Biggest Ripoffs

"Money is like a sixth sense - and you can't make use of the other five without it"- William Somerset Maugham (British author)

Is money tight and you're trying to stretch every buck? Then stay far away from the the 12 biggest ripoffs in America:

1. Movie Popcorn (as my wife puts it, the actual cost of the container is more then the popcorn. By weight movie popcorn is more expensive than fillet Mignon.

2. Text Messaging - there is a 6,500% markup of cost vs price.

3. College Textbook (way over priced and getting worse at double the rate of inflation)

4. Branded Painkillers (like Advil. Buy generic)

5. "Free" Credit Reports (you'll get trapped into a monthly service that is hard to escape)

6. Wine at Restaurants ($$$ - all alcohol and sodas at bars and restaurants have huge markups)

7. Hotel Mini-Bars (don't even open the little fridge -ever)

8. All you Can Eat Buffets (this one is odd. You think -wow I'll eat a lot and save money. But most buffets are not cheap, say $10 to $15 or more per person. That same money could buy a filling meal of better quality elsewhere.)

9. Premium Gasoline

10. Actively Managed Investments (in tests monkeys are just as likely to predict successful stocks as professional analysts.)

11. Hotel In-Room Movies ($$$ - watch a DVD on your laptop instead)

12. Health Club Memberships (most have no-cancellation clauses. Once you join, you must pay - no matter what, unless you die.)

13. Printer Ink (Billshrink.com readers added this to the list. It is now possible for an ink cartridge to cost more than the printer)

Bottom Line

Most of the fees above are gouging you for "convenience". You can make cheap popcorn at home, or exercise at home, or watch movies on DVD. It's your money, don't waste it on overpriced convenience.