George Kamel - Frugal People Stopped Buying These Things

Episode Date: April 12, 2024

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What's up guys, I'm George Camel. And even though the rate of inflation has gone down, prices are still sky high on a lot of stuff. For example, a large Cali chicken, bacon ranch pizza with a side of spinach and feta stuffed cheesy bread, among other things. That's very specific. And recently, a user on Reddit asked this question, what's something you stopped buying because it became just so expensive to have it? And there were more responses than there are seasons of Grey's Anatomy. Just kidding. You can't get more than seasons of Grey's Anatomy. That's true.

But the responses were equally as dramatic as that show. And in today's video, we'll take a look at some of those answers and will determine if these frugal folks have a legit gripe or if their argument is invalid. And we're going to do it in a little game I like to call, touche or no way. We'll come up with a fun little graphic to put in there, editors. Or not, or you can just make me look like a fool on my own channel.

I can't fire you either way. You have no power over me. But before we jump in, hit those like and subscribe buttons and share this video with the ghost of Denny Duquette, and all your friends who have watched so much Grey's Anatomy, they believe they could actually perform surgery if they had to. Okay, let's get to our list of things people said they stopped buying because they got too expensive.

Number one on the list is definitely a pain point for a lot of people, and it's even been talked about in the news lately, thanks in part to Travis Kelsey's girlfriend. And that expensive thing is concert tickets. Reddit user avoidance behavior said, ugh, this one makes me so sad. It's really gotten beyond capacity, though. I'm really glad I got to spend my 20s and early 30s going to shows

for maybe $75 max if it was a really good seat, but otherwise between $30 and $45. It's easily in the hundreds now for similar shows, and I don't know how people can afford it at all. Real talk. And Tony the Tony 7 said, nothing beats buying two tickets and having fees that equal the amount of a third ticket.

To this one, I say, to-shay. This is real. Since 1982, ticket prices for concerts have experienced a 400% increase, which ironically is about the same rate college tuition has increased since the 80s. Suss. Coincidence? I think not! So do I still go to concerts? Sometimes if it's really worth it,

but otherwise I don't go as much as I used to, for those reasons. It's just too expensive, and I'd rather spend my money elsewhere. Okay, let's move on to number two. And I got to say, this one came as a surprise to me. Zanadu 87 said, a strange one, but bowling. A few years ago, my girlfriend and I went bowling at a local Bolero. and it was maybe 60 bucks for shoe rental and two hours of bowling for two people. Just recently, we checked prices online so we could go again.

And the same rental and playing time is $150. Insanity. Well, I got to tell you, I have not been bowling in a while, and that sounds expensive. Going from 60 to 150. For that one, I'm going to give you a big old, tusha. I don't know why bowling got more expensive, but my local joint around here, I checked online. It's about 20, 30 bucks per person, $5 per shoe rental. Still seems reasonable if you go with a family establishment.

The fancy bowling places with the fancy bar and the fancy food, it's going to cost more. So stick to the old bowling joint that still smells faintly of cigarettes and regret. Those ones are cheaper. Number three on the list is something a lot of us have enjoyed for a while at a decent price, but decent prices don't always stick around. And I'm talking about streaming services, specifically Amazon Prime and Netflix. User Cryptkeeper said, ads being added to Amazon Prime and Netflix was a breaking point for me.

And I got to agree on this one, the prices have gotten out of control, and for that I give it a big old, touch. According to Forbes, Americans pay an average of $46 a month for streaming services alone. And 45% have canceled a streaming subscription within the last year because costs were too high. Get this, 10 years ago, Netflix was $8. Today, the same standard Netflix is $16, which means it's doubled in price in a decade. And when you add in all the other streaming services we now feel like we need with YouTube, TV and Hulu and Apple TV plus, all of these tend to add up quickly. And for that, I say, I'm sorry, but there's only so much television you can watch. Stick to one subscription at a time.

Thank me later. Okay, number four on the list has some people pretty riled up, and it sounds like they've had some bad experiences with this company. And that company is Airbnb. Rainbows and Coffee 966 said, with all the added fees, especially cleaning fees, it's cheaper to stay in a hotel. I'm not paying a $300 cleaning fee. when I'm the one clean it. I feel like I could have written this comment. And for that, I give this one another. Touche.

Airbnbs are insanely expensive. And truthfully, unless I'm going with a big group of friends on a really fun friends trip, I'd rather get a hotel than a group Airbnb. It's just more comfortable. Someone else is cleaning my sheets. I don't have to take out the trash and start the laundry and mow their lawn before I leave.

