The new thrifty
American households are substantially poorer -- and a whole lot thriftier -- than they were when the recession started. Many families are cutting expenses that once seemed hardly worth quibbling over. They're avoiding ATM fees, nixing "extravagances" such as delivery charges and declining to pay extra for more-convenient parking at ballgames and other events.
- Bing: Read more about ATM fees
MSN Money readers have sounded off on our message boards about the things they now go out of their way to avoid paying for. Click through the slide show to see what the top 15 are.
Hot dogs at baseball games
"Take me out to the ballgame. Take me out to the crowd. Buy me some . . ."
Stop right there, readers say. Many maintain they will never buy ballpark food because of the high prices.
- Bing: What's in a hot dog?
The prices have risen steadily in recent years. On average, baseball fans will pay $3.70 for a hot dog and an additional $3.44 for a soft drink this year, according to ISM Media's annual fan cost index. In fact, despite the recession, fans will pay an average of 3.2% more on ticket and concession prices this year than in 2008. (New York Yankees fans will pay a whopping 49.4% more, due largely to increased ticket prices. That increase is, by far, the highest in the sport.)
From MSN Money's message boards: "Baseball park snack prices: Come on, people, quit ripping off the public like that," wrote "Spotmefive."
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Most of the things in the article are things we can go without. Bottled water-tap water. Goumet coffee-home coffee pot. Movie theatre popcorn-bring your own snack/or skip it altogether and save yourself the calories. Movie theatre tickets-Blockbuster (most of the films are crap these days anyway) Baseball game hot dogs-yuck! Oil changes-do your own. Drinks at restaurants-water, less calories and sugar again. Restaurant holiday specials-home cooked meals win every day and twice on sunday-when they put up the 'sunday brunch special'. Printer Ink, is a necessity so it sucks to get ripped off. As for the rest, event parking,ticketmaster fees, airport food and airline baggage fees...be thankful you can afford to catch a good concert and take a trip because many people cannot afford that luxury.
My bone to pick? I hate buying razor blades, what a rip off, $15 for four?
What burns me is how much it costs for broadband internet from home and how the cable company packages things to make it so you need to buy everything in a package to get the best prices / highest access speed. Sometimes I think a piece of infrastructure as important as this shouldn't be in the hands of a monopoly that can pull the crap the cable cos. do. This article totally missed broadband access prices. I believe in the US it's among the highest if not the highest in the western world.
Don't even get me started on mobile phones, plans and phone model exclusivity.
As for coffee, buy a decent burr grinder and get your beans from local roasters and you'll have better and cheaper coffee than from Starbucks with the convenience of brewing it at home. I bring a travel mug to work everyday.
Healtcare!!??!!
Definitly one of the BIGGEST scams in the USA.
My wife was in the hospital for a week recently, she's OK now...the bill $37,000 for the hospital. That does not include any imaging (billed seperate), Doctors fees (again billed seperate). I thank God that we had Blue Cross and Blue Shield, What happens next is a total affornt to me and every uninsured American.
THE DISCOUNT FOR Blue Cross and Blue Shield? $32.005!!! Total cost to BC&BS $4995.
Now either the value of the service is $37,000 or it is worth $4995. I suspect that it is the latter and BC&BS along with the Hospital, is lining their pockets with the cash from the uninsured. TIS IS VERY WRONG!!! Where are the laws? How can this be possible in America? That thieves should be in charge of healthcare is very frieghtening. Don't even get me started on the GOVERNMENT doing to healthcare what they have done to retirement(Social Security). They see the money...they want bigger government...HMMM how do we get more money out of the economy$$$$ Why the biggest plum of all healthcare! OHBOY are we in for it. We don;t need reform we just need for the DA's around the country to enforce commerce laws!
Cut your credit cards
Make Love, not Wars
Living within your mean.
Credit Score is very toxic
No More Mortgage slavery
Big cars do not make a man.
Do not buy unless it is necessary.
Stop being Consumers of the World.
Big ticket items do not make a women
Enjoy each other at Library or Bookstore.
Spend more time with your family at the park.
Stop outsource jobs to India, China and oversea.
Subway and Public Transport are great for America.
Stop fill up your house with cool junks and hardly use items.
For banking with no fees at all (even refunding other banks ATM fees) bank at Charles Schwab. I have for years and I pay no fees at all, at ATM's all over the world. No fees to order checks either. And no minimum balance fees. No bill pay fees.
Southwest Airlines still lets 2 bags fly free. And the service (positive attitude) can't be beat.
For special deals on Southwest Air flights download the "Ding!" product from their website.
Oil changes (at least in Phoenix) Sun Devil Auto does a full oil change, tire rotation, and car inspection for ~$20. OUT THE DOOR (no extra add on fees)
Published August 11, 2009
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