- Airplane Baggage. Unless I'm vacationing at a nudist colony, luggage is a necessary part of my travel experience.
- Water. I got charged 35 cents yesterday for water with my lunch. Like, from the tap.
- Gas Station Air. I paid 50 cents to put air in my tires at the QT last week. And considering what a hot mess I was trying to accomplish this task, QT really should have paid me for providing entertainment.
- Banking Services. You could be charged a fee for cashing a check, talking talking a teller, transferring funds, online banking or using an ATM.
- Doggie Bones. A butcher used to give away "doggie bones", but now they charge for "soup starters".
- Extra Cheese Pizza. Cheese is included in the price, but apparently extra cheese is not.
- Soup or Salad. They used to come with your entree, but now you might pay $3 to $5 to add a soup or salad to your meal.
- Gift wrap. Department stores used to wrap your purchases or at least offer a gift box and some tissue paper. Now, sometimes gift wrap is half the cost of the gift. Throw in a $5 Hallmark card and you've got a real budget buster.
- 411 Directory Assistance. This used to be a free service but now can cost up to $2 per request.
- Hair Cut and Style. Recently I've noticed that many salons charge around $10 for "style" (curling iron or flat iron) after your cut, which used to be included in the hair cut and style price.
- Coffee Refills. Just for kicks, the next time you're in Starbucks, ask them for a free refill and watch the reaction.
But chin up. It still doesn't cost one red cent to...
- Soak up the sun.
- Go to church.
- Visit your parents.
- Read a classic novel at the library.
- Laugh.
- Really talk to your spouse.
- Breathe fresh air.
- Tell the truth.
- Hear your parents'/ grandparents' stories about life when they were growing up.
- Take a nap.
- Smile.
- Listen to the rain.
- Say "I love you" to somebody you love.
- Volunteer your time.
- Sing a song.
- Tuck your babies into bed at night.
- Reconnect with an old friend.
- Play in the snow.
- Give and receive love.
- Visit someone in the hospital.
- Forgive.
- Help your child with their homework.
- Hold the door open for a stranger.
- Say "please" and "thank you".
- Kiss.
- Pick up trash on the side of the highway.
- Dance like nobody's watching.
- Rock a newborn baby.
- Say a prayer.
Well, it looks like pop songs and grandparents are right after all. The best things in life are free.
