CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Most people love to shop for bargains.
So it's kind of surprising that many of us overpay for certain types of items.
Here’s a look at some of the most over-priced items to avoid so you don't waste your money.
Thanks to big box stores, dollar stores, and Amazon, prices of many items haven't gone up much in recent years.
But some items have - and we are now paying ridiculous markups on them.
You can buy a book on Amazon for just a few bucks.
But then why do college textbooks cost hundreds of dollars each?
"200 dollars for a book! 400, 500 dollars for a book!"
A report by cheatsheet.com lists college texbooks with a 40% markup, as one of "the most ridiculously overpriced items we keep paying way too much for."
Other big markups include:
- Brand name cosmetics, a 78% markup over the generic version.
- Airport food: a 200% markup over what you’d pay in the supermarket.
- Name brand printer ink: a 300% markup over no-name ink.
- Designer jeans: a 500% markup, compared with basic jeans.
- And Beats by Dre headphones: which it calls $18 headphones for $200.
And from the Doesn't that Stink file, the most ridiculously overpriced items of all is movie theater popcorn, with a 1,000% markup.
Doesn't that stink?
The report says you are paying more than $5 for 49 cents worth of popcorn.
In some of these cases, you can save a lot if you skip the name brand, and look for an off-brand item that is almost as good.
That way you don't waste your money.
