Prices have gotten so strange that people are no longer just cutting back on the big luxuries. They are dropping everyday things they used to buy without thinking: soda, fast food, streaming services, snacks, clothes, and even family outings. In a popular Reddit thread, people shared the everyday purchases they have stopped making because the value no longer feels there.
Concert Tickets
Concert tickets have become one of the easiest luxuries for people to cut.
Reddit user NikonShooter_PJS admits that:
“I’ve almost entirely given up on buying concert tickets at this point.
I’ve missed out on the last six or seven shows I’ve wanted to attend because I simply can not justify spending over $150 for a ticket to see a show.
Not when I’ve been going to concerts for well over 25 years and have paid a fraction of that for mosh pit tickets to some of the most iconic artists of all time.
I want to see Lady Gaga this weekend. She has two shows in my area. Get in price is still hovering around $500.”
Streaming Services
Streaming services used to feel like the cheaper, easier alternative to cable, but many people say that deal is disappearing.
Reddit user Maximum-Onion-9933 admits that:
“My husband and I are switching to renting movies from our library bc fuck streaming services increasing the price every other month. I’ve started canceling subscriptions everytime I get an email about a price increase. Disney went bye bye a looong time ago lmao”
Soda
Soda is another everyday treat people say they are dropping because the price no longer feels harmless.
Reddit user Zhong_Ping admits that:
“Soda. $14 12 packs are outrageous.”
Personal Services
Personal services like haircuts, coloring, waxing, and salon treatments are becoming easier for people to skip as prices climb and routine appointments start feeling like luxury spending.
Reddit user llamabooks admits that:
“My hair stylist started charging $200 per hour. But I have curly hair so my hair takes at least three hours to cut and style (and cut and style and…) I love my stylist but I can’t afford that! 😭”
Cigaretts
Cigarettes are another thing people say they have stopped buying as prices rise, health concerns add up, and the habit starts feeling too expensive to justify.
Reddit user admits that:
“I saw they were over $14 a pack in my state the other day, and was shocked. I remember in college getting a carton for like $25”
Trending on Cheapism
Clothes
Clothes are another category people say they have quietly stopped buying new.
Reddit user Megaminisima admits that:
“I don’t buy new clothes anymore. The price is absurd while the quality gets worse and worse, especially in women’s fashion. WHY DOES EVERYTHING FEEL LIKE A DENTAL BIB?? anyway I’m only doing second hand now and I’m learning to make my own clothes.”
Fast Food
Fast food used to feel like the cheap, easy backup plan, but many people say that bargain is fading.
Reddit user M1kbee admits that:
“McDonald’s The prices are skyrocketing, and the portions are shrinking. Local independent burger shops are better quality, bigger portions, and cheaper.”
Chocolate
Chocolate is starting to feel less like a small treat and more like an overpriced splurge.
Reddit user ChattyCreator admits that:
“Chocolate, prices are crazy high, despite the price of cacao going down”
Sign up for our newsletter
Health Insurance
Health insurance is one of the bleakest things people say they have stopped buying or are trying to avoid because the numbers feel impossible.
Reddit user Aloofasaur admits that:
“Health insurance. I work in healthcare and can’t afford it. Family plan through employer was going to be $1,250 per month. Nope. All middle class means these days is you aren’t homeless yet.”
Amazon Prime Subscription
Amazon Prime is another subscription people say no longer feels automatic.
Reddit user Etudeinal admits that:
“I can’t rely on their delivery service estimate. Whether it’s Same-Day, Next-Day, Prime Day, it’s more than likely not going to make it when they think. At least three times in the past 6 months, something will be “Out for Delivery” and just never make it. Er, yes, I want to cancel the order, especially if they seem to have no idea where it is. When I reorder the same stuff, it shows up a day after projected. The company used to be so good that they ground the competition to dust. Now they have switched to a ride share type model, with some person in a Hyundai sedan tossing packages in the back seat. I have no idea what algorithm is putting the routes together. Point is, it’s less frustrating to save up your orders, pretend that they are going to make it next Tuesday, and have less packaging to toss.”
Gas Prices
Gas prices are another expense people say has pushed them into changing everyday habits.
Reddit user GeorgeFromManagement admits that:
“Im gonna start walking everywhere with these gas prices”
Steak / Roast Beef
Roast beef and beef in general have become special-occasion foods for some shoppers instead of weekly staples.
Reddit user ratrodder49 admits that:
“Wife and I used to get a two pack of ribeyes from the grocery store maybe once a month and grill them up. Then they jumped $20 on average from ~$30 to around $50. They’re now a special occasion-only treat. Which sucks.”
Junk Food
Junk food has become easier for people to leave on the shelf.
Reddit user Townhouse-hater admits that:
“Honestly, junk food. Since Covid the price of cookies, chips, snacks has gotten so high I just refuse to pay it. It was borderline before, but now, just out of principle I won’t buy em anymore. Which sucks because I did enjoy them but now, I don’t even look at the isle anymore.”
Family Fun Centers
Family fun centers are starting to feel less like easy weekend outings and more like planned expenses.
Reddit user sumthingawsum admits that:
“Family fun centers. Mini golf. Ice skating. Even arcades. Bringing the kids to anything for a couple hours is a couple hundred bucks before you even consider eating at one of these places.”
Mouthwash
Mouthwash is another basic household item people say they are skipping when the price suddenly feels too high for something that used to be a routine drugstore buy.
Reddit user CharmingPeoony admits that:
“I was Target the other day and the only Listerine mouthwash on the shelf was $12 a bottle… has it always been that way? Wasn’t it like $4-6? Anyways, I didn’t pick up any.”
What stands out from these confessions is that people are no longer just annoyed by high prices; they are changing their habits. Concerts, fast food, subscriptions, snacks, personal services, and even basic household items are being reconsidered. In 2026, the question is not only “Can I afford this?” but “Is this still worth it?”
