy due to perceived expense:

Lattes
New cars
Manicures
Haircuts (ok, once a year I get a trim!) and colouring at salons (thank god I have no grey hairs!)
Clothes and shoes not on sale
Any brand new tech (have to wrestle the husband on that one)
Alcohol and tobacco (I don't even have to tell you how much we save by being teetotal. It's a lot)
Glasses (I am very short sighted, I keep breaking the damn things)
Car repairs (argh!! Sigh, sometimes there's no choice)
Estate agent fees

Things I don't even think twice about paying whatever it takes:

Bling (natch)
Perfume (collection is now worth thousands of pounds)
Holidays (suites, yup. Private beach? Yup. Michelin starred meals? Don't mind if I do)
Vintage handbags
Dentistry and oral hygiene (regular tooth polishing a must)
Afternoon teas at fancy restaurants
Presents for my loved ones
Movies
Ebooks
Home cleaning service

We all have things that we feel are "worth it" and those don't give us the perceived sticker shock at all!

 

[JewelFreak]

We can thank Congress & Mr. Obama for many increased prices. They're going up to cover the new gov't medical programs -- companies cannot pay those out of pocket & stay in business. All will have to raise prices to stay even. And printing dollars like confetti drives down their value -- more supply always equals lower value (price), whether it's dollar bills or shoes. Since the dollar's value is down, any imported component costs more of them, increasing what we pay.

Vet bills KILL me. Vets warn they will rise with the new tax on medical devices -- anything from x-ray machines to tooth scalers. In addition, a lot of veterinary practices these days are not independent; corporations own a slew of them & give them profit goals that must be met.

Groceries knock me out too. $1.50 for a head of garlic! $5 for a bunch of leeks. I can't afford even lamb shanks -- they now cost what steak used to be, & I always thought of lamb shanks as kind of peasant food (I LOVE them).

Gas was about $1.80 when the current administration took office. What is it now? One side or the other of $4.00. And that doesn't bother you? Yack!

Oh wait, I just thought of something else...ottomans. Have you ever noticed that an ottoman usually costs more than a chair? Why? It's smaller and can't possibly require that much more work to produce. I was looking at a chair for $600 and the ottoman was $850. WTF?

LOL! That has always made me scratch my head too! Good one, Matata!

--- Laurie

 

[chrono]

I don't get the ottoman either. Being that it is square, it should be easier to make than the couch, right? Guess they sell it for more because it doesn't get the same volume of sales to make it up.

Undergarments! What are such tiny pieces of fabric so expensive? And nobody even sees them except me.

 

[SB621]

I pay more for my kids to attend daycare then I do on my housepayment and car payment combined- nuff said

And as military we shop at the comissary which sells most food at discounted rates. I usually buy a gallon of organic milk for around $3-$4 on sale. I went to our local place to buy milk and spent $8!!!! it was crazy to me.

 

[ame]

We can thank Congress & Mr. Obama for many increased prices. They're going up to cover the new gov't medical programs -- companies cannot pay those out of pocket & stay in business.

Bullshit! They can afford and would stay in business just fine, they are actively choosing to screw their employees and their customers to keep massive profit margins lining the pockets of their overpaid chief execs. Your government doesn't give a flying crap about it's citizens. It cares solely about it's big billionaire businesses that pay its "elected officials". Period.

And that's all I am going to say about that.

 

[ame]

Another vote for house related stuff, because we are doing reno/repair as well. My aggravation is in all the paperwork fees, epic scam!

 

[GemFever]

Almost everything that has already been mentioned...

+ art supplies. I signed up for an oil painting class last fall and by the time I was done buying the basic supplies I had spent... $250? Maybe even more. When I complained to my friend, she was like "bah, whatever, you buy diamonds." But that's ridiculous, diamonds are a luxury item I like to budget and save up for, and then indulge myself. What are starving art students supposed to do when they need some more Cadmium Red or Cobalt Turquoise to finish something for school?

 

[iLander]

Almost everything that has already been mentioned...

+ art supplies. I signed up for an oil painting class last fall and by the time I was done buying the basic supplies I had spent... $250? Maybe even more. When I complained to my friend, she was like "bah, whatever, you buy diamonds." But that's ridiculous, diamonds are a luxury item I like to budget and save up for, and then indulge myself. What are starving art students supposed to do when they need some more Cadmium Red or Cobalt Turquoise to finish something for school?

You need to order from Dick Blick, local art stores are ridiculous; http://www.dickblick.com/

 

[GemFever]

Almost everything that has already been mentioned...

+ art supplies. I signed up for an oil painting class last fall and by the time I was done buying the basic supplies I had spent... $250? Maybe even more. When I complained to my friend, she was like "bah, whatever, you buy diamonds." But that's ridiculous, diamonds are a luxury item I like to budget and save up for, and then indulge myself. What are starving art students supposed to do when they need some more Cadmium Red or Cobalt Turquoise to finish something for school?

