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People Explain Which Formerly Cheap Items Are Ridiculously Expensive Today

People Explain Which Formerly Cheap Items Are Ridiculously Expensive Today

The times, they are a-changin'. And it seems as though they constantly are a-changin', at a dizzying pace so much so that it's almost impossible to keep up with the changing tides and trends.

In those changing times and trends are a host of products that have shown up with different price points, dramatically throughout human existence. Such as lobster. Lobster used to be cheap, poor man's food--but now, it's one of the most expensive delicacies you'll find on any menu.

So what else that was once the cornerstone of cheap living is now inaccessible?


Redditor u/MkSteamy asked:

"What used to be cheap, but is ridiculously expensive now?"

Here were some of those answers.


Genetic Meats

"Lab grown meat will eventually be a thing. As soon as it becomes even remotely on par with ranching and farming raising, meat companies will drop the infrastructure and overhead of running those facilities and focus on meat printing factories."

"They will eventually be MUCH MUCH cheaper to run. Plus they'll be able to put smaller facilities everywhere dramatically reducing the size of the supply chain and saving even more money."-forfunstuffwinkwink

The Bubble

"Houses. It's actually pretty evil what is happening. They're being bought by secret corporations with deep pockets who don't care how much over asking they need to pay."

"Partly greed and partly trying to destabilize foreign economies and partly investment strategies... it's modern warfare."

"If you made a rule that only citizens can buy property and there is a 2 property limit per person... housing prices wouldn't be in the millions for sub-standard homes."-visionsofcry

Hope You're Rich If You Like Gaming

"GPUs--graphics processing units. Part of it is because of the micro-chip shortage, but I agree, there are GPUs with MSRP about 2x to 3X that price."

"I think the GTX Titan started this trend for high price GPUs, and people were willing to buy them, so prices kept going up."

"Smartphones too. Remember how a flagship phone would cost $550-$650? They have been increasing over the years, and then Apple released the iPhone X which went for $1000 starting price for the smallest storage configuration."

"People kept buying them, so other smartphone makers followed the trend."-MrFunnyMoustache

These were things nobody blinked twice at even twenty or thirty years ago.

Life In General

"Everything. The cost of living has went up 1,544% since 1940. And that was from an article written in 2012"-dixie5oh

"My mom paid for her college education working at a supermarket. When I applied to that same college about a decade ago the tuition was $35,000/year and I'm sure it's even more expensive now."-edubwub

And Public Transit Was Probably Better Then

"Bus fare, I had to get a bus from the city centre to the train centre less than five minutes up a big hill and it cost me £2.60. Nearly fifteen years ago when I first started secondary school it cost 95p for the half an hour trip to school."-ValenciaHadley

Blame Silicon Valley

"Computer parts. Around 10 years ago custom purpose built computers were exploding in popularity. The technology was advancing fast and it was getting cheaper."

"It made a lot of sense that if you didn't need a portable computer and you needed a specialised machine for work or entertainment it was actually better to build one yourself and upgrade it every few years, it would still come out cheaper than getting a laptop or a tablet which were only getting more expensive and upgrading meant total replacement."

"But we all know how that's been going the past few years. I myself have not upgraded my computer in 6 years despite wanting to."

"The costs are ridiculous across the board for computer parts, laptops, cellphones etc which doesn't make sense but it doesn't have to because it's being done on purpose. Also all this expensive tech is less and less reliable."-PckMan

A Little Fluffy Treat

"Bread. It went up by at least 2zł. It might not seem like a lot but a small bread that costed for an example 2zł now costs 4zł."

"Add that every time you now buy bread and after some time you probably would save up ~92zł a year just from the 2zł that was added to the price."

"Once again, I know that may sound like it isn't a lot, but chances are (and imo big ones) the price will be only higher so lets say during the year, around the middle of it, they add another 2zł to the price."

"If you buy bread once a week, every month, that's ~144zł. And that's not even the full price of bread. The full price would be ~236zł a year just for bread. If the infation didn't happen it would only be ~92zł a year. That's a big difference imo."-Ihavewindowsforamind

But nowadays, our anxiety is through the roof when we think about buying any of these things and how much it's going to run us.

The Doge

"Cryptocurrency. Funny thing is, more and more is coming in to circulation therefore directly defying the supply and demand pricing."

"It's literally being used to make the rich richer. Just another way of avoiding tax and screwing over the little guy."-Robofish13

"Every asset class is used to make the rich richer, crypto is by far the most openly accessible and fair of all of them, which means relative to other investments it actually makes far fewer rich people richer."

"And it's a poor way to avoid taxes, as with most cryptocurrencies, all transactions are saved forever to a transparent public ledger."-jawni

Ole Video Games

"When something is considered 'old' it's worthless. When it's considered 'retro' it becomes collectible."

