Why are raspberries, bikinis, dry cleaning, razors and saffron so expensive?

$16 for razor blades. $60 for a bunch of flowers. $9 for a punnet of raspberries. $350 for a bikini. Ever wondered why you're paying a fortune for such simple items?

Razor cartridges are notoriously expensive everyday items. Picture: News Limited.

THEY'RE the everyday items that you feel you can't justify every day. The things that set you off ranting to anyone in proximity. How can the retailer possibly think they can get away with charging that much money for something so mundane? It's highway robbery.

So just why are some items so expensive?

RASPBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES AND BLUEBERRIES

Raspberries are expensive at $9 a punnet but the cost of production is higher than other fruits. Picture: Supplied.

How many times have you thought about juicy, fresh berries on ice cream or in yoghurt, only to be slapped down with an $8.99 price tag? For a tiny punnet.

The reason they cost so much is because of what goes into the production process. Small berries, unlike fruit which grows on trees, need to be hand-picked gently rather than by machine because of their delicate nature. This add significantly to the labour cost, according to Australian Rubus Growers Association's Jonathan Eccles.

Berries are also a seasonal fruit which means they are traditionally grown in cooler climates such as southern Victoria and northern Tasmania. They are also often grown under cover or in a hydroponic environment, which adds to the production cost.

SHAVING RAZORS

Razor cartridges are notoriously expensive everyday items. Picture: News Limited.

If you're a clean-shaven guy, it's not something you can live without, unless you throw in the towel and go the electric route. But if you prefer to do it old school (but not so old school that you're flocking to hipster barber shops), then the cost of replacing your razor blade is steep.

A standard four-pack of razor cartridges costs on average $16. So, if you're using three blades a month, that's about $150 a year.

A spokeswoman for P&G, the company which makes Gillette, said manufacturing razors is a complicated process as the technology, research and development needed to make them can take years.

"Shaving may look straightforward, but it is an incredibly complex process: beard hairs can be as strong as copper wire and are rooted in soft, jelly-like skin," she said.

"The tip of a Gillette blade at its cutting edge is thinner than a surgeon`s scalpel. Misalignment of the blades by as little as the width of a hair may result in a bad shave."

She added that because razors are sharp there's a lot of quality assurance that goes into the design.

If you still think brand name razors are too expensive, the Dollar Shave Club, which sells razors for as little as $1 a unit on a subscription model, has emerged as a disruptive player in this market.

COSMETICS

Revlon's Photoready 3D Volume mascara sells for $23.95 at Myer but is only $US7.95 at Target US. Picture: Supplied.

It's a no brainer, if you're overseas you stock up on cosmetics. Because why would you pay $23.95 for a particular Revlon mascara when you can get the same product for $7.95 at Target in the US?

The reason Australians pay so much more for cosmetics and beauty products isn't always because local businesses are trying to gouge you while enjoying high margins.

An industry source said local operations have to bear the cost of shipping products from overseas, storage and distribution, head office and administration, accounts and expensive marketing. These costs are then passed on to consumers.

BIKINIS

Bikinis have so little fabric but often come with a hefty price tag. Picture: Supplied.

Itsy bitsy teeny weeny bikinis seem to cost disproportionately more than the red fabric the yellow polka dots are printed on.

There's no real reason why bikinis cost so much other than the old capitalist principle of it's what the market can bear. If people are willing to pay up to $350 for a funky style and print, then that's what those designers will charge.

Since buying a bikini can be a fraught experience for most women, bikini brands nab you at a sensitive time when you're maybe not at your most logical best.

And what is maybe most injurious to Australian shoppers is that due to our warmer climate and water-mad culture, bikinis rarely go on sale.

FLOWERS

The cost of flowers include the creativity and time of trained florists. Picture: Supplied.

It's a friend's birthday or a colleague has just had a baby. Or, you're romantically inclined and think it best to express that through a bouquet of beautiful flowers. But why do you have to shell out $60 for something that will last a week at best and serves no other purpose other than that it's pretty?

Think of it like going to a restaurant, especially one in the middle to higher end of the scale. That delightful asparagus, beetroot and rocket salad isn't worth $30 in raw materials, not even close. But the creativity and artistry of the chef who put the flavours together is what you're paying for. It's the same with flowers. Trained and qualified florists crafted that bouquet.

Pearsons Florist director Barbara Pollak said: "You're paying for expertise as well as product. I think sometimes people don't value the expertise and creativity of the florist. And the growers also put a lot of care and passion into it."

For cheaper flowers, head over to the flower markets or start planting seeds in your garden.

DRY CLEANING

Dry cleaners have expensive outgoing costs such as rent, electricity and labour, which all adds up to costs for consumers. Picture: News Limited.

Seriously, $35 to dry clean a dress? How many times have you reconsidered buying something because it has a 'dry clean only' label, mentally calculating how much dosh you'll have to spend over just 10 wears?

There's a lot more that goes into our dry cleaning than the plastic sheet and wire hanger it comes back with. The primary costs to dry cleaning businesses are the electricity bills from the energy intensive machines, high rents and labour.

Plus if it's a special garment such as a wedding dress, there's a lot of special handling which sends the labour cost sky rocketing.

But prices between dry cleaners can vary wildly so if you're looking for a cheaper dry cleaner, find one outside the CBD and not in a major shopping centre where heightened rents push up what you ultimately pay.

SAFFRON

Saffron is the world's most expensive spice. Picture: News Limited.

Okay, so saffron isn't an everyday item but haven't you always wondered why these tiny slivers of orange spice are worth so damn much?

Thomas Dux currently has saffron for sale for $10.99 in a five-gram packet. And even that seems cheap for saffron. But it equates to about $2,000 a kilo. And again for dramatic effect: $2,000 a kilo. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. No, don't, that is an alarming waste of a lot of money.

Saffron is so exxy because the fine threads are the stigmas of crocuses. But each crocus bulb has only three threads so it takes at least a football field of flowers to produce one kilo of the stuff.

And because of its value, there are impostors on the market. Yes, you can buy fake saffron.

Which expensive everyday item makes you outraged? Let us know in the comments below or on Twitter @newscomauhq or @wenleima