There's no way in heck I'm spending that much on ______!

I need to start a rumbling, rambling post on things which cost a ton of money but their cost is really inexplicable. No, not electronics or cars or houses... those are somewhat understood (though don't get me started on the cost of a house here versus other places in the US).

This all got started today because I have a $40 credit at a nice store. For all intents and purposes, let's call it Bottery Parn. Or maybe not.

Anyway.

You'd think that sometime over the past six months, I'd have found a way to spend this money. But nope. Things that are in my price range I cannot fathom spending my money on. No, a napkin is not worth $20. Just saying.

So that got me thinking of the many things that are too expensive for their own good. Feel free to chime in on this list.

• PILLOWS. This excludes the silk/hand embroidered/ antiquey rare pillows. I'm talking about the brand-new pillows maybe embellished with something like, say, a BUTTON. $60 at many places that are considered "mid-range."
  
• LIGHTING. This excludes exclusive, hand-blown, hand-painted, etc- type items. A piece of metal and a piece of glass. Now, I realize this will not be $20. But $600?
  
• KITCHEN SHELVING. This one's for you, K. You make me a tad terrified to ever remodel a kitchen (and excited to someday remodel a kitchen too. Danggit).
• USED COUCHES. I realize this is because people probably got gouged in the first place and paid $2000 for their teeny loveseat and now that it's five years later and they want to sell their cat-clawed $2k couch they want to recoup some of their money. But, sweeties, it's not worth $1700. NO.
• SPICES. If it's extra cheap in bulk but 10x the price to get it in a little glass bottle, then maybe your spice is overpriced.
  
• HAIRCUTS. Ok, maybe this one is understandable... but I still hate forking over significant cash to get a decent cut. This could explain why my hair is a bit longer and not as shapely as it usually is. Stretching the appointments.
• PICTURE FRAME MATTING. Is it really that difficult, if you have the special machinery/tools, to cut photo matting? It's really just a type of paper stock, right? How expensive is it uncut? I have no idea, but I always balk at the cost. This also explains why most of my artwork is not matted. Shame shame, I know.
• VETS. I often despise that their medicine is significantly more expensive than my own. And it should not cost $25 to put an eyedrop in my cat's eye. JUST SAYING. And since I don't have insurance, would you mind telling me the fees I could incur before you do the procedure? That way my jaw will not drop and bang on the floor, scaring your waiting patients, when I go to pay in the waiting room.
  
• GARDEN DIRT. It's dirt. Let's stay away from the $8 a bag price. Especially when it would cost 50 cents at the wholesale compost place.
• CAT LITTER. My cats relieve themselves in this stuff. Is there a way to make it a little less expensive than $10 a box? And that's the Walmart price. Don't even get me started about other places.

I should note that generally, I'm not a cantankerous person. This week had the unfortunate combination of me needing to buy cat litter, taking the animals to the vet, perusing a certain store's website, and examining the cost of my garden.

So, there you have it. Preliminary list. Please add. :)