What things do you think are ridiculously expensive and you don't know why?

[sharpclawedkitten]

I'll start.

Toothbrush heads for electric toothbrushes - just a bit of plastic!

Reprogramming keys for cars (why does it cost £100s)

Shoes. They just go on your feet. Have never really "got" them...

Takeaway pizza. Fucks sake it's bread and cheese! Had a Dominoes for the first time in years the other day - 1 large, 1 medium, 1 "personal" (minuscule). £55. What?! And that was with a voucher too! And it was grim 🙄

Cashew nuts. And another vote for toilet roll.

They'll be buried with you! 😂

Olive oil, coffee, blueberries, false eyelashes, prescription glasses, pet flea treatment and decent quality meat

Yes to kids magazines. Our town market always has a stall selling ‘out of date’ ones for a pound each. They always have loads so I’m guessing not many sell at full price (5.99 or so)

I've made my own lampshades! You can get lampshade kits online for about £10-50 depending on size/shape - Dannells ones are good (maybe even the only brand?). Or stick fabric on an existing lampshade with some clear double-sided tape. Supply your own fun fabric, paper, decorative trim, fringe. It's not that hard. I got lucky in a charity shop and found two 50cm kits for a fiver 💪

Paper origami shades are also affordable as they ship flat and are cheap to import. Or you could fold your own.

I also use eBay within a certain radius, Gumtree, and Marketplace as lampshades are a pain to post so usually pretty cheap secondhand. I've jazzed up some boring ones with layers of 30cm long pink fringe.

Dyson hair attachments - it's literally pieces of plastic.

Really?

I use my DH's safety razor when I need to shave anything. It's a lot better than any disposable razor (if that's what you're talking about).

I think the actual razor cost him about £10 - £15 and the blades are about £2 - £3 for a pack of ten. And one of these blades lasts a lot longer than a disposable razor.

i bought some lampshades from Alison Bick in Cornwall, she has a website.
Not cheap, but within the prices you’ve quoted and well made and lovely.
Full disclosure, I’ve never met her, not a friend, just found her lampshades in a lovely shop in Cowes.

Weddings
Hairdressers
Tickets to events (Taylor Swift, Oasis, ...)
Toilet roll
Smartphones

This annoys me too!

I have found these on the Red Cross online shop - multipacks of birthday cards which are ok value - eg
https://giftshop.redcross.org.uk/products/flamingo-5-pack-letterpress-happy-birthday-cards-archivist-1

https://giftshop.redcross.org.uk/products/designed-by-refugees-blank-greetings-cards-multi-pack-pack-of-6-cards

Everything, every single bloody thing. I went to Asda today for a small top up shop, so basically milk. a small loaf, some salad veg and some bits for my lunches at home for the next few days. It was £22 and that is just for me for a few days. Nothing to make whole meals with, no cleaning stuff, no treats, just a small top up shop. The freezers were almost empty, the veg is poor quality and the whole experience was depressing, gaps on the shelves limited choices and high prices.

Pink razors. Why do the cost twice as much as black ones?

Toilet Paper

Tesco do them in the odd bits section for a couple of pounds for two! Fit on an oral B

Tampons, olive oil, wrapping paper, fuel, taxis

Anything from Heinz these days

Appletiser. It's just fizzy apple juice.

hand cream.

it's perfumed, it's got a label on it with someone I've never heard of 's name on it.

use olive oil. The cheap stuff. it's more effective and much nicer and if you have to lick your finger for any reason it's much more pleasant.

Snacks and drinks from vending machines. Vending machines ought to have far lower overheads than shops - a staff member is rarely present and the machines’ square footage is tiny. Customers who use them run the small but significant risk of losing their money. Dozens of customers have been killed by vending machines after trying to rock or tip them, possibly because the bloody machine had just stolen their money.

Yet a chocolate bar from a vending machine costs far more than one from a shop. Why?

When the weather is good for growing olives. It isn't now.

Cereals - small matter of a war in Ukraine.

Razors - but mes way cheaper and exactly the same.

Nit treatments. £15+ for a bottle of vamousse.