"It's Completely Absurd": People Are Sharing Things That Rich People Have "Ruined" For Everyone Else
If you think back to when you were young (or even just back to a few years ago), it's obvious that many things in life that were once for the masses have become a whole lot more expensive. Well, redditor u/Lattethecoffeaddict asked, "What was ruined by rich people?" People had a lot of thoughts, and the comments came pouring in; here's some of what they had to say.
1."Thrift shopping. I used to thrift a lot, but it's been ruined. I used to be able to go thrifting and come back with three new work shirts and a pair of pants for around $15 (and they were good clothes, too, some with the tags still on them). Now, good luck finding my size at all. Plus, the clothes that are left are all shit, and they want $10 for a shirt now."
2."Formerly cool towns around the country. Think: places like Denver, Austin, Asheville, and more."
3."Bourbon. Once upon a time, the most expensive bourbon you could possibly find was like $100. Now, with everyone 'collecting' it, the prices have skyrocketed. The secondary market is completely absurd."
4."Food trucks. They were once a convenient place to get good food for cheap. Now they're expensive and don't offer any of the advantages or comforts of a restaurant. Not to mention that they all expect a 20% tip for handing you food from a window."
5."Trucks. Once upon a time, they were a humble, working-class vehicle for people who needed to be able to do things themselves. Now they are luxury vehicles with massive margins, which have become unaffordable to anyone who needs them to do real work."
6."Coastal property. My grandfather bought a house on Cape Cod when he retired from being an airline mechanic in the late '60s. He wasn't poor, but he sure as hell wasn't rich. Today, a normal middle-class person wouldn't be able to do that. Even if you inherit a house free and clear, the property taxes will eat you alive if you aren't made of money."
7."Collectibles. In the past few years, the price of little collectibles and things of that sort has gotten incredibly high. I'm talking cards, Legos, action figures, you name it. Whatever your hobby is, people are dropping your entire salary in just one day for related collectibles."
"Nerd paraphernalia like Star Wars or Marvel/DC stuff (action figures, comic books, etc.). Used to be just a fun hobby for kids and kids at heart; now it's almost totally purchased by rich, dedicated speculators solely for profit."
8."Montessori schools. The method was created to give a good education to students in need despite little funding. Now it’s some sort of 'elite' schooling for $20,000-plus a year."
9."The state of Colorado. I was born there, but now I'm forever priced out of my hometown. All my friends and I have moved because we just can’t afford to live there anymore. It's mostly expensive due to housing, but skiing also used to be an affordable hobby that has become prohibitively expensive."
10."Tacos. I recently went to a taco food truck where they put like 100 ingredients on one taco and charged $20 for it. I would rather go to the Mexican place down the street and get a plate of four tacos for $10."
11."Previously affordable clothing brands. Stuff like Carhartt, Dickies, Levi’s, and so many more. Why did a Dickies T-shirt go from $15 to almost $40 in just a few years?"
"I remember not long ago, Champion was the cheap Walmart brand no one wanted. Now it's an overpriced name brand. I don't understand it."
12."Concerts. You can’t even buy a beer at a concert these days for what a general admission ticket used to cost, and people still pay for it."
13."Music festivals. They used to be a bunch of hippies having a good time and doing drugs. Now it's all rich kids taking selfies dressed as hippies and doing drugs."
14."Theme parks. Gone are the days when everyone was equal and you all had to queue together regardless of your income. Now, if you've got deep pockets, you can jump the queue, making your day a little better and everyone else's day a little worse."
15."Lobster. At one point, this shellfish was considered to be the 'cockroach of the sea.'"
16."Cheap foods like donuts, cupcakes, hamburgers, and wings that have all been given the 'foodie' treatment. These foods were transformed from good, cheap eats to gourmet bites demanding jacked-up prices...and without a corresponding increase in quality."
17."Going to the theater. It used to be entertainment for the masses, and now it's ridiculously expensive and inaccessible to most people."
18."Camping. It once cost close to nothing to reserve a campsite. And while some are still affordable, now many have gone all bougie. Some sites charge you ridiculous fees just to pitch a tent in the woods."
19."I stopped going to professional sporting games because I can only afford the terrible seats. It's not worth it anymore."
20."Rental homes. The overabundance of Airbnbs and $2,000 studio apartments in rural/suburban places is outrageous and ruining the opportunities for low-income and working-class people to have a roof over their heads. I live in New York state, and ever since COVID, all these rich city folk are buying up all the cheap places in the country and trying to make a profit off of them."
21."Old-school ski mountains with family vibes and stoner lifties rocking to music. We always watched those silly 'ski patrol' movies about big corporations coming in and turning them into yuppieville...and then it happened."
22."Burning Man. When Mark Zuckerberg is helicoptering in to stay in a billionaire camp with air-conditioned mobile homes, Burning Man has officially lost whatever counterculture standing it ever had."
23."Toast. Hear me out. Years ago, when I was counting pennies to get by, I would make 'fancy toast' like avocado toast, cinnamon-and-sugar toast, or peanut butter banana toast as a meal or snack because it was super cheap. I went to brunch a few weeks ago and saw avocado toast on the menu for $11. WTF?!"
24."Denim. Jeans used to be cheap and durable, clothes you could wear for years doing hard labor. Now they’re expensive and poor quality, and they come with holes already in them just to mimic the aesthetic of the working class."
25."Cheap cuts of meat in general that used to be for the poor. Pork belly and oxtail specifically have gotten jacked up in price, now that people know how delicious they can be. When I was growing up, oxtail used to be less than $2 a pound — now it’s well over $10."
What are some things that have been ruined by the wealthy and privileged? Tell us in the comments.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
