Unless you’re filthy rich, you’ve probably noticed that movie theater popcorn cost an arm and a leg. Still people shell out the big bucks for this greasy flick food. Of course movie theater snacks aren’t the only budget busters.
Here are five outrageously overpriced products that consumers can’t seem to live without:
1. Movie popcorn — At the grocery store microwave popcorn runs about $3 a box, and each box includes three bags. So why would you even consider paying a whopping $6 for a single medium-sized bag of popcorn at a movie theater?
2. Greeting cards — Since when does a folded-up piece of paper with words cost $2.99 and up?
3. College textbooks — As if college kids and their parents aren’t financially drained enough, there’s yet another inflated price they face: college textbooks. College students spend an average of $900 a year on textbooks and other supplies.
4. Printer ink — The price of printers have come down considerably but the printer companies make their biggest bucks on ink cartridges. Over the life of your printer you’ll probably pay more than 500% of the total price of the printer itself on ink cartridges.
5. Brank-name fashion — Brand-name clothes are often marked up 500% to 1,000%. Yet fashion conscious consumers continue to drain their bank accounts and pile up massive amounts of debt to stay on the cutting edge of fashion.