I just want to live my life. I'm on vacation. I'm already paying $300 for a cleaning fee, and guess who's the cleaner? Me! Number five. This one's a little bit comical, but I can see why it made the list. Beef Jerky.

Spring Tour 77 said, I feel like jerky is one of the worst values in the supermarket. Big pouch, barely half-filled, and it's $10. In the south, we call that Big Hat, no cattle. Or in this case, big pouch, no beef. So this one, I'm going to give a no way. Here's why. I've always felt that beef jerky was overpriced.

It's always felt like a luxury. And most people are buying this at a gas station, which has one of the highest markups for snacks known to man. And here's another fact. It depends on the brand and where you buy it. Some of these in-store prices can be as much as seven or eight bucks per ounce or even more, while buying in bulk or online can be as low as two to three bucks per ounce. So, shop around.

Okay, time for number six on the list, and this one seems a little dramatic to me, but Sweet Bailey Ray said, I rarely order pizza because in my town it's just all your typical mediocre chains. I decided to go with Pizza Hut because I have a soft spot for their personal pan pizzas, and I like their wings. Twelve wings were 1899. The personal pan was approximately $7. The total, after the delivery fee and tax, $36 and some change.

I nope, the b*** out. I checked a Papa Johns, and it was the same thing. When did pizza get to be such a scam? First of all, Bailey, this is a family show. And I don't appreciate you cussing on it, even though I'm the one who read the comment. And you know what, Bailey, for this one, I'm going to give you a big fat. No way. I just don't think pizza's that crazy.

And here's the other thing. You got delivery. So you're paying a delivery fee, probably of three, four, five, six bucks. and tip on top of that, which always tip your delivery people. They're working hard for the money. And wings tend to be overpriced from pizza joints. So while I agree that menu price pizza can be a scam, I always find deals and coupons and promo codes for local pizza chains.

And I love Marcos around here. I get their pizza. I use a promo code, TW30. I get 30% off, and I'm not ordering wings there. Stick to the pizza. That's your best bang for the buck. So here's your new motto, never pay full price for pizza. And also, just pick it up yourself.

if you're really concerned about price and skip the delivery fees and the tip. And speaking of doing things yourself, there are some things I don't recommend DIY style, like protecting your privacy online. And for that, I recommend Delete Me, a sponsor of today's video. Delete me finds and removes data about you from hundreds of data broker sites, and they send you an easy-to-read report outlining what they did. In fact, I was just looking at my report. They've saved me about 11 hours of work it would have taken to find and remove the data on my own.

And with my special code and link, you can get a one-year plan. for less than $9 a month to help keep your personal info off the web. Go to join deleteme.com slash George for that 20% off discount or just click the link in the description. Alright, back to the list. Now, I was skeptical of this next one, but I did a little investigating and it checks out. User, the snot rocket, said, soda. I choose not to buy it.

I used to buy cases from Sam's or Costco when it was in the realm of $10 a case for $36. I bought fewer at $12. I have not bought soda in cans since the pandemic made them hit about $17 a case here in Texas. Well, I check Snott Rockets numbers and they're spot on. And so for this one, I'll give you a two-shay. I check to Sam's Club and a Coca-Cola 35-pack is $17, which is $0.49 a can. Not insane, but it's gone up over time. And you know what's going to cost you more in the long run? Drinking gallons of soda every single day. So, do what I do. Switch to crispy water. You can switch to LaCroix and save $0.12 a can and maybe even add

some years to your life. Life hack. Looking on to number eight. This one kind of makes me want to throw up a little bit, partly because it's ridiculous and partly because of the smell. What I think about it. And what I'm talking about is cheese. Enchanted Ella Echo said, I used to adore exploring the cheese aisle,

trying out unique flavors and textures. Thanks for that info, Ella. I don't know why you're just going around squeezing cheese. And for this one, I'm going to give you no way. I think cheese was always expensive. You know how hard it is to make cheese? You got to wait for it to get moldy and stuff. And so what I do if I want a good high-quality cheese

is either buy it at Costco in bulk from having a party or just go to Aldi. It's a good alternative, and they've got a large selection of cheeses. And actually, according to this cheese chart, cheese prices reached an all-time high in July of 2020 and are now back to a more palatable price. So that's why I'm giving you in no way. And hey, if you're on a budget,

stick with the classic little baby bells like you had back in the day. Remember those? Taking that red wax off? Maybe accidentally eating some red wax? Maybe it wasn't an accident? Maybe we just liked eating the wax? Just me? That's disturbing.

