Why is everything in America so expensive?

In the USA everything has to be expensive; if you don't pay a lot of money for a gift, apparently you don't appreciate, like or love that person very much. So you give gifts for birthday's, Christmas, Bar Mitswa's, graduations, completing tasks, Mother's and Fathersday, weddings, births, pre-birth parties and even funerals. It's true. Bigly (click). Even paying for something costs money. Interest on a credit card debt is over 40%. For Americans*: if you buy something for $100 and you wait a year before moving money from your bankaccount to your credit card account, you end up paying $140.  Forget the Airmiles you're receiving as an incentive: do you really want to spend $2000 to 'earn' a $50 gift cheque? If so: I can sell you one for $500.

*I know it's not your fault but you'll have to agree your education system is broken and a lot of you can't count or spell very well. 

If you buy something in a shop, you always pay more than what the pricetag says. How much that is differs per product, per state and often even by city. If you buy the stuff with a credit card (the average American has seven credit cards. Because they can easlly get a new one when they've reached the limit on the older one)  you pay even more. But 'only' 4% more if you pay off within a month. 

This article (click) is about advantages and disadvantages of debit and credit cards.

Why Americans don't use debit cards, although they are just as easy to use but just cost a monthly fee? Simple: American banks don't advertise debit cards because advertising credit cards has a far better ROI; the price for the ads is quickly paid for and some more.  

Speaking of expensive: you may have been one of those poor scammed people who were tricked into buying a diamond engagement ring. Hate to tell you this, but you fell for a 1938 advertising campaign:

Borrowing money is an integral part of American society but if you think about it: most American students studying today will not have paid off their student debt before they reach retirement age.

If they're really good in saving money and have a high paying job as soon as they leave college, American students may have a chance to be debt free by the age they are sixty and finally can put some money in a savings account for their retirement.

Just recently the Biden administration decided to cancel student debt for students who borrowed money to study at Corinthians Colleges (click). Because this 'school' turned out to be a scam: a couple of Wall Street investors had bought several dozen bad schools, stuck the name 'Corinthians' to them - implying the organisation was just as loving as the Bible book with the same name - and tricked students into paying (and therefore borrowing) a lot of money for a study that was essentially and literally worthless.

Americans have one of the worst but also one of the most expensive healthcare systems in the (western) world and America also is one of the most expensive countries in the western world for internet. Overall: the USA is not a very cheap country to live in.

But is paying a lot of money for almost everything perhaps the price to pay for living in one of the most 'free' countries in the world?

You are free to choose a candidate from every political party, right? So how come only Republicans and Democrats get a seat in the Senate or Congress?

Imagine telling your partner what you want to eat, but he or she only gives you either a wrap or a pizza? Would you still say: 'Yeah, but I live in the greatest country in the world because I have freedom of choice!'?

You are free to choose if you want to give your money to KFC or Pizza Hut, right? Nope. It's the same company. By buying a can of beer from either Coors or Miller, you're just making one company richer because they are the same company. Think you are free to watch or listen to a TV-, or radio channel of your choise? Not really: 90% of all media in the USA is owned by just six corporations.

Freedom comes at a price. But what if you pay but don't get the product you ordered?

Want to read (more of) my short stories? My author page: Terrence Weijnschenk at Amazon

I just lost my part time job and am not making ends meet via entertainment because of covid, so a donation (click) is much appreciated:

Additional: a friend send me a link with actual figures. Turns out the average American holds no less than 22 different cards and millions do have a debet card: https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/credit-debit-card-market-share-network-issuer/