"I Refuse To Pay That On Principle": 24 Things People Had To Stop Buying In 2026 Because They’ve Just Become Too Dang Expensive

If you feel like everything these days is genuinely unaffordable, you're not alone. Recently, Reddit user @OCTOVENG asked, "What have you stopped buying because it just got too expensive?"

People had A LOT to say, and answers poured in. Here are some of the most agreed-upon answers, plus a few niche replies that prove nothing is safe from inflation these days.

1. "Concert and comedy tickets. Even after you accept the list price, the fees added on are infuriating and make it $50 to $100 more expensive. I refuse to pay that on principle."

2. "Gas. I bought an electric car, and I'm never going back."

—Robiniac

3. "Fast food. I had to ditch all fast food (and most eating out) so I can afford concert tickets."

4. "Clothes. I only buy used clothes now from Goodwill, Poshmark, etc."

—Lravs

5. "Ground beef. I have to stock up when it goes on sale, break up bulk packs into one-pound packs, or get it from the meat markdown cooler."

6. "Health insurance used to be affordable. When my ex-husband and I got married and had our daughter, a family health insurance plan cost $68 per week with a $500 deductible, 20% coinsurance, and a $1,000 out-of-pocket maximum. That was in 2003."

—elegantmomma

7. "Going to the movies. It costs like $80 for my family of four if you include popcorn and drinks."

8. "Rent. I'm 35 and single, and I moved in with my mom."

—wet_bandits23

9. "I'm 46, single, make decent money, and moved in with my friend and his family. Four years ago, I was renting my own house. Today, that's a pipe dream."

—hyphychef

11. "Potato chips. Paying $6 for four ounces of fried starch and salt feels like an insult."

—palmer_nkr

12. "Name brand sodas. A 12-pack used to be under $5. Now, they want $12. At this point, I’ll just stick to water."

13. "The price of coffee is ridiculous. I still drink it, but I only buy it on sale. Remember when a bag of coffee was one pound? Now, it’s 10 or 12 ounces."

—cathleen0205

15. "NHL, NFL, MLB, cable TV (internet only), etc. I have to spend $80 a month to watch hockey at home — never mind actually going to a game!

16. "Manicures are a minimum of $65 before tax and tip. And you have to get them every three weeks."

—justforthesong13

17. "In my area, a cheap men's haircut is $35. When I moved here about 10 years ago, it was about $17 at the same barbershop. I just started shaving my head."

18. "$80,000 for a pickup truck is wild."

—wiseoracle

19. "You pay an exorbitant amount for any new vehicle, and the quality is terrible. A decent used vehicle from 10 years ago is cheaper in the long run."

20. "Store brand frozen pizzas doubled in price. I used to eat them several times a week as a quick, effortless meal."

—GranolaHippie

21. "Vacations. We used to camp frequently, but we can’t even afford to camp now."

22. "I just canceled my Adobe plan for the first time in 25 years. They want $240 a year for Photoshop and one terabyte of storage, plus AI, Adobe Fonts, and Stock."

—slvrscoobie

23. "These days, all companies raise prices based on what buying algorithms tell them they can charge. In the old days, prices would stay at some catchy price point — regardless of efficiency. Algorithms ended all that."

24. And finally, "Anything that brings me joy."

—d3photo

Have you stopped buying anything this year because it got too expensive? Tell us in the comments or the anonymous form below!

Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.