All right, number nine on the list is a problem I'm aware of thanks to my wife. And that's getting your nails done. Disnerd 294 said, I remember going with my sister and getting a manicure or pedicure for around 25 to 30 bucks, so maybe 35 to 45 to 45 after tip and taxes. My last nail visit cost nearly $100 after the tip and everything just for a manicure.

I don't know how other women are affording salon visits these days. And for this, I'm going to give you a tushet. And here's why. I checked a local salon in my area, and it was $40 to $75 for a manicure. And if you want the ultimate money for handsome hands, $50 for the guys.

And the petties go from $50 to $80. So if you're doing a manny and a petty, it could be $175 after tipping tax. That is mind-blowing. That hurts my brain. DIY or just keeping crispy like you boy. Whoa. All right, moving on.

Number 10 on the list is pretty hard not to notice, especially if you love a good lobsterita like me. And that, of course, is eating out. Bruiser 209 said, not worth the price and the food quality is not there anymore. And there are smaller portions for higher prices. I'm going to give this one a big old, tusha. Here's why.

According to the latest inflation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of dining out in January was up 5% year over year. and up a half percent compared to the previous month. And the truth is, restaurants have a markup of 300% in order to cover overhead, employees, salaries, you name it. They got to pay for this stuff, and they're making a profit. That's how they stay in business. So, make the food at home.

It's going to be cheaper, and you know what's in your food, unlike that lobsterita. I don't know what they're putting in there. All right, number 11, this one is very specific, and it's something I don't know that much about, but it's very fun to say. Noble-hearted Kate said, blonde balliage,

$500 a pop, $350 for touch-ups. It is wild how much hair salons have increased prices in the last five to ten years. So, the team has tasked me with explaining what a baliage is, which will offend all people groups. I want you to know that. So I think this is when the color changes

like a chameleon depending on where the hairs are. I think he might be right. But yeah, I'm going to give this one a touche. And that's someone who gets his haircut. and it ain't cheap. I go every two weeks and it's a pretty penny, probably as much as two ballyages a year, if you will. So, yes, I think if you're a woman out there, you're on a budget, try to stick to the simpler cuts and work on styling it yourself and getting really good at what

what hairstyle works for you. Okay, the last thing on our list of stuff that's apparently too expensive to buy now is new clothes. Still Gazelle A207 said, I tried to downgrade from mall to Amazon, but that stuff is mostly trash. I thrift now. It's not as bad as I anticipated, a lot of stuff is discarded with tags. I even ran into a sweater that I wanted years ago. I'm going to give this one a no way. Now, can clothes be expensive? Sure, but I think there's a lot of things out there that if you take care of them and launder them well, you can wear for a long time and you don't have to buy crazy, crazy high quality. But I do think there's wisdom in buying less and going for the quality and skipping the disposable H&M cardigan that you know will be destroyed

after one wear. And here's a stat. On average, Americans spend around 1,800 bucks a year on clothing. So here's what you do. Shop your own closet. You probably have way more stuff than you actually need. So scale it down, take some stuff to Goodwill, and stick to a capsule wardrobe that you can layer, just like I do with my black teas. It's gorgeous. It's a hit. It's simply glamorous. All right, that was fun. And I get it. There are things that have gotten really expensive. Inflation is real. Shrinkflation is real. Overpriced pizza is real. But there's no need to get your garlic in a knot over this. Okay? There are things you can do to minimize the pain of high prices. For one, you can be a smart consumer and a smart spender. Save money by doing a little research

to find the best deals, to find promo codes, to wait for that sale. All of that matters. And if something you buy regularly is too expensive, look for an alternative. Maybe it's generic brand. And it's not going to kill you to switch from squirt to LaCroix. In fact, it might do the opposite. It might keep you alive longer. And on top of that, make sure you're living on less than you make and you're sticking to a monthly zero-based budget. I know it sounds basic and you've heard me say all this before, but this is how you get ahead with money and stay there. You've got to create financial margin and that might take some sacrifices. And look, if you're really struggling financially, you can't automatically blame overpriced bowling. Take an honest look at the bigger financial decisions

you've made. You got a car payment? You got the student loan payment? Because all of those payments drain your bank account way faster than the cost of beef jerky. So if you actually want to feel like you have financial margin to afford the things you want, get debt out of your life ASAPs you can start giving, saving, and spending money on whatever kind of cheesy garlic bread, cinnamon twist, jalapeno knots your little heart desires. And let me know in the comments if there's something you've cut out of your budget because it's gotten too expensive. And bonus points if you share a cheaper alternative, don't gate keep. And if you're trying to be the frugalest of the frugs, check out this video to see what people are doing instead of

buying paper towels. Thanks for watching. We'll see you next time.