Things you think are far too expensive.

[DwaynieAD]

you guys are all getting hosed. straight talk. 45 a month, android devices, unlimited talk, text, and web. better coverage than verizon or att.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Wow, phones are pricey in the US! Are those sim-only prices, or are you also paying off the cost of the phone?

I'm on £28 (~$45) a month, unlimited texts, 300 minutes (unlimited minutes to phones on the same network, which most of the people I know are), 2Gb data. It's also a contract with a phone, so it's paying that off too.

[m0nst3r]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Im assuming youre on Verizon, as I have the same plan, but pay a few dollars more, because I only have a 17% discount.

You assume correctly.

It's still crazy to think that without the discount, I'd be paying over $100!

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

Wow, phones are pricey in the US! Are those sim-only prices, or are you also paying off the cost of the phone?

I'm on £28 (~$45) a month, unlimited texts, 300 minutes (unlimited minutes to phones on the same network, which most of the people I know are), 2Gb data. It's also a contract with a phone, so it's paying that off too.

I got my phone for "free," but it got stolen. I didn't have insurance on it, since I thought it was pretty stupid to pay $7 a month extra w/ a $100 deductible, especially since my phone was free. A lot of the phones are heavily discounted if you end up signing up for some kind of contract. Without the contract, you have to pay full price of the phone, which is usually in the neighborhood of at least $500.

[bassfran]

Originally Posted by MatticusMania

Dont get me wrong, I dont disagree with you. Im just saying, there are alternatives, and we're not being forced to buy bottled water.
My parents buy it, Im not sure why, and I drink it since I can just grab one. But, I'd never pay for bottled water on the regular, I'll just pour me some from the tap.

And I agree as well. We're not forced to buy it, of course and I rarely ever do. Too much plastic waste and too few water fountains on the street.
I'll carry a nalgene in my bag and fill up wherever I can when I'm out and about. We don't buy it at home but use a filter pitcher due to our building's ancient plumbing.

At $2-$3 a pop sometimes it's ridiculous.

[guitardefector]

Ignorance.

[jmattbassplaya]

Speaking of which, why is cable so expensive in the US vs most other developed parts of the world? Shouldn't the cost of it be cheaper than ever by now?

[Ziltoid]

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

Speaking of which, why is cable so expensive in the US vs most other developed parts of the world? Shouldn't the cost of it be cheaper than ever by now?

It's not a free market, far from it. A few companies hold the monopoly.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by m0nst3r

You assume correctly.

It's still crazy to think that without the discount, I'd be paying over $100!



I got my phone for "free," but it got stolen. I didn't have insurance on it, since I thought it was pretty stupid to pay $7 a month extra w/ a $100 deductible, especially since my phone was free. A lot of the phones are heavily discounted if you end up signing up for some kind of contract. Without the contract, you have to pay full price of the phone, which is usually in the neighborhood of at least $500.

I realise you often get them at a discounted rate, but as you say, it's a "free" phone.

I'm not one to need the newest mobile devices, so I get a decent model of phone on contract when my old one dies, but 18-24 months down the line I move to sim-only contracts. Usually get a lot more for a lot less.

Though I know a number of people who keep the original contract running even after it's given time period, which is usually a major waste of money (granted, not always, but it is generally to worth while shopping round at least a bit after the contract is up to see what is out there).

[Bloodhammer]

Originally Posted by Ziltoid

It's not a free market, far from it. A few companies hold the monopoly.

If it's a few, then wouldn't it be an oligopoly?

Yes, they seem to have a stranglehold. Around here, it's all Comcast.

[Biggbass]

traffic tickets.

[placedesjardins]

Originally Posted by Tony Flow MMMM

What are some things you think are far too expensive yet people pay for angways...

Coffee that is over $3.00 a cup and specialty coffee drink that is over $5.00 a cup.

$1,000+ women's purse.

$50,000+ engagement ring

Any Ferrari or Lamborghini.

$50+ for one, haute couture, cotton t-shirt.

[AmpedSilence]

+1 to the coffee mentions...

[slobake]

+1 for cable tv, I have a good antenna and Netflix.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by slobake

+1 for cable tv, I have a good antenna and Netflix.

You have the D/A box for TV? How well does that work?

[deeptubes]

POT!

[jrthebassguy]

Originally Posted by Biggbass

traffic tickets.

Ugh. I got pulled over a stretch of I-10 that was completely abandoned last month. Except for me, and of course, Officer Nothing-To-Do. About $180 after defensive driving fees.

[basscooker]

neo drivers

[CrewsControl]

Originally Posted by dmusic148

You have the D/A box for TV? How well does that work?

New TVs are able to receive digital over-the-air TV at HDTV resolutions, without a converter. I can't get signal where I am at, so I have to get cable. The cable retransmission of local stations is significantly poorer quality than the same channels received OTA with a digital TV. Like, DVD versus Bluray difference. The cable company really, really downgrades the bandwidth.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Many also come setup to allow connection to freesat, you just need your own dish. More likely to pick that up in remote areas than terrestrial broadcasts :-)

[mixtapelove]

Golf.
Health care.
Golf clubs.
Cymbals.
Health care.
Health insurance.
Getting my car fixed.
Montessori for my 3 year old.
When I lived in Australia, almost everything.
Movies.
Concessions at the movies.
Health care.
Official NFL merchandise.
Health care.
Health care.