You need to order from Dick Blick, local art stores are ridiculous; http://www.dickblick.com/

Thanks iLander! I'll check it out next time I need to restock.

 

[iLander]

We can thank Congress & Mr. Obama for many increased prices. They're going up to cover the new gov't medical programs -- companies cannot pay those out of pocket & stay in business.

Bullshit! They can afford and would stay in business just fine, they are actively choosing to screw their employees and their customers to keep massive profit margins lining the pockets of their overpaid chief execs. Your government doesn't give a flying crap about it's citizens. It cares solely about it's big billionaire businesses that pay its "elected officials". Period.

And that's all I am going to say about that.

I agree with this. In the 1980's the average CEO made 40X the wage of the lowest-paid employee. The ratio is now OVER 400X.

As for increased prices in general, I think everyone needs to understand that inflation is coming, big time. Prices have been unnaturally suppressed the last few years by the economy, but the cost of goods has continued to rise. Cotton, as a raw material, went up 60% last year. Wait until you buy jeans next year. And the rise of the middle class in China? You'll be paying for that soon. The largest market for Vuitton and Chanel are now in China, not the US or Europa.

But remember, your single biggest bill is probably your freaking taxes.

 

[iLander]

My doctor appointments. My dermatologist accepts no insurance but I am loyal to him as I have complex medical issues and I trust him over others I have gone to. I have been seeing him for the last decade or so now. Well, his fees have gone up to around $350 a visit and that's before any lab tests if they are necessary. Talk about sticker shock. And my dh now sees him since his melanoma diagnosis over a year and a half ago. I am not taking any chances with my dh's health that's for sure. But when we leave that doctor's office after one visit it is usually well over $700 in fees for the both of us. And I see him almost monthly (my dh sees him every 3 months). Our insurance doesn't reimburse us much at all because they do 70% of usual and customary (after we meet our high deductible) with a cap so we get back very little.

Have you looked into a Health Savings Account? You put in up to $3000 per year, per person, and deduct the amount from your taxes. Then you spend it on whatever legitimate medical expense that you choose. You get a credit card, and use that. Keep the receipts. But it's effectively a discount, of up to 33% (or whatever your tax rate is) off your medical costs. Check with your tax accountant and see if he thinks it will work for you.

 

[iLander]

Movies! Actually, movie concessions. DH went last week. The movie was $22 for two (3D). Our snacks were $25. Yikes.

Anything in Vegas. I was there 4 years ago and a lemon drop was $19.

Razor blades. C'mon, they are little pieces of sharpened metal. Why are cartridges $2-3 each?

Tires. My #1 least favorite thing to buy. We live in a snow area so I had to get good ones- just under $1k.

I agree with this. And I'll tell you why this is so; Proctor and Gamble bought Gillette, and American Safety Razor (they made low cost store brand razors) closed, so P&G has a monopoly on razors. Bic was never a big player, and never invested in the multiple blade technology. So, the Federal Trade Commission, which was supposed to protect you against monopolies, looked the other way during the Bush years. This is a prime example.

 

[iLander]

Does anybody need new cabinets?

I found a great source for maple front cabinets!

DH and I got a home depot quote for white melamine cabinets: $13,000! PLUS installation of $20,000!!!

We said screw that, and ordered from a Costco source; http://www.allwoodfast.com/?utm_source=AWF_HBG_07-21-12&utm_campaign=7-21-12_Biscuit_CustomDepth&utm_medium=email

Same units, etc., $4500!!! Installed ourselves. We got taller cabinets, top rail, light covers, etc., all for less than half of the cost of Home of Depoor. Order a sample door for $25 to check out the quality and color. You'll be AMAZED!

 

[canuk-gal]

The price of groceries blows me away.

And I agree about your take on house reno goods & services. We've been wanting to get our backyard redesigned for a couple of years but it irks me that a modest redo is at least $40,000.

Medical services & supplies

HI:

Luckily we don't pay for medical services here...but I hear ya on the landscaping. Did that 3 or 4 years ago. Yikes. Got nickle and dimed to death.

I must give credit where credit is due--the cabinet maker who did my kitchen was fabu. He told me to pick out handles/knobs--and I found some...he looked at the price and said, I'll find this brand cheaper...and he did...gave them to me for his cost. The other person I had for my kitchen estimate offered them to me for double.

I went looking for nice hardware for the BR's and again STICKER shock. Even in the big box stores.

cheers--Sharon

 

[canuk-gal]

It blows my mind how much socks cost. And underwear. Always! I should be over it by now but I'm not!

I hold out and buy undies when Gap has big sales. I bought 16 pairs of my fave undies the day after Xmas for around $2 a pair. I was way too impressed with myself for beating the underwear system.

HI:

HA! This is tres funny.

I do. MY boys seem to mop the locker room with theirs--worn once or twice and they are done. Never are white again--anyway, who thought up white socks for athletics? Oh those smart CEO's--since they know you'll have to replace them after wearing less than 5 times due to the grunge. And they ain't cheap!

cheers--Sharon