It’s Not Just You: These Everyday Items Have Become a Complete Rip Off (Video)

In this 25 October 2026 published video, host Michael Bordenaro talks about  how everyday items have become a complete rip off.

Rising costs, corporate pricing strategies, and sneaky downgrades have dramatically eroded consumer purchasing power over the past few years. Many once-affordable essentials now feel heavily overpriced due to three compounding economic tactics. When inflation rates cool down, prices do not drop—they simply rise at a slower pace on top of already inflated baselines. Brands quiet downsize the physical volume or packaging of items (like chips or beef jerky) while maintaining or increasing the shelf price. Companies substitute high-quality, functional ingredients with cheap synthetic fillers, flimsy materials, or fewer active agents.

Several everyday products and services have crossed a “breaking point” for consumer value. 

• Fast Food – Items have significantly outpaced standard national inflation, sometimes doubling in price.
• Streaming & Digital Services – Major platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime continually raise subscription rates while adding unrequested ads or tier locks.
• Vacation Rentals (Airbnb) – Hidden service charges and ballooning cleaning fees often push final bills past luxury hotel rates—even when guests are expected to do the chores.
• Convenience Snacks & Jerky – Half-empty, downsized grocery store packaging commands premium organic prices for lower-grade meat or heavily processed ingredients.
• Household Products & Electronics – From fast-dulling razor blades to cheap plastic components built for planned obsolescence, modern goods wear out far quicker than their predecessors.

While you cannot single-handedly fix macroeconomics, you can adjust your habits to protect your wallet and refuse poor-value items.

• Pivot Away from Legacy Convenience Brands: Switch to generic store brands for pantry staples, cleaning sprays, and personal care products. They frequently source from the exact same factories but bypass heavy marketing markup.
• The “Hotel Pivot” for Travel: Before booking a vacation rental, check dedicated hotel booking engines. Traditional hotels provide upfront, predictable pricing structures free from unexpected $200 cleaning fees.
• Meal Prep Fast Food Replacements: Keep frozen alternatives handy for nights when you are too tired to cook. A high-quality store-bought frozen pizza or pre-made steak bowl costs a fraction of a fast-food drive-thru run or app delivery order.
• Audit and Cycle Streaming Subscriptions: Never let multiple entertainment apps run on auto-renew simultaneously. Cancel memberships immediately after finishing a specific series, and rotate them one at a time.
• Buy for Life (BFL): Invest in tools, appliances, and gear backed by robust warranties or constructed from durable, repairable materials rather than buying cheap items repeatedly

https://youtu.be/p-vY2ykEhIU