We are living in an era where somehow everything has become overpriced and underwhelming. Consumers are waking up to the reality that once reasonably priced items have crossed over into “not worth it” territory. I have previously discussed the hidden costs of convenience culture. However, that post discussed food eaten at home specifically.
Now, as a follow up piece, I will be diving in to discuss five more every-day products and services that used to be reasonably priced that are no longer worth your money anymore.
Sit Down Restaurants
A casual dinner out used to feel affordable. Now, those days are gone. Inflation hit restaurants hard after the 2020 pandemic. However, many businesses have used this as a cover to dramatically increase their prices beyond their rising costs.
In addition to rising costs, portion sizes have quietly reduced. This practice is referred to as shrinkflation, and is commonly used in the food and beverage industry, among others.
Staff shortages post-pandemic has resulted in longer waiting times and a reduction of quality in service, which adds another layer of frustration on top of the financial costs.
In combination, these elements create a perfect storm. According to a USDA report, the cost of food-away-from-home rose by 4% from January 2025 to January 2026. This is predicted to rise another 3% by the end of 2026.
You are now paying a luxury price for an increasingly lackluster experience.
New Cars
The cost of a new car has skyrocketed. As of February 2026, a brand new car fresh out of the showroom will cost around $50,000, which is approximately 3.5% higher than February 2025. Many models begin to exceed this price once you start to add on “essential” packages that dealerships offer during the sales experience.
Cars are a depreciating asset. That brand new car loses value as soon as you drive it away from the dealership’s property and has lost up to 60% of it’s value within the first 3 years of ownership. This makes buying a new car one of the worst financial decisions that you could make.
To reduce this cost, consumers can buy pre-owned vehicles that are 2-3 years old. They offer the same reliability as a new car and any remaining warranty coverage. If you want to be even more savvy, you can buy a well maintained car that is 5-7 years old and let someone else absorb the depreciation costs. By this point, the depreciation rate is less drastic and will retain it’s remaining value for longer.
New Technology
Tech companies are masters at charging maximum prices for minimum upgrades. The latest smartphone, computer or gadget often comes with a hefty price tag but offers marginal upgrades from the previous model, which now costs half the price.
The problem is, we have reached peak performance for a large amount of tech products. For example, the differences in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 18 are negligible for the vast majority of users. The older model handles everything that most people need in a phone, yet costs a fraction of the price of the latest model.
An alternative approach is waiting 6-12 months after launch to buy new tech. By this point, prices have dropped, any bugs are fixed and you will have real reviews to help guide your choice. Or you could buy the previous generation when the new product launches, as retailers will reduce prices to clear older inventory. You can also consider manufacturer-refurbished phones, which are often simply open-box returns that haven’t actually been used. These devices offer like-new performance with a full warranty.
Subscription services
Death by a thousand subscriptions. According to the UK Department for Business and Trade, almost 50% of UK adults regularly pay for entertainment subscription services, such as Spotify and Amazon Prime and 29% pay for product delivery services. With subscriptions for entertainment, fitness, software and many more, these individual costs quickly start to add up across the month and year.
More and more companies are moving away from one-time purchases to recurring revenue models, as it is more profitable for them. A few bucks a month for a service feels small until you realise you’ve been paying for years for something you barely use. It’s easy for one to fall through the cracks and to get lost in the sea of many other subscriptions.
To take back control, you can audit your subscriptions. Cancel any that haven’t been used for 30 days or longer. Keep 2-3 that you genuinely use. Instead of paying for all the streaming services simultaneously, subscribe to one at a time, binge the content and rotate out to the next. You could also consider using the free version of a service with ads instead of paying for ad-free, which is another way to cut costs.
Premium Coffee
Premium coffee shops are charging $5-8 for a drink that costs less than a dollar to make. If you buy one every day on your commute to work, that adds up fast. Over the course of 12 months, you could spend up to $3000 annually, all for the sake of caffeinated milk and sugar. If that same money were invested in an index fund for 10 years with average returns, that same money would have grown into $30,000. You are literally drinking away a down payment for a house.
Blind taste tests have consistently shown that most people can’t tell the difference between premium coffee shop drinks and well-made alternatives. If the drink tastes the same at home, then the ambiance and Instagram photos of the cups is what you’re really paying for.
A quality coffee machine at home pays for itself after 2-3 months. You can buy premium coffee beans and brew your own drink at home. You still get to have your morning ritual but the cost of the coffee drops to $0.50-1.00 a drink. Alternatively, many workplaces have premium coffee machines available that you can use instead. You don’t have to eliminate premium coffee completely. Reducing the frequency to 1-2 times a week will still make a difference versus the daily habit.
Final Thoughts
Reducing spending on these five expenses doesn’t mean living a life of deprivation. It means you are being intentional with your spending and buying the things that actually bring value to you. With the potential savings, you can build an emergency fund, take a vacation or use it towards a down-payment for a house.
The choice is yours. You can either continue paying inflated prices for diminishing value or you can redirect that money towards things that truly matter.
Which will you decide?
