the.com/sticker shock
The feeling of checking a price tag and suddenly checking your life choices.
means The jolt of dismay you feel when a price turns out to be much higher than you expected.
from An American coinage from the late 20th century, first popping up in car-buying culture—literally referring to the sticker on a new car's window listing its price. By the 1980s 'sticker shock' had jumped from car lots into general use, describing that same gut-punch reaction to any unexpectedly steep price.
- origin
- coined for 1980s car price sticker surprises
- economics term
- describes sudden perceived cost spikes, not actual inflation
- cure
- usually three more tabs of comparison shopping