What adult purchase really shocked you once you saw the price tag?

[tvguy]

Ambulance bill. I was in my early 20s, so just out of school.

Yeah, in the final year of my mom's life she needed ambulance transportation 4 times. The local fire department ambulance sent a bill for $250 for each of the two transports they did. The private ambulance company accepted the Medicare payment as FULL payment for the two transports they did. I was managing my mom's finances at the time and just paid it. But I know my mom would have given the fire department she had been paying taxes to for 63 years an ear full because they had the gall to bill her for an ambulance, especially when the FOR PROFIT PRIVATE ambulance company felt the insurance payment was acceptable.

Ran into that when my MIL's husband needed an ambulance....another public fire department billed my MIL $1,500. Her husband was retired Air Force and covered by Air Force Tricare coverage. The Fire District included an Air Force base. The ambulance had been purchased with a federal grant with the stipulation that any person covered by federal health insurance not be billed a penny, that what the insurance paid would be payment in full. Just by the fact it was Tricare should have told them they couldn't bill her.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Probably the COBRA amount when I graduated college. I was able to get insurance through Blue Cross Blue Shield back then for about $230 less per month than COBRA. I kept Dental and Eye with what my mom had through her employer's insurance because the cost wasn't bad.

I'd say the next thing is probably service charges on utilities. I say that in relation to the amount of the actual usage at least to me. Water, excluding the months where we water the grass more we'll use up about $5-7 in a billing cycle but the service charges are about $14. Or sewer where we're charged over $18 in service fees (actual bill was $14 this past month). Our electricity usage was $59.33 this past billing cycle BUT the bill has a $14.50 (set minimum fee), $15.34, $0.78 $12.55 and $0.19 fees added to the bill this month for a total bill of $102.69. We're on level pay so we paid $70 something ish but yeah. Our gas company has a $18.89, $2.30, $5.05, $0.04, $1.44, $0.84, and $0.16 fees plus sales tax added on.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Good tires and decent quality deck furniture.

For the latter - it's literally in the elements all day - why. why are you making me spend so much $$ on this.

Also good paint.

Just FYI for anyone reading. WalMart carries a brand of tires called Douglas that, when on sale, especially, can run significantly lower than brand name tires. They are made by Goodyear, and when you buy them, the paperwork on them comes from Goodyear. If you don’t mind having the Douglas name on the side instead of Goodyear, it’s a good way to go. I’ve bought two sets now pretty painlessly, especially for bigger tire sizes 18 and 19, which can normally be priced super high.

 

[superme80]

Cereal

THIS! My favorite cereal is $5.69 at most major grocery stores!!!!! I sometimes treat myself to a box at Target. It is usually around $3.79 there.

 

[RamblingMad]

Mattress cost.

 

[Tallis]

I went to buy those dryer things with the scents. Unstoppables or something and I was shocked by how much they cost.

They go in the washer, just a heads up so you don't end up shocked by the cost of a new dryer.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Two things -
First - prescription medicine - omg it gets worse every year God forbid you don’t have ins it’s a nightmare
Second - I had spinal surgery - unbelievable what that cost - thankful and blessed I had insurance but still cost be a lot before I hit the max and they paid the rest 100% - the dr alone was over $100,000! ! Not counting everybody and God who submitted bills
I had to have a second spinal surgery 15 yrs later and to my surprise and unknown to me an out of network provider participated to the tune of $30,000 after months of battles I was released from owing anything !! I had requested all providers Before surgery and was Never informed of this person the ins refused to pay and so did I - per my ins I didn’t owe anything on this !! For once it worked out !
So yes utilities are high / houses are high - but medical is insane

 

[RamblingMad]

Two things -
First - prescription medicine - omg it gets worse every year God forbid you don’t have ins it’s a nightmare
Second - I had spinal surgery - unbelievable what that cost - thankful and blessed I had insurance but still cost be a lot before I hit the max and they paid the rest 100% - the dr alone was over $100,000! ! Not counting everybody and God who submitted bills
I had to have a second spinal surgery 15 yrs later and to my surprise and unknown to me an out of network provider participated to the tune of $30,000 after months of battles I was released from owing anything !! I had requested all providers Before surgery and was Never informed of this person the ins refused to pay and so did I - per my ins I didn’t owe anything on this !! For once it worked out !
So yes utilities are high / houses are high - but medical is insane