"Nostalgia always wins. When people reach a certain age they pine for the things they had or wanted when they were younger."

"In their late 20s and 30s they have the disposable income to buy it. Thats why every console follows a similar 'U' shaped pattern."-upvotealready

Not The Coffee!

"Long time ago there was a coffee shortage. Prices went through the roof. A cup of coffee at a diner went from 10 cents to a dollar and ground coffee tripled or more in price."

"Everyone suspected it was not real, just the coffee industry trying to jack up the price. People stopped buying ground coffee and the price quickly went back to normal, but diner coffee stayed at a dollar and never went back down."-JackNuner

"I assume this is pre-made coffee at a Starbucks or something. A $5 bag of whole beans lasts me two weeks or so, and tastes wayyyy better freshly ground and brewed in a French press."-Raze321

There you have it--it is actually a fact that, as we have gotten older, the costs of living have absolutely skyrocketed across the board.

And they will continue to do so unless society makes a major change in who handles and controls resources--until then, better hope your wallet is nice and full.

People Break Down The Missing Person Cases That Just Don't Add Up

Reddit user yourlastnames asked: 'what missing persons case is the most confusing / doesn’t add up?'

Content warning: suicide.

There are truly some strange unsolved cases out there, but there's nothing quite like hearing of a person who has vanished as if out of thin air.

While some of these cases have been explained away or even solved, there are some that remain a mystery that truly does not add up, no matter how the puzzle pieces fall.

Curious about these cases, in particular, Redditor yourlastnames asked:

"What missing persons case is the most confusing [to you] or just doesn't add up?"

The Last Ride of Terrance Williams

"Terrance Williams disappeared in 2004. He's the subject of a fascinating podcast called 'The Last Ride.'"

"The short version is that he was taken into custody in Naples, Florida, after being pulled over in the early hours for traffic violations. He was never seen again."

"The deputy that pulled him over tried to conceal the traffic stop even from his own organization, but staff opening a local business saw the whole thing."

"When the sheriff's department finally looked into it, they discovered the deputy was involved in a similar disappearance of a man named Felipe Santos in 2003. To this day the deputy claims no knowledge of Williams's whereabouts, despite being caught out in a series of lies."

- AlanMercer

Paddy Moriarty and Kellie

"Paddy Moriarty and his dog, Kellie. They went missing in an outback town in Australia with a population of 12 people."

"They were last seen leaving the pub riding his quad bike the one-kilometer distance to his house. He or his dog have never been found and no one has been charged in relation to his disappearance."

- Bigred0762

Susan Powell and Family

"Susan Powell went missing from her home in West Valley, Utah, on December 6, 2009."

"She is presumably dead. Her husband, Josh, was the main suspect and just a real piece of work. No one knows what really happened to her."

"Sadly in 2012, Josh murdered their kids and committed suicide after Susan’s parents gained custody of the kids."

- AlexisVonTrappe

"This case is so frustrating since his brother and father are both dead too. We’ll never know what happened to Susan, but I’m positive she’s in an old mine shaft somewhere. F**k Josh Powell."

- burittosquirrel

​The Last Call from Brandon Swanson

"Brandon Swanson. He drove into a ditch and called his parents for help. They stayed on the phone with him for 47 minutes while they drove around looking for him."

"They heard him say, 'Oh s**t,' and then the phone went silent. They eventually found his car far away from where he said he was but he was never found."

- kittengoesrawr

"Reading this was absolutely chilling. It seems at first glance that it's most likely he drowned, but that really doesn't make sense because the water was only 10 feet deep and they would have found the body."

"He just suddenly said, 'OH S**T!' and the phone went silent, but he did not hang up. The phone call continued with total silence from his end. What the f**k happened to him?"

- angelposts

Babysitter Mar Lou Bostwick

"Mary Lou Bostwick. She disappeared July 18, 1972, from Waverly, New York. She was dropped off by her dad to babysit at a friend's house. This was also her 16th birthday. Her mom stopped by later with a cake and presents."

"The people in the apartment told her that Mary never showed up. However, her bag was in the residence. Nothing else was ever found."

"There was another girl around the same age, Sharon Coston, who was abducted and murdered in a nearby town about a year later. October 1983 in Sayre, Pennsylvania."

"There was a man convicted of that, but he always denied doing anything to Mary. One of the people who testified against him and was given immunity was a suspect in Mary's case. Mary's mom thinks there's a connection, but nothing was ever really found."

"I've sadly never seen anyone cover her disappearance on any of the podcasts or YouTube shows."

