| This is how I feel when faced with hidden charges. |
The economy is in shambles, and for most of us, holding onto our money is getting harder and harder. If you are one of the lucky ones to have a job and make a decent paycheck, sometimes it still isn't enough. It seems like every time you turn around, there is someone else with their hand out. Companies have started nickle and dime-ing their customers to the point that it almost feels like everyone wants an extra dollar for this, two dollar over here.
Doing business these days feels sort of like navigating the New York City subways. Everyone is asking for spare change. Credit card companies, cable companies, your cell provider and even your kids school, they all want to grab a dollar or two. Even if you aren't swimming in your stacks of gold like Scrooge McDuck, those dollars add up.
According to an article at Mint, the average American pays $942 each year in these hidden fees and upcharges. While some upcharges make sense, there are some that really irritate me. Here are a few places where you can expect to pay more than you thought:
- Airlines – You can spend hours online looking for the cheapest ticket price, but they don't add in all of the other charges you can expect to pay. If you plan on taking any luggage with you when you travel, you can expect to have to pay up to $25 per bag checked. So, not only do you have to wait in long security lines and get groped by TSA, but you will get stuck with fees that just make us grumpy and cause people to try to bring more things as carry-ons, resulting in not enough overhead space for your carry-on.
- Restaurant and coffee bar extras – Why does a latte with soy milk cost more than ones made with half and half. If I am already paying $5 for my coffee, I should be able to get it any way that I want it. But, it isn't just coffee shops that are guilty of this. I went to a restaurant last week that charged me a fee to share my meal. If I want to split my meal with someone, I don't see how that is any of the restaurant's business. I don't owe them a meal purchase.
- Too much tipping – There are people that you need to tip. Waiters, hairstylists, bartender etc. They don't get paid much and work on a mostly tip basis. I get that. And, I am a great tipper. But, it seems that lately everyone has a tip jar. I was at Subway the other day, and they had a tip jar. I realize that they make my sandwich and all, but I didn't think they needed to be tipped.
- Maintenance charges – I see this all the time on my credit card bills. If you don't use your credit card of gift card often enough, they actually charge you a fee for that. When did it become mandatory for me to use my card?
- Convenience Fees – These make me so mad. They are called convenience fees, but they really aren't convenient for me at all. To pay my bill online with a credit card, my cable company charges me $3. Didn't I save them time and effort of opening the envelope and processing my check? Try buying a ticket to a concert online and printing the ticket out yourself. You will be out quite a bit of money in convenience fees. There are times when Ticketmaster has added on more charges than the actual price to go to the show. If I am doing a portion of the work myself, then I should get a convenience discount. Come to think of it, a discount would be pretty darn convenient.
What do you think about the recent increase in a la carte charges? Let me know in the comments.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for BusinessWorkForceBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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