Prices for some goods are several times higher than their cost. True, there is almost always an opportunity not to give too much.
1. Popcorn in the cinema
The leader of the hit parade of overrated things. For example, a tiny glass of popcorn in a movie theater cafe costs about 200 rubles. 100 grams of corn kernels with dressing from a grocery store, from which you will make a large bowl of a crunchy treat, is already about 50 rubles. By weight, the same product will cost 10 rubles per 100 grams. Even if we assume that the popcorn from the cinema originally weighed the same 100 grams, there is a 20-fold markup.
How not to overpay
If you can't chew anything for two hours, take a snack with you. This can be homemade popcorn, or healthy carrot sticks, or an apple.
Read also: Saving With Gas Consumption: From Plants to Small Everyday Tricks.
2. Wedding paraphernalia
If you have ever asked the price for wedding goods, then you know how expensive they are. Additionally, in the vast majority of instances, it is unreasonable. The price of the bridesmaid dress and the prom dress may differ by half, although the difference will only be in color. The cost of a tulle cut will be at least 10 times less than that of the same piece of fabric with a “veil” tag.
How not to overpay
This is an asterisk problem, as the “no traditional wedding” alternative is not for everyone. Pay attention to non-specialized stores: one-time white shoes from the mass market will cost less than from a bridal salon and are likely to look more relevant. Also, many wedding elements can be made by hand, if, of course, they grow from the right place.
3. Bottled water
Tap water costs about 35 rubles per 1,000 liters. Water in a bottle costs 35 rubles per 1 liter. The difference is impressive.
How not to overpay
Install a water filter at home and take it with you in a reusable bottle - save a lot in the long run.
4. Expensive branded clothing and shoes
In the low-cost segment, price and quality are most often directly related. You can easily tell the difference between shoes for 1,000 and shoes for 10,000. However, between 10K and 100K pairs, the difference may not be so obvious. But one of them will have a recognizable logo or sole of a certain color.
There is no secret here; when you buy branded items, you pay for the name, for expensive advertising, leasing the ideal space for stores, etc. But not for the thing itself, and this is important to understand.
How not to overpay
Branded items can be bought at a discount at a sale or in stocks, but, of course, they will not be from the latest collection. Another option is to become an adherent of rational consumption.
5. Printer cartridges
Printers are quite durable technology, and there are practically no cases when queues for a new model would be lined up. It is quite logical that manufacturers decided to make money not on the device itself but consumable components. Therefore, you shouldn't be surprised when buying a cartridge for the price of a printer.
How not to overpay
There are several simple ways to reduce your ink or toner consumption when printing. For example, to adapt a web page for printing, excluding all unnecessary elements.
6. Alcohol and cigarettes
In most countries, bad habits are being fought by artificially raising prices for alcohol and cigarettes. For example, in Russia, the minimum price order of the Ministry of Finance of Russia dated April 4, 2017 No. 57half a liter of vodka is 205 rubles, cognac - 371 rubles per bottle of the same volume. Excise taxes are also added to the total cost tax rates for excise taxes on excisable goods for alcohol and tobacco.
How not to overpay
Drink less often, and quit smoking. If only because it is harmful not only for the wallet but also for you.
7. "Healthy" food
The energy bar you borrowed from the health food section costs more than its chocolate counterpart. Nevertheless, if you carefully examine the writing on the label, you can find out that they have the same calorie content, and they contain about the same amount of fats and carbohydrates.
The situation is similar to yogurts with high protein content, on which it is written in small letters that they were compared only with other products of the same manufacturer.
How not to overpay
Prepare healthy food yourself: this way, you will not spend too much, and you will definitely be sure of the dish's composition.
8. Paper books
Many people like the classic format of books, so that the leaves rustle and smell of ink. You have to pay several times more for pleasure than for the electronic version.
How not to overpay
Install convenient reading software on your devices and buy books in the electronic version.
9. Flowers
Prices for bouquets depend not only on the type of flowers that are used in them. You pay for the work of a florist, rent of premises, and, of course, all those buds that will wither in anticipation of the buyer.
Also read: How to Save Money Fast as a Student
How not to overpay
One hundred roses are so common on Instagram that they have long been commonplace. Do not want to overpay - turn on your imagination and come up with another present. You may not be able to save money, but you will not bite your elbows, taking an expensive bouquet to the trash can in a week.
10. Salt
The salt, the absence of which can spoil the taste of the finest dishes, is sodium chloride (NaCl). There is not much commercial benefit in salt because it is very cheap. And salt with various additives appears on the shelves, which costs several times more and, according to manufacturers, is much more useful. But there is one "but": the more foreign impurities in the product, the less NaCl itself.
How not to overpay
Just make your food less salty.
Adapted and translated by The Cop Cart Staff
Sources: Life hacker