- Vamp459

Derek Seehausen of San Diego

​"Derek Seehausen. My friend was dating him at the time of his disappearance, and he was actively planning his future in medicine, and was last seen in San Diego."

"I saw him about two months before he disappeared. Please send any tips."

- Hereforit2022Y

The Beaumont Children

"The Beaumont Children. Three kids go to the beach, are seen with a mystery man, and never make it back home."

"Never found out who the man was or where they went. Their parents just recently died without ever getting any closure."

- snguyenx96

Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes

"Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes. The whole family (parents and four kids) went missing overnight in 2011."

"Employers, schools, and the extended family received weird letters informing of their absence or departure (one of them saying they are going into a witness protection program). Two weeks later they found the corpses of the mother, the kids, and the dog hidden behind the house."

"They investigated and retraced the father’s whereabouts in the south of France. He was last seen leaving a hotel a few days before. The region was thoroughly searched, but he was never to be found."

- z4zazym

Branson Perry of Skidmore

"Branson Perry, aged 20, disappeared from Skidmore, Missouri in April 2001."

"He was working on his house with a friend, went to the shed to grab some power cords, and was never seen again."

- AdamR91

The Incomplete Story of Marshall Iwassa

"Marshall Iwassa. Good guy."

"He came back to his hometown to visit his family and friends, and everything by all accounts was good. He left to take the two-hour drive to where he was living and never made it. Instead, it was recorded he spent the entire night trying to get into his storage unit and then nothing."

"A week or maybe more, his truck was found 12 hours away on a back road in the middle of the woods burnt to a crisp with belongings thrown about everywhere, no sign of Marshal."

"From what I remember, the family was adamant that some of the things inside the truck, burnt or not, were missing, things they knew he had. The truck was even missing parts."

"It's been four years and there's never been answers. It makes me sad and fearful of long travels. From what I know of him, he was a fantastic friend; I hope they get closure one day."

- devbot8

Out Shopping Asha Degree

"Asha Degree."

"She went missing at the age of nine from Shelby, North Carolina, United States. In the early morning hours of February 14, 2000, for reasons unknown, she packed her bookbag, left her family home north of the city, and began walking along nearby North Carolina Highway 18 despite heavy rain and wind."

"Several passing motorists saw her; when one turned around at a point 1.3 miles (2.1 km) from her home and began to approach her, she left the roadside and ran into a wooded area."

"In the morning, her parents discovered her missing from her bedroom. No one has seen her since."

- EstateWeary5789

The Vanishing Marion Barter

"Marion Barter here in Australia."

"She boarded a plane overseas in 1997 and changed her name beforehand (didn't tell family). She apparently came back to Australia for a few days (according to passenger records) and completely disappeared."

"It's an ongoing investigation at the moment, there is a podcast about it called, 'The Lady Vanishes,' featuring her daughter."

"It's so tragically fascinating."

- CuddlySubject

The Grieving Bryce Laspisa

"Bryce Laspisa."

"He was driving to his parents' house (three hours) after an argument with his girlfriend, apparently due to his alcohol and video game addiction and abuse of prescription medication."

"Partway through the drive, he pulled off the highway and just sat there… from 9:00 AM to 3:'00 PM."

"A roadside assistance guy checked on him twice and said he seemed fine and coherent, and Bryce told him he would be carrying on back to his parents shortly."

"Sometime later, his car was found only a few miles away, driven off the embankment, and he was nowhere to be found. They never found him."

- Just_Raisin1124

News Anchor Jodi Huisentruit

"Jodi Huisentruit was a news anchor who disappeared in the early morning in Mason City, Iowa."

"There were signs that she was abducted and the investigation is still ongoing with new leads nearly 30 years later."

- Have_you_eaten_yet

Three-Year-Old William Tyrrell

"William Tyrrell. In 2014, the three-year-old boy went missing from his foster grandmother's yard whilst playing with his sister. His foster mother and foster grandmother were apparently watching them play outside, and the foster mother went inside to make a cup of tea."

"They then noticed they hadn’t seen or heard him in a while and searched the house and yard."

"In 2021, police began searching national parkland near the grandmother's home for human remains. They also revealed that the foster mother and grandmother were persons of interest in his presumed death."

"Earlier today, the foster mother pled not guilty to assaulting another foster child that was in her care (a 10-year-old girl). She has also been charged with intimidating and stalking a minor. Her husband has also been charged with the same crimes, but plead not guilty to all counts. The foster grandmother is now dead."

"Basically, police believe that William died whilst in the care of the foster family, and they disposed of his body to cover it up. Police are recommending that the foster parents be charged with perverting the course of justice and interfering with a corpse."

