5 Little Luxuries the Middle Class Should Stay Away From
Written by
Travis Woods
Edited by
Angela Corry
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While inflation has decreased in 2024 (down from its high-water mark of 9.1% in 2022), there are already signs that it may increase in 2025, most especially if retailers hike their prices in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to implement tariffs upon imported foreign goods. Coupled with that threat of inflation, housing and auto prices are still dizzyingly high, and a trip to the grocery store can now trigger intense financial stress. As the blog Cheapism recently noted, it all adds up to strain the middle class.
With that strain on the middle class, and the possibility of future trade wars driving inflation, there are a number of little luxuries previously enjoyed by the middle class that are becoming more and more expensive, to the point that indulging in them will do far more harm than good to a middle class bank account.
Manicures and Pedicures
As Cheapism noted, thanks to inflation, the regular trip to the salon for a mani-pedi has become a bad habit that threaten the stability of a middle class budget, and that “this non-essential service might become a once-a-year treat in the future.”
Dining Out Weekly
Having a restaurant-based date night, or winding your week down with a pizza or cheeseburger on Friday night, can really begin to add up. Whether it’s a pricey restaurant or a trip through the drive-thru at a nearby fast food joint, increasing labor and food costs have driven up the cost of dining out. Doing so every week? That’s become increasingly expensive as a result, evolving from “more of a luxury than a standard treat,” as Cheapism put it.
Family Trips to the Movies
What with $15 to $20 movie tickets, popcorn buckets costing at least $10 and a simple cup of soda costing between $5 and $7, a trip to the movies for the whole family now costs $100 at a minimum.
Organic Foods
“Buying organic groceries for your family has always come at a premium,” Cheapism noted, highlighting a statistic that it can be 21% more expensive than an average trip to the grocery store for non-organic goods. While healthy food is of course important, with grocery shopping already an extremely expensive proposition, adding organic food costs to that is simply untenable for middle class budgets.
Food Delivery
The COVID-19 pandemic certainly normalized food delivery as a means to stay distanced and avoid restaurants and crowded spaces, as well as to accommodate those who worked from home. That said, it can be a very, very costly service when used often, with app fees and delivery fees and driver tips stacked on top of restaurant prices.
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