Medical costs in the US are out of control. But I don't see this changing until people lose their fear over universal healthcare. If I were to treat my medical costs each year as taxes, I'm worse off than my friend in Norway from a tax perspective. It's really frustrating.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I don’t believe we will ever have it in this country - such a shame - people deserve health coverage - period - I don’t wish to start a political debate I just feel this in a human level - no one should have to choose being sick and possible death because they don’t have ins - even with ins you can’t afford a major illness - it’s not right it’s sad !
Again Not political just my personal feelings . I am not speaking for or against any person in office or any medical plan issued . I am speaking my feelings . Everyone is entitled to agree or disagree and I respect your opinion

 

[Heigh-Ho]

So yes utilities are high / houses are high - but medical is insane

Medical was already mentioned several times. Just because someone didn't mention it in their post and instead mentioned something else doesn't mean they don't think that medical costs aren't also high/insane

I know you didn't mean it this way but it's not necessarily a competition of which is worse. I think most of us agree medical costs of medicine, procedures and so much more is just out there in its own place no doubt.

 

[Heigh-Ho]

Meals at Disney World.

Those buffets and character meals wow! But even the counter places are high too.

 

[tvguy]

Okay, revised. Bought razor blades today. $23 for 8 blades, almost $3 each. Apparently a monopoly. Production cost, under 10 cents per blade.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Didn’t mean it as completion sorry if it came across that way I whole heartily agree utilities are insane and for the most part it’s not like we can opt out
No offense was intended - I respect everyone’s opinion - what may seem insane to one person may not be to others

 

[C&Jx2]

Okay, revised. Bought razor blades today. $23 for 8 blades, almost $3 each. Apparently a monopoly. Production cost, under 10 cents per blade.

Gotta do one of the monthly services!

 

[mousefan73]

How much a totally new kitchen costs. Cabinets and all. Some kitchens we looked at were in the 50,000 range. Not our budget lol. Nothing special. Granted fir 5 grand you can get IKEA stuff but still custom made is insane. And a bath too.

 

[tvguy]

Gotta do one of the monthly services!

LOL. I just priced it out. $24 for the Gillette Club with eight blades, exactly what I paid in the store. $42 for 6 blades with the Dollar Shave Club and a bunch of products bundled that I don't need or want. No bargain there.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I don’t believe we will ever have it in this country - such a shame - people deserve health coverage - period - I don’t wish to start a political debate I just feel this in a human level - no one should have to choose being sick and possible death because they don’t have ins - even with ins you can’t afford a major illness - it’s not right it’s sad !
Again Not political just my personal feelings . I am not speaking for or against any person in office or any medical plan issued . I am speaking my feelings . Everyone is entitled to agree or disagree and I respect your opinion

I work in a hospital and just to share what I see, and what I have always seen. When someone is very sick, uninsured, and unable to work due to their condition, social workers get involved to help them get on disability and Medicaid so that they can continue to get all the same medical care that everyone else gets. Not sure if everyone is aware that happens here.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

That’s wonderful - I wish it would happen more -
I have an immediate family member that didn’t have ins - bad car accident - emergency surgery - next day hospital demanded $500 or family member was going to be discharged - said family member did not have the money so they went home
I have another family member had multiple surgeries owed hospital even with ins thousands of dollars - hospital wrote off entire bill for a stay that was over 30 days as family member would never be able to pay

 

[JFDIS]

I work in a hospital and just to share what I see, and what I have always seen. When someone is very sick, uninsured, and unable to work due to their condition, social workers get involved to help them get on disability and Medicaid so that they can continue to get all the same medical care that everyone else gets. Not sure if everyone is aware that happens here.

Also in health care and was completely shocked to learn ‘free’ health care means someone decides for you what type of treatment you get, if any. I cared for a women in her early forties who left her family in Switzerland and came to the US for treatment of her pancreatic cancer. She was told her mortality rate was too high for her government to pay for her treatment. Everything has a cost... even those that are free.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

This a newer one for me but the cost of brand new furniture like a sofa/couch. Like what?! $40 at Goodwill was always my go to in my 20s and when we bought our big couch I was shocked to see a cheap one meant under a thousand haha.

This was going to be mine as well. I had hand me downs, dumpster finds, and Ikea stuff in my 20s. After buying a proper house we wanted furniture to match... wasn't expecting 4 figures for a starting point.

Okay, revised. Bought razor blades today. $23 for 8 blades, almost $3 each. Apparently a monopoly. Production cost, under 10 cents per blade.

Check ebay. You can usually get them slightly cheaper there.