I saw this in the December Reader's Digest. I thought you might find interesting.
Learn smart ways to avoid the hidden costs of convenience.
6,000% - Text Messages - Phone users commonly pay 10 cents per text message, but sending it might cost the carrier only a sixth of a cent. If the same markup applied to a short phone call, the call would cost $120.
4,000% - Bottled Water - A $2 bottle of water costs only about 5 cents to produce.
1,275% - Movie Theater Popcorn - Theaters know that viewers will pay more for movie snacks, so they hike up the prices: A bag of popcorn that costs 37 cents to make can easily sell for $5. One Michigan man found the price so outrageous that he is suing his local theater.
300% - Wine at a Restaurant - Restaurants routinely charge as much as $30 for bottles of wine that retail online for $7 or $8. Check in advance whether the restaurant allows BYOB, or opt for a nonalcoholic beverage.
40% - Precut Produce - Precut fruits and vegetables may save you time, but they definitely won't save you money: Grocery stores charge almost 1.5 times more for precut than for uncut produce.
