In a viral video, a Los Angeles woman shares her shock at how much it costs to furnish an apartment.
In the TikTok, Victoria Le (@victorianicolele) explains that when she moved into her first apartment in California, she had “all these fun ideas” about how she was going to decorate and furnish her apartment.
That was until she was hit with the reality of how much home decor and basic necessities cost. In the apartment furnishing process, she found out that a trash can alone can run $70.
In the TikTok, Victoria looks away from the camera despondently before panning to the metal kitchen trash can she ended up buying and giving it the middle finger with an angry look on her face.
@victorianicolele no because that should be illegal 😭😭 #livingalone #fyp #homedecor ♬ original sound – Taylor Dean
Victoria is not alone in her confusion and resentment of how much trash cans cost. There are multiple online articles on the matter and a Reddit thread of people sharing their dismay.
The Kitchn reported that trash cans could range anywhere from $20 to $200, with the price tag going up based on the build quality, material, and how innovative they are.
Aside from expensive trash cans, a person moving into their first apartment will need basic furnishings like a couch, bed, and dining table, which ApartmentGuide estimates can cost about $3,500 on the low end, and Furnishr says can go up to $11,000 on the higher end. This cost can be brought down significantly by purchasing used items.
The video struck a chord with many people, racking up more than 2.4 million views and over 1,700 comments.
Commenters heavily related to Victoria’s video.
“No because that should be illegal,” the caption read.
“Trash cans, bedding, VACUUMS why is existing so expensive :(,” a person wrote.
Several people shared the other items that gave them sticker shock.
“Me finding out a decent couch is at least 1000$,” a commenter wrote.
“Pillows are also so expensive,” another said.
“Don’t even get me started on rugs,” a further viewer shared.
“YES why are trash cans so expensive I don’t get it,” a top comment read.
The Daily Dot previously covered another viral TikTok in which a college student went viral for using a cardboard Keurig box as a trash can in her sparsely furnished apartment “since trash cans wanna be $100 now.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Victoria for comment via email.