"His photos went viral at the time of the 'disappearance,' and he went missing whilst in a Spiderman costume, and the photo that was distributed was taken minutes before."

- Red_bug91

These stories are truly haunting, and it's no wonder that Redditors have worried themselves with what might have happened to these missing people.

We can only hope that answers come for at least some of these cases and that their closest loved ones achieve some sense of closure eventually.

If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

Senior citizen using a camera
Tiago Muraro/Unsplash

The realization you're getting older can smack you in the face at any given time, and boy-howdy is it fun!

It can be in the morning when you get up out of bed, and your body makes crackling noises, or when you can't seem to keep up at the gym and you cut short your running time on the treadmill.

That's just the physical.

When you suddenly have the epiphany that you're suddenly the oldest one in a group setting, it's humbling.

Curious to hear from strangers online who are no longer the young whipper-snappers they imagined themselves to eternally be, Redditor redmambo_no6 asked:

"Redditors with younger coworkers, what was your 'I’m officially old' moment?"

These moments of realization never get old. But people do.

Senior Kitty

"My childhood cat lived to 21.5 so teaching (freshman biology lab, so students were ~18) became very weird when I realized my cat was older than my students."

– mollusck_magic

Aging In Reverse

"I'm a preschool teacher. It's been a TRIP to watch parents go from Soooo much older than me, to the same age as me, and now they're younger than me!?!?"

– Smart_Alex

The Shook Pediatrician

"My kids pediatrician was also my husband's pediatrician when he was a kid. He was the first kid she had to come back as a parent and she was SHOOK."

– trixtred

Older Together

"See, that's what really kinda drives it home for me."

"I'm not bothered that I'm 48. But that means my school friends are 48, and that's weird for some reason. Like, I went to school with a guy who was wild and crazy. That guy is 48 now, and has a new grandbaby. Somehow, he's old, and I'm just 'getting up there '."

– ThatWeirdTexan

Relics of the past don't just pertain to humans.

Dialing It In

"Had a co-worker ask me, 'Back before cell phones, did you just have to wait around at your house for a call?' Uh, yeah, pretty much."

– Status-Effort-9380

"Reminds me of having to explain the concept of collect calls to my kids. The whole speed speaking where you were for pick up during the recording so your Mama never accepted the collect call."

– DaraScot

Legendary Aircraft

"Various colleagues were debating whether the Concorde had been real. They couldn’t fathom that supersonic civilian aircraft used to exist and now they don’t anymore."

"The Concorde last flew in 2003, when these colleagues were toddlers."

– geckos_are_weirdos

Foreign References

"We were talking about where we were on 9/11, and my coworker went quiet. He wasn’t even born."

"We also had a band that was famous in the 90s stay at the hotel, and he had no idea who they were, meanwhile I was so star struck as they were my entire childhood!"

– Itsagabby

Gravity is not our friend, and not just because of its effect on our faces.

The Day It Went Downhill

"When i fell down the last couple of steps on a stairway. No one pointed and laughed like I expected, instead they helped me up and asked me if I was okay. That’s when I knew."

– day_of_duke

It's About The Recovery

"F'k. That has to be a bummer."

"You fall. You know you're fine. You feel like an idiot. You get ready to wave to the crowd as they laugh and clap. But then... a hand is placed on your arm and you hear 'that was a big fall, are you ok?' You stay in shock for a moment. Of course, you're fine. Everyone is looking at you. They all have concerned faces. Sh*t. Two weeks later, the soreness finally subsides."

– minimalfighting

Ice Slip, You Slip, We All Slip

"This happened to me as well....walking my dog the day after a huge snowstorm. There were some rowdy teenage boys having a snowball fight across the street (schools were closed that day, of course). I slipped on the ice, my feet flew over my head and I landed solidly on my backside. As I struggled to get up I braced myself for the laughter and catcalls, but all I heard was "Are you OK Ma'am??' 'Do you need help??' I was in my early 50s and had never felt 'old' until that moment."

– Ouisch

Conversations with younger coworkers can be fun.

You can quote lines from your favorite TV shows and talk about the latest CD you bought at Target and brag about your new digital camera that takes better pictures than a smartphone.

And then you can watch the blank expressions on your coworkers' faces because they haven't a clue about what you speak.

Yeah. This has never happened to me...

Old.

person getting a tattoo

Collins Lesulie on Unsplash

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Tattooed mummies were recovered in almost 50 archaeological digs across the Earth with locations in Greenland, Alaska, Siberia, Mongolia, western China, Egypt, Sudan, the Philippines and the Andes.

But while advancements in tools and inks have opened up endless possibilities for body art, some designs have garnered a bad reputation.

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It is the hope of those seeking medical help that the medical professionals providing it will be just that—professional.

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